A Little Sparrow Told Me

8x10 watercolor collage done first of this month, another in my birds with words series. They literally fly off the wall. Book text accompanies the watercolor painted birds perfectly. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith

No Fly Zone

15x22 watercolor on Lanaquarelle 140 lb hot press paper, drawn and painted on one of our famous 90 degrees F days, with no snow in sight. This was taken at my friend Carole's in east Texas and earned a point for me with the Western Federation of Watercolor Societies. These sparrows and one goldfinch were trying to keep warm and their frozen birdbath is behind them. I used Coastal Fog, Coffee with Cream, Brown Derby, Sepia, UB, QBO, permanent rose, and wet the back only. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2025

Spiritual Sparrow

9x7 mixed media collage on paper from mm/sketchbook done today. Sketched with a sepia 0.3 Winsor Newton ink pen, I used White Nights watercolors next. Lastly, I cut out the sparrow's breast shape a part of a well known hymn, "Just As I Am", then used matte medium to adhere it. A few feather marks were put in over that. I used an older sparrow painting as an inspiration. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2025

Sparrow Snacks

9x12 watercolor using White Nights paints on Canson 140 lb cold press paper done last weekend for online challenge. Ref courtesy WetCanvas for weekly Weekend Drawing Event where artists have 2 hours to select an image then create it. Love painting sparrows! Ref image did not have birdseed so I've added their snacks. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Sparrows and Rosebuds

11x14 mixed media on Artists Loft mixed media paper done last weekend, an imaginary trio of sparrows watching over the rose garden. I used a stencil with acrylics over dry paper then watercolor used elsewhere. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Jenna's Sparrow

5.5x8.5 watercolor on Masters premium sketchbook paper done this past weekend as part of an online challenge. Photo ref courtesy Jenna Hestekin/WetCanvas. COPYRIGHT 2021 Kay Smith

Sparrow Secrets

11x15 watercolor on Arches 140 lb cold press paper. A neutral background wash was applied after the bird was painted wet on dry. Weeds and grasses were done when background dried. Lastly splattering in foreground with two oranges, one transparent pyrrol and the other Halloween orange, an opaque was put on as a finishing touch for this nature scene of a white crowned sparrow. COPYRIGHT 2021 Kay Smith

Western Sparrow

6x12 watercolor on Strathmore 140 lb cold press paper painted yesterday for an online challenge.  In this nature wildlife scene I've put in negatively painted tree branches surrounding the plain little sparrow. An abstract underpainting was done using two colors first.
COPYRIGHT 2020 Kay Smith

Earth Day ~ A Common Chipping Sparrow

For earth day this sparrow was perfect at 8x5.5 watercolor on Strathmore Visual Journal.  A pencil drawing was done lightly to mark outlines then watercolor put in over areas wet with #8, #10 round brushes.  A fairly limited palette used of ultramarine and Prussian blues, quinacridones burnt orange and gold, Bice and Periwinkle blues (American Journey).  When dry I used small amounts of white and Coastal Fog (AJ) on the sparrow's breast.  Background is loose and abstract with diagonal lines indicative of branches or twigs; splattering with Blue Bice applied when dry. 
COPYRIGHT 2020 Kay Smith.

Sparrow Adventure

9x9 mixed watermedia on paper done a few days ago from one of my sparrow in snow photos.  Since this paper already had an architectural print sketch in brown I decided to go with several brown and rust colored inks around its perimeter, then sketch the bird with Micron 01 pen.  Lastly a mix of white gouache/acrylic was diluted and brushed over the background to subdue it somewhat.
COPYRIGHT 2020 Kay Smith

Fluffy Sparrow

4x5 watercolor on Italia 140 lb cold press paper painted yesterday, a sparrow whose feathers appear fluffed out maybe due to the cold weather.  A very limited palette was used with this painting, mostly burnt sienna, quinacridone burnt orange, sepia, and Blue Bice by American Journey.
COPYRIGHT 2020 Kay Smith

Actual color is below:

COPYRIGHT 2020 Kay Smith

Snowy Spotted Towhee

4x6 watercolor on Italia 140 lb cold press paper sketched in pencil today then painted from some of my towhee photos shot in New Mexico.  A member of the sparrow family, these birds seem to prefer ground feeding I've discovered, and are larger than the ordinary house sparrow.  This fellow was feasting on birdseed scattered on the snowy patio tiles.
COPYRIGHT 2020 Kay Smith

Sparrow Spot ~ National Draw a Bird Day

9x12 Brusho and a small amount of watercolor on the sparrow's feathers of burnt sienna and ultramarine blue.  I first spritzed water at random with a fine mister spray onto dry paper then dusted Brusho watercolor crystals using Olive Green only.  Colors ran and patterns emerged.  When dry I did a pencil sketch using a small bird figurine from life then did the feathers making the imaginary male sparrow come alive for #National DrawABirdDay today.
COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2019

White Throated Sparrow

4.25x6 watercolor and ink line on an artist magazine subscription card.  I used Micron 01 pen to sketch the sparrow and this is one of my favorite bird paintings.
COPYRIGHT Kay Smith

Porch Bird

12x9 mixed media collage on Bristol paper completed last weekend.  The sparrow shape was sketched on a Birds & Blooms magazine card then cut out and adhered to a previous value sketch in black done with Tombow brush pen.  Color added using Montana acrylic markers.
Image COPYRIGHT 2016 Kay Smith.

Chipping Sparrow

6x4 watercolor, ink, Tombow black ink brush pen, gouache of a chipping sparrow painted on the first of the month.  I used another magazine card, those free annoying inserts I like to rip out and throw away, till now when I'm having fun painting watermedia on them.  Other artists are taking up the trend and turning out some superb little pieces.  This one was posted in Sketchbook Skool Facebook page.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2015 Kay Smith.