Tag Archives: #Portlandoregon

Happy Holidays

    This year we gave in to the cats, and bought a smaller tree: The Cat Tree. Call us wonky — or tired of the fight — but we covered it in cat toys and lights, and wouldn’t you … Continue reading

Posted in animals, art journal, Cat, painting, pen & ink, ritual, watercolor | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

USk: Playing Hookie

The stresses have been getting to us.  But not so the cats… and yet they loved that we spent a day watching movies and yes, I tried to draw them and asked that they hold still for a moment but they … Continue reading

Posted in animals, art journal, Cat, drawing, journal, memory, painting, pen & ink, virtual sketching, watercolor | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

USk: Portland Protests

It is hard to write about this, because frankly I, like many others, are struggling with depression about what is happening in our country and now, in our city. I’ve been far too depressed to make art of any kind. … Continue reading

Posted in art journal, current events, painting, pen & ink, portrait, urban sketchers, watercolor | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

Cats: Izzee Loves the Mouse Game!

There are aps on your phone to amuse your CAT!!! Every night when Mitchell gets on the floor to do his yoga, he also puts the ap on for Izzie.  She goes wild for them, especially this mouse running with … Continue reading

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Gibbs: All About the Food

Gibbs is all about the food! It wasn’t always this way, but Gibbs had a incident with Midazolam, a drug often used for sedation which led to personality changes.  (See the article on various drugs for cats and humans — … Continue reading

Posted in animals, art journal, Cat, drawing, journal, memory, painting, pencil, portrait, virtual sketching, watercolor | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

The Looseness Carried Over

The messiness and creative energy held over when I was in the studio the next day, and did a fast sketch. Since then I am trying to at least sketch daily; some days it doesn’t happen, but often it does, … Continue reading

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Blocked; a Friend Saves the Day

I don’t remember feeling this hopeless, and yet here I am. I hesitate to call it depressed because depression feels like a vague feeling, as in when you are not quite sure why, and I KNOW WHY: I feel hopeless … Continue reading

Posted in art journal, creativity, direct watercolor, painting, pen & ink, process, virtual sketching, watercolor | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Sofa Fabric

  We have a large hundred-year-old sofa in to be restored; the frame was badly broken, and all the buildup (stuffings) had to be replaced and re-engineered, because they were done wrong by a novice upholsterer, who changed the way … Continue reading

Posted in animals, art journal, flowers, furniture, painting, pen & ink, virtual sketching, watercolor | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

I Prefer Painting Over Virtual Artwork

I read a mundane op-ed in the NYTimes this morning from a writer I rarely read — and I won’t mention it because he’s a dweeb and I don’t want to be sued.  But the upshot is that he believes … Continue reading

Posted in acrylic, art, art journal, creativity, direct watercolor, gouache, ink painting, oil paint, painting, pen & ink, ritual, virtual sketching, watercolor | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Curry Chicken: Good Food is Good Medicine

One thing that is still available to us during this crazy time is cooking. Good food is good medicine. I think I made that up but who knows? Curry Roasted Chicken, YUM. Place chicken upside down in glass roasting pan.  … Continue reading

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DEQ

Gads I am glad I took my sketchbook with me when I last had our car smogged. The boredom and tedium of sitting, trying to be alert so I would move forward when they told me to was lifted a … Continue reading

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Yaman the HelperCat

Yaman is his Daddy’s best friend. Where Mitchell is, Yaman is.  If I can’t find Mitchell in the studio I look for our panther-cat to be sitting outside a closed door, waiting impatiently to be let in.  There is jealousy … Continue reading

Posted in animals, art journal, Cat, drawing, journal, memory, painting, process, sketchbook, virtual sketching, watercolor | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

2025 1 20 Rump

IMO the flag should be flown upside down and at half-mast for the next four years because we are in distress as a nation.  I won’t be stopping these rants anytime soon and if I do, then you should all … Continue reading

Posted in art journal, commentary, painting, pen & ink, virtual sketching, watercolor | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

How Do I Use My Journals? What Do I Write About?

Facebook recently alerted me to an anniversary of 10 years using watercolors in a sketchbook.  As a result a friend asked me how many sketchbooks have I gone through in ten years.  After counting, I found it is between 6-8 … Continue reading

Posted in art journal, commentary, creativity, gouache, journal, loss, meditation, painting, pen & ink, ritual, sketchbook, virtual sketching, watercolor, writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

How Many Sketchbooks in a Year?

Facebook recently alerted me to 10 years using watercolors in a sketchbook. I had to share that anniversary — it surprised me — and as a result I was asked how many sketchbooks have I gone through in ten years.  … Continue reading

Posted in art journal, commentary, gouache, journal, painting, pen & ink, sketchbook, urban sketchers, virtual sketching, watercolor | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

When a Creative is Cut Off from Social Media

This is a journal entry edited and expanded for you all to read; I edited it for readability. Instagram, and Facebook too, have been a game changer for me. I work full-time and run a business with Mitchell restoring/conserving various … Continue reading

Posted in art journal, commission, creativity, painting, pen & ink, virtual sketching, watercolor | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Cats: A Dive into Drugs

MY WARNING ABOUT SHORT-ACTING BENZODIAZEPINES: INCLUDING MIDAZOLAM AND OTHER “MEMORY DRUGS” Gibbs had a incident with Midazolam, a drug often used for sedation which led to personality changes.  This led us to taking responsibility for what drugs our cats use, … Continue reading

Posted in animals, Cat, journal, memory, virtual sketching | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Cats: Yaman

PS.  Yaman had a skin issue; that is why the bandage. I’ve been getting questions. I hope this two-page watercolor of Yaman has finally taught me a lesson, and it has nothing to do with the quality of Hahnemühle’s Nostalgie … Continue reading

Posted in animals, art journal, Cat, drawing, journal, memory, painting, pen & ink, process, sketchbook, virtual sketching, watercolor | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments