Become immersed in Laura Bethmann’s beautifully detailed, larger than life watercolors of botanicals and flowers. Visit her website to see more.
![Morning Moon-Pear Blossoms](https://www.artsyshark.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/L.Bethmann.-Morning-Moon-Pear-Blossoms.-Watercolor.-26_x41_-2.jpg)
“Morning Moon-Pear Blossoms” Watercolor, 26″ x 41″
You know when you’ve experienced Beauty. It’s a feeling first and then, a split second later you think, “That’s beautiful.” This intuitive, visceral experience is essential to our well-being and it’s how I choose my subjects.
![Night Into Day-Tulips](https://www.artsyshark.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/L.Bethmann.-Night-Into-Day-Tulips.-Watercolor.-26_x41_-2.jpg)
“Night Into Day-Tulips” Watercolor, 26″ x 41″
I take photos and make sketches of flowering plants in my garden and in many public and private gardens. When choosing what to create into a painting I trust an inner feeling – like a little “rush” – that tells me “this is the one.”
![Living Connection - Popppies](https://www.artsyshark.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/L.Bethmann.-Living-Connection-Poppies.Watercolor.-42_x26_.jpg)
“Living Connection-Poppies” Watercolor, 42″ x 26″
I have to love the subject I’ve chosen, because I’ll be devoting 100-200 hours of my life painting it!
![Perfect Knowledge-Peonies](https://www.artsyshark.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/L.Bethmann.-Perfect-Knowledge-Peonies.Watercolor.-30_x18_-2.jpg)
“Perfect Knowledge-Peonies” Watercolor, 30″ x 18″
My watercolor paintings depict nature and the huge generosity of life. I focus on flowers because they are fundamental manifestations of growth and universal symbols of beauty. To emphasize this, I enlarge them up to ten times their size.
![Generosity of Life-Daylilies](https://www.artsyshark.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/L.Bethmann.Generosity-of-Life-Daylilies.-Watercolor.-22_x30_-2.jpg)
“Generosity of Life-Daylilies” Watercolor, 22″ x 30″
The moons that appear in this series portray constancy; earth’s moon stabilizes the earth on its axis and is responsible for creating the seasons.
![Four Moons in the Garden-Sweet Woodruff](https://www.artsyshark.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/L.Bethmann.-Four-Moons-in-the-Garden-Sweet-Woodruff.-Watercolor.-22_x30_-2.jpg)
“Four Moons in the Garden-Sweet Woodruff” Watercolor, 22″ x 30″
My aim is to pose a shift in the viewer’s perspective showing that earth and sky are one, and how nearly unbelievable the beauty and mystery of nature can seem when we isolate a portion of it or take it out of ordinary context.
![Going Deep](https://www.artsyshark.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/rsz_lbethmann_going_deep_watercolor_12_x9___2.jpg)
“Going Deep” Watercolor, 12″ x 9″
I paint primarily with Winsor & Newton watercolors on Arches paper. I also create nature prints (an ancient technique), have had two books published about nature printing, and I teach workshops.
![Moons in Mind-Tiger Lilies](https://www.artsyshark.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/rsz_lbethmannmoons_in_mind-tiger_lilies_watercolor_42_x26__2.jpg)
“Moons in Mind-Tiger Lilies” Watercolor, 42″ x 26″
In 2014, I was chosen by Monmouth Museum for their annual New Jersey Emerging Artist Series and had my first solo exhibit at the museum.
![L.Bethmann working in her studio](https://www.artsyshark.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/L.Bethmann-working-in-her-studio-2.jpg)
L.Bethmann working in her studio
My next series concentrates on intimate views of a few carefully selected North American trees, and the growth and changes they go through during the course of one year.
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