Flying South

5.5x8 watercolor on Strathmore Visual Journal 140 lb done a few days ago while out of town. A previous trip I had seen sandhill cranes flying so they were the inspiration for this simple landscape.  Note the repetition of the V-shaped birds with that of the trees.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2015 Kay Smith.

Chuy Resting

5.5x8.5 watercolor and ink of my grey tabby Chuy resting on his blanket back of the couch.  Drawn with Lamy Safari pen and Grey Noodler's ink on paper.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2015 Kay Smith.

Mandie's Pears

9x10.25 mixed media (colored pencils, watercolor, India ink) on paper done recently along with stamped letters.  Drawn from life, this pear was one my nephew's wife brought over the holidays ordered from Harry and David company.  Very juicy!
Image is COPYRIGHT 2015 Kay Smith.

White Pelican

11x15 watercolor of a white pelican recently painted and featured on WetCanvas.  The background was a real challenge due to all the grasses.  Some areas were negatively painted but overall dark values set off the lightest lights of the bird's feathers.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2015 Kay Smith.

Yellow Umbrella

5.5x8.5 watercolor and ink line on paper done recently for our monthly Watermedia forum challenge on WetCanvas.  This beach scene is a composition using two different photos supplied by host Valri Ary. The couple was in another scene.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2015 Kay Smith.

In the Pink

30x22 mixed media on Lana 140 lb hot press paper, an imaginary figure done from an earlier sketch.  For this I used ink, watercolor, and acrylic and finished yesterday.  It is one I kept working on until finally it clicked; I had a mulitcolored and patterned background that was competing with the costume so just painted over it all again in white acrylic.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2015 Kay Smith.

Dove in ink

9x10.25 ink line and gouache sketch done today to repeat yesterday's Sketchbook Skool assignment as I did not do the lesson right or so I thought.  I used an antique concrete dove, one of two mourning doves I've had for many years, and quickly did its outline in pale tan gouache.  When dry, a more precise wide black ink line was done with a marker, then with a ultrafine tip Sharpie pen put in the details.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2015 Kay Smith.

French Bench

9x12 gouache, markers, and watercolor on Cheap Joe's sketchbook done today for Sketchbook Skool assignment in "Seeing".  It was a fast and slow exercise.  This view is the AFTER version.

BEFORE version with only one gouache color and two markers.  I made my gouache lines too wide so lifted out that and painted in watercolor the local colors of the antique French bench.

Images are COPYRIGHT 2015 Kay Smith.

Bagel Chips

5.5x8.5 watercolor and ink on Masters; Micron 01 pen used.  This was drawn from life, the garlic flavored sliced bagel chips instead of toast for the first Sketchbook Skool assignment in "Seeing". I did not have a toaster at the studio nor bread so these had to be the art for today.  As it is my birthday I could draw what I wanted then eat the models.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2015 Kay Smith.

Coastal Cold

11x17.5 watercolor on Arches 140 lb cold press paper, brush only, done this afternoon, a coastal winter scene.  A partially frozen waterway can be seen mid-ground while distant and foreground snow is evident. This painting is included in this month's Landscape challenge by Wendy/WetCanvas.
Image COPYRIGHT 2015 Kay Smith.

Tea Kettle and Black Tea

5.5x8.5 watercolor and ink line with Micron 01 pen on Masters sketchbook featuring shiny metal tea kettle done today.  The black tea package and teabag are drawn from life today also, same size as they really are. I like the logo Farmer's has for their Sierra brand black tea and a spot of tea is just the thing for an afternoon pick-me-up.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2015 Kay Smith.

Humming Along

8.5x5.5 watercolor and ink line on Masters paper done today, an Anna's hummingbird nesting close to cherry blossoms with thoughts of spring...not yet! Too soon, but let's think of it anyway.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2015 Kay Smith.

Sparrow Secrets

11x15 watercolor on Arches 140 lb cold press paper drawn and painted yesterday.  A neutral background wash was applied after the bird was painted wet on dry.  Weeds and grasses were done when bg dried.  Lastly splattering in foreground with two oranges, one transparent pyrrol and the other Halloween orange, an opaque was put on as a finishing touch for this nature scene of a white crowned sparrow.
Image COPYRIGHT 2015 Kay Smith.

Studio Cat Studies

8.5x5.5 mixed media collage on paper completed yesterday of Jezebel, my studio cat.  The upper left area is a small square of her bathing, a quick outline using new Lamy Safari ink pen, just a gesture sketch really. The paper was used underneath different sketchbooks to prevent paint overruns.  It was too cute to throw away so collage was done, then an ink outline using Micron 01 pen of Jez sitting on kitchen table. You can see my drafting table to the left of her head and the green chair back under her chin.  Studio walls are a dull green. She was born in 2000 so will be 15 this year, still alert and active but very thin and sleeps more. Media used were watercolor, inks, and collage on Masters Sketchbook.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2015 Kay Smith.

Old State National Bank

12x9 watercolor/ink/collage on paper done today as part of a Facebook challenge to do a virtual sketchcrawl.  It was a much warmer day here in west Texas so I ventured downtown to the old State National Bank building who now loans its impressive architecture to pigeons instead of money to people. Drawn with Lamy Safari pen/grey Noodler's ink on Cheap Joe's sketchbook. Look closely and you can see one of those fake checks I turned over and adhered with matte medium...how appropriate. They come in the mail for thousands of dollars if you'll only endorse and cash for your business needs.  I've always loved the old building and its cement trim and dimly remember when it was open so many years ago on Main Street in Big Spring.  Walk north several feet and you'll be in the Railroad Plaza where Linda Rupard and I had our first studios.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2015 Kay Smith.

Country Barn in Snow

12x6 watercolor on Strathmore 140 lb cold press paper done as today's work. An imaginary scene leads the viewer into the vertical composition up a slight hill to the old deserted barn covered in nature's white blanket.

Image is COPYRIGHT 2015 Kay Smith.

Owl Outlook

8.5x5 watercolor done today with pencil drawing on Strathmore Visual Journal for mixed media as I thought I might add colored pencils or ink, but didn't need them.  Be wise, as this short-eared owl is, and always be prepared to use other media to get your point across if needed.
COPYRIGHT 2015 Kay Smith.

Martini Time

8.5x5.5 watercolor and ink on paper that is today's work, a small still life bar drink scene complete with olives, cocktail napkin, and colorful shapes in the background.  Now it has been maybe 30 years since I had a martini but with a birthday coming up on the 23rd I just might.  For old times sake.  For art's sake.  For just being old's sake, lol!
Image COPYRIGHT 2015 Kay Smith.

East Texas Foggy Landscape

11x15 watercolor on 140 lb cold press Daler Rowney paper done today from a few photos my friend Carole in east TX sent.  They are having foggy, cold days also.  Of course my version has more color than the actual foliage, trees, weeds, water and marshy areas.  The only real true to life depiction is the grey murky sky.  There's a small amount of negative painting as well in this rural winter landscape.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2015 Kay Smith.

Frozen Fog

9x6.5 watercolor and white wax crayon on hot press paper, an imaginary scene inspired by today's fog, freezing drizzle, and forecast of the same the next 3 days.  After yesterday's warm temps and sunshine, it is back to Old Man Winter.  For today's work, I used the white crayon for vertical tree lines on dry paper, then mixed neutral darks, popping in Coastal Fog and white gouache to move the paint around.  Colors used:  Alizarin crimson, UB, thalo blue (red shade), thalo green, sap green, quin burnt orange, indigo.  Barely letting each application dry, I charged back into areas with other brushloads of pigment.  Some splatters when almost dry of the opaques was done.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2015 Kay Smith.

Frilly Lily

15x22 watercolor on Italia 140 lb cold press paper/Daniel Smith and American Journey paints done today.  Our temps got to 69 F today so warmer days make me think of florals.  Also with so many sketches and mixed media lately I was afraid I'd lost my mojo with transparent watercolor.  Love doing white subjects with the medium and yesterday's white pelican will be shown tomorrow, also a watercolor, but on a quarter sheet 11x15.COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2015.

Cuppa Joe

5.5x8.5 mixed media on paper, today's work, patterned after a torn paper collage of the same imaginary cup and saucer.  I used Lamy Safari pen with Noodler's grey ink to draw, watercolor, and colored pencils.  Stamping done n left side to add the word 'java'.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2015 Kay Smith.

Alligator and Ground Squirrel

11x8.5 watercolor of an unlikely pair of wild animal friends.  The 13 lined squirrel is taking a ride on a slow cruiser on a hot summer day. 
Image is COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2015.

Tea Kettle

8.5x5.5 watercolor and ink on Masters Touch sketchbook paper done today.  I've been drinking a lot more tea during the cold weather then placing wet tea bags between pages of different sketchbooks that later will be developed.  Although this whistling tea kettle is an unusual subject, it was a lesson in values.  Mainly I used quinacridone burnt orange and ultramarine blue for the darks and greys.  Quin gold plus arylide yellow was used to paint the warm golden brass parts.  Reflections of the burners in the pot's shiny surface was fun, too.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2015 Kay Smith.

Oklahoma Longhorn

8.5x5.5 watercolor drawn in pencil which is today's work.  I photographed this fellow a few years ago on a trip to Oklahoma checking out the Chisholm Trail, but never had painted him.  Some negative painting is included in the grassy areas and I added storm clouds behind in the sky.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2015 Kay Smith.

Imperial Pink Poppies

8.5x5.5 watercolor and ink with collaged stems which is today's work.  After drawing the floral with Micron 01 pen on Masters Touch 70 lb paper, I painted the pink poppies first, then the mixed greens.  All that was left was the background and stems.  I thought why not cut out gardening text sentences in green if I could find them, and did, then collage onto dry paper with matte medium.  Dark background is quinacridone burnt orange and indigo with small amount of green gold.  Negative painting was done upper right mysterious poppy bud and below left corner.  This was total fun!
Image is COPYRIGHT 2015 Kay Smith.

January Snowy Landscape

5x7 watercolor on 140 lb cold press paper of first of the year snow along a country road. The sun has come out and promised clearer skies for those who wait.  We still have ice on our front walk so maybe soon it will be gone.  Colors used:  Quinacridone burnt orange and gold, UB, cobalt, Prussian blue, a mixed violet of alizarin and the blues.
Copyright Kay Smith 2015.

Sunny Window Red Geraniums

15x11 watercolor, brush only, no pre-drawing done today from life in my south studio windows.  I used Canson 140 lb cold press paper and #12 Escoda round brush only.  Although the sun was out our temps were in the 30s all day but it was enough to melt remaining ice patches.  My red geraniums are in a green plastic hanging basket and I've changed that to a clay pot here.  This is wet on dry direct method of painting.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2015 Kay Smith.

Crow's Nest

15x11 watercolor of three black crows wondering what is going on in their world.  Painted today, I tried to go for the loose look.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2015 Kay Smith.

Sugar Cookies

9x12 watercolor and ink vignette on paper of a cookie making session, with star shaped cookie cutter and wooden rolling pin. I used alphabet letters for ink stamping when paint dried.  Raw sienna, quinacridone gold, Coastal Fog, Grumbacher true red, UB, and white gouache used.  For the flour marks I left the white of the paper.  A New Year's resolution was to stop eating sweets but I'm dreaming of baking and lasted only about 10 hours before eating cookies.
Image COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2015.

Bicycles Cats Flowers and 30 Paintings in 30 Days CHALLENGE

9x10.25 mixed media collage done today in the midst of our ice storm as I'm thinking of Spring on this first day of January 2015. The bike is cut out and collaged as is the kitty basket.  Also collaged black & white paper (inside pattern envelope a bill came in) under the bike.  Flower pot is drawn in watersoluble colored pencils and is partly that and watercolor.  The first marks were from two teabags you can see above the flowers and below the bike.  Background is watercolor; marks made by rolling two wine corks soaked in paint then stamped their ends.  The ink bicycle was a beginning sketch that did not work.  I've just finished reading two new books this week:  Artist's Journal Workshop by Cathy Johnson and Journal Fodder 365 by Scott and Modler.
Image is COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2015.

Thirty Paintings in 30 Days Painting Challenge
Today is the first day of Leslie Saeta's blog exercise that I will be posting and participating along with about 900 artists from around the world.  You can see the activity HERE.