Three Coffee Pots

9x12 Tombow black brush pen, Derwent Inktense pencils and watercolor pencils done end of April and am just now finding time to post it.  I liked the three metal pots of white, red, and yellow in a windowsill still life, very simple and yet comforting.  Image courtesy WetCanvas! online.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith.

Cosmos in Blue Vase

11x15 watercolor on Dick Blick 140 lb cold press paper painted last week while on vacation, a collection of various cosmos colors in a quaint imaginary still life.  I used a red bowl, a blue & white creamer pitcher, and the fat round vase.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith.

May Sparrow

5.5x8.5 watercolor on Canson 140 lb CP paper, a backing sheet used behind smaller works that had marks all over, done yesterday.  You can see some of the marks including the vertical line in front of the bird.  The marigolds were grown over the winter as were the red geraniums.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith.

Delphinium 'Blue Lace' Bouquet

12x9 watercolor over collaged paper on Canson 140 lb CP done a few days ago while on vacation in the mountains.  I partially adhered slick tissue paper using ModPodge then when dry sketched the outline.  Doily marks were done using a paper stencil.  I was inspired by fresh delphiniums I saw on the trip.  The antique vase is imaginary.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith.

Memorial Day - Remembering Freedom is Not Free

Poppies signify those soldiers who fought and died for our freedom whether here at home during civil war, or abroad such as two world wars, and middle east conflicts. This is Flanders Fields that I painted while reviewing that poem by Lt. Col. John McCrae that says it all. This is watercolor 20x30 and is SOLD to our good friend and neighbor, Navy veteran Jim Murray.   Here are the words McCrae wrote:

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place: and in the sky
The larks still bravely singing fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the dead: Short days ago,
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved: and now we lie
In Flanders fields!

Take up our quarrel with the foe
To you, from failing hands, we throw
The torch: be yours to hold it high
If ye break faith with us who die,
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields

Composed at the battlefront on May 3, 1915
during the second battle of Ypres, Belgium

Blog post COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith

Abstract Orchid ACEO

3.5x2.5 alcohol inks on foam core, an art card edition original using only one color, Eggplant, for the bloom and Lettuce for the stem done recently.
Actual miniature size can be viewed below.  Click on image to enlarge.

COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith

Dreamy Coneflower

6x9 watercolor on Fabriano 140 lb cold press paper done last week on a day I felt like throwing paint around and not drawing or staying in the lines.  So this semblance of a pink coneflower emerged and when dry it was splattered with two warm hues of pink and vermilion.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith.

How Now Brown Cow ~ ACEO

2.5x3.5 watercolor and ink on collaged book paper done recently, an art card edition original of a brown milk cow lying down.  I used a STA Lictin 0.3 pigment liner/black ink to draw.  Actual miniature size is posted below.  (Ref courtesy Maria/WetCanvas)
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith.

Daisy Fence

7x10 watercolor on Saunders 140 lb cold press paper, a recent painting of a collection of random daisies by an old wooden fence.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith.

Orange Rose

7x5 alcohol inks on freezer paper done a few days ago; a chopstick with a dot of Lettuce worked for the base, stem, and leaves.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith.

Gorgeous Geranium

8.5x5.5 watercolor and ink painted today from an earlier in the week sketch on Masters sketchbook.  I used several reds, oranges, and pinks and did a light underpainting for the leaves.  Splatters were added when dry.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith.

Parrot Perch ~ WIP completed

22x15 watercolor of these merry macaws is completed.  Tail feathers were difficult to get shaded golden yellow without making mud, so used transparent quinacridone gold.  I wonder what the big bird is saying to his little companion (ref courtesy Lucyloo). 
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith.

WIP 3 ~ Parrot Perch continued

The larger macaw is mostly done with shadows under feathers, head, beak and breast done.  Tail feathers on both glazed first with quinacridone gold and raw sienna and will be in shadow for the most part.  I'm liking them without a colored background.  Stay tuned for the finish!
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith.

WIP 2 ~ Parrot Perch continued

Continuing on with my watercolor work in progress of two parrots perched on their tree branch.  These blue gold macaws are so vibrant they are a pleasure to paint.  On each bird I've started with the darks first so I'm not guessing at what values need to go where.  Stay tuned for more.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith.

WIP ~ Parrot Perch

A work in progress of a pair of blue and gold macaw parrots I'm entering in another WetCanvas online contest due Sunday.  Here on this 22x15 Fabriano 140 lb cold press paper, I've colored in the smaller bird using a direct painting method consisting of one application.  Stay tuned for tomorrow's reveal.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith.

Gorgeous Geranium / It's Drawing Day!

8.5x5.5 ink sketch on Masters sketchbook done today for Drawing Day here in the US.  Using a STA Lictin 0.2 black ink pigment liner I quickly drew this royal red geranium bloom and its variegated leaves.  Watercolor will be added later.  Drawing Day is celebrated always in May in other countries usually several days after ours.  Most of the time I miss it but not this year.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith.

Indigo Irises abstract

8.75x7.25 alcohol ink abstract done recently, collaged paper onto matboard using matte medium.
I used Indigo blue plus two other blue inks, a gold, Willow and Lettuce green.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith.

Mad Rooster

10.25x9 watercolor and ink (Uniball Vision Elite pen) on sketchbook, quickly sketched last night then painted today.  This mad rooster was one of the featured refs on WetCanvas in the All Media Art Events forum/Weekend Drawing Event.  Participants are given 2 hours to choose an image then render it.  My ink sketch in 20 minutes is shown below.

COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith.

August Afternoon ~ southwest still life

30x22 watercolor on 140 lb cold press paper, a still life composed of my Mexican clay pot, ristra peppers, old wooden ladder, real cow skull, a gourd and a red bell pepper.  Background is partially gessoed.
This one SOLD at its first show.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith.

Purple Rose

5.5x13.5 alcohol inks on white freezer/deli paper done a few days ago using only two colors for the bloom:  Currant and Eggplant, and two for the green stem and leaves:  Willow and Lettuce.  The stem was put in using the tip of a wooden chopstick as were the leaves.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith.

The Creek ACEO

3.5x2.5 watercolor, brush only, of an imaginary creek with a colorful sky done a few days ago.  These miniature art card edition originals are fun, don't take up any space, and quickly completed.  Looks like a rainy sky so maybe I was thinking of storms.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith.

Blue-eyed Man sketch

5.5x8.5 hard charcoal sketch on Bienfang for mixed media sketchbook done yesterday, another in my faces series.  As the last page in the sketchbook I thought this imaginary man must be blue-eyed and mysterious.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith.

Fuchsia Floral

6x4 alcohol inks on photo paper done recently, a quick blend of two pinks and two greens for a light, airy imaginary floral.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith

Terrific Tabby Cat

4.75x12 watercolor/ink using Micron 03 pen on top of a backing sheet used under small watermedia works.  I was going to post it last night but with high winds and hot wildfires here in town and in the county no electricity! So forgive for posting the old one of tulips via my iPhone.  This kitty is a grey tabby with blue eyes belonging to another artist and this is now my favorite sketch.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith

Parrot Tulips

30x22 watercolor on 140lb cold press paper done from imagination. Think about these blowing in the wind.
COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2018.

Eye See You ~ color added

Finished! I've added Derwent Inktense pencils and Montana markers for some color to the charcoal sketch posted a few days ago, but did not color in her hand in this 8.5x5.5 work.  Next I will be sketching a man.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith.

Spring Fling for National Scrapbooking Day

6x4 mixed media (Brusho, collage, Montana markers, Caran D'Ache NeoColors) for National Scrapbooking Day, always the first Saturday in May.  I usually miss it but not this time.  I cut out a section of a failed tulip painting done with Brusho then added the catalog cut out woman in a straw hat; her dress was already part of the painting.  Blue, yellow and pink markers applied to background and tulip, then ink line to form her shoulder done with Micron 03 pen.  The word Spring was collaged on also.  I do not have an official scrapbook so this will have to do!
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith.

Eye See You

8.5x5.5 charcoal sketch using a hard lead on Bienfang for mixed media sketchbook started today.  I may add color later using markers and/or collage.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith

Lavender Purple Parrot Tulip redo

Here is a redo of most of the tulip posted last week and hope it reads better with more dark values added plus a widened stem and orange splatters.  Only minimal cerulean blue to background was glazed over by the stem area.  (15X22 watercolor on Saunders 300 lb CP)
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith

Randy Rooster ACEO

3.5x2.5 watercolor and ink line on old book page done today, a miniature piece for another WetCanvas online event.
Actual size of the art card edition original is posted below:

COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith

Red Riot Geraniums

9x9.5 alcohol inks on white freezer/deli paper begun yesterday and finished today.  All I did yesterday was to flood the center with Willow and add blending solution.  Today I used two reds:  Poppyfield and Santa Fe to make shapes indicative of geranium blooms.  Somehow the red made it down to front center leaf but I do like it.  Bloom on the right had more blending solution added and with canned air it now looks variegated with red and white.  No reference or pencil used.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith.