Saguaro Sun Flowers

22x15 watercolor redo of an earlier painting entitled Odessa Sunflowers. With this endeavor, I've placed cactus line drawings on tracing paper over the image then drew those lines painting in and around the new shapes. This one was done on 140 lb Kilimanjaro cold press paper back in May. Original piece was a demo done for the Odessa Art Association in April 2015. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2026

Prickly Perspective

22x18.5 watercolor on 140 lb cold press Langton Prestige paper by Daler Rowney. Painted in November 2025 using Daniel Smith pigments, this unusual saguaro cactus perspective draws in the viewer. I enjoy the orange sky background for a citrus twist. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2025

Tall Cactus in Red Pot

10.75x4.25 watercolor on Canson 117 lb cold press paper with white gel pen done last week, another in my tall cactus series in small pots. Vertical art is very popular and is a size that fits just about anywhere. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2025

Cactus Coloring

8x6 watercolor using limited palette of alizarin crimson, Moonglow, and aureolin paints on handmade rough cold press paper. I painted this imaginary desert cactus scene around first week or so of September, another in my series. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2025

Tall Desert Cactus

6x2 watercolor on 140 lb cold press paper, an imaginary desert cactus in vertical format that can be used as a framed piece of art or as a bookmark. I painted this last month. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2025

Shadows and Cactus Blooms

14x10 watercolor done on Stonehenge Aqua 140 lb hot press paper, done at first of this month, emphasizing the importance of shadows to highlight the cactus blooms on the prickly pear. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2025

Hot Cactus Pears

5.5x8.5 watercolor on sketchbook paper painted at end of July, another imaginary cactus desert landscape featuring the delicious pears they form. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2025

Cactus and Clay Wall

22x15 watercolor on Kilimanjaro 140 cold press paper done last week from some of my cactus/cacti photos. This tall one has great cast shadows against the clay colored wall. Fun to explore textures not only with the succulent but with the aged, cracked background in this botanical still life. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Pink Prickly Polkadots Cactus

8x8 watercolor on Masters Touch 140 lb cold press paper began over the past weekend and finished yesterday by strengthening values in this imaginary prickly pear cactus scene. It is all painted in reverse, e.g. green pads (leaves) are warm colors and yellow orange blooms are in greens and blues. No masking fluid used for thorns, just painting around them. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Prickly Predicament

6x6 watercolor and white gel pen done in May on Masters Touch sketchbook, 80 lb. paper, done wet in wet. In this imaginary cactus desert scene I've emphasized the forms and shapes of the prickly pear cactus. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Plentiful Prickly Pear

6x6 watercolor and India ink in Masters Touch sketchbook done in May, another in my imaginary cactus series working wet into wet and applying line if needed. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Prickly Pear Shadows

6x6 watercolor using White Nights paints done last weekend, another in my prickly pear cactus series. This one is based from my photo of a cactus patch complete with shadows, thorns and other foliage such as wild grasses and is more realistic. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith