Author Archives: D. Katie Powell

About D. Katie Powell

hollywood baby turned beach gurl turned steel&glass city gurl turned cowgurl turned herb gurl turned green city gurl. . . artist writer photographer. . . cat lover but misses our big dogs, gone to heaven. . . foodie, organic, lover of all things mik, partner in conservation business mpfconservation, consummate blogger, making a dream happen, insomniac who is either reading buddhist teachings or not-so-bloody mysteries or autobio journal thangs early in the morning when i can't sleep

Lines Added Later

Posted on December 2, 2014 by D. Katie Powell

More watercolor only, with lines added after. Images in Stillman & Birn Alpha journal with watercolor paints; after, graphite or white pen lines added. I agree to Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial 4.0 International License, which you can learn more … Continue reading →

Posted in art, painting, sketchbook, watercolor | Tagged art journal, giraffe, lotus, raku | 2 Comments

Our Vase

Posted on November 30, 2014 by D. Katie Powell

Mitchell and I bought this vase from an antique store in Rogue River when we were first together, out exploring. No label. The cup is one of many brightly colored pieces from Mamma Ro. It has that watery quality, and … Continue reading →

Posted in art, color, journal, memory, painting, sketchbook, watercolor | Tagged Art Deco, art journal, Daniel Smith watercolors, Mamma Ro, QoR watercolors, Stillman & Birn | 2 Comments

Line, Color, Shadow

Posted on November 29, 2014 by D. Katie Powell

Some of you know I am doing a year-long study of Weeping Buddha along with the lojong postings on my other blog. Thanksgiving, the first was a simple line drawing of Weeping Buddha. Now all color, pale wood colors and … Continue reading →

Posted in art, Buddha, color, drawing, graphite, journal, meditation, painting, sketchbook, watercolor | Tagged art journal, weeping buddha | Leave a comment

Alfred Stieglitz The Eloquent Eye 1999

Posted on November 28, 2014 by D. Katie Powell

I recommend taking the time for this film; amazing. While you are at it, check out Open Culture, which is where I found it!

Posted in art | 3 Comments

Quick Studies

Posted on November 27, 2014 by D. Katie Powell

I haven’t done these kinds of formal studies since college, drawing shapes for buildings in the abstract. BTW, USC taught me nothing about drawing. Ed “Big Daddy” Bowen from Laguna Beach High School drafting classes taught me everything I used … Continue reading →

Posted in art, color, drawing, graphite, painting, process, sketchbook, waterbrush, watercolor | Tagged color-block, Daniel Smith watercolors, Lyra, negative space, QoR watercolors, shadow, Stillman & Birn, Texas star, water-soluble graphite | 7 Comments

Tools: Ball Point Pens

Posted on November 26, 2014 by D. Katie Powell

Playing with my tools in this exploratory, and thinking of Andrea Joseph, I had to also play with the various types of ball-point pens in my stash. Uniballs have been my favorite for so many years, first the older Vision … Continue reading →

Posted in Buddha, drawing, pen & ink, sketchbook | Tagged Andrea Joseph, ball-point pen, contour drawing, Pilot, Uniball Vision Elite, weeping buddha, Zebra | Leave a comment

Color Mixing: Four Primatek Colors

Posted on November 25, 2014 by D. Katie Powell

I bought a few more Primatek (Daniel Smith) watercolor paints from Merriartist; they are having an amazing sale on watercolors this month (ask for the sale code.) I had to play with them, of course, and think I have fallen … Continue reading →

Posted in color, painting, sketchbook, watercolor | Tagged Alpha Journal, Amazonite, art journal, Daniel Smith watercolors, kyanite, Piemonite, Platinum Preppy, Primatek, Stillman & Birn, Yavapei | 1 Comment

Brushes: Moving to Watercolor

Posted on November 23, 2014 by D. Katie Powell

The brushes I use with watercolor are very different from the brushes I use when painting with acrylics. When painting with acrylic, my life revolves around flats with an occasional liner or small round for detail. When I started out, … Continue reading →

Posted in paint brush, painting, tools, watercolor | Tagged Blick's, Escoda Long Liners, flats, Leow-Cornell Golden Taklon Series 7900 Miracle Wedge, liners, MPF Conservation, Platinum Preppy, rigger, rounds, shellac brush, Stillman & Birn, watercolor brush | 2 Comments

Watercolor Pencils, Ho-Hum

Posted on November 17, 2014 by D. Katie Powell

I was challenged to use a tool I have but am not fond of for a week, and to figure out why I never reach for it; mine was watercolor pencils. I have a mess of them that I bought … Continue reading →

Posted in art journal, color, drawing, painting, pencil, sketchbook, waterbrush, watercolor | Tagged Caran D'Ache, journal, Neocolor II, sketching, watercolor pencils | 6 Comments

Waterbrush Critique

Posted on November 17, 2014 by D. Katie Powell

All waterbrushes have their problems, but we love them anyway, because they let us travel lightly without carrying a mess of dirty water, and frankly, they are pretty inexpensive. I want to talk about three that I use most often. … Continue reading →

Posted in painting, sketchbook, tools, waterbrush, watercolor | Tagged Holbein, Koi Sakura, Kuretake, Pentel, water-brush, waterbrush | 9 Comments

Travel Palette, FINALLY

Posted on November 14, 2014 by D. Katie Powell

I love paint colors. Friends have been pushing me to get serious about a travel palette so I can paint comfortably onsite, and I resist because I love all my colors, especially the transparent parrot colors and earthy mossy greens … Continue reading →

Posted in color, journal, painting, sketchbook, tools, watercolor | Tagged art journal, color, Daniel Smith watercolors, Primatek, tools, travel palette, urban sketchers, watercolor | 13 Comments

My “Business” Sketchbook: North Entrance Chandeliers

Posted on November 5, 2014 by D. Katie Powell

I think these are my last lamps for a while. I’m not sure I want to become Kate-light! To draw this last Tiffany chandelier I could stand and rest my notebook on the marble railing, next to Big George. All … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, art, drawing, history, journal, painting, pen & ink, sketchbook, urban sketchers, watercolor | Tagged art journal, chandelier, Daniel Smith watercolors, Holbein, Lamy Safari pen, MPF Conservation, Polar Brown Noodlers ink, QoR watercolors, quinacridone gold, quinophthalone yellow, Sennelier, Stillman & Birn, Tiffany, Washington State Capitol Legislative Building | 3 Comments

My “Business” Sketchbook: Tiffany Chandeliers Mark Pathways

Posted on November 2, 2014 by D. Katie Powell

It is unusual for me to start my sketchbook posts with photographs, but this Tiffany chandelier is simply too beautiful. I did not do them justice! They line the hallways and mark entrances to the various rooms, providing a delicate … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, art, drawing, furniture, history, journal, painting, pen & ink, sketchbook, urban sketchers, watercolor | Tagged art journal, chandelier, Daniel Smith watercolors, Mason Monterey, MPF Conservation, QoR watercolors, Sennelier, Tiffany, urban sketchers, Urban Sketchers Portland, USk, Washington State Capitol Legislative Building | 7 Comments

My “Business” Sketchbook: AYA Sushi

Posted on November 1, 2014 by D. Katie Powell

Aya Sushi sustained us during our days in Olympia. I am a sushi aficionado; I was hooked during university. Aya Sushi is the best sushi I’ve had since Lalaland! I reserved a page in our business sketchbook because we ate … Continue reading →

Posted in art, drawing, journal, memory, pen & ink, sketchbook, watercolor | Tagged art journal, Aya Sushi, Olympia restaurants, orchid, Stillman & Birn, Super Washington | 3 Comments

My “Business” Sketchbook: Washington State Campus

Posted on October 30, 2014 by D. Katie Powell

Stepped outside at the end of the day while waiting for Mitchell to fetch me, and decided to do a couple of quick sketches of the two main buildings on campus, the Legislative Building (where we are working) and the … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, art, drawing, journal, painting, pen & ink, sketchbook, urban sketchers, watercolor | Tagged art journal, urban sketchers, Urban Sketchers Portland, USk, Washington State Capitol Justice Building, Washington State Capitol Legislative Building | 10 Comments

My “Business” Sketchbook: Sketching the Senate from the Floor

Posted on October 28, 2014 by D. Katie Powell

Like my earlier post on drawing the Senate gallery details, I came around to draw the Senate from a different angle. I sat on the floor of the first entry arch looking up into one of the corners, in order … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, art, color, drawing, journal, painting, pen & ink, process, sketchbook, urban sketchers, watercolor | Tagged art journal, Daniel Smith watercolors, Heart of Darkness, Noodlers ink, Senate, Stillman & Birn, urban sketchers, Urban Sketchers Portland, Washington State Capitol Legislative Building, waterproof | 4 Comments

My “Business” Sketchbook: Senate Gallery Details

Posted on October 25, 2014 by D. Katie Powell

More drawing challenges in the Washington State Legislative Building. Before I went running around, I asked where I could go with the pass we used to get into the Senate office area. It was nice to sit in the Senate … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, art, color, drawing, furniture, journal, memory, painting, pen & ink, process, sketchbook, urban sketchers, watercolor | Tagged art journal, Daniel Smith watercolors, dogwood, egg and dart, oak, Polar Brown Noodlers ink, Senate, Sennelier, Stillman & Birn, urban sketchers, Urban Sketchers Portland, USk, Washington State Capitol Legislative Building | 4 Comments

My “Business” Sketchbook: The Rotunda

Posted on October 24, 2014 by D. Katie Powell

This week at the Washington State Legislative Building I had a good deal of free time, as it was Mitchell doing the lion’s share of the work on the Senator’s offices. In the middle of a dark downpour, (the building … Continue reading →