Tag Archives: Portland Oregon

USk: Out my New (Studio) Window

I have more space in my studio, and a new window.  It is pouring. My urban sketch today was out my new window looking east on NW Nicolai! All the spring greens against the evergreens, a riot of green and … Continue reading

Posted in architecture, drawing, landscape, pen & ink, pencil, urban sketchers | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Gratitude Journal: Chocolate Bunny

What is it about the power of a chocolate bunny? And more importantly, we’ve had SO many years without them because we stopped eating non-organic sweets!  If we are going to fill our bellies with sugar and all means of … Continue reading

Posted in art journal, color, gods and goddesses, journal, memory, pen & ink, sketchbook, watercolor | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Doc Youping Qin

Dr. Youping Qin is my acupuncturist.  My images here are part of a larger set, depicting the history of acupuncture and Chinese immigrants to Oregon.  (This post is about the painting, not the story!) Doc Qin has been a Portland … Continue reading

Posted in architecture, art journal, calligraphy, creativity, drawing, making a living, painting, pen & ink, pencil, portrait, process, sketchbook, urban sketchers, watercolor | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

Doc Zhou

Wanting to test some techniques for a more serious piece. I’m no portraitist!  But I practice, with a little help from my friends…  This sketch is way too pale to begin… Liking the darker colors… Wanting to frame and brighten… … Continue reading

Posted in art journal, painting, pen & ink, portrait, watercolor | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Restore Oregon on Vimeo

Special thanks to Drew Nasto for many of the images used that are not historic.   I agree to Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial 4.0 International License, which you can learn more about by visiting the site, or, visit my web page for … Continue reading

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NW Portland Industrial Sanctuary

Our studio sits in the NW Industrial Sanctuary.  When most think of a sanctuary they think of preserving bird and wildlife habitats, but there are other kinds of sanctuaries. Once this was a gorgeous waterway and lake , used for … Continue reading

Posted in architecture, art journal, commentary, history, making a living, pen & ink, sketchbook, urban sketchers, virtual sketching, watercolor | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

My Secret Journal: Eleven, Shellacking

Note:  I am writing a story/journal that I don’t want to show before it is published in full.  These are some of the illustrated pages in the sketchbook for the story. Shellacking an oak table in the first finish room; … Continue reading

Posted in art journal, drawing, furniture, journal, making a living, memory, painting, pen & ink, virtual sketching, watercolor | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Restore Oregon Endangered Places 2016, Painting the First Set

This is part of a series for Restore Oregon. Thanks to Drew Nasto, Craig Powell, and for the various locations for allowing me to use historic images to place into sketch format to commemorate the projects! This post shows the … Continue reading

Posted in architecture, art journal, journal, painting, pen & ink, pencil, process, sketchbook, virtual sketching, watercolor | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Restore Oregon Endangered Places 2016, Drawing the First Set

This is part of a series for Restore Oregon. Thanks to photographers Drew Nasto and Craig Powell, and for the various locations for allowing me to use historic images to place into sketch format to commemorate the projects! I hope … Continue reading

Posted in architecture, art journal, furniture, history, memory, pen & ink, process, sketchbook, virtual sketching | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Restore Oregon Celebration Dinner, The Event

Mitchell and I attended the Restoration Celebration to raise money for the the 2016 Most Endangered Places, and to hear the winners of the 2015 Demuro Awards, as the guest of one of our clients, Karla Pearlstein of Restoring History. … Continue reading

Posted in architecture, art journal, drawing, journal, memory, painting, pen & ink, pencil, series, sketchbook, virtual sketching, watercolor | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Restoration Oregon Celebration Dinner, Photographs to Layout

Mitchell and I attended the Restoration Celebration to raise money for the the 2016 Most Endangered Places, and to hear the winners of the 2015 Demuro Awards, as the guest of one of our clients, Karla Pearlstein of Restoring History. … Continue reading

Posted in architecture, art journal, creativity, drawing, journal, memory, pen & ink, pencil, process, sketchbook, virtual sketching | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Restore Oregon Celebration Dinner, Process

Mitchell and I attended the Restoration Celebration to raise money for the the 2016 Most Endangered Places, and to hear the winners of the 2015 Demuro Awards, as the guest of one of our clients, Karla Pearlstein of Restoring History. … Continue reading

Posted in architecture, art journal, drawing, painting, pen & ink, process, series, virtual sketching, watercolor | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Inktober, First week

I feel like I am cheating with this challenge in that my drawings usually begin with ink then watercolor is applied — though sometimes more ink is applied — hell, I dunno.  Feels like cheating not to do a separate … Continue reading

Posted in art journal, challenge, drawing, furniture, making a living, pen & ink, pencil, sketchbook, virtual sketching | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

My Secret Journal: Five, NW Neighborhood

(Note:  I am writing a journal that I don’t want to show before it is published in full.   I realized I can simply share some of the images without the writing;  These are a few blank pages that will … Continue reading

Posted in architecture, art journal, graphite, journal, memory, pen & ink, sketchbook, urban sketchers, watercolor | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

USk: Frank Ching, Gail Wong Workshop

I had the opportunity to meet the man who taught me more than most professors in college, and influenced my drawing style as a free-hand sketcher of the built environment: Frank Ching.  Architecture: Form Space and Order made sense out … Continue reading

Posted in architecture, art journal, class, drawing, journal, memory, pen & ink, sketchbook, urban sketchers, watercolor | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Commission: Dan

I was commissioned to create a portrait for a local man, Dan, who has been a great friend to many, going beyond the call of duty, and has a sweet soul. His friend (and mine) wanted it as a retirement … Continue reading

Posted in animals, making a living, painting, process, watercolor | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

USk: Meriwether’s Restaurant NW Portland

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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Palace Cakes

Good coffee.  Not Espresso but good coffee. Cake and coffee can do a lot to change your world! A bad day saved by Palace Cakes in Portland! Drawn in an Strathmore Mixed Media journal with Pentalic HB woodless pencil, Platinum … Continue reading

Posted in architecture, art journal, drawing, journal, memory, painting, sketchbook, urban sketchers, watercolor | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments