Swim Time

9x7 watercolor in Masters Touch sketchbook done over the past weekend for another WetCanvas weekend drawing event; ref courtesy of host Rousay. This is her son and daughter with dog having fun in the water. COPYRIGHT 2024 Kay Smith

Sea Sand Summer

11x4 mixed media on 140 lb cold press paper done today, the first day of August, a day I like to think of water, lakes, ocean, the sand and enjoy the rest of summer. I used acrylics to make marks on the paper then used a small palm tree ink stamp, and watercolor to fill in the background. More acrylics used at random with stencil. COPYRIGHT 2021 Kay Smith

Lobster Pots

6x8.5 watercolor and ink with Micron 01 pen drawn and painted today for WetCanvas' weekend drawing event.  Photo is a crop of the ref provided by Kathy Mackay that she took in Newfoundland.  It was a grey overcast day and I was taken by the pile of lobster pots or traps by the boathouse, the boat and otherwise ordinary marine scene.  I have missed doing the line and wash paintings of various subjects.
Image is COPYRIGHT 2014 Kay Smith.

Great Horned Owl

15x11 watercolor on Saunders 140 lb cold press paper, work in progress finished today. Here in this last step, I've added distant background water and foreground.  I might glaze again the foreground water but for the most part, he is done.  In the ref, he had a red brick building behind him, so I've taken artistic license and put him in a more natural setting of a lake with trees.

This is the third step showing distant horizon line of autumn colorful trees, plus tail feathers.  I dropped small amounts of water into an almost dry watercolor where it lost its shine, to give the illusion of fog.  Also I added a few reflections of trees and finishing touches to the tree branch the owl is perched upon.

Here is the completed great horned owl's body, step 2 of my WIP.  I'll lightly draw in a branch for him, then plan the background elements. (Owl photo reference courtesy WetCanvas)

Surfer Dude step 3 WIP

Most of the colors are blocked in now with no more than 2 washes but I see I'll have to go back and correct values where shadows are and in his swimsuit. Plus, what about giving him a hairy chest? Yes!!! Water on right side will be painted maybe by tomorrow. For that I'm using Manganese blue, Prussian, and ultramarine and painting around white bubbles and splash marks for seafoam.