Marybeth Heikes

Paintings in Watercolor & Mixed Media

Split Strings

Split Strings

June 16, 2010

I was inspired by the shapes of the classical and electric guitar taken many years ago. I previously completed a realistic drawing of these and decided it would be fun to do one using abstract shapes. I began with a very loose contour drawing and no previous design — just arranged shapes and let things […] more »

Watching an Artist at Work

Watching an Artist at Work

June 12, 2010

Recently I participated in the Octagon Center for the Art’s monthly Art Walk in Ames. This is a great way to interact with customers, and people love watching an artist at work. I am also painting weekly at Bradley Hall in Centerville [...] more »

Sunlit Daffodils

Sunlit Daffodils

May 7, 2010

I can’t seem to get daffodils out of my mind — their subtle coloring and their ruffled petals draws my attention this year. This painting was done combining a couple of my photographs and is the fifth one in this series. more »

Japanese Iris

Japanese Iris

April 26, 2010

These irises are smaller than the bearded irises, and the blossoms don’t last very long. What attracts me to these flowers is the color — a very intense purple. They also are early spring flowers, and I take lots of photos of them outside and also as a cut flower in vases. I used dioxazine […] more »

Moravian House – Turret

Moravian House – Turret

April 20, 2010

I took a photo of this interesting house about ten years ago, so it has been in the back of mind for a long time. It’s hard to explain what triggers the emotional need to paint old structures like this. Previously, I have complete a drawing of the completed image, which was sold. When looking […] more »

Jonquils #4

Jonquils #4

April 10, 2010

Painting the flowers from my garden is almost a religious experience. Jonquils are a true sign of spring, along with the bright red tulips. Duplicating the colors of nature with watercolor pigments is difficult. So many nuances are found while observing the flowers when painting. I try to capture the freshness and vitality of the […] more »

Jonquils #3

Jonquils #3

April 9, 2010

These three paintings are of my newly bloomed daffodils, a symbol of spring. I worked from my photos of the flowers and my intention was to complete a small, floral study daily as my garden flowers bloom, and to offer an affordable price for an original artwork. more »

Jonquil & Rhubarb

Jonquil & Rhubarb

April 7, 2010

These three paintings are of my newly bloomed daffodils, a symbol of spring. This jonquil composition includes a stalk of rhubarb. I thought it was an interesting combination. more »

Dancing Daffodil

Dancing Daffodil

April 5, 2010

These three paintings are of my newly bloomed daffodils, a symbol of spring. I worked from my photos of the flowers and my intention was to complete a small, floral study daily as my garden flowers bloom and to offer an affordable price for an original artwork. Another challenge was using some unusual, smaller-sized cut […] more »