December Egret

6x9 watercolor and Cretacolor dark green pencil on 140 lb cold press Grumbacher paper, using some of my egret Florida references. This one was flying low over the water in the bay hoping to see some dinner. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

Egret and Plants

9.5x7 watercolor over pencil drawing in Ecosystem sketchbook done over the past weekend for a WetCanvas challenge; photo ref courtesy Susan. The Florida bird appears to be hiding behind the cacti and other plants. COPYRIGHT 2021 Kay Smith

Patriotic Cockatoo ~ Happy 4th of July!

12x9 watercolor on Canson XL 140 lb paper for a previous online event.  WetCanvas had a patriotic challenge for USA artists so since the bird is white its beak had to be indigo blue.  Abstract background is a mix of thalo blue & green, alizarin crimson, ultramarine, Grumbacher red, and Blue Bice for the red, white & blue.  Splatters with Blue Bice and Grumbacher red. 
COPYRIGHT Kay Smith.

Black Cow and White Bird

5.25x7 watercolor on Fluid 140 lb cold press paper done over the weekend for another timed online event on WetCanvas.  This one was under the 2 hour time limit.  Image courtesy of Susan and is a Florida scene.
COPYRIGHT 2019 Kay Smith

Sweet Swan

10.25x6.25 watercolor on Lanaquarelle 140 lb hot press paper done yesterday as part of this weekend's drawing event on WetCanvas! Also the subject 'swan' is the prompt for this week's animal on Facebook's All Animals Watercolor page, so both challenges are now done with one image.  Ref courtesy Shane (WetCanvas!)
COPYRIGHT 2019 Kay Smith

Proud Egret for National Draw a Bird Day ~ 8 April

4.75 x 6.75 watercolor on Saunders 140 lb cold press paper done this afternoon for #National Draw a Bird Day tomorrow.  I put an abstract background behind the proud egret's head for flashes of pink and green. Stay tuned for more.
COPYRIGHT 2019 Kay Smith

Egret Nest

14x11 watercolor on Kilimanjaro 140 lb cold press paper begun yesterday and finished today; ref courtesy WetCanvas host Bunny.  This was another weekend drawing event in which we have 2 hours to select an image and get a painting or drawing done.  Egrets are intermediate medium sized herons.  In between the great egret and smaller white ones its all-white plumage is in contrast with its dark legs and thickish yellow bill.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith

Snowy Surprise (owl)

4x7 watercolor and ink (Micron 01 pen) sketched on 140 lb paper, a portion of a sheet that I used behind larger works.  The snowy owl had only one wing as his right one was injured and removed; he lived in a wildlife sanctuary and has passed now.  I sketched around the paint marks then filled in empty spaces with other colors, and even gave him a log behind and in front.  This was featured on WetCanvas watermedia forum December challenge as hosted by Virginie in Canada.
Image COPYRIGHT 2016 Kay Smith.

Patriotic Cockatoo

12x9 watercolor on Canson XL 140 lb paper done this afternoon in under an hour.   WetCanvas has a patriotic challenge for USA artists so since the bird is white its beak had to be indigo blue.  Abstract background is a mix of thalo blue & green, alizarin crimson, ultramarine, Grumbacher red, and Blue Bice for the red, white & blue challenge.  Participants have 2 hours to choose an image and paint or sketch it.  When dry I did splatters with Blue Bice and Grumbacher red.  Image courtesy Susan (tyree).
Image COPYRIGHT 2016 Kay Smith.

Cheeky Gull

15x11 watercolor on 140 lb cold press Canson paper that is today's work.  Going through my many bird photos this popped up, a rather cheeky guy about to steal the sandwich from my hand.  Forever the foragers, these seagulls never cease to amaze me with their loud raucous cries and bravado.
Image COPYRIGHT 2016 Kay Smith.

Gull Profile

6x9 watercolor, acrylic, and ink on paper done a few days ago on our mountain trip.  It is on a discarded book page and now most of the text is obliterated by paint.  I had been photographing sea gulls again here in town; they fly over my office windows at work, too. This one sat perched on the concrete ledge of the roof as if waiting for a handout, the cheeky character.  Since white gouache did not show up well on the paper I added white acrylic to bring out highlights.  I really do like how this turned out using an unconventional support.  Micron 01 pen used to sketch the bird.
Image COPYRIGHT 2016 Kay Smith.

Little Snowbird

7.25x5.25 watercolor on paper of a little fat bird decked out in his Christmas wool toboggan mufflers.  Note his various colored legs and feet.  This work is SOLD.
Image is COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2015.

Egret

6x6 watercolor with Pigma Micron 01 ink painted a few days ago.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2013 Kay Smith.