Jo's Cosmos

5x5 watercolors on Bristol 300 series 100 lb cold press paper done at beginning of March; ref provided by Jo Castillo, Texas artist, on one of the online art sites, Creative Spark. COPYRIGHT 2024 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

Second Sunday Sunflower

15x22 watercolor on Lanaquarelle 140 lb hot press paper that is today's work.  Last Sunday a smaller sunflower was painted and it sold quickly; let's see if I have any luck with this one.  It's from a photo I took in 2003 of an elderly veteran's flower garden behind the VA. He could barely walk but had the most gorgeous flowers and these red sunflowers stood tall and proud just as he did serving our nation.
Most was painted with #12 Escoda round and 1" flat brush using all the hot colors balanced by the cool greens.
Image COPYRIGHT 2015 Kay Smith.

Sunflower Garden - Work in Progress

15x11 watercolor work in progress (WIP), brush only, of imaginary garden scene of sunflower varieties that will include the common roadside weeds that resemble sunflowers.  Those tall yellow invasive specimens dot the west Texas landscape.  Negative painting has been done in between white pickets.  This is today's work on Canson 140 lb cold press paper/Daniel Smith pigments.  Tomorrow I hope to finish today's work.  It would actually work, if cropped, as a vignette even unfinished.
Image WIP copyright Kay Smith 2014.

Wishy Washy Sunflower

6.5x4.5 watercolor on 140 lb cold press Langton paper done today.  Using my friend Mollie's instructions I put in a fairly thick center, then put clean water towards ends of petals and paint flowed to make a wishy washy floral.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2014 Kay Smith.

Black Tie hollyhock

30x22 watercolor on Kilimanjaro 140 lb cold press paper with Daniel Smith paints.  I grew several black hollyhocks outside my studio door but no blooms this year thanks to the drought.  In my photo the bloom is more dark blood red, but with this one I've gone to the dark side and have pushed color, exaggerating where necessary.