Category Archives: flowers

California Poppies

Home, home, home… Cheery orange poppies used to cover the hills in Laguna Beach. I love them.  Maybe cuz I am a native California gurl Maybe cuz they are one of my favorite colors.  Handbook Journal watercolor square, De Atramentis … Continue reading

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Posies: Yellow Magnolia

This image of yellow magnolia blossoms ends the 8-inch square Handbook Journal! I like the Handbook Journals, I just love Hahnemühle Journals more.  I tried Handbook Journals when I needed to bump up an order for free shipping and I … Continue reading

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VSW: Sunflowers South of France

Direct watercolor. No lines, just wet paint. It is really so hard for me not to use lines! It isn’t that I don’t like my linework images — I do. But I also like what happens when I manage not … Continue reading

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VSW: Christmas Tree Montpellier

From the Virtual Sketchwalk group on Facebook, We walked Montpellier, France, and in one of the malls was this Christmas Tree many stories high. So festive and lively, I tried it two different ways. I don’t know what the gold … Continue reading

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VSW: French Country House

. Playing on our FaceBook group Virtual Sketchwalk, I loved this image — woudl want to live here in teh South of France! To hear about classes, follow me on Instagram, Facebook or check out my new, improved dkatiepowellart.com “Memory … Continue reading

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Posies: Cherry Blossoms

“I cannot go out tonight. Tonight everything scares me. Blossoming insanely are cherry treees and I don’t know how to blossom like that.” ~ Imants Ziedonis, Latvian Poet. Watercolor of cherry blossoms in a Handbook Journal. To hear about classes, … Continue reading

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VSW: Sheree’s Naners

This post is about taking a sketch to a finished watercolor, or an idea to a commissioned piece. Sheree, a friend from high school, posted a photo of her banana tree, above left. I was intrigued by the color, especially … Continue reading

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Taking Classes

I enjoy taking classes — the camaraderie, and also, even if I know a lot about the subject, I always learn something. This was a class by Pat Southern Pearce, called Paperbag Blossoms.  Pat often sketches on toned paper; that … Continue reading

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Sherre’s Posies

A high school friend has a lovely garden and one of her images caught me… I didn’t do it justice and might try again! I LOVE my sketch — and here is the secret, that I love line work. But … Continue reading

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30 Posies: Sunflowers Field

I may be a bit obsessed with sunflowers. This one is a much more typical Oregon field, with big green trees in the background… Oddly, however, I think I went back to my So Cal days and thought of the … Continue reading

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VSW: Eliska’s Posie

I stole a photo from a friend in Florida — Love this one Eliska! I collect great posies and keep them to sketch… ☾ To hear about classes, follow me on Instagram, Facebook or check out my new, improved dkatiepowellart.com … Continue reading

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Thinking, Thinking… One

My sketchbooks are not just for trying to turn out great sketches… Okay, some of that goes on…  I want a nice flip-through on a journal.  But also, experimentation that rarely gets seen by anyone but Mitchell because I may … Continue reading

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30 Posies: Nasturtiums

As kids, we called them Nasty-ursums and thought that hilarious. Kids are pretty goofy. Detail below.  Sometimes I like the sketch better without watercolor, and this is one of those times.   Full watercolor below. This 8×8 Hand Book Journal … Continue reading

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VSW: Direct Watercolor vs My old Style

These paintings are from the Shanghai walk in Virtual Sketchbook… I am showing them together because it show two different approaches to similar images. Above, how I start the two images tells where they are going. On the left, I … Continue reading

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30 Posies: Sunflowers with Barn

While I have been participating in Direct Watercolor, secretly… I have been drawing sunflowers… I have been inking sunflowers… This one and more… I love them, my very favorite flower! Of course, they are not just inked, but watercolors in … Continue reading

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30X30 Direct Watercolor, Week 4, The End

The month of June is when many watercolorists around the world participate in the 30×30 Direct Watercolor Challenge, created by Marc Homes and Uma Kelker. Rules are simple:  Each day post one watercolor, but no sketching, no inking, no pencil, … Continue reading

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30X30 Direct Watercolor, Week 3

The month of June is when many watercolorists around the world participate in the 30×30 Direct Watercolor Challenge, created by Marc Homes and Uma Kelker. Rules are simple:  Each day post one watercolor, but no sketching, no inking, no pencil, … Continue reading

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30 Posies: Flowering Quince

I discovered Flowering Quince when I moved to the Pacific Northwest, now it is a favorite flower/bush.  Below, stages as I worked it toward the finished product. ☾ To hear about classes, follow me on Instagram, Facebook or check out … Continue reading

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