Marybeth Heikes

Paintings in Watercolor & Mixed Media

Keokuk, Keosauqua and Clinton

Keokuk, Keosauqua and Clinton

June 2, 2016

I am continuing my bicycle series and loved the challenge of doing a smaller piece. I began with a simple line drawing of a bicycle close-up and started gluing some of the positive shapes. Halfway through gluing, I decided to add another smaller bike above it — a bit of a squeeze, but it adds […] more »

Scenic Route Along the Cedar River

Scenic Route Along the Cedar River

May 31, 2016

I have been doing a series of bicycles for my upcoming show for the Artisan’s Gallery in Des Moines. This is the seventh in the series. While cutting some of the map pieces, I have been noticing places of interest and small towns in the state of Iowa. Especially interesting are the scenic routes. The […] more »

Biking Six

Biking Six

May 26, 2016

Bicycle shapes are wonderful, and I am continually working on this series. The design possibilities are endless. I love the geometric shapes and the challenge of working on this theme. As the others, Iowa maps are used in the background. I used an archival foamboard for the support. Gel medium and a UV Varnish is […] more »

Peppermint Pups

Peppermint Pups

May 24, 2016

This is another collage I decided to rework. Most of the design was good, but needed fine tuning. Color adjustments were made and I also added details to the ears and cap. Dachshunds are adorable dogs and these cute pups are ready for Christmas! more »

Fresh Milk

Fresh Milk

May 17, 2016

This collage is part of my Iowa Series started way back in ’85. My first collages were a small square format of barns and farm animals. Over the years these have evolved to include other elements of farm life. I love the patterns of spots on the dairy cows and the interesting shapes of barn […] more »

Poetic Poppies

Poetic Poppies

April 29, 2016

Flowers are a consistent theme in my work. I work from life, drawing my garden flowers and taking numerous photos. I began with an idea for the design and sketched it out on tracing paper the same size as my paper support; in this case I used 300# Arches watercolor paper. The heavier paper doesn’t […] more »

Biking #5

Biking #5

April 14, 2016

Another bicycle design! I am inspired by the geometric shapes of the bicycle. When working in a series, it is a challenge to come up with a fresh and interesting composition. I zeroed in on the front of the bike and focused on the gears and spokes. The Iowa map came into play too — […] more »

Peonies, Delphinium and Astilbe

Peonies, Delphinium and Astilbe

April 1, 2016

This lovely bouquet was painted from my reference photo taken last spring. The colors are fresh and  my goal was to capture the big shapes without getting bogged down with the details. It was a challenge painting this on my easel using the wet-in-wet technique. more »

Peony Perfection

Peony Perfection

March 24, 2016

Flowers are a favorite subject matter for me — they are so fresh and the vibrant colors are lovely. This bunch of peonies were set up in a vase on my table outside in direct sunlight, and I took many photographs from various angles. The result is not a duplicate of my photo, but an […] more »

In The Distance

In The Distance

March 17, 2016

This is another urban scene of downtown Des Moines that I decided to rework. The colors and composition from the original needed strengthening. My reference photo was used in the first design. It is a view of the Capitol dome in the background with the red skywalk, rooftops and building shapes as seen from the […] more »