Wednesday, November 30, 2022

Pigeon Perch

5.5x8.5 watercolor in Masters Touch sketchbook, 70 lb. paper, done last weekend for another online 2 hour WetCanvas challenge. Most people do not like pigeons but to me their metallic multicolored feathers are amazing. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

Tuesday, November 29, 2022

Outfoxing Winter

7x9 watercolor on 140 lb cold press Canson paper sketched last weekend and finished today. I used white gouache for the snowflakes and the snow is the white of the paper. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

Monday, November 28, 2022

White Barn with Deer

8.5x5.5 watercolor using White Nights paints on 140 lb Canson paper done last week, another in my country barn series. In this farm or ranch scene a large wreath is seen decorating the barn front, while a lone deer is walking into the area. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

Sunday, November 27, 2022

Tall Red Barn in Snow

8.5x5.5 watercolor using White Nights paints in Masters Touch sketchbook done a few days ago from one of my many barn references. I like this tall red barn perched high amid the snowfall, a working barn waiting for Christmas. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

Saturday, November 26, 2022

One Horse Open Sleigh

9x9 watercolor on 140 lb cold press Canson paper painted over this past weekend, getting ready for the Christmas holiday season once Thanksgiving is over. This scene is from an old photo taken when I lived in Virginia. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

Friday, November 25, 2022

Twisted Trees

9x6.5 watercolor on 140 lb cold press Grumbacher paper done last week; ref courtesy Maureen/WetCanvas Floral and Botanical forum challenge for this month. I used Gansai Tambi graphite colors.

Thursday, November 24, 2022

Flower Fence ~ Happy Thanksgiving

6x4 watercolor on 140 lb cold press Canson paper done recently and sold, an imaginary white picket fence I've done before with tall old fashioned hollyhocks behind it. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

Wednesday, November 23, 2022

Wild Horses in Deep Snow

4.5x3.25 watercolor on 140 lb cold press Canson paper painted over the past weekend, a miniature of wild horses running in the snow. It is a pleasure to see them in real time up in New Mexico running free and untamed. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

Tuesday, November 22, 2022

Down Mexico Way

10x8 acrylics on canvas using two palette knives done last week. In the Acrylics forum on WetCanvas a monthly challenge was to choose your own building(s) ref and do it with a limited palette of three colors, plus small amounts of white and black if needed. I choose blue, red, yellow ochre. Sides are painted also so no framing necessary. Reference is a southwestern adobe style home. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

Monday, November 21, 2022

November Crow

November Crow 6x3 watercolor on 140 lb cold press Grumbacher paper done last week, another in my crow series. Love the black feathers and it is a challenge to paint them with any color but tube black, a no-no in watercolor. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

Sunday, November 20, 2022

Ollie Pup

6x9 watercolor on 140 lb cold press paper recently done of another artist's friend's rescue pup named Ollie. Ref courtesy CaliAnn. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

Saturday, November 19, 2022

Dance of Poppies

Dance of Poppies 9x5.5 watercolor on 140 lb cold press Canson paper painted yesterday, a redo of an earlier poppy painting that sold and was featured on a calendar. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

Friday, November 18, 2022

November Cyclamen

5x7.5 watercolor on gessoed paper done yesterday, using my new pink blooming cyclamen plant for a model. I enjoy the twists and turns of its leaves, stems, and flowers. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

Thursday, November 17, 2022

Another Mad Cow

4x6 mixed media on Canson 140 lb cold press paper done last month, another in my mad cow series, with this Holstein subject painted using Montana acrylic marker, watercolor, and Brusho. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

Wednesday, November 16, 2022

Quiet Cardinal 1

6x8.5 watercolor and ink (Uniball elite pen) on pink tinted Color-Sketch paper done in 2015 as a Sketchbook Skool exercise. They sent an email with instructions. You select an object and first draw it without looking at your paper. I used a photo of one of our backyard male cardinals. I got his back too high where it hits his crown and right foot is unattached to his body. Background is made up abstract forms and colors. We were asked to post our results on social media afterwards. Second bird was done almost identically but you're allowed three quick glances and that bird has been sold. Third bird gets five quick glances. Fourth bird you can have ten quick glances and are given two more minutes on details (that one is on blue tinted paper as I ran out of pink). A fun endeavor! I'm pretty sure my favorite will be this one as it was sketched so much looser. COPYRIGHT 2015 Kay Smith

Tuesday, November 15, 2022

Tipsy Toucan

4x6 watercolor on 140 lb cold press Canson paper done last month or so in a series of birds that are postcard size. This fellow was leaning his head back so he looked tipsy to me. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

Monday, November 14, 2022

Poppies for Veterans

3x6 watercolor and India ink on Canson 140 lb cold press paper, an imaginary field of red poppies I started working on 11/11/22 Veterans Day, and finished today. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

Sunday, November 13, 2022

Happy Crazy Cow

4x6 mixed media using acrylics, watercolor and Brusho on wc paper done last month or so, another in my crazy cow series. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

Saturday, November 12, 2022

Tulip Frolic

4x9 gouache on 140 lb cold press paper by Canson completed today. Sketched with Derwent Lightfast Amber Gold pencil, I added multiple layers of paint in this imaginary tulip field. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

Friday, November 11, 2022

Baby Alpaca with Carrot

8x8 watercolor on Grumbacher 140 lb cold press paper done today for another online challenge; photo courtesy WetCanvas reference image library/CRYROLPHE. I spent about an hour on the pencil sketch and the paint application for the Weekend Drawing Event and just could not resist this baby alpaca chewing on a carrot. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

Thursday, November 10, 2022

Longhorn Pasture

4x9 watercolor on Canson 140 lb cold press sketched yesterday and painted today using American Journey and Daniel Smith paints. I photographed this longhorn named Cuernos (Spanish for horns) on the Tierra Linda ranch by Kerrville. His beautiful black and white markings made him a standout in the hill country pasture landscape. I used a black and white photocopy to work from and the colors are imaginary. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

Wednesday, November 9, 2022

Proud Eagle

8.5x5.5 watercolor over ink sketch using STA Lictin 0.05 black ink pen in Masters sketchbook, done last month for #InkTober2022. Color was added later in this proud eagle, the symbol of American freedom. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

Tuesday, November 8, 2022

Cardinal at the Feeder

8x8 watercolor using White Nights paints on 140 lb cold press Masters Touch premium paper sketched in pencil done last week. Love the inquisitive look in the bird's eyes as he stared at me. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

Monday, November 7, 2022

Tree Symphony

Tree Symphony 5x4.5 watermedia on 140 lb cold press Canson, an abstraction of trees and their silhouette shapes before light wakes them up. Brush only with this miniature piece done last month. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

Sunday, November 6, 2022

Friday Bluebird

6x4 watercolor using brush only, no pencil sketch first, done last month. Using no reference this bird was quickly put in wet on dry with a loaded round brush. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

Saturday, November 5, 2022

Cow Expression

4x6 mixed media collage on 140 lb cold press Grumbacher paper done last month in a series of comical cows. This particular cow I have painted about 3 times. Collage is with handmade and decorated paper fragments. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

Friday, November 4, 2022

Variegated Red and Green Leaves ~ Terminalia

9x12 watercolor on Grumbacher 140 lb cold press paper done last month for WetCanvas online challenge hosted by Dewi Saputra. Easy to see the green and red through the leaves front and back. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

Thursday, November 3, 2022

Midnight Pear

6x4 watercolor and Brusho wc crystals on 140 lb cold press paper recently done, a dramatic take on the common fruit pear. I used lime, black and seagreen Brusho. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

Wednesday, November 2, 2022

November

11x15 watercolor scene of a muddy country road in November. Fall leaves have been disappearing just as the warm days have; recent rains add to the ambience of autumn with just a hint of colder weather to come. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith

Tuesday, November 1, 2022

The Edge of Fall

8x8 mixed media on Canson 140 lb cold press paper done today as it is the first of November and we usually have scenes such as this. I used Gansai Tambi paints along with other watercolors to put in the trees, background, and foreground. No pencil sketch for the trees. While wet I added white gouache then grey Brusho wc crystals. Snowy foreground and shadows are mostly dilute grey Brusho. Sky is American Journey periwinkle blue. Some Brusho was left in the sky and now it appears to be birds flying in the distance. Splattering added at random using Naples yellow and AJ Halloween orange. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

Thirsty Bluetit Bird

6x6 watercolor and Brusho done last week of a thirsty blue tit or bluetit bird. I've used this same photo and painted the bird larger t...