Category Archives: architecture

USk: 26th Street, WHAT IF?

Posted on March 6, 2015 by D. Katie Powell

Took a walk and sketched in our studio’s neighborhood, buildings I look at all the time. I was able to sketch both of them, and it was a bit like old times, architectural sketches. They are both shades of grey: … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, art journal, color, creativity, journal, pen & ink, sketchbook, urban sketchers, watercolor | Tagged Alphabet District Portland, art journal, Daniel Smith watercolors, ESCO, Lexington Grey Noodlers ink, NW Industrial Sanctuary Portland, NW Portland, Pentalic HB woodless pencil, Platinum Preppy pen, Portland Oregon, Rejuvenation, Strathmore journal, urban sketcher, urban sketchers, Urban Sketchers Portland, watercolor | 5 Comments

Late Night: Cozy Catz and Lettering

Posted on March 4, 2015 by D. Katie Powell

I am dissatisfied with my lettering. I hear my mother’s voice telling me I used to have such nice lettering! I know I never quite mastered architectural lettering, and now all of a sudden I care. Geesh. So I am … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, art journal, calligraphy, drawing, memory, painting, sketchbook, watercolor | Tagged Alpha Journal, art journal, BradleyHand, calligraphy, Daniel Smith watercolors, De Atramentis Document ink, Jappaneese, Luma, Pentalic 2B woodless pencil, Pentel Brush Pen, Platinum Preppy pen, Stillman & Birn, The Cowboy Font, watercolor | 4 Comments

USk: Kiva Tearoom, NW Portland

Posted on February 8, 2015 by D. Katie Powell

I braved another day of sketching with the intention to sketch people in a crowded place. There were few people in today — what? — Saturday in Portland? This post is a big deal for me because I am posting … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, art journal, journal, painting, pen & ink, process, sketchbook, urban sketchers, watercolor | Tagged Alphabet District Portland, art journal, Daniel Smith watercolors, Delta journal, journal, KIVA tearoom, NW Industrial Sanctuary Portland, NW Portland, Platinum Carbon pen, Portland Oregon, QoR watercolors, Strathmore journal, urban sketchers, Urban Sketchers Portland, USk, watercolor | 7 Comments

USk: Palm Motor Hotel

Posted on January 24, 2015 by D. Katie Powell

Whenever I drive by the Palm Motor Hotel I get a little surge of home energy. It looks like motels I remember staying in when visiting Santa Barbara and Los Angeles. I’ve always loved these Mid-Century Modern signs. Today I … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, art, art journal, drawing, journal, painting, pencil, sketchbook, urban sketchers, watercolor | Tagged art journal, caput mortem, MCM, Mid-Century Modern, motor hotels, Noodlers ink, palm, Palm Motor Hotel, palm sign, Portland Oregon, Strathmore journal, urban sketchers, Urban Sketchers Portland, watercolor | 2 Comments

USk: Smith Tower, Vancouver, Washington

Posted on January 16, 2015 by D. Katie Powell

I had lunch with my niece yesterday and went an hour early to find an interesting building or scene to sketch. As I was driving into the city of Vancouver I remembered the “beer can” building, looking glum and peachy … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, art journal, history, painting, pen & ink, pencil, sketchbook, timed painting, urban sketchers, watercolor | Tagged art journal, Caran D'Ache, Daniel Smith watercolors, Platinum Preppy pen, Polar Brown Noodlers ink, Portland Oregon, Portland Urban Sketchers, Primatek, Smith Tower, urban sketchers, Urban Sketchers Portland, USk, Vancouver Washington, watercolor | 6 Comments

From My Earliest Art Journals on Design

Posted on December 25, 2014 by D. Katie Powell

I came across my old architectural journals the other day. Way way back in time I practiced architecture — in another life! Back in the old days we didn’t call it art journaling, it was just what many of us … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, art journal, creativity, drawing, graphite, journal, memory, pen & ink, sketchbook | Tagged 200 Oceangate Boulevard, Arco, art journal, Charles Luckman, George Kaneko, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Portland Oregon, urban sketchers, USC | 15 Comments

My “Business” Sketchbook: Washington State Justice Building

Posted on December 15, 2014 by D. Katie Powell

My last sketch onsite from earlier in the year, with watercolors added Sunday. It was pouring, our work at the Capitol completed, and we were on our way home. Mitchell wanted to explore the Justice Building. The Library was lovely … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, drawing, journal, painting, pen & ink, sketchbook, urban sketchers, watercolor | Tagged art journal, Caran D'Ache, Daniel Smith watercolors, Delta journal, fleur-de-lis, lamps, Lamy Safari pen, lions, Platinum Preppy, Polar Brown Noodlers ink, QoR watercolors, Stillman & Birn, torchére, urban sketchers, USk, Washington State Capitol Justice Building | 1 Comment

Monastery of the Precious Blood Portland Oregon

Posted on December 14, 2014 by D. Katie Powell

Drawn on site in Mount Tabor, this is such a pretty building. Reminds me of Southern California, home home home . . . Had almost no time! Drawn in an Stillman & Birn Alpha journal on site with Caran D’ache … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, drawing, painting, pen & ink, pencil, sketchbook, timed painting, urban sketchers, watercolor | Tagged architect, art journal, Catholic, Daniel Smith watercolors, guidelines, Polar Brown Noodlers ink, QoR watercolors, Spanish Revival, Stillman & Birn, Urban Sketchers Portland, watercolor | 4 Comments

My “Business” Sketchbook: The Lion Torchéres

Posted on December 11, 2014 by D. Katie Powell

At the end of our last day working in the Senate Offices of the Legislative Building on the Washington State Capitol Campus, we crossed the grass in the pouring rain to the Justice Building. As you walk into the building … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, art, color, drawing, journal, painting, pen & ink, pencil, process, sketchbook, urban sketchers, watercolor | Tagged art journal, Caran D'Ache, Delta journal, lamps, Lamy Safari pen, lions, Platinum Preppy, Polar Brown Noodlers ink, QoR watercolors, Stillman & Birn, torchére, urban sketchers, USk, Washington State Capitol Justice Building | 1 Comment

My “Business” Sketchbook: Symmetry + South Entrance

Posted on December 8, 2014 by D. Katie Powell

I love it when an architect moves you through spaces, making you experience an environment as it was meant to be seen or felt. I also love symmetry, especially in the hands of architects who know how to use it. … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, art, creativity, history, pen & ink, sketchbook, timed painting, urban sketchers, watercolor | Tagged art journal, central axis, circulation, Delta journal, Lexington Grey Noodlers ink, marble, Pentalic, Platinum Preppy, Prichard Building, rotunda, Stillman & Birn, urban sketchers, Washington State Capitol Legislative Building | 3 Comments

Sketching Eames House of Cards

Posted on December 6, 2014 by D. Katie Powell

Charles Eames House of Cards, above, bought in NYC at the Whitney, I think, in 1973; I bought them on my first traveling assignment as a young architect, to management school at IBM in New York. I chose them as … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, drawing, graphite, journal, memory, painting, pen & ink, sketchbook, watercolor | Tagged art journal, Charles Eames, Daniel Smith watercolors, House of Cards, Koh-I-Noor Rapidograph pen, Platinum Preppy pen, Polar Brown Noodlers ink, QoR watercolors, Ray Eames, Stillman & Birn | 2 Comments

Back to Architecture: Chiesa di Ognissanti, Italy

Posted on December 3, 2014 by D. Katie Powell

Chiesa di Ognissanti, Florence, Italy. I wanted to draw something comforting last night, and pulled out images from Italy. This is comforting to me — portraits are NOT! This is the “doodle” I did to understand the building relationships. Understanding … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, art, drawing, painting, pen & ink, process, sketchbook, watercolor | Tagged architect, architecture, art journal, Chiesa di Ognissanti, Daniel Smith watercolors, Heart of Darkness, Italian churches, Matteo Nigetti, Noodlers ink, Platinum Preppy pen, Stillman & Birn, symmetry, Tombow pens | 4 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: 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 →