Holiday Hollyhocks

9x7 ink and watercolor in sketchbook done in late December. I used a Winsor Newton fine liner pen in sepia along with White Nights paints. Not holiday flowers for sure but they are a favorite. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2025

Variegated Geraniums

7x9 watercolor using White Nights paints done in mid August in Master's Touch sketchbook, 80 lb paper. This was done for an online plant parade challenge on WetCanvas; ref photo Tereza. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2025

Cosmos Coneflower Confetti ~ Happy New Year!

6x6 watercolor in sketchbook by Master's Touch 80 lb completed today, my last painting for 2024! Happy New Year! I've combined white and pink cosmos with yellow orange coneflower in this imaginary floral watercolor garden. COPYRIGHT 2024 Kay Smith

Abstract Hibiscus

15x22 watercolor just completed this week from combos of hibiscus flowers I had taken in the yard and at nurseries. Lots of color yet an exciting composition of wild abstraction make this floral a winner. COPYRIGHT 2024 Kay Smith

Charming Coneflowers

6x6 watercolor on 80 lb paper from Master's Touch sketchbook done last week or so from some coneflowers I had planted in the backyard. Trying with a loose brush for a more carefree look. COPYRIGHT 2024 Kay Smith

Sunsplashed Hollyhock

10.5x8 watercolor on 140 lb cold press paper done over last weekend using White Nights paints. I featured my photo reference on this month's Watermedia forum challenge on WetCanvas. The pink hollyhocks amongst other colors were grown in my studio backyard. Light values indicate strong sunshine on its leaves and darker values are present for cast shadows. COPYRIGHT 2021 Kay Smith

Bonnie's Hollyhocks

5x6 watercolor on Fabriano 140 lb cold press paper, sketched today using watercolor pencils.  Floral hollyhocks reference of artist Bonnie in Canada.  Part of the online challenge was to use a limited palette of 3 colors so I used manganese blue, permanent rose, and Naples yellow by Daniel Smith paints.
COPYRIGHT 2020 Kay Smith

Floral Pizzazz

4x6 alcohol inks done last week as a quickie demo, just a collection of golden, red, and pink blooms and green stems made with ink on a chopstick.
COPYRIGHT 2017 Kay Smith           Email:   1971ks@att.net to purchase via PayPal               Cost:  $85

November Poppies in alcohol inks

12x9 alcohol inks on freezer paper shiny side done today using no references, so totally imaginary poppy shapes.  With the inks I began by using Sangria red and making an oval shape for the largest poppy, then blowing air to move ink across.  Other reds, pinks and yellows followed with yellow on background; a mixed blue was brushed on in spots and lime green along with willow was used.  I like the top almost centered poppy pod and the one on the left top that were accidents.  Stems were made by moistening a cotton swab with 91% alcohol then pulling down thru other colors and adding different greens.
Image COPYRIGHT 2016 Kay Smith.

Bright Yellow Hollyhocks

15x11 watercolor on Canson XL 140 lb paper done this afternoon.  Using a very tall pale yellow hollyhock by my front door area I quickly sketched the blooms in pencil then with small amounts of water put in the flower centers allowing paint to run and mingle. This is about 45 minutes as I was trying to outrun a thunderstorm and hail. Working from light to dark, I could keep going on it ad infinitum.  Negative painting with mixed darks was last.  For greens I mixed 1) Payne's Grey + quinacridone gold 2) aureolin yellow + ultramarine blue 3) green gold + indigo.
Image COPYRIGHT 2016 Kay Smith.

Coneflower Chorus

5.5x8.5 watercolor and ink on Masters sketchbook done yesterday.  These are my pink coneflowers planted last year around the back patio.  Butterflies love them and so do I.  Since my other Masters book this size had been completed I was anxious to begin a new one and these lovely blooms singing a song were just the thing.  Love how the paper takes watercolor and Pigma Micron 01 pen together.
Image COPYRIGHT 2016 Kay Smith.

Butterfly and Coneflowers

8x5.5 watercolor and ink line on Strathmore Visual Journal for mixed media sketched yesterday and painted today.  I had planted echinacea (coneflowers) and here came the butterflies.  This mature monarch was especially striking with its black and white markings.  Look closely and you can see another bug to the right of the butterfly.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2015 Kay Smith.

Racy Ranunculus

5x7.5 watercolor over ink line on Moleskine paper done last night.  This grouping of various ranunculus was predominantly yellow orange with a few pinks and red thrown in for racy color.  These flowers at first glance resemble roses but their thick stems don't and their blooms are like poppy pods.  This work is now SOLD.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2014 Kay Smith.

White Cosmos WIP

12x9 watercolor work in progress or WIP, on 140 lb cold press paper, a new support I bought last week in Florida at Michael's arts and crafts store.  These three freehanded cosmos blooms are from my own studio flowerbeds that were so lovely before the drought.  Now all that I can get are a few roses and hollyhocks.  The fun in rendering white subjects is all the unexplored color nuances within each shape that the artist can hunt for then paint.  Stay tuned for the finish!
Image is COPYRIGHT 2014 Kay Smith.

Sunset Colors Sunflower

6x6 watercolor/ink depiction of mature red sunflower with sunset colors of orange, pink, red and yellow petals.  This was yesterday's daily painting done before starting on a torn paper collage coffee mug that will be a WIP (work in progress) for my blog here.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2014 Kay Smith.

Edge of Night Calla Lilies

10.5x4 watercolor of a group of imaginary dark red purple calla lilies and leaves on Langton 140 lb cold press paper painted on Thursday.  I used Napthamide Maroon, Transparent Pyrrol Orange, Alizarin Crimson by Daniel Smith/Grumbacher Red and arylide yellow and some quin gold.
COPYRIGHT 2014 Kay Smith.

Happy Hydrangeas

16x28 watercolor, a floral from one of my first pink hydrangeas, drawn from life and painted quickly.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2013 Kay Smith.

Consider the Lilies of the Field

30x22 watercolor of red daylilies with an abstract background.  This was painted wet in wet and is SOLD.
Image is copyright 2013 Kay Smith.

Heirloom Hollyhocks

30x11 watercolor on 140 lb Italia cold press paper, painted in a direct manner on paper spritzed with water.  Drawn from my studio hollyhocks these regal reds emphasize their heirloom quality as old fashioned flowers so full of nostalgia.  This painting has won Best of Show.  This work has now been SOLD.

Ruby Slippers - Red Roses for Veterans

7.5 5.5 watercolor, drawn and painted from life this morning at 1100 hours on 11-11-11, to honor our nation's veterans on their day.  Red roses signify love and the red splatters denote bloodshed of those wounded or unable to come home, past and present.  Happy Veterans Day to all of you, our brave men and women!