Category Archives: creativity

75 Day Challenge: Gads what day??? 41!

Posted on September 7, 2014 by D. Katie Powell

Brenda Swenson has a drawing challenge to draw every day for 75 days. We are supposed to use a black or blue pen, but I know I will not do that one. Still, I play along because challenges are fun … Continue reading →

Posted in art, art journal, Booby Gurl, class, color, creativity, drawing, india ink, journal, painting, pen & ink, process, sketchbook, tools, waterbrush, watercolor | Tagged art journal, Booby Gurl, drawing, sketchbook, sketching, waterbrush, watercolor | 5 Comments

Sending You Off to Cathy Johnson’s Blog

Posted on August 31, 2014 by D. Katie Powell

She is one of my favorite artists; her perspective is uniquely hers, and is a joy. Giving you a taste, then off you go — I don’t know how to reblog from blogspot. Nurturing creativity…or killing it Last time I … Continue reading →

Posted in creativity | Tagged Cathy Johnson | 3 Comments

75-Day Challenge: Days 14-21

Posted on August 21, 2014 by D. Katie Powell

Posted in art, art journal, Buddha, challenge, creativity, drawing, india ink, pen & ink, sketchbook | Tagged 75 day challenge, art journal, buddha, furniture, yoga | 2 Comments

The Secret of Drawing from the BBC: Videos

Posted on August 14, 2014 by D. Katie Powell

I am posting these as much for me as to share with you! Apparently this week I am becoming a vlog site! I have not had time to review but they looked so interesting . . . “This four part … Continue reading →

Posted in animation, art, creativity, drawing, graphite, pencil | 6 Comments

Finished a Sketchbook for the Month of July

Posted on July 30, 2014 by D. Katie Powell

Amazing how fast this sketchbook filled with me drawing every day. The more I drew the more I wanted to draw, and the habit begins. A lot of Buddha heads, due to drawing in the middle of the night! Looking … Continue reading →

Posted in art, art journal, challenge, creativity, drawing, journal, pen & ink, sketchbook | Tagged art journal, buddha, Pegasus, ritual | 6 Comments

Challenge: One Book, One Pen, One Month, #4

Posted on July 25, 2014 by D. Katie Powell

Last week, the end of this challenge. Oddly, I think I am the only one who did it! No matter; I am developing a drawing habit. Next I take the 75-day challenge from Brenda Swenson. *sigh* I know I will … Continue reading →

Posted in art, art journal, challenge, creativity, drawing, india ink, journal, memory, painting, process, sketchbook, watercolor, writing | Tagged art journal, buddha face, conch, scallop, shell | 27 Comments

Challenge: One Book, One Pen, One Month, #3

Posted on July 18, 2014 by D. Katie Powell

Okay, we are into the waning moon cycle and it is time to STOP the lies! I cannot work with one pen. . . Must.Use.All.Colors.AND.Medium.At.Whim. Wow, I feel better having come clean with all of you! Sketchbook Skool had us … Continue reading →

Posted in art, art journal, challenge, creativity, drawing, india ink, journal, memory, painting, process, sketchbook, watercolor | Tagged art journal, buddha face, Ganesha, Govinda Jai | 13 Comments

Gwenn Seemel’s Commentary on Copyright

Posted on July 16, 2014 by D. Katie Powell

Copyright is an important issue for artists. I cringe every time I hear art students speaking of how they want to post an image of an experiment where they copied an artist or photographer, but they know they can’t do … Continue reading →

Posted in copyleft, creativity, making a living | Tagged copyleft, Copyright, Creative Commons, Gwenn Seemel, protection | Leave a comment

Hit. The. Floor. Running.

Posted on July 12, 2014 by D. Katie Powell

Thank you to Sammy at bemuzin for this blog post! I am asked how I manage to be so productive. We have our business together and I am working 25-40 hours/week. And I have several blogs — see the side … Continue reading →

Posted in art, creativity, journal, making a living, process, writing | Tagged abundance, habits | 8 Comments

Students Teaching Students, 1st Month

Posted on June 29, 2014 by D. Katie Powell

I love to continually learn, going where the uncomfortable edge is; this led me to say yes when asked to join a small group of artist from around the world who were willing to try teaching each other and seeing … Continue reading →

Posted in art, class, color, creativity, drawing, painting, process, watercolor | Tagged composition | 5 Comments

Buddha Faces

Posted on June 16, 2014 by D. Katie Powell

This week I was off my game — drugs do not make for better art, and I hurt my hip. So for better or worse, I decided to draw and paint Buddha’s head. I have several statues, which makes it … Continue reading →

Posted in art, creativity, journal, painting, process, sketchbook, watercolor | Tagged buddha Laos, Buddha's face, Vietnamese Buddha | 9 Comments

Process: Painting With Artist’s Prompts

Posted on May 12, 2014 by D. Katie Powell

Today I played with artists from Community Thrive, painting their way. I didn’t like all that I did, but will show you the “failures” too. The thing about classes is two-fold, assuming you are pretty good at making art: I … Continue reading →

Posted in acrylic, art, challenge, class, color, creativity, painting, pencil, process, watercolor | Tagged birds, faces, horses | 3 Comments

Do Subject’s Matter?

Posted on May 10, 2014 by D. Katie Powell

Mitchell and I happened into an exhibit the other night and the subject matter stirred discussion between us. No, it was not some wildly controversial political statement or sexually explicit subject; the subject matter was Portland’s street scenes. The exhibit … Continue reading →

Posted in art, creativity, painting | Tagged models, pastels, Portland Oregon | Leave a comment

Tapestry: Timed Sketch

Posted on May 9, 2014 by D. Katie Powell

Gina Rossi’s sprout for the week was to paint from an embroidered piece this week. I had no embroidery in sight, though when I finished my timed sketch Mitchell reminded me of several wonderful fabric samples we have: oops. I … Continue reading →

Posted in challenge, creativity, journal, painting, sketchbook, timed painting, watercolor | Tagged tapestry | 4 Comments

Process: Mixing Chinese White Paints

Posted on May 7, 2014 by D. Katie Powell

“As an acrylic artist I almost never used white except under other colors to pop them. But as a water-colorist I have reached for white a few times, and I am using an old Sakura Chinese white right now until … Continue reading →

Posted in color, creativity, painting, process, watercolor | Tagged Chinese white, mixing, palette, play, watercolor | 3 Comments

Mug of Hope: Mix-it Monthly Challenge

Posted on May 3, 2014 by D. Katie Powell

Pia Rom’s prompt this month for her challenge grabbed me immediately, though the colors for this month are not me at all! We collect coffee mugs! Mitchell and I have names for them — Our Happy Mug (white roosters stamped … Continue reading →

Posted in art, challenge, creativity, drawing, india ink, journal, painting, shellac, sketchbook, writing | Tagged Blue Sky Pottery, coffee, cup, cuppa joe, Deb Babcock, journal, Mix-it Monthly, morning, poetry | 15 Comments

X is for Xanthophyll Yellow: A-to-Z Challenge

Posted on April 28, 2014 by D. Katie Powell

Xanthophyll is the yellow pigments that brings many of the images on this page together: it is responsible for the egg-yolk yellow color in leaf pigments. Their structure is similar to carotenes, as in beta-carotenes, found in carrots, and responsible … Continue reading →

Posted in color, creativity, painting | Tagged orange-yellow, yellow | 7 Comments

Process: Sunday Palms!

Posted on April 28, 2014 by D. Katie Powell

Working on mastering this medium enough that I can move away from realism and make art that moves me. Today I finally just moved away — playing with palm trees and deep color and texture. I experimented with watercolor graphite, … Continue reading →