Tulip Woman

11x8.5 watercolor on Grumbacher 140 lb cp paper, done last week. Using a line sketch out of one of my older sketchbooks, I combined tulip shapes to the side of the figure as well as her dress and behind her arm. A fun exercise. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2025

Woman in Car

6.5x4.5 watercolor on tan paper done first day in April of #sktchy #30faces30days challenge. I used Inktense and white charcoal as well for this day one endeavor. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2025

January Girl

9x7 watercolor using White Nights paints done last of January using same selfie taken before but a different approach. This is in 80 lb paper in Master's Touch sketchbook. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2025

Birthday Girl

9x6 mixed media on marker paper 46 lb. done last month, another experiment with self portraits using CaliArt markers, Tombow brush pens, and watercolor. In my photo ref taken in Ruidoso I was sitting in a salon waiting my turn. The morning sun was coming through the window giving nice shadows across the features. I'll flip the image and paint it again using only watercolors. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2025

Rose Colored Glasses

11x15 watercolor on Strathmore 140 lb cold press paper done last week from my photo of a model for denim clothing. Her energetic look and wild hair was amazing to paint. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Fashion Gal

6x4 watercolor on 140 lb cold press Canson paper done a few months ago for a donation project for our local art association. A limited palette was used with this image and no reference. I used orange, cobalt, and opera colors. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

Wayward Woman

11.75x4.75 mixed media on book text collaged to matboard done today.  Sketch was in black India ink with a chopstick, then Brusho black crystals followed by Derwent watercolor pencils for colored accents such as her eye, lip area.  This imaginary woman looks a bit wayward and if you can read the text is it somewhat suggestive.
COPYRIGHT 2019 Kay Smith

Actress Woman

9x6 mixed media (ink, watercolor, and gouache) on vintage book text done last week, another in my woman series with ink on book pages.  I used India ink and a chopstick to sketch in the facial features and lines.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith

Blue-eyed Woman

7.5x5 India ink, black Tombow brush pen, watercolor, collage and white gel pen on collaged book text on wc paper done a few days ago.  This is another in my imaginary woman series on vintage paper.
COPYRIGHT 2018 Kay Smith.

Blue Jeanz Girl

22x15 watercolor over ink contour line drawing on Arches 140 lb cold press paper.  Last April or March I drew the figure with Micron .01 pen then did the design, but felt it had something lacking.  For one thing I should not have stamped into her face with bubble wrap so decided this week to cover most of that with Liquitex acrylics.  I also added eye shadow, fingernail polish, and one earring...what girl is complete without these most vital beauty supplies!  Background value was deepened with phthalocyanine blue green acrylic.  This was intended to resemble a self portrait as I'm always in jeans with a purse slung over my shoulder and in a hurry to get to painting!

Beverly - mixed media figure

22x15 charcoal drawn figure on 140 lb hot press Fabriano paper with gouache paint and Caran D'Ache crayon accents.  Paper was prepared by adhering old phone book pages with half matte medium and half water then pulling off leaving parts of the Fabriano visible.
This woman was at a neighborhood hat party and had her eyes closed while talking.  Background elements are imaginary abstractions.

Polkadot Dress - a quickie watercolor

9x6 on Strathmore, American Journey paints, of a blonde at a street fair having a good time (photo courtesy my friend Joanna). I left out the other woman dressed identically...both were obviously singing to the crowd. This was a quickie in less than an hour. I used a black & white copy of the photo, so no color reference at all, just my imagination.

Fashion Plate

22x15 watercolor on Saunders Waterford 140 lb cold press paper with primary colors underpainting. The manikin's hair and face were drawn first from an unusual viewpoint below the figure's waist looking upwards. A number of these lifeless models were fashion plates, wearing the finest women's clothing, from a Margaret's store exhibit in Lubbock, Texas. The store was an icon of quality couture for many years. Of course I exercised my artistic license and changed her dress from red and black to these magenta and purple/pinks.