Happy 38th Birthday Kahlil Lampe Hudson!

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My son Kahlil with his wife Mikiko and daughter Violet – July 2008

Kahlil has been a fortunate young man all his life; born in the year of the Dragon, a Capricorn with an Aquarian moon, married to a fantastic young lady with a beautiful child, how can things be otherwise?

An award-winning film-maker that has traveled the world, now teaches at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico and even though Violet is now 7 this March, Kahlil is actually thinking of “settling down.”

Your family is proud of you; your Grandma and Grandpa Lampe would continue to be proud of you.

Lots of love and big hugs, my “Stinkyboy!”

My Son Teaches Film-making at IAIA

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Kahlil Hudson on horseback in the San Juan Mountains of Southwestern Colorado – photo by Tyler Hughen

I first attended the Institute of American Indian Arts in 1988-89 when my youngest was a year old.  Then I went back to pursue a BFA in 2009-2010.  Little would it come to pass that 4 years since my classes there, my son Kahlil Hudson would be hired to teach film!  Huh?  Yep, he’s qualified.  He completed his MFA in cinematography, photography and film directing from UCLA and he’s made several award-winning films.  You can check out his partnership website with one of his best friends, Tyler Hughen at www.lowandclear.com     No, Kahlil doesn’t have his own personal business  website YET  because he’s too doggone particular about how and what he exactly wants on the site!  So in the meantime, we know he’ll make up his mind, we know he’ll get it together, we know he’ll be happy with it when it does get done!

Kahlil on a walk, West San Francisco Street, Santa Fe, New Mexico

Kahlil on a walk, West San Francisco Street, Santa Fe, New Mexico

Kahlil has been teaching for a couple of months now; when I asked him how he liked his teaching job at IAIA, without hesitation with his big, relaxed smile he replied:  “…I love it…!  I had no idea I would love teaching what I love to do…the students are great to work with…!  In fact, we are thinking of actually buying our home here in a year or two…!”    (Hmmm….what does this mean for Grandma?  Maybe I will have to position myself in my own new home between Santa Fe and Pagosa Springs — that would mean Geronimo country of Abiqui, New Mexico area.  I love that country right up there in my heart next to the mouth of the Chilkat River on Mud Bay Road in Haines, Alaska!

Kahlil’s grandparents would have been proud of him reaching this point in his life, especially my Dad and Kahlil’s other Grandfather Bob Hudson.  Bob was a school teacher his entire adult life and loved it.  When video cameras first come on the market, my father bought one and took films of everything and anything wherever he went.  Grandparents die way too soon; we could live to be in our 90s if we were taught how to take care of ourselves in many more ways than one.   Why live that long?  So we can see the fruits of our parenting/grand-parenting in the eyes and hearts of our grandchildren!

My Working Body Creates Body of Work

Chilkat/Ravenstail headdress, double-sided Ravenstail vest, and Chilkat/Ravenstail handbag woven by Clarissa Rizal – 1989

My very first Chilkat piece was a small ghost face pouch woven in a week in 1983.  A lousy weaver, I dare say that when I threw the thing against the window it just about cracked it!  Nope I never show that one to nobody!  Other than the one side of a pair of leggings that I wove with Jennie during our apprenticeship, and the Chilkat woven flap to a leather backpack, the three pieces above and the wall pouch below are my very first weavings before I wove my first Chilkat robe (Sea Grizzly 1999) and my first Ravenstail robe (Copper Woman’s robe woven in 1994).

“Father Cyril Bulashevich & St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Church” Chilkat wall pocket woven by Clarissa Rizal – 1990 – private collection, Denver, Colorado

Though I have woven several small pieces not pictured here (or anywhere else for that matter), and I am a multi-tasker who has created other major pieces of art in a variety of mediums, the photos in this blog are all of my major weavings.  This blog post is to honor my children and grand-children to whom I leave my legacy and especially today to my youngest child whose birthday is today; she is the one who created this website, who created and encouraged me to blog, and who still continues to be a level-headed side-kick.

“Sea Grizzly” Chilkat robe woven by Clarissa Rizal – 1999 – private collection, Vancouver, B.C.

“The Diamonds Robe” woven by Clarissa Rizal – 1997 – private collection, Juneau, Alaska

“Hauberg Raven” Chilkat robe woven by Clarissa Rizal – 2001 – private collection – Seattle, WA

“Copper Woman” 5-piece Ravenstail and Chilkat ensemble woven by Clarissa Rizal – 2001 – Collection of Anchorage Museum of History and Art, Anchorage, Alaska

“Copper Man” 6-piece Ravenstail and Chilkat ensemble woven by Clarissa Rizal – 2006 – private collection, Mercer Island, WA

“Copper Child” 4-piece Ravenstail ensemble woven by Lily Hope and Clarissa Rizal – 2009 – Collection of Sealaska Heritage Institute
 

“Jennie Weaves An Apprentice” Chilkat robe woven by Clarissa Rizal – 2011 – Private Collection, Los Angeles, CA

7-foot Ravenstail border for a button robe – 2013 – private collection, Vashon Island, WA

“Diving Whale Lovebirds” Chilkat robe woven by Clarissa Rizal – 2013 – private collection, New York, NY

Dancing of “Diving Whale Lovebirds” Chilkat robe by Clarissa Rizal – 2013

Pattern Board of “Resilience” Chilkat/Ravenstail robe designed by Clarissa Rizal – in the process of being woven; completion by June 2014 – commissioned by Portland Art Museum

 

My Son’s “Low and Clear” Screens at Local Juneau Theatre

Clarissa’s son, Kahlil Lampe Hudson, Skyping on the big screen with Q&A directly after his film “Low and Clear” at the Nickelodean Theatre in Juneau, Alaska

Kahlil’s documentary “Low and Clear” finally screened in Juneau with two showings on Saturday, August 3rd.  Kahlil and friend Tyler Hughen, co-directed and co-produced the film which has made its rounds in the film festival circuit around the nation and world, including Amsterdam, Canada and Australia.  For a trailer on the film, you may visit his website at:  http://www.lowandclear.com/

In the audience, Kahlil’s old-time friend, Jesse Tabor, son of the late Buddy Tabor, and Kahlil’s sister, Lily Hope

The cinematography in this film is exquisite.  Sure you can call me biased because I am his mother, but I am making this statement because it is in no doubt, true.  If anything, don’t believe me but see for yourself; watch the film for its photography of nature and the sense of no-slap-stick-humor displayed throughout the film.

On my way up a mountain in Haines to pick berries, I ran into friends who told me that Kahlil’s film was filming this evening at the Nickelodean.  What?  Kahlil didn’t tell his mother?  Determined to pick blue berries still, I decided that I would do both:  pick berries for a few hours, then get on a plane from Haines to Juneau to see the film this night and return back to Haines the next morning.  Seems ridiculous but what how could a mother not see the official screening of her son’s film in their own home town?  Hello?  I knew that if I didn’t do whatever it took to get on that flight, I would have regret it and I prefer to live my life with as few regrets as possible.

When I first saw the film on big screen with Dan during the film festival in Telluride, Colorado, we sat in the front seat, in total awe.   Viewing the film again for the second time in Juneau was just as awesome with additional excitement this time with the anticipation that the audience would be able to communicate with Kahlil via Skype.

In the opening scene and throughout certain places of the film, I thought of my father and mother.  Like I said, the cinematography is exquisite and it brought me to tears.  I know my parents would have been proud to see the talents of their first-born grandchild’s accomplishment.  I had so wished they were alive to see this film on two fishermen and their ways of fishing.

My father was an avid troller fisherman in Alaska.  He was a fisherman in the Philippines where he was born but when he moved to Alaska, he started to fish in the Gulf of Alaska near Kodiak.  Then in 1955, he headed down to Excursion Inlet/Haines/Hoonah/Juneau area.  He fished all of his life.  I would love to have seen the expressions on his face and my mother’s face if they saw Kahlil’s film. C’est la vie!

Go ahead and order the film from Kahlil and Tyler’s website, or even check it out on Netflix if you must see it right away.   I suggest you watch it on the biggest screen you can so you can absorb the magnificence of the water scenes.

Click here to read the Juneau Empire article introducing the film.

“Low & Clear” in Telluride

Heading north to Telluride, Colorado

The first stop on my drive to Prince Rupert, B.C. to catch the ferry to Alaska, was Telluride, Colorado.  We were attending the Telluride Mountain Film Festival to see my son’s film “Low and Clear.”   How many of you have been to Telluride?  No matter what time of year, the drive from the North, South East or West is spectacular…!  We drove in from the South via Delores.

Pulling into Telluride

There are two film festivals in Telluride:  the Telluride Film Festival and the Telluride Mountain Film Fest.  We attended the latter.

Standing room only at the Telluride Mountain Film festival

Kahlil and Tyler’s film “Low and Clear” is a documentary about the relationship between two passionate fishermen.  The story is touching, naturally funny in parts, and the cinematography is astounding (and I’m not saying that because my son is an excellent photographer!).  See the “Low and Clear” trailer at Kahlil’s website; click here.

Tyler Hughen and Kahlil Hudson answer audience questions; Kahlil portrays slight traits of his Tlingit background - he is almost what the Lower 48ers call "long-winded"...we call it being a natural-born storyteller...

Group shot in front of Telluride's library -Dan Shanks, Clarissa, Tyler's father Ed and wife Sarah, Tyler Hughen, Kahlil Hudson and wife Mikiko Ellis

Walking Telluride is like walking the remnants of once was almost a ghost mining town to an upper-class model of a Universal Pictures set - everything has not only been refurbished, but it is alive with the bustling of people, cars, products and lights...

 

“Low & Clear” Documentary is Celebrated in Film Festivals Across the Continent

"Low and Clear" Documentary by Tyler Hughen and Kahlil Hudson

My son, Kahlil Hudson and his life-long friend, Tyler Hughen directed and produced their most recent film “Low and Clear”, a documentary currently making its rounds in the Film Festivals around the country and internationally.  Check out the trailer at:  http://www.kahlilhudson.com/trailer.html     I am happy for my son who is living his livelihood backed by a wonderful wife, Mikiko and his daughter, Violet Sol.  Yeah, Tyler and Kahlil, and all those who made this film happen!