Abstract Horses - WIP

The canvas was flipped over.  More white, yellow ochre and a mix of the brown with both colors added, then wiped away in places after spritzing with water or waiting until the paint almost dried.  I now see a large white shape on the left and a smaller horse head touching that, to the right of mid-center.  I'll do negative painting behind those shapes that will become horses, then add line here and there for definition, using a subtractive approach with this work in progress.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2013 Kay Smith.

Abstract Horses - Work in Progress

 

Here is a 30x40 partially blank stretched canvas just sitting in the studio waiting for inspiration, so last week it was up on the big easel. My idea was to create simulated leather and rough rawhide texture by manipulating acrylics in brown and yellow ochre tones. I hoped to be able to discern horse shapes within the abstraction.  Using a 2"  sponge brush I applied Roasted Coffee by Valspar at random.

Next color was pure white.  In between spritzing with water and wiping with a rough paper towel, the paint smeared, ran, and blended a nice texture reminding me of western saddles, dry grass, and prairie lands.  After drying I added paint to all 4 sides, then turned the canvas around, up and down to find where to begin to pick out shapes that could be horses.  (Upper right is a north window glare).  Stay tuned for more to follow in this WIP.

Joyride - cat designated driver

6x6 watercolor and ink on Masters paper of my cat Midge learning to drive, painted a few days ago.  She is ready to assume responsibility for being the designated driver for those who need it on New Year's Eve Tuesday.  Midge will take you on a joyride for sure.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2013 Kay Smith.

Fleece on Earth

5.75x9.75 watercolor of sheep; a ewe and her two baby lambs wishing you all a Happy New Year and Peace on Earth!
Image is COPYRIGHT 2013 Kay Smith.

Best Pals - Cat and Chihuahua

6x6 watercolor and ink on Masters paper of a young tabby kitten and fawn colored chihuahua snuggling together on a cold winter's night.  I've posted the ink sketch to show how I set up the painting stage.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2013 Kay Smith.

Cat on Fence

6.5x6 watercolor of a longhaired cat sitting proudly on a farm fence.  This was painted yesterday on 140 lb Langton paper with Daniel Smith paints.  Tree shapes were scraped with bevel end of my brush into almost dry paint that has lost its sheen in distant background.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2013 Kay Smith.

Last Sunflower

6x6 watercolor and Micron 01 pen sketch of one of the last studio sunflowers planted in August.  They were photographed in various stages of growth for future references.  With this painting done yesterday I tried to focus more on the background and let that be its focus although strongest value is its head of seeds.  Petals and leaves were left alone for the most part.  When dry I used a tiny stencil to letter sunflower lower left.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2013 Kay Smith.

Winter Pears - Merry Christmas!

6x6 watercolor still life of pears on Masters paper, drawn with Pigma Micron 01 pen, from a market display seen last week while in the mountains.  Some evergreen and red berries complement the almost red and green only Christmas color palette.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2013 Kay Smith.

Polar Bear: First Day of Winter

8x5.5 watercolor of a sleepy polar bear at the zoo painted on Saturday, 21 December the first day of winter, while in the snowy mountains.  His zoo environment was concrete and couldn't help but feel pity he's not out in his own natural Antarctica icy terrain.  I featured this piece on WetCanvas! weekend drawing event (photo courtesy Jean).  I cropped the photo to show only his head and shoulders.
Image COPYRIGHT 2013 Kay Smith

Winter Wreath

8x5.5 watercolor of a Christmas wreath I saw outside someone's window.  Painted a few days ago on a trip to the snowy mountains this one just puts you in the spirit of the holiday season!  Support is Strathmore Visual Journal/watercolor 140 lb cold press.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2013 Kay Smith.

Tabby Cat Resting

6x6 watercolor and ink line using Micron 01 pen and Masters sketchbook done today of an orange tabby resting in his cat bed.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2013 Kay Smith.

Two Cats Zeus and Gabrielle

 6x6 watercolor and ink line drawing on Masters paper.  These two Maine coon cats belong to a fellow artist who gladly provided the ref photo.  Image COPYRIGHT 2013 Kay Smith.  Original sketch is posted below.

Ice Machine - polar bear

6.5x7.5 watercolor over partially gessoed wc paper of an imaginary large polar bear wandering through his icy terrain.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2008 Kay Smith.

Dalmation

6x6 watercolor and ink line with Micron 01 pen on Masters paper done a few days ago.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2013 Kay Smith.

Midnight Sky Santa

10x7 mixed media of Santa against dark blue midnight sky, just waiting on his reindeers to get ready to fly.  I drew him today with Micron 01 ink on Canson mixed media paper.  Media used was ink, watercolor, and Caran D'Ache wax crayons.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2013 Kay Smith.

Zebra Elements II

9.5x8 watercolor, brush only, the counterpart to earlier post yesterday of zebra anatomy; this is his nose and narrow view of his head and wider view of the neck.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2013 Kay Smith.

Zebra Elements 1

9x8.5 watercolor using brush only, no pencil, done this weekend so I'd have two zebra details loosely painted to go into a single frame. First I wet top side only of each of these Canson 140 lb papers, then with 1" brush smeared sepia watercolor and let dry for an abstract background.  Then choosing one of my zebra photos from a wildlife preserve I used my Zoomfinder to zero in on parts of the animal to draw with #8 round synthetic brush.  Here you see the animal's right eye and right ear, mane, and part of forehead.  Other colors used were UB, quinacridone burnt orange, yellow ochre, mint julep, and indigo.  Tomorrow I'll show the second one and it won't necessarily be the lower part of the zebra's head to follow along with this.  It may be the opposite side!
Image COPYRIGHT 2013 Kay Smith.

Snowman in Red Knit Cap

12x9 watercolor of a neighborhood snowman complete with coal eyes, metal mouth, carrot nose, and knitted toboggan and scarf.
Painted today on Canson 140 lb cold press paper this fellow wishes you a very Merry Christmas!
Image is COPYRIGHT 2013 Kay Smith.

Red Sky Snowman

9x6 watercolor, a quick study of a simple snow fellow on 140 lb paper.  Image is COPYRIGHT 2013 Kay Smith.

Elephant Stroll

7.5x9 gouache and ink mixed media on partially gessoed matboard painted recently of an elephant and her baby strolling along.  With their dull neutral colored hides blending into the landscape I added orange/red splatter flowers in the foreground.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2013 Kay Smith.

Cat in Santa Hat

6x6 watercolor over Micron 01 ink sketch on Masters paper done today of a cute tabby playing Santa.  Maybe he will come see YOU!
Image is COPYRIGHT 2013 Kay Smith.

Red Amaryllis torn paper collage

24x20 collage on canvas completed today after 2 more hours of getting all the values and colors correct.  I hope it reads okay! Thanks for everyone who has commented on this one so far; it was loads of fun.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2013 Kay Smith.

Amaryllis WIP step 4 torn paper collage

24x20 WIP (work in progress) continues with the background blues added today and other touch ups for about 2 hours time.  I'm not sure the large dark green leaf lower left is light enough.  On the monitor it appears too dark value, almost black.  But in real life it isn't. More yellow was added for stamens that were tiny lemons in the photo I tore up.  I still think Santa is a nice touch along with a torn word Believe.  Go Red for Woman phrase is also put at lower left of its red petal.  The other bloom behind it hopefully is not competing for attention.  So stay tuned and you may see its finish tomorrow or the next day; tomorrow are three Christmas parties, two at work and the third is our Big Spring Art Association.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2013 Kay Smith.

Amaryllis WIP step 3 torn paper collage

24x20 collage or red lion amaryllis work in progress continues with several hours done this afternoon.  I want the background more turquoise blue and the stamens to be more prominent.  There is a Santa within the petals; see if you can spot him.  Tomorrow this should be finished.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2013 Kay Smith.

Red Amaryllis WIP torn paper collage

 After 2 hours yesterday this is as far as I got with the amaryllis flower and leaves.  Paper scraps are torn and adhered with acrylic matte medium onto dry canvas, then the medium is brushed over the top.  Stay tuned to this work in progress collage.

Initial line drawing from life with black Sharpie on 24x20 wrapped canvas begun yesterday; this icy weather was perfect for the subject matter to do a torn paper collage.

Christmas Chihuahua

8x5.5 mixed media that began with ink sketch as seen below on Strathmore Visual Journal for mixed media yesterday.  Today I used Sharpie colored markers and watercolor to finish this Christmas chihuahua.  Image is COPYRIGHT 2013 Kay Smith.





Chincoteague Colt

9x6 watercolor on Canson 140 lb cold press paper of a young colt. I made a vertical vignette from the horizontal photo.  This is today's daily painting.  When I lived in Virginia, Chincoteague was a favorite place to go.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2013 Kay Smith.

Camel-flage

15x22 watercolor on 140 lb cold press paper of a decorated camel for Christmas, painted wet in wet leaving the background white.  I did this guy a few years ago and still think he looks regal and ready for a parade.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2010 Kay Smith.

Penguin Pair

7x5 watercolor on Langton 140 lb cold press paper, an imaginary scene of two penguins cavorting in the snow.  This work is SOLD.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2013 Kay Smith.

Caribou Crossing

9x12 watercolor painted today of a reindeer, aka caribou, crossing through the snow and evergreens.  This is painted on Daler Rowney Langton Prestige 140 lb cold press paper, wet on dry.  I really enjoy depicting various wildlife in snow settings.  This work is now SOLD.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2013 Kay Smith.

White Trees in Snow

7x5 watercolor and white wax crayon resist on 140 lb cold press paper by Langton/Daler Rowney.  I made random vertical lines then negatively painted a few tree shapes leaving the white of the paper for this imaginary landscape.  Some scraping for branches done with brush bevel tip.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2013 Kay Smith.

Blue Santa

11x7.5 watercolor on Canson 140 lb cold press paper painted last week.  I drew him in pencil from a large carved wooden Santa figurine bought years ago at a Ross store.  This work is SOLD.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2013 Kay Smith.