Jun 27, 2013 | Adventures of Rear-Mirror Rissy, Tlingit Culture Accentuated |
Dugout canoe on Lake LaBarge near Whitehorse, Yukon awaits their “invite”
Ann Smith and Clarissa Rizal will dress in their regalia to be a part of the welcoming ceremony of the canoe arrival to shore
Welcoming song for the canoe to come ashore – the ritual is symbolic of the visitors (in this case, the visitors are the council of First Nations’ annual meeting for a week from all across Canada this year held in Whitehorse) being welcomed ashore by the people of the Kwaanlin Dun Nation.
- Canoe goes ashore amongst the reeds and grasses to find a natural “port.”
Photograph of the long dock after the ceremony
A fine feathered friend’s life has ended in the powerfully, beautiful landscape of Lake LaBarge
Jun 24, 2013 | Adventures of Rear-Mirror Rissy, Honoring Others, Showing Off, Tlingit Culture Accentuated |
Ravenstail robe “Grandmother’s Time” woven by Ann Smith, Whitehorse, Yukon danced by her son Shawn Smith, and a Chilkat robe “Diving Whale Lovebirds” woven by Clarissa Rizal, Juneau, Alaska, danced by fellow artist Wayne Price. They were both “hired” to dance the robes with the “Weavers’ Dance” on Sunday, June 23rd during the Adaka Festival main stage.
Ann Smith carefully adjusts her son Shawn Smith’s collar of “Grandmother’s Time” Ravenstail robe
A couple days before the “coming out” of four woven robes that were in the Adaka Art Exhibit, Crystal Rogers and I were in the Elder’s room (where the weaving class was held during the Adaka Festival); I was playing with the warp stick using it like a walking cane pretending i was an old old elder – then I began to dance with it like a man holding a dance staff and wouldn’t it be fun if all of us weavers had one of these and danced with it like this – suddenly Crystal excitedly exclaimed: “…no, let’s hold it like a woman, soft and demure as if we are holding a precious item in our hand…” – we were so dead set on doing this during the “coming in” dance of the woven robes that we asked Ann Smith if her son could make enough warp sticks for all the weavers…and so was born the use of the warp sticks during the “coming out” dance of the woven robes…!
Clarissa adjusts the closure of Crystal Rogers’ “Eagle Raven” button blanket (a collaboration of two artists: design by Preston Singletary, hand-sewn by Clarissa Rizal
“Grandmother’s Time”, “Copper Child” (collaboration Lily Hope and Clarissa Rizal) and “Eagle Raven”
Front views of all three…
The following photos are of Whitehorse’s weaving class members dancing the “weavers’ dance…”
Ravenstail and Chilkat weavers with their “warp sticks” – a hand-made wooden stick with notches to measure the warp yarns for a dance robe or dance apron – these sticks were fashioned after the late Jennie Thlunaut’s warp stick
Thank you very much, Everett Smith, for crafting an additional 10 wooden warp sticks with short notice of two days so we may dance the “weavers’ dance!”
While the narrator introduces the next song, the dancers keep their backs to the audience waiting for the next dance song to begin
The “Raven” robe on the right is also designed by Preston Singeltary and sewn by Clarissa Rizal
Clarissa’s “Diving Whale Lovebirds” Chilkat robe danced by Wayne Price is dead center stage…
“Diving Whale Lovebirds” Chilkat robe and 4-piece Ravenstail ensemble “Copper Child”
“Weavers’ Dance” with our warp sticks made by Ann Smith’s son, Everett Smith – there were 13 of us – lucky number….!
“Weavers’ Dance”…
Wayne Price in Chilkat robe, Tristin Primozic in 4-piece Ravenstail ensemble, and Shawn Smith in Ravenstail robe
Tristin Primozic of Champagne and Aishihik First Nations is a member of the Wolf moeity and he is a young song leader in training with the Dahka Khwaan Juniors Dance Group. He is wearing “Copper Child”, the 4-piece Ravenstail ensemble woven by Lily Hope and Clarissa Rizal.
After the Weavers’ Dance, outside in front of the cultural center for a photo shoot for the local newspaper
Backside of dancers with robes…the fourth robe on the far left was woven by Ann Smith, danced by Ravenstail and Chilkat weaver Charlene Baker
And thank you to all our models for dancing our robes for us: Charlene Baker, Tristin Primozic, Shawn Smith and Wayne Price
Four robes – Two Ravenstail robes woven by Ann Smith; Chilkat robe woven by Clarissa Rizal, and child-size 4-piece child-size Ravenstail ensemble woven by Lily Hope and Clarissa
Owners of the new robe, Ken and Lauren Kaushansky with dancer Wayne Price and weaver, Clarissa Rizal
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 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!
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 25, 2013 | Adventures of Rear-Mirror Rissy, Honoring Others |
Clarissa Rizal with artist friend Cecil Touchon at NuArt Gallery on Canyon Road in Santa Fe, New Mexico
I include Cecil Touchon in my blog posts on occasion because this is the guy that influenced me to get into painting and collage-making back in the late 90s. Here we stand before a two-piece painting he recently completed for his show opening May 24th in Santa Fe at the NuArt Gallery. The colors in this set jumped out at me bopping me on the head to paint my own rendition! Of course, it will not be anything like Cecil’s but, like most of the things that I “copy”, I do my own interpretation.
At the beginning of this year, I told myself this is the year for anything to do with Chilkat weaving; which by the way, is truly happening – let’s be careful what we ask for – however, I think next year it will be the year of painting, and I want to include my interpretation of Cecil’s painting above. Thank you for being a great inspiration and friend, Cecil Touchon!
Jan 5, 2013 | Adventures of Rear-Mirror Rissy, Latest Art Projects, Showing Off |
I taught my granddaughter how to cut with scissors last year when I was making collages; she’s two years old. Here she cuts confidently a Life magazine of McGovern (the 70’s!) to apply it to her collage sitting on the table at the Museum of International Collage…!
Mother and child inspect the first collage; not too much criticism though – it will be included in the exhibit…I dare say, I think she may be the youngest contributor to the museum’s collection and exhibits(!?)
Dec 2, 2012 | Adventures of Rear-Mirror Rissy, Health and Wellness, Showing Off, Tlingit Culture Accentuated, To Market To Market |
Hand-caste paper feathers by Clarissa Rizal will be available for sale during Juneau’s First Friday Gallery Walk, December 7th, 2012
During the First Friday Gallery Walk, December 7th (4:30-7:30pm), Clarissa will be the guest artist at the “Aurora Healing Arts” on North Franklin Street just a half-block up from the Hearthside Books in downtown Juneau.
The hand-caste paper feathers above are made with recycled papers, with a vein of cedar bark trailing down through the middle of the feather to a mother-of-pearl button tipped with a strand of beads and with a crystal teardrop dangling at the end.
You may purchase the feathers with Native American quotes hand-written on them or there are blank ones to add your own inscription or keep it plain and simple!
Aurora Healing Arts is located on North Franklin Street a 1/2 block up from Hearthside Books in the Triangle Building in downtown Juneau
Aurora Healing Arts is owned and operated by Jan Parrish and Greg Garrison, featuring Infrared saunas, Devil’s Club salves and teas, healthy lifestyle products and herbal remedies. Also, Jan has been a licensed acupuncturist/herbalist with nearly 30 years experience with a treatment room off the retail store outlet. They recently opened a month ago.
Window into the world of “Aurora Healing Arts” – check out the paper feathers and all other good things for you in the window the next time you walk past…!
Aurora Healing Art’s uniquely exclusive Devil’s Club Chai tea in both decaff and caffeinated – and in my opinion, “Miracle Mend” is the best all-around healing salve
Auromatherapy spray mists “Raven Woman”, “Eagle’s Feather” and “Glacier Mist”…wonderfully fragrant for swinging into good moods!
Clarissa will have a variety of things available for your Christmas shopping options; they include: beaded wool felt Russian-style 1800-s Navy hats, shrink-wrapped Giclee prints, hand-caste paper feathers, gumboot earrings, greeting cards, original charcoals, cell phone covers and Chilkat robe pattern board paintings on canvas. (Note: The limited edition of hand-printed, hand-sewn Tlingit dolls have all been sold.)
Below are photos of some of the items for sale at this December Gallery Walk in Juneau…
9 greeting card images of button blankets based on robes designed by Clarissa – buy them individually or in a pack of 9 – use them as greeting cards or mat and frame them!
Beaded Russian-style wool felt hats by Clarissa – long-time friend, Kamala with Clarissa stand in front of a Chilkat pattern board on canvas
Spraying clear laquer to set the charcoal (to prevent charcoal from smearing!) – “Totemic Theories” is a charcoal on canvas available for sale in two separate formats: a wall panel measuring 28″w x 72″h and a free-standing column measuring 28″ x 76″
Dress up in your favorite, festive winter garb and join the Gallery Walk this coming Friday, December 7th; come visit Auorora Healing Arts and have a swig of Devil’s Club Chai and a bite to eat while checking out Clarissa’s work – we look forward to seeing you!
Nov 11, 2012 | Adventures of Rear-Mirror Rissy, Class Act, Tlingit Culture Accentuated, Uncategorized |
Just enough room to fit 7 students learning to create a buttonblanket robe sampler in the cozy Raven’s Nest Gallery owned and operated by Sue and Israel Shotridge on Vashon Island, Washington State
Almost 30 years I’ve been designing and creating button robes. It never occurred to me to teach a class until Sue Shotridge dropped the first hint a couple of months ago. She bugged me some more until she got a real commitment. Golly, I’m sure thankful she insisted. As usual, like anything a teacher teaches, we just get better at it. With the tricks-of-the-trade I learned from my students, I shoulda been teaching classes long time ago!
Tools of the trade: thin sock filled with baby powder, pounce wheel, rotary cutter, snip scissors, Elmer’s glue, paper pattern, straight edge, antique mother-of-pearl buttons and of course, your fabric…!
The pounce wheel creates tiny holes along the design lines which will allow the baby powder to filter through onto the wool
Cindy Leask using the rotary cutter to cut the pattern in her black wool
…cutting out the design. The entire class pretty much kept up with one another…impressive!
A few of the students worked late into the evening…
After sewing down the design with a blanket stitch, the buttons are carefully laid out
Each button is carefully glued in place. This trick I learned from the late Agnes Thlunaut Belllinger back in the late ’70s when I never even thought of making robes – one day during dance practice, out of the sky blue, Agnes said “…Clarissa, when you are making button robes, do the layout of all the buttons and then one-by-one glue each carefully with Elmer’s glue…” Little did she know I couldn’t stand sewing buttons onto even a shirt let alone a robe with hundreds of buttons, but somewhere along the line, she musta known what my spirit many years later would go into…
It was great to see enthusiastic students play with buttons…
Clarissa’s first button blanket-making class – L to R: Clarissa, Anne Kelly, Michelle Ruelas, Paul Barry, Marilynn Short, Cindy Leask, and Steven Seto
Aug 11, 2012 | Adventures of Rear-Mirror Rissy, Latest Art Projects, North Tide, Showing Off, To Market To Market |
Blending recycled papers to pour into the paper casting bath while granddaughter pays attention(?)
15 years ago, I made a button blanket ceremonial robe in honor of a fellow clan member, J.B.(short for John Bruce) Fawcett from Hoonah, Alaska, who passed away in the mid-80’s. The robe was called “A Robe to Capture the Passion of Our Tears” made of paper feathers sewn to a blanket of handwoven raw silk adorned with a painted leather capelet. While moving back into my studio last Winter, I found my feather papermaking frames and told myself that I would begin making paper feathers once again. So here I am 15 years later making paper feathers for the Santa Fe Indian Market this coming weekend of August 18th & 19th.
Submerging the feather frames in the paper bath
Just in case you are in Santa Fe during this coming weekend, my booth number is 283PAL which is one of the 10′ x 10′ booths on Palace Avenue which is located between Washington and Cathdral Streets. When you head East on Palace from where all the local Natives sell their wares year around, my booth is on the right. Come by and pluck a feather; they will be available for sale starting first thing in the morning by 7am at the 91st Annual Santa Fe Indian Market!
Placing “leftover” cedar bark strips as the central “vein” of the feather
Handcrafted paper press
After pressing the stack of feathers (that are placed on cloth sheets), Clarissa pulls up each sheet of feathers to dry in the sun.
Once feathers are dry, Clarissa peels each one off of the pressed sheet
I embellished the one-of-a-kind feathers with buttons and beads and wrote inspirational quotes by a few Native leaders and chiefs.
My beaded work table: Once feathers were completely dry, a mother-of-pearl button and single beaded tassel were sewn at the tip of each feather, then the written quote.
the stack of unique, hand-cast paper feathers
During the last minute before heading driving down to Santa Fe for the Indian Market, thank goodness for friends like Emily and Shayla who helped attach the fine elastic loops at the top of each feather
I will have these paper feathers available for sale on my website under “Shop & Buy”; they are $25 per feather or 2 for $30 – they measure approximately 11″ high x 3 to 4″ wide.
