Illustration Friday - "SNAP!"

© kathleen rietz
Don't worry...in any good story the protagonists always come out on top!

Chilled Bliss!

After living without refrigeration for nearly a week, my new fridge arrived at 7am sharp this morning. That was a little rough, since I generally go to bed around 4am, but..some things are worth getting out of bed for. Sort of like Christmas morning when you are a kid. I can now go to Valli and stock my shiny new Frigidaire. I have never felt so giddy about a visit to the grocery store! But as you can see from the inside picture, not much could be saved excpet grains, nuts, a few odd condiments and some sad looking veggies.

Coming Soon!

© kathleen rietz
My latest pursuit, aside from my children's book art, is designing and creating digital scrapbook kits. Watch for the launch of Scraphead.com coming later this spring. Here is a sneak peek at one of my designs. Watch for more to be posted here, and a link to my kits on the site when it has launched! This is a design from my Romantic Cottage Collection.

Illustration Friday - "I Spy"

© kathleen rietz
I spy Orion! Orion is my favorite constellation.
(Illustration dedicated to Ginger, who loves her Beagle)

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.)

Illustration Friday - "Wired"

© kathleen rietz

New Neighbor

My brother, Pat, made this bird house for our mom several years ago, and it is now in my backyard. Over the years, birds have moved in, but none have stayed around for very long. Probably because of the dog. Last week, I saw this saw this squirrel chewing the hole in the front of the house. I let the dog out to chase it away twice because I thought it was destroying the birdhouse. When I looked again later on, the squirrel was actually in the house, and I grabbed my camera. Leon went out there the other day, and said there are babies in the house! The squirrel is in the house day and night, coming out maybe once a day for a short time only. This is driving my dog nuts.

Illustration Friday - "Hide"

© kathleen rietz
"NO MONSTERS TONITE!"