Brownbeard

8x10 alcohol inks on paper done today, another imaginary bearded man to go with the first one posted two days ago, Blackbeard.  This ugly fellow's ear was the beginning shape I used after putting Burro Brown, Ginger, Yellow, and Havana Brown down then blowing with canned air.  Cotton swabs dipped in 91% alcohol were used along with a chopstick for removal and making lines.  Mantilla black and Ginger make up his beard while Tangerine highlights the nose.  A new light blue ink was put around the eyes and top of ear.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

Poppies Please

5x12 watercolor on gessoed matboard done last week using no references.  I wanted to paint a floral that was brightly colored and would look great in a horizontal format.  The background was left white.  Splatters were added when dry with a loaded brush.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

Blackbeard

8x8 alcohol inks on paper done today after a beginning pour of inks using three different browns for his beard.  An imaginary fellow, I did lots of negative painting here using only cotton swabs tipped applicators dipped in 91% alcohol.  Lines were made of a swab tip that had ink on it, used like a pencil.  Lastly, black ink was put on top of browns in foreground of this abstract portrait and mixed using blending solution. I gave him a ginger mustache for a bit of color variety. This is titled after the notorious English pirate Blackbeard. Some of these techniques will be taught at my September 16 all day ink class in studio. 
COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

Little Landscape

4x6 alcohol inks on professional photo paper done a few days ago.  I had worked on the reverse glossy side and did not like it so flipped it over and used non-slick back.  The resulting shapes and sky resembled a landscape so I added horizontal colors of brown, green, and gold until this unfolded.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

Spain Shoppers

8.5x7.5 watercolor on Kilimanjaro 140 lb cold press paper done today as part of the weekend drawing event on WetCanvas! in which participants have 2 hours to do a drawing or painting using featured references.  The ten photos we had were provided by host Susan.  I loved the high color contrasts of blue against orange in this cityscape.
Image COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2017.

Adrift

4x6 alcohol inks on professional photo paper done last week, another abstract using cool colors of Willow, Indigo, and Stream.  This reminds me of water and seaweed and goes along with our current Texas hurricane.  Pray for continued safety for all.
Image 2017 COPYRIGHT Kay Smith.

The Flock

15x22 watercolor on Saunders 140 lb cold press paper, an older work that I'd never featured on this blog.  It is now SOLD and remains one of my all time favorite still life pieces.  These concrete garden art chickens and doves were atop a wooden railing in a Kerrville, TX antique store, when I photographed them.  Hopefully the values in it show well with color in the background.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

August Poppies

4x6 alcohol inks on professional photo paper done yesterday from imagination.  I'm on a floral kick now so everyone will see more of those being shown.  In the beginning this was more of an abstract but when red was added the poppy shapes emerged.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith

Rose Petals

15x22 alcohol inks on Yupo synthetic paper done yesterday, an exercise in abstraction using only 4 colors of Willow, Sunbright Yellow, Watermelon, and Raspberry. I'm playing with the inks on a larger surface so may take this one further.  It reminded me of scattered rose petals hence the title.
Image 2017 COPYRIGHT Kay Smith.

Cow with One Horn

6x12 walnut ink on Strathmore 140 lb cold press paper done over the weekend as part of another WetCanvas challenge. Ref courtesy of host Penny this month.  I had not used walnut ink in awhile, which results in a monochromatic painting, and I do like its results here.  You just have to apply it multiple times to get a dark enough value.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

Total Eclipse of the Sun

3.75x5 alcohol inks on professional photo paper done today as part of a short demo and also because of the total eclipse of the sun witnessed by our country.  For this miniature painting I used primaries of gold, red, and blue.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith

Mission Carmel

16x20 watercolor on Arches 140 lb cold press paper done today for the current WetCanvas weekend drawing event, hosted by Lyndylu.  With this southwestern scene I hoped to portray the hot sunny climate and plants as it really is, and enjoyed the roof shadows running at a diagonal in lower foreground.  Its proper name is Mission San Carlos Borromeo del río Carmelo.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith

Ablaze

6x4 alcohol inks on professional photo glossy paper done a few days ago.  In this ink work you can see several layers of hot colors and they seem to be on fire.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith

Sunflower Summer

7x9.75 alcohol inks on foamcore board done today using three yellows, two reds, greens and blues. This abstract sunflower with its end of summer face is bowing into the sun as it does its daily duty.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

Greek Guitarist

5x7 ink line, Montana acrylic markers and watercolor on book text from a discarded novel done over the weekend.  As part of another WetCanvas challenge participants had 2 hours to select an image then paint it. Ref courtesy host Oty of Greece who said musicians were playing at a wedding.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

Snowy Finch

9x12 ink on old ledger paper done today for a WetCanvas challenge in the Pen & Ink forum.  I used Sakura Micron 01/03 pens and left the background line work only, so as to focus on the snowy finch.  Look closely to see snow on his head and back.  Ref courtesy WC reference image library/AvengingManatee.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith

Group of Gourds

7.5x6 watercolor on 140 lb cold press paper completed over the weekend, another image from and for our Big Spring Art Association summer challenge.  Photo courtesy Leatrice.  With this still life colors being in the warm range I did sneak some tinted pale yellow green in part of the background underpainting wash.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

Jean's Sunset

7.5x11 watercolor of a vivid west Texas sunset, photo courtesy Jean Money, another in our Big Spring Art Association summer series.  This one is number 6 of 8, and the remaining two finished today.  We will bring our works to the September 19th meeting along with printed images of the references used, courtesy Red Barn Studios/Bruce Schooler.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

Orange Tigers Daylilies

5.5x8.5 watercolor over pencil line drawing done week before last on Bienfang paper, just a few vivid orange with yellow tiger daylilies.  It seems I never tire of growing them or painting them.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

Poppy Palette

4x6 alcohol inks on professional photo paper done last week, a hot mix of pinks and reds with green and indigo multicolored center in this imaginary poppy.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

Zebra Outlook

11x8.5 watercolor and black India ink on paper done today as part of a WetCanvas challenge in the Watermedia forum; ref courtesy Jenna.  I decided to make a vignette with loose splashy edges keeping the zebra in sharp focus.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

The Blue Beyond

5x7 alcohol inks on Yupo synthetic paper done today.  Not having much time today I got three colors of inks out and the small Yupo.  Using Willow, Honeycomb, and Indigo I created this abstract landscape with several layers of blown color.  Canned air is much faster to push the ink around than using a drinking straw.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

Red Fox

5.5x7.75 watercolor on Arches 140 lb cold press paper sketched today in pencil then painted w/ Daniel Smith pigments.  It is featured in the Miniatures forum on WetCanvas and ref courtesy Steve Mac from the reference image library.  This sly young fellow is watching something very intently.  Instead of using the photo background I have made up a loose abstract woodland scene using the same quinacridone burnt orange/gold, indigo, and green gold.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

Midge Lap Cat

11x15 watercolor vignette done today from a close focus photo taken with my iPhone while rescue kitty Midge sat in my lap.  I was wearing a red nightgown that gave warm reflections in her eye and warm cast shadows on her fur.  Other cast shadows were made with alizarin crimson and ultramarine blue along with quinacridone gold and Grumbacher true red.  Background was a mix of grey made with American Journey Apricot.  Midge was adopted in 2011 and is the only one of four rescues who will cuddle.  This photo was shared with Big Spring Art Association members participating in a summer challenge.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

Cats on Red Roses Couch

10x15 mixed media done today of two cats lounging and sleeping on red roses collage.  Initially sketched with India ink, no pencil, on watercolor paper it has a background of watercolor.  Montana acrylic markers are the golden yellow ochre along with some black and white.  Large areas are black ink.  Other collage is patterned envelope and has white marker on top.  Since cats, at least mine, are always on a bed of roses, the red collaged dollar store gift wrap seemed appropriate for these two rescues.  (This is a redo of a 2012 ink/wc image)
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

Jo's Longhorns

9x12 watercolor on Canson 140 lb cold press paper, completed today, a young calf, its cow and another brown and white spotted longhorn grazing by a small street somewhere in Texas.  Photo ref courtesy Jo Castillo which was featured on this month's challenge on WetCanvas in the southwest/western art forum.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

Assorted Hollies

 3.5x2.5 watercolor on Canson 140 lb cold press paper, an art card also called an ACEO (Artist Cards Editions & Originals) done last week.  The size as seen in real life is posted below at lower pixels.  These assorted hollyhocks were fun to paint using no photo references.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

Poppy Desires

4x6 alcohol inks done yesterday using four colors plus green.  In this imaginary poppy bloom it actually appears to be more than one flower behind the orange red one.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 KaySmith.

Femme Fatale

9x6 watercolor, Brusho and black India ink on Canson 140 lb cold press paper done today.  Yesterday I started the underpainting background that was thalo blue brushed onto semi-wet paper.  After that dried, quinacridone violet was scattered about, then a stencil used with transparent pyrrol orange/Peachy Keen mix; the orange Brusho crystals were next sprinkled on top.  Today I used black ink to do only the darkest darks from an old movie star photo of Garbo. It's for the August challenge on WetCanvas' abstracts and contemporary forum where I asked participants to make an abstract background then use line to add parts of a face, etc. 
Definition:

A femme fatale is a stock character of a mysterious and seductive woman whose charms ensnare her lovers, often leading them into compromising, dangerous, and deadly situations. She is an archetype of literature and art. Wikipedia

Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

Linda's Bike

6x9 watercolor over pencil line drawing on Canson 140 lb cold press paper begun yesterday then finished today.  This is part of our Big Spring Art Association summer challenge and the photo ref is courtesy of Linda Rupard Irvin.  She photographed this old yellow bicycle from above, inside a dark wall with sunlight peeping around the edges and underneath.  I love the old baskets on its handlebars.  We are to post our efforts on the BSAA's Facebook page you can see HERE.  So far I have painted Sandee's Donkey, Frida Kahlo, and Yellow Orange VW.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

Sunflower SunShine

15x22 watercolor on 140 lb cold press Saunders Waterford paper, of a mature sunflower bending its head down from the weight of the summer sun.  It was painted using one of my sunflower photos.  This painting was a demo, done in about 1.5 hours, and has now been SOLD.
Image COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2017.