Cosmos Bee

7x9 watercolor on 80 lb sketchbook paper (Master's Touch) done first of the month for another online challenge featuring flowers and pollinators. This bee is just getting started on its daily business. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2026

Hummer Buzz

8x8 watercolor with White Nights paints done last week while on a short trip. This is on 140 lb cold press Grumbacher paper. In the hummingbird scene one can wonder who will get the nectar first, the bee or the bird? COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2025

Green Bee

8x8 watercolor using White Nights paints of a green bee after pollen, painted last week on Grumbacher 140 lb cold press paper. COPYRIGHT 2025 Kay Smith

Bee on a Blossom

11x8.5 watercolor on Stonehenge 260 lb hot press paper done today of a busy bee on an apple blossom. I've enhanced the stamens and colors plus added splatters when dry.
COPYRIGHT 2020 Kay Smith

Pollen Gathering Bee

2.75x4 watercolor on 140 lb cold press paper done yesterday of a lone bee getting its pollen from the top of a pink coneflower. It is time to see nature going about its business for spring in this pollinator art.
COPYRIGHT 2020 Kay Smith

Actual size:

COPYRIGHT 2020 Kay Smith

Bee on White Cosmos

11x14 watercolor on Kilimanjaro 140 lb cold press paper begun yesterday and finished today. The busy bee was hard to get its transparent wings to look paper thin so I did use a tiny amount of white gouache on the left wing tip. I put together a combo from my cosmos and insects refs for this garden and nature painting.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

Bee on Blackeyed Susan

13.5x5 watercolor on 140 lb Saunders Waterford paper done today.  Using a scrap from a failed painting I turned it over and sketched the rudbeckias, or blackeyed Susans, and bee for this quickie demo for class.  Not sure what to do with the background I began at the top with a 1" flat sable brush and using Blue Bice and Periwinkle (American Journey brand sold by Cheap Joe's).  As I went along I added blues thalo, ultramarine, and manganese and thalo green.  Yellows:  Aureolin, quinacridone gold, new gamboge, Halloween orange, quinacridone burnt orange.  Dark centers are quin burnt orange, ultramarine, and indigo.
Image COPYRIGHT 2016 Kay Smith.