Montana Wildflower Watercolor Series

“Living Star”

These unique watercolor flower art reproductions of original paintings by Joe Ziolkowski of Montana are his representation of the little gems that we are gifted with every spring in the Treasure State. They are sure to brighten up any corner of a room or area of your home as they fit nicely with another décor. Each piece is 12×12 inches and is a canvas gallery wrap and does not require a frame. They come ready to hang with all materials included.

Each canvas reproductions is handcrafted and its materials are from the United States! They are printed on a pearlescent surface that makes the image come to life under any lighting situations in any room. All watercolor flower artworks come with a certificate of authenticity mounted to the back of the reproduction.

First in the series was “Living star.” This is an image of a Shooting Star or Dodecatheon. It is definitely my favorite of all the floral watercolor pieces I’ve done. It reminds me so much of home. The Shooting Star is a very timid little flower. They grow very sparingly mostly and are usually spread out in singles or doubles to a plant. They are small but are not hard to spot. Sometimes tho they can be found in big clusters growing together and make for a beautiful sight as they coat the ground with a royal pink-purple color.

“Glorious Morning”

Glorious Morning is a picture that focuses on the crocus flower or “Pasqueflower” nestled into the ground Cover of the years past. You can see the new growth working its way into the light of the sun while the spring rain shower peppers the air. Crocuses are such a gentle flower as they appear fuzzy and are warm lavender in color. They grow as singles, pairs, clusters and can often be found covering whole hillsides when conditions are met.

“Mission Bells”

My third creation in the watercolor flower series is Mission Bells. I grew up calling them “Yellow Bells.” These gentle flowers are tiny like the shooting star and grow a lot like them as well. Sparingly often as singles and in small groups. They sprout in the same time frame as well. The yellow bell is not difficult to miss even as tiny as they are. Their yellow stands out against the struggling to grow new growth ground cover. Letting the world know that spring is here!

“Lady Slipper”

The next painting of a watercolor flower that was added to the series was the wild orchid “Lady Slipper”. This unusual flower is very different from the rest of the Montana flowers I have painted and really stands out on its own. Almost Alien in appearance, this flowers design looks like something from a different planet. However the more it is in your presence it really grows on you. I held back from illustrating a detailed mid and background on this one because I really wanted to showcase the flower on its own because of its unique ornate detail.

“Indian Paintbrush”

Following the orchid came the well known and notable Indian Paintbrush. These flowers light up any setting whether it be the fields or the mountains as they can be found in both regions. This red flower goes by the nickname “prairie fire” because of its intensity of color when grown in large groups. I decided to depict this beauty amongst the dark lush greens and blues of the forest to really make the contrast in colors pop. I really rocked this floral watercolor as this piece was painted on aqua board. I was really able to saturate and apply heavy amounts of water even after the watercolor paint was applied and dried. This let me diffuse the mid and background making the foreground stand apart in sharpness from the back.

“Mountain Meadowrue”

Lastly is the Mountain Meadowrue. Although this gem is not a native Montana flower I don’t judge nature’s beauty! This interesting flower grows more like a shrub or a bush and has a charming shape that changes as it comes into bloom. They start off as many small little bulbs or pods growing off the many main stems and as they mature they bloom open as a bell. They range in many colors from pink, lavender, fuchsia and yellow. This painting like many was a new approach for me when applying chromatic pigment and the challenges met when layering it with regular opaque paint. The result is very dramatic floral watercolor and the painting takes on many moods and variations throughout the day.

The Future Paintings of Montana Flowers by Joe Ziolkowski

I’ve lived in the beautiful state of Montana my whole life and if there is one thing a Montanan looks forward to its spring. With Spring comes lush greens and eager small flowers that peek thru the random dusting of snow from Mother Natures indecision about which season it is. Golden rays of the eastern sun warm the face of the land and slowly the wildflowers begin to pop out at every corner.
My earliest memory’s growing up in Montana are engrained with smells and colors of these special flowers. I can remember picking small fistfuls of shooting stars, crocus, and yellow bells. They were my mother’s favorites and will forever be my way to honor her.

I really enjoy painting these Montana gifts of nature as each one is so unique in its place in its purpose in the wild. I’m excited to get started on the next floral watercolor project and often have a hard time which one I should choose to do next. I may even revisit doing another that I’ve already done before as no two flowers or environments they live in are the same. So which will it be next? Maybe the Tiger Lilly, Beargrass, Bitterroot, Sainfoin, Blazingstar? I’m not sure!
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Would you like to purchase a flower for yourself or a gift?