a birthday

January 31, 2014 | filed in: inspiration, life

a birthday | palettes and passports blogI celebrated my 29th birthday this month. I decided that instead of making a list of things that need to be done before I turn 30, I’m going to write down 28 things that I accomplished this year and looking at this list I realized I really got a lot done last year. Hooray!

1. Sold our condo.
2. Cut my hair short again.
3. Visited the New Museum in NYC and the Chicago History Museum.
4. I hosted a make your own pizza party.
5. My art turned in a new direction and I’m excited to see where it leads me!
6. Visited Galena with friends.
7. We celebrated our second anniversary in Lowcountry.
8. Sold my largest most expensive piece of art and now it’s hanging in the Trump Tower.
9. Repainted our master bedroom.
10. Drank sweet tea and ate sticky buns in Charleston.
11. Went apple picking.
12. Hosted a Valentine’s craft party.
13. Every month we tried a new Chicago restaurant.
14. Walked across the Brooklyn Bridge.
15. Spent the last of our summer days in Diamond Lake, Michigan.
16. I took on many custom painting projects and gained some new ideas in the process.
17. Was nominated for an award.
18. Made a lot of new cocktails.
19. I started eating more cauliflower and brussel sprouts and now I like them.
20. Sold one of my paintings in a silent auction.
21. Explored new to us Chicago neighborhoods and got to know the city even better.
22. Drank beer and listened to live music at the honky tonks in Nashville.
23. Ate breakfast at Little Goat, tacos at Big Star and pizza at Chicago Pizza & Oven Grinder.
24. Went to half a dozen concerts.
25. I participated successfully in three local art fairs and met a lot of wonderful people.
26. We got closer to old friends and made some great new ones.
27. Moved out of the city.
28. I took a lot of photos – our adventures and our everyday life.
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studio update

January 28, 2014 | filed in: art, inspiration, interiors, kate zitzer art, life

kate zitzer love you so paintings | palettes and passports blogkate zitzer studio | palettes and passports blogIMG_6231 psThe last few weeks I’ve been able to slow down, rest and take it all in and my wheels have started turning about what to do next. First, you may have noticed that I made some minor changes here – over on Facebook and Etsy too. I thought the beginning of the year was the perfect time for a fresh look! My goal is to have Palettes and Passports be a place where you can learn new things, find all kinds of art and travel inspiration and follow along on my journey as an artist. I also have some new and exciting ideas planned for paintings that I will share with you in the coming weeks and months. I have two shows coming up later this year – Wells Street Art Festival in June and Lakeview East Festival of the Arts in September. I would like to bring back some old favorites, but I’d also like to do a lot of new pieces. I plan to limit the larger paintings and work on a smaller scale this year, and I see myself going with whatever comes naturally in terms of colors and composition. My source of inspiration will always be clean lines, bold type and bright colors, and right now I’m thinking these pieces are going to be inspired by animals, people, houses, fruits and cars. Too many ideas have taken over my brain the last few weeks because I haven’t been able to pick up a paintbrush. To focus all this energy, I started sketching and painting a few Love You So paintings over the weekend. I find I am more focused now and really looking forward to working on some new designs!

photo credit kate zitzer

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advice | curing the winter blues

January 22, 2014 | filed in: advice, chicago, inspiration, life

surviving the winter blues | palettes and passports blog Let’s be honest – January is depressing. It’s really cold and the snow just won’t quit. I miss the sunshine. I miss swimming in the lake and taking long walks. I miss wearing sandals. I miss fresh pineapple and juicy watermelon. I miss iced coffee. Do you feel this way too? It’s easy to feel a little grumpy and out of it during this time of year so how can we fight the winter blues? Here are a few of my favorite cures –

  • Getting organized. Give yourself a fresh start and clean out all the stuff you don’t need or use anymore.
  • Going somewhere new every week or weekend. Take photos or sketch your surroundings. The feeling you get when you’re in a new and inspiring place is unmatched by any other.
  • Surrounding yourself with your favorite things. Wear your favorite sweater, drink coffee out of your favorite mug, burn your favorite candle, buy fresh flowers, read a good book or spend some quality time with the people you love.
  • Blasting some feel good tunes. Load up a playlist with your favorite songs and turn the volume up loud. It’s a great way to get motivated when you just can’t seem to get inspired.
  • Taking a class or attending a workshop. What about a painting class at your favorite art museum, a cooking course at your favorite restaurant or a creative workshop at your favorite shop?
  • Stop playing the waiting game and anchor yourself in the present. The holidays have past and the novelty of a fresh new year has worn off so we start counting the days until Valentine’s Day or Spring Break or just warmer days. Pause for a moment and be present.
  • Exercising, taking long hot baths and getting enough sleep can also do wonders!

I already feel better even though its 10 degrees and snowing right now and it will be -2 degrees tonight. How do you survive the winter?

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eye candy 01

January 17, 2014 | filed in: art, inspiration, interiors

Let’s just soak up some happy colors, cool abstract art and amazing illustrations for a minute. I’m loving the illustrated apples, that lovely lady in her amazing sweater and those funky swirls are spot on. Click around and get inspired!

eye candy | palettes and passports blogcocktail illustration from jean jullien | swirls by kirra jamison | guest check by bill brown | girl and crown by ji hyun

eye candy | palettes and passports blogstriped socks illustration by penelope dullaghan | illustrated apples from bernadette pascua | abstract art from lisa madigan | girl in colorful sweater by jazmin berakha

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beach guide

January 15, 2014 | filed in: art, inspiration, kate zitzer art, travel

Winter has settled in. It’s 16 degrees in Chicago today and this board has me dreaming of a beach vacation. I ‘d love to have the tie-dye tote, and seriously, how fun are those polka dotted sneakers? Also, don’t forget that beach print is on sale right now for $15. You can find it here.

beach guide | palettes and passports blogFind these items – 1 Linda Farrow sunglasses 2 Shopbop blanket 3 Louise & Co denim shorts 4 Zara tie-dye shopper 5 Topshop nail polish 6 Rebecca Minkoff sunglasses pouch 7 J Crew hat 8 Madewell sneakers 9 Anthropologie journal 10 Forever 21 duffel bag 11 popsicle 12 River Island bikini bottoms 13 ModCloth earrings 14 Huffy bike 15 ModCloth straw hat 16 sandals 17 ASOS sunglasses 

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