Category Archives: watercolor

P is for Pastels: A-to-Z-Challenge

Posted on April 18, 2014 by D. Katie Powell

I’ve never liked pastels, and for some reason, when people used to give me art supplies, they always gave me pastels. Because I was a glitzy Southern Californian beach gurl, they gave me shimmery pastels! I find them clumsy, thick, … Continue reading →

Posted in pastel, process, sketchbook, watercolor | Tagged iridescent, play, Sennelier | 9 Comments

In the Garden: Memory

Posted on April 13, 2014 by D. Katie Powell

(I can see the difference in my second nasturtium, much looser. . . and I like this background.) I was feeling blue. I was also so disappointed because Daniel Smith did not get my paints to me for our time … Continue reading →

Posted in art, color, drawing, journal, memory, painting, watercolor | Tagged art journal, frogs, garden, husband, journal, nasturtiums | 2 Comments

K is for Kyanite: A-to-Z Challenge

Posted on April 12, 2014 by D. Katie Powell

Kyanite is on my must-have list; it is from the line of raw looking gemstone watercolors from Daniel Smith. It is a naturally sparkling not-quite lavender blue grey, yummy, and it is winging its way to me to day! Soon … Continue reading →

Posted in color, watercolor | Tagged blue, Daniel Smith watercolors, jewelry, kyanite, lavendar, Primatek, trishnajewelry | 1 Comment

J is for Art Journal: A-to-Z Challenge

Posted on April 11, 2014 by D. Katie Powell

I had to make a change. Running and working in our business means I don’t have the time to set up for painting at an easel and painting with acrylics, which in my case means canvases and 4 oz tubs … Continue reading →

Posted in art, creativity, drawing, journal, painting, sketchbook, watercolor | Tagged art journal, journal | 12 Comments

I is for Indanthrone: A-to-Z Challenge

Posted on April 10, 2014 by D. Katie Powell

I love new paint. Daniel Smith’s Indanthrone Blue is a new color to my palette. In past, I have loved Prussian, or Indigo, or Cobalt blue — But this may make me move away from The first two. It has … Continue reading →

Posted in color, watercolor | Tagged anthraquinone blue, Daniel Smith watercolors, indanthrone blue | 2 Comments

H is for Hematite: A-to-Z Challenge

Posted on April 9, 2014 by D. Katie Powell

I had long used Golden Acrylic’s Micaceous Iron Oxide, part of their Iridescent colors, straight out of the tub or in glazes, shown above. It is this delicious heavy shimmering charcoal in a pot. In Horse with Red Ball, above, … Continue reading →

Posted in acrylic, color, painting, watercolor | Tagged Daniel Smith watercolors, Golden Acrylic Paints, hematite, horse, Micaceous Iron Oxide, Primatek, red ball | 5 Comments

G is for Granulating: A-to-Z Challenge

Posted on April 8, 2014 by D. Katie Powell

I had no idea what granulating paint was until I began using watercolors. And you have to know or you get wonky things happening that you didn’t want, like the funny paint around Frank’s nose, below. Notice how most of … Continue reading →

Posted in acrylic, color, oil paint, painting, watercolor | Tagged granulating, ground paints | 3 Comments

E is for Environmentally Friendly: A-to-Z Challenge

Posted on April 5, 2014 by D. Katie Powell

I’m talking toxicity versus environmentally friendly and how to read labels. Above are three labels: Golden’s “AP Nontoxic”, Gamblin’s information label stated clearly, and an older tube of Cotman Cadmiun Red that shows a Health Label requiring no labeling (again, … Continue reading →

Posted in acrylic, oil paint, pastel, pencil, shellac, watercolor | Tagged Daniel Smith watercolors, Faber-Castel; Pitt pens, Gamblin, Golden Acrylic Paints, health labels, material safety data sheets, MSDS, toxicity | 5 Comments

D is for Drawing Pens: A-to-Z Challenge

Posted on April 4, 2014 by D. Katie Powell

My favorite drawing pens are Faber Castell Pitt Artist Pens, shown right as the top three pens with their caps off. I love them because they are wonderfully waterproofed India ink, and work best of all the pens on shellacked … Continue reading →

Posted in art, creativity, drawing, journal, painting, process, shellac, sketchbook, watercolor | Tagged Cocoiro pens, drawing pens, painting with pens, Pitt pens, Tombow pens | 19 Comments

B is for Brush Pens! A-to-A Challenge

Posted on April 2, 2014 by D. Katie Powell

I am just learning to use brush pens, as I move to smaller formats and water colors to work my artistic ways. Brush pens are these super devices where the water is carried in tube which attaches to the watercolor … Continue reading →

Posted in art, creativity, journal, painting, process, sketchbook, watercolor | Tagged brush pens, Neocolor II, watercolor pencils | 5 Comments

Working With Watercolors in My Journal: Paint Party Friday

Posted on March 28, 2014 by D. Katie Powell

I know that the best way to get over fear-of-watercolor-mistakes is to make a lot of them. So I finally dove into my journals, coloring sketches and moving graphite with water. the sketch above was partly made on-site; then colored … Continue reading →

Posted in art, creativity, drawing, graphite, journal, painting, sketchbook, watercolor | Tagged Blacksmith, Cherry Grove Forge, Jamison Square, Portland Oregon | 9 Comments

Process: Struggling with Watercolors

Posted on March 24, 2014 by D. Katie Powell

I was able to carve out a day to play with my new watercolors from Daniel Smith. Having good watercolors makes a huge difference in my finished product, the viability and brilliance of the colors and the way they lay … Continue reading →

Posted in art, color, sketchbook, watercolor | Tagged California missions, Daniel Smith watercolors, San Gabriel Mission | 6 Comments

Garuda Sketch: Paint Party Friday

Posted on March 21, 2014 by D. Katie Powell

Paint Party Friday’s post this week is about Mitchell’s Garuda statue. Mitchell went to a friend’s home and they were drumming. The drumming was meant to further visions, for which Mitchell had no experience. He achieved a trance-like state, closed … Continue reading →

Posted in art, drawing, painting, sketchbook, watercolor | Tagged bronze statue, buddha, buddhist, Garuda, hindu, nepal, paint party friday, vedic | 7 Comments

Weeping Buddha, or as I like to think of him, Compassionate Buddha

Posted on March 2, 2014 by D. Katie Powell

The Buddha statue made by young monks in Indonesia and Vietnam touched me when I first saw one at a retreat, and has been on my altar ever since. He is now known popularly as “weeping Buddha,’ but I … Continue reading →

Posted in art, drawing, journal, painting, series, sketchbook, watercolor | Tagged architectural elements, carved buddha, earth, Vietnamese Buddha, weeping buddha, Zen Buddha | 4 Comments

#29faces: The Worst Cold in History and I Painted Buddha

Posted on February 27, 2014 by D. Katie Powell

I’ve had the worst cold in history. This cold virus should be packaged as a weapon. After the first two days, going stark mad with boredom but having trouble standing due to dizziness, I finally got my wits about me … Continue reading →

Posted in art, drawing, journal, painting, process, sketchbook, watercolor | Tagged art, Buddha's face, buddhist, Guatama Buddha, head cold, Neocolor II, Tibetan, watercolor crayons, zen | 3 Comments

My Foray Into Keeping a Watercolor Journal

Posted on February 19, 2014 by D. Katie Powell

I have not used watercolors in 25 years — and when I did, it was in a graphic manner or as an undercoat for colored pencils. But I want to paint more, and need to work my painting into … Continue reading →

Posted in art, drawing, journal, painting, process, sketchbook, watercolor | Tagged buddha, buddhist, fear, Guatama Buddha, Ommani Center, perfection, Tibetan, zen | 6 Comments

Valentine’s Day Hearts!

Posted on February 14, 2014 by D. Katie Powell

Playing with shellac and watercolors and Pitt pens on bits and pieces of leftover kozo/gampi paper from the NPS project, I made a slew of hearts for Mitchell and covered his ‘puter with them. I love the thick Japanese paper, … Continue reading →