A Daisy Day

6x6 watercolor of imaginary daisy and its greenery done last week on Masters Touch 80 lb paper in sketchbook. With each white flower theme painting I try to introduce new colors, shapes, and design. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Organic Brushes Portrait #sktchy

11x8.5 mixed media on brown paper using black acrylic ink, white gel pen, white Posca pen, watercolor, and white acrylic. Another #sktchy lesson on using natural items to apply ink and render a portrait. I used mesquite bean tips, rattan wicker straw tips, and red yucca dried stalk. Instructor was Joan Martin and modules are #MakeYourMark #sktchy. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Longhorns Diptych

30x45 watercolors, two paintings, on Arches 140 lb cold press paper recently painted that go together as a diptych (an artwork made up of two matching parts). With this diptych featuring almost identical horns, these can be hung right next to each other or with a space between, framed separately or together. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith

An Outdoor Cafe

6x6 watercolor in Masters Touch sketchbook (paper 80 lb.) done last week from one of my outdoor cafe photos. I did crop it to focus more on the people and umbrellas in this cheerful landscape town scene. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Tide Rolling In

6x6 watercolor using brush only, no pencil sketch first, of an imaginary beach and ocean scene. This was done last week in my Masters Touch sketchbook 80 lb paper. When dry splatters were done to mimic shells and rocks in the beach sand. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Shell Show

6x6 watercolor on Masters Touch paper 80 lb done last week when I hosted the WetCanvas weekend drawing event. These shells were too pretty to not paint them as they were on the beach. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Follow the Leader

9x12 watercolor on Langton 140 lb cold press paper. These three pintos were one of many horses featured on WetCanvas in the Southwest/Western forum and ref courtesy Maria in Dallas. In the photo (I used a black & white copy) the sky was virtually pale and clear, so I added a thunderstorm and clouds. Maybe this will make it rain. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith.

Waif Dog

8.5x6 watercolor of a small dog, rather sad looking mutt, right after a major tornado hit his town. I've no idea how his story turned out but he definitely is a waif for sure. He was in the corner in one of the news articles showing devastation and ruin, so hope he found his owner. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith

Sweet Baby Burro

8x6 watercolor on Masters Touch 140 lb cold press paper done today. Ref courtesy Rousay/WetCanvas for another weekend drawing event, a 2 hour challenge to select an image and paint it in your medium of choice. Not sure if this sweet baby is a burro or a donkey but I love the pinto pattern of white with tan spots. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Summertime Gal ~ #sktchy Portrait in Ink with Stamps/Stencils

11x8.5 mixed media portrait on brown paper that is no. 4 in #sktchy #joanmartin #makeyourmark online class. I began this by sponge rolling white acrylic onto the paper, then a pencil sketch followed by using rubber stamps then stencils. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Apple Jars

6x8 acrylics on Masters Touch 140 lb cold press paper done today for an online WetCanvas challenge in the Acrylic forum (ref courtesy RIL). The challenge was to only work with analogous colors or complementary ones. I chose analogous: dark red, royal red, orange, peach, yellow, along with black and white. So no blues. All other hues were mixed from those initial colors in this fruit still life. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Cactus Greens

9x7 mixed media on Bristol 300 series/100 lb paper done recently, another imaginary prickly pear cactus. Media used: Brusho moss green, watercolor, colored pencils, and gouache. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Booming Surf

6x6 quickie, brush only, done yesterday afternoon in about 20 minutes using a 1″ flat synthetic sable Liquitex brush and Daniel Smith watercolors. The surf is pounding the shore in this imaginary marine scape. When dry splatters using sepia and a mix of neutrals including Cheap Joe’s Coastal Fog completed the miniature 6×6″ in my Masters Touch sketchbook, 80 lb. paper. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Wild Portrait

14x11 mixed media on Strathmore Toned Tan paper done last week based on my own selfie photo and using #sktchy techniques. White acrylic was sponge rolled onto paper. When dry, pencil sketch then orange and black acrylic inks, markers, and acrylics added using a dove feather in a drinking straw to make marks. Although this does not look like me it was fun to explore new ways to add various media. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Red Hibiscus Profile

Red Hibiscus Profile 6x6 watercolor with White Nights paints on Masters Touch 80 lb sketchbook done last week or so ago; ref courtesy of Dewi for a weekend drawing event on WetCanvas! COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Girl with Long Hair

Girl with Long Hair 6x6 mixed media using white oil pastel as a resist first layer, then sketch with carpenter's pencil, watercolor,and yellow Montana acrylic marker over paper doily in Masters Touch sketchbook done last week. This is my second effort in online Sktchy class with Joan Martin's Make Your Mark tutorial. On July 4, Sktchy had a BOGO special for 19.99 and her class was the free one on how to make your mark using other materials and media. #sktchy #joanmartin #MakeYourMark COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Man with Spiky Hair

6x6 mixed media using ink, white gel pen, and acrylic in Masters Touch sketchbook done last week. This is the first effort in online Sktchy class with Joan Martin's Make Your Mark tutorial. On July 4, Sktchy had a BOGO special for 19.99 and her class was the free one on how to make your mark using other materials and media. #sktchy #joanmartinMakeYourMark COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Porch Patriotism

12x9 watercolor vignette on Canson 140 lb cold press paper recently done actually on Independence Day. My photo and painting was inspired by all the US flags we saw flying in the Denver neighborhood earlier. White Nights paints were used in this wet on dry town house scene. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

July Pronghorn

7x9.5 watercolor over orange colored pencil sketch done at the first of the month while still in Colorado. I saw some pronghorns on the trip and they are so colorful against all the green grasses or plains where they are in abundance. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Cactus Greens

9x7 mixed media on Strathmore Bristol 300 series 100 lb paper completed today, another in my prickly pear cactus series. After sketching with a black neon colored Magic pencil I sprayed water then scattered moss green Brusho. The mint green background is made up of Turner's Design gouache mixing white, turquoise, viridian, yellow ochre. Small amounts of watercolor are the added spots of oranges and yellows. Lastly, I took a wet #10 round brush and went over the cactus pads carefully blending colors. Some negative painting was done in the background to add more buds and blooms. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Lionhearted

7x9.5 watercolor done the 29th day of June while on a trip using Ecosystem sketchbook. This lion was featured on a WetCanvas weekend drawing event hosted by tyree and was fun to paint. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

July Prickly Pears

7x5 mixed media on Strathmore Bristol 100 lb 300 series paper sketched yesterday. Patterned after the previous day's art, these prickly pears were first sprinkled with water then Brusho wc crystals in Sandstone applied. After drying, a mix of turquoise, white, and green Turner's Design gouache was laid in over the background. An orange three colored lead Magic pencil separated the pear leaves pods from each other. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Prickly Pops

7x5 watercolor, Brusho, and gouache on 140 lb cold press Canson paper recently done and shared with my Monday class. After sketching the prickly pear cactus water was spritzed onto the dry paper using a large droplet sprayer. Immediately olive green Brusho crystals was shaken over that. When dry I used two gouache colors to make the peachy/salmon background, painting around some Brusho marks for extra pattern. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Squaw Two Feathers

6x3 watercolor on Canson 140 lb cold press paper done last week, a simple Native American figurative piece focusing on females in profile. I enjoy imagining their costumes and jewelry. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Blue Poppy

8x8 watercolor on Masters Touch premium wc paper, sketched in pencil then applied Daniel Smith paints using ultramarine blue, Prussian blue, and indigo. A pale yellow background was added along with loosely painted green foliage. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Another Blue Emu

12x9 watercolor recently done using Canson 138 lb paper for mixed media. For this blue emu I did not use any other media and based it upon an earlier bird I had painted. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

June Calla Lily

6x6 watercolor on Master's Touch sketchbook paper 80 lb/Daniel Smith paints, recently painted for an online challenge focusing on calla lilies. For the challenge I used my own white calla photo and added a rather abstract background. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

July 4 Watermelon

9x12 watercolor still life I set up then photographed of a ripe red one on white paper plates complete with spoon, salt and pepper although we never use seasoning. All is sitting on lightweight bamboo lap tray. In the photo, I had a newspaper with July 4th ads showing underneath, but when painting decided to eliminate text and just put in dark blue lines. Maybe now it is a tablecloth! I cut this melon up and served with balsamic vinegar/blood orange sprinkled with feta cheese. Note the melon's reflections in the silver spoon. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Wise Wary Buffalo

30x22 watercolor commission based on an earlier buffalo similarly painted; this is on Fabriano 140 lb rough paper done recently. This work is SOLD. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Owl Mystic

6x6 watercolor and colored pencil using Magic pencils by Koh-i-Noor in Master's Touch sketchbook, 80 lb paper. First I put the paper face down in palette multicolored watercolors to wet it for an abstract background, then sketched the owl when dry. Lastly, ink used with STA Lictin 0.5 pen to make tiny feather shape patterns. Ref was part of a WetCanvas Weekend Drawing Event. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Neon Prickly Pears

6x6 watercolor and colored pencils on Master's Touch 80 lb sketchbook paper done last week, another in my cactus series. I used a new Magic pencil with neon colored leads, made by Koh-i-Noor. This gives a nice variety of shades to the sketch. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith