Do you love travel & discovery?​

After an 11-hour flight from Paris, I landed in the yet-unknown-to-me city of San Francisco.

What a treasure!

The experience was everything I hoped it would be: beautiful views of the mountains and city, sparkling lights at nighttime, fog rolling in over Twin Peaks, views of the bay, a studio to work in, a beautifully curated gallery to plan an exhibit in, a workshop to teach, and new people to meet.

I find that travel rejuvenates and inspires me; oh, maybe you already knew that about me? How about you? Do you love travel, too?

The memory of San Francisco, via René’s impressions:

• the kindness of the people

• even the dogs all seem content

• and the HUGE windows that were on so many houses to let in the sun.

Sunrise view from my window., looking towards the Bay. Noe Valley, San Francisco, California

+ + +

After San Francisco I landed in Toronto, then New York. While walking In Manhattan, I happened upon this striking building I had painted in the past. The experience is akin to running into an old friend on the street in a strange city:

705-711 Greenwich St, NYC

I invite you to discover these historic doors and grand windows that dance with the energy and spirit of zen that inhabits these two connected buildings in the heart of the West Village in New York City.

René Art can remind you of places you have discovered, experiences you have shared, locations you may have found in a quiet moment, even in the midst of a busy day, when you can feel the energy of the city, the joy of adventure, and the delight in color.

Whether in your hometown or a distant city, observations can give you a lovely moment of happiness while walking down the street.

Enjoy your adventures today!

Dates to remember:

2023

December 3, 2023

Silk Painting 1 day workshop
Original Art on Silk​
K. A. Artist Shop, Athens, GA
https://kaartist.com/products/original-art-on-silk-workshop​

December 10, 2023

Business of Art workshop
Business of Art professional workshop​
K. A. Artist Shop, Athens, GA
https://kaartist.com/products/the-business-of-art-workshop​

December 14 and 15, 2023

Athens Holiday Market​
Big City Bread, Athens, GA
https://www.visitathensga.com/event/athens-holiday-market-%40-big-city-bread/16434/​

2024

July 21, 2024

Opening reception for San Francisco / Paris / New York City exhibit
Michelle Thomas Fine Art Gallery + Studio​
San Francisco, CA
The exhibit will be on view through October 25th, 2024
https://michellethomasfineart.com/about-gallery-and-studio​

July 22-24, 2024

Three-day silk painting workshop
Michelle Thomas Fine Art Gallery + Studio​
San Francisco, CA
https://michellethomasfineart.com/about-gallery-and-studio​

September 2024

Silk painting art retreat​
Manor and Maker, the Château de Saint-Germain-des-Prés
Dordogne, France
https://www.manorandmaker.com/maker/2024-silkpainting​

Spring 2024:

Paris, France
Exhibition in the planning phase in the 14th arrondissement​
More information soon!

To purchase the painting above in my shop, click here .

With appreciation,

Sometimes You Win

Sometimes you win, and sometimes you don’t.

Juried shows are like that; a call for art seems so inviting that you have to submit to it. But over the years, you are the same artist making art, and often the gallery you are submitting to is the same place you have submitted to before.

It all depends on the jurors, doesn’t it? What they are looking for, what their backgrounds are, and what kind of art they feel is significant.

This year I was not juried into the 48th Lyndon House exhibition, but that’s okay. I’ve been accepted there before, I’ve won awards, and I even had my own exhibition there, shared with my good friend and fellow fiber artist Judy Bales.

This is good news for you!

The three artworks I submitted this year, I chose because I envisioned them displayed sweetly together to create a beautiful arrangement on a wall. I can now offer them directly to my readers so they can share that wall space with you!

The three paintings on silk, all from my New York City series, include: 

Washington Square Park, Greenwich Village, NYC by René Shoemaker (7”x7”; framed: 12”x12”)

Washington Square Park is the heart of Greenwich Village, bustling with activity surrounding the iconic arch that was built in 1871.

Grove St, Greenwich Village, NYC, by René Shoemaker (9”x9”; framed 14”x14”)

I’ve always loved this building. I once read that one of the smallest houses in Manhattan sits behind it. The buildings are both unique because they are wood construction, which was banned in Manhattan after 1822.

Cherry Lane Theatre, Greenwich Village, NYC by René Shoemaker (7”x8.5”; framed 12.5”x13”)

The Cherry Lane Theatre is the oldest continuously running off-Broadway theater in New York City. This lively painting shows off the charm of a building that was originally constructed as a farm silo.

Here I have arranged the paintings as I envisioned them nestled together:

Three Greenwich Village paintings ready to adorn your home!

The cost of each painting is $500, or you can buy all three as a set for $1,000 with code ILOVENYC.

Meanwhile, in France, we recently took a road trip north (with the new dog, bien sûr!) and stopped by Chartres for inspiration and education. As I have created artwork incorporating Charlemagne’s mother, who stands at the west end of the cathedral, I have my photo taken with her each time I visit. Don’t you think we are beginning to look alike?

Chartres is renowned for its stained glass windows, which are fabulous. The two towers of the Cathedral de Notre-Dame at Chartres are asymmetric because they were built at different times, and I am intrigued by the labyrinth found on the floor of the nave. 

On the same trip we visited the Cathedral in Laon where life-size oxen statues reside on the towers. Although that may seem a little odd, to this animal lover it seems perfect! One of the theories as to why the ox are there is to commemorate the bullocks that hauled equipment and materials during the cathedral's construction.

Now, in my small village in France, winter is slowly being nudged out by spring. I hope where you live you, too, are enjoying the flowers and buds starting to emerge, signaling new beginnings, creativity, and renewal.

* * *

Expanding your art collection?  Contact me for commissions and/or a private tour of my art, which is available in many sizes & price points.

In Athens, my paper goods and small gifts are carried by:
 KA Artist Shop 
and Community 

Sustainable packaging courtesy of 
noissue .

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A Street Named Desire

Returning to France now is like returning home.

There was snow, and there was cold.

There was space and light.

Long walks watching the changing colors of the fields under the mid-winter sky.

Thibault, in the snow

And now we have a dog!

Thibault has come to live with us; he is a 10-month-old English setter.

Thibault has added another dimension to our lives in France - and that has to do with a dimension of never-ending love. And lots of walks. It is nice to have another being around so that I'm not so much in my head; thinking about art, and work, all the time.

(The pronunciation of his name is "tee-bo".)

Place + Names on exhibit at Galerie des Marches, Aubusson

photo:J-M Gargantiel

I also returned to find my artwork installation still hanging at the Galerie des Marches, which made me very happy.  

In mid-January, I also discovered that its companion artwork is hanging once again in Columbus, GA!

A Ribbon Runs Through It, Illges Gallery, Columbus State University

The Columbus Museum, which holds two of my works in its permanent collection, has included them both in an exhibit titled, “A Ribbon Runs Through It: Textiles from the Columbus Museum.” How appropriate, for that is exactly what I wrote about when describing the artwork in Aubusson, intrigued by the way the works from two countries are connected by the image of the river: "The work conveys a sense of continuity through the symbolism of architecture and rivers. Our lives flow, the currents merge, then break off again for new investigation and discoveries."

A Ribbon Runs Through It is on exhibit at the Illges Gallery, CSU Corn Center for the Visual Arts at Columbus State University while the Columbus Museum is undergoing renovation. I’m including here a few photos the curator, Jonathan Walz, and other friends, sent to me. My silk paintings are hanging from the ceiling, in good company!

Kristen Miller Zohn, seen smiling here, is the person responsible for the entire Columbus, GA collection being created. Thank you, Kristen, from the bottom of my heart!

These original paintings are available for purchase, and if you or someone you know would like to own one, please contact me for details. 

I realize it is not possible for everyone to own a 6 ft to 10 ft original painting, so I wanted to make this work easily accessible and shareable with you. So I am also now offering prints of the entire collection of large paintings, in at least two sizes, in my online shop. You can see the collection here.

12th & Broadway, Columbus, GA (detail)

During the pandemic, the Columbus Museum created the “60 Seconds with the Artist” series. There you can see my artwork in the Museum and hear me discussing it, all in 60 seconds! Click here for the video.

To see a video walk-through while I discuss the exhibit at the Galerie des Marches, click here.

And a nice presentation of "The Doors of Athens" collection of prints can be seen at The KA Artist Shop here.

And why did I title this - ‘A Street Named Desire’? Because I love that street scene of 12th and Broadway and I am so very, very happy that it is in the permanent collection of the Columbus Museum!

Leave a comment below and let us know how you like the exhibit(s)!

Many thanks,

-René