"Puff, The Magic Dragon"

© Kathleen Rietz, drawn in May 1972, at age 4 1/2
I loved this story when I was a child, and my mother used to sing the song to me. It aways ended so sadly though....Poor Puff.
I love to remember the wholesome entertainment we enjoyed from that era - Sesame Street and The Electric Company with their original casts (Rita Moreno and Morgan Freeman still look incredible and have gone on to be such gifted actors!! Who knew??), Burl Ives records for children, the wonderfully animated Christmas specials before everything became so gosh darn p.c., staying up to watch The Wizard of Oz on network t.v. every summer and being frightened by the original Willy Wonka movie (please get those Oompa-Loompas out of my head!).
What television and music did you enjoy as a child? What do you miss most?

Random Fact #7: "Yikes!"

For some reason, when I was 4 years of age, I had an awareness of animals with big snapping teeth, and I had a need to work out this issue on paper. I believe it may have been because our daschund, Hilda, did not like children and had to make her point clear to me and my tiny probing fingers using her teeth. I think the picture drawn in green crayon accurately illustrates what Hilda's demeanor was like most of the time. I also believe the creature chasing the person up a tree is a dinosaur, and the picture of the fish with big teeth is a shark. I remember being very impressed with these animals as a girl. Click the pictures to get a better view.

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.

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...

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

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 - "Citrus" & Happy Mother's Day

©KathleenRietz
I missed you all last week! Here is my contribution for Illustration Friday. I saw so many colorful, graphic images of citrus posted..I wanted to do something different. Hope you like..

Here is a little Mother's Day dedication I put together today in honor of my mom...a drawing I made of her when I was 6 1/2, and a photo of her holding me as a wiggling, giggling baby. She was a very loving mom and I will always love and miss her. Happy Mother's Day.

Just for fun..."Turtle"

This is a drawing of a turtle I made when I was 3, back in 1971. Thanks to my mom, for saving this drawing.
© Kathleen Rietz

Happy Spring!!!

© kathleen rietz
Today is the first official day of spring, but I saw my first robins in the yard yesterday. I am celebrating by posting this drawing I made of a robin when I was 4. The first robin sighting of the spring was a big deal in my house growing up. I hope you are enjoying the thaw...wherever you live.

Illustration Friday - "Total"

© kathleen rietz
This is actually a sketchbook drawing I did in the autumn of last year. I like to create new works for Illustration Friday, but I do not know if I will have time in my schedule tonite.

I have always liked this drawing. In it, I tried to convey the total love and connection between a daughter and her mother, and in return the love and connection the mother feels for her daughter. I guess it would also have been a good entry for the topic of "communication" a couple weeks back, since I think you can just feel the language between these 2 people in their unspoken words.

Sometimes the things we need to say to each other have no words at all.
© kathleen rietz
Here is another drawing from my childhood. I drew this picture when I was 5. It is a drawing of my mom picking up my baby sister out of her playpen. Note the love between them and how I accentuated thier smiles. That's what I'm talkin' 'bout! (click to view larger...it is worth a closer look.)

"Morning Visitors" - Illustration Friday - (Communiation)

© kathleen rietz

Here is the final painting titled "Morning Vistors". My preliminary color sketch was posted on Tuesday.

I posted this painting late last night, but have decided to submit it for Illustration Friday. I am doodling all the time, and hope to submit another drawing specifically created for IF, if time permits.

NOTE: THIS IMAGE IS NOW AVAILABLE AT MY ONLINE SHOP. CLICK THE "SHOP" BUTTON AT UPPER RIGHT CORNER OF MY BLOG.

© kathleen rietz
Also, I found this drawing I made when I was 4. My very first pet was a snail named Sammy. Here Sammy is eating. I do not remember what we used to feed him, but I remember walking to the IGA to buy it. Weird. I could not fit the entire drawing on my scanner, but in the drawing Sammy is in his fishbowl, and a girl is sprinkling his food into his bowl. She has a big smile on her face. I assume the girl is me. I always loved my pets! : )

"Hilda"

© kathleen rietz
This is my childhood family pet, Hilda the Daschund. I drew this portrait when I was 5 yrs old. Hilda had sparkley brown eyes and a red leather collar. My mom saw my creative potential, and loved all of her children dearly. She saved my artwork in a folder, which now belongs to me.

Speaking of pets.....it's been so cold here, I have not been able to walk Sunshine for 2 weeks. The sun comes out in the morning and disappears after lunch, and either way it is down right BUTT-FREEZING weather. The wind chill is MINUS 15 degrees Farenheit. I am glad to be working from my home studio.

I keep seeing these ads on television for travel to tropical destinations with white sand beaches and brightly striped cabanas, and quite frankly, it is KILLING ME! : (

In The Morning Mist

© kathleen rietz

Here is an illustration I did last night. It is so cold and grey in Chicago in January. In the illustration, I wanted to convey the feeling of being able to move freely through the warming dew of the morning.

© kathleen rietz
Here is a drawing of a horse I did when I was 4 1/2 years old.