Rona on Grey, Lewisia

Lewisia from an image by Cynthia…

Ink-painting with Robert Oster inks:
Sushi and Green Lime and Glistening Orange Rumble!
Flower named after Lewis, of Lewis and Clark…

I love new ink days!

No No No NO!!

To hear about classes, follow me on Instagram, Facebook
or check out my new, improved dkatiepowellart.com

Posted in art journal, creativity, drawing, journal, loss, memory, painting, pen & ink, process, ritual, sketchbook, watercolor, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

VSW: Singapore Buddha


Virtual Sketchwalk image of Singapore Buddha
provided by Jill Bartos: THANK YOU!

I thought he might stay an inky sketch…


NOPE!
I had to add color… I love color!

Posted in art journal, creativity, drawing, journal, painting, sketchbook, watercolor, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

SoCS: Take A Dose

I  journal mornings with stream of consciousness exercises,
and participate in Linda Hill’s Stream of Consciousness Saturday  whenever I have time.  I write to a timer, 15-20 minutes, no editing except spelling, and of course I add my art!  You can join us!

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “directions.” Find a household cleaner/bottle of shampoo/something in the freezer/anything you can find with instructions on it, then copy down a single direction (just one) on how to use/cook/etc. your chosen thing, and make it the first line or word of your post. Then keep writing whatever comes out. Have fun!

“Drink a full glass of water with each dose….”

i am blue i am depressed i feel hopeless
i can’t imagine that this is the country i grew up in but perhaps it always was
and this is just the underbelly exposing itself,
this horrid orange turd who is killing people
not that i think he is responsible for this virus but that he acted stupidly
stupid man and now he is prescribing harmful things to the masses as if he knows
but the thing that is completely undermining and disheartening is
THE NUMBER OF AMERICANS WHO SUPPORT HIM AFTER THIS…

seriously, don’t get that, i didn’t know we had so many many stupid people
in this country but it seems we do and for that we are all going to pay…
you wanna take meth it doesn’t effect me…
you wanna blow your own brains out it doesn’t effect me…
whatever your thing is that you are for or against,
not following science is going to kill us all painfully in two huge areas now,
global warming and this fucking pandemic.

we need smart leaders, but can’t have them if we have stupid voters and stupid newscasters and stupid all around us…

and the gop is totally at fault, anyo0ne who still supports their
turd-brained president is at fault, and that is that…
If you think this is political it is not…
it is totally pro-life in the largest sense of the word.

so as i was reading linda’s directions and reaching for an aspirin i thought of the many people who might be reaching for bleach or disinfectant or…

For the rules, go to Linda’s blog;  feel free to join the fun!

Posted in art journal, creativity, journal, pen & ink, sketchbook, writing | Tagged , , , , , | 6 Comments

Rona on Grey, Mixer

Love my fire engine red mixer!

Ink painting with Pelikan Black ink and
Robert Oster Fire Engine Red ink
and Noodler’s Lexington Grey Ink.

To hear about classes, follow me on Instagram, Facebook
or check out my new, improved dkatiepowellart.com

Posted in art journal, creativity, drawing, journal, loss, memory, painting, pen & ink, process, ritual, sketchbook, watercolor, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Rona on Grey, Roast Chicken


Roast Chicken from Carman Ranch!

A total gift to be delivered from the ranch…
humanely raised and killed, this meets our requirements
so it was a lovely break from beans and rice.
And of course, the end of the bits of meat went into an amazing beans and rice dish!.


We’ve always shopped together…
Like a date… and it has been a part of our courtship and loving ways.
So strange (and we are grateful) to have food delivery services.

To hear about classes, follow me on Instagram, Facebook
or check out my new, improved dkatiepowellart.com

Posted in art journal, creativity, drawing, journal, loss, memory, painting, pen & ink, process, ritual, sketchbook, watercolor, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Rona on Grey, the Gurls


I never use the bathroom alone now…

One of the girls runs when they hear me in there — before I can even shut the door.
Izzee with toys stashed IN the bathroom…
I try to talk to them about how I don’t follow them into their toilet
but they make me no nevermind….

 

To hear about classes, follow me on Instagram, Facebook
or check out my new, improved dkatiepowellart.com

Posted in art journal, creativity, drawing, journal, loss, memory, painting, pen & ink, process, ritual, sketchbook, watercolor, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Rona on Grey, Dance!

Depression’s antidote?  Dance!  Music!

You may notice I’ve been adding to my posts with songs at the bottom…
I’ve bee playing loud rock and roll while I worked this week and last —
Helps me not get too down…
layers of what this all means long term —
as in , for the next couple of years while they try to find a vaccine or cure…
is astounding, mind-boggling… life away from people…
empty streets… beans and rice and once a month groceries…

Depressing. 

I am lucky I have my beloved with me.

Do yourself a favor — DANCE!
Make a fool of yourself ESPECIALLY
if you think you can’t dance!

To hear about classes, follow me on Instagram, Facebook
or check out my new, improved dkatiepowellart.com

Posted in art journal, creativity, drawing, journal, loss, memory, painting, pen & ink, process, ritual, sketchbook, watercolor, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

VSW: Koh Samui Thailand


Virtual Sketchwalk from images provided by Jill Bartos of Koh Samui Thailand:
I miss palm trees.  Home home home!

To hear about classes, follow me on Instagram, Facebook
or check out my new, improved dkatiepowellart.com

Posted in art journal, creativity, drawing, journal, painting, sketchbook, watercolor, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

SoCS: Valentine Lights

I  journal mornings with stream of consciousness exercises,
and participate in Linda Hill’s Stream of Consciousness Saturday  whenever I have time.  I write to a timer, 15-20 minutes, no editing except spelling, and of course I add my art!  You can join us!

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “val.” Find a word that
has “val” in it, and use that word any way you’d like. Enjoy!

 
We’ve had the red Valentine lights around
our hanging resist dyed Ganesha for many years…
Suddenly we lost half of the heart lights!

At the same time, the blue crab lights around
the big statue in the hallway went dark…
conspiracy theories abounded until…

CATZ!

Caught in the act…
chewing the wires around the LEDs…

For the rules, go to Linda’s blog;  feel free to join the fun!

Posted in art journal, creativity, journal, pen & ink, sketchbook, writing | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Rona on Grey, Blue Cheese and Apple Gouda Sausage Quiche

Mitchell had an idea for a quiche flavor…

So when the six dozen eggs were delivered (I had not ordered)
I had to use some of them up — and quiches make for nice fast studio dinners
when we are working late (which is all the time right now as Rona
is slowing our business down)… so… MORE QUICHE!
Thankfully they freeze well!

I had my doubts about this one — But wow, yummy!

This recipe makes three quiches:

2 Niman Ranch Apple Gouda Chicken Sausages (Certified Humane), chopped,
1/2 large red onion, chopped.
Saute these together; divide into thirds.
Add a heaping teaspoons of Blackened Pepper Pesto or a bit more to the
sausage mixture above…   and season with garlic salt, pepper, and cumin.

Lay our three pie pans and place a large wheat tortilla in each —
it should fold up on the edges like a pie crust.
Place the third mixture into the bottom and make sure it is evenly laid out —
you want every bite to be flavorful!

Rogue Creamery Organic Blue Cheese — crumbled, and
top a third of the mixture over the top of each pie.

Note: the images above are of the Andouille Sausage pie,
but show the way they should look.


18 eggs in total are going to be beaten and added to the pies…
I think in hindsight it is easier to do 6 eggs at a time.
If your eggs are small add an extra.
And if you like a bit of milk.
Pour the beaten eggs over the ingredients in the pie pan gently,
so as not to move the ingredients around much.

I added a bit of grated Organic Valley Italian blend on top, but no need to do so.

Cook for 20-40 minutes at 350-degrees. This is a bit iffy, because it really
does depend upon the oven and the number of eggs and the size of the pie pan.
Watch it so it does not burn, and if it looks like it is burning on top then place a piece
of foil lightly as a shield between the pie and the heat source.

Always organic or non-GMO, humanely raised. It matters!

Wah-lah! 
Serves 6-8 depending upon what else is served!

How to freeze and warm:

Let the pies cool completely, and place them in a plastic bag marked with
the type of quiche you made, or, “Guess that Quiche!” I use the bags we bring our veggies home in or the big tortilla bags. Close the bag, pop into the freezer.

Bring the pie out of the freezer the night before to thaw by placing it in the fridge.
I recently tried to rush this process by warming in the microwave from frozen to heat,
and got a soggy egg pie!  To warm, put into the oven at 300 until warmed,
20 minutes. Or, warm only the pieces you want to eat by cutting them and
putting them on a serving plate.  Put one paper towel with a few drops of water on it
over the pie piece, and heat for 1 minute only to see how your microwave is calibrated.

Yummy!

To hear about classes, follow me on Instagram, Facebook
or check out my new, improved dkatiepowellart.com

Posted in art journal, creativity, drawing, journal, loss, memory, painting, pen & ink, process, ritual, sketchbook, watercolor, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Rona on Grey, Andouille Sausage Quiche


Heavenly smokey spicy quiche!

Andouille Sausage makes a wonderful yummy quiche!
I bought it to make a jambalaya but never got around to it and so,
had these humanely raised sausages in the freezer.
The heat from both Poblano and Sugar Chilies is heavenly!
(that overabundance of eggs we mistakenly bought had to go into something…)

This recipe makes three quiches — and they freeze well.


2 Skagit Ranch Andouille Sausage Sausages, chopped;
1/2 large red onion, chopped.
1-2 large blackened Poblano chilies, chopped;
1-2 blackened Sugar Chilies (or add a heaping teaspoon
of Blackened Pepper Pesto
or a bit more)
Saute these together; divide into thirds.

Season with garlic salt, pepper, and cumin.

Lay out three pie pans and place a large wheat tortilla in each —
it should fold up on the edges like a pie crust.
Place the third mixture into the bottom and make sure it is evenly laid out —
you want every bite to be flavorful!

Organic Valley Italian Grated Cheese, about half a bag (I had frozen it as we were not using it fast enough): top a third of the mixture over the top of each pie.

18 eggs in total are going
to be beaten and added
to the pies… I think in hindsight it is easier to do
6 eggs at a time. If your
eggs are small make it 7.
And if you like a bit of milk add that. Beat. Pour the beaten eggs over the ingredients in the pie pan gently, so as not to move the
ingredients around much.

I added a bit of grated
Organic Valley Italian
Grated Cheese on top,
but no need to do so.

Cook for 20-40 minutes at 350-degrees. This is a bit iffy, because it really
does depend upon the oven and the number of eggs and the size of the pie pan.
Watch it so it does not burn, and if it looks like it is burning on top then place a piece
of foil lightly as a shield between the pie and the heat source.

Always organic or non-GMO, humanely raised. It matters!

Serves 6-8 depending upon what else is served!

How to freeze and warm:

Let the pies cool completely, and place them in a plastic bag marked with
the type of quiche you made, or, “Guess that Quiche!” I use the bags we bring our veggies home in or the big tortilla bags. Close the bag, pop into the freezer.

Bring the pie out of the freezer the night before to thaw by placing it in the fridge.
I recently tried to rush this process by warming in the microwave from frozen to heat,
and got a soggy egg pie!  To warm, put into the oven at 300 until warmed,
20 minutes. Or, warm only the pieces you want to eat by cutting them and
putting them on a serving plate.  Put one paper towel with a few drops of water on it
over the pie piece, and heat for 1 minute only to see how your microwave is calibrated.

Don’t ferget to dance!!

To hear about classes, follow me on Instagram, Facebook
or check out my new, improved dkatiepowellart.com

Posted in art journal, creativity, drawing, journal, loss, memory, painting, pen & ink, process, ritual, sketchbook, watercolor, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Rona on Grey, Maida Hatter’s Aspen Bars

Did you know you can write on the
inside of an Alter Eco wrapper?

Tipped in this wrapper…. things we miss!
Then I could also use it as a painting surface!


These bars are almost too sweet for me.
Butter toffee rich oaty things.


Maida Hatter was a world class baker —
this is her recipe for Aspen Oatmeal Bars,
NO FLOUR!
Though I added nuts.  chopped almonds in one, walnuts in another.
they’d be food with pepitas in them too!

Like Candy!

Turn up John and rock!

To hear about classes, follow me on Instagram, Facebook
or check out my new, improved dkatiepowellart.com

Posted in art journal, creativity, drawing, journal, loss, memory, painting, pen & ink, process, ritual, sketchbook, watercolor, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Rona on Grey, Surprise Fudge


Mitchell loves fudge…
While I was doing all this cooking,
I surprised him with an experimental fudge.

I used four Altar Eco Deep Dark Salted Burnt Caramel Chocolate bars
in place of the bag of chocolate chips!
It melted easily over low heat (no double boiler at the studio),


I emptied the can of Organic California Farms Sweetened Condensed milk and mixed,
and finally, added what I had left of hazelnuts — chopped.

Set in the fridge in wax paper in an 8×8 pan for a couple hours
then cut into bites and replace in the fridge.

He is sooooo happy!

And, the only song that really IS
Lalaland’s theme song —
Frank didn’t know nothin!  I LOVE LA!

To hear about classes, follow me on Instagram, Facebook
or check out my new, improved dkatiepowellart.com

Posted in art journal, creativity, drawing, journal, loss, memory, painting, pen & ink, process, ritual, sketchbook, watercolor, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Rona on Grey, Groceries

omigoddess, groceries!!

Mitchell and I shopping together is like a date…
It is one of life’s real pleasures, especially at the farmer’s markets.

We were ready and able to go without fresh veggies and fruits,
live off canned items and rice and beans…

Then we heard good things about the delivery services.

A strange experience — but a positive one.
mostly the selection was good — and we have things that keep us healthy —
fresh ginger, green onions (we make a tea) and carrots, celery and avocados.

When we bring groceries home — shopping ourselves or delivery —
we are washing them in soap and water before they go into the fridge.

So grateful for this service!

To hear about classes, follow me on Instagram, Facebook
or check out my new, improved dkatiepowellart.com

Posted in art journal, creativity, drawing, journal, loss, memory, painting, pen & ink, process, ritual, sketchbook, watercolor, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Rona on Grey, Music

Yes, I am feeling depression often…
So many are — and we do many things to help it leave!

Vitamin D in the Pacific Northwest —
Not too much sugar!

But music is the best — clears out sluggish energy.
I have lots of kick ass dance songs and I get up and dance at my desk!
I’ve tried picking up a cat to dance with but damn they are not willing partners!


I hear my brother’s voice often in this mess… “SHIT!”

There are some good things in this awful crisis —
the NW Industrial Sanctuary, which is usually bustling with big rigs and tractors,
often if you open a window you may get diesel —
but now it is blessedly quiet and the air smells fresh and wonderful!

The cats have become enamored with the sounds of the birds and the squirrel —
we started feeding both on the loading dock roof.


The colors were so bright and clear and I love the juxtaposition of the orange bins
at CalBag with the bright blue Spring skies and the new leaves on the trees…
Out my window, drenched color.

So get up and dance — no excuses!

To hear about classes, follow me on Instagram, Facebook
or check out my new, improved dkatiepowellart.com

Posted in art journal, creativity, drawing, journal, loss, memory, painting, pen & ink, process, ritual, sketchbook, watercolor, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Rona on Grey, Pumice Stone

The pumice stone breaking brought memories…

Pumice stones last forever… not. Mine broke Sunday, upsetting because I can’t just go shop!  A none-death issue, but the older you get the more you NEED pumice stones. Mom used to put things like this in our Xmas stockings, even long after we stopped giving presents (too $$$.) Stockings showed how we knew each other, so they’d be filled with useful or silly stuff.

I was thinking all this and wondered if she’d given Mitchell one too, a decade ago!

YES!

This is the kind of memory that comes to me unbidden,
memories of family no longer present.

My mom was a mix a of good and very screwed up.
Possibly we all are, though she has a larcenous side that most don’t have.
But the good in her was better than many others in my family.
She remembered her loved ones, and I have a box of notes
and memories of never getting a bad gift that wasn’t just right for me.
That takes thoughtfulness, and she had that.

Plus she introduced Mitchell to me,
the best gift ever given.

I also am having nightmares — I assume everyone who has a brain
and can remember a dream is having them.
Death death death, more than lack.
It isn’t good reading, but there is a kernel of interest in this dream for me.
Woobie was my mom’s cockatoo… he had a mean streak,
raised initially by a very bad foster parent,
and my mom made it worse as she never scolded him.
In the dream, he is hit by a car, and really, it should have killed him.  It didn’t.
I’ve thought a lot about this dream, and think it has to be with
the qualities of tenaciousness and street-smarts saving us…
And the obvious, the world is filled with death and threats of death.

On a side note, this is a lovely new color ink for me, Blackstone’s Red Cashmere.
have a few of their inks, nice inks… out os AU.

To hear about classes, follow me on Instagram, Facebook
or check out my new, improved dkatiepowellart.com

Posted in art journal, creativity, drawing, journal, loss, memory, painting, pen & ink, process, ritual, sketchbook, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Rona on Grey, Helper Cooking Cat and SoCS


He’s my helper cat in the kitchen!

Big goofy lovercat!

Can a cat get a bite of something in this joint?

Hari-Bol Gibbs decided to make a can box his home to
keep me company I was in the studio lunchroom cooking.

On the opposite page from my 2-Pepper Bean Rice recipe.

These are totally sustaining me these days!

For the rules, go to Linda’s blog;  feel free to join the fun!

To hear about classes, follow me on Instagram, Facebook
or check out my new, improved dkatiepowellart.com

Posted in art journal, creativity, drawing, journal, loss, memory, painting, pen & ink, process, ritual, sketchbook, watercolor, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Rona on Grey, Hot Blackened 2-Pepper Beans and Rice


Hot Spicy Blackened 2-Pepper Beans
with Brown Basmati/Wild Rice Blend!

This can be made with any bean… in fact pintos are not my favorite beans!  Today
I made it with canned
black beans and without
the wild rice blend, which we are saving on the chance we score Portobelllo mushrooms
(with spicy chicken broth).

We are crazy for hot Sugar Chili peppers; every year we buy 75 lbs of blackened Sugar Chilies (hot peppers) in 5 lb bags direct from the farmers, and a smattering of their other peppers, like poblanos.

We freeze them, and then I defrost 5 lbs at a time, and make a Blackened Pepper Pesto to use daily.  (BTW, I use skins and seeds…)  As we are trying to stay away from the markets, we are roasting carrots with olive oil and salt and pepper — then freezing them.
This is enough for two with leftovers for lunch!

Cook a full cup of brown basmati rice (with some wild rice if you like) with a tsp of olive oil
and a scoop of the pepper pesto if you made some — but no worry if you didn’t.
Your favorite rice will do — I like this because  it stir fries so well.
If you have leftover chicken stock I like to use it in place of the water for flavor.

While that is cooking, dice 1 red hot pepper and 1 green hot pepper — or more if you like —
they should be big, like poblanos, not tiny Thai peppers.   Set in a frying pan.
Add 1-2 roasted carrots, sliced bean-size.
A good TABLESPOON or more of cumin, 1/2 tsp black pepper, and about 3-4 T Olive oil.

Open the beans and drain.  If you love celery it is good in this, but add it with the beans.

When the rice is done drop it into the frying pan and fry gently while stirring (don’t walk away) until everything is hot, seared, and glistening.  Add the beans (and diced celery), stir it one more time, then turn the heat off.  Beans like to stick to pans if they are cooked — I want them hot all the way through.

Add garlic salt to taste.  Yummy.  Wrap it in a big burrito and eat it cold for lunch or warm it!

A bit of a lift, below.

To hear about classes, follow me on Instagram, Facebook
or check out my new, improved dkatiepowellart.com

Posted in art journal, drawing, journal, painting, pen & ink, process, recipe, sketchbook, watercolor, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment