Illustration Friday - "Memories"

©Kathleen Rietz
(sorry...having to recycle my artwork again this week)

This Little Piggy

I couldn't help myself. I haven't sketched anything lately that isn't related to the books I am illustrating. I sort of miss doing a sketch a day, like I did last winter. Last night I was thinking about babies and how soft and sweet their little bedclothes and toys are. And so I started wanting to do some doodles of plush baby toys and clothes. I think there is a part of my brain that also misses being a product developer/designer, which I have done for nearly 20 years. So I thought I would grab a moment and allow myself to doodle a little plush piggy. Just wanted to share.

Tuesday's Tidbits

Ok, here's a teaser for you. I cannot post the book cover I am working on...not yet anyway. But here is a tiny tiny section of it in progress. The book cover illo is almost 25" wide, so this really is just a peek. That's all I can dare show you, though. Once the book is showcased in a catalog in September, I should be able to reveal the entire cover.

Also, I would like to thank Ginger and Monica for bestowing this award upon me.

Everyone knows I love my Sunshine girl. Here we are working in our studio. Do you like Sunshine's summer haircut? I did it myself.
In turn, I will pass on the award to Diane, and her little beast Basha.

Okay, back to work!

Illustration Friday - "Routine"

©Kathleen Rietz
A morning routine is definitely more fun when you have the right person to share it with!

You can buy this image as a stamp, along with other fun items designed by me, right here at DewDrop Craftz! This European company is now also carrying the ribbons I designed for j.caroline creative. Do stop by and have a peek.

Want a fine art print of one of my illustrations? Check out my shop.

Illustration Friday - "Detach"

Shawna was detached from reality on weekends when she found solace in food and television.
(Sorry about the big "©" symbols on the illustration, but this illustration is one in an educational series I did for a publisher earlier this year and is copyright protected.)
I am working on illustrating 2 picture books now (yay!) and writing my 3rd article for the SCBWI-IL e-newsletter, so I haven't been blogging much nor visiting my favorite blogs like I would like to be able to do. I miss everyone! I promise I will post updates and artwork from the books as I am able.

Illustration Friday - "Sail"

©Kathleen Rietz
I had to recycle another past Illustration Friday piece... Hope everyone has a good week.
Update: A print of this illustration tited "Morning Visit" is available in my shop .

Fly Free, Little Hatchling!

Anyone who regularly visits my blog has figured out by now that I love nature's little wonders...


...which is perfect since the book I am currently illustrating for Soundprints is all about the life of a little black ant.


I can't show you any illustrations for the book yet...


...so I'll continue to post photos from my yard instead.

Gardening Pal

Today while I was pulling weeds I spotted this little guy keeping watch over my garden.

©Kathleen Rietz

That inspired me to add this fine art print "Symphony In The Pond" to my growing online shop. You can see all of my designs available by going to my website and clicking on my shop page.

©Kathleen Rietz

New Print Added to My Shop!

©Kathleen Rietz
"Dance Partners" 8"X10" with archival inks in matte finish

Prints Available!!!

©Kathleen Rietz
©Kathleen Rietz
Great News! 8"X10" prints are now available for "Sea Princess" and "Happy Halloween". All prints are signed and printed on 5 star archival quality matte paper with archival inks, shipped in a protective sleeve. For a limited time, they are available for $20 USD each. The price may likely increase as I decide on an online shop to sell them on in the future, but for now you may email me with inquiries and orders. More designs will be made available in the future, including my "Flower Girls" notecard series, and possibly some photos. Special requests will also be considred, so email me if you have any questions.

studies of a young boy & Goldilocks

©Kathleen Rietz©Kathleen Rietz
Samples for a possible new client©Kathleen Rietz

Illustration Friday - "Poof!"

©Kathleen Rietz
->POOF!<- Bugsy was ready for a big date with that special ladybug in his life, thanks to the help of his loyal friends!

With my current workload taking up all of my time, I thought I would pull out an oldie, which is one of my favorite illustrations actually. I have never missed so many weeks of Illustration Friday...it feels good to have something to post and share with you.

Update: Look! It's a photo of Bugsy's lady friend...

How It All Began

©Kathleen Rietz

They're here!

It feels so good when you see the fruits of your labors finally come to life. My ribbons are now available at j.caroline creative's online store ! Here is a little preview. For all of you cupcake "junkies", there are 3 colors available! (photo courtesy of j.caroline)

Nikki at DewDrop Craftz will also be carrying the ribbons, along with 2 of my illustrations that she has turned into rubber stamp designs, and downloadable "paper" designs and kits you can use for digital scrapbooking or tangible greeting cards. Here is a greeting card made by Adele, one of DewDrop Craftz's designers, using the stamp bearing my "So Pretty" illustration.DewDrop Craftz is a start-up company in the UK. Nikki has been a lot of fun to work with. You can check out this stamp and my other designs DewDrop Crafts carries at the shop right here.

YAAAAAYYYY!!!

I firmly believe that the way we choose to handle disappointments in life affects many outcomes. I had a very disappointing month, as many of you know now. The children's ABC yoga book that I had been awarded was pulled back from me, followed by an auto accident which left my car totaled. Instead of digging my heels in and trying to control the uncontrollable, I took the last couple of weeks off from my artwork to contemplate life, wait for a settlement from the insurance company, and negotiate a new children's book opportunity for the Smithsonian Institution which came my way from Soundprints while I was out of town for 5 days.

Today I have good news...

A few moments ago I received a call from the book shepherd handling the children's ABC yoga book in California....the book project is back on and they asked me if I would still accept the opportunity to work with them and illustrate the book! I cannot tell you how happy I am. It turns out the author felt rushed to make a decision in choosing an illustrator and in the end she still decided I was the ideal one for the job. Now I just have to figure out how I am going to juggle all of this work, but I am happy to have this sort of dilemma rather than the former!

Jim Flora and July Flowers

On Sunday I met Andi Butler and her son Owen for brunch and then a drive out to The Lake County Discovery Museum for a Jim Flora exhibit. So cool!

Here is Andi taking some photos of the artwork while something in another room has caught Owen's eye.


I loved Jim Flora's fun designs. Many of his works were inked by hand.


But for me, it was the beauty I saw in the fields outside of the gallery which drew me outward for some amazing photos.


I love Black-Eyed Susans...


This little guy appeared to be doing push-ups! : )


Nature has created the most incredible designs....



This busy bumblebee was hard at work


And I loved the beetle sunning herself on a snowy bed of Queen Ann's Lace.


A perfect ending to the weekend...

Kudos!

First I want to thank Joan for awarding me back, and Tom Barrett for awarding me the Brillante Weblog Award! It means a lot to me!
I also want to say thanks to all of you who left me such nice messages and well wishes about my accident and rather rough July. You also deserve this award (created by Andi Butler):
I do have to say that I try to see the good and expect a good outcome in tough situations. I am now searching for a new car. I feel fortunate that I was not horribly hurt in the accident. And my CR-V was 10 yrs old......so now I am looking for something new and actually sort of excited about it. Hopefully I won't have to look for another one for another 10 years. : )

AND, I also found out that I can post a little about the book I am illustrating with Soundprints for the Smithsonian Institution. I will not be able to reveal much, but I am allowed to tell you that it is a book about little black ants. The illustrations will be more on the realistic side. Some of you may remember that I also do what I refer to as "soft realistic" illustrations, mostly for educational publications for middle grade children. In fact, I just recently added a section on my website for my realistic portfolio.

I will be able to post the final book cover layout once I have illustrated it, but will not be able to reveal anything else until the book is published. The book is scheduled for release in Spring 2009.

With all that has been going on in my life and with this new project underway, I have not really drawn anything new to post. I am still planning to open my online shop in the near future (I just bought the printer but have not tested it yet), and will also have some more interesting news in August. And for all of you who have been enjoying my articles for the SCBWI Prairie Wind online newsletter, I will be writing another one very soon!! I think I will write about how to survive a creative slump. We all have those, right?

A Northern Girl Heads South

Before I tell you about my 1600+ mile adventure last week, let me first offer some background.

There was so much good news brewing that I could not wait to announce on my blog at the beginning of July. On July 1st, I was awarded a children's book project, illustrating an "ABC's of yoga" book. Less than 48 hours later, the book project was shelved (no pun intended). Then on July 4th, I was involved in an auto accident which flung me around my vehicle like a rag doll. The other motorist was not looking at all where he was going, all the while accelerating at a moderate speed through a parking lot and into the side of my vehicle. I was taken to the emergency room, and my red Honda CR-V was towed to a lot full of crumpled metal carcasses. I suffered no broken bones, but a broken spirit. My weekend was spent at home with ice packs and Advil. The only fireworks I saw were over the tree tops outside of my second story bedroom window. And my car was totaled.

The next 2 weeks were spent making trips to the chiropractor's office and on the phone with 2 insurance companies. It was 6 days before I could even get a rental car!

My friend Pam, whom I met in Sophmore year English class in high school and always manages to keep me laughing, invited me to ride along with her and her 2 kids to visit family in Alabama. She has invited me to tag along with them in the past, but since I average one vacation a decade (literally), a vacation with kids has never really appealed to me. Greece or the south of France sounded a bit more appealing, but Alabama was calling, and this time I answered. After lots of advice from my chiropractor, who agreed some time away would be good for my mind, I packed my suitcase and 24 hours later Pam was throwing it in the back of a rental car and we were heading south.


The landscape is vastly different from the cornfields and farmlands we drove through in Illinois. The roads are cut right into the mountain rock.



Fresh air and a fresh perspective.



Happiness = Pam and her son Matthew, and me in the middle. Matthew is 7 and into all venemous creatures. He will tell you all you ever wanted to know about scorpions and black widow spiders. Pam's daughter Jordan (not pictured) is 8, and into being "rich and famous" one day, and loves Miley Sirus.


I do wish I had captured more of this day in the country. I had forgotten my camera most of the day.


We drove up to Lookout Mountain for the view and to look at all of the beautiful homes built into the rock.


A dramatic sunset...

Now onto the "other" part of our vacation, one I find horribly sad.

Pam's sister Peggy found these puppies near a cardboard box, abandoned on the side of the road near the woods. I am not a member of PETA, nor do I think animals should receive the same rights as humans, but please people, be responsible and spay or neuter your pets! And if you do not want to shell out the money to do that, don't get a pet and then throw out the offspring when you don't want them. Animals are intelligent and do have feelings. These puppies were covered with ticks and fleas, were weak and hungry and dehydrated. The stray population is enormous in Alabama, where many people do not want to spend the nominal fee to have a simple procedure done to ensure their pets will not reproduce and overpopulate.


"Cookie" was the strongest, and 2 days after we rescued her, she acted like a normal little puppy.


"Shadow" looks sad in this picture. But she also is doing well now and is still recovering from the ticks and fleas...you can see the scars on her chest and face and tummy.


"Sweetie".....did not make it. You can see the bites all over her body. She suffered mange, and likely anemia due to blood loss from the parasites. Animal Control took her from us and euthanised her. I still wonder if we could have saved her after seeing how well her sisters bounced back. It makes me cry, really.

We spent much of trip caring for the puppies and emailing and phoning friends back in Illinois to see if anyone wanted a puppy. I am happy to say that Cookie and Shadow were both placed in happy homes with nice families.

One of the best parts of the whole trip was actually the driving. While flying seems so much more convenient, I loved seeing parts of the country I have never seen before, stopping off for ice cream and coffee and sodas in small towns I will probably never see again. It was a very good trip.