Calla Chemistry

22x15 watercolor on Saunders 140 lb cold press paper completed a few days ago, a large calla lily I had painted before but it needed some jazzing up. I used floral stencils by Stencil Girl and watercolor to add to the plain background and went over the flower with two shades of yellow, Naples and arylide. Transparent pyrrol orange was also added to various areas for a nice secondary color design. A silk calla was used for the sketch. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Posies in Green Striped Vase

8x8 watercolor using White Nights paints on Canson 140 lb cold press painted last week. In this close crop floral still life I've focused on the bright pink imaginary anemone flower. Dark green horizontal stripes are a nice complement to the many warm pinks and reds. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

Mexican Sunflower

17x22 watercolor of a sunflower face done with pinata colors and a turquoise sky using one of my sunflower photos I've used before many times.  The inner spots resemble confetti.  Only the green leaves are natural appearing.
COPYRIGHT 2020 Kay Smith

Rose Riot

4x3 watercolor on Fabriano 140 lb hot press paper done today, a miniature abstract painting entirely from my imagination.  The rose is rising strongly against its natural elements to make a statement.
COPYRIGHT 2019 Kay Smith

Frangipani

15x11 watercolor on Masters 140 lb cold press paper done yesterday.  Frangipani, or plumeria as it is often called, is a flowering bush with a sweet fragrance, and the flower was the subject of another online challenge. Since the images there were not exciting to me I designed my own floral and gave it an abstract background. Lots of negative painting was done.
COPYRIGHT 2019 Kay Smith

Wild Lily

9x12 watercolor painted very loosely on Canson 140 lb cold press paper over the weekend, a departure from my usual tight style, using brush only.  With an abstract background, the white and pink flower stands out.
COPYRIGHT 2019 Kay Smith

Christmas Cyclamen

12x9 watercolor on Canson 140 lb cold press paper done a few days ago, a close up view of one of my red plant's blooms.  Using a complementary scheme of red and green, the hues emphasize also the signature colors of the Christmas season.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith

Playful Pink Cosmos

11x14 watercolor on Kilimanjaro 140 lb cold press paper, a demo started yesterday for a class then finished up today.  I used one of my pink cosmos photos from my studio backyard flowerbed taken about 9 years ago when we had rain regularly.  I've used this reference before for a very loose version.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith.

Spring Secrets tulips

12x6 watercolor on Strathmore 140 lb cold press paper done this afternoon quickly with a large brush on dry paper.  For the loose purple tulips this first day of Spring, I mixed indigo with quinacridone magenta. I only had 20 minutes to paint and this was the result.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith.

Poppies Please

5x12 watercolor on gessoed matboard done last week using no references.  I wanted to paint a floral that was brightly colored and would look great in a horizontal format.  The background was left white.  Splatters were added when dry with a loaded brush.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

Shastas

22x30 watercolor on Arches 140 lb cold press paper, another one of my fractured images shown in divided vertical sections that together would make a whole.  I used one of my photographs of an orange yellow shasta daisy and cut it into fifths.  Then each part was drawn in pencil on corresponding area and painted as if each was its own painting.  Each vertical is a different measurement; no two are alike, but all are in scale.  I have done several of these and they always sell, probably due to uniqueness.
Image COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith.

Pink Cosmos

11x15 watercolor painted on 140lb cold press paper a few years ago using my studio flowers. This work is SOLD.
Image COPYRIGHT Kay Smith.

Mixed Bouquet

11x15 watercolor on 140 lb Saunders cold press paper, a mixed bouquet of fresh flowers on abstract background.  I did small narrow ribbon of colors around to give the floral a contemporary touch.  This work is SOLD.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2015 Kay Smith.

White Peony

11x15 watercolor WIP is finished now.  Additional greens were filled in the blank left side area, then values checked on white petals.  Each pencil line has a light color to define its edge.  Lastly, stamens were painted in using a #6 round.  This floral watercolor may be purchased directly from me or by visiting my gallery on Daily Painters located in lower right sidebar (PayPal).
Image is COPYRIGHT 2014 Kay Smith. 

White Peony WIP

 11x15 WIP watercolor work in progress of a mature white peony and bloom with abstract background begun yesterday on Italia 140 lb cold press soft paper.  The dark background was started in this view before work this a.m.  I'm using a #12 Escoda round brush, a very wonderful new treasure, and no photo reference.  I use a direct painting style of putting down the color I want it to be when dried first and not going back into it.

With this image, more background colors added which look more purple in reality than the poor iPhone photos show.  Now all that is lacking are the left side leaves.  So stay tuned and maybe tomorrow will finish.
Images COPYRIGHT 2014 Kay Smith.

Blue Green Flower

6x16 watercolor on matboard, partially gessoed, finished today.  A cropped flower that could be a wild cousin to the sunflower or even a distant relative to the daisy, this fun and splashy floral is cool with warm accents.  With our hot triple digit heat in Texas and with me planning a teaching trip to south Florida, this one just fit the bill.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2014 Kay Smith.

Poppy Thoughts - WIP finished

11x15 watercolor floral on Canson 140 lb cold press paper, finished work in progress with more warm yellows added with Gamboge and Halloween Orange (American Journey).  I did negative painting for stems and leaves by first doing a light value wash over an area, then coming back in with a darker value around the shape.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2014 Kay Smith.