1490 Via Norte
Las Cruces, New Mexico 88007
575-647-1193, msiegrist2@comcast.net
Background and Artist Statement
Painting, for me, is like the scale and notes to a musician and words to an author. I paint because I must.
I work in watermedia, i.e., Watercolor, Gouache, Acrylic and Casein. I am inspired to pick up a brush and dip into a puddle of paint when I see a beautiful landscape, a spectacular sunrise or sunset, a flower in glorious bloom, interesting doorways and windows and other subjects that strike a chord in me. While I work in realism I sometimes venture into the realm of the abstract but I seem always to return to realism.
My background includes teaching Decorative Arts in the 80’s and attending Trade Shows on behalf of the shops where I taught with the purpose of recommending new products for the shops. Even while I was a Decorative Arts Instructor I was also a Watermedia painter and over time I had the opportunity to introduce my Decorative Arts students to watercolor. I continue to teach weekly watermedia classes in Las Cruces.
I have studied with Nationally known Watercolor Artists and have taken many classes at the University of Wisconsin Extension System and the Madison Area Technical College (MATC) in Wisconsin where I also taught Watercolor.
I hold membership in several art organizations including Artforms in Las Cruces, the New Mexico Watercolor Society, achieving Signature Status in that organization in 2010, The Artists of Picacho Hills group, and recently I joined the “American Society of Painters in Casein and Acrylic”. These and other associations have been an inspiration through the years to strive for excellence in my chosen medium(s). I have participated in many group, invitational, and juried exhibits over the years where I have won numerous awards. Solo and Featured Artist shows at galleries and public venues in Las Cruces and Wisconsin are also part of my exhibition history. My work is included in many Corporate and Private Collections in New Mexico, Wisconsin and several other states, Germany, Japan and beyond.
