Jolene

8x6 watercolor on Fluid hot press 140 lb portrait done for day 18 in April as part of #sktchy challenge #30faces30days. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2025

Woman in a Sari

9x7 watercolor in sketchbook 80 lb paper for day 17 during this April's portrait challenge by #sktchy. For the month students are given a video featuring a new muse usually in an interesting pose or character. For 30 days a portrait should be completed #30faces30days and I really enjoyed this woman in a sari to paint in monochromatic tones. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2025

Frowning Girl

8x6 watercolor on handmade rough 140 lb cold press paper, done in April during the #sktchy portrait challenge #30faces30days. I enjoyed the facial frown this girl was wearing. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2025

Boy in Red Hat

9x6 watercolor on Fabriano Bristol 100lb paper done for day 15 during this April's #sktchy challenge of #30faces30days. This boy was a fun muse to paint. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2025

Headscarves

8.5x5.5 watercolor in mixed media sketchbook, done for day 14 of April's #30faces30days challenge by #sktchy. I really did enjoy doing this particular muse and the headscarves worn. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2025

Fancy Fingernails

7x5.5 watercolor with white charcoal on Strathmore toned tan paper for day 13 of #30faces30days #sktchy that was done in April. This was one of my favorites to do a portrait of during the month. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2025

Gull Flying High

6x8 watercolor done last weekend as part of WetCanvas weekend drawing event where participants have 2 hours to do their choice of image. Ref courtesy Rousay who hosted the event. I focused only on one sea gull from her photo containing a flock of them. This is on 140 lb cold press handmade rough paper. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2025

Southwest Light

8x10 acrylics on canvas done earlier in the month, an imaginary light filled southwestern scene of buildings and cactus along with hollyhocks. I painted it for an online acrylics challenge on WetCanvas. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2025

Lonely Sparrow

8.5x5.5 watercolors on 80 lb sketchbook paper done over a week or so ago, a single sparrow by itself, lonely for some friends. I've used the same recent limited palette of Payne's Gray, Perylene maroon, and quinacridone gold. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2025

Great Horned Owl Pose

8x6 watercolors with black marker on handmade rough 140 lb paper done week before last from one of many owl ref photos. I put this one in the July Animal Wildlife forum on WetCanvas. I've used White Nights paints along with the watersoluble marker by Crayola. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2025

Male Models

12x9 ink using black Tombow brush pen on Bristol 100 lb paper by Fabriano, done week before last. These three male models were photographed in a European department store. Ref courtesy Connie/WetCanvas. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2025

Hot July Prickly Pears

10x14 watercolor on Stonehenge aqua 140 lb hot press paper done last week using a limited palette. This was a class exercise learning to mix three primary color versions of Payne's gray, Perylene maroon, and quinacridone gold. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2025

Painted Rock Barn Scene

2.5x3.5 acrylics on a gessoed rock from my yard featuring an old barn and the tall flowering weeds in the foreground. To paint a landscape on a rock was the forum assignment challenge on WetCanvas. Lots of fun. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2025

Across the Moors

6x6 watercolor in sketchbook 80 lb paper done last week, another imaginary abstract landscape; I was imagining how the moors might look if you were gazing across. A limited palette of Payne's gray, Perylene maroon, and quinacridone gold was used. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2025

Neurographic Cactus

8.25x9 gouache and ink line using Micron 01 pen in sketchbook done last week with cactus pad leaves and prickly pears as the theme. I've let the line work dictate the way the cactus plant flows into itself and into the environment. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2025

Hummer Playing Poker

16x6 watercolor on 140 lb cold press paper, an imaginary garden scene featuring an active hummingbird seeking nectar from a red hot poker plant. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2025

Ocean Tide Roll

6x6 watercolor in sketchbook on 80 lb paper done first week of the month for another online challenge. I like to see ocean waves the colors their rolling action produces. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2025

Fresh Apple Blossoms

6x6 watercolor on 80 lb sketchbook paper done first week of the month; ref courtesy another artist who presented it for a monthly challenge online in an art forum. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2025

Raindrops Donkey

15x11 watercolor and Pip Squeak markers by Crayola, done first of July week during a rain. This imaginary donkey is on Canson 140 lb cold press paper. A fun yet funny animal to paint. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2025

Black Brusho Cactus

5.5x8.5 watercolor and Brusho crystals in mixed media sketchbook done first of July, another imaginary cactus scene in a dry climate. I wanted to explore what the black Brusho would look like with these plants. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2025

Sliced Bell Pepper

8.25x9 mixed media in sketchbook done last month for an online painting exercise I hosted. The sliced bell pepper was too interesting to not take a photo of it for artists to use. Sketched with Micron 01 pen, I followed with watercolor then Montana acrylic markers. COPYRIGHT 2025 Kay Smith

Purple Pad Cactus

6x6 watercolor with White Nights paints on 80 lb sketchbook paper done week before last while on our trip. Another imaginary desert cactus scene, I've focused on the purple colored cactus leaf pads seen sometimes growing wildly. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2025

Boots and Spurs

6x9 watercolor using White Nights paints done last of June, based on an earlier photo I'd made an ink sketch from, of two cowboys' sets of boots on a fence. For this one I only did the one pair of boots with spurs and tried to make the texture realistic. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2025

Cactus Night

5.5x8.5 mixed media in sketchbook done week before last while on a trip. I used Crayola markers, White Nights watercolors, white gel pen, acrylics, and black India ink. No reference used, only imagination how cactus appears during the night hours. I used Master's Touch sketchbook for mixed media. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2025

Hummer and Poppies

5.5x7.5 watercolor using White Nights paints done week before last while on our trip to New Mexico; this hummingbird is featured with poppies which was a crop from a sold painting. It is done on Fabriano 140 lb cold press paper in a handmade book purchased from an Etsy store. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2025

Rainy Day Donkey

12x9 markers and ink pen on Canson 117 lb cold press paper done week before last while on an art trip; I used Crayola Pip Squeaks kids' watersoluble markers to sketch the donkey then applied water. Micron 01 pen was used for finer and darker details in this fun donkey painting along with small amount of watercolor for splatters. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2025

Drunk Donkeys

8x10 acrylics on wrapped canvas done last week while on a trip. Occasionally I enjoy doing funny, comical animals and these three guys were very drunk. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2025

Fenced in Donkey

15x11 watercolor using White Nights paints done last week of June on Grumbacher 140 lb cold press paper. As part of the Animals Wildlife forum on WetCanvas I featured the image with the June challenge and enjoyed the friendly donkey poking his nose through the fence wire. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2025

Bookshelf

5.5x8.5 watercolor still life using White Nights paints done week before last while on a trip; this is in Master's Touch sketchbook 80 lb paper painted within 2 hour time limit. Ref courtesy WetCanvas weekend drawing event challenge. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2025

Black Hollyhock Blooms

8x8 watercolor using White Nights paints done mid-June of one of my studio black hollyhock plants. I had painted this floral scene years ago in a full sheet 30x22 and sold it. So here is a mini version on Master's Touch 140 lb cold press paper. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2025

Pink and Yellow Cactus Flowers

6x6 watercolor using White Nights pigments in sketchbook done over the past 2 weeks, another imaginary prickly pear cactus desert landscape. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2025