Wednesday, February 28, 2018

Dillinger

8.25x5.25 another infamous face, the notorious John Dillinger, gangster/bank robber in charcoal, sketched in my junk or grunge journal.  White gesso was brushed on over the old book page.  This outlaw is featured in my Notorious Outlaw series of portraits and was sketched in December.
COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

Tuesday, February 27, 2018

Chickadee in Wedgwood-blue Sky ACEO

Here is today's work, a tiny blackcapped chickadee, ACEO size 2.5x3.5 sketched with Micron 01 pen on old novel page...was lucky to find a page with text about "...afternoon sun...Wedgwood-blue sky...above the sea...blackfaced". Watercolor was added then the page was collaged onto wc paper 140 lb.  (Ref courtesy WetCanvas)

Below is the actual size:

COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith

Monday, February 26, 2018

Dogs and Sticks

5.5x8.5 watercolor and ink (Pigma Micron 01 pen) on Masters sketchbook paper drawn yesterday and painted today of two dogs playing in the snow.  They were included in the images presented online for a weekend drawing event I was hosting.  No one else selected them so I thought a sketchbook presentation would be great.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith.

Sunday, February 25, 2018

Orange Sherbet Poppy

6x4 alcohol inks and ink (Micron 01 pen) on professional photo paper that was one of the demos done at my last workshop class on Feb. 10.  With this technique you simply introduce line, a design element, into a large shape such as the pale orange ink to indicate more realism.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith.

Saturday, February 24, 2018

Coon Fishing

15x22 watercolor on Fabriano 140 lb cold press paper done today of a raccoon about to pounce on a fish he has zeroed in on for dinner.  This painting was done wet on dry and especially I like the colored reflections.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith.

Friday, February 23, 2018

Midnight Trees

6x4 alcohol inks on professional glossy photo paper done this afternoon of abstract imaginary dark trees along the side of a hill.  I used Mantilla black and Senorita Magenta colors for a limited palette.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith

Thursday, February 22, 2018

Palette Tulips

12x9 watercolor on Canson 140 lb cold press paper painted last week from one of my photographs.  The image was shot of a pot of red tulips in front of my oil palette there in the studio.  I had painted it right after that years ago and showed more of the wooden palette edges rather than the colorful background this one has, and I like the newer version best.  It was one of the photos I had listed to use on WetCanvas online current weekend drawing event, and it was done in 1.5 hours out of the 2 hour time limit.  Other artists were too nervous to paint it, not sure of how to do the background.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith.

Wednesday, February 21, 2018

Tuxedo Tomcat

8x7.5 mixed media on foam core board begun yesterday and finished today.  Initial Micron 01 ink sketch was followed by Mantilla black alcohol ink applied with a brush then 91% alcohol was flooded over the cat (same one as previously on the faux batiks) to allow color to resemble soft fur.  Eyes were a mix of green + yellow.  Nose and lips were a mix of orange, yellow, and red.  Background is red Montana acrylic marker and whiskers are white gel pen.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith.

Tuesday, February 20, 2018

Friesian Mare

9x12 watercolor on Canson 140 lb cold press paper done over the weekend as part of another WetCanvas challenge.  For the dark brown I've mixed a limited palette of ultramarine blue and quinacridone burnt orange; this was painted wet on dry.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith.

Monday, February 19, 2018

Presidents' Day Rose

7x5 watercolor on Yupo done this afternoon in honor of Presidents' Day today. While still wet on the imaginary petals and leaves, I sanded watercolor pencils into the areas with Derwent brand colored pencils.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith.

Sunday, February 18, 2018

Soft Sunflower

7x7 alcohol inks on foamcore, a free-form floral done a few days ago that resembles a kaleidoscope sunflower.  I used Willow, Sunbright Yellow, Tangerine, and Sangria red.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith

Saturday, February 17, 2018

Landmark ~ an abstract on Yupo

3x4 alcohol inks on Yupo, a miniature abstract done last week, a tiny but exciting landscape panorama.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith

Friday, February 16, 2018

Remnant Rose

6x4 alcohol inks done this past Saturday at the close of class using leftover ink a student had.  Mixed with more alcohol I made a nice rosebud.  The stem is also ink green + black applied with a chopstick tip. 
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith.


Thursday, February 15, 2018

Three Kittens sketch

5.5x8.5 Uniball pen sketch on a page in my junk journal of three kittens, a timed sketch of 5 minutes done last month for a WetCanvas online event.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith

Wednesday, February 14, 2018

Heartthrob ~ Happy Valentine's Day!

7.5x7.5 mixed media on matboard done this afternoon using the following media:  Watercolor, Brusho crystals, Montana acrylic markers, white wax crayon to sketch outline, black India ink, and Liquitex pink fluorescent acrylic applied with a palette knife.  Happy Valentine's!
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith

Tuesday, February 13, 2018

Alto Chickadee

6.5x7.5 watercolor on Kilimanjaro 140 lb cold press paper done this afternoon in about 30 minutes, very loosely painted of a black-capped chickadee I photographed in Alto, New Mexico last September.  The bird in the pine tree allowed me to get very close as he had his eye on my full bird feeder.  Mountain wildlife is very interesting.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith.

Monday, February 12, 2018

Bloom Ballad

10x18 alcohol inks on white deli or freezer paper this afternoon.  I was asked to do a demo online for WetCanvas in the floral forum and this was the end result.  Only 4 colors were used in this imaginary abstract floral.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith.

Sunday, February 11, 2018

Faux Batik Maine Coon Cat

7.5x7.5 alcohol inks on wax paper done yesterday as one of my workshop demos.  With this cat, I've used a 1/2" craft brush to put the colored inks in rather than pouring them.  This Maine coon looks just like my Taco Belle.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith

Saturday, February 10, 2018

Whispering Pink Flower

5.5x8 alcohol ink on Yupo synthetic paper, one of my four demos done today in an all day workshop here in my Big Spring studio.  In this abstract floral, I've used a couple of colors plus Willow green for a stem.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith.

Friday, February 9, 2018

Wine for Valentine

8x6 watercolor and ink line (Uniball pen) on Stillman & Birn Zeta series sketchbook.  Yesterday the two wine glasses of Cabernet were sketched along with the hearts then painted today in this imaginary Valentine still life.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith.

Thursday, February 8, 2018

Valentine Cupcake

8.5x5.5 watercolor on paper done last February for Valentine's Day.  This month there's been no time to do any heart art.  But this frosted cupcake looks yummy and won't cost you any calories at all.
COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

Wednesday, February 7, 2018

Pig Brothers

5.25x8.25 watersoluble colored pencils and ink line done today in my junk journal as part of a WetCanvas Watermedia monthly challenge.  These two litter mates were too cute to pass up, sharing secrets, and wondering what is for dinner.
COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2018.

Tuesday, February 6, 2018

TV Outlaw of the Wild West

8.25x5.25 ink with Uniball Vision Elite pen on grunge/junk journal done last month, another in my notorious outlaw series.  This one though was an actor portraying a criminal.  Collage at top and old photo stain ink over the image on a gessoed background.  My journal is an old book from 1950s era hardbacks that was discarded and water-stained.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith

Monday, February 5, 2018

Handsome Blackbeard

11x8.5 alcohol inks on deli/freezer paper done Saturday as one of the demos at Midland Palette Club.  This is another in my Blackbeard series of abstract contemporary men as I love men and love black beards.  I did give this guy a moustache whereas the others didn't have one.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith

Sunday, February 4, 2018

Faux Batik Cat

8x7.25 alcohol ink on wax paper done as a demo yesterday for the Midland Palette Club.  After tracing my initial ink sketch onto the paper with a permanent black ink pen, I colored in the various fur parts.  Whiskers are made with white gel pen.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith

Saturday, February 3, 2018

Poppy Bubbles

5x6 alcohol inks/Micron 01 pen on Yupo synthetic paper, today's demo for Midland TX Palette Club. I was showing the class how to do an abstract background then small details within using a permanent ink pen.
This work is SOLD.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith

Friday, February 2, 2018

Warbler

7.5x4.75 watercolor on Fabriano 140 lb cold press paper sketched yesterday from one of my bird photos then painted today.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith

Thursday, February 1, 2018

Violas Pansies and Spade

5x7.5 watercolor, a pre-spring still life done a few years ago of a pot of viola pansies and a garden spade in a vignette format.  This was done in my Moleskine for watercolor sketchbook.
COPYRIGHT Kay Smith.

Frosted Flakes

10.5x7 watermedia on Lanaquarelle 140 lb hot press paper. First I marked tree cone shaped lines with white and grey crayons, then filled i...