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

VSW: And More Posies in Queenspark, Toowoomba!

Posted on October 7, 2021 by D. Katie Powell

Another from the lovely images from Amanda Thompson (@a21981 on IG) of Queenspark, Toowoomba. Love the poppy’s heads before they bloom, as if bowed in prayer. I don’t feel I did the delicate papery petals justice… I should have chose … Continue reading →

Posted in art journal, drawing, journal, landscape, painting, process, sketchbook, virtual sketching, watercolor | Tagged #artjournal, #artjournaling, #danielsmithwatercolors, #foxglove, #Hahnemühle, #HahnemühleNostalgie, #helpercats, #middleofthenight, #nostalgiejournal, #poppies, #poppy, #snapdragons, #toowoomba, #virtualsketching, #virtualsketchwalk, #whencatshelp, art journal, Daniel Smith watercolors, floral, flowers, Nostalgie Sketch Book Journal, Queenspark, watercolor | Leave a comment

VSW: Posies in Queenspark, Toowoomba!

Posted on October 3, 2021 by D. Katie Powell

Amanda Thompson (@a21981 on IG) offered me some amazing images of Queenspark, Toowoomba from which to sketch. Foxglove towers over what appears to be snapdragons.. I LOVE sketching flowers! To hear about classes, follow me on Instagram, Facebook or check … Continue reading →

Posted in art journal, drawing, journal, landscape, painting, pen & ink, process, sketchbook, virtual sketching, watercolor | Tagged #artjournal, #artjournaling, #danielsmithwatercolors, #floral, #flowers, #foxglove, #Hahnemühle, #HahnemühleNostalgie, #middleofthenight, #nostalgiejournal, #Queenspark, #snapdragons, #toowoomba, #virtualsketching, #virtualsketchwalk, art journal, Daniel Smith watercolors, Nostalgie Sketch Book Journal, watercolor | Leave a comment

Tools: Wing Sung Brush Piston Pen

Posted on September 30, 2021 by D. Katie Powell

I bought three Wing Sung Brush Piston Pens from Etsy. I wanted to compare them with the plastic Pentel Vistage Water Brush (formerly known as the Pentel Aquash waterbrush pen), which I use normally like a waterbrush over watercolors, but … Continue reading →

Posted in art journal, drawing, ink painting, journal, pen & ink, sketchbook, writing | Tagged #artjournal, #artjournaling, #Hahnemühle, #kuratakezig, #middleofthenight, #nijiwaterbrush, #nostalgiejournal, #pentelpocketbrushpen, #pentelvistagewaterbrush, #platinumjapaneseartpcoketbrushpen, #platinumpocketbrushpen, #super5ink, #WingSungBrushPistonPen, #wingsungpen, art journal, Nostalgie Sketch Book Journal | 3 Comments

VSW: New Caledonia Pier

Posted on September 28, 2021 by D. Katie Powell

The Virtual Sketchwalk group on Facebook is exploring New Caledonia this month with wonderful images from Aniko Szedlak (pic below)! They are a balm to this beach-loving gurl’s soul. I am so oriented around linework, but wanted to try a … Continue reading →

Posted in art journal, creativity, drawing, journal, landscape, painting, sketchbook, virtual sketching, watercolor | Tagged #artjournal, #handbookjournal, #holbeinwatercolor, #lovethestub, #middleofthenight, #newcaledonia, #palmtrees, #woodenpier, art journal, beach, Daniel Smith watercolors, ocean, Primatek, watercolor | Leave a comment

Tools: Moo Journal

Posted on September 25, 2021 by D. Katie Powell

I bought a Moo Journal the last time I ordered my business cards from Moo. It comes in a reusable sleeve, above left, that can sit in your bookshelf so the journal pages do not get worn. A card holder … Continue reading →

Posted in art journal, journal, pen & ink, sketchbook, watercolor, writing | Tagged #artjournal, #artjournaling, #journal, #journalreview, #journalyourlife, #lovethestub, #middleofthenight, #moojournal, #moonotebook, #notebook, #notebook review, #PlatinumCarbonPen, #review, #watercolorpencils, #writeitdown, art journal, watercolor | 5 Comments

VSW: New Caledonia Sunset

Posted on September 23, 2021 by D. Katie Powell

The Virtual Sketchwalk group on Facebook is exploring New Caledonia this month with wonderful images from Aniko Szedlak! They are a balm to this beach-loving gurl’s soul. Because this process had so much waiting time, I decided to image the … Continue reading →

Posted in art journal, creativity, drawing, landscape, painting, process, sketchbook, virtual sketching, watercolor | Tagged #artjournal, #beach, #handbookjournal, #lovethestub, #middleofthenight, #newcaledonia, #palmtrees, #PlatinumCarbonPen, #sandandsurf, #sunset, art journal, beach, Daniel Smith watercolors, De Atramentis Document ink, Lamy Joy, ocean, Platinum Carbon pen, Primatek, watercolor | 4 Comments

VSW: Echinacea Field

Posted on September 21, 2021 by D. Katie Powell

Dreaming of Monet… I saw an image of a field of echinacea in many colors and had to try to paint it — so cheery! I did not have the image to look at, from memory. Lots of artfully placed … Continue reading →

Posted in art journal, creativity, drawing, journal, landscape, memory, painting, process, sketchbook, watercolor | Tagged #artjournal, #artjournaling, #Hahnemühle, #HahnemühleNostalgie, #middleofthenight, #nostalgiejournal, art journal, Daniel Smith watercolors, Nostalgie Sketch Book Journal, watercolor | 2 Comments

Inky Thots: Birmingham Kentucky Bluegrass

Posted on September 19, 2021 by D. Katie Powell

Above, Kentucky Bluegrass ink on two different watercolor papers; right, in a Hahnemühle Nostalgie Sketchbook. Writing samples on a Post-it and on fountain-pen friendly paper in my Moo Journal, below Birmingham Kentucky Bluegrass ink is from the Crisp Formula ink … Continue reading →

Posted in art journal, color, creativity, drawing, ink painting, journal, pen & ink, review, sketchbook, tools, virtual sketching, writing | Tagged #artjournal, #artjournaling, #Birmingham Pen Company, #birminghaminks, #birminghampencompany, #birminghampens, #fountainpenink, #fountainpeninkreview, #greenink, #inkpainting, #inkreview, #madeinamerica, #madeinusa, #penandink, #pittsburghpennsylvania, art journal | 4 Comments

VSW: New Caledonia Beach

Posted on September 17, 2021 by D. Katie Powell

The Virtual Sketchwalk group on Facebook is exploring New Caledonia this month with wonderful images from Aniko Szedlak (pic below)! They are a balm to this beach-loving gurl’s soul… A chance to work on washes… getting enough made before I … Continue reading →

Posted in art journal, color, journal, landscape, painting, process, sketchbook, virtual sketching, watercolor | Tagged #artjournal, #bigjuicywashes, #handbookjournal, #lovethestub, #middleofthenight, #newcaledonia, #palmtrees, #PlatinumCarbonPen, #washes, art journal, beach, Daniel Smith watercolors, De Atramentis Document ink, Lamy Joy, ocean, Platinum Carbon pen, Primatek, watercolor | Leave a comment

Doodling, Drawing, Whatever

Posted on September 15, 2021 by D. Katie Powell

I draw whatever is in front of me while I am listening to just about anything. When I was listening to my brother talk about being on his way home from the hospital (no one called me to say he … Continue reading →

Posted in art journal, creativity, drawing, ink painting, journal, memory, painting, pen & ink, process, sketchbook, watercolor | Tagged #artjournal, #artjournaling, #Hahnemühle, #nostalgiejournal, #PlatinumCarbonPen, art journal, Daniel Smith watercolors, Nostalgie Sketch Book Journal, Platinum Carbon pen, Primatek, watercolor | Leave a comment

Tools: Updated M.Graham Palette

Posted on September 15, 2021 by D. Katie Powell

Recently I reorganized my palettes, and the M.Graham was moved into a smaller Schminke palette. I still find MG watercolors a bit stinky, but remember I returned the following pigments out of my palette and that stopped the headaches: Sap … Continue reading →

Posted in art journal, color, creativity, drawing, journal, painting, process, sketchbook, tools, watercolor, writing | Tagged #artjournal, #artjournaling, #Hahnemühle, #holbeinwatercolor, #jasperstardust, #MGrahamwatercolors, #middleofthenight, #nostalgiejournal, #PlatinumCarbonPen, #travelpalette, art journal, Nostalgie Sketch Book Journal, Platinum Carbon pen, watercolor | 2 Comments

VSW: New Caledonia Palms

Posted on September 12, 2021 by D. Katie Powell

The Virtual Sketchwalk group on Facebook is exploring New Caledonia this month with wonderful images from Aniko Szedlak (pic below)! They are a balm to this beach-loving gurl’s soul. I did a very fast sketch because I was showing a … Continue reading →

Posted in art journal, creativity, drawing, journal, landscape, painting, pen & ink, sketchbook, virtual sketching, watercolor | Tagged #artjournal, #beach, #handbookjournal, #lovethestub, #middleofthenight, #newcaledonia, #ocean, #palmtrees, #pentelbrushpen, #PlatinumCarbonPen, art journal, Daniel Smith watercolors, De Atramentis Document ink, Lamy Joy, Platinum Carbon pen, Primatek, watercolor | Leave a comment

30 Posies: Lupines, or Bluebonnets

Posted on September 9, 2021 by D. Katie Powell

I’ve always loved lupines (or bluebonnets, as the purple ones are called). In South Laguna there were wild yellow and pink and blue lupines all over the hills. I’m still struggling to not have streaky watercolor washes in this Handbook … Continue reading →

Posted in art journal, memory, painting, pen & ink, sketchbook, virtual sketching, watercolor | Tagged #artjournal, #artjournaling, #bluebonnet, #danielsmithprimateks, #danielsmithwatercolors, #handbookjournal, #holbeinwatercolor, #linework, #lupine, #makearteveryday, #middleofthenight, #PlatinumCarbonPen, #purpleflowers, #sennelierwatercolors, #sexylines, #squarejournal, #wildflowers, floral, flowers, watercolor | Leave a comment

Portraits

Posted on September 7, 2021 by D. Katie Powell

I am not a portrait artist so this was a huge stretch for me — A wedding present (only a few years late) for two people we love. I like this one a lot. Details — click to make these … Continue reading →

Posted in drawing, ink painting, memory, painting, pen & ink, portrait, virtual sketching, watercolor | Tagged #danielsmithwatercolors, #lexingtongreyink, #MGrahamwatercolors, #PlatinumCarbonPen, #portraits, #proartwatercolorpad, #sennelierwatercolors, Platinum Carbon pen, Primatek, watercolor | Leave a comment

Dieting… Ugh

Posted on September 5, 2021 by D. Katie Powell

I hate dieting but I need to do something because I have to lose some weight. I decided to try something with a tiny A6 Hahnemühle Toned Watercolour Book. Each night I draw my food… So far I am just … Continue reading →

Posted in art journal, creativity, drawing, ink painting, journal, painting, pen & ink, process, sketchbook, watercolor, writing | Tagged #artjournal, #artjournaling, #dietbook, #HahnemühleTonedWatercolourBook, #ihatedieting, #middleofthenight, #PlatinumCarbonPen, art journal, Daniel Smith watercolors, De Atramentis Document ink, Platinum Carbon pen, Primatek, watercolor | Leave a comment

A Cuppa for Tracey

Posted on September 2, 2021 by D. Katie Powell

I painted this cuppa in honor of Tracey… I will always think of her when i am painting watercolors, but especially when I paint teacups… Hers were so lovely! Enjoy some videos here. To hear about classes, follow me on … Continue reading →

Posted in art, creativity, loss, memory, painting, sketchbook, watercolor | Tagged #artjournal, #artjournaling, #cuppa, #deathofafriend, #grieving, #middleofthenight, #paintingteacups, #rip, #sharingacuppa, #teacups, #traceyfletcherking, art journal, watercolor | Leave a comment

USk: Studio Sketch

Posted on September 1, 2021 by D. Katie Powell

Messy messy studio as it was on August 23. I realize that by USk rules this doesn’t qualify as an urban sketch… but if someone else walked in to sketch our conservation studio it sure would! Yes, our desks are … Continue reading →

Posted in art journal, furniture, journal, memory, pen & ink, urban sketchers, watercolor | Tagged #eameschair, #equachair, #HahnemühleTonedWatercolourBook, #hermanmiller, #mpfconservation, #officesketch, #studiosketch, art journal, Oregon, Platinum Carbon pen, Portland, Primatek, Sennelier, urban sketchers, USA, USk, watercolor | Leave a comment

Sketchpack Project: Week 4, 2021

Posted on August 31, 2021 by D. Katie Powell

In years past I’ve created pretty sketch books during the Sketchpack Project, But this year I wanted to push myself to work on something difficult for me. To see the entire project, go here. (To see other years you go … Continue reading →