Valentine Collection

6x9 mixed media on Canson 140 lb cold press scrap paper completed today in my valentine daily challenge; twelve days to go.  In this I drew with black India ink three hearts in large, medium, and small sizes.  Collage pattern on paper was added where you see the black and light tan pieces. Lastly, watercolor was added inside large and medium hearts. The scrap paper was a piece put underneath larger works hence all the multicolored marks of acrylic and watercolor and gouache.  Splattering in Grumbacher red added when all was dry.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

Valentine Song

8x6 mixed media collage on Stillman & Birn zeta series sketchbook done today since it is now February, lovers month, the 14th of which we celebrate that most noble of all feelings and desires.  I first outlined a heart shape on an old novel page that happened to be about valentines using a dark pink felt tip marker.  Next I used watercolor pencils to do an hombre' effect going from red to orange to peach to pink then yellow and back.  I wet those areas with a small brush and did splattering using the wet paint.  I spread matte medium on the paper's back then with a brayer rolled it onto the sketchbook page getting all air bubbles out.  When dry I used a red Montana acrylic marker for extra lines and emphasis then used a pink one for the edges.  It would be fun to do one heart a day challenge until the 14th arrives.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

Guest Artist - Polly Birchall (UK) Less Salt Happy Heart

Another painter from England joins our Brushworks blog heart series today with this fun and lively watercolor. It is 9" x 8" on Langton Paper, and she used mainly Cad Red, Perm Rose and Winsor Violet, with both table salt and sea salt.  Title of the valentine is printed upper right and Polly says salt is not good for us but in watercolor it is used to make textural effects as she's shown here.  Thank you, Polly! Happy Valentine's!

Primary Colors Heart

9x10 inks on 140 lb wc paper done today, another in my heart series, quickly and spontaenously.  I first drew the heart outline using periwinkle blue watercolor then dropped red, yellow, and blue Dr Ph Martin's inks and spritzed that with fine mist water.  This is just having too much fun!

Sensuous Heart

12x9 black ink on Bristol board 300 series, an imaginary heart formed by two lovers whose bodies shield another heart in the middle. I used a Tombow brush pen with this one and a rigger brush with water for the grey middle values in this vignette.