My fear of speaking spoke...

Last night at OpenMic I got up on stage and read my poem about Auri. Frightening and invigorating all at the same time. I can't say getting up in front of people is my favorite thing, it probably never will be. It's just good to know I can do it, without being totally terrified. To top it all off, everyone liked my poem. Thanks Auri!

The photos above are from an OpenMic on October 11, 2007. Cowboy Will presented Auri with a hat because he is of course, the man in the funny hat.

The Man with the Funny Hat

My inspiration for the day is Auri Naggar. This is Auri at the haunted house at the Pumpkin Festival 2007. He is the director of Young Actor's Workshop. My kids went to his classes when they were younger and I'm still on the board of directors. He teaches through improv theater and has brought so much talent out of kids that didn't even know they had it. He showed me that in the midst of chaos lies creativity. He also hosts the OpenMic at Cameron's Pub in Half Moon Bay, Calif every Thursday night. I've seen him encourage people to get up on stage for years and let what's inside come out. He is an inspiration to all who meet him.

The man with the funny hat said,
“What number do you want?”
“None I cried,”
my fear of speaking spoke.

He pushed on,
“What number do you want?”
Brushing him off, without a thought,
the thought seeped in.
What number do I want?
What do I want?

A piece of me upon the stage,
my twist on life to be known.
What number do I want?

The number that lets me
speak out loud, without fear.
The number that opens
up my world.
The number that assuages
my fear.

But, oh, that is the way he works.
I’ve seen it time and time again.
I love the wonders that he brings out.
His purpose, his part, his role,
to get those to take their number and
spill their soul.

Oh, the man in the funny hat.

-Kim Ritner
January 17, 2008

Painting is poetry

I read somewhere yesterday that you should paint until you don't realize you're using paint anymore. I instantly understood that. Paint is just color and texture to me, a way to get my thoughts visualized. Like poetry it's an abstract way to get the visions in your head into a form others can see.

I'll have to find the website I found that thought on and post it later. Here's the website:
http://www.dallasartsrevue.com/art-crit/Michael_Helsem/process/How-to-Paint.shtml I think I ran across it because they had a piece on how to photograph artwork.

Painting again!

In several abstract paintings I've done, I end up with a woman's form repeating in many places. I'll do it without even thinking about it. I'll usually start with a curve I liked, from a photo I've taken. Usually it's from a woman's photo and I'll go from there. So this time I'm purposely starting with an abstract of a woman and going from there. I'm doing several sketches and studies to find out where I can take them. This time my inspiration was the curve of the lower back of a woman leaning up against a wall and some carribean colors. I'll see where it goes.

2007 is over!

The end of 2007 was too eventful for me and not enough about creating! I was selling sea glass products (which I guess I've got to do if I keep making the stuff), working full time plus at the newspaper, training a new business manager at another paper, doing holiday stuff, and dealing with health issues with my daughter. Travel, travel, travel. Stress, stress, stress!

October: Discovered my 19 year old daughter had a benign tumor that needed to be removed. It was huge and behind her heart. Surgery sceduled for December 28th. Sea Glass festival-very successful.

November: Went to Seattle at Thanksgiving to visit my son for a week. Had a blast!

December: Had to go to Lake Isabella twice to train a new business manager for one of our newspapers.

Had several home shows in Nov/Dec to sell sea glass products. Went to Ventura to a xmas craft fair to sell more stuff. (Reunited with an old friend!)

Son and his girlfriend home for Christmas. Daughter goes to emergency room for possible appendicitis. Spends night in hospital, released xmas eve morning. Appendicitis miraculously cures itself. Drive to Southern California for xmas at my mom's house. Drive back xmas day.

Surgery for my daughter's tumor happened on December 28th. All went well and they removed a 4 inch in diameter, 2 pound tumor-it's bigger than a softball! She's probably had it all her life. It was pushing on her lung. Major surgery. Home recovering.

I must say I did get some great photos in Seattle, which I will publish soon on my Smugmug account. I also have a lot to write about, dealing with my daughter in the hospital. All to come.....

Ok, 2007 is over. Let's start off 2008-new beginnings......