October Snowy Owl

8x5.5 watercolor on Strathmore Visual Journey for watercolor done Sunday this week while on a trip, a snowy owl against an abstract nature background.  Painted wet on dry with Winsor Newton travel set this imaginary scene was showing the wise fellow with October's colors surrounding him.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2014 Kay Smith.

Handsome Buck - mixed media

9x12 mixed media (watercolor, acrylics, Caran D'Ache crayons) done for WetCanvas Weekend Drawing Event on 10/25/14 where participating artists have 2 hours to select a photo, draw, and paint then post their results in the All Media Art Events forum/channel.  I chose a nondescript young buck and tried to jazz him up using various media on an abstract background.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2014 Kay Smith.

Tulips for a Friend

4.5x4.5 watercolor of three red and variegated tulips painted on 140 lb cold press paper yesterday; I used more than one photo of different varieties of the bulbs.  This work is SOLD.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2014 Kay Smith.

Old Rusted GMC Truck

11x15 watercolor painted last week based on an earlier version of an old Jimmy, also sold, with this one a bit more green.  Foliage is layered and I used negative painting for the branches, twigs and stems flanking the old rusty truck.  I love the twin bullet holes in its ancient windshield along with telephone poles reflection.  This image is SOLD.
COPYRIGHT 2014 Kay Smith.

Sunflower Time

8.5x5.5 watercolor and ink line on Masters paper done last week while working on Sketchbook Skool assignments.  After a line drawing was done using Micron 01 pen I added the word 'sunflower' around the composition, then loosely splashed various warm golds and ochres across its face.  Cools were put in next and no form was followed.  I could go back with a darker color and do the background to make the flower stand out for a different look.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2014 Kay Smith.

Plains TX Motel Sign

8.5x5.5 watercolor and ink line with Micron 01 pen I sketched last Friday passing thru Plains, Texas with good friend and fellow artist SuzyPal.  I liked her version much better but this old sign was begging to be painted.  As part of Sketchbook Skool, we had to go outside with a buddy and do some art so this subject fit the bill.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2014 Kay Smith.

Charming Chickadee

6x4 watercolor of a charming blackcapped chickadee on an abstract background...I'm back to my series of doing those sweet little fellows.  This one will go into a white scrollwork frame with no mat.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2014 Kay Smith.

Trick or Treat!

5.5x8.5 watercolor and ink line (Pigma Micron 01 pen) drawn on Masters Touch sketch paper today, inspired by all the latest Halloween decorations.  Fun yet spooky, let these pleasing pumpkins smile your worries away while the black cat and bats gather for a midnight rendevous.  The large spider is busy spinning its web to catch us all in this happy, haunted tree.  Happy Halloween to all my blog followers and customers!
Image is COPYRIGHT 2014 Kay Smith.

Mischievous Mice

11x15 watercolor imaginary scene in which I drew mice from several small figurines I'd bought for Halloween.  They are discussing which wine to have with their large wedge of sharp cheddar cheese and gossiping about the day's events.
Image is COPYRIGHT Kay Smith.

Old Lamesa Truck (demo Big Spring Art Association)

11x15 watercolor on Kilimanjaro 140 lb cold press paper/Daniel Smith pigments, painted last night for Big Spring Art Association.  Meetings are every third Tuesday at 7 pm, basement Howard County Library in Big Spring, TX.   The old rusted shell of a truck may be 30s or 40s but is vintage vehicle for sure.  I've reversed it from earlier versions, eliminated distant distracting houses, telephone poles and old junk.  Image is COPYRIGHT 2014 Kay Smith and can be seen for purchase on my Daily Painters gallery site (link in right sidebar).

Dried Red Chile Pepper

5x7.5 colored pencils (watersoluble) on Moleskine paper completed last night for Sketchbook Skool homework; unsure if I'll add water to this one to watch the pencils become liquid.  Our lesson was to try dry media in a graphic way drawing from life.  This very old pepper pod was taken from a chile ristra I bought in New Mexico and is very dark red and not this bright red.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2014 Kay Smith.

Pelican Post

5.5x8.5 watercolor on Masters paper done a few days ago while on a trip.  I love pelicans and this fellow was not budging from his post he was perched upon.  Reference courtesy WetCanvas Animal & Wildlife forum/October challenge.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2014 Kay Smith.

Eastern Horse

5.5x8.5 watercolor and ink line on Masters Touch sketchbook done while in the mountains last week as part of Sketchbook Skool.  The assignment for homework was to sketch objects around you so I chose to do the head of an Eastern or Asian horse figurine I'd bought.  Text was added at the end for its mane; neutral colors were the leftovers on my palette while the background is transparent pyrrol orange by Daniel Smith paints.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2014 Kay Smith.

Woody Dog (JRT)

5.5x8.5 gouache and ink line on Masters paper done today for a WetCanvas Weekend Drawing Event hosted by Kathy.  Woody is her dog.  We were to complete a painting in 2 hours or less and this one is 1 hour plus 10 minutes to draw with Micron 01 pen.  We decided to do a tribute to fellow artist Deano who passed away last week, a wonderful guy and contributing painter on the site. His blog, Deano's Den Gallery, is a memorable way to view his work.  He always did 5x7 oils with red underpainting, so this Jack Russell terrier has a red gouache first layer.  Rest in peace, Deano, you are missed and the world is a little less colorful now.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2014 Kay Smith.

Racy Ranunculus

5x7.5 watercolor over ink line on Moleskine paper done last night.  This grouping of various ranunculus was predominantly yellow orange with a few pinks and red thrown in for racy color.  These flowers at first glance resemble roses but their thick stems don't and their blooms are like poppy pods.  This work is now SOLD.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2014 Kay Smith.

Drink Coffee

8.5x5.5 watercolor and ink line on Masters paper, using Micron 01 pen done yesterday as part of Sketchbook Skool week assignments.

Image COPYRIGHT 2014 Kay Smith.

Fall Aspen Color

12x6 watercolor on Strathmore 140 lb paper painted yesterday while in the mountains. In this imaginary scene the tall trees tell us that fall color is here to be savored and sampled until the first frost. Embrace autumn for nature's plentiful palette!

Image is COPYRIGHT 2014 Kay Smith.

Acorns and Fall Leaves

5.5x8.5 watercolor and ink line with Micron 01 pen drawn from life, fallen acorns and leaves, a few days ago. This is another in my Sketchbook Skool in the Beginnings assignment.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2014 Kay Smith.

Old Blue Shutters

8x5.5 watercolor outdoors scene featuring old blue shutters, potted plants on a table.

Image is COPYRIGHT 2014 Kay Smith.

Avocado

5.5x8.5 watercolor, ink, colored pencil illustrated sketch for Sketchbook Skool completed last night on Masters Touch paper. Our homework is to draw everyday objects then add text if needed. This is in the Beginnings section.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2014 Kay Smith.

Scarecrows

22x15 watercolor on gessoed matboard drawn from two dollar store scarecrows I bought several years ago.  I had them set up in a patch of Maximilian sunflowers along my studio fence so they looked right at home doing their job of scaring crows away.
Image COPYRIGHT Kay Smith.

Spider Plant in Polkadot Cup

5x12 watercolor and gouache with ink on Moleskine watercolor sketchbook done today.  It's the first assignment with "Beginnings" in Sketchbook Skool. The 6 week course has different instructors and this lesson was on creating something you love by well known artist Danny Gregory. It will be uploaded to their site on or before October 17, when the next course starts.  With this exercise, you use a warm watercolor randomly applied wash, let dry, then apply a cool gouache color, let dry, then draw your subject with black medium tip ink pen (Faber Castell).  Fill in areas with black then add text or other patterning.  Lastly add white pencil then white gouache splatters.  I've been curious about Sketchbook Skool so this is a fun endeavor; I did not start it last Friday so will have to play catch up.
The large polkadot cup has blue and green dots with white background and its saucer is white with blue rim in this illustrated journaling.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2014 Kay Smith.

Lollipop Flowers

15x22 mixed media collage on matboard of iconic round imaginary flowers resembling lollipops.  I've used dollar store gift wrap with bubble wrap stamping in acrylics with layers.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2010 Kay Smith.

Fantastic Fox

12x4 watercolor on Canson 140 lb cold press paper drawn and painted today, inspired by photos I took of a fox in the studio's backyard a few years ago.  This fellow is feeling fine and fantastic.  He is surveying his snowy domain, those sly, slitted eyes watching for the slightest movement of unsuspecting prey.Image is COPYRIGHT 2014 Kay Smith.

Snow Dog

11x15 watercolor on Canson 140 lb cold press paper, drawn and painted today.  An imaginary background and foreground were put in to go with my white dog photo that was actually a water scene.  An upcoming exhibition  theme is animals in snow, hence the winter environment and landscape.  I love to paint white subjects in watercolor.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2014 Kay Smith.

October Owls

8.5x5.5 watercolor and ink line using Pigma Micron 01 pen on Masters Touch paper drawn yesterday and painted today from two barn owl figurines.  After I started collecting the wild birds I realized how popular they are and how very intriguing.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2014 Kay Smith.

Electric Elk

 8.5x6 colored pencils on ColorSketch grey toned paper drawn Friday and finished today.  I like using dry media as it is faster and gives some amazing results.  Colored pencils are as pictured below with my first 3 on the right, Magic Pencils by Koh-i-noor, available at Michael's stores.  Newer product on the left are also swirled leads of different colors at WalMart.  They are not watersoluble.  Both elk antlers are done with two separate pencils and just look at the variation in each.  If you like to try other art supplies these may be just the thing!
Image is COPYRIGHT 2014 Kay Smith.

Red Anjou and Yellow Bartlett Pears

16.5x20 watercolor on Canson 140 lb cold press paper of red and yellow pears that I set up and photographed last Sunday in a yellow and green ceramic compote.  Yellow is the one color you cannot darken so it is a really difficult task for the artist to manage getting values down to the levels they should be seen.  There is also nice bounce light into the pears shadows as well as the dish coming from the southeastern window sunlight.  Altogether the colors interplay well with primaries red, blue and yellow with cool greens in a small supportive role.  This work was done for Painting Friends October pears online challenge.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2014 Kay Smith.

Tuxedo Tulips

18x14 watercolor of three imaginary tulips painted awhile back that is SOLD. 
With this one, I had placed tall green leaves behind the blooms and they were not very prominent, so I made a mixed black (alizarin + thalo green) and darkened the background.  Still visible are tiny specks of other colors.
Image is COPYRIGHT Kay Smith.

Spooky Old Barn

10x14 watercolor painted on 140 lb cold press paper of an abandoned barn, falling down bit by bit as the years encroach upon its once proud facade.  This was done around Halloween in 2009 so you can see by pigment choices the time of season; a solitary existence of this old structure setting a somber mood.  Also it was a timed exercise in under 2 hours.
Image is COPYRIGHT Kay Smith.

Zebra - Splendor in the Grass

22x15 watercolor on 140 lb cold press paper painted from one of my wildlife park photos of a zebra eating his grass.  This work sold at its first show.
Image is COPYRIGHT Kay Smith and is SOLD.