Mid December Cardinal

10x8 paper collage on wrapped canvas, an exciting bird art created by adding paper pieces with glue then an overall varnish. Done last week, I was on a small series of cardinals. We are lucky to see them outside mingling with other birds for berries, nuts, and suet. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2025

Winter Birch and Cardinal

12x9 watercolor on Bristol paper using White Nights paints, done the past weekend. In this imaginary snowy landscape, it is easy to see the remnants of autumn under the white powder. A lone male cardinal sits high in the birch branches watching his environment. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2025

Joyful Cardinal

4x4 watercolor on 140 lb cold press paper, a sheet I used underneath smaller works. After a careful pencil sketch of the cardinal, I used three red and red-orange hues of paint and a mixed black for his mask. Lots of fun to paint these imaginary scenes with birds. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Cardinal in the Cold

6x4 gouache on off white Crescent matboard done for my Monday class. They did their cardinals today. This fellow was braving a fresh new snow as seen on the tree branches behind him. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Cardinal View

5x5 watercolor on 140 lb cold press paper done last week from one of many cardinal photos. This fellow seems to be staring at me wondering what is going on around his tree. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Virginia's Cardinal

Virginia's Cardinal 9x9 watercolor on 140 lb Canson paper done last week from WetCanvas online animal challenge for the month; ref courtesy Virginia Spencer. In her photo, the cardinal was perched on a metal gate with a cardinal bird cut out motif, but in my painting I have cropped part of that to focus on the bird. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Backyard Cardinal ~ Merry Christmas!

5.5x4 watercolor on 140 lb cold press paper painted two days ago from an actual backyard cardinal who frequents our berry-bearing holly trees. I've used 3-4 different reds and red-orange in this painting. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

Quiet Cardinal 1

6x8.5 watercolor and ink (Uniball elite pen) on pink tinted Color-Sketch paper done in 2015 as a Sketchbook Skool exercise. They sent an email with instructions. You select an object and first draw it without looking at your paper. I used a photo of one of our backyard male cardinals. I got his back too high where it hits his crown and right foot is unattached to his body. Background is made up abstract forms and colors. We were asked to post our results on social media afterwards. Second bird was done almost identically but you're allowed three quick glances and that bird has been sold. Third bird gets five quick glances. Fourth bird you can have ten quick glances and are given two more minutes on details (that one is on blue tinted paper as I ran out of pink). A fun endeavor! I'm pretty sure my favorite will be this one as it was sketched so much looser. COPYRIGHT 2015 Kay Smith

Cardinal at the Feeder

8x8 watercolor using White Nights paints on 140 lb cold press Masters Touch premium paper sketched in pencil done last week. Love the inquisitive look in the bird's eyes as he stared at me. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

Male Cardinals

8.5x5.5 watercolor and Brusho wc crystals on Masters Touch paper in sketchbook done this week using multiple references. Rarely do you see two male cardinals together. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

Cardinal in Snowy Branches

16x20 watercolor on Canson 140 lb cold press paper done right before the first of December using multiple photos and imagination. COPYRIGHT 2021 Kay Smith

Cardinal in Aspen Tree

5.5x5.5 watercolor using White Nights paints on Arteza 110 lb paper done week before last, a combination using two separate references. COPYRIGHT 2021 Kay Smith

November Cardinal in Snow

5.25x8.25 mixed media of watercolor and acrylic in junk journal done today, a tribute to the November cardinals outside our windows. I applied white acrylic paint with an old credit card for the snow areas. COPYRIGHT 2021 Kay Smith

Cardinal Craze

6x6 acrylics on gessoed 140 lb cold press Saunders Waterford wc paper completed yesterday using a small resin cardinal figurine I've had for years. Love to paint these birds and lucky to see them every day flying about. COPYRIGHT 2021 Kay Smith

Cardinal Perch

12x6 acrylics on board begun yesterday and finished today, an imaginary male cardinal perched on his branch. I used Liquitex brand paints. COPYRIGHT 2021 Kay Smith

February Cardinal

5.5x5.5 watercolor on Arteza 110 lb. cold press paper done over the weekend from one of my male cardinal photos. This guy is one of two I've seen in the backyard and more often now I'm scattering seed for them all. Too cold to hunt for ordinary food. COPYRIGHT 2021 Kay Smith

Crows and Cardinal in Snow

11x15 watercolor on 140 lb cold press paper, a commission I designed and painted based on the customer's request for both bird species in winter. This work is SOLD. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith

Time for Cardinals

4.75x2.75 alcohol inks, watercolor, and ink on abstract multicolored background done last month. The cardinal outline fit well within the red splotches of color already on the 140 lb cold press Canson paper.
COPYRIGHT 2020 Kay Smith

Sly Cardinal

10x8 alcohol inks on paper done today, another in my experimental bird series.  A sketch was done using a Sharpie ultra fine point then various orange and red inks put in for the cardinal, followed by beak, feet, eye, then his black mask.  With brown for the branch I then placed several drops of Cloudy Sky blue in background.
COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith               Email:   1971ks@att.net to purchase via PayPal          Cost:  $115