“Pansy Crown”
“Pansy Crown”
In this piece, I wanted to capture the playful elegance of a Queen Bumblebee adorned with a delicate crown of pansies, celebrating the connection between pollinators and the flowers they help flourish. Pansies are early annuals and provide a great food source for Bees in the early season. They are fun little flowers, and bring me back to when I was a lot younger, and yes…I did think of Alice in wonderland when I was painting this piece. My true inspiration for Pansy Crown comes from the unbelievable beauty of nature’s smallest creatures and the huge role they play in our existence. I wanted to portray this bumblebee as both a hardworking guardian as well as a symbol of joy, vitality, and life.
For the background, I chose vibrant yellows and soft greens to create a sense of warmth and serenity, drawing viewers into a world where even the tiniest details hold life and meaning. My brushstrokes are both bold and gentle, reflecting the natural interplay of light and shadow, while the pansies add that whimsical, dreamlike touch.
Michael Heltebrake is a self-taught surreal and contemporary acrylic painter known for his innovative approach to surrealism. His work merges vibrant color palettes with intricate, dynamic forms, creating pieces that evoke depth, movement, and emotion. Each painting tells a deeper narrative, drawing from his own experiences as well as the collective human journey.
Born in Torrance, Los Angeles, and now residing in the Sonoran desert, Arizona, Michael has always approached life with an open heart and an inquisitive mind. As a self-taught artist, his creative journey has been fueled by relentless exploration and a deep curiosity about the world. To him, life is a puzzle of interconnected moments, each offering its own insight into the human experience. Even the smallest details—or as he calls it, “Hidden magic in plain sight… the luminescence in the air at sunset, a shadow cast by a tree, a fleeting glance from a passerby, a feeling of wonder or bliss, love or desire … or the stillness of a big mountain winter morning—all can hold profound meaning.
His art delves into a wide range of themes, from the wild imagination of his childhood to epic landscapes, the art of movement and dance, the delicate balance between structure and spontaneity, and the magic, knowledge, and adventure within books. More recently, his focus has shifted toward nature, exploring the deep connections between plants, flowers, and the natural world. His work also examines the harmony between human effort and nature’s beauty, celebrating the intricate ways they coexist.
Through his surreal and thought-provoking compositions, Michael invites viewers to step into his world of curiosity and wonder, offering them a space to reflect, feel, and connect.