Jun 7, 2012 | Latest Art Projects, Showing Off, Tlingit Culture Accentuated, To Market To Market |
Although messy, charcoal is fun to work with. I enjoy the instant contrast from dark to light depending on pressure and the number of strokes in a given place.
You may visit the previous blog ent
Adding more charcoal to obtain higher contrast
I used a workable fixative; next time I’ll use a non-workable fixative for the final coat!
Clarissa sprays fixative on her "Argillite Totem" stapled to the studio wall outdoors
I started this charcoal back in March; you may visit the blog entry that posted the beginning of this charcoal at by clicking here.
The finished piece waits on a table for the body of the wood frame column
I waited for the frame to be built before I sprayed and applied the canvas to the column frame.
“Argillite Totem” with a mirror behind it to see a glimpse of the other side of this totemic column. – This won 2nd Place in the Contemporary arts category of the Sealaska Heritage Institute’s Juried Art Show 2012.
See a video of the awards ceremony:
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May 20, 2012 | Honoring Others, Latest Art Projects, Ravens & Eagles, Showing Off, Tlingit Culture Accentuated, To Market To Market |
Clarissa lays out buttons onto recent "Eagle Raven Lovebirds" button robe designed by Preston Singletary, robe fabric choice and fabrication by Clarissa Rizal
Preston and I have finally collaborated on an actual art piece. We have worked together for a few years creating the Northwest Coast Native Artist Gatherings, and we’ve been working for the past who knows how many years towards creating a large glass Chilkat robe – maybe this robe is the impetus for actually making the glass robe come into reality real soon!
Lily assists in laying out the buttons while son, Louis checks out his mother's carefulness
Lily and Louis Hope helped do the button layout; it’s nice to have a family affair especially with cool kids!
Lily begins to glue down hundreds of buttons
Another version of Lily working on the robe while Louis naps in the Ergo baby carrier
completed button robe
The completed robe waiting to be packed up for the Native Art Market at Celebration 2012 in Juneau sponsored by the Sealaska Heritage Institute
May 16, 2012 | Latest Art Projects, Showing Off, Tlingit Culture Accentuated |
painted Chilkat jacket made with acrylic paints on woven upholstery fabric, black wool accents in cuffs and collar, closure with abalone buttons
Okay all you weavers out there; I challenge you to weave a jacket like this! Chook!
May 10, 2012 | Adventures of Rear-Mirror Rissy, Latest Art Projects, Showing Off, Tlingit Culture Accentuated |
On her front porch, Clarissa sands a smooth finish to prepare for first coats of acrylic paint
I came across these old photos of a fiberglass horse that was a part of the “Trail of Painted Ponies” exhibit back in the Summer of 2003 (or was it 2004?) held in Santa Fe, New Mexico. There was a coffee table publication of all 50 horses supposedly representing the 50 states. I had the honor of representing Alaska.
After several coats of solid golden paint, Clarissa paints the Tlingit formline of a dragon on the chest of the horse
Face of the Tlingit Robed Horse
Portrait at night out back before thunder showers
Clarissa with Robed Horse
Along with all the other 49 horses, this one was auctioned off; the owners live in Texas. I do not know how much it sold for; all the proceeds went towards the Horse Project.
May 3, 2012 | Honoring Others, North Tide, Tlingit Culture Accentuated |
2008 Northwest Coast Artist Gathering - Juneau, Alaska ----- Insert L to R: Aldona Jonaitis, Nicholas Galanin, Nathan Jackson, Marianne Nicholson -- sponsored by Artstream Alaska with support from Sealaska Corporation
In 2010 and again this year in 2012, Sealaska Heritage Institute has assumed the role of sponsoring an artists’ gathering held the day before the biennial “Celebration” gathering of the Tlingit, Haida and Tsimpshian peoples of the Northwest Coast. The artists’ gathering is scheduled on Wednesday, June 6th, 11am to 3:30pm at the Old Armory (now the Juneau Arts & Culture Center). All artists working in the Northwest Coast Native art traditions are invited to this event.
For clarity purposes, this artists gathering is a spin-off on the original productions created and sponsored by the non-profit organization Artstream Alaska in 2006 and 2008.
Although the original directors and producers, Preston Singletary and Clarissa Rizal are not a part of the coordination of this year’s event, the following is a brief history of the original Northwest Coast Artists’ Gathering…
Northwest Coast Artists’ Gathering 2006 & 2008 – sponsored by Artsream Alaska
The original Northwest Coast Artists’ Gatherings were sponsored by Artstream Alaska with additional financial support from Sealaska Corporation. The mission of the Northwest Coast Artists’ Gathering is to bring together artists and facilitators that work in the indigenous northwest coast style of art: to foster dialog; to develop connections; to explore new materials and techniques; to inspire new work; and to create a community that is inclusive and thoughtful, and that honors tradition while moving into the 21st Century.
In 2004 Alaska Native artists Clarissa Rizal and Donna Beaver were photographing and filming at “Celebration 2004,” for their regalia documentary project. Clarissa spent time with long-time friend and fellow Tlingit artist Preston Singletary. The concept of creating an artists’ gathering began when Clarissa and Preston talked and wished for an opportunity to meet each other’s artist buddies (Clarissa introduces Donna and Preston). They had no idea that they would meet over and over again, even later that year in September 2004, with approximately 20,000 Native Americans from all over the hemisphere at the opening of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI). and with assistance from Artstram’s Board of Directors and other volunteers, Preston and Clarissa coordinated the first NWCAG in 2006; four years later in 2008, and again with assistance from Artream’s BOD and volunteers, Chloe French coordinated the Northwest Coast Artist Gathering receiving support from the NMAI.
The Northwest Coast Artist Gathering was a unique opportunity for artists from all backgrounds who work in Northwest Coast inspired art forms to meet and share information about themselves and their work. The event was sponsored by our non-profit Artstream Cultural Resources (now Artstream Alaska) and partially funded by Sealaska Corporation. Artstream Alaska held the first Juneau event in May 2006, one day before Sealaska Heritage Institute’s well-known biennial Celebration. This first Gathering – as it is sometimes referred to – was a one-day event and drew about 125 artists and arts organization representatives.
The second Artist Gathering in June 2008 was a two-day event, again sponsored by Artstream Alaska with partial funding from Sealaska Corporation and NMAI and coordinated by artist Chloe French. The first day featured an artist panel discussion on Native Alaskan art-related issues, sponsored and organized by the NMAI. Several Alaskan Native artists made up the panel — including Marianne Nicolson from Victoria, B.C., Nathan Jackson from Ketchikan, and Nick Galanin from Sitka, along with moderator Aldona Jonaitis, Director of Museum of the North, University of Alaska, Fairbanks. Later, all participating artists were given the opportunity to introduce themselves during a Power Point Presentation featuring their work; this is a highlight of the event since many have either seen an artist’s work and not met the artist or have met the artist but was not familiar with their work! During the second day, Gathering participants worked on an interactive collaborative design project based on the issues discussed during the morning’s panel discussion. Keynote speaker Walter Porter from Yakutat gave his lecture,“Box of Daylight” (view Walter’s lecture from event). Both days’ activities were held at the Old Armory in Juneau.
Many events occur during the Sealaska Celebration. Artstream was pleased to be able to provide space at the Old Armory for the HAIL awards ceremony, spearheaded by the late Andy Hope III. HAIL stands for “Honoring Alaskan Indigenous Literature” and that organization’s event presented awards to five outstanding Native Alaskan writers, of which Clarissa Rizal received one of the awards for her “Jennie Weaves An Apprentice: A Chilkat Weaver’s Handbook.” Artstream also agreed to rearrange its Gathering schedule to accommodate Sealaska Heritage Institute’s final set up preparations for the Native Artists’ Market, which was also to be held in the Old Armory following our event.
The Gathering’s volunteer organizing committee included Clarissa Rizal, Preston Singletary, Aldona Jonaitis, Jan Steinbright, Donna Beaver, Chloe French, Doug Waugh that reflected a mix of cultural and professional backgrounds, including teachers, artists, curators and arts activists, both Native and non-Native. A big thanks to all the artists who attended and all our volunteers who made 2006 & 2008 Gatherings a success!
Northwest Coast Artist Gathering 2006 & 2008 coordinators L to R: Doug Waugh, Aldona Jonaitis, Alan Pizzarelli, Donna Beaver Pizzarelli, Clarissa Rizal, Jan Steinbright, NMAI art director Keevin Lewis, and Preston Singletary
The 2012 Native Artists Gathering sponsored by Sealaska Heritage Institute is inviting all Native artists to bring photographs of their work to share and network. There will also be an artist panel discussion and light refreshments. We envision SHI’s gathering of artists is a welcomed event and enjoyed by all!
Apr 4, 2012 | Latest Art Projects, Showing Off, Tlingit Culture Accentuated |
Hand-silkscreened limited edition of the Old Timer's Basketball Tournament poster, Juneau, Alaska - 1983?
Holy Moly! I just found a couple of copies of this original, hand-silkscreened poster I designed back in the early 80’s – 1981, ’82 or ’83. The image depicts a Raven and and Eagle each grasping a basketball with their claws with a basketball hoop between their heads
I am willing to let go of these last two originals – they are in excellent shape; they are hand-printed on red cedar-like paper and cut in a diameter of 20 inches; this limited edition is signed and numbered – for $495.00 each
As I mentioned, I only have two available; if you want one, then better contact me real quick!
If these don’t sell beforehand, I will have them available for sale at the Sealaska Art Market during Celebration 2012, Thursday through Saturday, June 7, 8 and 9, in Juneau, Alaska – come take a look at other prints and paintings I’ll have available!
Apr 3, 2012 | Honoring Others, Poetry Alaskan, Tlingit Culture Accentuated |
Tlingit Elder Frank Johnson in 1972 - photo by Richard Dauenhauer
I first met Frank when I was 16 back in 1972. Gilbert Lucero (from Angoon, Alaska – originally from Salinas, California) was the director of the “Totem Center” (Juneau, Alaska), a place for young Native people to begin to learn more about their culture because at that time many of us didn’t even know we belonged to a distinct indigenous peoples. In fact, I didn’t even know there was a word called “native.” Gilbert had invited three men to spend a month teaching classes to young Native children; those three men were: Cy Peck, Sr. (from Angoon, who taught the Native history and ways of being; Cy was also Gilbert’s mentor), Harry K. Bremner, Sr. (from Yakutat, who taught native song and dances; I became an apprentice), and Frank Johnson (from Sitka, who taught Native/Western politics).
I will always remember Frank as an uplifting, inspiring soul; he wore a permanent smile no matter what, even when he spoke of the injustice amongst our people and one another! On the very first day of classes, when he first met me, his first words were: “Hey, Harry (he enthusiastically waved Harry Bremner, Sr. to come over and meet me)…come and look at this nose! You’ve got to meet this young girl and her nose!” Embarrassed as I was with this scene happening in front of at least 40 people, the two men checked out my nose, laughed to their heart’s content and each gave me a big hug. Little was I to know how these classes taught by these three men would impact the rest of my life! Many thanks to Gilbert Lucero for all his work bringing these elders into our lives at that time period with the resurgence of Native ways of being and doing.
My son-in-law, Ishmael Hope has a wonderful blog featuring various Native elders of present including those who have passed. Ishmael is an excellent writer; he has recently posted a blog on the Clan Conference, featuring Tlingit elder Frank Johnson. Ishmael has several blog entries featuring Frank Johnson. Check out writings including Frank at: http://alaskanativestoryteller.com/blog/
Mar 29, 2012 | Health and Wellness, Latest Art Projects, North Tide, Showing Off, Tlingit Culture Accentuated |
Adding the Devil's Club leaves to the black & white Chilkat robe design - acrylic painting on canvas measures approximately 24" h x 38" w - Clarissa Rizal; March 2012
I was commissioned by the NNAAPC (National Native American AIDS Prevention Center) in Denver, Colorado to create an image for this year’s convention. Of course the theme is based on the awareness and attendance to health, healing and prevention. They asked for a traditional image that would reflect their theme. I couldn’t think of anything better than of course, Chilkat!
Added the traditional colors of yellow and blue along with the green leaves of the Devil's Club
If you’ve studied the older Chilkat robes of the past 200 years, you will notice there are robes that have similar designs, where there are slight changes between each robe, yet distinctly they are related – like a variation on a particular theme. I am doing this with my “Chilkat robe within a robe” series. Although I have designed a couple of robes with this same theme for a couple of my students, my very first one that I designed and wove was called “Jennie Weaves An Apprentice” (which I finally finished weaving last August 20122), which is what this painting is based and of course I changed some of the design elements (i.e. smile faces as opposed to grims, etc.), yet the design description (described below) is very different than that of “Jennie…”
Almost completed - just need to add the Devil's Club berries, give the painting a more "painterly" effect, and a coat of matte medium
Native Americans used Devil’s Club both as food and medicine. The plant was traditionally used by Native Americans to treat adult-onset diabetes and a variety of tumors. Devil’s Club is employed as a blood tonic, used in salves for skin ailments, rheumetoid arthritis, cuts and bruises. For spiritual protective purposes, the stalks were shaved of their thorns and placed above doorways, made into beads and worn on the person, and shaved stalk were placed in bowls and placed around the house. Sometimes, Devil’s Club was dried and burned like an incense during certain spiritual ceremonies. In vitro studies showed that extracts of Devil’s Club inhibit tuberculosis microbes. Because Devil’s club is related to American Ginseng some think that the plant is an adaptogen. The plant has been harvested for this purpose and marketed widely as “Alaskan ginseng”, which may damage populations of Devil’s Club and its habitat, which is why many Alaska Native peoples are very protective of our Devil’s Club population; we do not want the plant to disappear because of capitalist exploitation. We consider this plant very precious.
The plant is covered with brittle yellow spines that break off easily if the plants are handled or disturbed, and the entire plant has been described as having a “primordial” appearance. Devil’s Club is very sensitive to human impact and does not reproduce quickly. The plants are slow growing and take many years to reach seed bearing maturity, and predominately exist in dense, moist, old growth conifer forests in the Pacific Northwest, which is why we will harvest only what is needed. There are times we will harvest the entire stalk if the need calls for this, otherwise, we will take a small cutting at the lower backside (the part that does not face the beach or face of the forest). We never harvest the entire plant. To ensure the continuance of the Devil’s Club, we dig a small hole nearby the area we have harvested and we place an “offering” of tobacco, cedar or sage – we are “giving back” and paying our respects. Many Native American people consider ourselves “stewards of the land and sea.”
Devil’s Club generally grows to 3.5 to 5 feet tall; however, instances exist of it reaching in excess of 16 feet in rainforest gullies. I have literally walked under “forests” of Devil’s Club. The spines are found along the upper and lower surfaces of veins of its leaves as well as the stems. The leaves are spirally arranged on the stems, simple, palmately lobed with 5-13 lobes, 8 to 16 inches across. The flowers are produced in dense umbels 4 to 8 inches in diameter, each flower small, with five greenish-white petals. The highly poisonous fruit is a small red drupe 0.16 to 0.28 inches in diameter elongate in clusters.
Devil’s club reproduces by forming colonal colonies through a layering process. What can appear to be several different plants may actually have all been one plant originally, with the clones detaching themselves after becoming established by laying down roots.
This species usually grows in moist, dense forest habitats, and is most abundant in old growth conifer forests. It is found from Southcentral Alaska down throughout Southeastern Alaska to western Oregon and eastward to western Alberta and Montana. Disjunct native populations also occur over 900 miles away in Lake Superior on Isle Royale and Passage Island, Michigan and Porphyry Island and Slate Island, Ontario. I personally have seen Devil’s Club here and there in the higher elevations in marshy areas of the San Juan Mountains surrounding Pagosa Springs, Colorado. The plants are not as large as those in Alaska, but then again, Alaska grows things big.
The completed "Chilkat Devil's Club" painting on canvas for NNAAPC by Clarissa Rizal - March 2012
Design Description of the painting entitled “Chilkat Devil’s Club”
The stylized Chilkat ceremonial robe design depicts a smaller Chilkat robe within a larger Chilkat robe which is part of a series of Chilkat robes portraying “a robe within a robe” image. This particular theme is one that tells the story of the transference of indigenous knowledge healing methods from one person to another, or from one tribe to another, from one community to another, of from one culture to another; this is shown by way of the main human face (the Creator) who has gifted us the Devil’s Club and is flanked by the human faces on the top and left corner of the main robe who are holding the smaller robe (center lower half outlined in the yellow/black border) showing the recipient (smaller human face) of the healing knowledge and simultaneously the recipient of the healing modality. In this case, although the Devil’s Club signifies the ancient healing methodology of the indigenous peoples mainly of the Northwest Coast across the Northern part of the U.S. and southern Canada to Ontario, because of small cottage industries in Alaska and Canada who are creating healing salves, teas and tinctures, the healing properties of Devil’s Club is available to anyone in the world.
Mar 21, 2012 | Latest Art Projects, North Tide, Showing Off, Tlingit Culture Accentuated, To Market To Market |
The beginnings of Clarissa's "argillite" done in charcoal
Well,…not only am I finally getting around to posting new posts on my blog, I am finally getting around to doing more work in charcoal – in this case, a charcoal done on raw canvas. I call it my “argillite carving.” (What is argillite? It is a black stone from the British Columbia area suitable for carving.) When completed, this piece will be approximately 30 inches wide x 6 feet tall. I’ll post the finished product when I complete it – stay tuned!
Jan 5, 2012 | Adventures of Rear-Mirror Rissy, Class Act, Honoring Others, Latest Art Projects, Tlingit Culture Accentuated |
“Jennie Weaves An Apprentice” Chilkat robe was on my weaving loom for 5 years. I’ve never had a robe take so long in the weaving, however, I’ve never had the kind of journey I’ve experienced in the past 5 years either! The following is a pictoral journey of the life of this robe reflecting the journey of its maker.
Apprentice Bev Morris from Teslin, Yukon Territory and Clarissa begin weaving their Chilkat robes - Pagosa Springs, Colorado - September 2006
Directly after my apprenticeship in Chilkat weaving with 95-year-old Jennie Thlunaut from Klukwan, Alaska, I began designing a Chilkat robe in honor of the gift she had entrusted me with and the 6 weeks we had together in 1986. I had silk-screened a limited edition of the design, painted a “fake” robe for a collector, and the design was also the cover and name of my Chilkat Weaver’s handbook that I printed myself; yet it wasn’t until 20 years later after my apprenticeship with Jennie I had begun weaving the robe in September 2006 upon the arrival of an apprentice from Teslin, Yukon Territory, Bev Morris. I demonstrated Chilkat weaving techniques on my robe while Bev learned on hers.
Chilkat robe at the Auke Bay condo - September 2010
Chilkat robe in my new room at my mother and father's house - November 2010
Chilkat weaving demonstration during Gallery Walk at the Juneau Arts Center - musician/singer/songwriter Archie Cavanaugh and his grandson stopped by for a visit
Chilkat weaving demonstration during the "Time Warp" exhibit of Northwest Coast weavers at the Bill Reid Gallery in Vancouver, B.C. - March 2011
While visiting my daughter and granddaughter in Pagosa Springs, Colorado - April 2011
Many braids and weavers to keep track - common folk wonder about Chilkat weaver's sanity
Rented another apartment for the Summer 2011 - the turquoise couch, the black loveseat and the Chilkat rug (woven in Tibet) were all color-coordinated beautifully - June 2011
Patrice DeAsis and Lily Hope were two of my assistants who helped me complete this robe by its designated delivery date! - June 2011
Close-up of Teacher "Jennie Thlunaut" (in green mask) and "Clarissa" in blue mask
Demonstrating Chilkat weaving at the Teslin Cultural Center's boat building - July 2011
Inside the Teslin Cultural Center's boat building - Chilkat robe is off to the far right - July 2011
Weaving in a perfect room while overnighting at the Skagway Inn - granddaughter Bette Hope enjoys the view! - July 2011
While on return ferry from Skagway to Juneau, Lily Hope and Clarissa weave in the cafeteria - July 31, 2011
In the stateroom on the MV Columbia sail from Juneau to Bellingham - August 2,2011
With fellow Chilkat weaver Nishga'a elder, Louise Dangeli, in th stateroom on board the MV Columbia sail from Juneau to Bellingham - August 4, 2011
Nite weave In Colorado studio - August 11, 2011
Almost complete Chilkat robe on display in Clarissa's booth at the 2011 Santa Fe Indian Market - far right is Ravenstail woven ensemble of "Copper Child" woven by Lily Hope and Clarissa - August 20, 2011
Fellow Chilkat weaver Suzi Williams and Clarissa needle up the ends in the back of Chilkat robe - Sunday morning, August 21, 2011
Although neither Crystal Worl (wearing cedar bark hat) and Beckie Etukeok have never woven Chilkat, they help put up the ends in the back of this Chilkat robe - Afternoon of Sunday, August 21, 2011
"Jennie Weaves An Apprentice" Chilkat robe designed and woven by Clarissa Rizal with help from several of her weaving students - August 22, 2011
