Cool kid: Kate Lietz finds talent with charcoal, pastels

Kate Lietz has been doing art for as long as she can remember. Lietz is home-schooled, and when she was younger, small drawings and doodles decorated the homework she turned in. “It’s just something I’ve always done,” she said.

When her artistic talent surpassed what she could learn at home, she took classes at Spokane Art Supply in Spokane Valley. Her teacher, Loretta Jenkins, considers Lietz exceptionally talented. “She has a great future in art if she so chooses.”

Lietz, 16, works in charcoal, pencil and pastel. Recently, she has taken up water coloring with local artist Jim Weisen.

Her portraits are remarkably lifelike, and her landscapes are just beginning to evolve. “I’d like to try mixing charcoal and pastels in the same picture,” she said.

She has won awards for her artwork at the Spokane Interstate Fair and the Rockford Fair, and she has sold some of her matted pieces. The walls of her Spokane Valley home are filled with framed pieces. Looking at them, it is hard to believe a teenager created them.

Lietz enjoys riding her bike and working in the garden where she grows zinnias and dahlias. She is a first-degree black belt in Shorinji Kempo, a defensive martial art. She also volunteers at Valley Hospital and Medical Center.

Though Lietz hasn’t decided what she wants to be when she grows up, her plate is currently full of learning experiences and possibilities. She will begin Running Start in the fall where she will learn new mediums and open new doors.

“Don’t be afraid to try something new,” she urged. “It might not be so bad,” and it might even earn you an award at a state fair and beyond.