Docile Donkey

22x30 watercolor painted yesterday on Fabriano 140 lb cold press paper.  This was one of the photos presented for a WetCanvas timed challenge for which I was the host.  Background was warmed up using burnt sienna and raw sienna to mimic a hot southwestern day.  Our temps are in the teens now so this one warmed me up.
COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith

I Can't See the Forest for the Trees

11x15 watercolor of an imaginary snow scene surrounded by an evergreen forest done yesterday.  A frozen stream runs in the foreground while leafless trees stand behind, ready for their winter rest.  This is painted on Canson XL 140 lb cold press paper.
COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith   Email:   1971ks@att.net for more information or to purchase via PayPal.

Poppy Pearls

6x4 alcohol inks on professional photo paper painted yesterday using yellow, dark red, orange, pink, and true red colors.  Stems and leaves were put in by adding a light pale green to the tip of a wooden chopstick.
I like how the inks mixed and mingled into each other in this field of poppies art.
COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith   Email:  1971ks@att.net to purchase via PayPal

December Days

4.25x5.5 watercolor on Fluid 140 lb cold press paper done yesterday of an imaginary winter landscape complete with snow and overcast skies.  I wanted to use color combinations never tried so for the sky burnt umber + phthalo blue were mixed and same colors throughout except for the buildings which was Indian red. That red stays on my palette but is not popular as it is opaque.  I mixed a grey of what colors were in the mixing part of the palette for the frozen water.  Distant hills were softened with a damp brush.  I am trying to paint better landscapes along with portraits, two subjects that are not easy.
COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith   Email:   1971ks@att.net for more information or to purchase via PayPal.

Holiday Rose

4x6 alcohol inks on professional photo glossy paper done right before Christmas, so that is why the title is Holiday Rose.  With its red and green complementary colors, this loose floral heralds the holiday season in all its glory.
COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith    Email:  1971ks@att.net to purchase via PayPal

Poinsettia Parade

9x12 watercolor on Canson 140 lb cold press paper done over the weekend of two poinsettias, one red and one white.  As part of a WetCanvas floral challenge these were sketched and painted with lots of enthusiasm for the Christmas holiday season.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith   Email:  1971ks@att.net to purchase via PayPal

Smiling Snowman

9x6 watercolor on 140 lb cold press paper, an imaginary snowman decked out in his bright mittens and knit toboggan cap, trying to stay happy and cold before he melts.  This was painted last December and has been submitted to a card company for consideration.
COPYRIGHT 2016 Kay Smith   Email:  1971ks@att.net for more information

Partial to Red Poinsettias

15x20 watercolor painted from life very loosely of a poinsettia for Christmas pot.  A neutral grey background was added to the red/green complementary color palette.
COPYRIGHT Kay Smith    Email:  1971ks@att.net to purchase via PayPal.

Bad Boy

8.25x5.25 mixed media collage in my grunge/junk journal done over the weekend.  Over a gessoed page I collaged a page from National Geographic that was treated with CitraSolv solution; portions of original text and patterns can be seen.  Acrylics and antique staining ink used on the face and page to age it along with white gel pen in this imaginary gangster in my current outlaw series.
COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith           Email:  1971ks@att.net

Flowers Everywhere

6.5x5 watercolor on Fluid 140 lb cold press paper done recently as part of an online WetCanvas challenge in the miniature forum.  I loved the floral patterned cup and saucer set holding an hydrangea blossom and the white pitcher vase behind with salmon pink flowers.
COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith     Email:  1971ks@att.net for more information to purchase via PayPal.

Cattle Rustler

8.25x5.25 charcoal sketch over gessoed old book page in my junk or grunge journal; page was brushed with Tim Holtz antique walnut stain ink.  This imaginary cowboy is about to rustle some free cattle and is one in my current outlaw series.
COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith   Email:  1971ks@att.net for more information

Merry Mermaid

6x4 alcohol inks abstract on professional photo paper along with Micron 01 ink; I sketched the female figure last to take advantage of the natural curves seen within the abstraction of the two green inks.  This also works as a wood nymph!
COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith  Email:  1971ks@att.net to purchase via PayPal

Thoroughbred

4x6 watercolor on 140 lb cold press Fluid paper done recently and is now SOLD.
I enjoyed the idea of putting a sunset ablaze behind the horse as my photo did not have a background.
COPYRIGHT 2017 KAY SMITH

Baby Face Nelson

Well, I have an eye for a guy and here is one cutie bad ass boy, Lester Gillis, aka Baby Face Nelson. A notorious 1930s bank robber and murderer he was a criminal associate of John Dillinger, having begun roaming Chicago streets as a teen. With his 5'5" stature and innocent looking face, he quickly was dubbed Baby Face, although no one dared to mention it to him. He was assassinated at age 25, a life of crime that didn't pay. Charcoal sketch in my junk journal over gessoed page, pencil, latex acrylic pink paint, Montana acrylic marker in blue (reference to "baby" colors), and collage.  This is #6 in my outlaw series.
COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith    Email:  1971ks@att.net for more information

Chrysanthemum Explosion

4x6 alcohol inks recently done end of October using three warm colors and one cool for the green in this imaginary abstract floral.  It is on professional photo paper.  This work is now SOLD.
COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith         Email:  1971ks@att.net for more information

Christmas Dog

6x4 watercolor on 140 lb Fluid cold press paper done last week as a Christmas gift; this work is SOLD.
COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith
 

Icy Wind

9x12 watercolor, gouache, and white wax crayon painted yesterday for a quickie winter landscape.  I used a limited palette of sepia, indigo, quinacridone violet for primaries and just a touch of ultramarine and phthalo green in the windy sky.  This is on Canson XL 140 lb cold press paper using the back side which is slicker allowing the pigments to run and mix.
COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith   Email:  1971ks@att.net to purchase via PayPal

Frankie and Iggy Cats

5.5x8.5 watercolor and ink (Micron 01 pen), and Derwent Inktense pencils on Bienfang sketchbook for mixed media done last week.  These two are another artist's cats that she gladly shared with us to draw and paint.  I have made Iggy's, (the tuxedo cat) eyes warily watching Frankie.
COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith  Email:  1971ks@att.net for more information or to purchase via PayPal.

Christmas Eve Vintage Tree Truck

8.5x5.5 watercolor and ink line on Masters sketchbook 70 lb. sheet finished today, another in my Christmas vintage truck series.  It is one of the designs to be submitted for cards so wish me luck!
COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith   Email:  1971ks@att.net for more information

Clint Eastwood as the Outlaw Josey Wales

5.25x8.25 charcoal sketch today on junk journal page that had been gessoed.  I used Distress Ink spray by Tim Holtz mixed with water and a large brush to weather the page.  This is another in my outlaw series of notorious wild west guys whether in movies or real life.  As Clint Eastwood has been an idol of mine since watching him portray Rowdy Yates in Rawhide and seeing all his movies, he was the natural favorite choice.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith   Email:   1971ks@att.net for more information

Tiptoe thru the Tulips

14x8 watercolor on Fluid 140 lb cold press paper done a few days ago for an online WetCanvas challenge. Participants are given 10 images and are to select one to draw then paint in 2 hours. I cropped the ref photo courtesy Christine and added my own pink colors and leaves rendering the garden loosely.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.   Email:  1971ks@att.net to purchase via PayPal

Miniature Blackeyed Susans ACEO

 3.5x2.5 watercolor on 140 lb cold press Fluid paper recently done as I was in the mood for happy blackeyed Susans or rudbeckias in a miniature format.  Commonly known as artist trading cards, or ACEO (artist cards editions & originals) these tiny treasures are fun to paint and to trade or to sell.  The image below is its normal size in perspective.

Image as it appears in real time.  COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.  Email:  1971ks@att.net to purchase via PayPal @ $25.

Vintage Christmas Tree Truck

8.75x6.75 watercolor on Fluid 140 lb cold press paper done today of an imaginary red vintage truck hauling a Christmas tree home.  The old truck is decorated with a large evergreen wreath and bow while the scene has a backdrop of snow covered pines.
COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith      Email:   1971ks@att.net to purchase via PayPal

Classy Santa in junk journal

8.25x5.25 another image done yesterday in my junk/grunge journal. He's a classy Santa in his black trimmed suit. I sketched in hard charcoal pencil over gesso, then added acrylics and three snowflakes collage.  Also I used peach marker for skin tones and watercolor for eyes. Colors should do well to spiff up the old 1959 discarded book I'm using for a journal. Image courtesy Li Newton/WetCanvas in a weekend drawing event. Participants have 2 hours to select an image and paint or sketch it.
COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith

Christmas Tree Truck

5.5x8.5 watercolor and ink (Micron 01 pen) on Masters sketchbook done today of an old pickup truck hauling a cut evergreen Christmas tree.  The tree has been strung with large colored old fashioned light bulbs and is on its way to help celebrate the season.
COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2017      Email:   1971ks@att.net to purchase via PayPal or to enable for prints via ArtSpan website www.kaysmith.artspan.com

Li's Cardinal

4.5x6 watercolor on Bristol 400 series paper completed for the current weekend drawing event on WetCanvas.com (photo courtesy of host Li Newton).  I've winterized the scene instead of how it was and added snowflakes with white gouache when dry.
COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith         Email:   1971ks@att.net to purchase via PayPal

One-eyed Outlaw in Grunge Junk Journal

8.25x5.25 mixed media collage portrait sketch of Cole Younger (1844-1916) in my grunge junk journal.  Sketched in hard charcoal pencil and black felt tip pen, on other areas I used colored pencils, marker (flesh tones), pencil, on tea stained old book page.  He was one of the Younger brothers gang who teamed up with the James brothers to rob banks and trains and spread murderous violence right after the Civil War.  Even though he's been dead 101 years it has not been that long ago as my grandmother was 12 years old in 1916.
COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith

Harry

9x6 watercolor on Fluid 140 lb cold press paper done last weekend in a portrait exchange challenge on WetCanvas.  You and your partner you are paired with send photos, select one, and have it completed before Christmas.  Harry lives in the UK and is an excellent artist so hope he approves this likeness.
COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith

Heavy Snow

12x9 watercolor on Canson 140 lb. cold press paper done yesterday on Dec. 1st, a mild partly sunny day here.  This is using a brush only, no pencil drawing based on a snow scene reference courtesy of Jenna.  It is one of the images featured on December challenge on WetCanvas in the Southwest/Western forum.
COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith     Email:   1971ks@att.net to purchase via PayPal      Cost:  $175

Poppy Pouf

7x5 alcohol inks on Yupo synthetic paper done yesterday, an exercise with reds and greens.  I used Poppyfield and Lemonade for the poppy bloom and Lettuce for the greenery.  Greens were applied with a drop of ink on a chopstick tip.
COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith         Email:   1971ks@att.net to purchase via PayPal            Cost:   $95