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ohh it's very classy Kate, really nice :o)

That is classy and whimsical at the same time. It's obvious you enjoy surface design.

BTW, I am passing the "I Love You this much" award onto you, because I think you're one awesome lady.

I like the sense of depth, and that they seem to be falling. Very nice, Kate!

Oh, you may be happy to know I finally posted something to the food blog, don't get too excited though, it won't happen often, haha.

Hi Kathleen...

I love it! and it does make me think of spring...great work as always....

Hugs
Diana

faboo Kate, we're definitely going to be talking about prints when we get lunch!!

a : )

I think it's quite elegant. I like how you've created a layered look with use of colour and size....nice touch ~

Lovely - very chic!

Ooh la la! Tres chic! x

Another great design, Kate!

Thank you for happening(passing) for the blog, my dog also sleeps this way the whole day

sorry but my english is so bad!
nice to meet you

Wow Kate! Your surface designs on your website are must sees! I love your "Tranquil Escape" series! The colors and designs make me feel calm and relaxed ... which is a plus these days!

Hi Kathleen...

thank you so much for your wonderful comment and thoughts about my Grandfather...It is the worst thing to see him fade away...but today he was conscious and we actually talked...I am at the hospital most of the time with him and family...I keep having all these flashbacks of all the great times we have had and seeing him in this condition is heartbreaking...

thanks again for your kindness...I truly appreciate it ...

Hugs
Diana

Thanks so much Kate! You've been wonderful and a great inspiration. Cheers to you! x

I really enjoyed this piece as well as the others. (I think the mermaid is my favorite) Really nice illustrations.

Creepy crawly goodness!!! xo

Creepy crawly goodness!!! xo

What a great idea. Is this for wrapping paper? I want it!

Another cute and adorable illustration of yours. Love all of it!

Cute, cute, cute! This would look perfect in my youngest's room. These smily guys looks very happy! Nice job with the theme and the piece!

What fun bugs! They're like lightning bugs, but with more personality!

Hi Kathleen...I checked out some more of your designs on your website...and I have to say I would like them all....lol

I do enjoy the "busy bees" ...love them...so sweet and colorful...
but I also love the "skating bear" designs...ADORABLE!!!

you really have a knack with the surface design stuff...I can't wait to oneday get a package with your art on it!!!

Cheers,
Diana

Squirmy wormies! I cute see this made into a pair of jammies!
Really cute.

Hey, thanks for the entry in my badge competition... I love your suggestion!

Very cool critters!

you know...as soon as i got here, and saw them, i "did" squirm a bit. yeeeoww...LOVE these, kate! great colors and their little perfect teeth! just perfect. :))

adorable little squirmies. :)
xoxo
teri

Hi Kate -
I am passing on the "blogger award" to you! Great job on multiples. Visit my blog to pick up your award! :)
http://uturn385.blogspot.com/

Amazing! I love these guys! Wonderful design and colour as well.

Squirmers! Hee heee, what a great name. These guys are too darn cute. Between you and Andi, I'm dreaming of the cutest jammies!

Also loved all the other patterns on you site. Great stuff!

Hi Kathleen...hope you had a lovely weekend...and I hear you're getting a storm tonight...be safe!

Cheers,
Diana

what a clever pattern! i love it!

This is great , lovely as a pattern for material of wrapping paper.

Really good fun! nice execution too.

LOL! This makes me dizzy and giggle!!

When I see this week theme, first thing came across my mind is, should I just put up Kathleen Rietz's potrait with the topic "a lady with multiple talents"!^.^
Fun and beautiful pattern!

They are sooooooooo cute! Wonderful design, Kate ~ :)

that's so cool! love these guys - what a great pattern.

I like this. Great design. Kate.

WOW Kathleen...these are so sweet and I was just on your web site looking at the Surface Design section....how cool...something I never really thought about...you are so inspirational and I so enjoy your wonderful art...and one day I may get something wrapped in this wonderful paper...

how did you get into the Surface stuff? and congrats on getting contacted and the negotiations....

you may have to e-mail me how things go and what the whole process is...

oh and I love the "How I work section" and love that you show the progression of the mermaid piece...(my favorite piece right now) love the mermaids and my niece thinks you're a super star and how lucky I am to know you...

(illustrators and artists to children are like hollywood stars)

Great post !!!

Cheers,
Diana

Love it! Did you create surface designs solely for your portfolio in order to solicit that kind of work? Are these mock ups? Congratulations.

Soooo pretty! Loving your mermaid and company illos too!

I love your Valentine designs Kate, very sweet. Also, I just popped over to your website and really enjoyed looking at your process of doing your illustrations. It was great!! Thanks so much for sharing!

Teresa
xo

What a lovely collection ... all ready for Valentine's Day! I can just see thoughtful V-Day gifts wrapped in your very beautiful designs. :)

Hey Kate, you are just multi talented aren't you?! These are wonderful as is all of your work.

Thanks Diana -- Your words mean a lot to me. Especially knowing that your niece thinks I am such a superstar....hee hee. I love seeing how other artists work, so I thought I would post some pics of my progress with the last illustration I did. It was pretty fun, actually, to go through the whole process and write about it.

Laura & Diana -- I actually began creating my own patterns years ago just for fun, always wanted to get into surface design for textiles, paper products, dinnerware, etc. I did more 3-D product design for the home, but always loved patterns. A few years ago, I attended the Surtex show in NY to learn more about the business. I decided to create more of my own patterns and make prototypes of them. I created a portfolio online, which someone saw. The woman contacted me about an opportunity to create difgital scrapbook designs for a start-up online company. It has been fun, but not quite where my heart really is. I decided to do my own promotions, create new designs and put them out on my website. And so far I have had a great response - 2 from potential clients so far this month. I cannot really say what I enjoy more - illustrating for children or designing for surface. I guess each feeds 2 sides of my creative mind.

My recommendation to anyone who wants to get into surface design is to create your own designs, make prototypes and put them out on as many free portfolio sites as possible. One company I have designed product for in the past is Target (not surface design exclusively, but product with surface design). Target is amazing because their stationary/paper goods, textiles and table top (dinnerwear, napkins, etc) are very trendy and fashion-forward, yet "attainable" and appealing to a mass market audience. They are actually a great study in what "works". They actually have their own color matching system so that their products all match and you can decorate your entire home with their products and it will have a cohesive feel.

To Everyone Else -- Thank you!! You are all so encouraging!!!

These are wonderful Kate.
Thanks for your willingness to share your experience!

That is GREAT!!!!!!!! Congrats!!!! Wonderful work!!

Very cool Kate! And love seeing your process in your website. I like the picture were you are peeking behind the illustration :o)
That Illustration is really just lovely. Congratulations on your new assignmet! yay!!!! :o)

Man, I really got an education on this visit, between your process posted on your site to your explanation of the surface design market. Thanks!

I did a wee bit of pattern design on seasonal wrapping paper for a company I once worked for, and I know what you mean about how that sort of thing and illustration can appeal to different parts of your creative mind. I loved it, and miss it.

Thanks for sharing all this neat stuff!

Hi Kathleen...thanks for the details on this comment thread...great reading...and something to truly have fun with...

You are so sweet and I love the fact that my niece thinks I know a star....

Happy Valentine's Day Kathleen...

Cheers,
Diana

Such fun wrappers! Btw, I so enjoyed your comment on Friday, and wanted to say I too am delighted to have met in this big world. You are an inspiration creatively and I always enjoy what you have to share both in comments and your beautiful art! Happy Anniversary to you!!

Hey Kate! These are so cool! Love your design work. Ah, your talent spans far and wide!

Very, very, very cool!!!

How cool!!! Hope you had a good one!

These are great. I've never heard of Scraphead.com before. I'll have to check it out.

Very fun designs. You're too talented!

lovely !!

so good! like the other patterns you did a time ago

It feels like a quilt I could wrap myself in while drinking a bowl of hot, comforting soup! This is beautiful Kate.

beautiful. at the first moment i thought the pic showed loads of buttons.

Ooooooo.... ahhhhhh..... Smurfy!

This is gorgeous Kate. Yeah, amazing how colors can say something personal about a person.

i'm stilllll taking it in...the bright spots of color are really wonderful...you really know how to compose blues. :)

Hi Kate,

So many things have gone on your blog since last I visited. For one: I like this illustration. And as always: I like your children's illustrations.
And:Is sunshine your dog ?
I love the 8 things thing.
Hope you're doing fine.

Thanks everyone! I've been working a lot lately, so my art has been more abstract and design directed...I thkn it is a nice escape for me right now.

Julia, how are you!?! I was going to drop you and email to say hello, so I am glad you visited my blog. Thanks for your compliments. i want to get back to my children's illustrations soon. Yes, Sunshine is my dog. We are about to meet a friend who has a dog for a "play date" at the park. Take care Julia. And greetings from the States! The photos of your vineyard are gorgeous. I hope you are adjusting to the move, and I will write soon.

-kate

Very pretty, blue is my favorite color:)

great piece of work.. very effective

There's such luminosity to this piece. Gorgeous, and the blues DO make the bright spots brighter!

this reminds me of a piece i saw once.. all done in wood.. by a woman artist... and I thought HOW cool.
Again.... in colour.. different artist.. different twist.... I say.... how cool.. and how blue...

great stuff Kathleen.

Beautiful piece, so full of light! You have such a range of styles, from this incredible abstract piece to the more traditional, realistic illos, that's pretty amazing.

And Sunshine is adorable. I hope you both had a fun "play date." :-)

it's great to see another of your beautiful patterns.

OHHHH MY GOSH! It's beautiful! You did a wonderful job!*HUGS*

Lovely design and great interpretation of the topic - love it!

Love your patterns and color scheme! Beautiful work as always Kate!

See ya,
Debg

lov it, reminds me of looking thru the bottoms of a lot of colored bottles. great concept

Thanks everyone! My time is so limited lately, so to create ANYTHING this week made me happy. I really do like the way this one turned out, too.

i love these colours. will visit again.

So cool! I like this very much and your other momentum piece too.

its a GREAT piece - congrats!

Both of them are wonderful! They'd make nice gift wrap, one masculine, one feminine :)

I agree, lolo. That is sort of my angle....although I could also see the gold one being a textile print.

Thanks everyone!

This one feels cozy to me, like you could wrap it around yourself like a comfy blanket. I'm enjoying these very much!

Beautiful both! Also your blog!

This is really beautiful! You chose some of my favorite colors, and I love the repetition of shapes that are actually all unique. I'm going to chime in about the textile print... I'd love sheets like this! Momemtum 1 is also very nice... very sweet:>

Thanks Carla....I see sheets, too....and a shower curtain!

I like them! Sort of like clocks, and the gold is shading off towards dusk. Definitely full of Autumn momentum!

Wow! Great abstract, Kathleen! Love the previous one too!

I love your patterns. They are so nice! What a great idea for a reusable bag.

That's cool! You put so much work into these things

great colors and this is really perfect for the shopping bag!

yay, another beautiful piece. I love both of them. And I can imagine whole series of products with these patterns :)

Nice colors and patterns! Good job. :)

Another one...this one is wonderful too!

That is an awesome piece. It has a great soft painted look.The repetition is very nice.

Gorgeous design! It's fun seeing your "other side". This is a lovely sense of momentum, I hope to embrace the love heart side soon ;) Btw, like your comment about my piece last week, this would make great wedding or valentine wrapping paper!

Peace.

really pretty, reminds me of a board game

Love the rhythm going on here Kate--excellent design and idea.

beautiful.... your work and your thought.. :)
love the colors

Different, yes, and lovely as always. The colors are perfect!

i enjoythis very much! lovely and a nice sentiment too!

What a beautiful and tender design. Love it.

Beautiful heart stuff. Yes, it really is nice to see all sides of you ... your talents extend waaaay beyond illustrations!

Thanks everyone! I actually think it would be fun to see as wrapping paper or a Valentine card..

Beautiful!! Wonderful warm and fuzzy feel ...

and this would be the beautiful part about life......

And I do enjoy the different from you! I love this colors. Great Job on the pattern!

Awesome, show me more.

i love pattern design and this one is lovley

i agree! i dig your other side, too! this playful, la la la la dee dee you...the color, the pattern play. wonderful! :)

Hey Kate. I love hearts. They are always so cute. They always make me think of candy, love and one of my favorite colors...pink! I love this..it WOULD make great wrapping paper ...valentines..a candy box..I love it!

this is a great design. Thanks for sharing your "other side".

Hey, this is pretty cool. If you have this at Cafe Press I might pick up a bag for my wife, who is very green also!

Super design Kathleen!

This is so sweet, and I like the idea for this topic.

Anette Heiberg
www.anetteheiberg.com
my etsy shop

nicely donr like the set up of the rythm like steve said and great color choice

lik ethe set of of the rythm lik esteave said also great color choice

Wonderful design and great concept!