Travel Tote

8x6 watercolor on handmade rough 140 lb cold press paper done mid- April. In this view, a striped tote stands ready for the travel season. Daniel Smith paints were used. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2026

Funky Flowers

6x13 mixed media collage on paper done previously. Over an alcohol ink underpainting I collaged white and patterned tissue paper and part of a cocktail napkin. When dry, I stamped blue acrylic using a round bottle lid, then color in floral shapes was added using a 1" flat sponge brush in acrylics. Part of the inks show through. Lastly oil pastels were used as graphic accent marks. This work is mounted on matboard. COPYRIGHT 2025 Kay Smith

Garden Tools

5.5x8.5 watercolor and fineliner grey ink pen on mixed media sketchbook done a few weeks ago as part of a challenge online; photo courtesy WetCanvas. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2025

Spring Porch

8x5.5 watercolor and ink line on Strathmore Visual Journal for mixed media. I used a Micron 01 pen to draw the scene and it has been awhile since painting any houses or porch chairs. This was from one of my east Texas photos around Jefferson. I love country porch scenes, houses with shutters, and plenty of flowers waiting for a Spring rain. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith

Almost Bloomsday Again!

15x22 watercolor on Italia Acquerello 140 cold press paper of my old antique watering can surrounded by happy faces of the sherbet-hued pansies. Just waiting to be planted and watered before spring starts two weeks from this Thursday, March 6th. This garden scene was painted from life. COPYRIGHT 2025 Kay Smith

Marigolds and Cannas

5.5x8.5 watercolor in Master's Touch sketchbook done last month, a focus on potted plants painted plein air while on a trip to New Mexico. These were in the town of Lincoln. COPYRIGHT 2024 Kay Smith

Daisy Bee

6x6 watercolor and ink line in Masters Touch sketchbook 80 lb paper done last week for an online challenge featuring insects on flowers or plants. I chose the bee exploring a daisy and used STA Lictin 0.2 pen to draw it. COPYRIGHT 2024 Kay Smith

Dahlias and Cat Days ~ Junk Journal finished

8.25x5.25 mixed media collage on the last page of my junk journal that has lasted several years. I've used ink, watercolor, collage of various things to create a story about dahlias and cats. Pearl posed for the larger cat sketch at bottom. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Fenced Garden

6x4 watercolor on 140 lb cold press Canson paper done a few months ago, an imaginary garden scene. This work is SOLD. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

Spring Drips Abstract

9x12 acrylics on Canson 138 lb mixed media paper done last week, the first of three abstracts using same colors as taught by Yvette St. Amant's beginner's online course. The areas at top represent either florals or trees and wet paint was let drip downwards for a loose effect. I really enjoy the Spring colors in this exercise. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

Free Lunches mixed media collage

5.5x8 mixed media collage on pink archival art paper done today during our Odessa Art Association meeting where we were given supplies and about 30 minutes or less to make something.  I used washi tape, special deckle edge scissors, magazine and book clippings, scrapbook paper, children's book page, and food advertisements.  It was my first time to use washi tape; you can see it in two different patterns along the bottom and sides.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith

Fuchsia Floral

6x4 alcohol inks on photo paper done recently, a quick blend of two pinks and two greens for a light, airy imaginary floral.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith

Poppy in Brusho

6.75x6.75 watermedia using Brusho wc crystals on 140 lb Fabriano paper done last week, further experimenting with the use of the medium for this imaginary floral.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith.

Plenty of Poppies - Day 8 of 30 Paintings in 30 days Challenge

12x9 watercolor done today, brush only, on Canson 140 lb cold press paper.  No reference was used, mostly negative painting.  First I sprayed water onto the paper then quickly brushed on light warm washes of reds and oranges.  Immediately I put down two crumpled sheets of Saran Wrap then covered with a heavy book and let dry.  Then I began "seeing" poppy shapes, buds, blooms, stems and leaves. 
Also since last Tuesday 9-1-15, I've posted daily works on Leslie Saeta's #30paintingsin30days challenge she hosts annually on her blog Slices of Life you can see HERE.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2015 Kay Smith.

Dragonfly

15x15 mixed media collage on Saunders watercolor paper that is today's work.  I took the worst painting I had which was a collaged dragonfly using newspaper print over acrylic background of multiple colors including gold glitter.  Focusing on the insect I cut 7 inches off its left side then added acrylic inks, fluid acrylics, India ink, and Caran D'Ache Neocolor II wax crayons.  Then glazed over background with yellow green, then thalo blue/green, then gold.  Next was stenciling wing marks using a paper Valentine doily and permanent magenta ink.  A flower outline upper left was added to the curved green line then another larger dark magenta bloom under its right lower wing.  Blue and turquoise wax crayons along with black ink was put on the body.  It is a much improved painting now.
Image COPYRIGHT 2015 Kay Smith.

 

Poppy Explosion

11x7.5 watercolor poppies that are imaginary, painted on Langton 140 lb cold press paper a few days ago in my hotel room.  You can get some pretty vivid colors from a travel palette and a little bit of effort.

Ranunculus with Watering Can

15x22 watercolor on handmade rough 140 lb cold press paper; Daniel Smith paints of an old watering can, gloves, and other gardening tools on an old potting shed wooden table.  This was painted wet in wet.

Gaillardias Galore - watermedia floral

15x22 gouache watermedia on 140 lb hot press paper that is now SOLD!
Gouache paints are by Winsor Newton and are watercolors with white added; in the olden days the medium was referred to as body color.
Flowers are from photos of my own gaillardias but background and foreground are imaginary with lots of negative painting.

It Has Been a Year!

We are celebrating that it has been one year since Nita built my beautiful blog! Thanks to all my followers who keep growing in numbers. Thanks to her for all her hard work.

Here's a little info about the above work:

20x16 Arches CP 140 lb, Daniel Smith paints. I took this terrible watercolor done a few years ago of a woman holding a basket of flowers, and added flower shapes cut out of gift wrap, photos, and cocktail napkins glued on as collage. Her petticoat stencil was done with a paper lacy placemat. It is still bad but better than before. I shouldn't have put a red flower so close to her leg and might still cover it with another color so it reads better. Have more fun ideas brewing in this warped brain for me to do and you to enjoy looking at.

Back to Florals with a Bouquet

15x11 watercolor on Strathmore 140 lb cold press paper, drawn and painted from a florist's bouquet. Its leaves are actually down inside a clear glass vase. This is only a detail of the actual arrangement.