Worms, worms, worms!

My daughter had me on a worm hunt the other day. Apparently she needed some friends to hold and play with as her older sister was off to school.

So here I was pulling out gaint clumps of rain soaked weeds and dirt, searching for some "wormie" friends for my littlest to find comfort with. After the fifth worm and one snail, I called it quits and encouraged her to come inside to look at them in a proper container as opposed to an old icing can.

Now, I can't blame my daughter for having a fascination with all things cute, small, and buggy. In fact, I am the one pointing out the ladybugs crawling in the grass and the worms wriggling in the street and the one encouraging her to go get some sugar to watch the ants have a field day.

So many other children and adults screech and shriek when she comes up with a handful of slugs and worms in her hands, but I think it is cute.

And, of course, that is when I got to thinking....instead of sentencing those poor little critters to death by toddler handling and torture...I would just make her a little worm she could carry with her where ever she went. Now she already had a "wormie" in green that is by the Ugly Doll brand, but I wanted one that was a bit more realistic and was not a "monster".

I had to make two because I knew my older daughter would want one also.

And, of course, I couldn't just stop there with the worms. No, oh, no....I have been thinking about those little squiggly wigglers for quite some time. Only I see them wearing top hats, beanie hats, holding balloons and lollipops and going to the circus. Just like the ants, the worms must have entire city infrastructures under the ground with all kinds of exciting things to do.

Here is what my imagination came up with! Check it out!

These adorable worm portraits were designed with Etsy in mind and will debut in the shop by this weekend. They are just so cute and fun! I think they would look great in a child's room or hanging by the kitchen sink. I will be adding a little eye screw to the top of the wooden block and then I was thinking of a red ribbon to hang it from. So cute!

Bye Now!

Wanted...More Work Space!

I wish that I could brag and say that I have this awesome large arts and crafting room to work in, but the reality of the situation is that my craft space is more like a cave that is damp, dark and warm.

I keep most of my crafting paper, pens, paints, books, and knick knacks shoved away in the tiny space that also houses two technological beasts that cause me the most work at home. It is the laundry room. It would be a large space if the washer and dryer did not live there, but then I would stink and not have clean clothes...

Yes, the converted mud room (as they used to call it) is my space. I have to share the counter space with a sink, which sometimes comes in handy, but most often it is just filled with things.

The lighting is just awful...too eye-straining bad to do pen and ink work but I don't mind the space for doing the wire sculpture art. (However, those projects are on indefinite hold since painting season is hopefully upon me.)

Here is a glimpse of a temporary workspace set up at the kitchen bar in front of my sink. Did I mention my kitchen is about the same size at the laundry room? Well, it is a "bit" bigger...

Tea Time

There once was a time when tea was the primary drink of choice among people...here and around the world. Social events were developed around drinking this beverage....and it was served hot.. NOT cold!

The first tea times in England were hosted at about 5 o'clock and included a menu centered around small cakes, bread and butter sandwiches, assorted sweets, and, of course, tea.

I like a nice cup of hot tea, usually Lady Grey, Darjeeling, or Irish Breakfast...but it seems as if everyone, including myself, have jumped on the bandwagon of trendy and overly advertised coffees and lattes. The only problem with it this new trend of bistros and coffee bars is that we have lost some of the unique traditions of low and high tea times with their snacks, desserts, fashion, and conversation.

Tea and Cake

Ta Ta!

Ant Love

The ants have come out of hibernation, especially since Mr. Turtle is taking a break from all that traveling.

Who would have thought that a pair of kissing ants could look so cute!

If they are not careful, I see a colony in their future...and possibly a card set too!

Ta Ta!

Mushroom Garden

With all that rainy weather lingering up here, the ground has become super moist and perfect for producing lots and lots of mushrooms. My youngest daughter loves nature and going on mushrooms hunts. She came home from a play date the other day with a cup full of tiny critter homes.

To think in one afternoon, she devastated an entire make-believe ant community!

I found this group of toadstools growing in the corner of my window. They are so soft and beautiful. And I don't have to wash my hands after touching these. I am debating if I should put them in the Etsy shop.

Bye

Stationary and Cards

I have been working very hard to try and manage my beast of a computer and force it to let me make stationary and cards. The stationary has not been difficult and they are set up and ready to go...I have actually begun the process of creating more stationary templates to expand the ant series...and I have also contemplated creating stationary sets for the bees and worms....

The cards have been the worst to try and create. My technology beast that is supposed to make life quicker and easier has an evil mind of it's own and often decided to randomly shut down on me in the middle of a project and then the photoshop program we have is resistant to me printing cards on anything but a 5 x 8 index size....which means that the image always comes out on the middle fold of the card no matter what I do to reposition it....

So....I have been printing them from a Word document. This will work for now...but I hope to have a plan to tackle this and hopefully get them into the Corel printhouse program I need to install...or....maybe I will just have to get them professionally done...ouch!

I can feel my non-existent pocket book screaming already!

Thanks for Reading!

p.s.--the card and stationary sets are not in the Etsy shop yet, but if you are interested in them...you don't have to wait...contact me directly at rittenhousef@yahoo.com Also...the stationary sets are of the red and black "Hello" ants!

Mr. Turtle Takes a Nap

If you have been to my Etsy shop, you will see that I did an original series of drawings based on the character of Mr. Turtle. It started with Turtle Town and then I imagined Mr. Turtle being a world traveler. What better way to show the world than cities recreated on Mr. Turtle's back like Paris, London, Rome, etc.

He is such a cute character, that I also imagined him as having had a really long and exciting life with a variety of occupations and nifty things that he has done....thus said....here are two more Mr. Turtle pictures.

Good Night Mr. Turtle

This is the end image for the series where Mr. Turtle is finally reunited with his long lost, but well-traveled T-Rex stuffed animal.

Mr. Turtle and the Florist Shop

This picture is the first ink image of Mr. Turtle where I have incorporated other colors, than just the red in the kite.

If interested in Mr. Turtle's story....please check out the Etsy shop and read the item descriptions, which tell where he is traveling and why!

Bye!

The Jam Ladies

When fall comes to the PNW, there is a crisp cold air that blows through and there is a scent of dying leaves as they begin to fall and accumulate on the ground. Even though it is "supposed" to be summer....I could smell the scents of fall all around me. But the only thing that I did not smell was the sweet scent of ripening berries on the vines, whose scent carries on the wind.

This cold weather is very much like the same weather when I make my jellies and jams. I love the way the kitchen is encompassed by the smell of cooking apples, blackberries, plums, sugar and spices. It smells especially nice when I make apple butter and spiced apple plum sauce.

But since the season of fruit is not upon us....I miss the process of making the jellies...the smells...and the jars... and, of course, that is when inspiration hits!

Since I could not make jellies, I decided to make Jelly and Jam Ladies...and in a variety of different flavors.... here are some, with more on the way!

Granny Blackberry

Miss Strawberry

Mademoiselle Marmalade

Lady Blueberry

Bye for now!
More to come!

In the Corner

I am sure that many of you have been wondering where the Red Kite has been. I tucked her away in the corner for a while as I tested different techniques and returned to painting in oils. But then the weather of the PNW suddenly took a turn towards winter again and it grew incredibly dark, dreary, and cold! I must admit that my attitude also began to transform to reflect this nasty weather.

Here is it June and we are having highs of only about 50-55 degrees! The cold, rain and overcast skies leave me feeling more than just dreary...and more like I am suffering from Seasonal Affect Disorder. Often, I just do not feel as if I can work in this type of weather and I also do not enjoy being stuck in the house for such a long period of time...slowly accumulating the trapped feeling of cabin fever.

My thoughts tend to turn dark and discouraging....but relief is in sight because the weather is predicted to turn sunny towards the end of the week and I have been slowly progressing on some projects....especially the cards and stationary I have been trying to master for quite some time on my technological beast!

Sun up!

The English Touch

Cheerio Dears!

I have a lovely friend and frequent patron of the arts (especially my art) that I just love to speak with. She has a lively and vibrant personality and is just wonderful to bounce ideas off of. She is like a ray of sunshine that breaks through the clouds of Seattle, showering my days with glimpses of glittery whimsies and creative inspiration. Funny how just one person can set off a wave of inspiration. Maybe it is because she is from overseas that she seems somehow more mysterious than the norm...and her lovely English accent and voice either leave me in laughter or envy for such a regal tone of speech.

After speaking with this friend, I always leave wishing that I was from England...or somewhere other than here....But I am not, so I just vicariously live through the fanciful stories, recipes, and trivials that we share together. She doesn't think that she is all that special, but she is quite special...very creative...and super supportive!

Yesterday she offered to let my daughter play at her house with her son...which enabled me to work on some more ink drawings. Of course I could not help but share the ones that I had been working on....

They were "I love the rain" and "Bon Vacances" as seen in the picture above. This mini art showing was a result of me informing her that I had sold the "Turtle Town" ink that I had just listed on Etsy and that she already had an original of. Upon seeing my newest images of "Turtle Tours the World"....she then stated that she must have Seattle and Paris and preceded to inform me that she would merely have her husband sign his paycheck over to me when I described the idea of rendering Big Ben Clock Tower next. Well, of course I could not leave my British friend high and dry while most conveniently watching my daughter...so, of course, in true Rittenhouse style...I gave her Big Ben...but I also drew it again for the Etsy shop...another original though...not a print of it. I am not sure which city will be Turtle's next stop!

Washington D.C., New York, Athens, Madrid, Sydney...we'll just have to see, won't we!

Ta Ta for now!

You CAN teach an old dog new tricks!

As the Pacific Northwest creeps into spring, at a pace unable to describe....merely because a snail's ability to travel is faster than the weather here and I can't seem to think of an animal any slower....no..wait...the sloth is the slowest animal on earth, so slow that moss grows upon him. And we have more moss growing here than any place I have lived before. Yes, the Pugent Sound is similar to a large furry and exceptionally slow moving sloth that would rather sit, enduring the cold rain and moss growing upon him than relocate to warmer weather because it would require too much effort.

This small description of the PNW is almost enough to have me scurrying to my small hole of a studio to scratch out another ink drawing of a hanging sloth with an entire mushroom city living on its belly. As enticing an idea it is...that would deviate from the importance of what this lovely post has to say.

The Red Kite would be having a field day out in the cold winds that have been blowing around...but myself, on the other hand, can not seem to hold onto the string because my hands have long since turned purple and lost all their feeling...quickly numbing. So I let the kite fall to the ground and gingerly place it in the corner of the room as I sit before this contraption called...the Computer! Ooh! Dreaded technological beast! You haunt my dreams with nightmares of eaten artwork, failed uploads, and an inability to tame your photoshop programs.

That's right...for the past several days I have been lost in the computer's lair attempting to tame this foul beast by learning his photoshop secrets. I am by no means a master and have not found its hidden treasure chest, but I have found several trinkets that will enable me to improve my condition. By this, I mean I have finally found out how to turn my ink drawings into digitally colored images. This also means that I will be able to create colored prints of my art. I hope the examples are enticing! Enjoy!

Red Kite Gallery Now Open For Business!

Grand Opening!

The Red Kite Gallery has been completed and is now open for business. I hope to have my newest ink drawings available by this evening.

Originals

All of the ink drawings listed in the Red Kite Gallery are original ink drawings on white cardstock. Some of the images, as previously stated, were rendered on plain white computer paper and will be sold at a discounted price.

Royalty Free Images

Coming Soon!

Art!

It is my personal belief that art doesn't have to be expensive and limited only to those that think art is an investment rather than enjoying it for the aethestic quality.

Red Kite Gallery offers prices available to everyone and for original work, not prints!

Check out the gallery at:

http://www.redkite.etsy.com/

What's in the stars....

Taurus--- "You are so cute, you could charm the paint off walls"

When inspiration hits you, even if it is at 5:45 am, you either pounce on it like a tiger with a rich juicy steak, or you let it fade into the sunset of missed opportunities. You could take that other route of writing down your thoughts and hope that you still retain that awesome visual presentation your brain displayed for you over your morning cup of coffee, but not me!

Maybe it was the caffeine rich stimulant or just a glimpse of the divine inspiration, but this cute image jumped out at me as I scanned the horoscope this morning, as I patiently waited for my husband to finish using the computer before work. The caption is just a fragment of His reading for today from the stars. Well, at least they confirm as much as I know about him. I only wish that I had rendered it as a bull, since he is a Taurus.

P.S. I know it looks more like wallpaper than paint, but a whole bunch of paint chips would have looked pretty stupid, you cheeky tarts!

I'm going into diabetic shock!

It's a good thing that I am not really into eating cake and thank goodness I don't like ice cream either because it makes decorating cakes a breeze!

This decorating is basically painting on a cake with liquid food coloring and an alcohol like Vodka (works as a thinner). The canvas that permits me to paint is Marshmallow Fondant. The recipe is pretty easy, just really, really messy (which I don't like). Ever met an artist that doesn't like to get their hands dirty? That's me, especially a sticky white gloppy mess....Yuck!

However, as soon as it is fondant and like canvas, it is great to work with. Everything that I have listed was constructed using Fondant and not gumpaste, etc.

Enjoy!

(Oh, and as much as I would love too....cake orders don't ship well! Sorry, no special orders on cakes unless you are in the immediate local area!)

I knew ONE cake wouldn't be enough!

Eat More Cake!......OMGosh! Is that really a cake? Poor Wilbur never saw it coming! Yes, this is a cake and it was about 30 pounds. The "drumsticks" are twinkies on pretzels with fondant formed to make bones and then drenched in dark chocolate! Oh yes, the cake was Black Midnight Chocolate cake with Grand Marinier and orange marmalade jelly (p.s. Thanks for the jelly mom!)

Let Them Eat Cake!

Last night on Etsy chat we somehow got on the discussion of cake decorating.

Ah-Ha! And you all thought that my artistic skills ended in the realm of canvas, paper, wire and glue....not so!

Give me a paper clip, tape, paper and a pen and I guarantee that I will be able to devise some type of creative project...it may not be able to get us out of a burning building..but at least I could draw a pretty good escape route.

Anyway...back to cakes...

the conversation was first about this awesome cupcake book I had seen at Barnes & Nobles called "Hello Cupcake". This book is chock-full of some of the cutest cupcake ideas I have ever seen. Upon smearing the Etsy chat with my desire to mimic cupcakes as listed in the book...all of the hidden cake decorators came crawling out of the wood-work like termites to a new chunk of fresh cut Pine. Cake pictures were flying everywhere and it was pretty hard to dodge them.

Much to my dismay, I practically lost my head because no one could see my cakes that were listed on Cakecentral because of a lack of site access and accounts. So...needless to say...ON WITH THE PARADE OF CAKES! Eat your heart out!

Red Kite Original Sketches

For those individuals that know me, they have probably wondered the reason for calling my blog, "Red Kite Gallery". Besides the fact that I found someone else on Etsy using Brite Ideas Designs (only spelled correctly!), I wanted a trademark that people could really identify me with and the red balloon was already taken. My goal with starting up a new Etsy store was to deviate from the lamps and night lights and really focus on my drawings and paintings, which also seem to do better on Etsy than what I was doing.

So, I have been hard at work generating some cute and whimsical sketches in ink on white card stock. Listed above are just a few examples of my sketches. With Spring slowing creeping to the Pacific Northwest, I find myself very focused on little spring critters. There is just something really cute about snails and slugs and ants. They stir up a childlike curiosity in me. Most of the sketches are rendered with brown sharpie and feature a small kite somewhere in them that I hand-color in red. I do plan on selling all the sketches as originals...so there will be no prints! The first group of 10 drawings were done on plain computer paper, so they will be listed as cheaper than the card stock ones. I hope to get the Red Kite Gallery Etsy Store open and running within a week or so.

Bye now!

April Art Show Pictures

Here is a collection of images from the art show I had at the public library at the beginning of April. The theme of the show was sweets and junk food. The show consisted of a variety of different items including cards, jewelry, lamps, night lights, hanging art, etc. The giant lollipops and orange creamsicle are hanging art. The only grouping I don't have a decent picture of is the smaller candy swirls. There were five of those in a variety of colors that hang also.

The cake slice, melting ice cream cone, giant cupcake and ginger bread man are all working lamps. The smaller night lights included a cherry pie, ice cream cones, grape jelly toast, and pizza.

Sitting decorative art included three different cakes. Two chocolate cakes and one pink frosted cake with conversation hearts on top.

I also had a large variety of chocolate bon bon magnets, ornaments and cupcake ornaments.

Many of these items including the cards are still available to purchase directly through me (rittenhousef@yahoo.com) and some are listed on etsy (http://www.briteideas.etsy.com/)

The Ants Go Marching...

Sometimes I wonder at "normal" people. You know, those select persons that have no artistic bone in their highly organized skeletal structure...they seem so entranced by my artistic creativity and ability. Even some of the artists I DO know constantly question where my inspiration evolves from, as if I am the only one privy to the bubbling waters of the artistic fountain of creativity. Yes, that is right...I know where the elusive fountain is and I will tell you where to get some, FOR A PRICE! All kidding aside...inspiration for me crops up randomly...like a rest stop bathroom on a very long drive. The more urban your area, the more bathrooms...out in the sticks...well, your just up &$%@ creek!

No really.....inspiration presents itself in the small things like this picture of marching ants.

These are for my daughter's first Kindergarten presentation on a bug (Can you believe that her teacher even gave her the option of a PowerPoint presentation to enhance her computer skills---PowerPoint in Kindergarten?!). She picked ants and needed a visual to accompany her oral presentation. We decided to construct the highly original and classic....Egg Carton Ant! You know, those cute ones that YOU made in school prior to PowerPoint presentations, sculpty, Michaels and JoAnns....that's right....with chenille pipe cleaner appendages. When I saw those cute ants marching on my kitchen counter, that bolt of artistic lightening jolted me enough to take a picture to remind myself that ants, in black and red would be great to render in the wire/paper process I am particularly fond of right now. Just like the Spring Bee I posted several days prior. Who wouldn't love some marching ants to hang on your bedroom or living room wall? And if you don't like this idea....I can recommend some other really great blogs to read....

The Alligator Lady

THE ALLIGATOR LADY

The life of Mary Gatore, Queen of Crocs is shrouded in romance and mystery!

Did Mary truly love the Lord Piggly Wiggly? Did this dashing knight break her innocent heart? Was she associated with his mysterious disappearance? Was he LUNCH? How much of his murder was she aware?

Was this Mary, Queen of Crocs, involved in plots to assassinate and depose her powerful cousin? Or was she simply a pawn in the intrigues of her time?

More to come involving this tale of murder, vengeance, deceit & romance!

The Queen of Crocs is nearly finished artistically. Her hand needs to be completed and I still need to fashion her hat. Once she is completed, she will be for SALE! Interested parties can contact me via email at redkitestudio@yahoo.com or rittenhousef@yahoo.com

Baby Steps!

I can tell that I am getting older! That or the effects of constant exposure to children's television programs is finally taking it's toll on my poor brain. My brain has become the equivalent of an old out-dated car that sputters and and shakes at it tries to function merely to get started, let alone, drive anywhere. Ahh yes, I labored away on the 18th (of April) creating this great blog to promote myself and my art. I created a cute name, a new email, a new Etsy shop...all to link things together. And what happens....somehow I manage to restrict even myself from access to this great avenue of advertisement and self-expression. Awesome move....and very typical of myself!

So, once again I have to re-create myself AGAIN! Bravo Idiot! THIS time I have written down everything..and if it fails once again...well...I suppose I will just have to try something entirely different....maybe FAST FOOD?! Would you like fries with that?

Start a Blog....What the #%@!

"You should start a blog in order to get your name out in the world", so I have been told. So here I am laboring, with little knowledge about computers and technology, let alone how to set the foundations for a blog with settings, layout, fonts and colors. Only now am I kicking myself at having passed up college courses in Adobe photoshop and web design for those other courses like Life Drawing and Abnormal Psychology, which are not helping me very much right now. Yes, that green eyed beast is dripping big fat drops of drool on my shoulder as I enviously observe other blogs that look like pages of candied inspiration and yet here I am with this red blob of melted goo that seems anything but appealing. Maybe a sacrifice to the computer guru will help me with the development of this blog....though that may mean I would be down one of those beautiful blonde mop-tops I gave birth to....I suppose that readers will just have to choke down this horrible blob of mental strain and labor with a big cup of coffee and a bowl full of humor. Brace yourselves, this WILL be a bumpy ride!