More Sketches From The Park

I am finding that sketching people in everyday poses very helpful as I begin a series of 60 illustrations for 5 scholastic books I am illustrating. Most (if not all) scenes will contain people engaging in everyday situations and of various ethnicities, and all illustrations will be done in graphite on board. I am also trying to sharpen my basic drawing skills as I prepare for my first teaching job this autumn.© Kathleen Rietz

Illustration Friday - "Camouflage"

This illustration for this week's theme was inspired by the photo I posted below it. I was taking photos in my garden and nearly overlooked the daddy-long-legs chilling out on a boxwood shrub. It blended in pretty well with some of the colors in the branches. © Kathleen Rietz© Kathleen Rietz I have also been inspired lately by the beautiful illustrations of nature on biologist/botanist Joan Yoshioka's blog. You can see her blog here http://drawingonnature.blogspot.com

Sunday Afternoon In The Park

Sometmes it's just good to get back to the fundamentals of drawing. These are sketches from Memorial Day weekend in Chicago. My favorite is the sketch of the mother and daughter at the top left. I just like the way their figures look together. The mother looks solid and firmly planted, while the girl has a more playful posture and balances on one foot.© Kathleen Rietz

Life Is Beautiful...

I have been unable to draw or paint this week as I heal from a back injury. I have recently discovered photography as a creative venue.
The recent heatwave in Chicago has passed, and for the past 2 days the weather has been wonderful.
I love the way the sun has been filtering through the trees, creating a spotlight effect on an otherwise shady area of my yard. The result is these 2 dramatic photos of day lilies. These photos are "raw", unretouched and fresh from my camera.
And an old weathered fence...
My sister brought me flowers last week, which lifted my spirit. I decided to photograph the flowers in a way that would convery how they made me feel. I feel loved. : )
All photos © Kathleen Rietz. Please do not use without permission.

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

Bored

Leon left for his annual training with the military last weekend, and I've been suffering through a horrible back injury now since Tuesday. I'm tremendously bored, actually, which is not like me. I can't sit up for any decent length of time, can't drive, and the pain is exhausting enough that I am taking 3 hour naps in the afternoon. It's the weekend, and I saw absolutely no one today. Most days have consisted of ice packs, doses of Ibuprofen, being driven to the chiropractor, and mindless television. I finally got out my camera today and took some photos:
A spider in my bathroom (Do you feel sorry for me yet? I do. This monster has hairy legs.)
I wish I were motivated to make a stirfry (I'm getting tired of pretzels. And sliced cheese.)
My camera did this very strange thing with the colors when I tried to take a picture of my garden today. (Looks cool, I guess. Right?)
All images © Kathleen Rietz
) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : ) : yes I'm bored... boo hoo hoo... : ( : ( : ( : ( : ( : ( : (

Illustration Friday - "Suit"

© Kathleen Rietz
***I am pretty happy with this one...it's worth clicking on the image to enlarge it so you can better see the details.*** Thanks for visiting, my cyber friends! -kate : )

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 "My Paradise"

© Kathleen Rietz 2007
In my idea of paradise, I have wings like a butterfly and live in a beautiful garden filled with flowers and creatures who come alive through my artwork.
This collage is a mix of my original artwork, my photos and a background texture I created with watercolor and coarse salt.

My Sunday Best

More photos from my backyard...Did I tell you...I never get bored.