February Aspens

9x6 watercolor on Grumbacher 140 lb cold press paper sketched yesterday then finished today. This mountain winter landscape of aspens was prompted by some I saw last week in New Mexico and the other elements are from imagination. I've really pushed color with this tree scene. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Dead Tree

5.5x5 mixed media on 140 lb cold press paper using new brush pen of black ink, and Brusho watercolor crystals, a simple exercise with a part of nature as the subject. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Virginia's Cardinal

Virginia's Cardinal 9x9 watercolor on 140 lb Canson paper done last week from WetCanvas online animal challenge for the month; ref courtesy Virginia Spencer. In her photo, the cardinal was perched on a metal gate with a cardinal bird cut out motif, but in my painting I have cropped part of that to focus on the bird. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Awesome Anemone

12x9 watercolor on 140 lb cold press paper, done a week or so ago, for a floral online challenge. I could not resist the white purity of the sweet anemone. Background is imaginary and loosely painted in an abstract manner. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Spring Tulip Trio

2.75x3.75 watercolor painted last week on Grumbacher 140 lb cold press paper using Prestigify paints, brush only, with no pre-drawing. This is just a fast and easy exercise. Background is more yellow green than the yellow presented here. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Beady-eyed Bear

8x8 watercolor on Masters Touch premium 140 lb cold press paper done last week as part of another online animal challenge. I liked the bear's beady eyes as he surveyed his territory in this macro view of fierce wildlife. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Portugal Lilies

3x4 watercolor on 140 lb cold press Canson paper done last week as part of an online challenge; one of the artists is from Portugal and shared his reference photo of red lilies. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Frozen Lake Shore

3x6.5 watercolor on Canson 140 lb cold press, another winter water scene this time focusing on Lake Superior and its terrain with rocks, etc. in this miniature landscape. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Foggy Mist

9x12 watercolors using Gansai Tambi paints on Bristol 300 series 100 lb. paper done a few weeks ago when our weather looked like this. These paints are called graphite watercolors and are very different color-wise. Also I used a white wax crayon for brush, trees, and other wild grasses in this imaginary winter landscape. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Otter

8.5x5.5 watercolor and Brusho wc crystals over ink sketch using Micron 01 pen in Masters Touch sketchbook, done a couple weeks ago for an online challenge. Trying to get its wet body and water to look realistic was a really difficult chore. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Spirit Weavers

15x22 mixed media on 140 lb cold press Saunders paper done last week using handmade stained papers. These were marked with alcohol inks and acrylics using a Gelli plate. My sketch of Indian braves and a squaw was used on top of the various colored papers (adhered with Yes! paste and flattened with a brayer). Watercolor and Micron 03 pen were also used within their woven tribal dress. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Mardi Gras Queen

Mardi Gras Queen 4x6 mixed media on Arches 140 lb cold press done today for an online WetCanvas challenge. (refs courtesy Joe) I used marbled scrap piece to sketch the woman's mask in acrylic then two different stencils with black for the lace. One stencil was a paper doily. Some Micron 01 pen used to put in tiny crosshatch lines.  Total time with drying about 1 hour 45 minutes and paper already marbled so that helped time-wise. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Florimania

11x6 watercolor on gessoed matboard completed yesterday, an imaginary Spring garden of tulips, daffodils and others heralding the beginning of warmer times and climes. I used new pinks in the Prestigify brand. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Sparrow on a Limb

12x9 watercolor on 140 lb cold press paper recently done, another imaginary birch tree with a sparrow bird perched high enough for it to see what is happening. Background was left white of the paper and most of the tree marks were made with a #1 rigger brush held horizontally. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Pink Stiletto Heel

5x3 mixed media on paper painted last week using acrylics, watercolor, colored pencils, gel pen and stencils. I was thinking about spring and daisies of pink for sure. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Valentine Heart ~ Happy Valentine's Day!

12x12 torn paper collage on canvas is now finished after a 3 day work in progress, about 2-3 hours per day or more. I think the colors are great with the reds against neutrals. I did several coats of gloss varnish by Liquitex over it for shine and preservation. So many things are included in the heart such as blush brushes, red sofa, red dress, dice, jukebox, flowers, an apple (for that Adam and Eve connection), a lobster (for that romantic dinner), Tabasco hot sauce bottle, Big Red soda, and tomato juice. COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith

Valentine's Day Gifts

8.5x11 mixed media on sketchbook paper recently painted using Micron 01 pen to sketch, Montana marker over stencils and paper doily, watercolor in this Valentine's Day still life of chocolates and roses. It is just waiting for the recipient to claim the sweet gifts. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Highland Cow

5.5x8.5 watercolor and wc pencil to sketch this Highland cow done a few days ago for WetCanvas challenge; ref courtesy Caroline who lives in Scotland. I did get to see these amazing long-haired cows with their very long horns on my trip to the UK. Caroline says they are referred to as cows, no matter if male or female. The female's horns are more curved upwards than the male's, but both carry horns. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Cold Water Creek

3x7 watercolor and white crayon on 140 lb Canson paper done last week in anticipation of painting a larger version of this mountain creek in deep icy winter conditions. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Varied Thrush Bird

8x3 watercolor on 140 lb cold press paper done last week or so ago of the varied thrush bird species. I enjoyed painting all its colors as seen in this male. Other names are winter or mountain robin and its range is in the Pacific Northwest. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Quick Cosmos

4.5x3 watercolor, pink acrylic, and tissue collage on 140 lb cold press Canson paper done last week, sketching from a silk cosmos from life. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Evergreen Creek

12x9 watercolor on Winsor Newton 140 lb cold press paper done week before last with no pre-drawing, a partly imaginative winter scene complete with its frozen creek water and evergreen trees. Painted wet on dry using a large #12 this winter landscape was done within a couple of hours. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Coffee Break

8x8 watercolor on 140 lb cold press Masters Touch premium paper done last week on a cold morning with a cup of hot coffee, my favorite breakfast beverage. This simple still life is comforting and warming at the same time. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Illuminated Iris

Illuminated Iris 11.25x17.5 watercolor with Daniel Smith paints on Fabriano 140 lb cold press recently done as a demo for a mini workshop held at my studio. From my white and purple iris photo, darks were put in first wet on dry, followed by instruction on how to paint white petals. Background was last and is an assortment of mixed greens, etc. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

January Birches

11x8.5 watercolor on paper, a quick demo done week before last to show how to color this particular type of bark using a #1 rigger or script liner brush and lots of water. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Evergreen Frost

7x9.5 watercolor and white crayon done week before last in Ecosystem sketchbook, an imaginary winter landscape. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Icebound

Icebound 6x9 watercolor and white crayon on 140 lb cold press Canson done a few weeks ago as a class demo, another imaginary winter landscape, frozen and icy, just like the weather here the past 3 days. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

January Rosebuds

9x3.75 watercolor on Fabriano 140 lb cold press/rough done last week drawing from life using silk roses. Paintings always look better when sketched from life rather than a photographic image. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith