Welcome to the home of
Designs By Dorothy

Dorothy Powell
Artist and Designer
Anacortes, Washington

Here you can see a few of the orginal artwork notecards Dorothy has created and sold, see a sample of her paintings, read a short bio, and "what's new" updates on recent activities.

Click here to read the article about Dorothy in the Anacortes American (Wednesday, April 25, 2007).

ABOUT DOROTHY
      Dorothy Powell was born in 1921, at Camp Sherman, Ohio (a U.S. Army camp). Her father was a WWI veteran and her mother a housekeeper. Dorothy grew up and attended public schools in St. Louis and Kansas City, MO. When Dorothy was 16, the family moved to Los Angeles, California. On her very first day of high school in Los Angeles, she met another girl name Dorothy, and the two are still good friends, nearly seventy years later!
     Dorothy's father died when she was just 16, and she then went to live with her older sister, Margaret, while her mother worked as a live-in housekeeper for a family. After graduating from high school, Dorothy went to business college, where she studied bookkeeping and accounting. Immediately after finishing business school, she got a job working as bookkeeper for Powell Manufacturing Company, a major manufacturer of motor scooters in Los Angeles. (During WWII, Powell Manufacturing was called upon to manufacture parts and equipment for the war effort.) Hayward Powell (co-owner of the business with his brother Channing) began courting Dorothy, which culminated in their marriage in 1945.

      Dorothy and Hayward had three children, Linda, Alan and Brad. During this period, Dorothy studied photography and began working as a freelance photographer for the Sunday "Home and Garden" magazine section of the Herald American Newspaper (which served seven different communities in Los Angeles). Dorothy was an active member of the American Begonia Society in Los Angeles, and was always active in the kids' scouting groups, Little League Baseball, and the like.
      As Hayward began to retire from the business, Hayward and Dorothy purchased a fruit ranch in Southern Utah, and built a home there. In mid-1977, Hayward suffered a major stroke, and died in early 1978. A few months later, Dorothy, then 57 years old, began taking art classes at the local community college. This hobby began to blossom, and Dorothy won several local art awards, including "Best of Show" in the art competition at the Washington County Fair.
      Eventually, Dorothy moved back to California to be near her children and grandchildren. In 1995, she moved to Washington State, as daughter Linda and eldest son Alan, and their respective families, moved there.      

Dorothy's Greeting Cards...
Now in Washington State, Dorothy began creating and selling notecards featuring her artwork and photographs of the region, which are popular with tourists visiting the area. She is an active member and past-president of Artists Northwest, an organization of professional and amateur artists in the Northwest Washington area. In 2011, at Dorothy's 90th birthday, Artists Northwest honored Dorothy with a lifetime membership.
      Recently, she painted a watercolor of the local theatre building, which the theatre management saw in a gallery and immediately purchased. They then commissioned Dorothy to make notecards of the watercolor for their fundraising communications.
Dorothy's CD covers...
Dorothy's youngest son, Brad Powell, records relaxing classical guitar CDs as The Candlelight Guitarist. Dorothy has painted six of these CD covers (all shown below), as well as other artwork featured on these CDs. Click on the CD covers below for links Amazon.com, where you can listen to audio samples, read reviews, and order the CDs.
(they are also available iTunes, GoogleMusic, Spotify, Rhapsody, and all major online music providers):

The CDs at the upper right are part of a series called "Watercolor Odyssey," featuring Dorothy's watercolors, and original music mixed with nature sounds.
Faith Mountain musical selections:
  1. Faith Mountain (a Candlelight Guitarist original piece)
  2. For The Beauty of The Earth
  3. Morning Has Broken / Morning Mood
  4. Oh Happy Day
  5. His Eye Is On The Sparrow
  6. Amazing Grace
  7. Praise God, From Whom All Blessings Flow
  8. There Is A Balm In Gilead
  9. He's Got The Whole World In His Hands
  10. Be Thou My Vision
  11. In The Garden
  12. Down To The River To Pray
  13. Ave Maria
  14. Just A Closer Walk With Thee
  15. How Great Thou Art
  16. Be Still, My Soul
  17. Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring / Holy, Holy, Holy
  18. Swing Low, Sweet Chariot
  19. Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee
  20. When The Saints Go Marching In / Amen, Amen!
Sleepytime Special musical selections:

  1. All Aboard The Sleepytime Special
  2. Brahm's Lullaby (Cradle Song)
  3. Rock-a-Bye Baby
  4. Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star (with Rustic Dance)
  5. All Through The Night
  6. Hush Little Tuba (Instrumental Fantasy)
  7. All The Pretty Little Horses
  8. Duérmete, Mi Niño
  9. Raisins and Almonds
  10. Love Me Tender (Aura Lea)
  11. Ann and Andy's Ragtime Lullaby
  12. Too-Ra-Loo-Ra-Loo-Ral (That's an Irish Lullaby)
  13. Clair de Lune
  14. Oh. Sleepy Boy (Danny Boy)
  15. Frère Jacques (Are You Sleeping?)
  16. Beautiful Dreamer
Beatitude Bridge musical selections (all Candlelight Guitarist originals):

  1. You Are The Light
  2. Where Your Treasure Is
  3. Bring Forth Good Fruit
  4. Making Friends
  5. Behold The Birds
  6. The Crossing (Beatitude Bridge)
  7. For The Poor In Spirit
  8. Mourner's Comfort
  9. Meek Shall Inherit
  10. Hunger And Thirst After Righteousness
  11. Merciful
  12. Pure In Heart
  13. Peacemakers
  14. Persecuted For Righteousness Sake
  15. City On A Hill
  16. Seek And You Shall Find
  17. Go The Extra Mile
  18. Leave Tomorrow For Tomorrow

THANKS for visiting!