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Keep up with the latest art and adventures from Rene Shoemaker Art!

What Do I Mean by ‘A Sense of Place’?


When you’re walking down a dirt road, do you feel calmness and a sense of place?

When you're sitting in nature, a forest or your garden, do you feel grounded with a sense of place?

When you look up at a really tall building in a grand city, do you feel a particular excitement giving you a sense of place?

When you look out over the ocean at the vast horizon, are you connected to the cosmos, and do you feel a sense of your place in it?

When you look up at the wispy clouds in the clear blue sky, are you filled with wonder, and do you feel a sense of awe?

I do.

How can we capture that moment of wonder and awe, and keep it with us?

Art brings that to us.

Art grounds us to our inner senses, our memories, and our sense of wonder. And while creating my artworks, I aim to convey that beautiful sense of awe and wonder with you.

Through my art, I am sharing my curiosity, my sensibility, my awe, and my world view with you.

By sharing my paintings, I share what I have seen, what I have experienced, what I have perceived—can you feel it when you look at them?

Will you come along on this adventure? Can we share this beautiful world of discovery together?

We can share experiences such as...

...discovering a horse stable in the heart of New York City...

...or the mysterious journeys of a bird that walks in the rain in the Deep South.

How about dancing houses perched on a hill in a park, overlooking the church bell tower in a lively French town?

Or an exquisite, quiet lane located in the bustling metropolis of Paris?

Tell me, how would you define "a sense of place"?

I am thankful that we can share these adventures together,

-René

*all the paintings are available for purchase at http://www.reneshoemaker.com/shop-shoemaker-art

La mémoire et le lieu: Exposition de peintures sur soie de René Shoemaker

Memory and Place: Exhibition of Silk Paintings by René Shoemaker

My solo exhibition in Felletin, France, is nearing its installation completion... and then opening to the public! I'm beyond excited! As I write this, all of the finishing touches are happening. My husband Harvey has joined in on the fun, and is currently finishing the construction of some portable walls. It truly does take a village, and I'm so grateful for Harvey, my friend Eileen who has helped make it all happen, my new friend Eric (who also happens to be the grandson of the couple who opened Le Grand Café, which shows up often in my artwork. Small world! See the latest piece at the show and a detail below), and friends near and far who have offered their well wishes, expertise, and overall enthusiasm. 

The announcement (thanks, Eleanora!)

The announcement (thanks, Eleanora!)

The announcement in situ

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FRAMING ARTWORK IN FRANCE

I wanted to work with someone local to frame my new works, rather than schlep a bunch of framed pieces from the States, and I found a perfect collaborator in Thierry Roger. How incredible it is to work with someone so well even though we don't speak the same language! He prepares the mat board for me, which I then sew my silks onto. I return the finished works and he frames them beautifully. He also dyes wool for tapestry artisans, and is the last traditional dyer of yarn in Aubusson, so we are clearly a match made in heaven in our love of color.

detail of a new work featuring Le Grand Café, opened by Eric's grandparents

detail of the sewn mat board (click to enlarge)

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Here I offer you a sneak peek of what's to come on Wednesday:

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COMING UP

In the next several weeks I look forward to sharing exhibition images, a story about Les Michelines, an incredible silkscreen studio and atelier that I collaborated with (hi, Mélanie!), as well as a conversation between myself and curator/artist Hope Hilton on how my work has evolved in the last year, with a special focus on my move to France and working in a new studio. If you have any questions that you'd like to see answered, send them along or comment below and we will happily include them.

Merci! -René