Wes & Rachelle Siegrist

"Tiny Treasures of the Natural World"

Monthly Newsletters

Rachelle, Cyndi and Gary watch Mort (Solberg) make watercolors look easy.	Rachelle and artists from all over the US watch John Pitcher demonstrate how he paints grass in acrylic.
News: * Wes's "The Moss Collector" and "Feeling Small" have been juried into the Annual Arts for the Parks Top 200 and Mini Exhibitions. * We each received awards at the Susan Kathleen Black Foundation's Artists Conference & Workshop this past month in Dubois, Wyoming. Wes received 1st place in watercolor on "Carr's Creek Calf" and Rachelle took 3rd on "The Dude from Dubois". * Two of our miniatures will be autioned off at Gallery Jamel in Waldorf, MD as a fundraiser for fellow wildlife artist, Paco Young (see exhibits)
Rachelle stops photographing Marmots atop the Beartooth Highway in Montana just long enough for Wes to get another shot for the website.	Standing in front of the scene where we painted plein air while in Wyoming.
Interesting Updates: The next snailmail newsletter is on it's way to you! Sorry about the format goof... it's already been corrected for the next issue. On the easels: Rachelle is currently painting portrait commissions. Wes is working on commissions too. In between approving sketches and finished jobs we'll be working on a few of our own over the next two months.
Rachelle beside an indian petroglyph (rock carving) in Dubois, WY and with fellow wildlife artists Gregg and Judy Murray hoping to spot some Bighorn Sheep. Wes just has to get some close up shots of the lovely wildflowers beside Crazy Falls in Montana.
Our Adventures: * We celebrate our 15th wedding anniversary on the 7th of July! * We had a wonderful time in Wyoming and Montana attending the SKB Workshop. We spent a day in the Tetons, Yellowstone and up on the Beartooth Highway with friends. * The yard and garden are doing wonderful and continue to amaze us with their "jack-and-the-beanstalk" growth. We now have fresh tomatoes, peppers and lettuce as well as abundant raspberries and blackberries. July also marks the start of blueberry season - what a great time of year. * We hiked to the White Oak Sinks with Rachelle's family. We hope to sneak out of the studio at least twice a month to hike in the Park. * We added a new layer of gravel to our driveway last month so everything looks neat and clean. New images of our house and yard will be posted online later this month. (link below) July 11th marks four years for us in Tennessee. * View images of our home (updated around the 11th of July)
Wes managed to stay on again for the whole ride since technically his rear never hit the ground. (Hiking boots don't come out of stirrups very easy...especially when the horse is moving!)	Rachelle celebrates her birthday in our basement with friends.
Rachelle's Dad, Larry, loves the woods and critters as much as we do. He's using his new digital camera to photograph a luna moth we found on the trail.	Rachelle and her mom, Sally, in Cataloochee, NC. The family vacationed here annually when Rachelle was a child.
Critter Encounters: * Yard Bird List: 86 species. It took both of us fifteen minutes to catch our large black snake when he managed to find himself trapped on the screen porch. He knew just how to out manuever us around the picnic table. Our resident female box turtle has reappeared in the yard. * Our trip to Wyoming and Montana resulted in several new birds and critters for us: Marmot, Pica, several different ground squirrels, Green-tailed Towhee, Sprague's Pipit, American Pipit, Lazuli Bunting and a Cassin's Finch.
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