Category Archives: architecture

USk: Cherry Blossoms

Posted on March 25, 2018 by D. Katie Powell

Every year I am too busy OR the rains hit so fast that the blossoms drop. This year I caught them! I was out doing some disgusting errands with Mitchell *IRS, SSI, government, ugh* when we came upon the riverfront … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, art journal, drawing, journal, landscape, memory, painting, pen & ink, process, sketchbook, watercolor | Tagged #cherryblossoms, #Hahnemühle, #Lamy, #middleofthenight, #nostalgiejournal, #riverfront, #urbansketcher, #urbansketchingportland, #uskportland, art journal, cherry blossoms, Daniel Smith watercolors, De Atramentis Document ink, Holbein, Lamy Joy, Nostalgie Sketch Book Journal, Platinum Carbon pen, Primatek, spring., USk, watercolor, Willamette | 2 Comments

VSW: Witch’s House or Spadena House, Los Angeles

Posted on March 5, 2018 by D. Katie Powell

I used to drive by the Witch’s House in West Los Angeles, or Spadena House, and wish they’d take care of it. Nice that finally someone has… And you can see inside at what he’s done with it! I used … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, art journal, challenge, ink painting, pen & ink, process, sketchbook, virtual sketching | Tagged #artjournal, #deatramentisink, #diamineink, #laarchitecture, #Lamy, #penandink, #robertosterink, #spadenahouse, #witcheshouse, architecture, sketchbook, virtual sketchwalk | 2 Comments

VSW: Anacapa Lighthouse, California

Posted on March 1, 2018 by D. Katie Powell

I grew up bewitched by the islands I watched the sun set into from home. I read and reread Island of the Blue Dolphins in grade school. I never remember seeing a lighthouse! I struggled with this image; I am … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, art journal, challenge, pen & ink, process, sketchbook, virtual sketching, watercolor | Tagged #artjournal, #lighthouse, #nautical, Anacapa, architecture, art journal, California, Da Vinci Watercolors, Daniel Smith watercolors, Holbein, Lexington Grey Noodlers ink, M.Graham, Platinum Carbon pen, Primatek, Sennelier, sketchbook, Stillman & Birn, Super5 ink, virtual sketchwalk, watercolor | 4 Comments

VSW: Dry Tortugas Lighthouse, Florida

Posted on February 21, 2018 by D. Katie Powell

I fell in love with this image from Wikipedia a year ago… it lead to this month of lighthouses we are sketching as a group. No pencil this time, went in fast and was done within a half hour watercolor … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, art journal, challenge, ink painting, pen & ink, process, sketchbook, virtual sketching, watercolor | Tagged #artjournal, #floridalighthouses, #lighthouse, #nautical, architecture, Daniel Smith watercolors, Holbein, Lexington Grey Noodlers ink, M.Graham, Platinum Carbon pen, Primatek, Sennelier, sketchbook, Stillman & Birn, Super5 ink, virtual sketchwalk, watercolor | Leave a comment

VSW: Tacking Point Lighthouse, Australia

Posted on February 19, 2018 by D. Katie Powell

I almost always use a light watercolor pencil to give me guidelines before I ink! I cannot imagine why anyone would tell anyone NOT to do so unless you only have a couple of minutes to get an image down… … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, art journal, challenge, ink painting, pen & ink, process, sketchbook, virtual sketching, watercolor | Tagged #artjournal, #austrailianlighthouses, #lighthouse, #nautical, #tackingpoint, architecture, art journal, Daniel Smith watercolors, Holbein, Lexington Grey Noodlers ink, M.Graham, Platinum Carbon pen, Primatek, Sennelier, sketchbook, Stillman & Birn, Super5 ink, virtual sketchwalk, watercolor | Leave a comment

VSW: Gardens by the Bay Singapore

Posted on December 16, 2017 by D. Katie Powell

December we had two choices in the Virtual Sketchwalk group *though this group goes rogue regularly 🙂 but the rules of the group are “as long as it is drawn from a photograph”* and one of them were the Gardens … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, art journal, challenge, pen & ink, virtual sketching, watercolor | Tagged #danielsmithwatercolors, #davinciwatercolors, #ferriswheel, #GardensbytheBay, #PilotMetropolitan, architecture, art journal, Da Vinci Watercolors, Daniel Smith watercolors, De Atramentis Document ink, Holbein, Lexington Grey Noodlers ink, Pilot Metropolitan Fountain Pen, Platinum Preppy pen, Sennelier, Singapore, Super5 ink, virtual sketchwalk, watercolor | 2 Comments

USk: City Market and Blue Moon Cafe

Posted on December 1, 2017 by D. Katie Powell

I was just getting sick the weekend of the USk worldwide walk. I managed a couple of sketches that were not painted until later — I’ve wanted to paint the marigold City Market in Autumn against fiery trees… now that … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, art journal, drawing, journal, process, sketchcrawl, urban sketchers, watercolor | Tagged #alphabetdistrict, #bluemoon, #bluemooncafe, #citymarket, #urbansketcher, #urbansketching, Alphabet District, architecture, art journal, Art Nouveau, Daniel Smith watercolors, De Atramentis Document ink, Hahnemühle Watercolour Book, Lamy Al-Star, Moleskin Watercolor journal, Platinum Carbon pen, Sennelier, Thursday Doors, urban sketchers, USk, watercolor | 14 Comments

VSW: Genius of Connecticut

Posted on November 29, 2017 by D. Katie Powell

She is called the “Genius of Connecticut” located in the Connecticut State Capitol Building. Keeping with quick studies, I used DeAtramentis Document Brown for line. I began a slow buildup of DEA Doc Brown ink (brunaille) in a waterbrush to … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, art journal, challenge, pen & ink, virtual sketching | Tagged #geniusstatue, architecture, art journal, Daniel Smith watercolors, De Atramentis Document ink, Hartford, Holbein, Lamy Joy, Lexington Grey Noodlers ink, Platinum Carbon pen, Platinum Preppy pen, Primatek, Sennelier, Super5 ink, virtual sketchwalk, watercolor | 4 Comments

VSW: Hartford, Connecticut

Posted on November 27, 2017 by D. Katie Powell

Sketchwalk is in Hartford Connecticut this month. For one thing, let me tell you that this dyslexic has a hard time remembering the order of the letters in Conn-ect-i-cut. I have the dang word hand-written to the side all over … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, art journal, challenge, pen & ink, virtual sketching, watercolor | Tagged #Connecticut, architecture, art journal, Daniel Smith watercolors, De Atramentis Document ink, Hartford, Holbein, Lamy LX, Lexington Grey Noodlers ink, Platinum Preppy pen, Sennelier, Super5 ink, virtual sketchwalk, watercolor | 2 Comments

USk World-wide Sketchout: Autumn at the Studio

Posted on November 12, 2017 by D. Katie Powell

Yesterday was a worldwide USk sketchout, and I am swamped. But the trees outside the studio had not lost their leaves YET (starting) so into freezing car and parked down the block and looked up at the studio. My finish … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, art journal, challenge, landscape, sketchbook, sketchcrawl, urban sketchers, watercolor | Tagged #danielsmithwatercolors, #davinciwatercolors, #nwindustrialsanctuary, #nwportland, #urbansketching, #USkGlobal24hrSketchwalk, art journal, Daniel Smith watercolors, De Atramentis Document ink, Holbein, Jinhao, Portland Oregon, Portland Urban Sketchers, Primatek, urban sketcher, urban sketchers, Urban Sketchers Portland, USk, watercolor | 10 Comments

Hahnemühle Post Cards: Saying Thank You

Posted on November 3, 2017 by D. Katie Powell

I’ve thanked blogging friends before for offering their amazing images for the Virtual Sketchwalk group to draw… but now I have little postcards with which to thank them. Dan Antion‘s Dunkin’ Donut! To hear about classes, follow me on Facebook … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, cards, drawing, ink painting, pen & ink, virtual sketching, watercolor | Tagged #dunkindonuts, #HahnemühlePostCards, #thankyou, #virtualsketchwalk, Daniel Smith watercolors, Hahnemühle Post Cards, Hartford, Holbein, Lexington Grey Noodlers ink, Platinum Carbon pen, Super5 ink, virtual sketchwalk, watercolor | 11 Comments

Inktober, 18 Berkey & Gay Chair

Posted on October 18, 2017 by D. Katie Powell

This is a detail from a Berkey & Gay chair, once part of the historic Hahn House. My challenge was to paint the chair detail in ink only — for Inktober — and I did, using two of my favorites, … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, art journal, challenge, pen & ink, virtual sketching | Tagged #deatramentisink, #diamineink, #inktober, #inktober2017, #mpfconservation, #portlandhistory, art journal, Berkey & Gay, De Atramentis Tobacco ink, Diamine Ancient Copper Ink, Fabriano Watercolor journal, Hahn House, Lamy Al-Star, Primatek, virtual sketchwalk, watercolor | 4 Comments

VSW: Barcelona, 5, Casa Batllo

Posted on August 18, 2017 by D. Katie Powell

Finishing off the two-page layout for our Gaudi walk, I tackled the fireplace I desire! I keep seeing this sweet heart-shaped chair breaking into song and dance in Angela Lansbury’s voice!. The final layouts finished by the collage of four … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, art journal, challenge, ink painting, pen & ink, process, virtual sketching, watercolor | Tagged Antonio Gaudi, architecture, art journal, Barcelona, Casa Batllo, Casa Mila, Daniel Smith watercolors, De Atramentis Document ink, Fabriano Watercolor journal, heart chair, Holbein, Lamy Al-Star, Lexington Grey Noodlers ink, maps, Palace Guell, Pilot Metropolitan Fountain Pen, Platinum Carbon pen, Platinum Preppy pen, Primatek, Sennelier, Super5 ink, virtual sketchwalk, watercolor, White Uniball Signo | 12 Comments

VSW: Barcelona, 4, Palace Guell

Posted on August 16, 2017 by D. Katie Powell

For the Foyer, I squinted to imagine what might be seen in a small sketch. I went in with grisaille in Lexington Grey to suggest the tones; later I painted the color of the marble with Super5 Frankfurt warm grey … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, art journal, challenge, ink painting, pen & ink, process, virtual sketching, watercolor | Tagged Antonio Gaudi, architecture, art journal, Barcelona, Daniel Smith watercolors, De Atramentis Document ink, Fabriano Watercolor journal, Holbein, Lamy Al-Star, Lexington Grey Noodlers ink, M.Graham, maps, Pilot Metropolitan Fountain Pen, Platinum Carbon pen, Platinum Preppy pen, Primatek, Sennelier, Super5 ink, virtual sketchwalk, watercolor, White Uniball Signo | Leave a comment

Sketches toward the commission

Posted on August 11, 2017 by D. Katie Powell

I work a couple of sketches similar to the commissioned pieces. trying strokes for leaves, sky variations, whatever I need to play with! The two small studies of bungalows in NW Portland (below) turned out okay for test subjects!! They … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, art, commission, making a living, pen & ink, virtual sketching, watercolor | Tagged architecture, art for sale, bungalow, Emerson Street, Holbein, house, Killingsworth Steet, Lexington Grey Noodlers ink, NE Portland, Platinum Carbon pen, Portland Oregon, Sennelier, Super5 ink, virtual sketching, watercolor | Leave a comment

Walnut Park, Portland, Oregon Commission

Posted on August 10, 2017 by D. Katie Powell

A commission to create a painting from photographs for an intern leaving for the next leg of her journey landed on my desk. I typically work on several images at the same time; it relieves the pressure in case one … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, art, commission, making a living, painting, pen & ink, process, virtual sketching, watercolor | Tagged #bungalows, #Portlandoregon, #streetscene, architecture, commission, Daniel Smith watercolors, grisaille, Lexington Grey Noodlers ink, Noodlers ink, Platinum Carbon pen, Portland Oregon, Primatek, Sennelier, Super5 ink, watercolor | 15 Comments

VSW: Barcelona, 3, Palace Guell

Posted on August 8, 2017 by D. Katie Powell

The rooftop chimney skins in the Palace Guell are so beautiful — like sculpture gardens. When the families lived in this palace, I wonder how often they used the rooftop sculpture garden and for what — did they have lunch … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, art journal, challenge, ink painting, pen & ink, process, virtual sketching, watercolor | Tagged Antonio Gaudi, architecture, art journal, Barcelona, Daniel Smith watercolors, De Atramentis Document ink, Fabriano Watercolor journal, Holbein, Lamy Al-Star, Lexington Grey Noodlers ink, M.Graham, maps, mosaic, Pilot Metropolitan Fountain Pen, Platinum Carbon pen, Platinum Preppy pen, Primatek, Sennelier, Super5 ink, virtual sketchwalk, watercolor, White Uniball Signo | Leave a comment

VSW: Barcelona, 2, Map

Posted on August 7, 2017 by D. Katie Powell

Made a map of our walk, starting at the World Trade center at the wharf. Heading up to the Palace Guell, Casa Batllo, and the Casa Mila! To hear about classes, follow me on Facebook or check out my new … Continue reading →