Poncho and Donkeys

9x7.25 watercolor on Aquabee 140 lb cold press done week before last, another imaginary man and donkeys scene somewhere. They could be in the southwest or in another country. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2026

Caroline's Apples

6x9 watercolor done last week or so ago on Aquabee 140 lb cold press paper. Ref courtesy my artist friend Caroline in Scotland. I cropped her ref photo to focus only on a few of the juicy fruit. Daniel Smith paints were used. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2026

Flower Garden Donkey

15x11 watercolor and ink over previously painted sleeping cat scene titled Dozing Cat done on 9-4-21 on Bienfang 140 lb cold press paper. This exercise was an afternoon demo for the Mid-West Texas Artists Guild in Ballinger last Tuesday. Participants did some amazing work. I placed my donkey line drawing over the cat and traced the outline. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2026

European Robin

9x12 watercolor done first part of this month for another WetCanvas weekend drawing event (ref courtesy Maureen). This robin is done on Aquabee 140 lb cold press paper using Daniel Smith paints, wet on dry in a direct method. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2026

Pumpkin Box

8.5x5.5 mixed media on 110 lb paper for mixed media. After technical pen ink sketch using Grabie 03 pen, I laid cut bleeding tissue (red/orange/yellow) over it and spritzed with water. Let sit a minute then lifted off to reveal the amazing color tones the tissue left with its dye. When dry, I put in green parts of the stem, then added indigo and sepia for darks along the right side of the pumpkin box. A few shadows were put in and the abstract marks the tissue made were left alone. Looks like rays of sunshine falling across the pumpkins. This exercise was done this afternoon for our Monday class. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2026

Percolator

8.5x5.5 watercolor and ink (Pigma Micron 01 pen) on Masters sketchbook paper done previously. Getting perked up to start the fall time change. Not a problem here as long as there is caffeine brewing. Love my stainless steel percolator going at it and the smell of fresh coffee. COPYRIGHT 2026 Kay Smith

Stag

18x24 watercolor on Canson 140 lb. cold press paper painted previously in about an hour with a #14 round brush and a 1" flat sable. I first spritzed the paper at random with water over my pencil drawing then did the darks first. Antlers were done then the ears, nose, mouth. A very limited palette used of burnt sienna and ultramarine blue. Just a touch of raw sienna and raw umber in minute amounts were used along with lots of water sprayed into wet paint, letting drips happen. A final drip ran down from the background middle and onto the stag's back, creating a run into his back that looks like antler horn shadows. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2026

Climbing Clouds

9x6.5 watercolor using Daniel Smith paints on Aquabee 140 lb cold press paper done last week, another imaginary sunny day. Poplar trees are rising tall in this country scene. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith

Suspicious Crow

12x9 mixed media on Canson 117 lb cold press paper done end of last month while on a trip to New Mexico. I'd just seen a crow out our back area acting suspicious. For this I used White Nights watercolosr, ink (R2 rollerball), markers, and Crayola Pip Squeak washable markers. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2026

Rescued Donkey

3.5x2.5 watercolor and ink on 140 lb cold press Daler Rowney Prestige paper done first part of this month from photos a friend gave me. I used a Grabie 005 ink liner pen to sketch this miniature ACEO art card. Daniel Smith paints watercolors were used. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2026

Gourd Grief Pumpkin

6x6 watercolor jack o' lantern done first week of this month in Master's Touch sketchbook, 80 lb paper. Another in my spooky season pumpkin art. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2026

Hummer Colors

2.5x3.5 watercolor miniature hummingbird art done first of this month on 140 lb cold press paper. For this ACEO, I had to paint it twice, as the first one fell out of a sketchbook never to be found. References from photos taken in Alto this late summer at our feeder. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2026

Radiant Rooster

5x6 mixed media on paper, another weekend drawing event on WetCanvas done last part of September. For this proud poultry fellow I used multicolored pencils, watercolor (White Nights), ink (Grabie 03 pen), and markers. It is painted on Canson 117 lb cold press paper. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2026

Farmland Clouds

9x5.5 watercolor using White Nights paints on Canson 117 lb cold press done last part of September while on a trip to the mountains. In this imaginary landscape the focus is really on the clouds overhead. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2026

Pale Yellow Sunflower

5.5x8.5 watercolor and ink on Canson 117 lb using White Nights paints and Grabie 005 pen. This simple floral was done while on a trip in late September. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2026

Caballero and Cactus

5.5x8.5 watercolor using White Nights paints on 80 lb sketchbook paper done the third week of September while on a trip. Another southwestern mix of landscape plus figure in this imaginary work. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2026

Mocking Bird Auto

11x15 watercolor on Fabriano Artistico 140 lb rough and Daniel Smith paints done first of September. I had not painted this deserted old building before. It was in with other landscape photos of various trips through rural Texas and I did not write its location on the back. If anyone recognizes it let me know. Tried an internet search of the business with no luck. This vignette won first place last night at the Watercolor Horizons Group annual show in Odessa, TX. Juror: Tim Oliver of Lubbock. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2026

Shell Collection

7.5x5 watercolor and ink (Micron 01 pen) on Moleskine for watercolor sketchbook. A collection of various shells gathered from different coasts display their vivid colors of the sea. From a sand dollar to urchin to conch to clam, etc., you can see the sea harvest is joined together by dried kelp in this illustrated journaling. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2026

Beer and Onion Rings

5.5x8 watercolor and ink on Strathmore Visual Journal for mixed media featured on a past WetCanvas Weekend Drawing Event. In this event, a host will upload images and participants have only 2 hours to select, draw, and paint their choice. Mike Beckett had some great pictures and I chose this pub scene from Canada where he lives; my time was 1.5 hours. I've rearranged some of the photo elements such as a back table and chairs, then added a chair back behind the food. I used a Lamy Safari pen with Noodler's grey ink. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2026

Zoo Elephants

9x12 watercolor with walnut ink on Canson 140 lb cold press paper; other colors used were raw umber and Payne's grey. Sketch done with Staedtler 0.3 pigment liner pen in black. This limited palette I think captured the elephant hide hues well and walnut ink provided the dusty clouds. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2026

Coffee Grinder & Pear

7x5.5 watercolor over ink line with Micron 0.3 pen. The ink sketch was done for a previous #InkTober for the prompt word 'ancient' which the coffee grinder certainly is. The red pear adds a nice modern day kitchen touch to this simple still life. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith

Old Rusted GMC Truck

11x15 watercolor based on an earlier version of an old Jimmy, also sold, with this one a bit more green. Foliage is layered and I used negative painting for the branches, twigs and stems flanking the old rusty truck. I love the twin bullet holes in its ancient windshield along with telephone poles reflection. This image is SOLD. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith

October Snowy Owl

8x5.5 watercolor on Strathmore Visual Journey for watercolor done Sunday this week while on a trip, a snowy owl against an abstract nature background. Painted wet on dry with Winsor Newton travel set this imaginary scene was showing the wise fellow with October's colors surrounding him. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2026