Cardinal in Aspen Tree

5.5x5.5 watercolor using White Nights paints on Arteza 110 lb paper done week before last, a combination using two separate references. COPYRIGHT 2021 Kay Smith

Crows and Cardinal in Snow

11x15 watercolor on 140 lb cold press paper, a commission I designed and painted based on the customer's request for both bird species in winter. This work is SOLD. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith

Chilly Cardinal

3.5x2.5 watercolor on 140 lb cold press Kilimanjaro paper done today, another cardinal out in the chilly snowy landscape.  This fellow seems to be searching for some red berries to eat or for his mate.
COPYRIGHT 2020 Kay Smith

Frosty Flier finch

4.5x7.25 watercolor on Canson 140 lb cold press paper completed today. Red color is mostly restricted to head and upper chest, contrasting with cold gray-brown nape, back, and wings. Pale sides show distinct brown streaks, lacking red tones. Females lack bold face pattern and have more diffuse patterning overall.  We see these, often confused with purple finches, at the feeders in New Mexico.  I tried a new experiment for the icy snowy background first covering it with a wash of white gouache, letting dry, then painting in the positive brown branches.  When that dried, I went back over with another gouache glaze and finally splattering the white for snow.
COPYRIGHT 2019 Kay Smith