Ginger the Bunny

9x7 watercolor on sketchbook paper 80 lb, done mid-month in April. This bunny Ginger belongs to one of the artists who hosted our regular weekend drawing event on WetCanvas. Such an adorable animal smelling daffodils. COPYRIGHT 2025 Kay Smith

Kid Nap

5.5x8.5 watercolor using Rosa Gallery paints made in Ukraine on 80 lb sketchbook paper done a few weeks ago. As part of an online weekend drawing event challenge on WetCanvas.com I appreciated the host selecting this goat kid taking its nap in a sunny spot. COPYRIGHT 2025 Kay Smith

Scotland Highland Cow

6x8 watercolor on rough handmade wc paper done last week; ref courtesy Claire Read from Facebook's Free Reference Photos for Artists page. White Nights paints were used. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2025

Midge Half Asleep

9x12 Brusho watermedia on Canson 140 lb cold press of my rescue kitty Midget. I used the complimentary set of 12 colors Dick Blick sent to the moderators who do watercolor as a thank you for working on WetCanvas. I sketched kitty in pencil then lightly spritzed with fine mist water sprayer and shook out the black pot of Brusho, transparent ink powdered crystals. This was fun. Lots of youtube videos are out there and take a look at Ward Jene Stroud's website, the king of Brusho, which is amazing to see. Brusho is made in the UK and has been in Europe for 40 years but only recently been used and learned here in the US. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith.

Bashful Burro

8.25x5.25 mixed media in my junk journal done a few days ago using no reference.  With brown and black Tombow brush pens the outline was sketched onto an already watercolor and ink (India and walnut) marked page. The book was published in 1950.
COPYRIGHT 2020 Kay Smith

Lab Puppy

22x15 watercolor on 140 lb smooth/soft press paper painted a few years ago of an imaginary yellow lab puppy playing in a flowerbed of lilies.  Splattering was done when dry.  Paints used are Daniel Smith and DaVinci.
COPYRIGHT Kay Smith

Alpacas

5.5x8 watercolor and ink line on Strathmore Visual Journal for mixed media done last weekend for another weekend drawing event on WetCanvas.  Participants have 2 hours to choose an image then paint it.  There are 5 alpacas in this scene.  Image courtesy of Beth in Oklahoma.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith

Klimt Kritters

4.25 x 6.25 done with Pigma Micron 01 pen on 140 lb watercolor paper in the Gustav Klimt genre.  A whimsical chicken and a border collie have nothing in common except Klimt!  I had first sketched this years ago then recently took it out and made value adjustments and color changes in this semi-abstract piece.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith.

'roos Sunbathing

5.5x8.5 ink and watercolor on Bienfang sketchbook for mixed media, a study for a larger work.  Using a black Tombow brush pen I only put in the darkest darks first, then blended with a rigger brush for gray areas.  Light washes of raw sienna and sepia were next while white areas remain untouched.  These kangaroos were lying in amongst other 'roos all sleeping in the sunshine, hence the extra tails seen here.
Image COPYRIGHT 2016 Kay Smith.

Moovie Stars cows

30x22 acrylic, ink, Caran d'Ache watersoluble crayon, and wax crayon on 140 lb cold press paper, one of my reworked ones from a pink floral now morphed into Holstein cows.  This work won an award at Southwestern Watercolor Society show a few years ago for creativity, and is now SOLD.
Image is COPYRIGHT Kay Smith.

Custom Pet Portrait - Relocation Rescue Big Spring TX April 5

I'm offering a custom pet portrait gift certificate during Relocation Rescue's April 5, 2014 event to be held at the Heritage Museum, 510 Scurry, Big Spring from 4-6 p.m.  See their Facebook page or visit their website at www.relocationrescue.com for more information on their silent auction.





Any questions, contact me HERE or here or Lisa Emerson at 432-213-1283.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2013 Kay Smith/Brushworks Studio

Lookalikes - dog and cat

6x6 watercolor and Pigma Micron ink on Masters paper done yesterday of two unlikely siblings who resemble one another in their patterned coats, two lookalikes who don’t know it. He might be a pitbull and she might be an orange and white tabby cat. This is an imaginary pair and hope they warm your heart.
Image COPYRIGHT 2013 Kay Smith.

Cowabunga cows

15x22 watercolor and ink on Italia 140 lb soft press paper using 3 color limited palette:  Quinacridone burnt orange, ultramarine blue, and Peachy Keen painted today.  I drew them first in pencil, then added black India ink sparingly, then applied paint wet on dry.

The Artistic Touch 5 - New Book is Out

Here it is! At long last, Chris Unwin's new book is out featuring primarily watermedia.  I'm lucky she asked me to submit images for consideration, and two were chosen:  Furbaby and Porky.  You can see these animal portraits below.  If you would like to own one of Chris' books, I have them ready to be picked up at my studio at below MSRP.  Email me kay1971smith@aol.com if interested in having one for yourself or for that special person on your Christmas list!

Purrfect Harmony cat

15x22 watercolor done several years ago of black and white cat playing his own harmony purrfectly with just the right key piano notes.This work has been SOLD and is in the collection of Leada Wood, Studio Twenty in Colorado City, TX.

Tortoiseshell Kitty: Just Another Pretty Face (demo)

This is last night's demo I did for the Yoakum County Art Association in Plains, TX.  The subject is none other than Miss Halloween, or Hallie for short, a stray kitten who suddenly appeared last summer in my studio backyard.  I still think Don Jones put the sweet little thing there as he knew I would not refuse her a home.  Her face is divided in half, one side orange tabby and the other black as the ace of spades, hence her name.  She was laying on a blue dolphin beach towel surrounded by a lilac pillow I painted red geraniums on, and a pink silk embroidered pillow from Pier 1.  Size is 15x22 Kilimanjaro 140 lb cold press paper, Daniel Smith/American Journey/DaVinci paints.

Bad Boy kitty

11.25x11 watercolor of an imaginary black cat jumping up onto a kitchen sink, obviously a bad boy indeed.  I used Saunders 140 lb cold press paper and Daniel Smith paints.

A Horse Named Joe

9.5x7.5 watercolor of a pinto or piebald horse I named Joe growing up.  Spotted or patterned animals to me are quite unique as each one is different.  Background, fence and foreground are all imaginary and painted wet on dry on Italia 140 lb cold press paper; Daniel Smith paints:  Quinacridone burnt orange, quin gold, raw sienna, arylide yellow, Prussian blue, raw umber.  American Journey:  Midnight blue, Peachy Keen, Apricot, permanent rose, and periwinkle.

Feline Groovy

12x9 watercolor on Strathmore 140 lb cold press paper, Daniel Smith paints.  After doing a loose splashy underpainting I let the soft pastel hues dry, then drew over that an outline of my grey tabby Chuy.  The abstract underpainting can be seen within the cat's body while in front he nestles against colorful patterned pillows.

Lounge Lizard

22x20 watercolor on Kilimanjaro 140 lb cold press paper.  I took a photo of a regular cat and made him pink, green and yellow on a red orange lounge chair.