BIO
Born in Cudahy Wisconsin, just outside of Milwaukee, Rentz spent her early childhood in the rural part of that state, and later, in the suburbs of Atlanta, Georgia. She currently works and resides in Asheville, North Carolina. Although she has traveled to different parts of the world, these three places have been the source of her earliest and most important inspiration.
After graduating from the Savannah College of Art and Design, where she received a BFA in Fibers, Rentz moved to Asheville where she started KR designs, creating hand printed fabrics and accessories for home decor. It was during this period that she began to develop her unique painting style, using layers of woodblock prints to achieve the visual depth of a tapestry.
Her paintings have progressed from these early canvases to vast landscapes and botanical imagery, using textile patterns to add depth to the background. Her use of pattern is achieved through multiple layers of painting and block printing, as well as scratching into the surface. Some of the block prints are from her earlier fabric designs, while many new ones are inspired by the subjects of the paintings, which range from the individual blossoms and vines of local flora, to fabrics of all kinds, particularly Japanese and African textile motifs.