Pumpkin Pile

5.5x8.5 watercolor over pencil sketch done in my mixed media sketchbook a week or so ago; ref courtesy of another WetCanvas artist. It's pumpkin time! COPYRIGHT Kay Smith 2025

Crows are Landing

6x6 watercolor on Masters Touch sketchbook done over the past weekend using only a loaded brush, no pre-drawing with pencil. Inspiration for these aspens and crows were the photos taken over the previous weekend while in the mountains. Crows are very plentiful and there was a murder of them in the backyard flying and landing. COPYRIGHT 2023 Kay Smith

November

11x15 watercolor scene of a muddy country road in November. Fall leaves have been disappearing just as the warm days have; recent rains add to the ambience of autumn with just a hint of colder weather to come. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith

The Edge of Fall

8x8 mixed media on Canson 140 lb cold press paper done today as it is the first of November and we usually have scenes such as this. I used Gansai Tambi paints along with other watercolors to put in the trees, background, and foreground. No pencil sketch for the trees. While wet I added white gouache then grey Brusho wc crystals. Snowy foreground and shadows are mostly dilute grey Brusho. Sky is American Journey periwinkle blue. Some Brusho was left in the sky and now it appears to be birds flying in the distance. Splattering added at random using Naples yellow and AJ Halloween orange. COPYRIGHT 2022 Kay Smith

Pumpkins for Sale

12x10.5 watercolor and ink line (Pigma Micron 05 pen) on Daler Rowney Langton 140 lb cold press paper done for a past #InkTober. I photographed this fat pumpkin on top of others in a huge box at the Ruidoso WalMart store in 2016. COPYRIGHT Kay Smith

Apple Buckets

15x11 watercolor on Canson 140 lb cold press paper of a simple autumn apple gathering scene. These apples would make a great pie, cake, or fresh fruit. COPYRIGHT 2021 Kay Smith

Antlers

18x24 watercolor on Canson 140 lb cold press paper done over this weekend of an imaginary buck deer amidst swirling leaves. His eyes are closed indicating sleep during winter approaching with its wind and snow flurries. Note the antlers morphing into tree branch shapes and lines. I mixed dark brown, grey, and black Brusho for some of the darks painting wet on dry. COPYRIGHT 2020 Kay Smith

Wheelbarrow and Mums

7x10 watercolor on 140 lb cold press Arches paper of an outdoor fall scene of colored leaves, chrysanthemums, and other autumn signs of cooler times. This work is SOLD. COPYRIGHT 2020 Kay Smith

Harvest Hay Wagon

15x22 watercolor on Arches 140 lb cold press paper, painted wet in wet from a photo taken in Midland at Alldredge Gardens. Trying to be loose and a bit abstract, I put in fresh hot colors on the cool wet paper, let blend, then finished the haystalks around the fat pumpkins. COPYRIGHT 2020 Kay Smith

Harvest Wagon

5x7 ink on Bristol board using a black Tombow brush pen and water for a 3 value sketch showing a wagon, pumpkins, and hay scene from one of my harvest photos. This value sketch to be used to create a watercolor. Since tomorrow is the first day of fall/autumn I thought it appropriate. This is matted with an 8x10 black mat. COPYRIGHT 2020 Kay Smith

Autumn Air

4.5x5.5 watercolor on Canson 140 lb cold press paper begun on the first day of autumn two days ago.  In this imaginary scene most trees have shed their leaves.  Behind are fiery reds and oranges of foliage lighting up the landscape for the season change.  Even the rocks are glowing with natural color.
COPYRIGHT 2019 Kay Smith

Fall Aspen Color

12x6 watercolor on Strathmore 140 lb paper painted yesterday while in the mountains. In this imaginary scene the tall trees tell us that fall color is here to be savored and sampled until the first frost. Embrace autumn for nature's plentiful palette!

Image is COPYRIGHT 2014 Kay Smith.

Apple Bucket

This is 11x15 detail from a larger painting of an old wooden porch scene. Since it is now apple season I thought I'd post this one which is SOLD.

Autumn Leaves and Grapes

15x11 watercolor, Daniel Smith paints, lots of negative painting with no pencil drawing only layering of colors: Quinacridone gold, burnt orange, magenta, violet, coral, Ultramarine blue, mauve, and aureolin. I used a small palette knife to make branch lines across the composition.

Tap Water Painting

This is the painting below with as much paint scrubbed off under tap water in the sink as I could get yesterday.

First painted version from reference photo, courtesy Nusret. Size: 15x22 painted fairly close to the actual hues and design wet in wet watercolor. When almost dry, I scrubbed off all the pigment I could with a sponge and let dry to determine my final design. (See above)

15x22 Poppies and Berries, finished version with lots of layered negative painting of leaves, berries, and flowers ala wild woodlands, after washing off all pigment from first painting.