Farm Barn

5.5x8.5 watercolor and ink line using STA and Micron pens sketched yesterday for #InkTober2022 day 31 'farm' prompt, then color added today to complete the country scene. Ref courtesy WetCanvas Reference Image Library. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

Hummer and Coneflower

Hummer and Coneflower 4x6 watercolor and Brusho wc crystals on 140 lb Canson cold press paper done last month for another miniature bird art in a series. In this vignette focus is on the hovering hummingbird and its target, a favorite coneflower, for nectar. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

Full Moon

4x6 watercolor on 140 lb Canson cold press paper done today for another online challenge. I used a kitchen item for the circular moon shape and painted wet on dry using a #6 round brush in this nocturnal landscape with evergreen trees and moon. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

Grumpy Great Horned Owl

9x12 mixed media on Grumbacher 140 lb cold press paper recently finished. This was an exercise doing a blind contour portrait sketch using white oil pastel. Bleeding tissue was placed at random over that then spritzed with water mister, let run then air dry. Hair, eyes, and other features added with watercolor. Turning the face horizontally, I then pencil sketched the owl outlines then added Brusho and acrylics. Upper left is part of the portrait's pigtail braid. Most of the background was also the portrait colors. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

White Carnation

White Carnation 6x4 watercolor on 140 lb Canson cold press paper done yesterday morning as a warm up exercise. The cool whites of the common carnation, my birth month flower, is warmed up somewhat by adding an orange yellow background in this simple vignette. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

Hilarious Holstein

8x8 watercolor on gessoed Italia 140 lb cold press sketched in pencil then painted with Daniel Smith pigments. Some areas of the cow's black markings were sprinkled with salt for texture. Mostly I used a #1 rigger/script liner brush and had forgotten how fun it is to work on gessoed surfaces. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

Colored Bouquet on Skull

Colored Bouquet on Skull 5.5x8.5 acrylics over ink line sketch using STA 0.2 pen; 'bouquet' was an #InkTober2022 prompt. I first only did the ink sketch then applied color today. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

September Pumpkin

4x6 watercolor and Brusho crystals on 140 lb cold press paper done last month as part of my pumpkin series. Most of the brushwork done here was with a #1 script liner/rigger brush. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

Tanja's Donkeys

7x5 watercolor on 140 lb cold press Fabriano paper completed today over pencil sketch begun Friday. As part of a timed online art event the work had to be done within 2 hours. Ref courtesy Tanja/WetCanvas weekend drawing event. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

Moonlit Magnolia

16x20 watercolor using Gansai Tambi graphite paints from Kuretake on 140 lb cold press Canson paper completed yesterday. Some areas have only one application of paint while others have multiple glazes to get the values correct in this close up view of a white magnolia flower. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

Captivating Crow

5.5x8.5 watercolor using Gansai Tambi graphite paints from Kuretake on Masters sketchbook done yesterday for an online wildlife challenge. The colors show their various hues within the 'black' feathers. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

Horse on Mountain

Horse on Mountain 8.5x5.5 watercolor on 70 lb paper in Masters sketchbook done last weekend; photo courtesy Dewi/WetCanvas. I painted only one horse of several who carry tourists to an Indonesian volcano site. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

Cheerful Cockatoos

10x8.5 watercolor on 140 lb cold press paper done last weekend for another online challenge; image courtesy Sandy/WetCanvas Weekend Drawing Event. Participants have 2 hours to select an image and paint it. These two lovey cockatoos took about 55 minutes. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

Inspirations

9x12 watercolor over pencil sketch of local florist/floral shop Inspirations in Canson mixed media sketchbook. Sketched from my horizontal photo taken last Saturday this painting was finished in the studio. Big Spring Art Association held our annual October paint out at this location and had nice sunny Texas weather. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

Apple Crisp

6x4 mixed media collage on 140 lb cold press watercolor paper done a couple weeks ago. After outlining the apple in oil pastel I've used Brusho, ink, and watercolor. Collage paper was decorated by me and glued onto the paper for a pattern such as a tablecloth. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

Salt Shaker

8x4 watercolor and ink on Canson 140 lb cold press paper done today for #InkTober2022 day 17. Using STA Lictin 0.05 technical pen I sketched the shaker for the prompt of 'salt'. Next dark areas filled in with STA brush pen. Lastly I mixed a black of Gansai Tambi graphite colors, red and green, to add the mid-tone gray areas plus the shadow. Such a simple little subject to sketch was very enjoyable. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

Trio of Pumpkins

Trio of Pumpkins 6x4 watercolor on Canson 140 lb cold press paper done week before last, an imaginary autumn pumpkins still life. In this miniature I've used every yellow and orange hue. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

Soft Sparrow

12x9 watercolor on 140 lb Canson paper using brush only, a quick 5 minute demo for a new student done last weekend. With animals I start usually with the eye and go from there with plenty of water onto dry paper. White Nights paints were used. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

Bulldog Nap

Bulldog Nap 8.5x5.5 watercolor in Masters sketchbook done today using Gamsai Tambi graphite paints over pencil sketch of this sleeping bulldog. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

Barn Owl on the Prowl

Barn Owl on the Prowl 4x6 on 140 lb cold press paper done last few weeks using watercolor and ink line, another in my owl series. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

Sparrow Perch

6x6 graphite watercolors on 140 lb cold press Canson paper painted over the past weekend. Using these new Kuretake Gansai Tambi set of 6 colors was a thrill. Made in Japan for watercolorists, the tranquil colors have a matte texture and finish specific to graphite. When dry, polish the art with a tissue to reveal a soft luster. The large pans are graphite red, yellow, green, blue, violet and brown. When I painted the bird, I used hues similar to a sparrow's markings, and to mix a black simply combined the red and green. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

Owl Feathers

Owl Feathers 4x6 mixed media on 140 lb cold press paper done week before last, made when I accidentally spilled red orange acrylic ink. Using the paper to blot ink resulted in the random marks. Other media used is Brusho wc crystals, and ink. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

Candy Red Pear

6x4 mixed media, another pear in my series done on wc paper 140 lb cold press painted last week. An outline sketch using white oil pastel was done, then Brusho crystals in black and red to color in the pear. Montana acrylic marker in red was the background, and a strip of black and white diamond pattern collaged for the table at the bottom. A fun little piece of postcard size. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

Yellow Pear on Orange Tablecloth

6x4 mixed media on 140 lb cold press wc paper done last week, the second in a short pear and apple series in miniature postcard size. Brusho watercolor crystals were used to color in the pear, white oil pastel to sketch it, India ink outline when dry, and acrylic Montana marker for the background along with liquid acrylics. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

Pear on Checkered Cloth

6x4 mixed media on watercolor paper 140 lb cold press done last week, the first in a short series of pear and apple mixed media works. I used Brusho crystals to color in the pear over oil pastel sketch, then watercolor to follow. When dry, an outline using colored India ink was put around the pear. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

Zebra Finch at the Circus

4x6 watercolor and ink line on 140 lb cold press wc paper by Grumbacher, my third in a short series of line and wash subjects where I put/paint a band of colors only one one end then overlap an ink sketch that is painted afterward. Zebra finches are orange and black but here the colors reminded me of circus cotton candy so the real orange of the bird became pink. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

Hydrangea Happiness

6x4 watercolor and ink line on 140 lb Grumbacher cold press paper done recently, my second in a short series of line and wash work. Here I've painted a band of cool hues at the top then sketched in ink an hydrangea bloom on top. This work is SOLD. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

Autumn Apple Bucket

4x6 watercolor and ink line on wc paper 140 lb cold press done recently as part of three line and wash exercises. First I painted bands of color on them then developed the subject over the paint, ignoring it if that makes sense. It gives a new dimension to an ordinary painting. This work is SOLD. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

Magic Lotus

Magic Lotus 4x6 mixed media on 140 lb cold press watercolor paper done last week using acrylics and ink line over a cut up watercolor. The lotus bloom appeared as if by magic over its abstract background. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

Wild Red Bloom

4x6 mixed media (watercolor, acrylics, and white gel pen) on 140 lb Grumbacher cold press paper done last week in my postcard series. Part of this one had been a watercolor exercise as seen at the top. I added acrylic thin washes then the flower shape with gel pen when dry. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

October Gargoyle ~ InkTober

6x8.5 black ink STA Lictin brush pen over watercolor in ColorSketch book done today for day one of InkTober2022. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith