Wrap-up of One Week 100 People 2020

Posted on March 14, 2020 by D. Katie Powell

I sketched about thirty
people this week. Amazing because I had one of the
worst weeks ever in our
business. Despite that,
I achieved my goals for the challenge and actually had FUN sketching PEEPS!  YaY!

Goals were:
better likenesses;
correct my ear positioning;
try my hand at babies (argh) and old folks (like me).
and have a little style reflecting fun energy
my artwork!

One takeaway is dipping
into Sktchy or Pexel to grab
an image of people to
sketch is much more freeing at the end of a tense day
than trying to choose an image to which I am
invested, say, of Mitchell,
cats, or our lives.  Thinking
of creating a lovely watercolor of something I care about is harder; pulling an unknown
face as an exercise is more relaxing, easier.  I actually sketched more, even though
it was a tense week.

I had fun with watercolor, but probably had the most fun with inks (top two images).
I guess I will forever be an in-my-sketchbook only person because inks are not lightfast —
I love my sketchbooks, and being a sketchbook artist, so maybe I need to explore
concertinas and other unusual ways of making them more an art form
than my playbooks — at least some of the time??

Things I need to work on?  Brown/black skin tones, watercolor washes that work!
I had success in part, but then not… brown/blue/reds?


It  gave me a chance to test the parameters of the Hahnemühle Carnet de Voyage (bamboo) journal with ink washes, ink drawing, and watercolors.
Mostly, I enjoyed working with this journal — but it is not as fountain pen friendly
as the Hahnemühle Watercolour Journal or
the Hahnemühle Nostalgie Sketchbook, which was made for fountain pens!
Hahnemühle journals are currently sold online
at Wet Paint and Merriartist (though no bamboo paper yet).

Ink wash is waterproof Super5 Frankfurt in a waterbrush

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

“Memory is more indelible than ink.”
Anita Loos, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.
“I think not….”
Me… why I journal!

Hahnemühle Carnet de Voyage (Hahnemühle Bamboo Journal),
with a Pentalic HB woodless pencil,
Noodler’s Lexington Grey Ink, Super5 Frankfurt ink in Pentel Aquash waterbrushes,
De Atramentis Document Brown ink,
Platinum Carbon Pen with Platinum Carbon ink waterproof cartridges,
Lamy Al-Star with Pilot Yama-Budo,
Lamy Vista with Robert Oster Thunderstorm ink,
Jinhao 750 with JoWo nib and Super5 Darmstadt ink
FPR Himalayan with Robert Oster Melon Tea,
FPR Himalayan with Birmingham Tarnished Nickel ink,
Sennelier, Holbein, and DS Primatek watercolors, and Daniel Smith Watercolors..

W16 7 21 USK PSU BERRY FESTIVAL 02 SQ

 ©D. Katie Powell.
My images/blog posts may be reposted; please link back  to dkatiepowellart.

☾

W14 4 27 WC PALMS PAT SQAs my Patreon supporter, you will have
access to some content not on this website,
sneak previews, goodies, discounts on classes.

I teach architectural sketching,
art journaling (art+writing), creativity, watercolors.
That annoying loud-mouth editor/critic in your head?  GONE!  How great would that be?

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

SoCS: Wire

Posted on March 14, 2020 by D. Katie Powell

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!
The Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “wire.”

  
This has been a very bad week, and it did actually
come down to the wire — and then passed it.  That is not good.

A portion of it revolved around a client who negates even the possibility of the
Covid virus and decided to come after us with a lawyer for a business decision we made.
Our business is small, and we do not interact much with “the public” so we decided
to stop pickups and deliveries (we rent a van so right there is a hot spot bigger than the damn market) for a few weeks.  All other clients worked with us and many were fine with the decision.  It is not forever, just for a few weeks — though it may go on longer than we imagined.  We gave her two options — she chose neither — and then the lawyer was her next choice, before even trying to work it out.  Every fricking day there has been nasty letters from her lawyer denying us our boundary and threatening us and in the end, they choose what we offered.  Sort of.  They want us to admit breach of contract when we were not in breach of contract — so not that I can stake my life on that one — but the problem is that money doesn’t buy brains but it does buy bullying power.  For us to be sued means we have to get a lawyer and a lawyer who had a brain would say wtf then have to defend us… and even that lawyer to lawyer is stipulated in our contracts as being something neither party with do, but instead go to small claims and agree to mediation.  The fact that I’ve spent days dealing  with lies — lies from a lawyer, which I have to counter because otherwise it implies agreement, and lies in the media and lies in our country that will in fact be the cause of more deaths, and I learned the true meaning of the word apoplectic, which is to be so angry that you are speechless from anger — a rare thing for anyone who knows me.  When angry I am usually coherent, but the complete lack of even a bit of logic, ability to read a contract, and bullying sent me over the edge twice in one week, and the only good news is that my heart is fine and I am not actually having a stroke.

If I could have released my anger into tears that would have been good.

Then Thursday night a dear friend called us to say she has stage 4 cancer.

Tears.

Then last night I texted with another dear friend and mentor
and she is going into palliative care.

Weeping, and this brought me to how adrift I feel in the world as it is now.

Fucking social media and whatever else this world has come to has turned many into unfeeling, uncaring, unconscious (in the most basic sense of the word) inhumane beings.
They have no thought to what lays behinds decisions and no curiosity and no willingness to engage the other.  In the era of Trump it is all about screaming loudly and being about as stupid as stupid can be.  Even our newspapers who should be having a field day with showing us the lies are enjoying churning for profit, and so they are no longer news sources.  We are a lost country in what may be a lost world.

I weep for my friends and for the huge loss coming at us as surely as the
big ball rolling toward Indiana Jones at the beginning of Raiders… and I am not talking the Covid virus but our global environmental issues.  Democrats and Republicans apparently are going to elect someone who thinks of global issues as things
we need to do by 2050, or never, and then it will be too late.

Going into silence today to let myself feel the sadness.

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

“Memory is more indelible than ink.”
Anita Loos, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.
“I think not….”
Me… why I journal!

 ©D. Katie Powell.
My images/blog posts may be reposted; please link back  to dkatiepowellart.

☾

W14 4 27 WC PALMS PAT SQAs my Patreon supporter, you will have
access to some content not on this website,
sneak previews, goodies, discounts on classes.

I teach architectural sketching,
art journaling (art+writing), creativity, watercolors.
That annoying loud-mouth editor/critic in your head?  GONE!  How great would that be?

Posted in art journal, creativity, journal, pen & ink, sketchbook, writing | Tagged , , , , , | 8 Comments

One Week 100 People Troublemaker Ink Makers

Posted on March 13, 2020 by D. Katie Powell

I fell in love with the image of the two men who created Troublemaker Inks.
Image courtesy of http://www.pennoob.com.

As I said, I am really enjoying slowing down and being interested in the outcome of
the people I am drawing, instead of rushing the challenge just to reach 100 people.

I love Troublemaker Inks as well, though I could not use them in the drawings —
I needed waterproof inks.

I have only one of their lovely inks, and am on a waiting list for others… Such gorgeous inks!

I began drawing the men with light
guidelines, then inked with Super5 Frankfurt.  I used the same ink in a waterbrush to add some shading before I used watercolors.
There is something I have to get used to about watercolors on the Bamboo paper — they sit on top of it a bit more than on other Hahnemühle papers.  I’ve only watercolored a half-dozen or so, and it may be that I am not as fond of the paper, or that I need practice.

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

“Memory is more indelible than ink.”
Anita Loos, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.
“I think not….”
Me… why I journal!

Hahnemühle Carnet de Voyage (Hahnemühle Bamboo Journal),
Blackwing pencil, Super5 Frankfurt ink in Pentel Aquash waterbrushes,
Pilot Metropolitan with Super5 Frankfurt ink,
DS Primatek watercolors, and Daniel Smith Watercolors.

W16 7 21 USK PSU BERRY FESTIVAL 02 SQ

 ©D. Katie Powell.
My images/blog posts may be reposted; please link back  to dkatiepowellart.

☾

W14 4 27 WC PALMS PAT SQAs my Patreon supporter, you will have
access to some content not on this website,
sneak previews, goodies, discounts on classes.

I teach architectural sketching,
art journaling (art+writing), creativity, watercolors.
That annoying loud-mouth editor/critic in your head?  GONE!  How great would that be?

Posted in art journal, challenge, creativity, drawing, ink painting, journal, painting, pen & ink, process, sketchbook, watercolor | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Grey Inks: Day Two of One Week 100 People 2020

Posted on March 10, 2020 by D. Katie Powell


I’ve always loved greys in their many forms, but grey inks hold a
special fascination for me especially as I play with them with a waterbrush.
Blue-greys, purple greys, green-greys leaning into muted greyed browns.
Grey inks are better than watercolors because their peculiar chemical makeup
allows the best ones to separate into colors; I swoon!

I am working mostly with greys and muted colors in my portraits
during the #oneweek100people challenge.

Robert Oster Australian Opal Grey
appears  subtle, but hit with water
it also produces turquoise!
However, not as bright
as Robert Oster Graphite ink,
which produces bright turquoise
when a generous amount of water
is used.

Above, pencil then line work with a
Lamy Al-Star stub with  Robert Oster Australian Opal Grey ink; waterbrush produced the colors and shading.

Left, FPR Himalayan with an Ultraflex nib with Robert Oster Graphite ink, touched only a little with the waterbrush.


I love using a softer pencil in a sketch underneath greys…
Sometimes I leave the guidelines in, as in the couple kissing,
sometimes I erase most of them, as in the man with the hat.
If you had not seen the lines melt into dark purply-grey
next to the sketch above you’d never know the wild color in those lines!
I love Robert Oster Charcoal because it
behaves well for a meeting then becomes steamy when wet…
FPR Himalayan with Robert Oster Charcoal ink.

It annoys me that I still find myself frozen with fear of failure in my sketchbook.
I can turn the page — hell, I can tear it out and draw the damn thing over again but my monkey mind still gets caught.

The moody boy (gads I hate drawing babies!) was drawn with a TWSBI Eco 1.1 with Birmingham Tarnished Nickel ink… They made the most stunning grey inks — Tarnished Nickel and Slag Grey are my all time favorite greys inks.

OLD FORMULA


My favorite waterproof ink isn’t black —
though I use a Platinum Carbon pen a lot for ease when sketching under watercolors.
It is Super5 Frankfurt ink, a slightly green grey.

Above, layers of waterproof Super5 Frankfurt ink
followed by Pilot Iroshizuku Kiri-same ink for shading.
I moved into the mostly muted colored inks
on the the side for the foliage behind and her tee..

The man’s head was drawn with Edison Nouveau 1.1 stub nib
with Pilot Iroshizuku Kiri-same ink.

Ink wash is waterproof Super5 Frankfurt in a waterbrush

Thank you to the photographers from
Sktchy and Pexel, named in the drawings!

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

“Memory is more indelible than ink.”
Anita Loos, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.
“I think not….”
Me… why I journal!

Hahnemühle Nostalgie Sketchbook,
Super5 Frankfurt ink in Pentel Aquash waterbrushes,
Lamy Al-Star stub with  Robert Oster Australian Opal Grey ink,
Edison Nouveau 1.1 stub nib with Pilot Iroshizuku Kiri-same ink,
TWSBI Eco 1.1 with Birmingham Tarnished Nickel ink,
FPR Himalayan with Robert Oster Melon Tea,
FPR Himalayan with Robert Oster Graphite ink,
FPR Himalayan with Robert Oster Charcoal ink,
Pilot Parallel pen and Pilot Metropolitan with Super5 Frankfurt ink,
Platinum Carbon Pen with Platinum Carbon ink waterproof cartridges,

 

 ©D. Katie Powell.
My images/blog posts may be reposted; please link back  to dkatiepowellart.
Note: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

☾

W14 4 27 WC PALMS PAT SQAs my Patreon supporter, you will have
access to some content not on this website,
sneak previews, goodies, discounts on classes.

I teach architectural sketching,
art journaling (art+writing), creativity, watercolors.
That annoying loud-mouth editor/critic in your head?  GONE!  How great would that be?

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

Goals for 1 Week 100 People 2020

Posted on March 10, 2020 by D. Katie Powell


My first year I hated it and said screw this challenge after one or  two days.

Last year (third year) I really pushed to do 100 people.
I didn’t enjoy it because I hated the push to speed…
But I also have to say I did begin to see what I don’t do well and I also got better at people.  A huge part of that was paying attention to  what I find boring!

This year I don’t care at all about 100 people
BUT I have goals and am taking the time to sketch people only daily.
My goals are to get good likenesses and not have ears sitting too close to noses,
and try my hand at babies and old folks.
And can I be decent enough to have a bit of style?

Well, I really love what I did here.
And how nice to say that because I NEVA EVA say that about peeps!

Penciled guidelines, then inked, then watercolor!
Thank you to “FransA” from pexels for his image!

And check out this fun video!  Thanks Alice!

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

“Memory is more indelible than ink.”
Anita Loos, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.
“I think not….”
Me… why I journal!

Hahnemühle Carnet de Voyage (Hahnemühle Bamboo Journal),
with a Pentalic HB woodless pencil,
Super5 Frankfurt ink in Pentel Aquash waterbrushes,
Platinum Carbon Pen with Platinum Carbon ink waterproof cartridges,
Sennelier, Holbein, and DS Primatek watercolors, and Daniel Smith Watercolors..

W16 7 21 USK PSU BERRY FESTIVAL 02 SQ

 ©D. Katie Powell.
My images/blog posts may be reposted; please link back  to dkatiepowellart.

☾

W14 4 27 WC PALMS PAT SQAs my Patreon supporter, you will have
access to some content not on this website,
sneak previews, goodies, discounts on classes.

I teach architectural sketching,
art journaling (art+writing), creativity, watercolors.
That annoying loud-mouth editor/critic in your head?  GONE!  How great would that be?

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

Lojong: Weeping Buddha

Posted on March 8, 2020 by D. Katie Powell

I’ve studied through the slogans a dozen times in my life;
these are my musings on the slogan currently, what comes up on the day that
I am posting the slogan, not a formal interpretation.
For that reason they are less about straight Buddhist teachings,
and I think able to be shared with most practitioners of other faiths or no faith
(unless yours doesn’t allow you to read any other tradition.)
If you have time and the inclination, I published the WHOLE  thang here!

Sorta taking a break
this weekend.
Practicing but not going online right now.
Instead, I thought you
might like to see
the HUGE and
tiny weeping Buddhas I painted in acrylic
and on handmade paper
and in colored pencil
on black paper because
truth is, I’ve painted
him for years.

☾

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

“Memory is more indelible than ink.”
Anita Loos, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.
“I think not….”
Me… why I journal!

My images/blog posts may be reposted; please link back  to dkatiepowellart.

☾

W14 4 27 WC PALMS PAT SQAs my Patreon supporter, you will have
access to some content not on this website,
sneak previews, goodies, discounts on classes.

I teach architectural sketching,
art journaling (art+writing), creativity, watercolors.
That annoying loud-mouth editor/critic in your head?  GONE!  How great would that be?

Posted in art, Buddha, drawing, journal, lojong, meditation, pencil, ritual, tonglen | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Tools: Beauregarde From Birmingham

Posted on March 5, 2020 by D. Katie Powell


I wanted this pen for a long time.
Stunned by it’s simple beauty and clear drenched color, I waited for over a year.
I was not seduced by other pens in similar colors…

Then when it became available, I could not afford it and they were going fast!!
You have to know that I had bugged the brothers once a month,
Pleading, “When oh when will you make this pen!?”
They KNOW me…

Well, the brothers at Birmingham did the nicest thing:
They found a way to make it happen for me.

☾
Pen people are special…
They understand the longing for color and shape and
they are also just nice folks.
☾


I have several inks that will be perfect for this pen;
I confess to making a page of potential inks that might be perfect!
I wanted clear color, drenched color, and an ink that was not too dry.

I started with Diamine Claret because it is such a beautiful and well-behaved ink.
The pen writes beautifully, as I knew it would!
I imagine that over the years it will also be filled with Robert Oster Hot Pink
(in a different pen right now) and Birmingham Gerbera ink, both good matches!

Thank you Nick and Josh!

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

“Memory is more indelible than ink.”
Anita Loos, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.
“I think not….”
Me… why I journal!

Hahnemühle Nostalgie Sketchbook,
Super5 Frankfurt ink in Pentel Aquash waterbrushes,
Birmingham’s Beauregarde pen with Diamine Claret ink,
Holbein watercolors.

 

 ©D. Katie Powell.
My images/blog posts may be reposted; please link back  to dkatiepowellart.
Note: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

☾

W14 4 27 WC PALMS PAT SQAs my Patreon supporter, you will have
access to some content not on this website,
sneak previews, goodies, discounts on classes.

I teach architectural sketching,
art journaling (art+writing), creativity, watercolors.
That annoying loud-mouth editor/critic in your head?  GONE!  How great would that be?

Posted in art journal, creativity, drawing, ink painting, journal, painting, pen & ink, process, sketchbook, watercolor, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Tools: A good deal!

Posted on March 4, 2020 by D. Katie Powell

Daniel Smith 24 Color Hand Poured Half Pan Set in a METAL BOX with BONUS Metal Box and 24 Empty Half Pans

I don’t often push a sale or deal on you all,
but this is a GREAT deal if you haven’t got a palette or want a good one.
Daniel Smith (excellent paints) has a set of 24 pan paints
with an extra metal palette as a bonus, ready to be filled with tube paints.
Merriartist, my favorite small art store, is shipping this set free!
The second empty palette comes with 24 half pans, but as you can see,
if you like larger pans, you can certainly swap them out!
PS: There are smaller sets, but not with the bonus palette;
nor free shipping which starts at $90.  Look at the top three here.

The 24 DANIEL SMITH Extra Fine Watercolors in the set are:

  • Buff Titanium
  • Hansa Yellow Light
  • Quinacridone Gold
  • Hansa Yellow Deep
  • Pyrrol Scarlet
  • Permanent Alizarin Crimson
  • Quinacridone Rose
  • Ultramarine Blue
  • Cerulean Blue, Chromium
  • Phthalo Blue (GS)
  • Cobalt Turquoise
  • Phthalo Green (BS)
  • Sap Green
  • Perylene Green
  • Undersea Green
  • Raw Sienna Light
  • Yellow Ochre
  • Goethite (Brown Ochre)
  • Indian Red
  • Quinacridone Burnt Orange
  • Burnt Sienna
  • Burnt Umber
  • Raw Umber
  • Jane’s Grey

Many of these colors are some of my favorites,
though I wish they’d dropped either Buff Titanium or Jane’s Grey —
So many sets put black in which is a waste, and so this is a good set!


My images/blog posts may be reposted; please link back  to dkatiepowellart.
Note: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Posted in painting, watercolor | Tagged | Leave a comment

VSW: Pittock Mansion, West Bedroom

Posted on March 3, 2020 by D. Katie Powell


What do you do with a really bad drawing
in your nice new art journal?

I started this on a day of talking and talking and a little sketching with an art friend.
We went to the Pittock Mansion to sketch, and they let us largely because they
understood that I knew the rules of a museum and would abide by them.
No watercolors, but a pen and pencil were fine…
Sitting in the West Bedroom on the floor, sketching the loveseat,
look at what my completely reliable Platinum Carbon Pen did!
Leaked in a huge blob!  AAACK!

Not that it was the best drawing in the world…
Talking more than drawing, and not paying too much attention, having fun!

I took so many pics, and decided to lead the Virtual Sketchers through Pittock.
Not too enthused by this page, I still have a commitment to it.
Every page in my sketchbooks may not be a masterpiece,
but my commitment is to finishing it and caring about it.  At least a little.

I drew a couple of details quickly.  Still not great….


Finally I tossed some waterproof grey ink and watercolors on it.
Hey that page doesn’t look horrid now. 
Proportions wonky, but lively and I can always skip through it quickly if I am sharing!

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

“Memory is more indelible than ink.”
Anita Loos, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.
“I think not….”
Me… why I journal!

Hahnemühle Watercolour Journal,
Super5 Frankfurt ink in Pentel Aquash waterbrushes,
Platinum Carbon Pen with Platinum Carbon ink waterproof cartridges,
Holbein, MGraham, DS Primatek and Daniel Smith watercolors.

 ©D. Katie Powell.
My images/blog posts may be reposted; please link back  to dkatiepowellart.
Note: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

☾

W14 4 27 WC PALMS PAT SQAs my Patreon supporter, you will have
access to some content not on this website,
sneak previews, goodies, discounts on classes.

I teach architectural sketching,
art journaling (art+writing), creativity, watercolors.
That annoying loud-mouth editor/critic in your head?  GONE!  How great would that be?

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

VSW: Last of Bellingham

Posted on March 2, 2020 by D. Katie Powell

Bellingham city sketched
with a Sailor Fude De Mannen Calligraphy Navy Blue Angle 40 Degrees pen with
Robert Oster Muddy Water ink. I can’t believe I like
the 55-degree fude better!
I had a hard time feeling the edges of this 40-degree pen.
I sketched with ink, no guidelines… it shows…
but mostly I had trouble getting the hang of
how to hold the pen so
the flat hit the paper.
Hard not to be critical when
I struggled so much!

Even when you have done things before, they may not come out to your liking…
Super5 Frankfurt and Noodler’s Lexington Grey Ink ink in Pentel Aquash waterbrushes,
But this sky was no where near this stormy!

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

“Memory is more indelible than ink.”
Anita Loos, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.
“I think not….”
Me… why I journal!

Hahnemühle Nostalgie Sketchbook,
Super5 Frankfurt and Noodler’s Lexington Grey Ink ink in Pentel Aquash waterbrushes,
and Daniel Smith Ultramarine blue watercolor…
Sailor Fude De Mannen Calligraphy Navy Blue Angle 40 Degrees pen with Robert Oster Muddy Water ink.

 ©D. Katie Powell.
My images/blog posts may be reposted; please link back  to dkatiepowellart.
Note: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

☾

W14 4 27 WC PALMS PAT SQAs my Patreon supporter, you will have
access to some content not on this website,
sneak previews, goodies, discounts on classes.

I teach architectural sketching,
art journaling (art+writing), creativity, watercolors.
That annoying loud-mouth editor/critic in your head?  GONE!  How great would that be?

Posted in art journal, creativity, drawing, ink painting, journal, landscape, pen & ink, sketchbook, sketchcrawl, virtual sketching, watercolor | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Lojong 50: Swayed

Posted on March 1, 2020 by D. Katie Powell

I’ve studied through the slogans a dozen times in my life;
these are my musings on the slogan currently, what comes up on the day that
I am posting the slogan, not a formal interpretation.
For that reason they are less about straight Buddhist teachings,
and I think able to be shared with most practitioners of other faiths or no faith
(unless yours doesn’t allow you to read any other tradition.)
If you have time and the inclination, I published the WHOLE  thang here!


“#50: Don’t be swayed by external circumstances.“

Never has it been harder not to be swayed by external circumstances.
The news depresses me, angers me.
It is MOST upsetting that it appears MOST of the people in power are
only interested in their bank accounts, not the health of their children’s future.

I’m struggling with this one, so this morning I am doing the work, glad for this reminder…
Remember that when I am at a loss for what to send out,
I send the image of a sunflower, which is positivity…

“Breathe in my anger, Send out sunflowers.
Breathe in my sadness, Send out sunflowers.
Breathe in the polar bears environment collapsing…
Send out safety to all sentient beings.
Breathe in the Oil companies that pretend to care about the bears… and Inuits… and others (getting harder to stay focused in my sitting meditation)…
Send out enlightenment, wakefulness…
Breathe in the “news” organizations that won’t tell the facts…
Send out sunflowers…
Breathe in the anger I have for the people who do not care about the homeless…
Send out warmth, shelter, food…for both the homeless and those that don’t care.”

It is the best I can do.
I am barely able to be sincere at all in sending out any kind of compassion.
These are truly terrible times.

Long go, Chagdud Rinpoche said,
“One can have a little bit of hope.”
I think I need to be swayed by the beauty in the world.

The beauty of Yo-Yo Ma and James Taylor.

In this weekly commentary on the lojong, I am interested in hearing about
YOUR life or how the lojong affected you or your practice awakening in some manner.
For more info about why, go here.

☾

 OE or OKINA NOTEBOOKS (my favorite journals, also known as Cadic)

Okina Journal, Blackwing pencil.
Note: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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

“Memory is more indelible than ink.”
Anita Loos, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.
“I think not….”
Me… why I journal!

My images/blog posts may be reposted; please link back  to dkatiepowellart.

☾

W14 4 27 WC PALMS PAT SQAs my Patreon supporter, you will have
access to some content not on this website,
sneak previews, goodies, discounts on classes.

I teach architectural sketching,
art journaling (art+writing), creativity, watercolors.
That annoying loud-mouth editor/critic in your head?  GONE!  How great would that be?

Posted in art, Buddha, drawing, journal, lojong, meditation, pencil, ritual, tonglen | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Perfect Blues

Posted on February 29, 2020 by D. Katie Powell

Got the blues….

A bottle of (shimmering)
PenBBS #103 Hyacinth Macaw ink leaked…
It replicates the color of the
beautiful hyacinth macaws perfectly!
This glittering ink is Mitchell’s!
(Image by Hank Gillette in Wikipedia**.)

Got me thinking about my blue inks.
I buy a lot of blue ink: the color of the ocean,
home home home.  I miss seeing the vast blue that goes forever, in all its variation.

And I bought a new blue, a true blue,
from gee-whiz-i-wonder-who-blue,
my favorite ink-mixer,
Robert Oster True Blue ink.


Some of the blues above are samples — which I rarely buy anymore —  and only if I have never tried the brand.
Too much plastic waste.
And I can tell if I am going to love an ink now… Dead
center is my new Robert Oster True Blue ink: delicious, heavenly, wonderful, sheening, all blue with no surprises.  I love blues that move into other colors
when I am painting with them, but then there
are those pure clear
saturation of pigment!

Robert Oster True Blue ink

I have three favorite
perfect blues now:  Robert Oster True Blue ink (right and above), Diamine Blue Velvet ink (below), and Monteverde Horizon Blue ink (below).  Notice True Blue ink has almost no other color in the separation, right, whereas Diamine Blue Velvet ink, and Monteverde Horizon Blue ink, and Pilot Iroshizuku Asa-Gao ink (all below) feather out into purple and pink.  And as Diamine and Monteverde have wonderfully viscosity,
I will buy them again, while the Asa-Gao, not so much.

Diamine Blue Velvet
Monteverde Horizon Blue
Pilot Asagao

It is in my new PenBBS!

**I found a great page of images that are reference, in the public domain.
Thanks to Hank Gillette and others who offer their images for reuse.
https://www.allpetbirds.com/parrot-pictures

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

“Memory is more indelible than ink.”
Anita Loos, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.
“I think not….”
Me… why I journal!

Hahnemühle Nostalgie Sketchbook,  PenBBS with Robert Oster True Blue ink,
Diamine Blue Velvet ink,  Monteverde Horizon Blue ink, Pilot Iroshizuku Asa-Gao ink<
PenBBS #103 Hyacinth Macaw ink.

   

My images/blog posts may be reposted; please link back  to dkatiepowellart.
Note: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

☾

W14 4 27 WC PALMS PAT SQAs my Patreon supporter, you will have
access to some content not on this website,
sneak previews, goodies, discounts on classes.

I teach architectural sketching,
art journaling (art+writing), creativity, watercolors.
That annoying loud-mouth editor/critic in your head?  GONE!  How great would that be?

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

SoCS: Election

Posted on February 29, 2020 by D. Katie Powell

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 “ect.” Find a word with the letters “ect” in it, and base your post on that word. (Not to be confused with “et cetera,” which is “etc.”) Enjoy!

“perfect misdirect reinfect subject respect suspect deflect reject direct elect”

these words were chosen by mitchell… elect is a good place to start.

i’m disgusted by everything in our country lately… lost respect,
and can barely manage to write this post about the election.
in a humane decent time candidates would want us to vote for them based
on their platform being popular with the people.
now, mostly, they deflect their truths for bullshit and misdirection…
i am suspect of anyone who suddenly comes up with an entirely different
way of being than their years of experience have revealed.
i don’t mind some changes —
a candidate may decide climate change needs to be front and center now
because their home is about to go under due to rising seas and they get it…
so those kinds of changes are not suspect.

but billionaires buying their way into the ballot box
(as opposed to the millionaires who ran as a normal person might)
and deflection instead of truth-telling or the dnc rejecting what the people want
because it is not in alignment with their corporate sponsors —
shit
it is no wonder young people walk away from these elections.

rigged… when your own party is rigging the count what can you say?

the last debate as so over the top rude and screaming,
and the moderators so bad i rejected the entire debate, turned it off.
news castors can’t differentiate between spin and editorializing and reporting.
and no one respects the constitution.
ashamed to be an american.
said that too often in the last decade.

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

“Memory is more indelible than ink.”
Anita Loos, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.
“I think not….”
Me… why I journal!


My images/blog posts may be reposted; please link back  to dkatiepowellart.

☾

W14 4 27 WC PALMS PAT SQAs my Patreon supporter, you will have
access to some content not on this website,
sneak previews, goodies, discounts on classes.

I teach architectural sketching,
art journaling (art+writing), creativity, watercolors.
That annoying loud-mouth editor/critic in your head?  GONE!  How great would that be?

Posted in art journal, creativity, journal, pen & ink, sketchbook, writing | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Memory PenBBS

Posted on February 28, 2020 by D. Katie Powell


Thomas Blanchard was an online friend.
We traded watercolors, pens, and ink, and chatted on two platforms.

He knew I wanted this PenBBS and it was no longer available,
and was going to sell his to me because that was who he was…
He wanted to make people happy!
Oddly, he stopped answering me mid-conversation on IG.
It was unlike him, and I texted him,
and finally he answered me saying he’d been having medical issues.

Next thing I heard he died.

That was upsetting.  Our online friends can be dear to us and
he was one of those people I looked for, missed, and cared about.

Then I heard he committed suicide.

Oh.

I wished I’d known he was heading there.
Social media is a “happy” place, but maybe if there was a bit more reality
he’d still be with us… or maybe he was diagnosed with
something with which he could not live.
People tell someone, give people a chance to help you….

This isn’t his pen, but one exactly like it.
Another pen-person on IG read my note to his family
when they were selling his pens at an East Coast show.
His family doesn’t understand crazy artists or sentimental tools or any of that,
and so didn’t think too much about those of us who wrote to them.
Wendy offered this to me at a ridiculously low price.
I think of him (and her kindness) every time I use it,
It is filled with Robert Oster True Blue ink.  Fitting; Tom said he loved blue paint,
and gifted me with my first M.Graham blue.

Do you have a memory about an object
most people would not even think about?

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

“Memory is more indelible than ink.”
Anita Loos, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.
“I think not….”
Me… why I journal!

Hahnemühle Nostalgie Sketchbook,
PenBBS with Robert Oster True Blue ink,
Super5 Frankfurt ink in Pentel Aquash waterbrushes,
Platinum Carbon Pen with Platinum Carbon ink waterproof cartridges,
Tom’s MGraham blue and Daniel Smith watercolors.

   w15-6-27-gratitude-journal-003-sq

My images/blog posts may be reposted; please link back  to dkatiepowellart.
Note: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

☾

W14 4 27 WC PALMS PAT SQAs my Patreon supporter, you will have
access to some content not on this website,
sneak previews, goodies, discounts on classes.

I teach architectural sketching,
art journaling (art+writing), creativity, watercolors.
That annoying loud-mouth editor/critic in your head?  GONE!  How great would that be?

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

Killing Winter With Orange, Pens

Posted on February 26, 2020 by D. Katie Powell


Showing my orange pens some love — especially as
I added a new pen to the lineup, a bright orange Nemosine —
so cheery to use when it is grey skies for a month.

Beat the doldrums!
Kill winter with ORANGE!


I love orange ink too, but not enough to fill them all with orange, mostly because the clearest orange colors tend to be a bit light to write with everyday.

From top to bottom, above, they are filled with these inks shown below:
Diamine Ancient Copper ink (always),
Pilot Iroshizuku Yu-Yake Ink (rotates),
Sailor Mo Tangerine ink (new, not sure if I will change out),
and Pilot Iroshizuku Kiri-same ink (rotates).

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

“Memory is more indelible than ink.”
Anita Loos, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.
“I think not….”
Me… why I journal!

Hahnemühle Nostalgie Sketchbook,
Platinum Carbon Pen with De Atramentis Document Brown ink,
Lamy Al-Star with Diamine Ancient Copper ink,
Pilot Metropolitan with Pilot Iroshizuku Yu-Yake Ink,
Nemosine pen (no longer in production) with Sailor Mo Tangerine ink,
Edison Nouveau 1.1 stub nib with Pilot Iroshizuku Kiri-same ink,
Holbein and Daniel Smith Watercolors.

 

 ©D. Katie Powell.
My images/blog posts may be reposted; please link back  to dkatiepowellart.
Note: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

☾

W14 4 27 WC PALMS PAT SQAs my Patreon supporter, you will have
access to some content not on this website,
sneak previews, goodies, discounts on classes.

I teach architectural sketching,
art journaling (art+writing), creativity, watercolors.
That annoying loud-mouth editor/critic in your head?  GONE!  How great would that be?

Posted in art journal, calligraphy, cards, drawing, ink painting, journal, memory, painting, pen & ink, sketchbook, tools, watercolor, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

VSW: Whatcom Falls

Posted on February 25, 2020 by D. Katie Powell


View of the Whatcom Falls, near Bellingham, WA;
from an image on Wikipedia. 

Sketched with a Sailor Fude De Mannen Calligraphy Bamboo Angle 55 Degrees
pen with Robert Oster
Muddy Swamp ink.  The fude nibs have given me nothing but headaches, but maybe I finally got the hang of it — a little.  One thing I love about fountain pens is the many
nib variations with which
you can play.  One SHOULD be able to get a fine line and a fat broad stroke from the same bent nib.  If I can get
the hang of this I think I will love sketching with it!

Sailor pens take expensive converters, and so I am filling (reusing) the ink cartridges.  Unfortunately, it does mean is harder to swap ink colors — harder to get everything clean — in fact, it is one of the hardest pens I’ve ever cleaned, which I don’t like.

I’ve filled both of my Sailor fudes (55 + 45 degree) with two of the Muddy series, bottom.  These are beautiful muddied colors, and perfect for ink painting or sketching.  By putting them next to the bed, I hope to be able to sketch every night with one of them and get the hang of the nibs.

These are all the Muddy inks.  What is nice for you all is that Robert Oster
was so swamped by requests after he sold out of the special seven-color set,
that he opened the sales of the Muddy colors to two pack sets
(you choose the colors), shipping included, from his own shop.
I know I will want more of Muddy Dragon (looks like dragon’s blood) and Muddy Bucket.

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

“Memory is more indelible than ink.”
Anita Loos, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.
“I think not….”
Me… why I journal!

Hahnemühle Nostalgie Sketchbook,
Sailor Fude De Mannen Calligraphy Bamboo Green Angle 55 Degrees with
Robert Oster Muddy Swamp ink.

 ©D. Katie Powell.
My images/blog posts may be reposted; please link back  to dkatiepowellart.
Note: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

☾

W14 4 27 WC PALMS PAT SQAs my Patreon supporter, you will have
access to some content not on this website,
sneak previews, goodies, discounts on classes.

I teach architectural sketching,
art journaling (art+writing), creativity, watercolors.
That annoying loud-mouth editor/critic in your head?  GONE!  How great would that be?

Posted in art journal, creativity, drawing, ink painting, journal, landscape, pen & ink, sketchbook, sketchcrawl, virtual sketching | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

1584 by Hahnemühle Giveaway!

Posted on February 23, 2020 by D. Katie Powell

DRUM-ROLL….

And the TWO winners are:

From this blog post pull:

atoomre!

Our winner on Instagram is

stacy.hannon!

CONGRATS!  EMAILS ARE ON THEIR WAY!

BTW, they can be purchased at Wet Paint Art and Hyatt!

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

“Memory is more indelible than ink.”
Anita Loos, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.
“I think not….”
Me… why I journal!

 

 ©D. Katie Powell.
My images/blog posts may be reposted; please link back  to dkatiepowellart.
Note: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

☾

W14 4 27 WC PALMS PAT SQAs my Patreon supporter, you will have
access to some content not on this website,
sneak previews, goodies, discounts on classes.

I teach architectural sketching,
art journaling (art+writing), creativity, watercolors.
That annoying loud-mouth editor/critic in your head?  GONE!  How great would that be?

Posted in calligraphy, ink painting, journal, pen & ink, review, sketchbook, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Lojong 49: Resentment

Posted on February 23, 2020 by D. Katie Powell

I’ve studied through the slogans a dozen times in my life;
these are my musings on the slogan currently, what comes up on the day that
I am posting the slogan, not a formal interpretation.
For that reason they are less about straight Buddhist teachings,
and I think able to be shared with most practitioners of other faiths or no faith
(unless yours doesn’t allow you to read any other tradition.)
If you have time and the inclination, I published the WHOLE  thang here!


“#49: Always meditate on whatever provokes resentment.”

I love this slogan because it is a key to getting clear and more conscious and aware.  Whenever I feel irritation, fear — especially that type of fear that is in the future, not so much someone coming at you with a knife — or hopelessness, it is a cue for me to stop talking or reacting, and to listen to the other person.  If I can greet problems as opportunities to learn about myself and another person, I might be able to find a way to connect and certainly it will lower the anger level.  I might garner compassion for the situation, or them, or myself.  Those trigger feelings become ways to look inward.

Instead, when I am on my game, I stop, center, and reflect on
what is really going on in any situation.  I listen, really listen.
I breath in the resentment and send, on the outbreath,
an antidote to whatever I am breathing in.

This doesn’t mean I might not have a good reason to object to a situation, or to be afraid.  What it does mean is that perhaps I can handle it with wisdom.

Now on as separate subject, tonight as I was trying to create an great piece of art,
the Siamese that I belong to decided it was time for loving.
I have grown SO much.  At another time I might have been a
little annoyed at the timing, and found a way to push her away.
Now I let the love in and am thankful to have a cat that loves me this much
that she comes running and finds me every night when I am really in a creative mood.
I used to project that she didn’t want me to make marks,
that she just wanted all my attention.  When I dropped my annoyance
I realized that I am in the BEST mood when I am in a creative space or cooking,
and this is always the times when both females cats come to find me
and want to wheedle their way under my arm or wind through my legs.
They get that vibe, and they want some of that vibe!

I’m glad I am wise enough
now to appreciate the love!

In this weekly commentary on the lojong, I am interested in hearing about
YOUR life or how the lojong affected you or your practice awakening in some manner.
For more info about why, go here.

☾

 OE or OKINA NOTEBOOKS (my favorite journals, also known as Cadic)

Okina Journal, with pen and ink,
Opus 88 Koloro pen with Robert Oster inks: Muddy Bucket and Green Olive mixed.
Note: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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

“Memory is more indelible than ink.”
Anita Loos, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.
“I think not….”
Me… why I journal!

My images/blog posts may be reposted; please link back  to dkatiepowellart.

☾

W14 4 27 WC PALMS PAT SQAs my Patreon supporter, you will have
access to some content not on this website,
sneak previews, goodies, discounts on classes.

I teach architectural sketching,
art journaling (art+writing), creativity, watercolors.
That annoying loud-mouth editor/critic in your head?  GONE!  How great would that be?

Posted in art, Buddha, journal, lojong, meditation, pen & ink, ritual, tonglen, watercolor | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment