Janey Chang Art + Ancestral Skills

An Oil Tanning Class is up next folks! April 30 + May 7 from 7-9pm Pacific Time Zone. It’s now open for registration on my website at www.janeychang.ca. This is a bit of a trickier method to create soft, supple leather, but it IS possible! This class is suitable for complete beginners or folks who have tanned with tannins before. Link in bio ... #becomingleather #fishskin #fishskinleather #fishleather #fishskintanning #fishskintanner #salmonskin #salmonskinleather #fishtanning #finnedbeings #nitrogen #naturaltextiles #repurposedtextiles #naturestextures #naturestextiles #salmonleather #fishskinrevival #oiltanning #teatanning #ancestralskills #traditionalskills #humanskills #oldways #honouringmyancestors #reciprocity #remembering

I find it so hard to put down a project once I start it...or else I may never pick it up again. But I really enjoy the intense focus that learning something new brings. It allows all of my worries and stresses to melt away so I can be 100% fully present. A rare thing for me. Anyone else?! I’m so grateful to Feathers, Leather and Ink/ Beverly Anger-Nelson for her wonderful guidance in the mocassin making process, and to Brittany/@awareness_critters for learning along side me! What a ton of fun our first session was...Stay tuned for the finished mocassins next week! #handmade #handsewn #mocassins #fishleather #salmonleather #oldways #slowdown #slowfashion #ancestralskills #sharingourteachings #fishleathercrafts

I’m so thankful for today’s virtual class. We softened our tea tanned fish skins into gorgeous, supple leathers. I also had the opportunity to soften a huge coho skin from the Cheakamus River caught by Oggie, a small brook trout caught by @gnappanderthal, and my green tea tanned leather I tanned along with my class. In my classes I often draw on the inspirational work of others and show off @megsanishinabie’s gorgeous beaded fish leather earrings and @caneu’s incredible celes...tial earrings. Also sweet little medicine pouches gifted to me by @taninawilliams and #slcc Indigenous Youth Ambassador, Georgina. This visual feast of fish leather never gets boring to look at. As one of my students said, it is like a balm for the soul. I am grateful for my healthy obsession with fish leather! What’s your healthy obsession? #becomingleather #fishskin #fishskinleather #fishleather #fishskintanning #fishskintanner #salmonskin #salmonskinleather #fishtanning #finnedbeings #nitrogen #naturaltextiles #repurposedtextiles #naturestextures #naturestextiles #salmonleather #fishskinrevival #oiltanning #teatanning #ancestralskills #traditionalskills #humanskills #oldways #honouringmyancestors #reciprocity #remembering

Getting a long overdue order ready before teaching a virtual class tonight. I regularly swoon over the beauty of fish leather and the natural palettes that they show off...so I just have to snap photos. I very rarely sell or trade my fish leather as it is difficult for me to keep up with orders with all of the teaching I do and my real focus is on sharing and reviving the skill. Also called ‘capacity building’, but I prefer to call it what it actually is...our birthright as h...umans to know how to do this old ancestral skill. #becomingleather #fishskin #fishskinleather #fishleather #fishskintanning #fishskintanner #salmonskin #salmonskinleather #fishtanning #finnedbeings #nitrogen #naturaltextiles #repurposedtextiles #naturestextures #naturestextiles #salmonleather #fishskinrevival #oiltanning #teatanning #ancestralskills #traditionalskills #humanskills #oldways #honouringmyancestors #reciprocity #remembering

Gifting is a powerful act of remembering and strength. It connects us to our teachings and teachers, whether they’re human, animal, mineral, element or celestial. Two of the Skwxwu7mesh Lil’wat Indigenous Youth Ambassadors gifted me their beautiful work from their first pieces of salmon leather we made together. They have been taught to gift the first of something they have made. It gives me hope to know that young people are picking up and carrying their ancestral teachings ...in such a good way. We have so much to learn from our youth. Beautiful pouch made by Georgina and oil tanned salmon leather made by @ty_las #becomingleather #fishskin #fishskinleather #fishleather #fishskintanning #fishskintanner #salmonskin #salmonskinleather #fishtanning #finnedbeings #nitrogen #naturaltextiles #repurposedtextiles #naturestextures #naturestextiles #salmonleather #fishskinrevival #oiltanning #teatanning #ancestralskills #traditionalskills #humanskills #oldways #honouringmyancestors #reciprocity #remembering