Elizabeth Rieke Hefley- Nature Artist

Chickadee by Elizabeth Rieke Hefley

A while ago I was contacted by Nebraska artist Elizabeth Rieke Hefley requesting permission to paint one of my photographs which was posted on Flickr. Today she sent me a print of the painting and I love the tones, the detail and the life in the picture. It looks much better than the photograph and I can hardly wait to frame it. Here is her own description of her work.

My work is a combination of my interests in biology and art as I have always enjoyed wildlife. My paintings highlight animal diversity, capturing their character and spirit. I particularly enjoy working on endangered and threatened wildlife. I work with oil paints from reference photos. Particular attention is giving to portraying the textures of the skin, fur and feathers of the animals. The paintings are not only art pieces but also a way to educate on the incredible beauty of animals. I am particularly fond of frogs and am currently working on a show that will be all frog oil paintings. I am primarily self taught after going to college for math and biology and entering graduate school in Entomology. I became very passionate about conservation and education. Painting animals was a way to combine all my passions.