Marybeth Heikes

Paintings in Watercolor & Mixed Media

Midwest Life

Sheds & Silos

Sheds & Silos

May 19, 2015

This is one of my Daily Paintings which was done in one sitting. I enjoy painting Iowa landscapes with all the typical elements of farm life. This one includes a tractor, silos, shed, old tire, and hay bale. I like the casual composition — nothing too orderly with the random placement of things.   more »

Iowa Barn

Iowa Barn

May 14, 2015

I enjoy working on larger collages, and this is an old barn in southeast Iowa. As always, I worked from my photo and edited the shapes. This is a close-up of just part of the barn. The shapes are simple and I try not to get too detailed — which is one of the reasons […] more »

Wheels #4

Wheels #4

April 30, 2015

I have continued my rusted wheels series of the old threshing machine. I love the details! I was interested in how the parts interconnected with each other. It is only a small section of the whole shebang. I used a limited palette and focused on a strong design and value pattern. This watercolor took me […] more »

Barn Motif #70

Barn Motif #70

April 21, 2015

Due to the disappearance of old barns in Iowa, I have decided to paint a few more of these relics. These structures are dilapidated and full of great character. This particular barn is located in northwest Iowa near the Spencer area. I worked from a photo given to me by a friend. There is a […] more »

Zephyr

Zephyr

April 16, 2015

This painting is done from a photo of the old Zephyr engine located in Albia, Iowa. Currently I am working on a series of different train engines in collage. I find these old engines fascinating and love painting them using my acrylic hand-painted papers. All the details on the engines add interest: the bell, railing, […] more »

Engine Nine Zero 45

Engine Nine Zero 45

April 9, 2015

This collage is a continuation of my popular train engine series. I have been doing engines for a number of years now. This one is a close-up of a Union Pacific. I used one of my reference photos for this. The details of the engine caught my eye: the shadow shapes, the numerals and flag, […] more »

Nine Seventy Three

Nine Seventy Three

April 7, 2015

This collage painting is one of my Engine Series. It is the Appanoose County Red engine, circa 1952. It has been recently repainted a bright red with white stripes. I worked from my photographs, and designed a vertical format which accentuates the dynamic bulk of the engine. Some of the foreground papers have oil pastel […] more »

Church Spire, Bentonsport

Church Spire, Bentonsport

March 19, 2015

Recently I have been painting some scenes of Bentonsport, a very scenic area on the Des Moines River in southeast Iowa. Last year I painted some of the shops on Main Street. This is a small brick church with the classic tall spire, surrounded by tall pine trees and brick wall in the foreground. It […] more »

Relic

Relic

March 6, 2015

It seems I have a love affair with trains, and this latest piece includes a rusted boxcar, in a long line of old boxcars. The circular shape of the brake caught my eye. The shadow shapes were interesting, but the wheels were the main attraction. After taking numerous reference photos and printing them, I noticed […] more »

Herman Greef House, Bentonsport

Herman Greef House, Bentonsport

March 4, 2015

This is part of a series I have been working on of the Bentonsport community. I love the historic structures — they are very picturesque! Last summer I took a lot of photographs to use for reference. This old home sits around the corner from the Greef General Store, and is where the store owner […] more »