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

USk: Pyramid Juices + Schoolhouse Electric

Posted on July 15, 2015 by D. Katie Powell

Schoolhouse Electric is on Nicolai St. It’s been revitalized with a barista and a great home furnishing and lighting store. It was a hot day to sketch. Pyramid Juices was once made in Ashland Oregon before it was bought out … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, art journal, drawing, journal, painting, pen & ink, sketchbook, urban sketchers, watercolor | Tagged Alphabet District Portland, art journal, Daniel Smith watercolors, De Atramentis Document ink, industrial, Nicolaides, NW Industrial Sanctuary Portland, NW Portland, Platinum Carbon pen, Pyramid Juices, QoR watercolors, Schoolhouse Electric, Strathmore journal, urban sketchers, Urban Sketchers Portland, USk, watercolor | 2 Comments

Gratitude Journal: Summer Bounty

Posted on July 14, 2015 by D. Katie Powell

Summer suddenly appeared after my medical hibernation! Being on drugs for months is like hibernating . . . the world goes on and you are unaware! When I “woke” it was summer and Portland was in that lovely state of … Continue reading →

Posted in art journal, drawing, journal, painting, pen & ink, watercolor | Tagged art journal, Daniel Smith watercolors, gratitude, ice cream, Moleskin Watercolor journal, Platinum Carbon pen, Portland Oregon, Primatek, Saturday Market, Three Twins, watercolor | 15 Comments

Fraud: Be aware

Posted on July 13, 2015 by D. Katie Powell

NOTE: IF you want to see if your items are also on Wallpart.com, check through AnonyMouse, a service that allows you to look without them tracking you. Wallpart (spoken of below) is a phishing company. From Jackie Morris’s blog, an … Continue reading →

Posted in art | Tagged fraud, phishing, stolen works | 11 Comments

USk: MPF Conservation’s NW Neighborhood

Posted on July 13, 2015 by D. Katie Powell

I haven’t sketched outdoors much lately. I wondered what I might make of our buildings. Our studio is in an industrial area in NW Portland. This is the approach from the freeway. We share space in the building with Portland … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, art journal, drawing, journal, painting, pen & ink, sketchbook, urban sketchers, watercolor | Tagged Alphabet District Portland, art journal, Calbag, Daniel Smith watercolors, De Atramentis Document ink, Grimm, MPF Conservation, Nicolai St, NW Industrial Sanctuary Portland, Pentalic HB woodless pencil, Platinum Carbon pen, Platinum Preppy pen, Portland Opera, Portland Oregon, Primatek, QoR watercolors, Rejuvenation, Strathmore journal, urban sketchers, Urban Sketchers Portland, USk, watercolor | 4 Comments

Gratitude Journal: One

Posted on July 12, 2015 by D. Katie Powell

Now that I have published the Healing Journal I can move on to happier things, or at least a different reality than the awfulness of the first quarter of this year! Mitchell brought me beautiful sunflowers, my favorite. The card … Continue reading →

Posted in art journal, drawing, journal, memory, painting, pen & ink, sketchbook, watercolor | Tagged art journal, Daniel Smith watercolors, De Atramentis Document ink, Healing, Holbein, Moleskin Watercolor journal, Pentalic HB woodless pencil, Platinum Carbon pen, Primatek, QoR watercolors, Sunflowers, Super5 ink, watercolor | 2 Comments

The Healing Journal

Posted on July 9, 2015 by D. Katie Powell

Note: The Healing Journal in its entirety has been mostly removed with just a few images left. This journal started out as a journal to record positive uplifting thoughts to speed my healing on what was to be a five … Continue reading →

Posted in art, art journal, creativity, drawing, journal, lojong, meditation, memory, watercolor | Tagged art journal, Daniel Smith watercolors, De Atramentis Document ink, diagnostics, Kidney Stones, medical problems, Noodlers ink, pain, Pentalic HB woodless pencil, Platinum Carbon pen, prescription drugs, Primatek, QoR watercolors, Super5 ink, urologists, watercolor | 25 Comments

4th of July: The best part was the morning

Posted on July 8, 2015 by D. Katie Powell

We went to the PSU Farmer’s Market on the 4th of July, arriving when it opened as we wanted to avoid heat and crowds. It was lovely, cool under the canopy of trees and on the cool lawn. We bought … Continue reading →

Posted in art journal, drawing, journal, sketchbook, urban sketchers, watercolor | Tagged De Atramentis Document ink, Portland Urban Sketchers, Super5 ink, Urban Sketchers Portland, USk | 4 Comments

Kursuwa Stad Aluminum Pencil Caps

Posted on July 1, 2015 by D. Katie Powell

Life was not civilized before the Kursuwa Stad Aluminum Pencil Caps came into my life. No more broken tips on my pencils in my purse. No more graphite coming off my soft leads. HOW COOL IS THAT? I bought mine … Continue reading →

Posted in graphite, review | Tagged Jetpens.com, Kursuwa Stad Aluminum Pencil Caps, Pentalic 2B woodless pencil, review, USk | 5 Comments

Challenges Saved My Sanity

Posted on June 29, 2015 by D. Katie Powell

During this medical debacle, challenges saved my sanity. When you just can’t think of anything to draw and you are stuck looking at the same things day in and out, challenges can prompt giving you a drawing to do without … Continue reading →

Posted in art journal, calligraphy, challenge, drawing, memory, painting, pen & ink, sketchbook, watercolor | Tagged Daniel Smith watercolors, De Atramentis Document ink, Holbein, Noodlers ink, palm, Pentalic Field Book, Pentalic HB woodless pencil, QoR watercolors, Sennelier, Super5 ink, watercolor | 14 Comments

Announcing the Cherished Blogfest

Posted on June 29, 2015 by D. Katie Powell

Originally posted on No Facilities:
I know. I’ve been talking all week about how I stink at organized blog activities, but I’m one of the organizers of a Blogfest? WTH? That’s like putting me in charge of the checkbook, or…

Posted in art journal | Leave a comment

Jinhao: Inexpensive Pens

Posted on June 27, 2015 by D. Katie Powell

I wanted to like them, I really did. They are inexpensive, they are Japanese. I thought they might be like the Platinum Preppie pens, which are inexpensive, hold a good deal of ink, and will go for MILES without clogging … Continue reading →

Posted in drawing, pen & ink, review, tools | Tagged fountain pens, Jinhao | 6 Comments

Publishing the Darker Artwork

Posted on June 22, 2015 by D. Katie Powell

This post is a dialogue with other artists, and two other bloggers. Many people do not think of art as a dialogue and commentary. I hope they will not mind me co-opting a few lines from their blogs; I encourage … Continue reading →

Posted in art, commentary, creativity, meditation, memory | Tagged emotional art, Gwenn Seemel, political art, purpose, Rebelle Society, Tanya Lee Markul | 6 Comments

What I Did on My Painful Stent-cation

Posted on June 18, 2015 by D. Katie Powell

I am a watercolor hog! I admit, I covet every single Daniel Smith Primatek color, and can’t stop buying greens! I am however, trying to understand the chemistry of paints now and looking at how close various colors are — … Continue reading →

Posted in Buddha, color, watercolor | Tagged #hoteibuddha, Daniel Smith watercolors, hotei, Platinum Carbon pen, Primatek, QoR watercolors, Sennelier, Strathmore watercolor pad, Yarka | 6 Comments

June Challenge, Week Two

Posted on June 16, 2015 by D. Katie Powell

I am in the home stretch of this frigging stupid stent and frankly, what has helped keep me sane is these crazy challenges on Facebook. I am heavily drugged on pain killers and frankly, that does not make me creative. … Continue reading →

Posted in art journal, challenge, drawing, journal, pen & ink, sketchbook, watercolor | Tagged art journal, Daniel Smith watercolors, De Atramentis Document ink, Noodlers ink, Pentalic HB woodless pencil, Primatek, Super5 ink, watercolor | 12 Comments

My Loverman

Posted on June 7, 2015 by D. Katie Powell

In all this waiting-for-kidney-stone maladies to heal (the surgeon tore my ureter) I have been creating a healing journal. I’m not sure I can share it in its entirety, but will at some point share within my comfort zone. It … Continue reading →

Posted in art journal, creativity, journal, meditation, sketchbook, watercolor, writing | Tagged art journal, Daniel Smith watercolors, folding journal, Healing Journal, Holbein, Kidney Stones, Mitchell Powell, Noodlers ink, Portland Oregon, watercolor | 10 Comments

June Challenge, First Week

Posted on June 5, 2015 by D. Katie Powell

I’m participating in another keeping-me-sane while recouping challenge! This months prompts are really good, and I am working small and fast. Selfie started it, and this is one from an image we use in the business. Shell game was next. … Continue reading →

Posted in art journal, challenge, drawing, painting, pen & ink, sketchbook, watercolor | Tagged art journal, Daniel Smith watercolors, De Atramentis Document ink, Holbein, Noodlers ink, Platinum Carbon pen, Primatek, watercolor | 12 Comments

May Challenge, Wrapping up

Posted on May 31, 2015 by D. Katie Powell

Let’s start with an image I like. This was not from the EDM prompts (which continued to be pretty boring) but from a friend’s prompts for herself this month — a vegetable in season, and these are special because they … Continue reading →

Posted in art journal, challenge, pen & ink, sketchbook, waterbrush, watercolor | Tagged art journal, Daniel Smith watercolors, De Atramentis Document ink, Holbein, Noodlers ink, Pentalic HB woodless pencil, Platinum Carbon pen, Super5 ink, watercolor | 18 Comments

May After Surgery: Recouping, In Pain, and Bored

Posted on May 17, 2015 by D. Katie Powell

I guess it is good to be able to say I am bored. Drawing this EDM challenge has not helped all that much because it is a bit like a coloring book, not what I am interested in. On the … Continue reading →