Garden Center Pansies

8x8 watercolor using Daniel Smith/DaVinci paints done last part of Aprill on Master's Touch 140 lb cold press paper. This garden center image was one of several posted by our WetCanvas online monthly challenge host. Lots of fun to paint white flowers, especially pansies! COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2026

Watercan, Hat and Plants

6.5x9.25 watercolor on Canson 140 lb cold press done today, a gardening still life composed of old hat, old watering can, spade, and pots of annuals such as geraniums, petunias, daisies, etc. Now this should put everyone in a spring planting mood. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

Hanging Baskets

15x22 watercolor on 140 lb cold press paper done again a few days ago from photos of greenhouse hanging floral baskets. I photographed these at 4 Seasons in Ruidoso, NM. These geranium varieties and the mixed petunia annuals are so pretty. COPYRIGHT 2021 Kay Smith

Cabbage and Pansies Pot

8x8 watercolor on Masters premium 140 lb paper done today en plein air at Johansen's nursery w/ the Big Spring Art Association members. I couldn't resist the colors of the plants in their blue pot. COPYRIGHT 2020 Kay Smith

White Cat and Potting Bench

22x15 watercolor of an imaginary gardening scene in which I put a white cat.  This has all the ingredients in a painting I love such as flowers, clay pots, annuals, watering cans, cats and tools.  Hollyhocks and geraniums have found their way into the composition as well.  It is painted on 140 lb cold press paper/Daniel Smith paints.
COPYRIGHT 2019 Kay Smith

White Cosmos finished

12x9 watercolor of white cosmos finished today by adding stems, leaves and background to a WIP.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2014 Kay Smith.

White Cosmos WIP

12x9 watercolor work in progress or WIP, on 140 lb cold press paper, a new support I bought last week in Florida at Michael's arts and crafts store.  These three freehanded cosmos blooms are from my own studio flowerbeds that were so lovely before the drought.  Now all that I can get are a few roses and hollyhocks.  The fun in rendering white subjects is all the unexplored color nuances within each shape that the artist can hunt for then paint.  Stay tuned for the finish!
Image is COPYRIGHT 2014 Kay Smith.

Sunflower Sizzlers

22x15 watercolor on Arches 140 lb cold press paper, completed yesterday afternoon. The steps to this WIP can be seen on my blog if anyone wants to look HERE. Years ago I painted this sunflower floral, sold it, and so wanted to do it again.  I like the lost edge in the glass vase.  It was a fun one!
Image is COPYRIGHT 2014 Kay Smith.

Pansy Pot

11x15 watercolor of fresh multicolored pansies in blue & white plaid pot over soft abstract background. This work is SOLD.

Zinnias and Butterfly

22x15 watercolor of my studio zinnias with a perfect butterfly perched on top doing his daily routine.  The title of this older painting is "A Summer Day", and as today was cold and windy after a first fall freeze last night, I thought of butterflies and blooms with longing. But still do have pansies and ornamental kale to keep some color going in the windowboxes.  This was painted on cold press 140 lb. paper.

Whiskey Barrel Annuals

15x17 watercolor on Arches 140 lb cold press rough, Daniel Smith paints.  Drawn from a photo taken in downtown Ruidoso, NM as I was shopping, I thought it would make a nice sunny floral on a warm day type painting.  All these annuals were not in the photo; some are imaginary.

Collage Beginning Stages

The canvas is slanted but maybe you can still see its beginnings of the line drawing and adherence of torn paper scraps in dark gray for the metal watering can. Next I tackled the background which was to be white. Susie taught us that white paper needs to be white on both sides and she uses some photo paper that she scribbles or doodles on. At upper left mine is too gray and is the wrong value for white so later had to collage over that.