Hi friends, I've started migrating the blog over to a new location since the spam volume on this website has gotten rather overwhelming and discouraging.
So if you'd like a new sketchblog post about fractals and pesky scanners, head for my new sketchblog: katura-art.blogspot.com!

( Read more... )

Lobster mushrooms, that is! Work in progress for Mount Pisgah Arboretum's 30th annual Mushroom Festival poster & t-shirts.


( Read more... )

( Read more... )

Did I mention that I went to Europe this past winter? I've been itching to share the doodles that I did abroad, but on my return I've been so busy preparing for spring and summer events (the Wildflower Festival and the GNSI Annual Conference, respectively) that I haven't found as much time for blogging as I would have hoped. However, the very short ( Read more... )

I love using my travel watercolor kit to paint on the road, or on a hike, or just out and about in general. I recently concocted a funny little device to help me keep my favorite brushes and a paint rag on hand, so that when I grab the kit, all of the tools I want are ready and waiting. Behold my new "watercolor cozy!"


( Read more... )

So it turns out that, every Monday night the charming town of Eugene, it's Muse Arts Night at a local coffee shop. Musicians come out to play and a gaggle of artists drop in to sketch them as they perform. Got wind of it because one of my favorite local bands, Aeon Now, was performing this past Monday and put the word out on their mailing list. I ( Read more... )

Have been pet-sitting for some friends who are traveling. Had almost forgotten how fun it is to have critters on hand when the mood to doodle strikes.


( Read more... )

Remarkable number of clear days smiling upon us this winter in Oregon. (Which makes it colder, but the Vitamin D is still much appreciated.) Late this afternoon, the mostly-clear day was transformed by a passing rainstorm. I tried to catch some of the effects of the clouds and light with my watercolors.


( Read more... )

Here’s another look at the recent project oak tree project for TreePeople. The overall story was that rain falling on a tree gets captured in the canopy and funneled down to the aquifer as it drips down the branches and trunk to the roots-essentially, that trees function as water-storage tanks during a rainstorm ( Read more... )

One of the things I love about being an illustrator is that it gives me an opportunity to look at my everyday surroundings with new eyes. This past September, I was invited to work on a project for TreePeople, a wonderful non-profit urban forestry organization in Los Angeles. The central image of the illustration was an oak tree-not a specific tree ( Read more... )