Random Fact #6: Hold The Meat

©Kathleen Rietz
I've never been a fan of meat, hated milk even as a child, and am very happy with what Leon referred to today as my "Jesus Diet". It is the same diet my mom referred to as "Sticks & Stones". Ha ha, you people are all so very funny. Sure, I crave a plate of technicolor sushi creations from Daruma in Schaumburg, IL, at times. And Ashby's Sterling Ice Cream in Arlington Heights, IL, is the best REAL ice cream in the world. But on a daily basis, a normal dinner for me consists of what you see in the picture above: barley, steamed edamame, a splash of soy sauce and a tomato wedge. For lunch I may get on a kick where I make black bean tacos on soft corn tortillas with a sprinkle of cheddar cheese and fresh salsa. Breakfast is almost always a piece of fruit, oatmeal sprinkled with some dried fruit, coconut, nuts or seeds, and, of course, a cup or 2 of tea! Apple slices smeared with natural peanut butter and a cup of tea are a favorite snack at work this week. I fill my weekly shopping cart with fresh fruits & veggies, whole grain breads and legume pastas, beans, seeds, nuts and dried fruit. The dog rarely ever fights to lick my plate.

Random Fact #5: I Am A Lifelong Artist

©Kathleen Rietz
My first attempt at collage. (year unknown)
© Kathleen Rietz
For Daddy. 1973 (age 5)
It wasn't easy deciding what to post for this Random Fact #5. But I decided to post drawings of my dad. You can see more childhood drawings by clicking the heading "Artwork From My Childhood" to the right of this blog.

Illustration Friday "Wedding"

© Kathleen Rietz
These little guys started out as characters I was developing for a client, but it never went anywhere.
You can find the boy bee, "Barney Bee", on baby clothes at my cafepress shop.

Random Fact #4: I Love Tea

© Kathleen Rietz
I'm quite content when I find myself absorbed in a cup of tea. It offers just enough caffiene for a little pick-me-up, but not so much that I get the jitters and crash later like I may with a cup of coffee. Tea contains chemicals which naturally neutralize odors in the mouth, unlike coffee. I collect teas like some people collect books or music or coins. For me, it is the perfect gift to recieve because chances are, I will invite you to have a cup with me! I can spend hours in a tea shop smelling and sampling teas and walk away completely happy with the experience. Three of my favorites are Japanese Sencha, Jasmine and (in the evening) Mint.

Random Fact #3: I'm Green

My philosophy is that when you stay as a guest in someone's home, you clean up after yourself and try to leave their place as it was (or better than it was) before you arrived. I also feel that way about the world we live in. I recycle, reuse, repair....and I bring my own shopping bags to the store whenever I can. This reusable canvas shopping bag is available at my cafepress store, and features artwork I created for this week's Illustration Friday theme "Momentum".

Illustration Friday "Momentum" #2

©Kathleen Rietz
I thought I'd post another design piece for "Momentum". I guess I like to post abstract pieces for this theme because momentum is truly an abstract concept, and the word conjures up such images in my mind. This painting represents the momentum I feel in September, as summer slips into autumn.

Lazy Afternoon

©Kathleen Rietz

Illustration Friday "Momentum"

©Kathleen Rietz
When I hear the word "momentum", I think of it as referring to the pace of one's heart or one's life. I thought I would post some of my design work, which always begins with an illustration of mine. I rarely ever post my designs on my blog, but I enjoy creating pattern and design equally as much as I enjoy creating a new illustration. So, I hope you enjoy something different from me this week.

September Shower

©Kathleen Rietz

I think September is the most beautiful month of the year.

©Kathleen Rietz

These photos are dedicated to my mom, Carol, who would have been 72 this month.

©Kathleen Rietz

As I get on with my life, I wish she was here to celebrate all of my happinesses with me. I know she would be proud of the woman I am today, her daughter.
I miss you, Mom.

Win a Book!

The FIRST person to post a comment on THIS post gets a *signed* copy of this book I illustrated!

Random Fact #2: I Am Exploring Other Talents

Art is not the only thing that interests me. I have always been interested in healthcare and lifestyle modification from a holistic approach. I recently took a part time job working as a chiropractic assistant. I work with a fantastic group of people; it is both exhilerating and exhausting. I do not have a photo of me in my scrubs, so I am posting this illustration I drew a few years ago for a book about fitness and weight loss.
copyright protected

I'm Excited!

I just ordered copies of this book I illustrated, which will be for sale at the SCBWI children's book illustrators gallery show next month in Chesterton, IN. Read more about this show in the post immediately below! I'm getting tingley!

Come Meet Me!

Come meet me at the Chesterton Arts Center in Chesterton, IN, as I and other members of the SCBWI-IL display our children's book illustrations at a show which will run the entire month of October. The opening celebration is Sunday, October 7th from 1-4pm. A diverse group of talented children's artists will be there to meet, demo and lecture, and it is a wonderful opportunity to see amazing art and purchase children's books. I hope to have copies of the book I illustrated "My New Pet" there if I am able to nab a few from the publisher in time for the show. There is also a silent auction featuring an illustrated alphabet, where my illustrated "M" will be available for bidding.

©Kathleen Rietz
One of the nicest surprises, which I did not expect at all, is that the SCBWI-IL is featuring my illustration "Symphony In The Pond" on the show's promotional materials!
I hope to see you there!

Illustration Friday - "Alphabets"

© Kathleen Rietz

Illustration Friday - "Visitors"

©Kathleen Rietz
For this week's Illustration Friday topic, I decided to reuse an illustration from my collection. It is titled "Morning Visit", is one of my favorite illustrations, and is featured on the home page of my art website. To me, it just seemed appropriate for this topic.

r-e-l-a-x-a-t-i-o-n

My sister gave me my birthday present early this year. We drove to Lake Geneva, WI for a mini getaway this week. It was just so nice to clear my head and get a different perspective on my life. And, of course, I had my camera handy. Those of you who visit my blog with any regularity know how drawn I am to this world's little creatures....especially bumblebees, ladybugs and an occasional spider. I include them in my artwork and photos all the time. I hope these photos I took offer you a moment of calm and relaxation...maybe even fascination. I love to visit this little world through the eye of my camera.©kathleen rietz I was a little heartbroken that the bees in this photo were not in focus. But I just loved the way they looked together, the honeybee and the bumblebee meeting for lunch on this cluster of tangerine-colored flowers.

©kathleen rietz This little grasshopper was also enjoying lunch, too busy to notice me.

©kathleen rietz I could not resist the angle of this plump bumblebee on this pretty yellow flower...

©kathleen rietz Just another nice close-up of a bumblebee sipping nectar.

©kathleen rietz This little bumblebee had her back to me, and her sweet and simple pose seemed so perfect for a future children's book illustration.

©kathleen rietz This was the view of the creek which could be seen from the condo where we stayed. It truly was serene, and the highlight of my summer 2007. Thanks for the "early" birthday present, Flip. : )

What Do Dogs Dream About..??

©Kathleen Rietz
I am headed to Lake Geneva for a few days with my sister, so I thought I would leave with a quick sketchbook doodle. I drew Sunshine the other night before heading to bed, while she was sound asleep on my art room floor. On rare occasion, Sunshine wags her tail in her sleep, and I wonder "What is she dreaming about?" I'm not talking that twitching, REM sleep thing dogs do where their paws and eyelids twitch and they breath funny or yelp. I mean, her body is still and she literally wags just her tail. Sometimes she stops and then wags her tail again. I figure maybe she is dreaming about one of her favorite people or seeing an image from a ride in the car or a run in the park. Or maybe she is chasing squirrels out of the backyard.
Have a great week! -kate : )

My New Website is Coming Soon!

My friend Pam is helping me to make my long awaited website a reality. We are stumbling through it together, learning as we go. Pam is such a great and loyal friend. Here is my "bio" page.Tonite we worked on puttng the home page up on the web. It's not much to see yet, but you can check it out..I am pretty excited. : ) Click the link below!
http://www.kathleenrietz.com

Illustration Friday - "Emergency"

©Kathleen Rietz
He was really no good for her. What had once seemed like an emergency situation to her had now become a routine part of their lives. She was miserable, but could not find the strength inside of her to leave.

Illustration Friday - "Missing"

"M"is for "missing". And....monsters.©Kathleen Rietz
I'm not going to claim I created this illustration for Illustration Friday, nor s-t-r-e-t-c-h my explanation to try and make it fit the topic. I honestly do not have time for IF again this week. But I just finished this illustration for an SCBWI Illustrators Network Gallery Show which will run all of October 2007 in Chesterton, IN. This is a show which will exhibit children's book illustrations. I have 2 pieces in the show ("Morning Visit" & "Symphony In The Pond"), in addition to this illustrated letter "M", which I created for a silent auction. The entire alphabet will be illustrated by various children's book illustrators.

Big Fish, Little Fish

© Kathleen Rietz
This is what the life of a freelance artist feels like sometimes. I feel like this little blue fish. The big fish with the big teeth represents my mortgage.
Another childhood drawing I did when I was 4. Enjoy...

Illustration Friday - "Poem"

This is an illustration I did for a publisher last year. It was for a poster with the poem "Over In The Meadow" to be printed on it. I have typed out the poem below the illustration for you to read.
Over in the meadow
In the sand in the sun,
Lived an old mother toadie
And her little toady one.
"Wink!" said the mother;
"I wink!" said the one,
So the winked and they blinked
In the sand in the sun.
-by Olive A. Wadsworth

Illustration Friday - "Discovery"

I used this week's topic as an opportunity to create a new portfolio piece. Meanwhile, I am awaiting a decision by a major publishing company about another children's book assignment. Can't say much more about it at the present time. I am not getting much sleep these days, but I am happy. I hope you enjoy my entry this week. © kathleen rietz

Illustrartion Friday - "Twist"

©2007 kathleen rietz
Folks from the East Coast will argue that big soft pretzels are an East Coast thing, but here in Chicago - the Middle Coast as we call it - these pretzels are an ultimate Chicago summer thing. For me, they bring to mind sunny afternoons at White Sox games. This got me thinking about my Top 10 list for summer. This is just a list of things that make me happy...some are memories from childhood, others are favorite summer movies...whatever came to mind while I was illustrating this week's theme for Illustration Friday:
(In no particular order)
1) Long, hot summer night drives on curving roads as a teenager.
2) Watching fireworks from a roadside hot dog stand in the back of the family station wagon as a kid in Peoria.
3) North Avenue Beach in Chicago.
4) Visits to Grandma's house in Oshkosh, WI.
5) The Oshkosh Air Show from my grandparents' backyard as a kid.
6) The Chicago White Sox.
7) "Jaws"
8) "Poltergeist"
9) the song "Under The Boardwalk"
10) Sweet, ripe cantaloupe with a scoop of vanilla icecream and a side of strong, black coffee. There is something about the combinations of sweet and bitter, cold and hot which I love!
Happy Summer 2007 Everyone!!

More Sketches From The Park

I am finding that sketching people in everyday poses very helpful as I begin a series of 60 illustrations for 5 scholastic books I am illustrating. Most (if not all) scenes will contain people engaging in everyday situations and of various ethnicities, and all illustrations will be done in graphite on board. I am also trying to sharpen my basic drawing skills as I prepare for my first teaching job this autumn.© Kathleen Rietz

Illustration Friday - "Camouflage"

This illustration for this week's theme was inspired by the photo I posted below it. I was taking photos in my garden and nearly overlooked the daddy-long-legs chilling out on a boxwood shrub. It blended in pretty well with some of the colors in the branches. © Kathleen Rietz© Kathleen Rietz I have also been inspired lately by the beautiful illustrations of nature on biologist/botanist Joan Yoshioka's blog. You can see her blog here http://drawingonnature.blogspot.com

Sunday Afternoon In The Park

Sometmes it's just good to get back to the fundamentals of drawing. These are sketches from Memorial Day weekend in Chicago. My favorite is the sketch of the mother and daughter at the top left. I just like the way their figures look together. The mother looks solid and firmly planted, while the girl has a more playful posture and balances on one foot.© Kathleen Rietz

Life Is Beautiful...

I have been unable to draw or paint this week as I heal from a back injury. I have recently discovered photography as a creative venue.
The recent heatwave in Chicago has passed, and for the past 2 days the weather has been wonderful.
I love the way the sun has been filtering through the trees, creating a spotlight effect on an otherwise shady area of my yard. The result is these 2 dramatic photos of day lilies. These photos are "raw", unretouched and fresh from my camera.
And an old weathered fence...
My sister brought me flowers last week, which lifted my spirit. I decided to photograph the flowers in a way that would convery how they made me feel. I feel loved. : )
All photos © Kathleen Rietz. Please do not use without permission.

Dad

Happy Father's Day!Here is a drawing of my father I made when I was 5. In the drawing my dad is whistling, and his desk is in the background, and he is dressed for work. I knew my dad for 22 years, but never really knew him because he worked all the time. I wish I could have lunch with him today. I wonder what we would talk about today.
© Kathleen Rietz

Bored

Leon left for his annual training with the military last weekend, and I've been suffering through a horrible back injury now since Tuesday. I'm tremendously bored, actually, which is not like me. I can't sit up for any decent length of time, can't drive, and the pain is exhausting enough that I am taking 3 hour naps in the afternoon. It's the weekend, and I saw absolutely no one today. Most days have consisted of ice packs, doses of Ibuprofen, being driven to the chiropractor, and mindless television. I finally got out my camera today and took some photos:
A spider in my bathroom (Do you feel sorry for me yet? I do. This monster has hairy legs.)
I wish I were motivated to make a stirfry (I'm getting tired of pretzels. And sliced cheese.)
My camera did this very strange thing with the colors when I tried to take a picture of my garden today. (Looks cool, I guess. Right?)
All images © Kathleen Rietz
) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : yes I'm bored... boo hoo hoo... : ( : ( : ( : ( : ( : ( : (

Illustration Friday - "Suit"

© Kathleen Rietz
***I am pretty happy with this one...it's worth clicking on the image to enlarge it so you can better see the details.*** Thanks for visiting, my cyber friends! -kate : )

More Drawings From My Childhood....

"Ducks" - age 4, 1972 ©Kathleen Rietz
"Dancing Girl" - age 5, 1973 ©Kathleen Rietz
" Raquel" - age 6, 1973 ©Kathleen Rietz
Thanks again to my mom, who saved so many of my drawings. These are some of my favorites.

Illustration Friday "My Paradise"

© Kathleen Rietz 2007
In my idea of paradise, I have wings like a butterfly and live in a beautiful garden filled with flowers and creatures who come alive through my artwork.
This collage is a mix of my original artwork, my photos and a background texture I created with watercolor and coarse salt.