Celebrate!

10.25 x 4.25 watercolor on Canson 140 lb cold press paper, another in my New Year celebration series.  The thin ribbons are leftover Christmas trim and bottle of bubbly is long gone. For this one, I did use masking fluid.  I may have to buy a bottle of something as my birthday is coming up in January.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith

Brave Buffalo

24x18 watercolor done this past week for another online 2 hour time limited challenge.  I managed to complete this fellow in under the clock; love these prairie animals.  Photo courtesy WetCanvas/Bill Smith.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith.

Thawing Snow

5x6 5/8 watercolor on Canson 140 lb cold press paper done today, a made up scene of snow thawing and long tree shadows.  Using mostly browns and blues with thalo green cool colors this winter landscape should chill us all.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith

Lazy Polar Bear

4x6 watercolor on Canson 140 lb cold press paper, that is today's work on another WetCanvas challenge. Image courtesy tyree.  I've changed the bear's zoo background to be one more in line with snow and icy conditions.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith

Metallic Weed

9x6 mixed media on black Crescent matboard finished today.  I used white and gold metallic alcohol inks, white acrylic, and white gel pen on this abstract, imaginary shape that was started months ago.  Not sure what else to do I left it alone to simmer on the back burner.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith

Roses in Indigo Vase

4.5x4 watercolor finished today on Canson 140 lb cold press paper.  After painting winter snow scenes this is more in line with my character.  Using brush only, shapes of various colored roses were put in then each hue from pink to dark pink to orange.  An abstract background completes the simple miniature still life.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith

Frosty Morning Cabin

12x9 watercolor that is a previous scene. All the trees and end of log cabin are imaginary and were drawn loosely first. I put in pale washes diagonally across the sky using Prussian blue as it is a cool blue unlike others.  Background trees had to be softer and out of focus. Aspens and other foreground trees painted last as was the frozen water in immediate foreground.  By trial and error I did stumble upon a neat trick to painting masses of leaves that works better than anything.  Just lay your rigger (script liner) brush fully loaded across damp or dry paper and twist it; don't use its pointed tip.  It will be horizontal, almost flat.  This is painted on Canson 140 lb cold press paper.
COPYRIGHT Kay Smith

Secret Santa

10.25x9 watercolor and ink (Pigma Micron 01 pen).  I sketched this wacky Santa one morning around 5:30 then added paint later.  He looks like he is up to something or can't find his reindeer for the trip.
COPYRIGHT Kay Smith.

Christmas Cyclamen

12x9 watercolor on Canson 140 lb cold press paper done a few days ago, a close up view of one of my red plant's blooms.  Using a complementary scheme of red and green, the hues emphasize also the signature colors of the Christmas season.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith

December Berries

9x12 watercolor completed today on Fluid 140 lb cold press paper, an imaginary nature scene I've been working on for two days.  Beginning with a light variegated wash of pale yellow, green, and blue that served as an underpainting, I then did multiple glazes and used every red, orange, and pink in the palette for berries.
They are not holly but a unique December red berry bush.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith

First Day of Winter

15x22 watercolor of the first day of winter solstice.  Three trees set the snowy stage in front while a frozen stream and rocks peek up through the icy environment.  This is an imaginary snow scene that is SOLD.
COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2018.

Antique Store Petunias

11x15 watercolor of a downtown Big Spring antique store owned by the Atkins family, complete with potted petunias and a red yucca.  This is from a photograph I took there when my studio was next door. A limited palette of cerulean blue, yellow ochre, and Indian red was used.  I've painted other versions of this old store and all have found new homes.
COPYRIGHT Kay Smith

Christmas Poppies

4x6 alcohol inks on foamcore done over last weekend with multiple red, orange, pink, and yellow inks.
This work is SOLD.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith

Snow Laden Trees

6x4 watercolor on Canson 140 lb cold press paper done a few days ago, a snowy evergreen scene somewhere up north.  Photo courtesy mbeckett/WetCanvas and is one of the December landscape challenge images.  This work is SOLD.
COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2018

Dewi's Sunflowers

12x9 mixed media on Bristol board 300 series (colored pencils, Inktense pencils, Brusho, watercolor, India ink) from a WetCanvas online challenge.  Photo courtesy Dewi.  I sketched the sunflowers using Magic multi-lead colored pencils then filled in with the other media in this loose floral.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith

Snowbird Cardinal

22x30 acrylic, white gel pen and wax crayon on Winsor Newton 140 lb cold press paper, an imaginary cardinal in snow painting completed yesterday.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith

Sunshine Woman

6x4 alcohol ink and India ink on glossy photo paper begun with an abstract background using Salmon alcohol ink only.  Today I added the black ink then Flamingo to her lips and nose edge of this imaginary woman in sunglasses.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith

Country Barn in Snow

12x6 watercolor on Strathmore 140 lb cold press paper done as another winter snowscape. An imaginary scene leads the viewer into the vertical composition up a slight hill to the old deserted barn covered in nature's white blanket.

COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith

Actress Woman

9x6 mixed media (ink, watercolor, and gouache) on vintage book text done last week, another in my woman series with ink on book pages.  I used India ink and a chopstick to sketch in the facial features and lines.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith

Tree Forest Truck

12x9 watercolor on Canson 140 lb cold press paper done over this past weekend, an imaginary tree shopping experience.  The little truck is actually a metal toy one and trees are bottle brush.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith

Heliopsis Fake Sunflowers

14x10 watercolor on Stonehenge 140 lb hot press paper done over this past weekend for another WetCanvas online challenge (photo courtesy Maureen).  These flowers resemble rudbeckias (blackeyed Susans and sunflowers except their petals face downwards and flare out at the bottom like little skirts.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith

Tufted Titmouse

6x4 watercolor and gouache on vintage book text done over this past weekend, a pencil sketch of this fat little bird then paint to follow.  Background was left as text.  Image courtesy Virginia/WetCanvas.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith

Alpacas

5.5x8 watercolor and ink line on Strathmore Visual Journal for mixed media done last weekend for another weekend drawing event on WetCanvas.  Participants have 2 hours to choose an image then paint it.  There are 5 alpacas in this scene.  Image courtesy of Beth in Oklahoma.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith

Currant Colored Bloom

4x6 alcohol inks on glossy photo paper painted this past week.  I used a chopstick to guide me through the stems and leaves in this imaginary flower art.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith

Bells of San Xavier

15x11 watercolor on 140 lb Canson cold press paper done day before yesterday from one of my San Xavier del Bac mission photos located in Tucson, AZ.  Years ago these three bells were painted but in a horizontal format.  Only three colors used for a limited palette of quinacridone gold, ultramarine blue, and alizarin crimson.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith

Natural Woman

6x9 India ink, spray antique-look ink, coffee, alcohol inks, white gel pen done yesterday on old vintage book text, another in my woman series.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith

Lil Critters

15x22 watercolor of an imaginary woodland scene of foxes and a baby goat, unlikely friends, but exploring nature together as wild lil critters.  I added coneflowers in front of them and an abstract background for this wildlife scene.
COPYRIGHT KAY SMITH.

Pink Woman

6x4 alcohol inks and India ink on acid free foamcore done yesterday of another imaginary woman in a series. First a background of pale pink was put down then the next day a stronger hue.  Black India ink was used to sketch with a chopstick the main features, then green for her eye.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith

Colorful Trees and Leaves

10x9 alcohol inks on paper done last week, an imaginary autumn scene of many colors.  A chopstick was used to pull the ink down to make trunks, then spread the foreground across, and lastly for falling leaves.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith

Flirty Woman

6x3.5 mixed media collage on archival foamcore begun Friday then completed yesterday.  Beginning with alcohol inks several warm colors were added then a blue green.  India ink and a chopstick started the facial features with eyebrow first, then eye, hair strands, mouth and nose.  I messed up the nose with an ink spill so simply cut out vintage book text and collaged over it, then painted that with acrylics.  Colored hair strands are blues, reds, and pink acrylic as is her eye and lips.  White gel pen was used on her mouth and highlights of her eye.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith

Rainbow Bee-eater Bird

4.25x7 watercolor over ink sketch of a rainbow bee-eater, done last week for another WetCanvas online challenge on a Birds&Blooms magazine subscription card.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith