Hollyhock Haven

12x9 watercolor on Aquabee 140 lb cold press paper, done mid July as a guide for wc students to practice. Using my photo from prior studio hollyhocks, this one had a bee in it so was perfect. My version came out more orange red than the photo which showed more pink tones. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2026

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

Birthday Hollyhocks

15x11 acrylic inks on Fabriano 140 lb cold press paper done yesterday over pencil drawing of red hollyhocks.  Since I make sure to paint a complete painting on my birthday each year this one won the challenge.  I used FW acrylic ink by Daler Rowney in a limited palette of red, yellow, and blue mixing them to obtain secondary colors, lights and darks.  This resembles watercolor but is harder to manage and is quite shiny when dry.
Image COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith     Email:  1971ks@att.net for more information

Hello Hollyhocks!

10x8 watercolor done today from our first house backyard, pink, red, dark pink hollyhocks along the wooden fence.  When we were in the mountains last week there were still some of these old fashioned lovelies blooming here and there.  I still plant them every year as they are my favorite and they are coming up wild in the studio yard.  Paper used is Langton 140 lb cold press.  Colors:  Alizarin crimson, quinacridone violet and magenta, Grumbacher red, permanent rose, Taylor's Pink Flamingo, quin gold, arylide yellow, Midnight blue, Undersea Green, UB, gamboge, Prussian blue, Coffee with Cream, Sepia.  At the end when dry I splattered alizarin.

Blood Red Hollyhocks

6 x 10.5 watercolor on 140 lb cold press paper, Daniel Smith/DaVinci paints, done from one of my dark red studio hollyhocks.  I'm having to use photos from a few years back due to no rain this year in spring to cause them to grow and bloom.  I did have one pale yellow plant and one medium pink hollyhock, though, but the roses really suffered.  This work is now SOLD.

Hollyhocks Over the Fence

5 3/4 x 7 watercolor, an imaginary made up scene of multicolored hollyhocks spilling over white picket fence posts.

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.

An Early Floral: Fence Row Hollies

22x15 watercolor on 140 lb cold press paper, drawn from my backyard hollyhocks not long after beginning painting in the medium. As you can see it has a million things wrong with it but some had contacted me asking to see early floral or garden works. It was painted wet in wet, Daniel Smith paints.

Hollyhock Dreams and a Few of My Own

15x15 watercolor collage on Arches 140 cold press paper and sold last week. Speaking of dreams, I want to get 100 followers by Christmas. Already the number is 88 and climbing. Tell your friends to check out this blog and sign up if they want to learn more about art.

Today I've been busy taking digital photos of several paintings to send on a CD to Chris Unwin as they're publishing number 5 in the series The Artistic Touch. A worldwide bestseller, I hope to be juried in it again along with many top names in the business. Wish me luck!