Two Giraffes - Day 30!

12x9 gouache and ink on old accounting ledger paper done today, the last day of one painting/day for this month.  These two funky fellows were sketched with Staedtler Lumocolor Permanent pen, and are the courtesy of Joel on WetCanvas.  He hosted the current weekend drawing event.

Since 9-1-15, I've posted daily works on Leslie Saeta's #30paintingsin30days challenge she hosts annually on her blog Slices of Life you can see HERE.  She plans to host another challenge in January 2016.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2015 Kay Smith.

Herring Gull - Day 29 of 30 day challenge

9x12 watercolor and acrylic on Canson 140 lb cold press paper which is today's work, day 29.  I used a backing sheet I place behind other watermedia works in progress to protect overruns, that results in lots of random marks.  Next I drew in pencil a herring seagull then painted him in watercolor in a realistic manner.  Also I did Bice Blue and ultramarine blue thin washes over the entire background and yellow ochre + Coastal Fog for the sand he is standing upon.  These large birds are the most widespread pink-legged gull in North America, the herring is common in the east and mainly a winter visitor in the west.  Its pink legs stay that color throughout its life.

Since 9-1-15, I've posted daily works on Leslie Saeta's #30paintingsin30days challenge she hosts annually on her blog Slices of Life you can see HERE.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2015 Kay Smith.

Petting Zoo Sheep - Day 28 of 30 day challenge

5.5x8 gouache and ink on Strathmore Visual Journal for mixed media done today, day number 28 of the 30 day Leslie Saeta challenge.
Last Wednesday after work I went to our annual Howard County Fair to judge the art/photography exhibits.  Next to the fairbarn was a petting zoo full of llamas, a cow, pigs, chickens, goats, sheep, miniature donkeys, etc., so I got lots of great photos of the animals.  They had all just been bathed, showered, or cleaned.  This one caught my eye with its black face and ears and was sketched with Lamy Safari pen and grey Noodler's ink.  Its black collar was cute so I've left it mostly local color.  The zoo animals even have their own cute website HERE for Great American Petting Zoo.

Since 9-1-15, I've posted daily works on Leslie Saeta's #30paintingsin30days challenge she hosts annually on her blog Slices of Life you can see HERE.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2015 Kay Smith.

Yellow Cactus Bloom - Day 27 of 30 Day Challenge

5x5 watercolor on 140 lb Canson cold press paper painted today for day #27.  This close up of a prickly pear yellow cactus flower along with more blooms on the pear shaped pods is already SOLD.  Known as nopales, the thin nutritious pads are edible.

Since 9-1-15, I've posted daily works on Leslie Saeta's #30paintingsin30days challenge she hosts annually on her blog Slices of Life you can see HERE.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2015 Kay Smith.

California Cow - (demo) Midland TX Worshop/Day 26 of 30 Challenge

24x18 acrylics on canvas that was today's lesson for my Palette Club workshop in Midland, TX.  We used palette knives to apply thick applications of paint, lifting paint, scraping back, then overall enhancing colors.  My photo was of a black and white Holstein that is now red and white.  I've done two other variations of it.  Look closely in its right ear (our left), and in lower right where I've stamped California in red orange using an old strawberry plastic basket cut up for stencils.

Here are some of the painters hard at work:  L to R Dee Kemp, Somita Fekete, Alicia from Houston, Mary Tucci, and Nancy Henderson.


Since 9-1-15, I've posted daily works on Leslie Saeta's #30paintingsin30days challenge she hosts annually on her blog Slices of Life you can see HERE.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2015 Kay Smith.

Poppy Perfection - (demo) Midland Palette Club Acrylics Workshop

22x15 acrylics on Kilimanjaro 140 lb cold press paper, a demo painted today in Midland, Texas for Palette Club members.  The lesson was on studying acrylic applications used as watermedia; it is almost impossible to tell the difference.  I used both acrylic inks and paints, putting in dark areas first.  Some negative work can be seen in background poppy pods.  Tomorrow's demonstration will be on using acrylics on canvas like oils.  Today is also Day 25 of 30 day annual challenge as noted below.

Since 9-1-15, I've posted daily works on Leslie Saeta's #30paintingsin30days challenge she hosts annually on her blog Slices of Life you can see HERE.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2015 Kay Smith.

Ravens on Gourds - Day 24 of 30 Day Challenge

7x9.5 watercolor and ink line painted today, an imaginary fall scene with ravens or crows on gourds with pumpkins, fallen leaves, an old chopped tree trunk and metal trash can, on Ecosystem sketchbook.  I used Lamy Safari pen with grey Noodler's ink.


Since 9-1-15, I've posted daily works on Leslie Saeta's #30paintingsin30days challenge she hosts annually on her blog Slices of Life you can see HERE.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2015 Kay Smith.