If one were to make a list of the problems with Arizona, I'm sure that the summer desert heat would top the list. Another: too many people moving in too fast. But I'll bet that I'm perhaps the only one whose list would include the lack of decent topical sweatshirts. Probably related to issue #1, the desert heat; designers must figure that there's no market in this state for a stylish, warm sweat featuring, for example, one of many possible local Indian designs.
They're wrong. I do have one such: the trio of snakes above, given me years and years ago by Sson and his lady. However, I regularly check out the Whiskey Row shops -- and the resales too. I've only scored once in all that time; see below. From the NOAH thrift; I'll have to check in there more often.
Quite in contrast, back when I was ferrying my mother up to Victoria BC every summer, I found that the Goodwill and the little independent resales were both good sources for sweatshirt fun. For instance, Garfield, above -- or the butterflies below.
And what could shout Canada! like a loons in a pond. But my pride and joy, for just one $Canadian was the orca (below), like the loons, a find at the Goodwill store in Victoria. The design is by
Haida artist Clarence Mills, one of whose totem poles is installed at the President's Palace in France. I dread the day when it wears out, but plan to cut out the design to use as an applique.
I've checked on the web for orca designs; this is the only one I've found with a raven inside the whale and a little shore critter inside the raven. My immediate response: food chain. However, I wore the sweat when dotter and I visited the
Alaska Native Heritage Center and had an opportunity to talk with a young Haida woman. Her interpretation centered around a series of species interminglings and the resultant births. Oh, what a different outlook! Now I wonder what would be a Haida man's interpretation.
One day very recently, as I was walking down Gurley toward town, a woman with a little boy in tow spotted this sweat and called to me, "Haida!" Turns out her heritage included Haida and that she had lived in Alaska. We had a pleasant long chat there by the big pine at Catholic Charities.
They're wrong. I do have one such: the trio of snakes above, given me years and years ago by Sson and his lady. However, I regularly check out the Whiskey Row shops -- and the resales too. I've only scored once in all that time; see below. From the NOAH thrift; I'll have to check in there more often.
Quite in contrast, back when I was ferrying my mother up to Victoria BC every summer, I found that the Goodwill and the little independent resales were both good sources for sweatshirt fun. For instance, Garfield, above -- or the butterflies below.
And what could shout Canada! like a loons in a pond. But my pride and joy, for just one $Canadian was the orca (below), like the loons, a find at the Goodwill store in Victoria. The design is by Haida artist Clarence Mills, one of whose totem poles is installed at the President's Palace in France. I dread the day when it wears out, but plan to cut out the design to use as an applique.
I've checked on the web for orca designs; this is the only one I've found with a raven inside the whale and a little shore critter inside the raven. My immediate response: food chain. However, I wore the sweat when dotter and I visited the Alaska Native Heritage Center and had an opportunity to talk with a young Haida woman. Her interpretation centered around a series of species interminglings and the resultant births. Oh, what a different outlook! Now I wonder what would be a Haida man's interpretation.
One day very recently, as I was walking down Gurley toward town, a woman with a little boy in tow spotted this sweat and called to me, "Haida!" Turns out her heritage included Haida and that she had lived in Alaska. We had a pleasant long chat there by the big pine at Catholic Charities.
A nice look at sweats, GJ, and I like the one of the orca, too.
ReplyDeleteNice sweats for those cold days.
ReplyDeleteI like sweatshirt type things for this time of year, when it's not cold enough for full pullovers but getting chilly. It would be good to do some designs based on those fascinating kachinas in your post earlier, if it's OK to represent them like that...
ReplyDeleteOne of these days I'm going to get some fabric paints and a cheap source of t- and sweatshirts... Yet another creative project I probably won't get around to!
cat-A -- it's a hard one to beat...
ReplyDeletesteve -- and they will be here one of these days, tho it was in the 80s today (chilly at night, tho -- 39 F)
lucy -- I had a thought sort of like that several years ago and bought a kit which would allow one to create a picture transfer from one's printer. Of course, it's still sitting in the box.
Max cat looks like he's about ready to spring onto those mariposas (butterflies)!
ReplyDeleteI, too, love the Haida orca, and I bet you can scan the design on your scanner for future use.
Wow, a Haida woman in Prescott... it truly is a small world.
~Anon in AV.
anon av -- scanning the design is a cool idea. As for Max, he brought in a poor wee squirming "toy" the other night that I had to toss out into the night and, presumably safety. I don't think he's ever captured a butterfly.
ReplyDelete