Southern Arizona Saguaro

7x9 watercolor over pencil sketch of a scene around Tucson complete with tall saguaros. This is on Masters Touch 80 lb paper done yesterday with Daniel Smith/American Journey paints. COPYRIGHT 2024 Kay Smith

San Xavier mission

22x15 watercolor done some years ago of San Xavier del Bac, a mission located south of Tucson.  We visited this historic Catholic compound on one of our trips to Arizona.  The rose garden was not in my photo but added it for some color interest.  My favorite part is the scrolled wrought iron gate and the sunlight hitting its bell tower.  This work is SOLD.
Image is COPYRIGHT Kay Smith.

Arizona Landscape

4x5.5 watercolor and ink on paper, a magazine card from Southwest Art, that was begging me to paint a scene.  So I used one of my many cactus, yucca, sagebrush, and other desert photos taken in Arizona around Tucson and Phoenix.  Pen used was Pigma Micron 01 and some opaque watercolors and gouache were also put to use today on the saguaros.  A white gel pen used for depicting old, dead branches in foreground.  It is a sunset scence hence the deep shadows and orange glow to the land and its inhabitants, those icons of lore.
Image COPYRIGHT 2015 Kay Smith.

Cactus Jack

12x9 watercolor on Strathmore 140 lb CP paper, Daniel Smith paints.  I started with a limited palette of quinacridone gold, permanent rose, and manganese and cobalt blues, doing an underpainting first.  This is from my photo taken on the Tucson VA hospital grounds where was lucky enough to see a still jackrabbit posing for my camera.  The saguaro stands tall, the guardian of the desert, over all living creatures.