The Moleskine

©Kathleen Rietz
©Kathleen Rietz
©Kathleen Rietz

Fellow blogger and good friend Joan Yoshioka has been visiting from Hawaii and staying at my home in Chicagoland. We have so much to post about...it has been a vacation of sorts for us both. But tonite I am finishing up some sketches for the children's yoga book I am illustrating, so we are taking a little break from our adventures.

Today was grey and cold...the first real nip of autumn in the air. I bought this Moleskine sketchbook last night while we were out, and today we decided to have an afternoon of sketching at my kitchen table. Now I understand why artists become obsessed with their Moleskines....they are just so "different" from any other sketchbooks out there. It was nice just to do some sketching, free of deadlines and pressure. I guess there is still this fine artist living inside of me, set free on the pages of her new Moleskine.

Illustration Friday - "Packed"

Always good to read lables to see what kind of nutrients are packed into your food.
(This is another educational illustration I drew for a client earlier this year. About half of my work is this type. It certainly helps to pay the bills and I must admit that sometimes it is fun to work in graphite.)

The Full Cover Illustration

Here is the full cover spread for my latest book illustration project "Little Black Ant on Park Street" published by Soundprints for the Smithsonian Institution! It is scheduled for release in Sring 2009. Please click to see the image in a larger format!

And here is the catalog shot!

Illustration Friday - "Clique" & "Little Black Ant" book cover!!!

Here are examples of "cliques"....these 3 pencil illustrations were educational illustrations I did for a publisher earlier this year.

Please also take a look at the last illustration...I just recieved this catalog image sample of the book cover I illustrated for the Soundprints book "Little Black Ant on Park Street"!!! This is the book that will be sold through the Smithsonian Institution. I am thrilled. I worked all weekend on the thumbnails for the inside illustrations. I am trying to get a file of the entire cover layout, since the illustration actually wraps around the front and back cover.

All of these illustrations showcase my "soft realistic" style. I am also working on a book in my "whimsical" style, which many of you are probably more familiar with. I will post illustratiosn from that upcoming book, too, as soon as I am able.





"Little Black Ant on Park Street" will be released in the spring of 2009, published by Soundprints.

A Fabulous Friday

Hello Everyone! I miss being able to post sketches, so here is a little morsel for you.

In about 12 hours from now, my blogger buddy and fellow artist Joan Yoshioka will be landing at O'Hare airport and staying with me for a while. So hopefully I will have some photos to post from our excursions, and maybe even some sketches if we get a chance to sketch together.

I was recently given this award by the queen of virtual cupcakes, Diana Evans! Thanks Diana! Be sure to pop by her blog for some no calorie sweetness.



Happy Friday everyone!

Betcha Didn't Know....

I rarely post any of my design work here, but since I am adding these to my surface design portfolio on my website, I thought I might give you a taste. You can check out more of them as I post them on my website.

Yep, I do a little of everything.

Illustration Friday - "Clutter"

Here is an illustration I drew for a classroom textbook assignment earlier this year.

If you haven't read my new article in the SCBWI-IL's The Prairie Wind, click here. It's all about surviving the dreaded professional "dry spell" freelancers face. I am now officially a regular contributor to "Illustrator Tips".

another TINY sneak preview

I finished the painting for the book cover for Soundprints today, and it is now making its way safely to Connecticut. I photographed it first, and emailed the photo to the editor. She was ecstatic! I could practically hear her jumping up and down through the phone! I am so excited. The painting took 3 weeks. But the cover sells the book, so it was time well spent. Here is another little sneak preview of the painting I have decided to post for you (this section is maybe 3" wide, and the painting is over 25" wide altogether). I should be able to post the entire layout with the title in place as soon as it is approved and goes to catalog.....in a week or so. I will also post my preliminary sketches and maybe some earlier pics of the painting as I was working on it. Soundprints has been great to work with, and I look forward to continuing on with this project and completing the book.

In Line

©Kathleen Rietz

...waiting...

Read my new article in the SCBWI-IL's The Prairie Wind. It's all about surviving the dreaded professional "dry spell" freelancers face. I am now officially a regular contributor to "Illustrator Tips".

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...