Fading Desert Day

6x4.75 watercolor and gel pen on Canson 117 lb. cold press paper done last month. In this imaginary desert landscape, I've tried to show the day's sky as it winds down for the night over the barren dry land. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2026

Cactus Wall bookmark

6x2 watercolor miniature southwestern art painted last month, one that can be framed or can be used as a bookmark. I used one of my paintings done earlier in the year as an inspiration. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2025

Colorful Cactus Blooms

6x6 watercolor limited palette plus 0.3 fineliner Winsor Newton sepia ink pen and white gel pen. This imaginary desert flowering plant was done last month in my Master's Touch sketchbook, 80 lb paper. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2025

Desert Day Cactus

9x12 watercolor using White Nights and Tombow markers on Fabriano Bristol 100 lb paper done last week. In this imaginary desert scene, cactus pad leaves were put in first using various markers. Lastly, I sketched in a southwestern tile roof building in the background to fill empty space. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2025

Desert Plants

8.5x5.5 watercolor in Master's Touch sketchbook, 80 lb paper, done last week or so, a scene of desert plants including a century plant, agave, and other cactus or succulents. This landscape can be seen here in Texas or other locales in the southwest. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith

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

Adobe Gate

6.5x4.5 mixed media on brown sketchbook paper done mid-January 2022. I used watercolor, white gel pen, Brusho, and sketched with STA Lictin 0.1 pen. In this imaginary southwestern art scene I've tried to impart a sense of the dry desert. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

Spiky Cactus

4.25x5.5 watercolor and India ink on 140 lb cold press paper done last week, using no ref, just impulsive colors and design. Another in my cactus series, this one is focused on the placement of leaves, thorns, and textures. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Prickly Performance

6x6 watercolor and colored pencils on Masters Touch sketchbook 80 lb. paper done first part of June, another cactus of prickly pears in my series. These imaginary desert landscapes are so much fun and each one is different and usually done with addition of at least one other medium. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Cactus Stack

6x6 mixed media in Masters Touch sketchbook done last weekend, another imaginary prickly pear cactus patch. I used white wax crayon and watercolor for this colorful country scene. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Saguaro Fire

7x5.25 watercolor on Canson 140 lb cold press painted a few days ago, expanding upon my series of saguaro cactus scenes. I this, the landscape can be seen as red hot desert land. Darks made with indigo and sepia and carbazole violet. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

Hidden Cactus

6x4 watercolor and ink on Saunders Waterford 140 lb cold press paper using an abstract design over a more realistic form of a cactus. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

Orange Cactus Pod Bloom

8x8 watercolor using White Nights paints on Lanaquarelle hot press 140 lb done last weekend from some of my cactus ref photos. I enjoyed painting the vivid orange bloom on this set of desert succulent cactus or cacti. In May these will be blooming in west Texas. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

Adobe Gate

6.5x4.5 mixed media using watercolor, white gel pen, Brusho, and ink with STA 0.1 pen on tan sketch paper, an imaginary gate into an adobe setting in the southwest. In this miniature I tried to show a glimpse into a desert way of life. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

Cactus Confetti

8.25x5.25 mixed media in junk journal, a book published in 1950. I first put on collaged elements of tissue paper and a ticket stub, stenciled acrylic colors, added ink marks with technical pen nib, wrote words, then added a saguaro cactus shape. Assorted colors for stripes and dots and flowers on top. COPYRIGHT 2021 Kay Smith

Jade Plant in Clay Pot

11x11 mixed media on Strathmore Toned Tan 184 lb paper completed today. I used leftover acrylics and black India ink applied with a wooden chopstick in this simple succulent still life set up. COPYRIGHT 2021 Kay Smith

Saguaro Cactus and Crows

5.5x4 mixed media on Canson 140 lb cold press paper done last week during my cactus series. I used the paper that had already been marked with alcohol inks and acrylics then did India ink on the cactus and crows. COPYRIGHT 2021 Kay Smith

Egret and Plants

9.5x7 watercolor over pencil drawing in Ecosystem sketchbook done over the past weekend for a WetCanvas challenge; photo ref courtesy Susan. The Florida bird appears to be hiding behind the cacti and other plants. COPYRIGHT 2021 Kay Smith

Purple Prickly Pear Cactus

12x15 watercolor on Canson 140 lb cold press paper. These cactus blooms caught my eye as they bloom in May here in west Texas, and the purple coloration set off the orange yellows. A patch of sthe spiky succulent plants was growing near to the big spring for which our town is named. I used two opaques together, American Journey's Mint Julep and Blue Bice, for most of the softer green areas, with a lot of water. COPYRIGHT 2020 Kay Smith.

Phoenix Pricklies

3.5x2.5 watercolor on 140 lb cold press Italia paper, an imaginary set of desert prickly pear cactus done in miniature. COPYRIGHT 2020 Kay Smith