Jun 16, 2013 | Latest Art Projects, Ravens & Eagles, Showing Off, Tlingit Culture Accentuated, To Market To Market |
Pinning the border of the button robe – the design in the background is waiting to be cut out
Couple of years ago I asked my friend Preston Singletary if he had some images suitable for making button robes; I didn’t feel like designing any robes, I just felt like getting down to the nitty gritty and get going on sewing ’em!
Preston’s design of this robe is based on our legend “Raven Steals the Sun”, bringing light to the world.
with a wet cloth placed over the cut-out applique, the heat from the iron fuses the image to the robe body
Lily Hope helps her daughter Bette (SikiKwaan) Hope take out the basting threads
With the help of Lily and Bette in April, and later with my friend Lis Saya who helped lay out the buttons and sew them down, I finally finished this robe to this point by mid-June (though it still needs the circle of buttons about the body).
“Raven and the Sun” is a collaboration between designer by Preston Singletary and seamstress Clarissa Rizal — the robe is not quite finished; it still needs the circle of buttons that goes around the entire body of the Raven
The robe worn by a dancer
Jun 11, 2013 | Acting Out and Musical Chairs, Adventures of Rear-Mirror Rissy, Honoring Others, Showing Off |
Though they’ve have known one another for over 35 years, Clarissa and Lis have never played music together until this evening at the “Open Mike” sponsored by Pagosa Brewing Company owned by friend Tony Simmons – David Chambers is on the congas – photos by Dan Shanks
Our sons have been friends since they were two years old; mothers and sons met at the co-op preschool in Juneau, Alaska. Lis has been a celtic musician her entire adult life and has produced many concerts bringing Irish music to Juneau. I used to play music in my early adult life until I began having children; the house was too small to practice and play because it would wake up the kids; it wasn’t until after my kids grew up and I divorced that I finally had the time to play again; I took up the ukelele!
Lis on guitar, accompanied Clarissa on ukelele, played 3 songs: a traditional Tlingit song, a Northern rendition of “Jeremy Row the Boat Ashore” and Clarissa’s first song she wrote over a year ago “Shifting Shanks”
Lis came down from Alaska and spent three weeks helping me get certain deadlines done before I returned to Alaska for the Summer. The two of us worked, worked, worked the entire three weeks – While I was finishing a Chilkat robe with the same deadline as all of the work, Lis helped me dye weft yarns, cook bark, split bark, wash warp to make my weaving kits for a class; she helped lay buttons and sew them down on two button robes; she helped weed and water the garden. It was wonderful to have full-time help with the things I would normally do if I didn’t have the time crunch of “getting outa Dodge” on time!—I’ve always said that women need a wife; a woman like myself definitely needs one full time all the time. When I make enough steady money (hahaha!), I will have a steady wife! — Playing this open mike together was about the only “free time” thing that Lis and I had time for! Lucky us!
Two friends of mine who had never met until this evening: Lis Saya and John Tarbet enjoy the last act of the evening.
Celtic guitarist Lis Saya, accordian and saxaphone player John Tarbet, ukelele-ist Clarissa Rizal and guitarist Dan Shanks watched all the acts to the very end at the Open Mike; that’s why they are acting like this…!
Jun 10, 2013 | Latest Art Projects, Showing Off, Tlingit Culture Accentuated |
Using two shades of blue weft, this Ravenstail zig-zag pattern is a nice inspiration for weaving “water” in Clarissa’s next Chilkat robe called ‘Resilience”
In each Chilkat robe I’ve woven, I have always played around with trying something new, like weaving “electric eyes” or “making waves” – in the robe I am presently weaving, I wove the above in a “split-u” shape. I’ve woven this before, but in a different color combination and in a different shape – this particular color combination is an inspiration for future weavings. I really like the colors.
Jun 7, 2013 | Acting Out and Musical Chairs, Adventures of Rear-Mirror Rissy, Latest Art Projects, Showing Off, Tlingit Culture Accentuated |
Clarissa and her uke
Like most of the performers at the Adaka Festival in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory June 21-27, I will play a 20-minute set. I will sing Tlingit songs and my own originals accompanied by my ukelele on Saturday, June 22 at 1:45pm. Check out the line-up of performers and artists on their website. The Adaka Festival features traditional and contemporary Canadian 1st Nation performers and artists mainly from Yukon and British Columbia, with an occasional Alaskan(!).
I’ve been playing the uke a little over a year – this tool has become a spiritual/emotional life-saver – in my opinion, if you need to be “saved” in any way, this is the instrument that can help bring you a sense of balance. I think that if everyone in the world played ukelele, even if they just strummed a few chords every day and didn’t sing, that eventually, the world would have consistent peace! Yep.
As I mentioned, the Adaka Festival also features artists from the Yukon/British Columbia/Alaska region. During the Festival week of June 21-27, I will also be teaching an introduction to Chilkat weaving class along side Ann Smith who will be teaching Ravenstail, and Ann and I are spearheading another Indigenous Weavers’ Gathering . On Friday, June 21, I will also be a part of a group art exhibit featuring a Chilkat robe I am recently completing, my latest button robes, a contemporary painting, along with a few Giclee prints and my button blanket series greeting cards.
If you are in Whitehorse, Yukon, come out and visit us!
Jun 3, 2013 | Latest Art Projects, Ravens & Eagles, Showing Off, Tlingit Culture Accentuated |
Clarissa Rizal weaving a “Diving Whale Lovebirds” Chilkat robe – May 2013
One morning in early January, I woke up thinking about all the Chilkat weavings I started a year or two (or even three(?) ago: the Chilkat robe for a couple from Seattle, the leggings for my friend Preston, a handbag for Cherri, the doll started with my daughter Lily, etc. Incomplete projects tend to nag; they drag down energy . No one likes a nag; and I surely don’t like to be dragged down. I was once a nag, but learned it didn’t do any good. Yet did any of these Chilkat weavings learn not to nag to their maker? No, because it’s not the weavings that are nagging; it’s that other part of me that’s nagging – so really I hadn’t ever given up the art of nagging – what a revelation! So, that early morning in January, I said to myself: “…this is my year for Chilkat weaving. I’m going to complete all that I started…and then some…” And I am doing so. I’m quitting the nag business!
May 31, 2013 | Class Act, Latest Art Projects, Showing Off |
Sitting on my weaving bench I include important tools of the trade: laptop with remote, plate of scissors, needles, measure stick, and a notebook with pen
While I am weaving, I always have the necessary tools next to me to avoid having to get up from my bench; no one likes to be interrupted while in full concentration and when “on a roll.” I make sure my laptop is open to my email page, my necessary tools for tending to my weaving process are easily accessed and I have a small spiral-bound notebook and pen always at hand. This notebook allows me to immediately write down thoughts while weaving. Those thoughts can be about household and garden duties I must perform within the next day, week or month, or they could include another task to complete another project I am weaving or painting, or a reminder to contact another weaver to be included in a Weavers’ Gathering, or call the kids to remind them to send a birthday wish to their sibling. In fact, I carry one of this notebook on my person, in my purse and I place one by my bedside each night. Okay, call me a “type A” personality; am I offended? Only if I cannot make note of it!
May 27, 2013 | Adventures of Rear-Mirror Rissy, Honoring Others, Showing Off |
Clarissa sits next to her portrait by photographer/artist Rosalie Favell
During Indian Market 2012 in Santa Fe last year August, Rosalie Favell photographed many of the artists, including myself. Initially of course, when asked to participate, my automatic response is to hesitate and I begin to ask myself questions, but with a little bit of encouragement and because Rosalie is a Metis from Canada, I figured why not?
At the show opening last Friday in Santa Fe at the Insitute of American Indian Arts Museum, I recognized a few portraits of fellow artists and classmates or instructors at the Institute of American Indian Arts; to name just a few they included Jeff Kahm, Stephen Wall, Linda Lomahaftewa, Daryl Lucero, and Crystal Worl. The odd thing about these portraits that I realized soon after viewing the entire show was that outside of them being in B&W and the same format, upon first glance, I did not immediately recognize these people, even my own portrait. I found this very odd; like, okay what’s going on?
One of several groups of portraits taken by Rosalie Favell in her recent exhibit “Facing the Camera” – a growing suite of photographic portraiture that documents individuals from a growing indigenous arts community – IAIA Museum, Santa Fe, New Mexico – May 24, 2013
Rosalie Favell is a photo-based artist born and raised in Winnipeg, Manitoba whose significant work has received international recognition for her mapping of self and community within a global society. Through these images, Favell sees the photograph as a performance space, where identity is constantly worked and reworked, represented, and perhaps hidden. —- hmmmm….”hidden” maybe be the key word here – maybe it is why I initially did not recognize myself and the others – maybe I saw the “hidden” part of our personalities…eh?
May 15, 2013 | Honoring Others, Showing Off, Tlingit Culture Accentuated |
5 Tlingits each received a Rasmuson artist award including (L to R): Ricky Tagaban, Nahaan, Teri Rofkar, Clarissa Rizal and Norman Jackson
Today, 36 Alaskan artists received a Rasmuson Foundation award; check out the award ceremony at: http://new.livestream.com/rasmusonfoundation/iaa2013
I will be using the funds to help support me while I do several projects this year all having to do with Chilkat weaving, including the following: teaching an introductory Chilkat weaving workshop and spearheading the Indigenous Weavers’ Gathering and my art exhibit all at the Kwaanlin Dun Cultural Center in Whitehorse, Yukon; teaching apprenticeship in artist-in-residence in Haines, Alaska; helping weavers in Juneau, Alaska to begin weaving a Chilkat or Ravenstail robe in time for Celebration 2014; begin weaving my “Resilience” Chilkat robe, begin weaving my child-size Chilkat robe; and making the Chilkat weaving tour of Southeast Alaska and British Columbia down to Seattle, Washington this coming Fall.
The monetary support from this Rasmuson grant is invaluable for a (more than) full-time artist like myself. I have come to admit, my entire life is about creating art. And any and all monetary support is such a plus! Thank you, Rasmuson!
Mar 21, 2013 | Ravens & Eagles, Showing Off, Tlingit Culture Accentuated |
“Raven Brings Daylight to the World” or sometimes called “Raven Steals the Sun” or sometimes referred to “Raven Breaks Daylight” or “Raven Brings Box of Daylight” – Design by Clarissa Rizal – 1991
I found this t-shirt amongst my T-shirt collection (that I never wear) – I haven’t seen this for years! I think I wore it once maybe when first printed. I might have to do another rendition to make it more “weave-able or at least print another edition! – The image is as it says, a Raven holding the sun in its claws and beak…
Mar 20, 2013 | Honoring Others, Ravens & Eagles, Showing Off, Tlingit Culture Accentuated, Tools-of-the-Trade |
Close up of “Jennie Weaves An Apprentice” Chilkat robe by Clarissa Rizal completed 2011 – It is part of a series of Chilkat robe designs by Clarissa featuring a Chilkat robe within a Chilkat robe – the green and blue is to delineate between apprentice and teacher, the past and present, the present and future, Raven and Eagle clans
Jennie Thlunaut taught me several Chilkat “laws” or guidelines for weavers and weavings. This day in age we would call them “taboos” since most of us modern folk do not (or will not) honor the laws of old – most modern folk think that following the “old ways of thinking and doing” no longer applies to us today. Some of us folks say that they want to follow the ways of our people, yet when it comes right down to applying those old teachings, or when it comes to honoring the elders and their guidelines, we choose to ignore.
Chilkat weaving has a strong spirit. Jennie tried hard to explain these things to me. I was young then. I am young still, however, in my experiences as an active weaver, I have come to know many things of the unseen, and I see why the Chilkat laws of weaving apply today even as they did 100 years ago…the ways of the physical reality may change, the ways in how we live may change, yet the ways of spirit do not. I have experienced that when you apply these teachings, any or all, no matter what goes on in your life, positive and negative, there resides a strong, steady “rudder” serving as a guide of the straight and narrow path – and you will recognize all the good things that have been placed in your path – kind of like a path of righteousness.
In the next blog entries towards the end of March into April, I will list some of the Chilkat weaving laws, for both the weaving and the weavers. You as a weaver, can decide for yourself which laws may apply to you.
Thank you for staying tuned.
