Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Lap Cat sketch

6x6 ink sketch done yesterday with Pigma Micron 01 pen on Masters paper. These quickie small works take no more than 10 minutes to do then add color later is fun.  I've painted cats sticking their heads inside milk glasses before.  It seems they'll do anything and are always asking "Got milk?" before it was a popular slogan.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2013 Kay Smith.

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Waif dog

8.5x6 watercolor of a small dog, rather sad looking mutt, right after a major tornado hit his town. I've no idea how his story turned out but he definitely is a waif for sure. He was in the corner in one of the news articles showing devastation and ruin, so hope he found his owner.
Image COPYRIGHT 2013 Kay Smith.

Monday, July 29, 2013

Sunday, July 28, 2013

Tripod kitty

12x18 watercolor of a sweet fellow named Tripod. As you can see, Jeanette has to hold him so he can bathe. An all white kitty with orange brown head markings, he wandered up to their farm and was quickly adopted and loved.
Copyright 2010 Kay Smith.

Saturday, July 27, 2013

Play it Again Sam (kitty)

15x22 watercolor on 140 lb cold press paper done a few years ago of white and black cat hitting the piano keys. I love painting white animals! Such a challenge! These paintings on half sheets take much longer than my quickie ink and watercolor daily works.
This work is SOLD.  Image is COPYRIGHT Kay Smith.

Friday, July 26, 2013

Hallie cat at the window

6x6 watercolor, ink and line wash with Pigma Micron 01 pen drawn on Masters paper and painted today. Hallie is a tortoiseshell kitty, just turning 2 years old, who adopted me. Never a fan of the mottled black and orange coat, I was reluctant to keep her, but her happy little soul sweetness bowled me over. Now if I can only get the other cat to love her.
Image COPYRIGHT 2013 Kay Smith.

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Fairy Rose - a mixed media figure

15x22 watermedia, mixed, on watercolor paper from a failed painting of a birdbath and geraniums.  I turned it horizontally then drew the fairy figure in ink, then using acrylics, leaving some of the original work showing through.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2013 Kay Smith.  This work is now SOLD.

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Reachin' for His Plate - cat pet portrait and ink sketch

6x6 watercolor on paper with Pigma Micron 01 ink sketch posted today with color added. I do like the raw graphic feel of a simple drawing but sure enjoy the vivid pigment when that’s included to complete the piece. This cat is reaching for his dinner plate.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2013 Kay Smith.

Ink sketch done yesterday of the same cat on Masters paper/Pigma Micron 01 pen.

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

Petticoats - Mexican Redhats

11x8.5 watercolor and ink on paper of wildflowers growing in our vacant lot.  Commonly known as Mexican red hats, these have so much character and different form and colors; their petals resemble petticoats.  From dark red to a red-orange, their vibrant saucy pigment dot the landscape, often growing in clumps.  This ink and line wash is my 3rd piece featuring their lively design.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2013 Kay Smith.

Monday, July 22, 2013

Sunday, July 21, 2013

Workshop on Florals

This is Linda LeTard of Atlanta, GA who flew in last week back to her home state Texas to take my floral watercolor workshop yesterday.  She is an awesome painter and interior designer, and it was a pleasure to work with her and the other artists.  Lucky for us I have a dark pink hibiscus blooming its head off at the studio so we used that as our model; individual blooms were so nice to use.

Saturday, July 20, 2013

Blush Wine hibiscus

22x15 watercolor demo of a pale pink hibiscus flower, done today for my monthly workshop.  Support used was Daler Rowney Langton Prestige 140 lb cold press paper with mostly Daniel Smith paints.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2013 Kay Smith.

Friday, July 19, 2013

Neiman Marcus calico cat

15x11 watercolor on 140 lb cold press paper, painted in 2010 from photos of friend Mollie’s longhaired calico named Neiman Marcus. You can see her above right in my blog heading.  Her image is now on my personal checks as marketed by Check Advantage in the calico cat section as seen HERE.
Image is COPYRIGHT Kay Smith.

Thursday, July 18, 2013

The Chewer kitty

6x6 watercolor and pencil done today with my rescue kitty Chester as the model. Always chewing on cardboard, I caught him with this box flap, just going at it.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2013 Kay Smith.

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

Mouse Slayer kitty

22x15 watercolor painted wet in wet of a friend's orange and white tabby cat. I did abstract the background for added punch. This work is SOLD.
Image COPYRIGHT 2008-2013 Kay Smith.

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

Jezebel Cat with Pink Collar

6x6 watercolor and line wash with Pigma Micron 01 pen on Masters paper, drawn before work this morning and painted quickly this afternoon. It is Jezebel, my studio Siamese kitty again, working her magic upon her adoring public and fans. One customer brings her fresh Alaskan salmon!
Image is COPYRIGHT 2013 Kay Smith.

Monday, July 15, 2013

Couch Potato Boxer Thor

6x8.5 watercolor pet portrait of friend Nita's boxer Thor as he reclined on the sheet covered couch.  This was painted on my short vacation to the mountains weekend before last.  COPYRIGHT 2013 Kay Smith (photo courtesy Vernita Bridges Hoyt).  This work is SOLD.

Sunday, July 14, 2013

Snarky Cat

6x6 watercolor and ink using Pigma Micron 01 pen, done last weekend while on vacation in the mountains.  I used only a black and white old photo of a very ticked off puss; you can tell by solid dark eyes narrowed and hissing mouth.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2013 Kay Smith.

Saturday, July 13, 2013

Friday, July 12, 2013

Staredown: Dog vs. Cat

6x6 watercolor wash and line using Pigma Micron 01 pen on Masters paper, done today.  These two are trying to see who can win a staring contest and my money's on the cat. 
Image is COPYRIGHT 2013 Kay Smith.

Thursday, July 11, 2013

Follow the Leader Horse

9x12 watercolor on Langton 140 lb cold press paper finished today.  These three pintos were one of many horses featured on WetCanvas in the Southwest/Western forum and ref courtesy Maria in Dallas.  In the photo ( I used a black & white copy) the sky was virtually pale and clear, so I added a thunderstorm and clouds.  Maybe this will make it rain.
Image COPYRIGHT 2013 Kay Smith.

Wednesday, July 10, 2013

Dachshund Working Tables

6x6 watercolor and Pigma Micron 01 pen. This homeless fellow makes his living begging scraps from tourists.  I've featured him on WetCanvas weekend drawing event; photo ref courtesy Gillian who shot it while visiting Cuba.  The red chair was not in the photo; I added weight to the left side plus color for balance.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2013 Kay Smith

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Psycho Pig

7.5x11 mixed media on Arches 140 lb cold press paper, drawn yesterday and painted today.  Media used over a failed watercolor background are Derwent Inktense pencils, Caran D'Ache watersoluble wax crayons, black India ink, and Pigma Micron 01 ink to draw.
A fun pig and a little crazy, hence the title of this surreal sow.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2013 Kay Smith.

Monday, July 8, 2013

Lazy Dog

6x8.5 watercolor and Pigma Micron 01 ink of one lazy dog taking life easy in his comfy bed.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2013 Kay Smith.

Sunday, July 7, 2013

Sunflower Bee

8x5.5 watercolor on Strathmore Visual journal paper, drawn and painted yesterday while in the mountains; this one is currently in our Watermedia challenge for July on WetCanvas in which we are studying insects.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2013 Kay Smith.

Saturday, July 6, 2013

Dog Waiting at the Steps

6x6 watercolor over ink sketch with Pigma Micron 01 pen on Masters paper, of a red setter waiting to go upstairs in a fictional house.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2013 Kay Smith.

Friday, July 5, 2013

Feed Me NOW! Cat Portrait

8x5.5 watercolor, recent demo for my student art class, of an impatient grey tabby wanting his dinner served and fast. It is painted on Strathmore Visual Journal mixed media paper and drawn with Pigma Micron 01 pen.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2013 Kay Smith.

Thursday, July 4, 2013

Lookalikes - dog and cat

6x6 watercolor and Pigma Micron ink on Masters paper done yesterday of two unlikely siblings who resemble one another in their patterned coats, two lookalikes who don’t know it. He might be a pitbull and she might be an orange and white tabby cat. This is an imaginary pair and hope they warm your heart.
Image COPYRIGHT 2013 Kay Smith.

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Old Town Spring, Texas HAPPY 4th of JULY!

8x5.5 watercolor drawn weeks ago after my trip to Spring, TX to take a Houston workshop.  Vernita Bridges Hoyt and I were touring the old town area when I took the photo that inspired this ink drawing (with Pigma Micron 01 pen on Strathmore Visual Journal).
I did leave out some extraneous details which did not enhance the final structures.  The piece has a vertical line dominance.  Old Glory is waving proud and free.  God Bless America! Happy 4th of July Independence Day 2013!
Image COPYRIGHT 2013 Kay Smith.

My New Check Advantage Designs-Fresh Summer Produce!

Detail from "Cantaloupe on Dragonfly Plate" watercolor 2012, as reproduced on Check Advantage artistic designed checks and address labels.  More selections are now online with this Wisconsin company who does amazing reproductions! To see other exciting printed art visit this link:
http://new.checkadvantage.com/kay-smith-checks
All my check designs are copyright Kay Smith 2013.

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Monday, July 1, 2013

Golden Cottage - house portrait

15x22 watercolor on Langton 140 lb CP paper with Daniel Smith paints done over the past 2 weeks as a commissioned house portrait in Australia.  Almost dead center is their lovely jacaranda tree with its delicate lilac colored blossoms and rose garden in the foreground.  This work is SOLD.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2013 Kay Smith.

Dry Desert Icons

30x22 watercolor on Kilimanjaro 140 lb cold press paper painted earlier in the month. I have painted this southwest landscape mission more ...