Curly Calf

7x9 watercolor and ink using White Nights paints along with Winsor Newton grey 0.3 fine liner pen on Canson 117 lb cp paper, completed first week of July. This cute curly haired calf was featured on another WetCanvas challenge and it was a challenge! COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2026

Dairy Cow

Dairy Cow 6x6 watercolor on handmade rough 140 lb cold press paper, done last week from several dairy farm photos. Focusing on the Holstein's head I've also shown a portion of her hay feeding trough. COPYRIGHT 2025 Kay Smith

Highland Calf

6x4 watercolor and ink line in Joggles sketchbook done last week or so ago for an online challenge with WetCanvas; an adorable Highland calf. It was fun to see these cows with their long hair when I visited the UK. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2025

Scotland Highland Cow

6x8 watercolor on rough handmade wc paper done last week; ref courtesy Claire Read from Facebook's Free Reference Photos for Artists page. White Nights paints were used. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2025

Happy Cow ~ Happy New Year!

9x7 watercolor done last week on 80 lb sketchbook paper by Masters Touch; ref courtesy WetCanvas for an online challenge. This cow looks like it wants to lick someone but regardless, have a very Happy New Year 2024! COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Bodacious Bovine

6x6 watercolor on Masters Touch 80 lb paper done last week, another imaginary contemporary cow painting focusing on colors not ordinarily seen in livestock cattle. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Got the Blues Holstein

6x6 mixed media using watercolor, ink, and Montana acrylic marker over a contour drawing on Masters Touch 80 lb paper. Done recently, I thought the Holstein cow looked rather sad hence the title about having the blues. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Holstein Barn

11.75x8.25 watercolor on Fabriano 140 lb cold press rough paper, done over the last weekend as part of another online challenge with WetCanvas. We had two hours to choose and render an image so the cows spoke to me in their corner of the barn. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Springtime Cow

7.25 x 3.5 mixed media on paper done last week using Micron 01 pen, watercolor (White Nights paints), gel pen, black India ink. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Highland Cow

5.5x8.5 watercolor and wc pencil to sketch this Highland cow done a few days ago for WetCanvas challenge; ref courtesy Caroline who lives in Scotland. I did get to see these amazing long-haired cows with their very long horns on my trip to the UK. Caroline says they are referred to as cows, no matter if male or female. The female's horns are more curved upwards than the male's, but both carry horns. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Another Mad Cow

4x6 mixed media on Canson 140 lb cold press paper done last month, another in my mad cow series, with this Holstein subject painted using Montana acrylic marker, watercolor, and Brusho. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

Happy Crazy Cow

4x6 mixed media using acrylics, watercolor and Brusho on wc paper done last month or so, another in my crazy cow series. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

Cow Expression

4x6 mixed media collage on 140 lb cold press Grumbacher paper done last month in a series of comical cows. This particular cow I have painted about 3 times. Collage is with handmade and decorated paper fragments. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

Charolais Cow Collage

15x22 collage over watercolor, a redo of a previous sad looking Charolais cow. Some acrylics added to 140 lb cold press paper. This is one of my featured creative works in the Heritage museum's fall show for our Caboose Watercolor Society opening tomorrow thru October 29, 2022. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

Colorful Cows

15x22 watercolor and black India ink line on 140 lb Lanaquarelle hot press paper. I sketched these bovine beauties with black India ink applicator on dry paper. With a loaded brush #12 Escoda round I put random colors together instead of the usual boring black and brown or tan. When almost done I wet a few areas then dropped ink in splotches. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

Cowabunga

15x22 watercolor and ink on Italia 140 lb soft press paper using 3 color limited palette: Quinacridone burnt orange, ultramarine blue, and Peachy Keen. I drew them first in pencil, then added black India ink sparingly, then applied paint wet on dry. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

Stuck Cow

5.5x8.5 watercolor, Brusho wc crystals, and ink using STA 0.3 pen in Masters sketchbook, for day 12 'stuck' of #InkTober2021 done this week. This Jersey cow has managed to get her head stuck inside a house window somehow. COPYRIGHT 2021 Kay Smith

Holstein Market

8.25x5.25 gouache, watercolor, ink pen in junk journal done a few days ago as part of another challenge online. Ref courtesy Jenna Hestekin. This Holstein steer is ready for market. COPYRIGHT 2021 Kay Smith

Till the Cows Come Home

8.25x5.25 mixed media in junk journal done recently using watercolor, Brusho, 0.5 STA Lictin pen, gel pen, and gouache of these country Holstein cows waiting to come home. I always liked that phrase. Collage elements are a grocery receipt from H.E.B. and a torn scrap of paper. COPYRIGHT 2020 Kay Smith

Funky Cow

11x14 mixed media collage on matboard, a reworked Holstein cow done previously that I finished yesterday. I used paper collage on the black and white areas only. The cow was a large fake head I saw in an antique store. Mod Podge was used as my adhesive. COPYRIGHT 2020 Kay Smith