Discovering Chartres

We discovered St Aignan Church on the way up the hill from the Auberge de Jeunesse, spending quite a bit of time in there. The patterns of the chairs caught my eye, along with this section cut into the wall. What stories could be told there?

On the old market square in Chartres, where they now sell flowers, we had our first coffee and hot chocolate. A glass of water was 20 centimes extra, but it was chilled. On that first night, from the Auberge, we could see the light from the setting sun hitting the clouds and lighting up the sky around the cathedral. C'était superbe.

The café, 'La Chocolaterie', was on the corner with umbrellas covering the tables, and we ducked under them as it started to rain. It was the middle of the week, and it was quiet in the town.

I love looking at the doors & windows, the patterns they create, and the street corners with the irregular architecture that is older than my country has been in existence. Just about everywhere I look I see inspiration for my art.

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I'm exploring France and calling it research. What artwork will come from my current experiences?  In just a few weeks we'll be celebrating the opening of my first exhibit in Paris!

Doors & Windows

You may know that my first love, even before coffee and the café experience, was Doors & Windows. I've always been intrigued by the patterns of windows on buildings, by the patterns of the window panes, by the relationship of the door to the rest of the façade, and by the decoration on the door itself. Heaven! Here are a few of the patterns I've seen since we landed in France:

I love the way this last set of doors is on a slanted street, and the way that teeny door on the left makes me want to open it and see what's inside!

Beyond Excited!

I am beyond excited

about my upcoming art show

in Paris!

I've been trying to remain calm and stay focused on my work, but now that the time for departure is near (October 14th), I find myself dancing in my shoes without moving my feet. (Did I really just make up that saying? - But, it's the way I feel!)

There is a Facebook Page for the exhibit & reception created by the venue; the reception will be held November 12, 2014, at 6:30 p.m. Please share the news with your friends who might be able to attend; I'm sad that my U.S. friends won't be able to be there with me, but I am certainly intending to make new friends while I am in Paris. I love art receptions!

I've been working hard printing all new beautifully colored prints for this exhibit, and I'm very happy with the results. I will have all the new café prints uploaded to my website before I leave, so you can see the results of this labor of love.

The image, above, is of the café table at La Caféothèque in Paris. Their coffee is superb! You can see the bag of coffee beans I bought and the delicious latte I was drinking when I made this sketch. Très fantastique!

Un café, s'il vous plaît 

Lino prints of the café experience by René Shoemaker La Caféothèque de Paris 52, Rue de l'Hotel de Ville Paris, France November 12, 2014 - January 7, 2015 Reception: Tuesday, Nov 12, 6:30 pm

Do You Love to Travel?

 

Travel is a gift - do you feel the same way?

To explore a new place; even if it's in familiar territory.

To sit in the sun on a street you've never been to before.

To notice that the trees you are seeing on the horizon are totally unlike the ones you pass on your way to work every day.

To smell unrecognized spices wafting from a restaurant on a crowded city street.

To recognize the hum of conversation all around you, but maybe not all the words.

To sit at a quiet café on the corner of Rue Cassette & Rue de Rennes

                                                                                                            in Paris, France.

  ******

My cafe' prints and I are traveling to France soon for their exhibit starting November 10, 2014 at La Caféothèque in Paris. A selection of the prints are currently on exhibit at The Grit, in Athens, Georgia through October 5 for you to enjoy now.