Carolyn Kay Smith
LightNews LightNews
banner
carolynkaysmith.bsky.social
Carolyn Kay Smith
@carolynkaysmith.bsky.social
6.4K followers 5.4K following 570 posts
Wildlife and fantasy artist, birder, photographer, dinosaur fan, proud cat lady

No AI, ever.

https://www.carolynksmith.com/
Posts Replies Media Videos
carolynkaysmith.bsky.social
Look I’m not saying that I know what’s going on, only that it’s awfully suspicious…
#seagull #pope #cardinal
May 8, 2025 at 5:14 PM
carolynkaysmith.bsky.social
Toads and toadstools. :) #amphibians #toads #fungi #mushrooms #naturejournaling #sciart #hiking
A detail from a page of a nature journal, with two watercolor sketches from a hike in Pennsylvania. One is a toad, labeled Toad of the Day because we were seeing lots of toads at the time. Notes point out striped toes, a dorsal stripe, and that the toad was twice as big as others we'd seen. The second sketch is a couple of lumpy-looking mushrooms with white growths that "look like human teeth."
April 23, 2025 at 10:29 PM
carolynkaysmith.bsky.social
A watercolor sketch of a Pere David's Deer lying down on the grass between two rocks and looking up and away from the viewer. The deer has large antlers with three long tines on each side.
April 8, 2025 at 5:42 AM
carolynkaysmith.bsky.social
Still sick, so looking at past migration sketches instead of making new ones. :( #birdart #birds #migration #commonyellowthroat #palmwarbler #sciart
A sketchbook page with watercolor sketches of birds: a male Common Yellowthroat perched on a leaf stem, and a Palm warbler in the grass. There are also swatches of test color on the upper part of the page.
April 7, 2025 at 3:36 AM
carolynkaysmith.bsky.social
When you can't nature journal outside...nature journal inside! I'm not sure how easy it is to read my notes, but I turned the catnip sketch into a scratch-n-sniff by rubbing catnip on it. It worked; my cat Ranger rolled all over it lol. #botanicalart #naturejournaling #catnip #sciart #succulents
A journal page with several watercolor sketches of plants done from life, including a pot full of indoor succulents, a catnip study, a closeup of a catnip leaf, and a tiny marimo moss ball floating in a vial of water (this "moss" is actually algae, Aegagropila linnaei.)
April 5, 2025 at 7:04 PM
carolynkaysmith.bsky.social
BEETS! :D
Another page from my pandemic journal.
#sciart #beets #gardening #naturejournaling #botanicalart
A watercolor painting of eight beets in a row, painted just after they were pulled from a home garden and brushed off. They still have leaves, rootlets, and specks of dirt. Each beet is a unique size and shape.
April 3, 2025 at 9:58 PM
carolynkaysmith.bsky.social
A dandelion study I painted from life during the pandemic, when I stayed at my friends' house and documented their garden. I caught myself absentmindedly trying to brush the "dirt" off the page. XD #botanicalart #sciart #naturejournal
Watercolor sketch of a dandelion plant on a white page. Painted from life, showing open and closed flower buds, roots, long tap root, and specks of dirt.
April 2, 2025 at 8:20 PM
carolynkaysmith.bsky.social
A little acrylic painting of Mallard ducklings. 🦆
#birds #birdart #sciart #ducks #acrylicpainting
A painting of two yellow and brown Mallard ducklings on a white background.
March 15, 2025 at 1:12 PM
carolynkaysmith.bsky.social
A detail from one of the illustrations I did for Wild Ramona by Roy Toft! I loved working on this book: it's about the wildlife of Ramona, CA, which Roy has been photographing via professional camera trap setups for years. More info and link below... #sciart #wildlifeart #cameratraps
A detail from an acrylic painting done for a book illustation. It shows the location of a camera trap set by pro photographer Roy Toft to capture images of passing wildlife. The scene is a garden in Ramona California at night. In the center is a low stone wall in a ring around a palm tree. Clusters of orange palm fruit hang from the tree and more fruit is scattered on the ground. A pair of grey foxes is eating the fruit. In the lower right is a camera in a case next to a tube-shaped diffuser containing a flash. There is another flash on the left. The camera and flashes are facing the foxes. The scene also includes agave plants and succulents, and a small mouse is eating a seed on the lower left.
March 14, 2025 at 2:55 PM
carolynkaysmith.bsky.social
A couple of sketches from my first-ever wildlife trip, which was to Costa Rica. As a kid, I had read about Eighty-eight Butterflies and leafcutter ants in Ranger Rick but never expected to see them outside of those pages. Suddenly they were in front of me in real life, and it was magic. #sciart
A closeup of pen and watercolor sketches on a sketchbook page. There is an Eighty-eight Butterfly with wings closed at the top, two Leaf-cutter ants carrying leaves below, and a sketch of an ant's head and mandibles.
March 12, 2025 at 8:42 PM
carolynkaysmith.bsky.social
It's my sketchbook and I can draw what I want to. ^___^ Coppersmith Barbet doodle from my India travel journal. This bird is named for its ringing call, which apparently sounds like a coppersmith's hammer.
#birds #birdart #sciart #watercolor #naturejournal
A cartoon of a Coppersmith Barbet bird standing on an anvil and striking a piece of copper with a handle. This is a small part of a sketchbook page. The note reads: "The Coppersmith Barbet was also hard to see but often heard. It has a higher and prettier call [than the Brown-headed Barbet]."
March 7, 2025 at 1:40 PM
carolynkaysmith.bsky.social
A bird I'm looking forward to seeing again in the spring...the Blue-headed Vireo. I really love this species...there's something about the powdery blue-grey, clear white, and yellow wash that just really appeals to me. #birds #watercolor #naturejournal #birdart #sciart
Watercolor sketch of a Blue-headed Vireo clinging to a stem with a few wilted leaves. To the left, part of the ceramic paint pallet can be seen sitting on the page.
March 6, 2025 at 6:07 AM
carolynkaysmith.bsky.social
Spring is on the way and soon my favorite spots will be full of migrants! Here's an American Redstart sketch from a few years ago. #Birds #birdart #sciart #AmericanRedstart #warblers #birdmigration #watercolor
A page from my nature journal, showing a watercolor sketch of a male American Redstart warbler perched on a branch with tail fanned out, plus some notes from a nice day of birding a few years ago.
March 5, 2025 at 4:30 AM
carolynkaysmith.bsky.social
I will be participating in the Wildlife Conservation Society's Run for the Wild 5k fundraiser! (well, walk for the wild in my case lol) The focus is on Gharials, very cool - and sadly very endangered - crocodilians with long, narrow snouts. Link in comments. :) #crocodilians #wildlifeconservation
Banner photo for WCS's Run for the Wild fundraiser event. It shows two gharials with open mouths on the bank of a waterway. The Text "Run for the Wild" is overlayed in white text.
February 17, 2025 at 7:14 PM
carolynkaysmith.bsky.social
A couple of mohair teddy bears that I made. They are made of mohair and have glass eyes and jointed heads and limbs, in the style of old teddies. I haven't made very many of these but it's super fun! #teddybear #mohair #plushies
Two teddy bears sitting on a red couch. Both are light tan with black noses, black embroidered smiles, and black glass eyes. One is larger with a long nose and blue ribbon around his neck. The other is smaller and more cub-like, with a short nose and flower-patterned ribbon.
February 16, 2025 at 5:38 PM
carolynkaysmith.bsky.social
I'm not much of a digital painter, but I did this a while back. I have a good friend in Australia who I met online years ago. We've met once in person, when I took her birding in Central Park. In celebration, I drew us as possums! ❤️ Birding is the best, and so are birders. #possums #birds #birding
Digital (not AI!) painting of a path in Central Park, NYC. Two cartoon-style animals, a Virginia Opossum and an Australian Brushtail Possum, walk on their hind legs on the path, each holding a camera. They are marveling at a Blue Jay in a tree. A male Common Yellowthroat watches from a bush in the lower left.
February 15, 2025 at 8:06 PM
carolynkaysmith.bsky.social
The Hippalectryon is a half-horse, half-rooster creature from Greek mythology, but unlike other Greek monsters it gets very little attention. I have no idea why...🤔
#greekmyths #creaturedesign #watercolor
A cartoony ink and watercolor drawing of a hippalectryon standing on its hind legs. The creature has the head and front legs of a horse and the rear legs, wings and tail of a rooster.
February 14, 2025 at 6:13 PM
carolynkaysmith.bsky.social
Still going through a lot, but I need some more art in my life so plan to be around more. While I pull myself together, here's a Ghost of Centrosaurus, based on the specimen at AMNH. #sciart #watercolor #paleoart
Watercolor sketch of the fossil skull of Centrosaurus, in purplish tones on a white paper background.
February 14, 2025 at 2:18 AM
carolynkaysmith.bsky.social
On the 19th day of #ArtAdventCalendar, I give you one of my animal Secret Santa drawings, which I did for cards. They all had fun picking out gifts for each other. 😉This will probably be my last art post for the year, since I will be busy spending time with family. Happy Holidays to all!
A pen and watercolor illustration of happy cartoony animals giving each other gifts in a Secret Santa exchange. The animals and their gifts are: Anteater-chocolate ants; Cheetah-windup rabbit; Panda-bamboo candy canes; Jaguar-big cardboard box with heart cutouts (chewed by mouse); Mouse-cheese; Osprey-fish; Dragon-Hope Diamond; Hyena-stinky bone carrion; Vulture-stinky fish carrion.
December 19, 2024 at 5:16 AM
carolynkaysmith.bsky.social
For Day 16 of #ArtAdventCalendar, here's an acrylic sketch of a young male lion. I love all kinds of animals, but cats have been my favorites, by far, for my entire life. I am in awe of them. Many more cat-related posts in future! #sciart #lion #wildcats #acrylicpaint
Acrylic painting of a young male lion's face, from the front but looking slightly off to his left and cocking one ear back to listen.
December 17, 2024 at 3:01 AM
carolynkaysmith.bsky.social
I saw people mocking someone in a thrifting group because they were so happy about the bird thread scissors they found: “those are worth nothing, they’re super common.” Yes, they’re common because they’re frickin adorable and totally worth being excited over! 🥰
A pair of classic metal bird-shaped thread scissors, with the bird’s long pointy beak forming the blades, sitting on red and blue felt.
December 16, 2024 at 1:26 AM
carolynkaysmith.bsky.social
For Day 15 of #ArtAdventCalendar, here's a tiny drawing of a Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel holding a flag. My mom loves squirrels, mice, and rodents of all kinds, and one year I made her all-rodent calendar using my own photos plus drawings for all the holidays. This was for the 4th of July. :)
A small, simple, pen and watercolor line drawing of a Thirteen-lined Ground Squirrel sitting up and holding a simplified American Flag.
December 16, 2024 at 12:26 AM
carolynkaysmith.bsky.social
For Day 14 of #ArtAdventCalendar, ...SQUIRREL!!!
Pen and white gel pen on toned paper.
A sketch of a Grey Squirrel in profile, sitting on a branch and eating an acorn. Done in black and white pens on toned tan paper.
December 14, 2024 at 8:50 PM
carolynkaysmith.bsky.social
For Day 13 of #ArtAdventCalendar, here are some sketches I did today of Apex the Stegosaurus at the American Museum of Natural History! This is a brand-new exhibit of what is thought to be the largest and most complete Stegosaurus fossil ever found. Super exciting! #sciart #dinosaurs
Watercolor sketch of a stegosaurus dinosaur skeleton, including a close up of the skull, one of the plates with an unusual spike, the foot bones, and a quick sketch of the skeleton as a whole.
December 14, 2024 at 4:59 AM
carolynkaysmith.bsky.social
For day 12 of #ArtAdventCalendar, here's a page from my 2022 India travel journal. Elephants no longer give tourist rides in parks, but some are used to patrol for wildfires, poachers, and injured tigers.
Pages from a travel journal, showing the face of a working Indian elephant on the left and small sketches of the elephant ridden by a mahout. On the right, sketches of an Indian Monitor Lizard, Malabar Pied Hornbill, and Sambar deer feeding in water.
December 12, 2024 at 2:35 PM