Tag Archives: USk

Blocked; a Friend Saves the Day

Posted on May 31, 2025 by D. Katie Powell

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 #artjournal, #artjournaling, #benupen, #danielsmithwatercolors, #directwatercolor, #HahnemühleNostalgie, #pacificnorthwest, #Portlandoregon, #regime, #regimefatigue, #robertosterink, #robertostersignatureink, #urbansketcher, #urbansketching, #waterproofinks, USk | 4 Comments

How Many Sketchbooks in a Year?

Posted on September 5, 2024 by D. Katie Powell

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 #artjournal, #artjournaling, #danielsmithprimateks, #danielsmithwatercolors, #foldingjournal, #foldingsketchbook, #HahnemühleNostalgie, #HahnemühleWatercolourBook, #holbeingouache, #holbeinwatercolors, #journal, #nwindustrialsanctuary, #nwportland, #pacificnorthwest, #platinumcarbonink, #PlatinumCarbonPen, #Portlandoregon, #robertostersignatureink, #sennelierwatercolors, #sketchbookcotton, #sketching, #urbansketcher, #watercolorsketch, #watercolourbookcotton, #waterproofinks, #zigzagjournal, USk | 3 Comments

When a Creative is Cut Off from Social Media

Posted on August 16, 2024 by D. Katie Powell

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 #artjournal, #artjournaling, #creativity, #danielsmithprimateks, #danielsmithwatercolors, #HahnemühleNostalgie, #HahnemühleWatercolourBook, #holbeinwatercolors, #pacificnorthwest, #platinumcarbonink, #Portlandoregon, #robertostersignatureink, #sennelierwatercolors, #super5ink, #urbansketching, #virtualsketching, USk | 7 Comments

Kakimori: Golf Palms at Night

Posted on November 28, 2022 by D. Katie Powell

Getting the hang of the Kakimori nib! ☾ 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 … Continue reading →

Posted in art, art journal, calligraphy, drawing, ink painting, painting, pen & ink, virtual sketching, watercolor | Tagged #artjournal, #artjournaling, #brasskakimorinib, #brownink, #dippen, #grayink, #greyink, #HahnemühleNostalgie, #HahnemühleWatercolourBook, #hahnemuehlepapersarevegan, #kakimorinib, #sakurapenholder, #sketchbookcotton, #super5ink, #urbansketcher, #urbansketching, #urushipenholder, #virtualsketching, #virtualsketchwalk, #watercolourbookcotton, #waterproofinks, stainlesssteelkakimorinib, USk | 2 Comments

Kakimori: OM

Posted on November 19, 2022 by D. Katie Powell

I continue to play with my Kakimori nibbed pens. I now have both the brass and the steel nibs. I love being able to change ink colors quickly by dipping, yet they hold more ink than a dip pen. My … Continue reading →

USk: NW Portland USPS

Posted on September 18, 2022 by D. Katie Powell

The USPS moved our office which was in the Alphabet District to another location. It is not a safe location, as it is deserted and is surrounded by homeless people (not that they are all dangerous, but they attract nutcases … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, art journal, drawing, journal, pen & ink, process, sketchcrawl, urban sketchers, waterbrush, watercolor | Tagged #alphabetdistrict, #artjournal, #artjournaling, #danielsmithprimateks, #danielsmithwatercolors, #HahnemühleNostalgie, #holbeinwatercolors, #nwindustrialsanctuary, #nwportland, #pacificnorthwest, #platinumcarbonink, #PlatinumCarbonPen, #Portlandoregon, #sennelierwatercolors, #urbansketcher, #urbansketching, #usps, #waterproofinks, USk | 2 Comments

USk: BOOM!

Posted on June 21, 2022 by D. Katie Powell

We weren’t at work long when we heard and felt a boom or crack, that is as close to the experience I imagine a bomb going off feels like. It nearly knocked me off my feet. The cats shot out … Continue reading →

Posted in animals, architecture, art journal, drawing, journal, process, watercolor | Tagged #bomb, #catswhowork, #interiorurbansketching, #nwportland, #platinumcarbonink, #PlatinumCarbonPen, #studiocats, #studiosketch, #transformerblew, #urbansketcher, #urbansketching, #urbansketchingportland, Alphabet District, art journal, Daniel Smith watercolors, Platinum Carbon pen, Sennelier, urban sketchers, USk, watercolor | 2 Comments

VSW: Walk to New Seasons

Posted on May 27, 2022 by D. Katie Powell

We sometimes walk to New Seasons Market in NW Portland from our studio. Snapped some images of our walk and sketched this layout across two pages. Before I started the watercolors, I used a diluted grey waterproof ink to place … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, art journal, drawing, flowers, ink painting, landscape, memory, pen & ink, urban sketchers, virtual sketching, watercolor | Tagged #brownink, #danielsmithprimateks, #danielsmithwatercolors, #getoutandwalk, #greyink, #hahnemuehlepapersarevegan, #holbeinwatercolor, #lamyjoy, #newseasons, #nostalgiesketchbook, #nwportland, #platinumcarbonink, #PlatinumCarbonPen, #Portlandoregon, #robertosterink, #sennelierwatercolors, #takeawalk, #watercolor, #waterproofinks, @hahnemuehle_global, architecture, art journal, urban sketcher, USk, virtual sketchwalk, watercolor | Leave a comment

USk: MPFC Finish Studio

Posted on May 3, 2022 by D. Katie Powell

Every so often I like to sketch our studio rooms. This is primarily my finish room, where I work conserving objects. I use our own mixed shellac and (primarily oil) paints to bring back dead finishes. You can see one … Continue reading →

Posted in art journal, furniture, journal, memory, pen & ink, sketchbook, urban sketchers, watercolor | Tagged #danielsmithwatercolors, #delrey, #Hahnemühle, #HahnemühleNostalgie, #holbeinwatercolor, #masonmonterey, #MPFCfinishroom, #mpfconservation, #platinumcarbonink, #PlatinumCarbonPen, art journal, Daniel Smith watercolors, Del Rey, finish studio, Holbein watercolors, Holbien, Mason Monterey, Oregon, Platinum Carbon pen, Portland, Sennelier, urban sketcher, urban sketchers, Urban Sketchers Portland, USA, USk, watercolor | Leave a comment

Sketching for Clientele

Posted on April 12, 2022 by D. Katie Powell

I LOVE documenting our studio life in my sketchbooks, and some projects are so sketch-worthy with their baubles and trims and bright colors! I also use my sketchbook as a way to communicate with our clients from time to time, … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, art journal, pen & ink | Tagged #brownink, #flexnib, #fountainpenrevolution, #fprhimalaya, #grayink, #greyink, #HahnemühlePostCards, #HahnemühleWatercolourBook, #hahnemühlewatercolourbookcotton, #hahnemuehlepapersarevegan, #himalyapen, #inkreview, #lamyalstar, #lamyjoy, #PilotMetropolitan, #platinumcarbonink, #PlatinumCarbonPen, #robertosterink, #robertostersignatureink, #sketchbookcotton, #super5ink, #twsbieco, #twsbilove, #ultraflexnib, #watercolourbookcotton, #waterproofinks, architecture, art journal, Daniel Smith watercolors, De Atramentis Document ink, Hahnemühle Watercolour Book, Holbein, Platinum Carbon pen, Primatek, Sennelier, urban sketcher, USk, virtual sketchwalk, watercolor | 2 Comments

USk: Studio Sketch

Posted on September 1, 2021 by D. Katie Powell

Messy messy studio as it was on August 23. I realize that by USk rules this doesn’t qualify as an urban sketch… but if someone else walked in to sketch our conservation studio it sure would! Yes, our desks are … Continue reading →

Posted in art journal, furniture, journal, memory, pen & ink, urban sketchers, watercolor | Tagged #eameschair, #equachair, #HahnemühleTonedWatercolourBook, #hermanmiller, #mpfconservation, #officesketch, #studiosketch, art journal, Oregon, Platinum Carbon pen, Portland, Primatek, Sennelier, urban sketchers, USA, USk, watercolor | Leave a comment

USk: Worst Nicolai Sketch Ever

Posted on June 29, 2021 by D. Katie Powell

Oh gads what to do when the sketching is not happening? I try to give my babies a fair shake and finish them, but this one I finally gave up on and splashed a little color on and called it … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, art journal, landscape, review, sketchbook, urban sketchers, watercolor | Tagged #danielsmithwatercolors, #nwindustrialsanctuary, #nwportland, #urbansketching, art journal, Daniel Smith watercolors, De Atramentis Document ink, Holbein, Portland Oregon, Portland Urban Sketchers, Primatek, urban sketcher, urban sketchers, Urban Sketchers Portland, USk, watercolor | Leave a comment

USk: NW Vaughn St

Posted on June 13, 2021 by D. Katie Powell

East street from NW Wilson by one block… flanked on both sides by homes similar to the ones on NW Wilson. Nice memories of buying Christmas trees for several years; no Christmas trees in June, so I took liberties with … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, art journal, drawing, journal, landscape, memory, painting, pen & ink, process, sketchbook, urban sketchers, waterbrush, watercolor | Tagged #artjournal, #Hahnemühle, #HahnemühleNostalgie, #middleofthenight, #nostalgiejournal, #nwvaughn, #pearldistrict, #Portlandoregon, #urbansketching, #urbansketchingportland, art journal, Nostalgie Sketch Book Journal, NW Portland, Pearl District Portland, USk | Leave a comment

USk: NW Wilson St

Posted on June 11, 2021 by D. Katie Powell

In NW Portland there is an area we often drive through on our way to other places, and each time I think about what a sweet neighborhood this must have been before the area around it become warehouses… At some … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, art journal, drawing, journal, landscape, memory, painting, pen & ink, process, sketchbook, urban sketchers, waterbrush, watercolor | Tagged #artjournal, #Hahnemühle, #HahnemühleNostalgie, #middleofthenight, #nostalgiejournal, #nwwilson, #pearldistrict, #Portlandoregon, #urbansketching, #urbansketchingportland, #victorians, art journal, Nostalgie Sketch Book Journal, NW Portland, Pearl District Portland, USk | Leave a comment

Inky Thots: Diamine Ancient Copper

Posted on August 23, 2019 by D. Katie Powell

From their website: “Manufacturers since 1864, Diamine Inks relocated to this state of the art factory in Liverpool in 1925, where they successfully carried on using the traditional methods and formulas for ink production. Over the years the company has … Continue reading →

Posted in art journal, creativity, drawing, ink painting, journal, pen & ink, process, review, sketchbook, tools, watercolor, writing | Tagged #ancientcopperink, #artjournal, #artjournaling, #diamineink, #Lamy, #lamyalstar, #lamystubnib, #lovethestub, #PilotMetropolitan, #platinumpreppypen, #urbansketching, art journal, buddha, echinacea, Pilot Metropolitan Fountain Pen, USk | Leave a comment

USk: Quimby UHaul

Posted on August 4, 2019 by D. Katie Powell

Every time I am sitting under the 405 freeway waiting to pick up Mitchell at UHaul, I think about trying to sketch the freeway overhead. ARGH! Not easy… So my first page was the drawing above… I usually sit facing … Continue reading →

Posted in architecture, art journal, drawing, journal, process, sketchcrawl, urban sketchers, watercolor | Tagged #alphabetdistrict, #danielsmithprimateks, #danielsmithwatercolors, #momentsketchers, #PlatinumCarbonPen, #Portlandoregon, #portlandurbansketcher, #quimby, #underthe405freeway, #urbansketcher, #urbansketching, #watertower, Alphabet District, architecture, art journal, Daniel Smith watercolors, Platinum Carbon pen, Sennelier, urban sketchers, USk, watercolor | Leave a comment

Crescent Moon

Posted on July 10, 2019 by D. Katie Powell

Fast ink sketch of Rosh Chodesh, the first night we saw the crescent moon. All those colors came out of Robert Oster Thunderstorm ink! I am still finding the ink to have a life of it’s own… so the idea … Continue reading →

Posted in art journal, creativity, drawing, ink painting, journal, painting, pen & ink, process, sketchbook, watercolor, writing | Tagged #artjournal, #artjournaling, #crescentmoon, #inkpainting, #robertosterink, #roshchodesh, #thunderstorm, #ultraflexnib, #uskportland, art journal, crescent moon, USk | Leave a comment

USk: Cherry Blossoms in Tom McCall Park

Posted on April 7, 2019 by D. Katie Powell

Many parts of Portland smells sweeter, floral right now. Puffy trees line the parks and streets, looking like bridesmaids. They are so delicate… This year the rains came later and that is good… blossoms stayed put for days! I had … Continue reading →