The One Thing You Need to Know

The One Thing You Need to Know to Get Started in Silk Painting

Painting on silk is a joy.

It is not difficult.

It is quick.

And it is rewarding.

The thing I like best about silk painting is the swiftness of seeing results – the colors, the beauty, and the immediate gratification. You can paint a scarf one day and be wearing it the next! Or hanging it on your wall for all to admire.

Personally, I love to take an image or design and simplify it down to a few lines and shapes. The color then becomes the main focus of the design. Silk soaks up the dye like magic, and it is a beautiful and stunning process to watch.

I'll be teaching a Silk Painting class in Athens in April, and I will send out more details in a few days.

Oh – and that one thing you need to know to get started in silk painting? It doesn’t take any special talent or skill. I will guide you through the process in our class.

Take care,
-René 

René exhibits Café Art in Brooklyn Feb.15 - March 15, 2016

I am so delighted to report I am exhibiting The Café Experience in Park Slope at my favorite Brooklyn coffeeshop - Café Grumpy! Please share this news with your NY friends - I'd love to meet anyone you know. I will be in NY Feb 14-20th. Happy Valentine's Day, y'all!

365 Days + 3 Countries

Happy Holidays! 

I hope you are enjoying some quiet time in the midst of all the holiday bustle.
I am--right now--deep in the discovery process of identifying all the places my art has been displayed during 2015 and documenting those shows, so I can share the information and stories with you soon.

In the meantime I wanted to share this amazing fact with you:
I HAVE HAD ARTWORK ON DISPLAY SOMEWHERE IN THE WORLD—IN THREE DIFFERENT COUNTRIES—EVERY DAY OF 2015!

This achievement would never have been possible without people like you, who have encouraged and supported me on my path to becoming a successful artist. My art in three countries! At the same time! In the same year! It is simply amazing to me and I couldn’t wait to share this discovery with you.

The satisfaction that comes from sharing my art with so many people in so many places has inspired me to share it in even more ways with you, my supporters and friends. To accomplish this, and to help with your holiday shopping, I am now making fine art reproductions of my artwork available for purchase; you can view them at reneshoemaker.com/shop.  If you have questions about any of the work, need help making a selection, or want to place an order, you can contact me through the website or simply hit “reply” on this email and send me your question or tell me which work you’re interested in purchasing.

In addition to the pieces listed there, which include originals as well as prints, almost any of the artwork pictured on my website (all but the earliest pieces) can also be made into a fine art reproduction for under $100 each. My online gallery shows almost all of my artwork that has been on display since I began exhibiting 15 years ago. You may have a favorite painting or print—a piece that spoke to you when you first saw it, or that you think is perfect for someone special. If the original is still available you are welcome to purchase it, but if you prefer a fine art reproduction these are also beautiful. They are printed at a very high resolution (5,600 dpi) on a velvet fine art paper that is archival and 100% cotton. The colors are absolutely stunning printed this way—and you know how picky I am about my colors! They are work of arts in and of themselves and will arrive ready to frame.

One recent art patron who purchased a fine art reproduction (and returned to buy more!) had this to say about his purchase from the collection inspired by Athens architect Fred Orr:
 

“Your work is so uniquely beautiful, and it is a great reminder of a wonderful time in my life. I'm happy to have it!”

Thank you!

A Studio In the Woods

I’m lucky to live in a quiet environment in a hand-built home that faces south, with the sun rising through the bedroom window and setting through the kitchen door. My studio is behind the house, and I wish to thank Harvey right here and now for helping to shape this space into what it is: a home for the two of us and our children, Kate and Sam.

I often use the phrase “My studio in the woods” when describing my workspace, and you may have wondered, “What does that mean?” So here is an attempt to convey what I experience on a daily basis while practicing my craft:

“My studio in the woods” means:

 I have solitude while I work.

 I have nature surrounding me.

 I hear birds singing as I type/draw/paint.

 At night, I hear the crickets sing.

 When the air is clear, I can hear water rushing over a dam that is over two miles away.

 If I am working at night and step outside the studio, I see an amazing number of stars in the sky.

 My studio is small, and hand built. It means it is naturally “air conditioned,” except when it gets really hot, and then          I use a new-fashioned air conditioner.

 I am very lucky to have this special place to work.

 I can take a walk in the woods - and not see anyone else - any time I want, right out my studio door.

 My dog, Dexter, can lay on the stoop outside while I work inside, as he prefers watching the birds to sleeping inside the studio.

 I have the space in my head to think expansively and to design.

 Any anxiety I bring to my studio time is just that: imported, and I am learning to let go of it.
 

It means, in effect, I am living the good life, and very happy to be here.