Marybeth Heikes

Paintings in Watercolor & Mixed Media

Indigo Bowl

Indigo Bowl

October 14, 2013

This is my last bouquet from our garden this year with our bright sunflowers and gladioli. It was painted wet-in-wet and completed in two days, which is quick for me. My main concern was to capture the freshness and bold colors of the flowers. The indigo bowl was a gift from my parents and the […] more »

Flower Explosion

Flower Explosion

October 7, 2013

Now that the weather is cooler and changed into fall, I have been thinking about my summer flowers — the wonderful luscious yellow and mahogany sunflowers among the delicate fuchsia cosmos. These were picked and arranged in my artistic vase, filling it thick with blossoms. I am particularly fond of the red-violet color. It really […] more »

Melon & Mantis

Melon & Mantis

September 26, 2013

I was inspired to do something with the bright orangey colors of our garden cantaloupes. We picked about six of them and I cut them into wedges before cutting them into chunks for breakfast. I wanted to do something fun and whimsical and thought about the praying mantis we had on our back steps a […] more »

BNSF Seven

BNSF Seven

September 16, 2013

Lately it seems to me that I have been working on a locomotive series. When I was in Ottumwa last month, I took photos of this engine sitting briefly on the tracks and I took the opportunity to get a variety of photographs, even though it was cloudy. I prefer the morning sunlight and strong […] more »

Union Pacific Locomotive #6

Union Pacific Locomotive #6

September 3, 2013

This collage is a commissioned artwork and the largest one I have completed. The specifications were the subject matter and size, and it had to have pieces of maps. All the map pieces are of Mahaska County in Iowa. I enjoyed the challenge and always enjoy doing any type of trains. This piece is owned […] more »

Iridescent Cat

Iridescent Cat

August 15, 2013

This is the second collage I have completed on a canvas one-inch-deep frame. Since I love cats, it is only natural that one fits into my collection of animal canvases! I began first by painting the background a Diarylide Yellow, which is a little orangy. It makes the purple cat “pop” from the surface. I […] more »

Wheels & Belts #2

Wheels & Belts #2

July 23, 2013

Machine compositions seem to have captured my interest again!  This design is just a small piece of an old threshing machine. I love the old rusted pieces of metal and weathered wood sections of the machine. It would be fun to see it actually working in the field. When I begin my watercolor compositions, I […] more »

Road Trip #2

Road Trip #2

July 15, 2013

This is a continuation of an abstract collage design I completed for an upcoming competition. At the start, I chose and cut various shapes of papers and played with different configurations until the design pleased me. What usually happens with the design is an evolving of shapes, patterns and textures. Early on, I decided that […] more »