Category Archives: meditation

Hahnemühle Post Cards, 16, Jazper Stardust Hearts

Posted on February 20, 2018 by D. Katie Powell

It is such fun to try handmade paints… I ordered just a couple of colors from JazperStar and PfeifferArt. I played with two colors on Hahnemühle post cards… Jazper’s Cortillion is the star, oozing with color! (BTW, if he doesn’t … Continue reading →

Posted in art, cards, color, ink painting, meditation, pen & ink, watercolor | Tagged #Hahnemühle, #HahnemühlePostCards, #handmadepaints, #handmadewatercolors, #jazperstardust, #perfectred, #pfeifferart, #star, #texasstar, #valentines, Hahnemühle Post Cards, Hahnemühle Postcards, heart, hearts, lovers | 3 Comments

Lojong: 29 Put No Mind Before Your Own

Posted on February 15, 2018 by D. Katie Powell

I’ve studied through the slogans a dozen times in my life; these are my musings on the slogan currently, not a formal interpretation. For that reason they are less about straight Buddhist teachings, and I think able to be shared … Continue reading →

Posted in art, Buddha, journal, lojong, meditation, pen & ink, ritual, tonglen, watercolor | Tagged #egoclinging, #weepingbuddha, buddha, buddha ball, lojong, Maezumi Roshi, Neocolor II, Okina Journals, pen and ink, tonglen, watercolor, weeping buddha, Zen Buddha | Leave a comment

Hahnemühle Post Cards, 14, Hearts for Valentines

Posted on February 11, 2018 by D. Katie Powell

Lover’s Day is coming…. I’m practicing my hearts… I find my ideas evolve if I just play, and I loosen up as I play! These are all on Hahnemühle post cards… I started the way all my doodles start… The … Continue reading →

Posted in art, cards, ink painting, meditation, pen & ink, watercolor | Tagged #Hahnemühle, #HahnemühlePostCards, #valentines, Hahnemühle Post Cards, Hahnemühle Postcards, heart, hearts, lovers | 2 Comments

Lojong: All Dharma Agree

Posted on February 8, 2018 by D. Katie Powell

Posted in art, Buddha, journal, lojong, meditation, pen & ink, ritual, tonglen, watercolor | Tagged #egoclinging, #weepingbuddha, buddha, buddha ball, lojong, Neocolor II, Okina Journals, pen and ink, tonglen, watercolor, weeping buddha, Zen Buddha | 4 Comments

Lojong: How to Live and Die

Posted on February 1, 2018 by D. Katie Powell

For most of you these postings will be a departure from my normal artful posts, but for some who follow zenkatwrites, they will be familiar. This is an unfinished lojong (Buddhist) journal I was in the middle of when work … Continue reading →

Posted in art, Buddha, journal, lojong, meditation, pen & ink, ritual, tonglen, watercolor | Tagged buddha, buddha ball, death, lojong, Neocolor II, Okina Journals, pen and ink, tonglen, watercolor, weeping buddha, Zen Buddha | 4 Comments

Thai Buddha

Posted on January 28, 2018 by D. Katie Powell

Like my Quan Yin posted previously, recently I’ve been adorning my Thai Buddha with my gaspeite and Hill Tribe OM necklace. I’m not sure why I do this… It isn’t necklace storage. I like the play of the green on … Continue reading →

Posted in art journal, drawing, journal, meditation, painting, pen & ink, process, ritual, sketchbook, watercolor, writing | Tagged #earthtouchingbuddha, #gaspeite, #Hahnemühle, #Lamy, #middleofthenight, #nostalgiejournal, #shakyamuni, #shakyamunibuddha, #thaibuddha, art journal, aum, buddha, Daniel Smith watercolors, De Atramentis Document ink, Lamy Al-Star, Lexington Grey Noodlers ink, moon, Nostalgie Sketch Book Journal, om, Platinum Carbon pen, Primatek, Sennelier, sun, watercolor | 4 Comments

Quan Yin and Mimi’s Clock Pins

Posted on January 26, 2018 by D. Katie Powell

My grandmother left me an odd stash of ten little clock pins with mother-of-pearl faces. I don’t know why she had ten. I don’t know why she had them at all as they don’t look like something she would’ve worn. … Continue reading →

Posted in art journal, journal, lojong, meditation, memory, painting, pen & ink, ritual, sketchbook, watercolor | Tagged #Hahnemühle, #Lamy, #middleofthenight, #nostalgiejournal, #QuanYin, #WATWB, #wearetheworld, art journal, buddha, clock, Daniel Smith watercolors, De Atramentis Document ink, grandmother, jewelry, Lamy Joy, Nostalgie Sketch Book Journal, Platinum Carbon pen, Primatek, Quan Yin, ritual, stopwatch, watercolor | 5 Comments

WATWB: Longreads Candace Rardon

Posted on August 24, 2017 by D. Katie Powell

A celebration of creativity to lift us. One thing that I think soothes the soul is taking the time to drop into something wonderful and say “ah!” We are all searching for “home”. It is not 500 words (oops) but … Continue reading →

Posted in art, meditation, memory, writing | Tagged #WATWB, blogfest, home, In Darkness Be Light, Longreads, We are the World | 19 Comments

Thankful for Cooling Rains and more

Posted on August 22, 2017 by D. Katie Powell

Tibetan Windhorse Flags from my donations to Save Tibet organized my gratitude entries this week… nice to be back in my hand-sized journal…. Cooling Rains. I’ve always been a fan of rain, and the heat wave breaking with cool rains … Continue reading →

Posted in art journal, journal, meditation, memory, sketchbook, urban sketchers, watercolor, writing | Tagged #5buddhafamilies #tibetanflags Save Tibet, #artjournal, art journal, Daniel Smith watercolors, De Atramentis Document ink, gratitude, Holbein, Lamy Al-Star, Las Primas, Lexington Grey Noodlers ink, Nostalgie Sketch Book Journal, Pilot Metropolitan Fountain Pen, Platinum Carbon pen, Primatek, PSU, PSU Outdoor Market, Robert Oster ink, Sennelier, Super5 ink, Urban Sketchers Portland, USk, watercolor | 4 Comments

The Grace of Ritual

Posted on August 14, 2017 by D. Katie Powell

My gratitude was easier even though it was a tough week. Politics is effecting me, making me so sad. While we try to live in the present, we also look to the future, as Chagdud Rinpoche once said, “with a … Continue reading →

Posted in art journal, journal, meditation, memory, sketchbook, writing | Tagged #artjournal, art journal, burger, Daniel Smith watercolors, De Atramentis Document ink, eclipse, food, gratitude, Holbein, kittens, Lamy Al-Star, Lexington Grey Noodlers ink, lunar, Nostalgie Sketch Book Journal, Pilot Metropolitan Fountain Pen, Platinum Carbon pen, Primatek, ritual, Robert Oster ink, Sam, Savitri, Sennelier, Super5 ink, watercolor, Yamantaka | 3 Comments

Art Journal of a High and Low Week

Posted on August 5, 2017 by D. Katie Powell

This was a week of highs and extreme lows. I am glad I started the journaling again last week because sanity prevailed, if for no other reason than I had a page to write in instead of laying it all … Continue reading →

Posted in art journal, journal, meditation, memory, sketchbook, writing | Tagged #artjournal, #memorycatcher, art journal, Daniel Smith watercolors, De Atramentis Document ink, gratitude, Holbein, Lamy Al-Star, Lexington Grey Noodlers ink, Nostalgie Sketch Book Journal, Pilot Metropolitan Fountain Pen, Platinum Carbon pen, Primatek, PSU, PSU Outdoor Market, Robert Oster ink, Sennelier, Super5 ink, watercolor | 12 Comments

#WATWB: the Afghan Women’s Writing Project

Posted on April 28, 2017 by D. Katie Powell

For National Poetry Month, I decided to give a call out to this enlightening post for We Are The World blogfest! Hurry: A poem from the Afghan Women’s Writing Project We have such a short time to do this good … Continue reading →

Posted in challenge, commentary, journal, meditation, memory, writing | Tagged #WATWB, Afghan Women's Writing Project, blogfest, In Darkness Be Light, We are the World | 13 Comments

Feminine

Posted on April 7, 2017 by D. Katie Powell

A prayer for the Feminine, above, from ancient symbols. It is easy to point fingers at the other guys, especially when their hatred fills the airwaves. My encounter yesterday with a female peace activist out of the box immediately, screaming … Continue reading →

Posted in art journal, gods and goddesses, meditation, watercolor | Tagged Daniel Smith watercolors, feminine, Pentalic Aqua Journal, prayer, Sennelier, watercolor | 2 Comments

WATWB: Roy DeLeon

Posted on March 31, 2017 by D. Katie Powell

Roy DeLeon‘s stories are simple and mesmerizing, like a zen poem. Simple truth, compassion, reflection. His sketches are delightful. They bring a smile to my face, even when they are dealing with sorrow, because there is a message of compassion. … Continue reading →

Posted in art journal, commentary, journal, meditation, memory, writing | Tagged #WATWB, blogfest, compassion, In Darkness Be Light, open heart, Roy DeLeon, tonglen, We are the World | 29 Comments

Announcing We Are The World Blogfest!

Posted on March 8, 2017 by D. Katie Powell

Will you speak for peace? Social media and news in recent times has been filled with hate and negativity. Just as you cannot fight darkness, only light lamps, hate and negativity cannot be fought. We will bring love and happiness … Continue reading →

Posted in art journal, challenge, commentary, journal, meditation, memory, writing | Tagged #WATWB, blogfest, In Darkness Be Light, We are the World | 27 Comments

Tools: Time to Dream

Posted on January 29, 2017 by D. Katie Powell

New Moon, a day of silence. Sundays I talk about tools, and the biggest tool is our own bodies and hearts and minds. (Why do I think this is so dang funny — oh wait — the English call people … Continue reading →

Posted in art journal, creativity, drawing, journal, lunar cycle, meditation, pen & ink, process, ritual, sketchbook, writing | Tagged #365sketch2017, doodle, Hahnemühle journal, lunar cycle, new moon, Nostalgie by Hahnemühle, palms, tea bag | 2 Comments

Endings and Beginnings

Posted on December 29, 2016 by D. Katie Powell

I started my new Nostalgie Sketch book. It is named Endings and Beginnings. I don’t usually name my sketchbooks but this one cried out to me. I started it during the dark of the moon. We just were making the … Continue reading →

Posted in art journal, Buddha, creativity, ink painting, journal, meditation, memory, pen & ink, process, sketchbook, watercolor | Tagged art journal, dark of the moon, De Atramentis Document ink, Lamy Joy, Lexington Grey Noodlers ink, new moon, Nostalgie Sketch Book Journal, Pentalic HB woodless pencil, Pilot Metropolitan Fountain Pen, Platinum Carbon pen, resolutions, Super5 ink, trishnajewelry | 12 Comments

Motherwell, Must Read

Posted on November 15, 2016 by D. Katie Powell

Two years ago, for the first time, I steeped myself in learning technique as a shortcut
with watercolor. My editor soon became in charge of my paintbrush.

When I first wanted to paint, over breakfast at the West Beach Cafe I asked
Billy Al Bengston whether I should go back to school for a MFA. He said, “Do you want to paint or teach?” and advised me to take the money I’d spend on college and take the
time off and buy cheap paint and canvas and go to it. I took his advice at 29.

Now at 60 it is time to unlearn and go back to my own screwy sense of whatever I want to play with and not think about being technically correct. It took me two years to undo what technical drawing did to me as a artist. Let’s hope this time I remember the path. Continue reading →