Feb 18, 2014 | Tools-of-the-Trade |
The Woodless Colour Pencils by Koh-I-Noor
About four of years ago, while watching a concert by our mutual long-time friend Buddy Tabor, my friend Lis gifted me a box of unique colour pencils and a drawing pad; typical artist/musicians, we doodled while listening to the concert. I had never seen anything like these. YOU DO NOT HAVE TO SHAVE OR SHARPEN YOUR PENCILS!!! —- because there is no wood, it’s all color! Check them out folks; just pure color! You may purchase them through Amazon by clicking here!
Clarissa Rizal colors in a Northwest Coast design-influenced sketch using the “Woodless Colour Pencils”
Jan 26, 2014 | Adventures of Rear-Mirror Rissy, Tools-of-the-Trade |
L to R: Package of three flare-copters, copter & the slingshot
You are probably wondering what a toy has to do with designing and creating art? Like what does this toy have to do with the artist who is blogging this site!? Well, it’s real simple. At the beginning of this year I decided I wasn’t going to create and market my art for my main mode of income. After 37 years of living hand-to-mouth creating and selling art, frankly, I am tired of it. It’s about time I diversify my income. About a month ago, when I saw this toy in Durango, Colorado, it brought me so much joy over such a simple thing, I had to buy sets for each one of my children and grandchildren (and one for me and my friend Margie, of course!). And now I’ve become a distributor!
Do we want a happy artist creating happy work making stress-free happy income? Flare copter is one of my answers!
The Flare Copter is the LED Slingshot Helicopter. Click here and visit the Flare Copters website and find out what fun you’re missing! You can also purchase them on line via Amazon. OR the next time you see me, ask me about my favorite toy!
Oct 2, 2013 | Latest Art Projects, Showing Off, Tools-of-the-Trade |
Building the frame for the “totem pole”
That time right before I wake up is a sensitive time; it’s when things come to me, ideas, concepts, meaningful dreams, etc. That’s how this idea came to me; this idea of a kind of “totem pole…” That was a little over 10 years ago…still making them…!
Stretching the canvas over the curved masonite towards the backside with the seam stapled down the back’s center bar
No nails are used; all pieces are held together with screws. The canvas is stapled to the back center bar. Below are two versions of the totems. One is acrylic on canvas; the other is charcoal on canvas. I have proposed to create a version of these for the Mendenhall Valley Library in Juneau, Alaska. We’ll see if my proposal is accepted.
Charcoal on canvas “Argillite Totem Pole”
Acrylic on canvas – a painted version of the Charcoal on Canvas above
Jun 13, 2013 | Class Act, Tlingit Culture Accentuated, Tools-of-the-Trade |
I place up to 15 feet of a 5″ wide strip of yellow or red cedar in my 22-quart pressure cooker to cook all the sap out so I avoid sticky hands while spinning the thin strips with wool to create warp for Chilkat weaving. Notice the tin foil “wind breaker” around the bottom edge of the pot – I learned this from my (all-too-temporary) assistant, Lis Saya
You don’t need to cook the sap out of cedar bark if you are going to weave baskets or hats, etc. You will want to cook the sap out of the bark if you are spinning warp for your Chilkat weavings.
Set up your kitchen outside. Use a propane two-burner hotplate.
First, oil the lid and entire inside of the pot. (This prevents the sap from sticking heavily to your pot.) Do not oil the gasket of the lid. (You want to avoid having the gasket slip out of place.)
Then fill pot with 3/4 amount of water, place your strip(s) of cedar in the water, cover and place weight in its position. How much cedar do you place i this amount of water? Use your discretion based on the size of pot and the size and amount of cedar strips – there is no hard and fast rule here.
After water begins to boil, turn heat down to a rolling simmer and let boil for at least an hour up to two hours at 10-pounds pressure.
Let out pressure; let cool down (I wait until overnight), then remove lid.
Take cedar strips out of pot and place on paper bags.
DO NOT POUR CEDAR BARK water down any internal drains (sinks, toilets, tubs, etc.). Pour the sap outside in your driveway or in an area that you do not want anything to grow.
Let cedar completely dry out before placing in paper bag or cardboard box. NEVER use plastic bags are containers unless of course, you know that cedar is completely thoroughly dry. (Let’s avoid mold)..
Jun 12, 2013 | Class Act, Tlingit Culture Accentuated, Tools-of-the-Trade |
My temporary assistant Lis Saya is preparing 2-oz. skeins of weft yarn for dyeing Chilkat yellow
If you’d like to know my recipe for dyeing the Chilkat golden yellow weft, just give me a call and I’ll give it to you over the phone. I am feeling too tired to think about placing the recipe on line here right now. Forgive me for being lazy in this moment.
Golden yellow weft hangs to dry in the sunshine after it has been lightly washed in Ivory dish soap. When dry, we’ll put up the yarns in balls instead of leaving the yarn in skeins.
The best Chilkat gold!!!
Apr 1, 2013 | Class Act, Tlingit Culture Accentuated, Tools-of-the-Trade |
Above shows the texture of a “Fast-black” weave over three warp ends instead of two or four
Jennie Thlunaut would often use 4-ply yarn to weave just the yellow and black borders of her Chilkat robes. This enabled the weaving of the borders to be completed in half the amount of time when using the standard 2-ply yarn. However, I do not like the thickness of the weave, yet I wanted the weaving of the borders to go a bit quicker. So I “invented” (or at least thought that I invented) what I came to find out is called the “fast-black” weavers.
In the black border of the Chilkat robe, nstead of weaving over every two warp ends, I weave over 3 warp ends.
Years ago when I completed my first Chilkat robe for her uncle, my friend (and weaving student), Donna C., noticed that my black border had a different-looking texture to it. So being the inquisitive and fine weaver that she is, she carefully took a look at my weave and exclaimed “Hey, you are one of those fast-black weavers…I’ve seen this kind of technique in some of the old robes from our area and other places…!”
Really? I thought to myself,…and chucks, I thought I was doing something unique! Ha, I am reminded once again “there is nothing new under the sun” — if it has been thought of, it has been done!
Mar 26, 2013 | Tlingit Culture Accentuated, Tools-of-the-Trade |
Looking through a window of Chilkat spirit
As I mentioned in my last blog entry, my teacher, the late Jennie Thlunaut taught me Chilkat “laws” or guidelines for weavers. She had indicated that many customs went by the wayside when the white man came. She said that when a woman was preparing all her materials to weave a robe, the weaver also prepared her mind and body. She prayed and refrained from certain foods and took care of her physical body. Once she began weaving the robe and during the entire time of the actual weaving of a Chilkat robe, the weaver refrained from any intimate relations with her man. When she told me this, immediately I wondered why we would have that custom.
Years later, when I was demonstrating Chilkat weaving during a Q & A period, an audience member had asked about any customs and laws pertaining to Chilkat weaving. When I had mentioned this particular custom, I was surprised at the immediate responses from the chuckling audience. They included:
“Oh,….no wonder why there aren’t very many robes out there!”
“Oh,…no wonder why there aren’t very many Chilkat weavers!”
“Oh really?…I think I’ll become a weaver!”
“Oh…what a perfect method of birth control…!”
“Whoa, there’s no way I’ll support my wife to become a weaver…!”
“No Wonder some weavers can weave a full size ceremonial robe in 2 or 3 months!”
If you have any responses and would like to share them, please feel free to leave a comment…!
Mar 22, 2013 | Honoring Others, Relationship Overdrive, Tlingit Culture Accentuated, Tools-of-the-Trade |
Clarissa instructs Frances Joe and Marge Jackson during Clarissa’s 2nd Chilkat weaving class held in August 1990, Klukshu, Yukon Territory, Canada
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.
You as a weaver, can decide for yourself which laws may apply to you.
The following list are some of the “rules of weaving.” Jennie was quite adamant about these certain things and I learned to honor them – they include:
1). no human hands – although you can weave three fingers and a thumb, you WILL NOT weave four fingers and a thumb!
2). Pray each morning before you weave – prayer is to always give thanks for the gift of weaving that you’ve been given, that you have your health and that you have lots of love in your family and friends,…prayer of giving thanks for everything you’ve been given, everything that you have, everything that has come to you.
An East Indian woven cloth to cover a Chilkat loom – a good protector from dirt and negative energies…!
3). Cover your work each time you are not working on it; always cover it before you retire for the night.
Complete the closure of any eye or circle before retiring for the day
4). When weaving a circle or an eye, always allow for enough time to complete weaving them before going to bed; so if you start an eye or a circle in the morning, and then you have other things to do during the day, you must make time to complete the weaving of the circle or eye, close it up, before you go to sleep that night – never leave it open during the time that you sleep.
5). Do not teach (“straight”) men – if you teach “gay” men, then make sure their character is in harmony with the Chilkat spirit.
6). Not to get big-headed about being a weaver; no room for being egotistical – keep your ego in check – especially when you are challenged by another
7). Go to your loom with clean heart, clean mind, clean body – do not weave when you are in a negative mood. That kind of energy goes into the robe and this is not good because the robe will carry that energy and may be transferred to the person who is dancing in the robe.
8). Do not show your weaving to the person who is buying (or may be buying) your weaving before it is completed.
Chilkat weaving is a strong spirit. Jennie tried hard to explain these things to me. I was young then, 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.
Would these “laws” apply to Ravenstail weaving? I do not know, however, it wouldn’t hurt to apply these things to your every-day lives! What have you got to lose?
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.
Mar 18, 2013 | Tlingit Culture Accentuated, Tools-of-the-Trade |
Yellow cedar (approximately) 1/8″ strips – the color darkens to the like of red cedar because the sap is cooked out of the cedar in order to spin with the wool
A new student of Chilkat asked me a very good question: does it matter if we spin our Chilkat warp with yellow or red cedar bark strips? Is there a significant difference?
Yes, it does matter if we use yellow or red. However, the option is up to the weaver. And sometimes a spinner/weaver does not have a choice because of availability.
Yellow cedar is more pliable and supple than red. The yellow cedar and wool spin up smoothly for Chilkat warp. Some of us will use the red IF we do not have yellow available. The red does not split as evenly or smoothly as yellow. Warp with red cedar is a bit more stiff than warp with yellow (of course too this depends on the wool/bark ratio).
Split cedar strands hang alongside prepared wool roving on an antique drying rack – ready for spinning Chilkat warp!
You will notice red cedar used in the old Chilkat robes. These robes have a bit more “body” than those robes woven with yellow cedar warp. Like I mentioned, the preference is up to the spinner/weaver, and the whether or not the spinner/weaver has a choice in the availability of red or yellow cedar.
