Neighbor's Cat

24x18 watercolor of a very curious cat looking outside his house to some intriguing object, probably a bird or a moving tree branch or even another cat.  Painted wet in wet on Canson Montval block I used Daniel Smith, DaVinci, and American Journey paints.
COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2018.

Pensive Woman

9x8.5 alcohol inks on white freezer paper sketched today using only a wooden chopstick.  The woman was one of the models we had used before during a workshop I took in south Texas named Karen and this looks nothing like her.  Just another figure in my woman series.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith

Butterfly Woman

9x12 India inks and charcoal on Canson 140 lb cold press paper done this afternoon, another in my series of women.  This imaginary contemporary woman has multiple colors in the background for her hair and fluttering butterflies.  Her proportions are not exact as this is not a photorealistic work.  I like working with Dr. Ph. Martin's Bombay inks and my acrylic brushes; inks can be thinned with water and perform identical to watercolors or acrylics.  When dry they are permanent, lightfast, and shiny.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith.

Fuchsia Fun

4x5 alcohol inks on glossy photo paper done last week, another abstract floral featuring the hot pink favorite color of fuchsia.  Stems made with wooden chopstick on the right side.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith

Smiling Woman

8x6 mixed media collage on matboard done today.  Sketched with a black ink marker on top of collaged newsprint, paper, white acrylic paint was used along with Montana acrylic markers.  Watercolor crayons provided facial shadows.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith

4 Inch Petunias and Geraniums

18x20.25 watercolor on Arches 140 lb cold press paper painted from one of my greenhouse photos of mostly white geraniums with purple and red petunias scattered about.  A stencil was used for the patterned metal mesh the potted plants are sitting on.
COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2018

Patio Patterns

12x9 watercolor on Canson 140 lb cold press paper/Daniel Smith paints done today in under two hours for another online event in WetCanvas; hosted by Helen.  I added foliage and grass to this scene and extended the foreground.  Shadow patterns were so unique and difficult to draw and paint but enjoyable.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith.

Heirloom Poppies

8.5x5 alcohol inks on heavy stock paper done today.  Yesterday I started it by putting Cloudy Blue only on the background.  Today Sunshine Yellow was added, then three different reds for the poppies.  Centers are Mantilla Black and stems are Lettuce applied with a wooden chopstick.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith

Wine and Roses

14.75 x 14.75 watercolor on 140 lb cold press Saunders paper, an imaginary rose bouquet with wine glasses ready.  The glasses were painted negatively in this romantic still life.
COPYRIGHT Kay Smith.

Inked Woman

8.25x5.25 ink on discarded novel book page done today of an imaginary woman.  I added alcohol ink in magenta for lipstick and random marks along with a dark green, Lettuce.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith

Bluetit Bird

14.75x11 watercolor on Kilimanjaro 140 lb cold press paper completed today for another online challenge re wildlife.  This little bluetit is taking himself a little sip of cool water in his birdbath.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith

Four Lemons still life

6x8 sketch on Stillman & Birn Zeta series sketchbook today using Staedtler Karat Aquarell colored pencils, for another timed WetCanvas event.  This is the finished version after adding water to the dry media.  Initial sketch with the colored pencils is below for comparison.  I spent about 30 minutes total time of the two allotted hours.

COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith

Pink Love floral

6x4 alcohol ink floral done yesterday using two pinks, Flamingo and Senorita Magenta.  Lettuce, a green that looks natural, was the stem parts.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith

Dark Purple Mystery Flower

9x11.5 alcohol inks on freezer paper done last month in which I used one color for the flower:  Eggplant then used Lettuce for the greenery.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith.

Unlisted Number

22x15 Fabriano 140 lb hot press paper, charcoal drawing of a mannequin profile, then watercolor, gouache, and gift wrap paper from Dollar General used as collage in parts on her blouse. I had painted this figure before only reverse profile using transparent watercolor.  The hot press paper was treated first using a technique I described in this blog post where you lay phone book pages down then peel them off, hence the title.
COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2018.

Clothesline

15x19.5 watercolor on Arches 140 lb cold press paper painted wet in wet from a photograph I took here in town.  This was next door to my framer and they had just put their laundry out to dry on a hot day.  I used a 1" flat brush and Daniel Smith paints.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith.

Leftover Sunflower

2.75x5 alcohol inks on glossy cardstock paper done this afternoon using leftover inks, hence the title.  The cardstock was also a scrap so both came in handy to do this little miniature.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith.

Summer Petals

18x6 alcohol inks on white freezer/deli paper done this afternoon using Eggplant and Cloudy Blue, then Willow for the stem and leaves.  We still have more than a month left of summer so now is a good time to paint florals.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith.

Owl Landing

6x9 watercolor on Canson 140 lb cold press paper done this weekend for another WetCanvas monthly challenge; ref courtesy of the reference image library.  The owl was titled "snowy" but those don't have tan feathers under wings or on breast/legs areas.  The Eurasion eagle owl does, however.  Background on this vignette was loosely applied Periwinkle and ultramarine blue sky colors and trees were a mixed green plus sepia.  Black accent color was mixed quin burnt orange plus ultramarine blue.  My works are now available on www.dailypaintworks.com via PayPal for purchase.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith.

Barnwood

9x12 watercolor on Fluid 140 lb cold press paper done over the weekend of an old decaying and dilapidated barn that was once some farm's pride and joy.  Barns as a subject are the icons of farm life and can tell so many stories if only they could talk. 
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith

Rich Red Rose ACEO

3.5x2.5 watercolor on 140 lb cold press paper done recently, another art card edition original miniature from one of my own roses.  These minis are fun to do and don't use much or many supplies nor occupy much wall space if framed.

Actual size is below:

COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith.

Fluffy Cat in Grass ACEO

2.5x3.5 watercolor on 140 lb. cold press paper done recently for another online event of another artist's orange and white fluffy cat. This art card edition original pet portrait was fun to do using a limited palette.  This work is SOLD.

Actual size is below:

Miniature view.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith

St. Ives Callas

15x22 watercolor of white calla lilies I photographed when staying in St. Ives.  This is on 140 lb cold press paper.  I made the background very colorful with detail as the flowers are large and plain.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith.

Trees in Abstract Abyss

7.75x7.75 alcohol inks on white foamcore done today with the background put in first using Cloudy Blue and Eggplant.  Next I added Sunbright Yellow (where green trees are) and it did nothing for the composition so added Cloudy Blue to that hence the tree shapes.  A trunk was put in using a chopstick and now I have an abstract landscape.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith.

Dance of the Trees

3.5x6 alcohol inks done yesterday with a small piece of white foamcore.  I wet the front liberally with 91% alcohol then turned it face down on top of my work board (foamcore) then pulled it up as if making a print...just to see if anything would be on it.  Lots of blobs and drips so added trunks and branches for some far out abstract trees.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith

August Hummingbird

7.75x7.75 alcohol inks, gouache, ink pen on white slick foamcore done this afternoon first by scattering Willow green on top of spritzed 91% alcohol.  After it dried I could pick out a hummingbird shape so sketched it in using Lictin 0.3 permanent ink pen.  Feathers and beak are gouache.  Lastly I added Senorita Magenta for the pink blooms he is guzzling from here.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith.

Pink Rose Collage step by step WIP

11x15 gouache over charcoal sketch on phone book pages collaged then pulled off Lanaquarelle 140 lb hot press paper; done this afternoon in 2 hours for another timed WetCanvas weekend drawing event.  The steps can be seen below.

Supplies of phone book ad pages, 3" brush, a jar of half matte medium, half r/o water that's brushed onto the dry watercolor paper.

Masking tape applied over wet pages that were collaged onto wc paper, then pulled off after 10 minutes. Palette knife is used to press down each tape strip.

After pulling masking tape off then you remove each and every loose piece.

Fully peeled off and now ready to be put outside in 95 F. to dry thoroughly.  Then a sketch of the pink rose onto dry paper is done as seen below.

Adding Turner's Design gouache with large round brush the pink rose comes to life.

Background put in using different blues and yellow mixes for varied greens.  The pulled paper areas will give unexpected textural effects.  This is at the 2 hour mark with not much left to paint.

COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith.

Yellow Daisy

6x6 watercolor on 140 lb cold press paper of a yellow daisy with aqua blue background, a simple loose floral vignette.
COPYRIGHT Kay Smith

Tree Trunk ACEO

3.5x2.5 watercolor of an old tree base that was rotting and decaying but was still upright.  This art card edition original was painted a few weeks ago for another WetCanvas event.  Available for purchase via www.dailypaintworks.com

Actual size is seen below:

COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith

Blue Tulip Trio

6x8 alcohol inks on white freezer paper using Indigo and Peach along with Lettuce for the stems finished today.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith

Berry Bush

4x6 alcohol inks on glossy professional photo paper done last week, an abstract botanical done with only a couple of colors:  Currant and Willow.  Stem was made with the tip of a wooden chopstick that already had dried Mantilla Black and Lettuce colors.  I added a drop of 91% alcohol to it to draw the stem.  I do like this complementary color scheme of red and green using the different hues.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith