Chili on the Patio

Chili on the Patio 7x9 watercolor on 80 lb sketchbook paper done last week of June, a cat pet portrait of my tuxedo rescue Chili. In this photo on our patio, he is laying with his back to the sun enjoying his day by the clay pots. COPYRIGHT 2024 Kay Smith

National Pink Day ~ Blue Shutters and Flowers

6x6 watercolor using White Nights paints on Masters Touch 80 lb paper done a couple weeks ago. Since today is National Pink Day I thought sharing this recent sunny house, pots, and pink flowering tree appropriate. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Three Geranium Pots ~ demo

Three Geranium Pots ~ demo 15x11 watercolor on Strathmore 140 lb cold press paper demo done a week ago Saturday at our all day painting class. A few finishing touches were added later but for the most part the geraniums and pots demonstration was done in an hour, wet on dry. Some white gouache was added to the pots for residue to show the painters how a heavier opaque interacts with transparents. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Geranium Row

3x6 mixed media on Canson 140 lb cold press paper done last Wednesday at our paint in, using another artist's supplies I'd never tried. Watersoluble wax crayons, markers, Montana marker, etc., used to create this imaginary row of various geraniums (no pencil sketch and no reference). COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

In Full Bloom

12x12 gouache paints on Masters premium 140 lb watercolor paper completed over the past several days, clay pots of geraniums and violets lined up in a sunny spot. In this floral garden still life I tried to show sunlight upon green leaves with just a few yellow daffodils in the background. I really like the texture of the aged pots showing white residue caused by mineral salts or fertilizers. COPYRIGHT 2020 Kay Smith

August Annuals

5.5x8.5 alcohol markers in Masters Touch sketchbook done over this past weekend testing new CaliArt products. These markers layer very easily and smoothly and a backing sheet needs to be behind it as you work due to bleed through. This is from a photo taken years ago in the Hill Country of Texas. Working from a photocopy showing black, grey, and white values only the darks were sketched in first, followed by medium colors then light ones. COPYRIGHT 2020 Kay Smith

Pots of Pansies

5.25x8.25 mixed media, a row of clay pots and imaginary pansies in my junk journal.  I used Magic multicolor pencils to sketch over a page that had splatters of walnut ink, then watercolor + gouache. 
COPYRIGHT 2020 Kay Smith

Spring Petunia Pots

2.75x3.75 watercolor on 140 lb Saunders cold press paper done today, a quick study of pots awaiting plants and some already in clay pots. 
Actual size is below:

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

Garden Center Rabbit

12x9 watercolor on Langston 140 lb cold press paper, a previous plein air painting during a group paint out in Midland.  I took about 1.5 hours to sketch then paint with travel palette and outdoors gear.  The white rabbit garden statue was quite large sitting amongst the clay pots of petunias and other annuals.
COPYRIGHT Kay Smith

Antique Store Petunias

11x15 watercolor of a downtown Big Spring antique store owned by the Atkins family, complete with potted petunias and a red yucca.  This is from a photograph I took there when my studio was next door. A limited palette of cerulean blue, yellow ochre, and Indian red was used.  I've painted other versions of this old store and all have found new homes.
COPYRIGHT Kay Smith

Penny's Pots

8.25x5.25 watercolor over pencil sketch in my grunge junk journal done last month of fellow artist Penny's garden pots and rocks.  This is painted over a book page so it is likely no text is visible.
COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith

Seedlings

5x7.5 watercolor and ink line on Moleskine sketchbook done yesterday, a garden still life of tools and trays of tomato plants ready to go on a potting table.  Clay pots and garden gloves along with potting soil mix sit prepared to do a season's work.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

Potting Shed Geraniums

9x18 watercolor on 140 lb cold press paper finished today, a group of red, orange and salmon colored geraniums in clay pots.  Drawing from life included the rusty yellow and white forked spade.  Old wood planks serve as a rustic, country backdrop to this floral still life.
Image COPYRIGHT 2016 Kay Smith.

Time to Garden

15x11 watercolor done today, a partly imaginary garden scene featuring my old potting table that is really pale green, pots of geraniums, and red orange poppies.  I have all but the poppies; hydrangeas  haven't bloomed yet.  Larkspur and lilacs have already shown their faces.  This was sketched yesterday using brush only, no pencil, and is on Kilimanjaro 140 lb cold press paper.  I painted wet on dry for the most part, spritzing with a fine water mister for softening far background elements.  Time to garden!
Image is COPYRIGHT 2015 Kay Smith.

Birdhouse Row

5.5x8.5 watercolor and ink line on Master's Touch sketchbook paper painted today after sketching yesterday.  This imaginary scene reminds me of a little nature neighborhood surrounded by plants, flowers, pots with its residents busy doing bird things all day.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2014 Kay Smith.

Gardening

18.5x14.75 watercolor and colored pencils on 140 lb cold press Arches paper, a very old totally imaginary work dated 1996.  Colors were splashed on for an underpainting, let dry, then negative shapes carved out first for a female figure, then picket fence posts, pots and flowers.  There's no rhyme or reason here as I did not know design/composition.  I had it on consignment with Ellen Barefoot in a downtown Big Spring antique store; they closed years ago and she forgot it until recently and returned it.
Image is COPYRIGHT Kay Smith.

Antique Store Pots

11x15 watercolor on Arches 140 lb cold press paper/Daniel Smith paints limited palette.  Red yucca and white petunias flank an old antique store doorway that was next door to my first studio downtown on Main Street in Big Spring, TX.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2014 Kay Smith.

Green Pot of Flowers

6x6 watercolor and ink on Masters paper done today, a departure from my usual featuring cute blooming flowers in an olive green pot. Today's temp was 78 F so it felt like Spring already and put me in a flowery mood.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2014 Kay Smith.

Pots and Hearts

6x6 watersoluble colored pencils over Pigma Micron 03 ink drawing, done yesterday on the way back from New Mexico. I photographed these clay pots at a friend's garden.  She or someone else had painted blue hearts around one clay pot rim.  Below you can see the initial lay in of the pencils before another layer and water were added.