Vertical Seascape

9x2 watercolor on 140 lb cold press paper done last month, a vertical miniature that can be framed or used as a nice bookmark. This was inspired by other seascapes I have painted and is imaginary. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2025

Beachfront Property

21.75 x 16.5 watercolor on Italia 140 lb soft press paper. This is a crop from a horizontal beach seascape with major elements rearranged, such as removing the picket fence that went straight across, parallel to the bottom, a compositional no-no! The scene had brush, grass, and branches throughout so those were edited and omitted. Now the viewer can walk in and go towards the next dune, the water, or the houses distant upper left. All I drew with pencil were the houses and large foliage upper right; all else is done with a brush. Sure wish I was there on this beachfront property. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith

Set Sail in September

9x6 gouache and acrylic gouache on 140 lb cold press Canson paper done last week, a small maritime seascape with sailboat, wind, and water. COPYRIGHT 2024 Kay Smith

Thunderstorm Tide

7x9 watercolor on paper done last week, another in my imaginary seascape clouds series. I used Masters Touch 80 lb paper in spiral sketchbook and Daniel Smith paints. COPYRIGHT 2024 Kay Smith

Turbulent Skies

6x6 watercolor on paper in Masters Touch sketchbook done last few days of July, another in my cloud study series for the students. In this imaginary scene, clouds have begun to be turbulent moving strongly and suddenly over the low horizon and the water. COPYRIGHT 2024 Kay Smith

Eye of the Storm

6x9 watercolor on Fabriano 140 lb hot press, done over the past weekend, another imaginary stormcloud scene over water and the beach. To make the darks as dark as possible in value I combined indigo with sepia. COPYRIGHT 2024 Kay Smith

Ocean Front Property

9x7 watercolor on Masters Touch 80 lb sketchbook paper done a few days ago for the Watermedia forum in WetCanvas! ref courtesy Valri/Stock Cake. Imagine owning or even renting this spot with the ocean just so close, swaying palms and balmy breezes. COPYRIGHT 2024 Kay Smith

Blue Green Sea

7x9 watercolor in Masters sketchbook 80 lb paper done last month, another imaginary seascape featuring mostly blue hues and mixes of greens. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Dusk Over Water

7x9 watercolor in Masters Touch 80 lb paper sketchbook done a few days ago,another imaginary seascape with vast sky and low horizon and water at dusk. On far right background one can visualize a town and its buildings in silhouette. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

On the Cape

5.5x8.5 watercolor on paper using White Nights paints done last week, another imaginary scene or landscape featuring water, land, and sky. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Ocean Rain

3.25x5.25 watercolor on Kilimanjaro 140 lb cold press paper, brush only, done this afternoon.  It is an imaginary seascape with low, ominous, threatening clouds and some much needed rain.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith

Island Palms

12x6 watercolor on Strathmore 140 lb cold press paper done this afternoon using 1" flat brush only.  As part of an online timed event for WetCanvas, I used 45 minutes of my allotted 2 hour time limit.  Photo courtesy Tanya/LoganArt.  The scene is at an island in the Gulf of Mexico.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith.

Family Bikes

16x30 watercolor on Kilimanjaro 140 lb cold press paper done last week as a commission.  This work is SOLD.
Image COPYRIGHT 2016 Kay Smith.

Woman in White Dress at Beach

11x15 watercolor imaginary scene done today using no references so hope the clouds and woman look proportional and in scale.  A light pencil drawing of the woman was first but no drawing done for clouds or ocean.  I did forget to put some seagulls flying overhead but can add them later.  This one will accompany my December Living magazine article our local newspaper, the Big Spring Herald, publishes.  You can make up your own story for this seascape.  What is she looking at, thinking of, or about to do? Meet a lover? Pray? Sunbathe? Watching a storm develop?
Image COPYRIGHT 2015 Kay Smith.

Florida Sunset

11x15 watercolor on 140 lb cold press Canson paper done recently, storm clouds over the water.  Taken from photos shot while in Florida last August one can imagine the beauty and quietness.  The reflections add drama to the landscape or seascape.  Brush only, no pre-drawing with pencil.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2015 Kay Smith.

Wish You Were Here - beach scene

21.75 x 16.5 watercolor on Italia 140 lb soft press paper done today.  This is a crop from a horizontal beach seascape with major elements rearranged, such as removing the picket fence that went straight across, parallel to the bottom, a compositional no-no! The scene had brush, grass, and branches throughout so those were edited and omitted.  Now the viewer can walk in and go towards the next dune, the water, or the houses distant upper left.  All I drew with pencil were the houses and large foliage upper right; all else is done with a brush.  Sure wish I was there!

Finished Work: The Deep (brush only)

I added kosher salt, let dry, removed that, reapplied paint in some areas that were too light, then laid plastic wrap into wet paint. After that dried, lifted it off and did the spiky fish top right, bottom right one, the upper middle red small koi. Then far left fish with his mouth open and lastly the big guy in foreground. All developed using a brush, NO PENCIL, negative painting. I tried to lose edges, put darks next to lights, etc. No photo refs either. I re-wet top left and added salt again for texture. Lastly I splattered paint for bubbles as if underwater. Look closely you can see coral reef sticking up in the foreground. I'm sure it is full of mistakes but it sure was fun being creative and not copying photos for a change; this is real art folks!