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

Holiday sales, and updated news

Happy holidays!

The year goes by too quickly,
but I am honored to be on your screen today--we've been together for a while now!

Here are 5 quick items of news I wanted to share with you:

1) I'll be in Decatur, GA selling my wares on Sunday, December 15th at the annual Hollyday Sale hosted by Treehouse kids & craft of Athens and Atlanta. Since we have a new baby in our family who is a source of constant inspiration, I'll be selling beautiful and useful silk baby items along with my cards, prints and paintings. This is a great opportunity for me to meet up with my Atlanta peeps and to make new friends! Please stop by, and tell your friends about it if they live in the area.

2) Sharing the Magical Landscapes: my Japanese inspired prints are on exhibit and for sale at Jittery Joes 5 Points in Athens, GA.

3) My online shop is open and awaiting your visit at: reneshoemaker.com/shop

4) If you are in Paris for the holidays, my Paris dress is still on display in the Pompidou Center, as part of the exhibit Cosmopolis #2

5) And, to be sure you knew in plenty of time to plan ahead for a silk painting workshop in February 2020 at the KA Artist shop in Athens, GA.You can find more information and sign up here: KA Artist Shop. We have changed the format of the class to offer YOU more time to wok with silk and explore new creative ideas.

Have a lovely holiday season, and I look forward to hearing from you soon. Please share this post, and leave a message here to send me questions, or leave a comment below. I love hearing from you!

Charlie poses with our new Silkies that will be for sale in Decatur. Isn't he adorable?

Charlie poses with our new Silkies that will be for sale in Decatur. Isn't he adorable?

Now on Exhibit:

December 2 - January 31, 2020
Sharing the Magical Landscapes: affordable archival prints of Japanese inspired paintings
Jittery Joes 5 Points
1230 S Milledge Ave
Athens, GA 30605

Until December 23, 2019
Cosmopolis #2: Rethinking the Human
Centre Pompidou
Paris, France

Save the Dates:

December 15, 2019 10am - 4pm
Hollyday Market
Treehouse kid & craft Decatur
533 W Howard Ave
Decatur, GA 30030

June 2020
Floral Heritage of Central America
La Caféothèque de Paris
Paris, France

Expanding your art collection? My Studio carries lots of art at many sizes & price points! Contact me for a private tour.

In Athens, my cards, postcards, and prints are carried by: KA Artist Shop

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SEEING INTO THE FUTURE

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I’d like to share with you a pivotal moment in my career as an artist.

In 1998 I was in Cortona, Italy for the summer with my family, working as the librarian for the University of Georgia School of Art’’s study abroad program. I was an artist myself, but didn’t believe I could realize my artistic potential while raising a family and pursuing my career as a librarian. 

Working with the art students, many of whom were work-study students for the library, gave me the opportunity to get to know and bond with many of them. Although I was admittedly a little envious that I wasn’t able to study abroad myself when I was in art school, I admired their hunger to learn and to grow. I also came to know the art professors and attended their lectures describing their careers, artistic endeavors, styles, and works-in-progress. 

That summer was the source of one of my most important personal insights. For it was then I first realized that the artists who surrounded me were really no different from me, no better than I was. We were equals, artists in community. In other words, I saw for the first time,

I WAS A REAL ARTIST, TOO.

That recognition changed my life. At the end of the summer I returned home and took action. I worked hard and started being not shy about pursuing my art, acknowledging my determination, and honing my ability to share and talk about my artwork. Now, I had a vision.

You may have heard this part of the story before:
In 1998 I embarked on a 10-year plan (which ultimately took 12) to launch my career as a full-time artist once I retired from my job at UGA. I would no longer sit quietly and wait for life to happen to me. In those dozen years, I had 24 solo shows, participated in 83 group shows, won 6 awards, and created 5 large-scale installations.

This past year I realized that year 10 as a full-time artist was quickly approaching, and I knew that was a magical number. I didn’t know what it meant, but I knew it was going to be exciting!

Fast forward to 2019. Last week I attended a program at the Pompidou Center in Paris for the exhibition opening of “Cosmopolis #2” because one of my creations is on exhibit there! I was immensely excited, pleased, and proud. The dress I designed, painted, dyed, sewed, and styled is just a small part of one installation; although the exhibit was not mine and my name was not on the program, I was able to take part knowing that my art was in a MAJOR world museum. As I listened to the artists present their Cosmopolis #2 work in front of windows that looked out on the bustling Parisian life, with the citizens and architecture of Paris as a backdrop, I knew in my very bones that 
 

I COULD DO THAT.

I COULD BE SITTING IN THAT CHAIR

BEHIND THAT MICROPHONE

IN FRONT OF THAT ROOM FULL OF PEOPLE

AT THE POMPIDOU CENTER

IN PARIS.


YES, I COULD.

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Seeing my dream take shape before my very eyes, I know success is on the way, speeding towards me like a French locomotive, driven by determination and belief in myself.

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Many thanks to Christina Chirouze Montenegro, who made it happen. Here she is, above, modeling the dress when I first presented it to her.

We all have fears to face and obstacles to overcome. It’s hard when you have a vision and don’t know where to start. But I am happy to report that a motto I have believed in for many years has served me well:

Perseverance furthers.

Thank you, as always, for your time and your gracious support, and for following me on this adventure called life.

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Simón Vega. Archipiélago de Intercambio (sketch), 2019

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Save the Dates

Until December 23, 2019
Cosmopolis #2: Rethinking the Human
Centre Pompidou
Paris, France

June, 2020
Floral Heritage of Guatemala
La Caféotheque de Paris
Paris, France

August, 2020
Silk Works by René Shoemaker
Galerie des Marches
Aubusson, France

Expanding your art collection?
  Visit reneshoemaker.com/shop for original art and prints. 

My cards, postcards, and prints are carried by:
 KA Artist Shop  
where I teach the fine art of silk painting.
The next scheduled class is December 7-8, 2019.
Sign up now! 

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FRANCE > US

Just left France.

It’s been a little crazy to think about the contrasts between the two places; I try to be aware of the differences without making value judgements.

Suffice it to say, we like it there.

Now I am back to the States with my family and Dexter, our dog. And it’s been a while since I shared. Hello!

My exhibit at Galerie AM’Carta in late August was a resounding success. I met a lot of good people, and interacted with a lot of other artists. Because of that exhibit, I was also invited to participate in an 4-artist exhibition the following month in Uzerche, France! This was an added bonus, and brought new connections and opportunities.

A view of my beloved studio in France

Wilfried Celerian, Deputy Mayor of Cultural Affairs, Felletin

Wilfried Celerian, Deputy Mayor of Cultural Affairs, Felletin

L-R: Thierry Roger, master framer and an expert yarn dyer for the tapestry trade + Nelly, owner of café L’antidote in Aubusson

L-R: Thierry Roger, master framer and an expert yarn dyer for the tapestry trade + Nelly, owner of café L’antidote in Aubusson

I’m happy to share the images of the newly-created Aubusson art and the events that surrounded the Aubusson exhibit. I so look forward to seeing what the next year in La Creuse brings!

(Scroll down for more)

J'adore la ville, la fleuve et les bâtiments historiques d’Aubusson. En fait, le teinture que j’utilise pour crée mes peintures me relie, je sens, à l’histoire des artisans d’Aubusson.

Avec mes sentiments les meilleurs, j’offre mon oeuvre aux citoyens d’Aubusson.

I love the city, the river and the historic buildings of Aubusson. In fact, the dye that I use to create my paintings connects me, I feel, to the history of Aubusson craftsmen.

With my best feelings, I offer my work to the citizens of Aubusson.

My process begins with a small sketch, which leads to a larger sketch, before I even begin on the silk…

I sketch it out carefully on the silk before I even dream of painting on it. This is after many hours of research, planning, and work.

It’s such a satisfying experience to go from a tiny sketch to this! Prior to this step I set the colors and steam away any wrinkles. I also stitch a loop for the dowel at the top.

In it’s final form. La Rivière Creuse + Galerie AM’Carta. Aubusson. 2018

NEW EXHIBITION in athens, GA OPENS THURSDAY, Nov. 8

AND, I am excited to announce a new exhibit (closer to my Georgia, USA friends) at the Lyndon House Arts Center in Athens, GA. The Lyndon House is a beautiful space and I am honored to be exhibiting there with the very talented Judy Bales in a collaborative exhibit titled, aptly, “Call & Response: Works by René Shoemaker and Judy Bales”. See Judy’s work here: www.judybales.com

Our exhibit opens on November 8th with a reception that encompasses three fascinating exhibits opening that day. The talented team of Sara Parker and Simon Hunt have mounted “Perennial Pattern: Works by Sara Parker and Simon Hunt,” and the delightful seer St .EOM of Pasaquan, a 20th Century visionary whose spirits encouraged him to build a new community in South Georgia.

I was lucky to have visited St. EOM’s home mere months before finding out I would be exhibiting with his work. Talk about synchronicity!

René Shoemaker

René Shoemaker

Judy Bales

I hope you enjoy these new French artworks, and I look forward to sharing the Lyndon House installation soon. Hope to see you at the reception on November 8th!

Much love,

-René

more from Atelier-Musée des Cartons de Tapisserie d'Aubusson


A Day in The Life

In my last post I promised you a look into my process while in France; here we go!  (select any image to enlarge)

I wake up about 6am when I have art projects going. It’s easy to get up that early; the bedroom windows face the rising sun, and those windows are wide open almost all of the time (no bug screens necessary here!!!).

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My well-loved planner and a favorite spot :)

and another view

Bonjour!

My dog Dexter climbs up the stairs while I am descending; he gets extra snooze time with my husband Harvey while I get quiet time, which is very important to my creative process.

Stretch, drink tea, plan my day using my paper-based journal, a beloved vintage Franklin Planner. 

I try to stay away from turning on the iPhone or computer, so that my head stays clear.

. . .

Begin work. Again, I try to stay away from the computer and start working on my art right away. If there is a silk stretched and ready to be painted, that’s what I do first. And/or mix colors, because that process is long; when I create a color, I put the new color on a test grid, and then I need to wait until the dye is completely dry to really see what the color is! That often leads to a new adjustment of the color, another drying spell, etc etc - you get the picture.

 

Today's visitor, la vache, is the domesticated pet of a neighbor; when not at home with her, it is often seen wandering the village

Navigate to the studio. To get there, I walk out my front door, turn right and go up the stone steps into the studio. I think it was these very same outdoor steps that made me fall in love with this house immediately when I first saw it.

The steps to my studio.

Outside my studio window with Ganesh.

After at least an hour of creative work, I eat breakfast with Harvey and we go on a walk with Dexter all together. Here we have the option of walking down the Roman road (really!), a footpath that goes through forest and tree-lined fields with cows and hay, or “around the block” (I’ve always been fascinated that the French language has no word for block). This route goes toward a lake and past more fields with mama cows and baby cows and hawks and sparrows, past a castle, then returning to our house. Yet another route is down the road to Léon le Franc - what is now a tractor path that used to be a major foot thoroughfare to the village 2.5 km away - and we love how descriptive the names around here can be!

This is at the corner of my village; if I turn left I am following the Roman road. The woman who lives in the house you see here takes care of the little plot of land on the corner; the poppies are so beautiful here and seeing them always make me happy.

"around the block"

Dexter

Back home, drink tea, and back to the studio. I have work organized and lined up, both on my table and in my head. I try to make between 15 - 20 new pieces of art for each solo exhibit I hang, and that's what I'm working on now. I design, wax, and paint about 3 silks at a time, so as one is drying I can apply the resist to another, etc etc. When I am working on a large (6 ft long) silk, the banner material will take up my entire work table, so I concentrate on one of those at a time. Also, because the smaller works need to be delivered to the framer, and he needs time to measure, prepare, and cut the frame molding (called “baguettes” - the same word as the typically French loaf of bread!), I create the small works first.

Testing the dyes in my studio to capture the very colors I'm looking for.

Beginning the resist process using wax to draw with.

Here I am standing at the door to my studio looking out. That's my yard in the background.

I hold the artwork outside the door so I can see what the colors look like in the daylight and in the sun.

the set-up

In a very un-French way, we eat lunch about 2pm. The French lunch break is 12-2, and all the stores and businesses close during that time — very wise! After lunch I often sit in the yard and soak up some sunshine while doing hand-sewing or reading and remind myself how lucky I am to be here. And then drink a cup of coffee and move back into the studio.

A large part of the process is patience. And coffee. This is a new artwork for my next exhibition in August, inspired by the town of Aubusson. I look forward to sharing more about this soon... 

Break in routine. The outdoor Felletin Market happens every Friday morning, and it is very lively and a great place for socializing. We buy our vegetables, meat, and olives there, and on Saturdays the Aubusson Market is available; our cheese, bread and fruit come from this market. On Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, the Ressourcerie -- the Habitat-for-Humanity-type second-hand shop, is open and this is where we buy almost everything that we need for our house. We visit there once or twice a week.

Once a week, usually on Friday, I set up the steamer for setting the dyes on the art that I have made that week. The silk steams for 1 hour, but the whole process of preparing and washing and ironing afterwards takes about 4 hours total. I have learned not to leave the steaming until the last minute!

For working on the computer, I try to take it in chunks later in the day, setting a timer so I won’t get lost in the fog of the Internet and social media. The internet is unbelievably speedy here! I answer emails, write blog posts, do photoshop work, and check in with family and friends. And search for new places to exhibit my art.

I take another long walk with the dog towards the end of the day, and never plan on accomplishing anything after dinner - the process is long and the good French wine slows me down. If we are having my favorite (anything “bubbly”/champagne-style) I totally write off the whole evening because I tend to just want to sit in the yard while sipping bubbly with Harvey and Dexter and stare at the sky, the beautiful setting sun, the stars that appear, and the rising moon.

Bed about 11.

 
 

- René Shoemaker, Juchefaux, St Maixant. June 30, 2018

Does it even need a caption? Arc en ciel.

The house that is attached to our friend Madeleine's house in a nearby village. It is so beautiful! We were eating dinner in her yard and drinking champagne to celebrate my birthday when I captured this view...

Our sunset.

Look at that moon!

The moon with planet on my Mother's Birthday which was June 21st.



 

PS - A friend in America just commented: “You are so prolific in France!” Yes, I am making the artwork - but now how do I SELL it?!?! - this is the mystery I am seeking to unravel. Send me your ideas and advice, please! And check out my shop, let me know what you'd like to see there...