Bunch of Beauty

9.5x7 watercolor on cold press paper, free form grapes using only a black and white reference, over a multicolored underpainting of soft greens, pink, yellows, blues. This work has been SOLD. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith

White Wine Grapes

6.5x6 watercolor and black India ink on Studio Fabriano 140 lb hot press paper done last weekend for another online challenge. I enjoyed the reflections in the wine glass and table of the grapes, etc. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Seedless Grapes

5.5x8.5 watercolor using White Nights paints, Masters Touch paper, done last weekend. These were first sketched using Micron 01 pen. A small vineyard still life in the sun waiting to be picked. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Fall Fruit & Leaves

8x8 watercolor on Masters Touch premium 140 lb cold press paper completed today for another online WetCanvas challenge; image courtesy Susan/tyree. Participants have 2 hours to choose an image provided and sketch or paint their selection. I thought the fall leaves behind the fruit on a glass plated basket was too colorful to pass up. COPYRIGHT 2020 Kay Smith

Woven Country Icons

22x15 watercolor on 140 lb cold press paper, two actual works cut into horizontal strips then verticals and woven together as one piece.
I had painted the first version that had fresh zinnias, grapes and lemons in the blue/white spongeware and didn't like it.  Then I painted it again as a demo for a workshop but still didn't like it.  Finally cutting it up was the only answer and I do like its appearance now woven together sitting on a kitchen table in front of a window.
Image COPYRIGHT 2016 Kay Smith.

Wine O'Clock

15x11 mixed media on Arches 140 lb cold press wc paper done today.  It is currently featured on WetCanvas in the Weekend Drawing Event hosted by Christine in Australia.  I used charcoal pencil to sketch over a poured watercolor primary colored background.  My intention was to paint poinsettias but saw the wine bottle, glasses, plants, and chair and thought the still life set up was more interesting.  Caran D'Ache NeoColor II wax crayons used for accent colors at the end.  Some realism, abstraction, and imagination here.  The mosaic table's broken tiles were outlined around sections of paint already there from the underpainting, then enhanced.  Now they might resemble cheese wedges.  Not a great painting but a fun one.
Image COPYRIGHT 2015 Kay Smith.

Summer Watermelon, Lemons and Grapes

9x12 watercolor on 140 lb cold press Canson paper, done yesterday from an older drawing.  Previously I had painted it in abut 5x7 format, sold it, then again a bit differently on a half sheet watercolor paper measuring 15x22, and sold that one.  With this last piece I let colors mingle and run and changed the background using American Journey's Blue Bice, my new favorite pigment, quinacridone gold and some arylide yellow.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2014 Kay Smith.

Picnic Basket still life

11x15 watercolor demo today for my workshop held at my studio.  I cropped an old photo of a store window display, changed colors around then drew and painted this on Acquerello 140 lb cold press paper by Dick Blick.

New Collage Watermelon Still Life WIP

16x20 line drawing on wrapped canvas, ready for doing collage today with torn paper, a work in progress.
So stay tuned!

Bunch of Beauty

Finished! Two more hours and it is done...I used only a black and white copy of the reference photo so ALL color, including the underpainting, is imaginary. These look good enough to eat!

Grapes - work in progress

Here's the underpainting for a bunch of grapes on the vine, courtesy Dewi on WetCanvas! I used a black & white copy of the photo ref and drew them in about 15 minutes, then a few minutes more to slosh on wet paper arylide, prussian blue, alizarin crimson loosely. I will take it along on my trip out of town tomorrow and hope to finish it in the hotel room. It is watercolor on 9.5 x 7 cold press paper.

Next Class: 8 Jan. 2011 Ignoring Perspective

22x10 watercolor still life painted in April '09 after reading Shirley Trevena's books/video. I drew this from life and imagination ignoring perspective and fracturing shapes, colors, lines and values in a unique tablescape.
For my next Big Spring workshop we will be studying this method of painting to create new and unusual designs. Email me to sign up for this January 2011 class. This painting was SOLD at its first show.

Vineyard - negative painting

15x11 watercolor on Fabriano 140 lb hot press paper, no pencil used. Negative painting was done on top of dry underpainting of yellows and blues to establish groups of grapes and leaves. I used a palette knife to add twigs at the last.

Copyright 2009 Kay Smith.

Autumn Leaves and Grapes

15x11 watercolor, Daniel Smith paints, lots of negative painting with no pencil drawing only layering of colors: Quinacridone gold, burnt orange, magenta, violet, coral, Ultramarine blue, mauve, and aureolin. I used a small palette knife to make branch lines across the composition.