Tag Archives: USk

USk: St. Patrick’s Church in the Alphabet District of Portland

I love Saint Patrick’s Church in NW Portland. I drive by it all the time as it sits across from our bank. The Beaux-Arts church looks like it belongs in Italy, set into cobbled streets surrounded by a park and … Continue reading

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

Posted in architecture, art journal, drawing, journal, memory, painting, pen & ink, sketchbook, urban sketchers, watercolor | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Worldwide SketchCrawl USk: PSU Outdoor Market

Portland Urban Sketchers did not go on the World Wide Sketchcrawl today. After weeks of too hot weather this weather was perfect, a bit overcast, some sprinkles (Oregonians do not care about sprinkles) and cooler temps. I had work to … Continue reading

Posted in art journal, drawing, pen & ink, sketchbook, sketchcrawl, urban sketchers, watercolor | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

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

USk: Pyramid Juices + Schoolhouse Electric

Schoolhouse Electric is on Nicolai St. It’s been revitalized with a barista and a great home furnishing and lighting store. It was a hot day to sketch. Pyramid Juices was once made in Ashland Oregon before it was bought out … Continue reading

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

USk: MPF Conservation’s NW Neighborhood

I haven’t sketched outdoors much lately.  I wondered what I might make of our buildings. Our studio is in an industrial area in NW Portland. This is the approach from the freeway. We share space in the building with Portland … Continue reading

Posted in architecture, art journal, drawing, journal, painting, pen & ink, sketchbook, urban sketchers, watercolor | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

4th of July: The best part was the morning

We went to the PSU Farmer’s Market on the 4th of July, arriving when it opened as we wanted to avoid heat and crowds. It was lovely, cool under the canopy of trees and on the cool lawn.   We bought … Continue reading

Posted in art journal, drawing, journal, sketchbook, urban sketchers, watercolor | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Kursuwa Stad Aluminum Pencil Caps

Life was not civilized before the Kursuwa Stad Aluminum Pencil Caps came into my life.  No more broken tips on my pencils in my purse. No more graphite coming off my soft leads. HOW COOL IS THAT? I bought mine … Continue reading

Posted in graphite, review | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

USk: Glisan’s Painted Ladies

I drive by these painted ladies several times a week, always thinking I should give them a go.  The complicated details and the colors were a challenge for me to do loosely and not too “architectural.”   I wanted them to … Continue reading

Posted in architecture, art journal, drawing, graphite, painting, pen & ink, pencil, sketchbook, urban sketchers, watercolor | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

USk: Montavilla Sewing Center and DEQ

Mitchell sews on machines; I do not.  I used to follow him around for a while at the sewing centers and drive him crazy behaving like a five-year-old, then go sit with the husbands waiting for their wives. Now I … Continue reading

Posted in art journal, drawing, graphite, journal, painting, pen & ink, sketchbook, urban sketchers, waterbrush, watercolor | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

USk: 17th and NW Davis

I’ve approached these buildings, which are part of the St. Mary’s Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception complex, dozens of times.  Needing a break from bidding I stole away to sit in the car (easier to lay watercolors out) and do … Continue reading

Posted in art | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

USk: Kiva Tearoom, NW Portland

I braved another day of sketching with the intention to sketch people in a crowded place. There were few people in today — what? — Saturday in Portland? This post is a big deal for me because I am posting … Continue reading

Posted in architecture, art journal, journal, painting, pen & ink, process, sketchbook, urban sketchers, watercolor | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

USk: St. Honoré, Lake Oswego

I risked my weight loss diet and spent 90 minutes at St. Honoré Boulangerie to sketch while Mitchell went to a client’s home.  (Yes I did “break it — but only a tiny bit with a teeny chaussen aux pommes … Continue reading

Posted in art | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

USk: Drawing Around Portland

I haven’t had much time to paint anything this week but found moments in the car. Being back in a city is overwhelming in terms of the cacophony of lines and layers, rhythms and patterns.   (Yes I spelled that wrong … Continue reading

Posted in art journal, creativity, journal, painting, sketchbook, urban sketchers, watercolor | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

USk: Multnomah Sketchcrawl in the Pouring Rain

My first sketchcrawl with other people, the Portland Urban Sketchers; I’ve crawled around a lot by myself urban sketching!  Mitchell was the bravest, being new to sketching and now going today as well. It wasn’t raining, it was POURING — … Continue reading

Posted in art journal, drawing, memory, sketchbook, sketchcrawl, urban sketchers, watercolor | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

USk: Smith Tower, Vancouver, Washington

I had lunch with my niece yesterday and went an hour early to find an interesting building or scene to sketch.  As I was driving into the city of Vancouver I remembered the “beer can” building, looking glum and peachy … Continue reading

Posted in architecture, art journal, history, painting, pen & ink, pencil, sketchbook, timed painting, urban sketchers, watercolor | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Art Journaling: Miscellaneous Picks

Random sketches from my journal, continuing to play with the watercolors is the point. My confidence is growing; I am dropping into my best drawing habits from my teens and twenties.  While sketching my favorite coffee cup, I realized why … Continue reading

Posted in art, art journal, challenge, drawing, journal, painting, pen & ink, pencil, sketchbook, urban sketchers, watercolor | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 17 Comments

My “Business” Sketchbook: Webbing Stretchers

My commitment to documenting the upholstery studio is ongoing; a challenge prompted this watercolor sketch. I said no more challenges but this list is too much fun. I chose Mitchell’s webbing stretchers because they happened to be setting on his … Continue reading

Posted in art journal, challenge, drawing, furniture, journal, making a living, painting, pen & ink, sketchbook, urban sketchers, watercolor | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments