Pounding Surf

4x5 watercolor on 140 lb cold press paper done last week, another imaginary marine scape featuring the endless ocean or sea. In this view, I've tried to show the pounding surf of the incoming waves cresting as they roll with the tide. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Monster Man ~ Happy Halloween

9x6 acrylics and ink on paper done recently for a WetCanvas acrylics challenge of making up your own monster. The bald man was partially visible on shower tile wall so I added horns and clothing to finish the scary fellow. Just in time for Halloween. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Spiky Cactus

4.25x5.5 watercolor and India ink on 140 lb cold press paper done last week, using no ref, just impulsive colors and design. Another in my cactus series, this one is focused on the placement of leaves, thorns, and textures. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Hibiscus Hummer

11x8.5 watercolor on Strathmore 500 series mixed media 90 lb paper done last week; I used two refs. One was my hibiscus bloomimg in front yard and other is a hummingbird photographed in New Mexico. The background is imaginary. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Rock Wall

9x7 watercolor over ink line using White Nights paints and Micron 01 pen done last weekend from my photo of roadway rock wall. It is very interesting to see the various layers and colors of rock that were cut to make highways; this is in southeastern New Mexico. I've used Masters Touch 80 lb paper in sketchbook and particularly like the vegetation seen at the very top. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Open Skies Over Texas

3.5x5.5 watercolor on 140 lb cold press Saunders paper done over the past week or so, another imaginary landscape that looks a lot like the terrain here in Texas. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Southwest Mysteries

5x7 alcohol ink and gel pens on foam core board. These three dark haired people, seen from the back, have fringed shawls over their long flowing blanket clothing. Gel pen in white and pink added details of stripes and circles in this southwest mystery figure piece. I will use this small southwestern people piece to create a larger piece. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Autumn Leaves and Berries

6x6 watercolor on Masters Touch 80 lb sketchbook paper done recently, a mix of fall leaves in full color along with dark blue berries. This was my last page in the sketchbook that was started in April of this year. Lots of sketching and painting! COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Three Chickens

7x9 watercolor using White Nights paints on Masters Touch 80 lb sketchbook paper done over the past weekend. Ref courtesy Valri who hosted the current weekend drawing event on WetCanvas! in the All Media Arts Forum. Participants have 2 hours to select an image and draw or paint it. These chickens took about an hour. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Downtown Doors

10.25x9 watercolor and ink on paper done in 2016 from an older photograph I shot in downtown Big Spring. Using Lamy Safari pen and grey Noodler's ink I got the two doors centered then added windows, wood trim, then bricks. These doors face west and ground floor of the old building was an antique store with living quarters upstairs. Walls were painted a pale warm beige and are now painted a rusty red. Flower pots and plants are added imaginary items. This same building houses the former Alberto's Crystal Cafe (now closed) to its east side on 2nd Street in Big Spring, TX. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Farm Buildings

6x8 watercolor on Masters Touch 140 lb cold press paper painted over the weekend from one and several farms we passed through this summer in north Texas. The grey buildings complement the green and brown land areas well in this rural country scene. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

High Tide

4x4.75 watercolor on paper marine scape, another imaginary view of the ocean or sea as I've been doing lately. This one was created last week showing a high tide arriving on the beach. A moody sky presents itself over the water. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Winter Wolf

9x9 watercolor using Kuretake graphite paints (Tansai Gambi) on Fabriano 140 lb hot press paper, done last week as part of ongoing winter wildlife. Gray wolves are on an endangered species watchlist. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Window Daisies

6x6 watercolor on Grumbacher 140 lb cold press paper done over this past weekend as part of another WetCanvas drawing event. With this furnished ref photo I've cropped the rest of the window and kitchen out to focus more on the vase of fresh daisies. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Autumn Coneflowers

8x6 watercolors using new Rosa's Gallery paints made in Ukraine; this is on Masters Touch 140 lb. cold press paper done last week from some of my coneflower images. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Rainstorm Across the Bay

3x6 watercolor, another quick imaginary marine scape done a few days ago on Canson 140 lb cold press paper. I've emphasized the dark and moody rain clouds hovering above the water with a promise of rain soon to fall upon the earth. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith

Imogene Lake, Idaho

6x6 watercolor on Masters Touch 80 lb sketchbook paper done last weekend as part of a monthly WetCanvas watercolor challenge. Ref provided by Doug. Paints used are White Nights. I had cropped the left part of the lake scene to focus on the central trees. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Sparrow Snacks

9x12 watercolor using White Nights paints on Canson 140 lb cold press paper done last weekend for online challenge. Ref courtesy WetCanvas for weekly Weekend Drawing Event where artists have 2 hours to select an image then create it. Love painting sparrows! Ref image did not have birdseed so I've added their snacks. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

On the Cape

5.5x8.5 watercolor on paper using White Nights paints done last week, another imaginary scene or landscape featuring water, land, and sky. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Extreme Owl

9x5.75 watercolor and Brusho crystals on 140 lb cold press paper, begun at my last all day workshop then finished this week. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Last Geranium ~ new Rosa watercolors

4.5x3.5 new watercolors using Rosa brand paints made in Ukraine, 4.5x3.5 miniature floral done today of my last geranium blooming at New Mexico house. I used a scrap of 140 lb cold press Saunders Waterford paper. The set of paints has strong and bold colors, full range of cadmiums, and black. No indigo blue so had to use my other palette to get mixed greens dark enough. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Pink Prickly Polkadots Cactus

8x8 watercolor on Masters Touch 140 lb cold press paper began over the past weekend and finished yesterday by strengthening values in this imaginary prickly pear cactus scene. It is all painted in reverse, e.g. green pads (leaves) are warm colors and yellow orange blooms are in greens and blues. No masking fluid used for thorns, just painting around them. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Bodacious Bovine

6x6 watercolor on Masters Touch 80 lb paper done last week, another imaginary contemporary cow painting focusing on colors not ordinarily seen in livestock cattle. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Secrets of Owls

6x6 watercolor and ink using STA Lictin 0.5 pen in Masters Touch sketchbook 80 lb paper, done last week. First I applied an orange hued random wash using transparent pyrrol orange and raw sienna over the paper. Let dry overnight. Then sketched the great horned owl with pen and applied local colors in this macro view. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2023

Alert Roadrunner

6x8 watercolor on Masters Touch 140 lb cold press paper over pencil sketch from my roadrunner photo in which I enlarged its head. Gansai Tambi watercolors were used for the bird's body. Background is burnt sienna, quin burnt orange and raw sienna with some color included in the feathers. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Patterned Owl

12.5x9 mixed media on handmade cotton paper from India made by Leather Village. Owl outline done with technical ink pen STA 0.5 and multi-lead colored pencils, Montana markers, acrylic ink markers, watercolor, and acrylics used in the bird. I used a paper doily as a stencil and black fluid acrylic for the breast markings. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Three Gourds ~ value study

6x9 ink on slick paper done last week using ink brush pens and water with #1 rigger or script liner brush, a value study before painting the watercolor with same title previously posted. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Apple Trio

6x8 acrylics over paper in Stillman & Birn sketchbook done last week, part of a WetCanvas challenge with the subject of harvest. I chose apples and like how the shadows turned out with these Red Delicious ones. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Desert Owl

16x12 watercolor on Canson 140 lb cold press paper, my demo owl for last Saturday's workshop using southwest stencils along with paint in a new design. Black India ink was also used applied with a wooden chopstick. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Buffalo in Snowbank

8x6 watercolor on Masters Touch 140 lb cold press paper done last week, another snow scene featuring a bison or buffalo resting. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Northern Cardinal on Icy Branches

6x6 watercolor on 80 lb Masters Touch paper in sketchbook, done in pencil last week then painted with Daniel Smith and American Journey paints. Cardinals are still outside in the berry bushes here. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith