Chartres-A Magical Town

Wandering Through Chartres

Recently I highlighted one particular building in Chartres, France: St. Aignan Church, because of its innate beauty, inspiring shape, light, and color. Today I have more images to share with you from Chartres, photos that I took while exploring the town. I found that one of the good things about staying at the Auberge de Jeunesse—the Youth Hostel—in Chartres is that you cannot remain there during the day; they close the hostel to clean and prepare for new guests, and this forced eviction (no sleeping late!) gives one a wonderful opportunity to wander the town.

Chartres, west of Paris, is home to the famous 13th century Cathedrale Notre-Dame de Chartres, the Cathedral of Our Lady of Chartres. It is a magnificent building that sits on a hill, and when approaching the city one can see it from many miles away. Chartres is known for its stained glass windows, and they are beautiful. But my favorite detail, located at the west end of the Cathedral—the King’s entrance—is “my” lady. There, next to the entrance, is a statue lined up with the rest of her coterie, and she is special to me. She is known to be Charlemagne’s mother, Bertrada of Laon, and she is “mine” because a few years back I made a print of her.  It was her smile that first made me fall in love with her; I have always loved that smile, and her elegance.

Come wander the streets with me, and tell me about you own favorite street scenes.

Returning from France - "La rentrée"

                                                                                        Christina's View. Parc des Buttes-Chaumont, Paris.

YOU ARE CORDIALLY INVITED TO THE ART OPENING AT
CINÉ
ATHENS, GA

Thursday, December 14, 2017
5 -7 pm

La Rentrée, 
René returns from France to share with her friends what she saw there

                                                                                                       Le Grand Café. Felletin, France

 La rentrée, René returns from France will be on display at Ciné at 236 West Hancock Avenue, Athens, GA from December 14, 2017 to January 31, 2018.There will be an opening reception on Thursday, December 14, from 5-7 p.m. The event is free and all are invited.

 I welcome you to this exhibit of paintings on silk and prints on paper of the architecture and landscape of central France. Much of the work was exhibited at the City Hall of Felletin, in La Creuse, France during the summer of 2017.

 After living in France for the better part of this year,  I now return to my Athenian life, friends and loves. But the experience of living in France was transformational, and I wish to share that feeling, the sites, and the adventure of being there with you, my Athens community. 

                                                                              L'eglise et la ville, Felletin, France.

La rentrée, in France, is the time at the end of the summer when people return to their “normal life” - school & work - after the summer vacation. But I noticed that what I experienced at the time of La rentrée was not just busy highways as all of France traveled on certain days, but a whole-country feeling and an attitude of excitement marking the end of the summer. At lawlessfrench.com, they describe it best: “…but la rentrée is much more than that – it marks the entire country’s return to normalcy after the summer break. It’s time to go not only back to school but also to work, as well as catch up with friends and clubs and choirs and teams. La rentrée refers to returning home and getting back to real life.”   

 As I settle down to my real life in Athens, I remember that daily life in France was challenging but also very rewarding. The landscape was beautiful, the skies large, the architecture inspiring. While planning my return to Georgia, I knew that I wanted to share my experiences through the artwork I created while in France. I had the feeling La rentrée was the perfect title for this exhibit, as I was returning from a sojourn overseas to reacquaint myself with my Stateside home. This exhibit is a way of bringing my two worlds together, and, hopefully, of sharing what I saw, experienced and enjoyed while overseas. 

For more information, contact the artist:

 rene.shoemaker@gmail.com
 706.424.4730

  reneshoemaker.com

                                                                                                                                                              Eternit, Felletin, France

St. Aignan Church in Chartres, France

If I were to share one travel tip with you, 

     this would be it:

When you travel to France and visit Chartres, yes, go to the Cathedral - it is truly magnificent.

But DO (and this is the advice part)...

   ...visit St. Aignan Church.  It is tucked away in a small street and is easy to miss. In fact, I am sure most people do not even know it exists.

 This most ancient parish of Chartres is a true architectural gem, and a tactile connection to the past. It is a visual artist's true point of inspiration. Once you arrive, you will most likely be alone in the light-filled structure, standing in this magnificent space by yourself; free to wander and inspect and marvel with an uninterrupted view of the space, light, and the exquisite details all around.

I tend not to offer travel advice because I feel new places are best discovered on one's own for a memorable adventure, but this experience so inspired me I just knew I had to share the beauty of the space.

Silkscreening in France / Sérigraphie en France

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What I had in mind to create was a new inquiry into silkscreening on silk; a direction I wanted to work out by doing.

Once I arrived in France, I quickly got busy with a silkscreening assignment from the States I had promised to attend to once here. The clock was ticking, and I had a deadline...

What I had in mind to create was a new inquiry into silkscreening on silk; a direction I wanted to work out by doing. I couldn’t imagine how it could turn out until I actually began to physically work on it — it was just an idea in my head and I wasn’t sure I could really make it happen. Once I arrived at my new home, I realized I was suddenly in the land of not knowing anything about how to make silkscreening happen in France. I did not know where to buy supplies nor how to create the system to work; ie, setting up a new silkscreening studio!

What I knew was the French name for silkscreening - sérigraphie - and not much else. As I began trying to track down the supplies I needed (you've certainly guessed that I arrived with NO silkscreening supplies in my suitcase!) I came upon a small sign in front of an exhibition hall in downtown Felletin that announced: “Les Michelines - atelier associatif de serigraphie” (translated "The Michelines - a collective workshop for silkscreening"). What relief!  

I won’t bother you with the details of how much gumption it took for me to begin asking around to find out where the workshop was located, nor how much more gumption it took to walk to the collective’s headquarters and try to explain to them what my needs were and ask for help (all in French!). What I can tell you, is that after a little talking and explaining and drawing pictures with pencils and hand gestures, it all worked out quite beautifully. We made a date to spend the day together printing on paper and printing on silk, and it was a day spent in camaraderie with a fellow artist, and one who could teach me the finer points on creating art via the silkscreening process.

And after it was all said and done, I felt like I had invented a new art form! Which was probably not true, but I really was able to actualize my ideas and make them come to life. And guess what? It was not only fun but worth it - my concept for the exhibition I created this print for was accepted by a major art institution in the South of the United States (I can't discuss it yet, but more on this in the future!!!) I also have some prints for sale from my new edition HERE. --------------------------- >

Dreams of the South, Sérigraphie / Screenprint, 2017, Black Ink On Heavyweight Cream Paper, 10.5 x 14 inches

Available in a Limited Edition of 10, printed in Felletin, France @ Atelier Les Michelines 

Here are some images from that lovely day. I want to thank Melanie Leduc and Les Michelines with a thousand “Merci’s” for being there, for being a kindred spirit, and for understanding this artist’s needs with our shared language - art.