Category Archives: pen & ink

Sketchpack Project: Week Two

Posted on August 13, 2015 by D. Katie Powell

ABOUT SKETCHPACK: The project began in 2011. The original idea was to get folks to draw daily. The Sketchpack is a small zigzag journal with two usable sides, allowing one to sketch on both sides of 15 ‘pages’ to complete … Continue reading →

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USk: Slabtown New Seasons Opening!

Posted on August 12, 2015 by D. Katie Powell

We are so happy to have New Seasons blocks from our studio! No more driving all around for groceries!  YAY! We went opening day before we opened the studio. Mostly they were setting up and greeting their new customers, and … Continue reading →

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Sketchpack Project: Week One

Posted on August 5, 2015 by D. Katie Powell

ABOUT SKETCHPACK: The project began in 2011. The original idea was to get folks to draw daily. The Sketchpack is a small zigzag journal with two usable sides, allowing one to sketch on both sides of 15 ‘pages’ to complete … Continue reading →

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VSW (Short for Virtual Sketch Walk): Amsterdam

Posted on August 4, 2015 by D. Katie Powell

A virtual sketch walk is one in which you never leave your chair.  The opposite of urban sketchers, which is all about sketching your environment from real life, as a virtual sketcher you are sketching from your own, another person’s … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, art journal, creativity, drawing, graphite, pen & ink, pencil, sketchbook, virtual sketching, watercolor | Tagged , , , , | 107 Comments

USk: St. Patrick’s Church in the Alphabet District of Portland

Posted on August 2, 2015 by D. Katie Powell

I love Saint Patrick’s Church in NW Portland. I drive by it all the time as it sits across from our bank. The Beaux-Arts church looks like it belongs in Italy, set into cobbled streets surrounded by a park and … Continue reading →

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Gratitude Journal: Discovering New Tools and My Old Nature

Posted on August 1, 2015 by D. Katie Powell

My fascination with pen and ink goes way beyond addiction to art supplies. Not that I can’t be pulled in that direction. I have used mostly acrylics for my 30 years painting as an adult. I loved them, and love … Continue reading →

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USk: Meriwether’s Restaurant NW Portland

Posted on July 26, 2015 by D. Katie Powell

Meriwether’s Restaurant looks like a nice house on a commercial street, but for the riot of bright yellow echinacea that bloom every summer in front of lavender and blue hydrangea.  Walking between the building and the flowers you might forget … Continue reading →

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Worldwide SketchCrawl USk: PSU Outdoor Market

Posted on July 25, 2015 by D. Katie Powell

Portland Urban Sketchers did not go on the World Wide Sketchcrawl today. After weeks of too hot weather this weather was perfect, a bit overcast, some sprinkles (Oregonians do not care about sprinkles) and cooler temps. I had work to … Continue reading →

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Gratitude Journal: Ink!

Posted on July 25, 2015 by D. Katie Powell

By chance I am keeping a gratitude journal — and the last two entries are about objects I LOVE — and this weekend the Cherished Blogfest 2015  is happening! So will share with that in mind. I cherish color!  I … Continue reading →

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Gratitude Journal: Music, Ice Cream, Pema Chodron & K.D. Lang

Posted on July 19, 2015 by D. Katie Powell

I missed Ani Pema Chodron’s talk with K.D.Lang due to the medical debacle. I kept praying that they would allow us to go back and see it. YAY!  Sound’s True reposted it! I sketched while listening to it.  I was … Continue reading →

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Favorite Waterproof Inks

Posted on July 16, 2015 by D. Katie Powell

My beloved brown inks.  How did I ever live without them.  I bought the De Artramentis Document (DeA Doc for short) Brown because I read that Lamy pens have problems with Noodler’s ink, but I prefer the darker Noodler’s Polar Brown … Continue reading →

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USk: Pyramid Juices + Schoolhouse Electric

Posted on July 15, 2015 by D. Katie Powell

Schoolhouse Electric is on Nicolai St. It’s been revitalized with a barista and a great home furnishing and lighting store. It was a hot day to sketch. Pyramid Juices was once made in Ashland Oregon before it was bought out … Continue reading →

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Gratitude Journal: Summer Bounty

Posted on July 14, 2015 by D. Katie Powell

Summer suddenly appeared after my medical hibernation! Being on drugs for months is like hibernating . . . the world goes on and you are unaware! When I “woke” it was summer and Portland was in that lovely state of … Continue reading →

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USk: MPF Conservation’s NW Neighborhood

Posted on July 13, 2015 by D. Katie Powell

I haven’t sketched outdoors much lately.  I wondered what I might make of our buildings. Our studio is in an industrial area in NW Portland. This is the approach from the freeway. We share space in the building with Portland … Continue reading →

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Gratitude Journal: One

Posted on July 12, 2015 by D. Katie Powell

Now that I have published the Healing Journal I can move on to happier things, or at least a different reality than the awfulness of the first quarter of this year! Mitchell brought me beautiful sunflowers, my favorite. The card … Continue reading →

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Challenges Saved My Sanity

Posted on June 29, 2015 by D. Katie Powell

During this medical debacle, challenges saved my sanity.  When you just can’t think of anything to draw and you are stuck looking at the same things day in and out, challenges can prompt giving you a drawing to do without … Continue reading →

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Jinhao: Inexpensive Pens

Posted on June 27, 2015 by D. Katie Powell

I wanted to like them, I really did. They are inexpensive, they are Japanese. I thought they might be like the Platinum Preppie pens, which are inexpensive, hold a good deal of ink, and will go for MILES without clogging … Continue reading →

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June Challenge, Week Two

Posted on June 16, 2015 by D. Katie Powell

I am in the home stretch of this frigging stupid stent and frankly, what has helped keep me sane is these crazy challenges on Facebook.   I am heavily drugged on pain killers and frankly, that does not make me creative.   … Continue reading →

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