Pen and Ink Rendering for a gift

Why do I promise things close to Christmas? This one was for a relative...and I am so glad it's done so that I can get back to the oil illustrations.

SHARING IN THE JOY ~

May your New Year be blessed with Joy, Happiness, and Good Health. To all the Picture Bookies, I wish you the blessings of this season and beyond!

White Christmas

This is one of my all time favorite animated cards. Here's to another great year for everyone!

Thanks Everyone!

© Kathleen Rietz
I just wanted to say thank you to all of the Picture Bookies for allowing me to be a part of this group for another fun year. I hope we all have great projects awaiting us in 2009! It's been fun to see you all grow in your craft. Cheers!

Day EIGHT..... a bit of weather....

The VOICE of winter is a silent one. Rain that slowly turns to icy creations...snow that blankets the earth quickly and quietly.


The VOICES we are hearing in the tiny market down in the town, and in churches and on TV are still announcing that there are present outages in our area.
Our street and all those right around us and on up the mountainside are still without power for the 8th day in a row. When we talk to strangers we find everyone has a story, and yet the VOICES are cheerful as is the custom for this time of year. We are still operating on a small generator and we have some internet service from the satillite connection. That puts us in the category of very lucky as many people are still spending their days and nights in our middle school shleter.




So here for your winter enjoyment are scenes of the season...at least up here in the Monadnock Mts. of NH.
The ice is now melted away, and we expect 10 " of snow to top of the small snowfall earlier this week.


People exist with woodstoves, fireplaces, generator, and that typical New England attitude. It seems like they can handle anything with a smile and an ability to rise to any occasion. We have only been here five winters, so we are novice to the challenges, but we are learning FAST.....

Be of good Cheer, Christmas is a few days away. Even in the dark, the light of this Holy season will shine.

The Books ARRIVED *:)

My AFRICAN BEDTIME RHYMES

Words by Brettell Hone  ~ Pictures by Ginger Nielson

The book I illustrated for SHAMWARI PUBLISHING in South Africa is finally here. The inventive rhymes of Brettell Hone have created a newer view of some African animals that might otherwise be overlooked. A pair of trout, an African fly and a Wood Owl are just some of the characters for whom Brettell has created a story in rhyme. And to add to all that, this is a book that BOYS will enjoy very much. There is a bit of action, some surprise, some danger and lots of fun!

The books are available now at Amazon.com and you can take a sneak peek as some of the story here. Books are also available from Atlas Books.

I really enjoyed working with the author on this project. His lifelong association with these animals and his idyllic location in the Limpopo provence of South Africa have given him a unique perspective on the lives of these animals. The books were printed by IMAGO printing and I have to admit that although there were some ups and downs with the process the finished product is gorgeous. The colors are true and vivid and I am totally pleased with the outcome.

If you want the book directly from your bookstore, just ask for it and include the ISBN number which is:978-0-620-40992-6.

POLAR FLEECE