Marybeth Heikes

Paintings in Watercolor & Mixed Media

Posts Tagged “Butterfly”

Zinnia & Butterfly

Zinnia & Butterfly

September 29, 2014

This collage was inspired by all the lovely zinnias in my garden and the fluttering butterflies this summer. Instead of the usual collage shapes glued onto watercolor paper, I used another Ampersand wood panel in a cradled 1 ½″ inch support. Another difference of this design is that it is square, not a size I […] more »

Neon Geraniums

Neon Geraniums

July 22, 2014

The bold colors of these geraniums caught my eye. There are many different varieties of these garden plants, and I chose the neon variety. I found it difficult getting the exact color using my watercolor pigments — it is pinkish with a little orange and red in it. In direct sunlight the petals seem to […] more »

Winged Wonders

Winged Wonders

June 2, 2014

Sunflowers are still an inspiration for my art. The sunflower sprouts are still coming up in my garden now, so I am working with a photo taken last year. In addition to the two large blossoms, I have added a couple butterflies seen at the Botanical Center and Butterfly Center in Ames. They were both incredibly […] more »

Coneheads & Swallowtail

Coneheads & Swallowtail

April 28, 2014

Now that it’s spring, you will notice my paintings are full of fresh flowers. I love the pale violets and lavenders of the coneflowers, and the orange and rust-colored centers. They attract numerous butterflies, bees and other interesting insects. My general plan of attack is to take numerous photographs, and if I have time, I […] more »

Tangerine Zinnias & Monarch

Tangerine Zinnias & Monarch

March 4, 2014

Spring fever always hits when winter weather does not want to stop, and it makes me dream of bright, fresh flowers. I used a photo for this piece and worked much of it wet-in-wet. The tangerine colors are very saturated and lively and the butterfly is the focal point. I painted two layers for the […] more »

Alfalfa Butterfly

Alfalfa Butterfly

September 14, 2010

This is an interpretation of a common butterfly. In the past, I’ve completed 4 other varieties and have been popular with customers. In this piece I took liberties using color combinations. This will be part of a series and I plan to use sketches done a few years ago. more »

Butterflies

Butterflies

April 15, 2009

This week I’ve worked on trying to capture the vivid color patterns of butterflies seen at Reiman Gardens a few years ago. These two particular butterflies are the Buckeye and the Swallowtail — quite beautiful and delicate. more »

Blue Dog & Butterflies

Blue Dog & Butterflies

March 26, 2008

This design was inspired by a photo of a Bluetick hound, and from a similar dog I saw while shopping at a pet store. This painting is different from other collages in that I painted the background first, before I pieced the collage papers on top of it. more »