One of my sweet Tufted Titmice peering into the dining room window, to see if I'm bringing more peanut crunchies.

        The weather this month is certainly starting off a lot different from last month’s! Wow . . . . has it been cold, with temperatures down in the low teens a couple of nights. It was nice and warm inside of our house though, with Wes keeping a wonderful fire in our beloved old wood stove, affectionately called “Ashley”. And boy, does it ever keep the house warm, spoiling us with temps in the upper 70’s, while it’s in the 20’s outside. I sure love Ashley! It’s supposed to be a bit milder this week for a couple of days and then more snowfall is on its way!

Tom Turkeys enjoying the peaceful setting in Cades Cove.

        Our feathered friends are certainly enjoying their feeders and the numerous peanut crunchie handouts, with my precious Peedeepeeps (Carolina Wren), now eating them out of my hand . . . .yippee! Our very, very fat squirrels are also enjoying the remnant seeds dropped from the feeders and the peanut crunchies. We have four squirrels that visit regularly, Chubby (quite appropriately named), Stubby, Bubba and Poser. Poser is the cutest by far as he really lives up to his name. He knows I am the peanut lady, so when he sees me in the dining room, he prances up and sits on the rocks directly outside the window and begins this series of poses he has. If one doesn’t seem to work, well then he tries another, usually with each successive pose becoming cuter than the last, while maintaining direct eye contact with me! He quickly melts my heart and you guessed it . . . here comes more peanut crunchies! This entire scene is too funny! Squirrels are so smart!

No room for swaying in this scenic spot along the Lumber Ridge Trail in the Smokies.

        This week on the easel:  I’m painting  a miniature piece of a Amur Leopard. This is the rarest of all Leopards. I photographed it at the Rolling Hills Wildlife Museum and Zoo, during our visit for the SAA show this past September. It has been quite fun to paint and I’m enjoying giving it my glowing, ethereal look. I hope to finish the miniature  this next week. Wes is currently painting a miniature of a beautiful resting quail, nestled in the pine straw, surrounded by the lovely Southern Georgia fauna. He photographed this pretty setting at Birdsong Nature Center in Thomasville, GA. As soon as we complete these two miniatures, there are numerous photos and experiences awaiting to be started next.

Until next time ~ Rachelle   :-)

Our back deck covered in snow.

         This past week has been spent trying to catch up from our absence during our last two art show trips, while also enjoying a visit from Wes’ parents. The brushes lie in wait in anticipation of being picked up once again and being carefully and meticulously used to create the next miniature painting. several times I’ve slowly lifted the lid on my palette in the past week to spray my paints, and enjoyed that wonderful,  unique smell of my watercolors that has become one of my favorite smells in life. Tomorrow I hope to begin my miniature for an upcoming small works show at Gallery One. Even though its’ just been roughly three and a half weeks since I’ve last painted, in some ways it seems like months, so as you can imagine I’m anxious to get back in the creative mode.

The beautiful winter view from our back porch.

        After some lovely, milder weather this past week, a winter storm blew in with full force bringing with it amazing winds that took down several beautiful trees in the neighborhood. Leaving behind a scattered path of destruction, it then blanketed our area with a gorgeous snowfall, turning it into a winter wonderland over night! We woke Saturday morning to a very wet snow,  making it quite picturesque as it clings to every tree, delicately following the form of each branch and remaining leaf. A beautiful sight indeed! After a quick lunch at Subway, Wes and I along with his parents, Jeanie and George headed into Cades Cove to enjoy the serene winter setting.

A peaceful stream surrounded by snow in Cades Cove.

         Since Cades Cove had been closed earlier that morning due to bad winter road conditions, it made it fairly empty that afternoon, leaving us to enjoy it without the massive crowds. White-tailed Deer and Turkey were out in great numbers enjoying the quiet, beautiful day, all the while eating. We were able to get several great photos of this lovely setting and there are miniature paintings already planned from this wonderful memory.

George, Jeanie and I on a great hike on the Lumber ridge Trail in the Smokies.

        Earlier this week, the four of us enjoyed a beautiful hike on the Lumber Ridge Trail which is just roughly five minutes from our house. It was a very pretty day blessing us with perfect weather conditions. Wes and I had gone on this hike for my birthday this past summer and really enjoyed seeing it in now the winter, with all of its vast, open views it now offered, with the trees having lost their leaves. It’s always amazing how different a trail looks during other seasons throughout the year.

A really cool looking "Alien Mushroom", at least that's what Wes and I call it.

Beautiful moss diamonds.

        As always, I found several new and interesting mushroom species and an abundance of beautiful, lush green moss, that simply beckoned to be petted. One amazing patch, shown in the above photo, was simply gorgeous with all of its water diamonds glistening in the soft light. It made for another one of nature’s magical moments!

         Please visit our website for information on current exhibits of our miniatures: http://www.artofwildlife.com/exhibitschedule.html

Until next time ~ Rachelle

"Gobbler in Flight" by Rachelle, measures 3¾ x 3¾ inches.

         My miniature painting shown above titled “Gobbler in Flight”, sold at its début in Easton, during the Waterfowl Festival. It was a fun painting to do and I’m quite thankful that it went to live in a wonderful home with our dear collector friends.

"Lakeside Hangout" by Wes, measures 2¾ x 4¾ inches.

         Wes’ miniature painting titled, “Lakeside Hangout” was painted from a photo that we took during a visit our with dear friends, Tommy and Peggy, that live in Cashiers, N.C. I had just fed these Mallard ducks a nice amount of bread which they all quickly and quite cheerfully consumed, and afterwards, had all lined up on this log and were contentedly preening while their recent edible treats were digesting. Feeding the ducks and small fish are always a favorite highlight of visiting Cashiers!

Me and a Capuchin named Wilson.

        We had a lovely time in Thomasville at The Plantation Wildlife Art Festival this past week. One of the coolest things during the artist party that they graciously give us each year, was my getting to hold an adorable little Capuchin Monkey named Wilson and feed him mandarin oranges! Notice how our friend Ray in the background of the photo obviously thinks Wilson’s diaper needs changing . . . HA! Those of you that know me, know that if there is a critter around and a possibility of me holding, petting or feeding it, that I will be there doing it joyfully! Such was the case with Wilson. I also enjoyed petting and occasionally feeding many other precious critters and birds throughout the weekend. I’ll be sharing more about our weekend at Thomasville and our wonderful visit with my family in my next post.

         Until next time   ~   Rachelle    

Our miniature paintings on display (center) at the Waterfowl festival in Easton.

         We left this past Wednesday for Easton, MD in an interesting way. Wanting to save some miles on our beloved older, and very large van, “Titanic”, we decided to rent an economy car. Upon arriving at the  car rental place, Wes learned that even though it stated on our form that they would have a nice regular sized car for us at 9 A.M., alas they did not. So we ended up with an extremely small Pontiac that was cute but was roughly the size of a shoe box. Not only did this prove as an interesting task for trying to fit all of our art and personal stuff in, but also our tall selves inside! Usually by the time we unfolded ourselves after being stopped for a few minutes, it was time once again to fold ourselves back up and continue on our journey. Not being equipped with cruise control also proved quite a challenge to keep it at the proper speed for the eleven hour journey to get there. Needless to say it was a happy reunion when we returned home and got to ride in “Titanic” after returning the rental car. By the way, we’re taking Titanic to Thomasville, GA this Thursday for the Plantation Wildlife Art Show, and are looking forward to a much more pleasant journey!

L to R: Dan, Ray Brown, Pat Pauley, Scot Storm, Bucky & Pat Bowles, Chris Chantland (hiding), Wes & Rachelle sharing laughs at the Waterfowl Festival Artists’ party.

         The show was a nice success and started off strongly with several sales during the first preview on Thursday. We enjoyed once again displaying our paintings in the beautiful ballroom at the Tidewater Inn in Easton. This is always such a fun show for us enjoying being reunited with all of the wonderful volunteers that help out during the show weekend! This is such a great organization benefiting the local conservation efforts and community in big ways, and Wes and I are always so happy to be a part of it all!

A few of the beautiful Canada Geese in Easton.

         The first couple of days we were there it was rainy and very windy because of the hurricane remnants that refused to leave the area. Saturday found the weather improving quite a bit. Sunday morning we woke to a beautiful sunshine filled day so we got up a little bit early and enjoyed a wonderful walk around Oxford photographing several beautiful boats and scenes of the water, filled with  moored boats being lit by the strong early morning light! While taking photos at one marina, we were paid a lovely visit by the legendary Oxford Goose. We’re hoping to make her the star in one of our new miniature paintings for the show next year. It’s such a lovely place to wander around soaking in all of the water-filled surroundings with the delightful honking of the Canada Geese in the background!

L to R: Rachelle, Karryl, Vic, Jeff, Diane and Wes prepare for another yummy breakfast at the Ruffled Duck Inn in Oxford, MD.

        As always it was a tremendous pleasure staying at the beautiful Ruffled Duck Inn, bed and breakfast in Oxford. Dennis and Joyce, who run it, are the sweetest people and do such a wonderful job of making us feel welcome and at home, as well as feeding us! The three-course breakfasts are simply amazing and so very delicious! Every morning the large table is filled with a lovely new display filling all who are present with great anticipation while thinking of the edible treasures that are soon to come! This along with our artist friends, wonderful volunteer friends at the show, and the collectors that purchased making for a successful show helped to make this year another great one for Wes and I! So a great big thank you to all who were involved!
        Well, we head out once again early this Thursday morning heading to Thomasville, GA for the Plantation Wildlife Art Festival and are eagerly looking forward to it, being reunited with friends and collectors in the area. We’ll have several new miniature paintings on display there. Sunday after the closing of the show, we’ll drive an hour south, to North Florida to spend a few fun days with my family!

        We’re looking forward to seeing some of you this next week in Thomasville, GA! Please visit our website for information on current exhibits of our miniatures: http://www.artofwildlife.com/exhibitschedule.html

Until next time ~ Rachelle    

"Bobwhite Aglow" by Rachelle, measures 2¾ x 2¾ inches.

        Wes and I each finished our current miniature paintings and are now getting things ready and packed to head to Easton, MD early Wednesday morning, for the Waterfowl Festival. I can’t believe it’s upon us already, time seems to fly anymore! We’re quite looking  forward to once again seeing all of our artist buddies and collector friends, while catching up on many great laughs and recent happenings. My miniature painting “Bobwhite Aglow”, above,  was finished a couple of days ago and will be one of our newest miniatures featured at the show. It was a delight to paint and I couldn’t resist the warm glow almost giving him an angelic look.

"Birdsong Bobwhite" by Wes, measures 3½ x 2½ inches.

        Wes’ miniature painting “Birdsong Bobwhite” was painted from a photo taken during our yearly visit to Thomasville, FL, last November while we were there for the Plantation Wildlife Art Festival. This is one of our favorite places to visit, as it is so beautiful and very peaceful. We love taking several artist friends there with us each year which all enjoy it as much as we do!
        We were quite delighted to learn this week, that our miniature paintings featured in the “American Art in Miniature” show at the beautiful Gilcrease Museum in Tulsa, OK, both sold at the opening this past Thursday evening! I also learned this past week that my painting “The Trapper” sold at the Western Visions show at the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson, WY. Moreover, It’s been a good week for awards as we learned that Wes won the Best of Show at the 25th Annual Cider Painters of America Miniature Show and I received the Aviary Award for the best painting of a bird. We also both won awards at the annual Miniature Painters, Sculptors and Gravers of Washington, DC international. Indeed it has been a great week

Me, Judy and Gregg Murray on the Middle Prong trail.

        We’re still enjoying a touch of Fall, as there is still some nice color in spots that happily refuses to end. Our Burning Bush remains a pretty center piece in our front yard, as it’s still holding on to many of its beautiful red leaves. We also enjoyed a delightful trip into the Great Smoky Mountains, this past Saturday with dear artist friends Gregg and Judy Murray. We walked along the Middle Prong Trail for a couple of hours, that is just a few minutes from our house. The many falls and cascades along the trail were just beautiful as they rushed along, with the calm surfaced areas of the water reflecting the beautiful gold and sienna colored leaves still remaining on some of the surrounding trees. There were a few surviving mushrooms that were looked at and photographed, as well as the lush green moss growing happily with the abundant rains earlier this fall. After walking and just enjoying nature and chatting with each other, the four of us headed to Pizza Hut for a yummy pizza!

The beautiful Middle Prong in fall.

Myself with a few of the beautiful red trees gracing our neighborhood.

        We’re looking forward to seeing some of you this next week in Easton! Please visit our website for information on current exhibits of our miniatures: http://www.artofwildlife.com/exhibitschedule.html

This week our paintings can be seen in person at the following shows:
- Miniature Artists of America Traveling Exhibition at the Blount County Public Library in Maryville, TN.
- Paws and Reflect: Art of Canines at the Rolling Hills Wildlife Adventure, Salina, KS
- Small Works Show at the Bennington Center for the Arts, Bennington, VT
- The 49th Annual Art and the Animal Exhibition at the The Wildlife Experience, Parker, CO
- 25th Annual Cider Painters of America Miniature Art Show at the Vgogh Gallery, Kingston, PA.
- 39th Annual Waterfowl Festival at the Tidewater Gallery in Easton, MD

Until next time    ~      Rachelle   

Mr. Ed, myself, Judy and Gregg Murray in Cades Cove.

        We’re still enjoying a beautiful fall! The color is at its peak this week making even our daily walks around Townsend a sheer delight! moreover, the view out our living room window is quite beautiful with our Burning Bush serving as a stunning center piece in our front yard, since it’s completely fire-red. We also enjoyed a delightful trip into Cades Cove in the Great Smoky Mountains, this past Thursday with dear artist friends Gregg and Judy Murray.  The neatest part of the visit was two of the resident horses coming over to be petted and loved on, which I happily did! The one horse, whom I’m affectionately referring to as Mr. Ed, really wanted to be a part of our photo and patiently posed while Wes took several photos. I just couldn’t resist the bunny ears, and feel that made the photo complete!  Although it was completely cloudy when we first arrived, the clouds parted at intervals allowing the sunlight to penetrate which gave way to stunning views of the mountains appearing to have areas being spotlighted! It was absolutely beautiful! The one thing missing, however, is my little buddy Tyler and his precious excitement for my dropping piles of leaves on his head!!

Cades Cove adorned in beautiful fall splendor.

Golden colored foliage lining the winding drive into Cades Cove.

        Secret garden has a new resident, a precious little Vole that is quite adorable looking. Ms. Vole enjoys eating peanut crunchies and sunflower seeds and has taken over Ms. Shrew’s front door to do so. Ms. Shrew now enjoys being served up her delicacies on top of a rock which she promptly, and quite cutely climbs upon, and takes her choice. She returns and carries on with this activity until all edible offerings are gone. It’s such a delight to watch them both for me!

Ms. Vole coming out to eat her treats in secret garden.

"Autumn Tom" by Wes measures 2½ x 4½ inches.

        Wes’ miniature painting “Autumn Tom” was painted from a photo taken on a lovely drive across Rich Mountain road as you are leaving Cades Cove in the Smokies. This is a pretty drive and affords some beautiful views of Cades Cove in a couple of spots. We spotted and watched this Turkey alongside the road as it casually searched and ate. We’ve also seen Ruffed Grouse and other great wildlife while enjoying this drive at different times.

"Long-eared Owl" by Rachelle, measures 2¾ x 2¾ inches.

         This week our paintings can be seen in person at the following shows:
- Miniature Artists of America Traveling Exhibition at the Blount County Public Library in Maryville, TN. On Monday, November 2nd from 1-4PM Wes and Rachelle Siegrist will be providing a miniature painting demonstration for the public. That evening, MAA Historian, Wes Siegrist, will provide a lecture and program to the public at 7PM. We’ll have our books available in limited quantities.
- Paws and Reflect: Art of Canines at the Rolling Hills Wildlife Adventure, Salina, KS
- Small Works Show at the Bennington Center for the Arts, Bennington, VT
- The 49th Annual Art and the Animal Exhibition at the The Wildlife Experience, Parker, CO
- American Art in Miniature 2009 at the Gilcrease Museum, Tulsa, OK. You can purchase our paintings online this year by visiting the Museum’s website: http://gilcrease.utulsa.edu/aaim2009/

Please visit our website for information on current exhibits of our miniatures: http://www.artofwildlife.com/exhibitschedule.html

Until next time ~ Rachelle      :-)

A beautiful snowfall on fall leaves atop Newfound Gap.

        My family arrived later Saturday evening, a week ago, after a very strong cold front was just pushing through. Needless to say the temps here in the 40’s that night were a big change from the 90’s they left in Florida one day earlier! Sunday morning we woke up to beautiful sunshine, which to me was a welcome and beautiful sight after two weeks of grey skies and rain. After learning that it had snowed in the upper elevations in the Park, we loaded up with as many jackets as would cram into the back of the van and headed into the Smoky Mountain National Park. We ate a quick and cold picnic lunch in the van on the way up, which proved to be quite interesting with seven adults and a baby. The journey took a couple of hours to make since everybody seemed to be going up to see the snow as well.  On the positive side, only being able to drive eight to twelve miles an hour, due to traffic, you certainly have a chance to see everything around you.

Me, Hayley, Marshall and Tyler posing with Mr. cool shades snowman.

        Once we reached Newfound Gap it was time to get out and enjoy the snow while trying to keep warm. Being the first time my sister-n-law Alicia or nephew Tyler had ever seen or been in the snow, you can imagine it was pretty exciting for them as it was for us all. Tyler was way too adorable in his coat that Wes and I had got him that was a bit too big, but was very padded and warm! He was such a good sport as he walked along, periodically falling down and patiently lying there until someone came to his rescue and picked him back up, while the rest of us were all laughing at his precious misfortune. Tyler was also gracious enough to let his Aunt Rachelle gently throw an occasional snowball at him. We happily made the use of the quiet end of a trail to build a snowman and adorn him with my brother Marshall’s cool sunglasses and hat!

Tyler making friends with a resident meerkat at the Knoxville Zoo.

        Monday was spent at the Knoxville Zoo enjoying all of the local residents. The highlight of the visit was getting to watch the baby Chimpanzee exploring and playing in its enclosure, with it occasionally coming over to give a “high five” to the small children in front of the glass window. He was just too cute, and I could’ve stood there and watched him all day! I think Tyler got as excited about all of the decorated pumpkins that were displayed throughout the zoo as he did all of the different animals and birds. It was a perfect day filled with fun and excitement with the gorgeous fall weather and colors adding to the overall beauty. Of course I had to make a personal visit to the petting zoo to brush all of the goats and pet the sheep, which by obvious faces enjoyed it! I also had to take a ride down a long winding slide in the children’s section, which was great fun until halfway down I realized there was water on it! This brought my swift, fun ride almost to a complete halt and totally soaked my backside! Oh well, what is life if you don’t live it

Mom (Sally), Tyler, Dad (Larry) and me by the Beaver's home.

Me still enjoying the ride, despite the surprise on the way down

        We enjoyed another wonderful day on Wednesday, driving up the Foothills Parkway and on up to the Cherohala Skyway. It was a gorgeous day with stunning views along the way showing off an array of beautiful fall colors. Wes and I enjoyed our return trip to Huckleberry Bald and sharing this gorgeous spot with my family. Most stayed on the lower bald, while my Dad, Hayley, Wes and I went on to the top bald. The view from the top was spectacular and afforded a 365 degree view of the surrounding mountains decked in fall color on the lower portions. It is the kind of place which I could take  lunch and a blanket and spend hours and never tire of the magnificent beauty and sounds of nature! My brother Marshall and Tyler enjoyed playing and rolling in the grassy field on top of the mountain deciding they too could’ve spent hours there.

My family feeling on top of the world on Huckleberry Bald.

        Friday it was time for them to say good-bye and head back to Florida, which was a sad departure for us all. Before they left however, we had a little more fall fun with me dropping piles of leaves on Tyler while he would stand in amazement and extreme excitement, and after the last leaf had fallen he would yell in a most adorable way “WOW”. I could’ve carried on this activity with him for hours. After they left I tried it with Wes, but somehow it wasn’t the same and I didn’t get the “WOW” response. Oh well, perhaps Tyler’s little sister, that’s on the way, will enjoy the same activity with me in a couple of years

Until next time    ~     Rachelle     :-)

Our beautiful Cardinal in the Burning Bush.

        As I sat one morning this past week, eating my breakfast and watching the falling rain outside the dining room window, I thought I could faintly hear a bird singing. Surprised at this possible occurrence with the present weather conditions, I listened more closely and decided that it was indeed a bird softly singing and a Cardinal at that. Listening more intently, I realized that I could actually make out what it was singing, and it went something like this, “I’m singing in the rain . . . just singing in the rain . . . since there isn’t any sunshine . . . I’m singing in the rain” Haha! I’ve decided one must find humor in weather like this to keep from going stir crazy.

Chippy looking precious and waiting for handouts.

        I know that I’ve shared photos of our Chippy before, but this one was just so precious with her looking immensely cute and waiting patiently for handouts. At times her cheeks are so fully packed upon leaving our top deck that I expect to see cheeks dragging the ground and a little rump up in the air as surely the front end must certainly be heavier than the back end! Such a sight to see indeed! They now have figured out to come when I’m feeding Dovecakes and I will toss them nice fresh peanuts which they promptly eat right up! Happily, today I had a little Titmouse join in on Dovecakes’ feast. The newcomer, Vole, that now lives in secret garden is continuing to enjoy her peanut treats in between rain showers. Excitedly, the weather forecast brings wonderful news for us this next week. After much rain and gray skies, it’s suppose to be mostly sunny and beautiful for several days!! This is great timing since all of my family are arriving this evening for a week long visit.

"A Change of Heart" by Rachelle, measures 2 3/4 X 2 3/4 inches.

        My miniature painting shown above, was done from a photo we took while enjoying a ride on Wes’ brother, Greg’s boat, one day this past summer in southern Indiana. I thought it would make a great little miniature and particularly loved the bit of humor in the setting. For a little history on the subject, I was born and raised in the deep-south and Wes was born and raised in the North. As you may well suspect there’s always been a bit of humor pertaining to our coming from opposite sides of the Mason Dixon line. This being said, I just couldn’t resist this miniature, what with that name on the boat and the fact that it was being moored in Indiana. The ducks obviously living on the back and the “for sale” sign led to the title, which Wes gets the credit for coming up with, “A Change of Heart”. Humor is good, so one must find something in life to laugh about.
Well, we’re all ready for my family to arrive later this evening and are looking forward to spending a wonderful week with them! I will have photos to share from our adventures next post, especially of my nephew Tyler!

Until next time ~ Rachelle

A beautiful collection of fall leaves.

        Fall is certainly present as every day brings out a bit more color in the leaves of our surrounding trees,and we greatly enjoyed a couple of days this past week that graced us with some beautiful blue skies and sunshine to accompany the changing colors. One day this next week, we were hoping to admire the mountains cloaked in their splendid array of fall colors, as we made the exciting ascent up Mt. LeConte, but alas with the current forecast it doesn’t look like this wish will be granted . . . perhaps another time.

"Preening White Pelican" by Rachelle, measures 2 3/4 inches.

        We’ve continued to make progress in the studio with painting miniatures and getting things lined up for borrowing back the many paintings needed for our upcoming solo museum shows. My miniature painting, “Preening White Pelican”, was done form a photo that was taken at the San Diego Zoo in southern California. These are such pretty birds and the nice lighting added to the beauty and serenity of the scene.

"Barnyard Beau" by Wes, measures 1 3/4 inches.

        Wes’ miniature painting “Barnyard Beau” was done form a photo that we took on one of our visits to the Oconaluftee Visitor Center and area that has a wonderful collection of old homesteads, barns and an assortment of other great, old buildings. This rooster was one of the regal local residents.

Amethyst Coral (Clavulina amethystina)

Sulphur Shelf; Chicken Mushroom (Laetiporus sulphureus)

        I thought I’d share a couple more photos of some of the stunning types of Fungi that flourish in our area. It seems as if every hike we take we are treated with sightings of new Fungi or Mushroom species that we’ve not yet seen. These beautiful specimens cannot be seen or appreciated when hiking at a fast pace, so it’s another great reason to just slow down and enjoy the journey!

Please visit our website for information on current exhibits of our miniatures: http://www.artofwildlife.com/exhibitschedule.html

Until next time ~ Rachelle  

"Grandpa Jackson" by Rachelle, measures 2 3/4 inches.

        My latest miniature portrait painting titled, “Grandpa Jackson”, was done from a photo I took of my very dear and much loved Grandpa many years ago, while we were taking a short break from fishing. He was one of my best buddies and taught me many of life’s greatest lessons. He also taught me how to do wood working among other things like building stud walls and how to frame windows. For awhile I was even quite proud to be able to drive a nail in two hammer hits, and contrary to what Wes says they were long nails! I was always as proud as a peach when grandpa would tell someone, “This is my number one granddaughter”! As one can well imagine it was a great honor and a joy for me to paint my late grandpa

"The California Coast" by Wes, measures 2 1/2 X 3 1/2 inches".

        Wes’ miniature painting “The California Coast”, was painted from a photo taken during a wonderful trip we took a year ago last spring, to southern California. The location is in the beautiful La Jolla Cove and was simply splendid with all of the gorgeous wildflowers! The many species of birds were quite happy to call this lovely spot home.

Jeanie, George and I on top of Huckleberry Bald.

        The last day of Wes’ parents visit, we took a drive along the beautiful Cherohala Skyway and enjoyed a couple of hikes. My favorite was one in which you’re walking along a tree lined road for quite a distance, and then suddenly the woods opens up to a grassy field. When you first reach it, all you see is a sea of golden-colored grasses swaying to and fro in the breeze where it meets a seamlessly endless blue sky! As you continue up the small rise, your eyes are treated to a natural feast as the endless sea of grass gives way to a spectacular view of the many layers of mountain ranges in the distance. At this point I felt as if I were on top of the world with almost a 360 degree view all around. The weather was also gorgeous with plenty of sunshine and blue skies, topped with a splendid breeze, which made it all the better!!

Jeanie and I on the beautiful Huckleberry Bald.

        As you can see in the above photo, it was a bit on the cool side the day of our hike. Although I had on a long sleeved shirt, a sweater, insulated vest and gloves, I still did not succumb to long pants . . . . it must be a Florida thing, as I’m not quite ready to give up summer quite yet

Heritage Center Concert in Townsend, Tennessee.

        We enjoyed another wonderful concert at our local Heritage center during Wes’ parents visit as well. It was a great and  chilly evening as we listened to “rockabilly” music played by three very talented musicians!

        We’re really happy to announce that we now have two more solo museum exhibitions scheduled that will be featuring our miniature paintings! These will be different from our upcoming solo show at the R.W. Norton Art Gallery since these paintings will feature only our wildlife subjects. Wes and I are really looking forward to spending a week in Louisiana to attend the shows in Shreveport and Baton Rouge.
The World of Nature in Miniature: Paintings by Wes and Rachelle Siegrist
Produced by David J. Wagner, L.L.C.
David J. Wagner, Ph.D., Curator/Tour Director

Premiere:
The West Baton Rouge Museum, Port Allen, LA, Sunday, May 16 through Saturday, July 31, 2010

Tour Venues:
Sept. 1 – Nov. 15, 2010: Open/Pending
December 11, 2010 – March 13, 2011: Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, Tucson, AZ

This exhibition will feature 50 of the Siegrists’ miniature paintings of wildlife drawn from their book The World of Nature in Miniature: Paintings by Wes and Rachelle Siegrist.

Until next time ~ Rachelle