Giraffes Grazing

7x10 mixed watermedia collage on Canson mixed media paper done this afternoon. Drawn with an orange Magic colored pencil, then a fast underpainting with transparent pyrrol orange/quinacridone gold watercolors was done.  When dry, I added brown and quin burnt orange patterns with some green, then the bg foliage.  After that dried I used brown torn tissue paper that had small squares and a giftwrap paper featuring colored circles, adhered with matte medium.  Lastly, I used a blue Magic pencil to make calligraphy marks in bg trees and bushes.  (Ref courtesy Connie/WetCanvas and featured on All Media Art Events forum, Weekend Drawing Event in which you have only 2 hours to select a subject and do your art).
Image is COPYRIGHT 2014 Kay Smith.

Blue Denim Heart

14.5 x 10.75 watercolor, inks on matboard that I collaged phone book pages to using half gesso and half water mixture.  After 10 minutes, I tore off 3 one inch masking tape strips that was over the pages.  Three top round circles were already in the phone book ad.  So this is my second heart done yesterday for the Valentine series from now thru 14 February.  If you have done an art heart and want to feature it on my blog here, send to me via email with links and contact information.

Workshop Watermedia Collage participants

Here are all the 10 smiling faces from yesterday's all day workshop at my studio showing their work.  Our purpose was to learn how to apply pages to hot press paper using old phone books, draw a charcoal subject, then paint in gouache, watercolor, or other watermedia such as acrylics.  From L to R:  Janie, Clara, Pat, Joy, Jan, Kathie, Jay, Ellen, SuzyPal, and Annalee.  Each did an awesome painting and some did more than one.  Later in the evening Jay informed me she had done another one at home.  From pineapples to people all had a good day, and I could not turn off my brain till midnight.

Figure Demo - Watermedia collage

22x15 gouache, watercolor, acrylic, collage, charcoal, oil pastels on Arches 140 lb hot press paper.  This was my demo in Lubbock TX yesterday in which I had one hour to do the painting.  I used a photo I took of a mannequin then changed her dress to a white shirt; collage on paper goes first using telephone book yellow pages, then design developed.  Colorful scarf is Christmas paper wrapping.  Its title is "Let Your Fingers Do the Walking".  Demo was for the West Texas Watercolor Society, 511 Ave. K, Lubbock.

Nature's Daisies watermedia collage

15x22 watercolor that had color dropped on its Saunders surface then negatively painting around to save whites.  Multiple leaves and stems followed then collage rice paper elements added last.

Unlisted Number - watermedia collage

22x15 Fabriano 140 lb hot press paper, charcoal drawing of a mannikin profile, then watercolor, gouache, and gift wrap paper from Dollar General used as collage in parts on her blouse. I had painted this figure before only reverse profile using transparent watercolor.
The hot press paper was treated first using a technique Liz Hill taught us in her class last month where you lay phone book pages down then peel them off, hence the title.

Karen - 4 Poses watermedia collage

15x22 Arches hot press 140 lb paper with charcoal drawn views of the same model.  Collage added to middle ground and to her skirt while gold watercolor makes up the background.  A tennis shoe imprinted handmade stamp is the pattern seen on her blouse.  I used the Matisse acrylic paint for neutral foreground made by Derivan in Australia.   This is the last one done in Liz Hill's class and is the most unusual.

Attitude - a watermedia collage figure

22x15 watercolor, gouache, collage over life drawn figure in  charcoal done in Liz Hill's class a few days ago at Wenmoh's Ranch.  Stamping was done using my hand carved block; rose red giftwrap make up the collar, cuffs, and trim on the model's shirt jacket. I also used colored pencil at random.

Rosemary - a watermedia collage

22x15 watercolor, gouache, torn paper napkin, oil pastel, acrylic, watersoluble colored pencil over a 10 minute charcoal drawing; this is from a live model during Liz Hill's workshop held at Dena Wenmoh's ranch.  The art retreat is located at Cypress Mill, TX and is a working ranch.  The focus of Houstonian Liz Hill's class was to observe drawing from life and render it free and fun, loosen your creativity, and enjoy the process.  Support is Arches 140 lb. hot press paper.  To see Liz' work visit her at www.lizhillart.com
and check out Dena's bunkhouse at www.wenmohsranch.com in the Texas Hill Country.

Watermedia Reworked Art "Gone with the Wing"

15x22 mixed watermedia:  acrylic, ink, collage over failed red rose watercolor.  This work was a demo for the Amarillo Art Institute a few years ago.  In its former life it was a vertical red rose that I can post here if anyone wants to see it.  Classes using the techniques I have developed are in demand and I'm scheduling out of town demos about once a month along with workshops on mixed watermedia as well as transparent watercolor.  Moral of the story is never throw out your old dogs!

Gaudy an Angel collage

15x22 collage over watercolor with acrylics. I used a previous failed angel painting that I'd redone twice with no luck, gluing Veranda magazine cutouts at random. She is so gaudy now that just had to name her that as a pun for Guardian angel.

Sunflower Mosaic - demo for WetCanvas!

This is watercolor collage on matboard, 20 x 9.25 inches, drawn with colored pencil done today as a WetCanvas demo. I used slick toilet seat cover torn in pieces and applied with Liquitex matte medium, let dry overnight, then drew my flowers with the CP. Paints used were American Journey Midnight Blue, Prussian (DaVinci), Arylide (DV), Copper Kettle, Harvest Gold, Skip's Green, Mint Julep, Gamboge, Taylor's Flamingo Pink, Halloween Orange (AJ), Grumbacher Red, and quinacridone magenta.

With this technique less water is needed and repeated washes usually are in order to obtain correct values. At the end I drew leaf outline shapes in the dark blue background with my brush for some negative shapes.