Bowed Heads sunflowers

20x26 watercolor on Yupo of a group of sunflowers bowing heads before worshiping the sun and fading with time.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith

Haltoms on Main Ft. Worth

7.5x5 watercolor over ink line sketch, a plein air drawing done on a recent trip to Ft. Worth, TX downtown area.  Color was added back in the studio.  This is where I sat in Sundance Square by the fountains looking north.  Micron 01 pen used to sketch on Moleskine for watercolor sketchbook.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

Rooster in pen & ink

9x6 using Pigma Micron 01 pen on Canson watercolor paper done this afternoon using one of my black & white rooster photos of a close up view.  This fellow looks quite menacing in a profile.  One of my neighbors is having rooster comb injections in her knee, which prompted me thinking about sketching one of the fine feathered fowl.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

All about Orange

7x5 alcohol inks on Yupo synthetic paper, an abstract done last week with only a few colors of orange, yellow, blue-green and green.  To me this resembles the fiery desert environment of cactus, heat, and sun.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

Lazy Lab Mix

9x12 watercolor pencils on Canson 140 lb cold press paper, a recent sleeping yellow lab mix dog that belongs to another artist.  After sketching in the dog with wc pencils, water was added.  You can see his paws bent close to his neck.  The blue around head and body was the owner's sweater.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

Rose-breasted Grosbeak

7x5 watercolor over ink line using Micron 01 pen on old discarded novel page paper.  The ink sketch was done first about a week and a half ago, then color was added later.  I did use white gouache on its breast under the red area.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

Fig Newtons and Grapes

12x9 mixed media on paper done today as part of a 2 hour timed event on WetCanvas.  I used an old abstract as the basis, drawing with Micron 03 pen outlines of white coffee cup and saucer, grapes, and fig Newtons.  Watercolor used first and was not strong enough, so I used gouache, then acrylics for more bold color.  Patterns were created within the abstraction and cool colors of blue and turquoise added to offset the hot colors.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

Shastas

22x30 watercolor on Arches 140 lb cold press paper, another one of my fractured images shown in divided vertical sections that together would make a whole.  I used one of my photographs of an orange yellow shasta daisy and cut it into fifths.  Then each part was drawn in pencil on corresponding area and painted as if each was its own painting.  Each vertical is a different measurement; no two are alike, but all are in scale.  I have done several of these and they always sell, probably due to uniqueness.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

Shallots

8.5x5.5 watercolor and ink line using Micron 01 pen on Bienfang for mixed media sketchbook done last weekend.  A full ink sketch was done first then color added later for some drama amongst the onion stems.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

Cedar Waxwing in Inks

6x5 alcohol inks on foamcore board with Pigma Micron 01 pen sketch in black ink on top, done today. Some crosshatching of line used to fill in dark areas of the bird's mask and wing.  Ink underpainting used yellow, pink, pale green and blue in an abstract manner.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

Apple Trio

6x8 watercolor and ink line on Stillman & Birn Zeta series sketchbook done last week, a simple still life of three apples with dramatic shadows in an imaginary setting.  Pitt XS pen by Faber Castell used to draw outlines.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

Monday Poppies

5x6 alcohol inks on white foamcore board done last Monday using only a few colors of ink.  The two reds were going to be something else until I added a dark color called Eggplant at the bases of each.  Then they appeared to be more floral than fiery, especially when stems were put in using an old dry felt tip marker.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

Redhot Pokers ~ an early work

11x9 watercolor, an older work from 1993, the year I started learning how to use the medium.  This is a scene from Ruidoso, New Mexico in the upper canyon where we were at the time.  Then I used masking fluid on the poker leaves that I no longer mess with now.  This landscape is in my mother's private collection and is not available.
Image COPYRIGHT Kay Smith.

Blue-eyed Kitty

11x14 watercolor on Kilimanjaro 140 lb paper done a few days ago.  This lovely cat belongs to another artist's friend, so do not know its name.  Very faint peach color tabby markings are on its head with the lilac points indicating a Siamese parent.  The white mask and chest give beautiful tones to this kitty along with the vivid blue eyes.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

Frilly Red Flower

6x4 alcohol inks on  professional photo paper, an exercise in abstraction using a few colors or red, gold, and green inks by Ranger and canned air.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

I'm into Irises

12x9 watercolor and Brusho on Canson 140 lb cold press paper done today, an imaginary garden scene of purple pink irises. I first spritzed a fine mist of water over the paper then shook purple Brusho crystals over the iris blooms.  A pale green mixed of yellow, quin gold, ultramarine blue was washed over the background, and when dry, I came back in with a darker value mix and did negative painting for leaves and stems.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

Fat Cardinal

6x8.5 watercolor and Faber Castell Pitt XS pen on Color-Sketch paper done last week, a whimsical look at a fluffy, fat male cardinal sitting out on his branch or twig.  I love doing these fun birds in art, a common sight outside my windows.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

Parrot Tulip Blend

30x22 watercolor on Lanaquarelle 140 lb hot press paper done previously.  After painting so many pet portraits lately I thought it was time for a spring floral!  You can see them blowing in the wind.  Personal photo refs used.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 KAY SMITH.

Frilly Indigo Flower

7x5 alcohol inks on Yupo synthetic paper done last week, another in my abstract ink floral series.  With this one I started with Willow, a very pale transparent soft green, added blending solution then Indigo blowing towards the top using canned air.  Lastly the stem was made using an old dried up felt tip marker moistened with Botanical ink and Lime Green ink.  Edges cleaned using 91% alcohol on tip of a cotton swab applicator.  No pencil drawings are done first using this medium.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

Hardworking Hummer

9x12 watercolor on 140 lb cold press Canson paper done recently of another busy hummingbird seen outside; background is imaginary and painted wet in wet to blur outlines.  This ruby-throated fellow was visiting my front yard feeder in New Mexico.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith

Fiery Red Cactus

4x5 alcohol inks on professional photo paper sheet done a few days ago, another abstract appearing floral design.  This one is made with two reds, a yellow, and one green ink.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith

Fluffy Female Cardinal

11.75x8.5 watercolor on matboard done this afternoon with no pre-drawing or reference used, only a brush and my imagination.  I have been watching hummingbirds and cardinals outside and when I found an used piece of mat already prepared with gesso the opportunity was too good to pass up.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

Hidden Hearts abstract

22x30 acrylic on Kilimanjaro 140 lb cold press paper, an abstract design that has numerous heart shapes hidden within its composition.  See if you can spot them all.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

Blackie cat

5x8 watercolor, another cat pet portrait companion piece to Queenie cat posted yesterday.  This is painted on 140 lb Saunders wc paper using Daniel Smith paints.  Blackie sits in a Victorian era ornate chair, quite at ease with himself in his luxurious surroundings.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

Queenie cat

5x8 watercolor on Saunders 140 lb cold press paper, an imaginary diva cat lounging on her Victorian settee furniture.  I've done another cat, but in black, to post later that is a companion piece to this cat pet portrait.  I titled this one Queenie as she appears so regal on the red with purple furnishings.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

Woman in White at the Beach II

11x14 watercolor on Kilimanjaro 140 lb cold press paper just completed, a repeat commission of a scene showing a dark haired woman in white walking the beach.  Landscape surroundings were done with brush only, but figure was sketched in pencil before applying paint.  This work is SOLD.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

Display of White Tulips

15x11 watercolor on Bienfang 140 lb cold press paper just completed in a return to floral still life subjects and especially white items to paint.  It is a more loose interpretation with an abstract background; I even sneaked in a hot fuchsia bloom or two in the back.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

Pirate kitty

5.5x8.5 watercolor and ink line (Micron 01 pen) on Masters sketchbook done a few days ago for a WetCanvas challenge. The host, Maryse, owned Pirate puss and says he has passed away now.  She took a photo of him doing his daily bath.  The challenge had to be done within 2 hours and this took about 1.5.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith

Violet Crowned Hummer

7x5 watercolor on old book page, a discarded novel  that was the size for this small violet crowned hummingbird with its white breast.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

Magnolia Morning

22x15 watercolor floral still life from some of my many magnolia photos; this tree had lots of full pink-tinged blooms all over it.  This is done on 140 lb. cold press paper in a direct painting style with darks applied first, wet on dry.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

Rosemary

22x15 mixed media collage on 140 lb hot press Fabriano paper, sketched from a live model (this does not look like her at all).  Media used:  watercolor, acrylic, pastel, Neocolor II, paper collage using cocktail napkins, and gouache.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.