4th Flower Girl

©Kathleen Rietz
I am so happy with the way she turned out. When I apply color, I will decide whether she is holding daisies, black-eyed susans or pink chrysanthemum....I have to determine what will look best when I see all the drawings as a group in color.

Growing up, I was never a tomboy. I loved the pretty dresses my mom sewed for me, wearing my hair in curls, watching my mom apply her make-up and Chanel no.5 as she readied for a night out with my dad. I was never much into dolls, though, because I was SO into art from an early age. But now drawing these little girls with their pretty dresses and hair brings back memories of what I was like as a little girl.

200

Hello everyone!! Thanks for visiting. Today Sunshine and I are celebrating my 200th blog post! There is lots to share with you, so please read on...

Here I am posting my latest illustration in my Flower Girls series:
I am creating this series to sell as note cards/invitations when I launch my new online shop in July. They will all be printed in color (as the first girl is in the post below), and sold as a set of 6 (or 8..I have not decided yet). I will also be selling full-color prints of many of my other illustrations, including Halloween and Sea Princess.


Now, on to the fun stuff. A couple of months ago, Joan tagged me to list 10 facts about myself. For the sake of saving space (and because I cannot think of that many interesting things), I am adding my own twist to the list! So here are My Five Favorites for June 2008:

1. I love unusual scents, such as wool, silk, rain and lime peel.
2. Robert Reed, the actor who played Mike Brady on the Brady Bunch...well, he was my cousin. He was born John Robert Rietz. I never met him and he died in '92, but he is buried back here in Skokie, IL. I guess that makes me a Brady. Sort of. : )
3. I laugh when I am in pain. No, really. Ask my sister. She thinks it is the funniest thing in the world when I stub a toe or smack my head on a shelf because pain makes me laugh.
4. I love listening to this when I am painting or drawing. You can go to Pandora.com and create a sound track for your drawing session. So cool!
5. I love looking at photos of beautiful food and reading the recipes. In fact, unleash me in Borders and I head straight for the food magazines, grab 2 or 3, and sit for hours reading them from cover to cover. Occasionally, I will even BUY one. But my latest tasty morsel is this website! This photo below makes my mouth water. And chef Russell James even holds classes. So if I am ever in the UK, I will have to look him up.
(photo courtesy of The Raw Chef Blog and chef Russell James) The most amazing part of this Cacao Pistachio Florentine & Mint Ice Cream Sandwich is that is is raw and it is vegan.


I still have news I want to tell you all, but I can't yet. The suspense is killing me! But you never count your chickens before they are hatched, and so I'll wait. I'll wait until it is official and all my ducks are in a row. Hee hee....enough about chickens and ducks, this post is turning fowl. : ) (sorry, couldn't resist)

Thanks to all my peeps (another fowl pun) who have visited my blog on a regular basis and have been kind enough to leave me comments or email me. I am looking forward to the next 200 posts with all of you! Fo' shizzle. : )

Peace Lily Girl

©Kathleen Rietz
A bouquet of Mauna Loa and a polka dotted dress...

Little Flower Girl

©Kathleen Rietz
The colored version of my submission for Illustration Friday.

Illustration Friday - "Hoard"

©Kathleen Rietz
Hoarding flowers, hoarding summer.
This was my uninspired attempt at Illustration Friday this week. I have been very busy with many new projects which I cannot talk about right now....they are TOP SECRET....ssshhhhh...been in the works for months and I do hope to have some news to post soon.
It's hard to break away and do anything for Illustration Friday, but I love summer and all I could think about was how happy I feel when I am surrounded by warm breezes and fragrant flowers. I have been trying to relax more lately, despite all of the new goings-on in my life. I quit my job at the chiropractic clinic. The staff at the clinic drove out to a Korean BBQ restaurant for dinner near my house and I met the new girls. We had a great time, and they gave me a gift card for a massage. I am still going to the clinic for my treatments, but this time it is nice to be the patient instead of taking care of people.
I have one more art class to teach this summer. It has been wonderful, and I think my students are learning so much I wish I had been taught at their age! I will miss teaching and I will miss most of my students.....but maybe I will teach again.
Okay, that's all I can say for now. Happy summer everyone!!! Don't forget to stop and smell the flowers.

EDIT: The color version is right here!

Picture Bookies Blog Update

Hi everyone! Please check out the latest exciting tidbits of news amongst my web group, the Picture Bookies! They are such a solid group of artists, and so encouraging!

She's an "emotional" girl...

©Kathleen Rietz
Trying out more emotions...this time on one character. Not always easy to do.

Oh, For Crying Out Loud!

©Kathleen Rietz
Sketches of sad children. : ( waaaa...

Annie Had Tea With A Kingfisher - color sketch

©Kathleen Rietz
A color sketch....
Color always changes things so much.
You can see the pencil sketch directly under this post.

Annie Had Tea With A Kingfisher

©Kathleen Rietz
Trade a cookie for a fish?

Illustration Friday - "Forgotten"

©Kathleen Rietz
I finally got around to adding color to this sketch I had made during the 21 Day Challenge (scroll down the main page to see my sketch). Many people forget about our soldiers serving in the Middle East and all over the rest of the world. But for little kids who have to endure another summer without their parent, they have not forgotten. This little girl is watching summer fireworks outside her bedroom window and missing her dad. The baseball under her bed symbolizes a time when he was home to play ball with her. Her little kitty keeps her company for times when she needs someone to listen. And the photo on her wall was taken on the day her father was preparing to deploy. She remembers her father telling her to be brave and that he would be home soon. She manages a smile in the photo. But now it has been 18 months.

Oooo...Looky Here!

It's my second published article for "The Prairie Wind", the SCBWI-IL online newsletter. Here I write about how I found my style of children's book illustration. Check it out and leave me a comment!

Remembering to Remember

©Kathleen Rietz
We all look forward to summer. But as I do, I realize that another season will come and go for many whose loved one is away at war, uncertain if they will return home safely. Many veterans return home with massive burns or multiple amputations and emotional scars, and life for them and their families is never the same. Many receive little government aid and help for their injuries. I heard a report tonite that the suicide rate amongst Iraq War veterans has gone up again. It makes me sad. It all seems so senseless to me. But regardless of your opinion of the war, the men and women who return home from the war deserve our respect and recognition for doing their job. I thought about them and their families all Memorial Weekend, and even still. I was moved to sketch this illustration tonite, so that those who forget will be reminded that there are moms and dads, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters away at war. For those who are missing them, they are dealing with their own battles. Please remember to remember.
This illustration is for Roz whose hubby is serving in the military.

Day21 of 21 - The End

©Kathleen Rietz
After my last post I realized I needed a few days off. : ) But here it is, the last day of the 21 day challenge. It's been a lot of fun discovering other artists' blogs and watching them challenge themselves. I also now have several sketches I hope to eventually take to color and add to my portfolio. I have a few deadlines coming up, so I may have to put that on hold, but anyway it is something to look forward to when I get the time.
Tonite I came home from the clinic and hugged Sunshine. She often prefers hugs over doggie treats. We start the day and end the days with hugs. Cracks me up.

A "Typical" Day? ha!/Day 20 of 21

©Kathleen Rietz
I was tagged by both Alicia Padron and Andi Butler to post about my typical day. Well, I honestly do not have a typical day. It's sort of sad, now that I think about it. I would love to inject a little routine back into my life. There was a time when I made a really decent living frelancing, so I had freetime and worktime and balance in my life. Now I am pretty much all about work. I just finished up my second semester of teaching art at The Community School of the Arts at Wheaton College. Now I am teaching a 6 week course there called "The Art of the Sketchbook". That will take me through June, at which time I may take a 6 week intensive Adobe Illustrator class for myself at the local college here near my town. I really need to learn Illustrator. I work 2 afternoons per week at a chiropractic clinic, where I get free treatments, which is good because my back is so lousy and my insurance does not cover chiropractic. Plus, it gets me out of the house and I like helping others heal and manage their pain. The work I do has a direct and immediate impact on the lives of others, something I do not get to see much with my art. I also know that my smiling face may be the only smile a person gets all day, so I make sure I get to know each patient and give them a smile. Some evenings I get home and hit the gym, if I have the energy, which ends up being twice a week now (I often get home somewhere between 7 and 9). Usually have dinner around 10 or 11 at night. Then I stay up and check email and blogs and I get to work on my art projects, typically until around 4 or even 5am. On days I am not working outside the house, I am able to work all day, unless there are errands to run, and I do love the days I can work without interruption. I do make sure I take time to walk my dog, pretty much every day. Sometimes we go sit in a park. It is good for both of us. I often run into neighbors while I am out walking, so I chat with them a while. I also try to find time to do at least one new illustration for my website/portfolio each week, and update my website and other portfolio sites at least once a week. If I get to bed early (before 2:30am), I may watch a little Animal Planet or Food Network. I love to cook and I make nearly all of my meals from scratch. I get great ideas from Food Network. I also try to make sure I have time for the important people in my life every week, even if it is at odd hours. They seem to understand.

Day 19 of 21- Chicken Dance

©Kathleen Rietz
When I get some time again I will create some animal samples. Very short sketch tonite. Still recovering from the ebola virus thing I have had for the past week. Yeeeccchh..

Illustration Friday - "Worry" & Day 18 of 21 - Celebrate Summer

©Kathleen Rietz
I love carefree summer days that make me forget about my worries. Looking forward to celebrating summer!

Day 17 0f 21 - Perky Pup

©Kathleen Rietz
couldn't help myself...this little guy is too cute.

Day 16 of 21 - Sick as a Dog, Actually.

©Kathleen Rietz
All of these blooming trees - apple, cherry blossom, lilac - are beautiful but deadly for me. My allergies got so bad last week, I could feel it all settling into my lungs. By Thursday I was beginning to think there was something more going on than just my seasonal allergies. On Friday I was diagnosed with bronchitis and given a heavy dose of antibiotics, and bed rest followed all weekend. Last night I managed to drag myself to the first session of the new 6 week class I am teaching at the Community School of the Arts at Wheaton College, called "The Art of the Sketchbook". Today I still feel...uh...sick as a dog. But I did manage a little sketching time. Enjoy.

Illustration Friday - "Wide" & Day 15 of 21: she leaps across my page...

©Kathleen Rietz
for Alicia : )
A little ballerina must have a lot of flexability in order to create the wide stance needed to perform a "grande jette".
I took a little hiatus from Illustration Friday in order to concentrate on other challenges, but last night's sketch seems to fit the theme this week. And...I've missed sharing! Hello everyone!

Day 14 of 21

©Kathleen Rietz
I love ballet. So much so that I lost track of time on this drawing session. I vacillated in and out of dance throughout my life, then went back to ballet in my 30's until too many injuries and a crooked back made me retire my slippers to the back of a drawer, which I rediscovered while cleaning out that drawer last week. I still daydream of going back...

Day 12 1/2 of 21

©Kathleen Rietz
This took longer than 15 minutes, obviously, but I need to start taking some of these sketches to color so I can fill in the gaps in my portfolio.

Day 12 of 21 - another challenging pose

©Kathleen Rietz
I tried another pose that seems sort of challenging to me. Sometimes we lose the fullness of form when we try to draw a person lying flat on the ground.....and I think the foreshortening of crossing one leg over the other can also be challenging. But this is such a relaxed pose. Can you tell how much I am longing for summer??

Day 11 of 21

©Katleen Rietz
Tonite I challenged myself to draw a child in a scrunched position, and to give that child glasses. I sometimes think proportions can be tough in a pose like this, and glasses can look comical if one is not careful. Overall, I am pleased with the sketch, although I admit I fussed with some shading and the spade and watering can for a while and it took me longer than 15 minutes. I sort of liked it before I added all of the rendering. It had a really nice spontaneity to it.

Day 10 of 21

©Kathleen Rietz
Not sure how I went from Day 9 1/2 to Day 13 in my last post....but here is day 10. :)

Day 13 of 21: I'll be back...

©Kathleen Rietz
I am taking a quick trip to see my brother downstate. He just bought a new house. I'll be back soon..

Day 9 1/2 of 21 - Father & Son

©Kathleen Rietz
More Daddy...
I drew again because I may have limited access to my computer for a few days. Plus....I just wanted to work on daddies.. : )

The focus in a lot of my work is diversity and creating positive role models.

Day 9 of 21 - babies & daddies

©Kathleen Rietz
Two things I struggle to draw in my whimsical style are babies and men. So here's a shot. Facing my fears.
I struggle with finding the appropriate size for babies, and making men look masculine yet friendly. I welcome constructive suggestions or feedback.

Day 8 of 21-" Warm Fuzzies"

©Kathleen Rietz
Ooops - I missed a few days. Oh, the life of a freelance artist can take its toll. The first quarter of this year was so dreadfullly slow. I spent much of it pushing myself to draw every day, experiment, stretch my vision as an artist....and it seems to be paying off right now. Much of what is happening in my professional life I need to keep quiet about for the moment. But this lifestyle - especially in this current economy - is feast or famine. So I missed a few days because I took some time for myself to recover from overlapping deadlines last week. I made it into the gym, saw friends, walked the dog and planted a tree. These simple joys inspired today's post, which is an ode to Winnie the Pooh.

Day 7 of 21

©Kathleen Rietz
Today I worked on adding an interior in my work. I often struggle with what to put in a background. This is pretty pain, but it is a quick sketch. My aim was to set a story and setting. Jumping on a bed is a theme in my illustration work lately! I wonder why that is...?

Day 6 of 21 - more otters

©Kathleen Rietz
I believe I need more animals in my portfolio. So that is one thing I am trying to concentrate on. Here's a little otter dance.

Day 5 of 21 "Olivia Otter"

©Kathleen Rietz

Day 4 1/2 of 21

©Kathleen Rietz
I can't stop drawing. Time to buy a new sketchbook.

Illustration Friday - "Wrinkles"

©Kathleen Rietz "Paisley"
Some of you have seen this illustration already. I posted it last year. I have since culled my children's illustration portfolio and am focusing on my whimsical style. I still get a lot of requests for work in my realistic style, especially pencil work such as this illustration of "Paisley" the pug.

Day 4 of 21 - "Duck & Cover"

©Kathleen Rietz

Day 3 of 21...duck, duck, duck, goose!

©Kathleen Rietz
I went over 15 minutes today...lost track of time. Gotta love webbed feet!

Day 2 of 21

©Kathleen Rietz
Yuck, I'm not liking the rough watercolor paper. Not happy with this, but posting it. It was supposed to be part of a triptych for "hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil", but this is the only one even worth posting. Yech!

Day 2 of the 21 Day Challenge to create every day.

This is better...
©Kathleen Rietz
Trying a new angle..

Day 1 of 21

©Kathleen Rietz
I was invited by Alicia Padron and Gina Perry to participate in a 21 day challenge. The challenge is to create for 15 minutes every day. The idea is to try something new, whether it be to use a medium that you are not accustomed to, employ a challenging angle or perspective, draw characters you do not normally draw, work more loosely and spontaneously...basically to push the boundaries of your creativity and shake out of whatever rut you are in. For me, I actually started doing this in February. I have tried to develop a style of children's illustration that I like for myself and to loosen up a bit. But most of my work is done in a sketchbook, and I find that my colors often turn out muddy because the paper is really not meant for wet media. So I am going to try experimenting with other paper and board and "get out of my sketchbook" a little more.

I drew this sketch of Sunshine a few nights ago. Today I added watercolor washes to it as loosely and quickly as I could, just letting my brushstrokes show and being "okay" with the brushstrokes. I often think things like brushstrokes add character to an illustration, but I used to try to control my illustrations too much. So I am trying to break old habits.

Motherhood

©Kathleen Rietz
Sometimes I wish I were a mom. I am working on an assignment and one of the themes is motherhood. So I am drawing all of these moms holding and caressing their young children, and it creates a yearning inside of me. I wonder what the future will hold...?

off to bed...

©Kathleen Rietz, goodnite sweet pup...

Illustration Friday - "Primitive"

©Kathleen Rietz
Carly thought Aunt Ruth with her record player and her collection of Beatles records was SOOOOOO primitive! Her little friend Sally couldn't have agreed more.

Such a Sweet Girl!

©Kathleen Rietz
This little "time out" sketch is dedicated to fellow blogger Diana Evans who loves eating cupcakes and making jewelry! What a "sweet" girl! Visit her blog today!

Illustration Friday - "Fail" #2

©Kathleen Rietz
Here is the color version of the sketch I did for the topic "Fail" for Illustration Friday. The sketch is in the previous post.

A Living Gem

All photos ©Kathleen Rietz
I was washing and eating strawberries at the kitchen sink yesterday. I reached for this big, red strawberry and turned to wash it when I noticed a snail shell attached to the tip of it, like a perfect little pearl. I lost my appetite for the strawberries, but reached for my camera because I just had to share it with you. I was ready to put away my camera when I noticed that the snail was still living!