Sharing the French Countryside

I'VE BEEN REMISS NOT TO SEND YOU PHOTOS OF FRANCE! This summer has been mild, and although we had a wet winter and spring, the summer has turned out to be dry. The farmers are once again visiting the local lakes and ponds daily to fill up their tractor-pulled water tanks to be able to provide enough water for their (beautiful) Limousin cattle. So, without further ado, I am going to share some photos of our life here, without talking too much!

We went to the seaside! I love standing on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean in France and imagining that if I would only look hard enough, I could see America on the other side.

Passing cornfields while biking in La Creuse.

We discovered this small church in Sainte-Marie-de-Ré on Ile de Ré; with a model boat hanging there, a gift from the families of men who were saved in a storm.

I hope that you and your family are doing well. I'll be returning to Georgia in October and wonder what we will find there. The cases of Covid-19 are very, very low here, and I feel a little uncertain about returning to a country where the cases are so high. But the strong urge to see my family (and friends, bien sûr!) again is overriding my hesitations. My silk-painting class scheduled for October has been cancelled due to uncertainty about gathering in groups; I apologize to those of you who have already enrolled or planned to take the class. I'll let you know as soon as a new class is scheduled. 

(Originally published August 11, 2020)

How Does Less Do More?

My friend Jon has a habit of asking me thought-provoking questions about my art and the art-making process. As I answer Jon's questions, I thought it would be interesting to share my thoughts with you. His first question, “Line or color?” I took to mean, “Which is more important in your artwork, is it line or color?”

First I thought back to my influential artists, although I have to admit I don’t see that much original art these days (isn’t everyone hung up on Instagram?) and it’s been especially hard to see real art since we’ve all had to stay home for so long now. There really is no comparison between a computer screen vs. real-life art.

With regard to my art, which I can only share with you now via a computer (or worse yet, a phone screen), I want to share some ideas I reflect on during the act of creation.

Every step is a decision-making opportunity (or struggle, depending on the decision at hand).

When I make these decisions, I am guided by this principle:

My goal as an artist has always been to get an idea down with the fewest lines and colors as humanly possible. 

Okay, not humanly possible, because if I got it down to THAT, it would be one line and one color. But I always ask myself, Would two lines and two colors suffice?

Two of the greats related to this, from my perspective, are Mark Rothko and Agnes Martin. Mark with color and Agnes with line. How I would love to sit down and have a conversation with these two!

Agnes Martin. Stone. 1964. MoMA http://www.moma.org

Mark Rothko. Untitled. 1954. artsy.net

I get very excited when I can synthesize things down to the fewest elements.

For example, the simplest silk “painting” I think I’ve ever created is “77 rue Alfred Assolant, Aubusson.” 

René Shoemaker. 77 rue Alfred Assolant, Aubusson. $495.

In 2018 I was very excited to be making a body of work about my community of Aubusson in central France. I was using joyful bold colors and refining my drawings down to basic elements. In fact, quite a few paintings from that show became my “favorites.” But back to the rue Assolant painting, I made the bold statement of drawing on the silk the lines of my original drawing and then leaving the silk a pure white.

Seems simple, eh? In reality, it took a lot of contemplation, a lot of nerve, a lot of chutzpah to leave that silk white and call this a “painting.” But I must admit that I was very happy with the result, I was happy to watch others' reactions to it and I was even happier that I listened to my heart. 

Next week I will share a few more paintings from that exhibit where I felt like I “got it.”

I look forward to sharing more examples of this process with you in the coming weeks. I also want to mention that over the next few months I will be working on a Horizon series, a distillation of painting on silk to one line and two colors. I’ve been wanting to work on this series for a number of years, but I wasn’t sure where it would go, creatively speaking, or where I could exhibit it. 

Although this concept previously seemed too “simple,” I believe I am ready for the challenge! Now that simplicity excites me as I envision the Horizon series paintings of all sizes hanging in one gallery, creating an environment that will encircle the viewer in color and tranquility. I currently have a commitment to exhibit this work in France at the beginning of 2021, although I am no longer sure that will happen because of the virus’ impact on small businesses worldwide.

Now that I’ve shared my thoughts, tell me:
 

    1.    How do you feel about painting as a medium that can be expressed in many variations, and what types of paintings are your favorites?


    2.    How do you feel about being exposed to new artistic ideas via the Internet?


    3.    How do you feel about simplicity?


    4.    What is your definition of art?


Let me know! Better yet, share this post with friends and ask for their thoughts on these topics, and share those reflections with me. I will include your responses in my next newsletter.

Upcoming Events:

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

October 2020
Silk Painting Workshop with René Shoemaker
K.A. Artist Shop
Athens, GA

Swimming to Europe

A number of years ago I had a dream. I dreamt that I wanted to go to Europe so badly (which was true) but I did not know how or when I could get there (also true). The dream was so vivid that when I woke up I made a piece of art—a silk painting—expressing the emotions I experienced in the dream. I called the piece "Swimming to Europe," because yes, that was what the dream was about. In the dream, my husband Harvey and I were swimming to Europe because we knew of no other way to get there.

As of this writing, I am not sure when we will return to France.

France seems so far away right now.

We are enjoying living in our woods in North Georgia, but the open skies of La Creuse are calling us.

As a substitute for being there, I am sharing with you some of the paintings I created of the community of Felletin, including a photo my friend Becky took of me proudly standing with one of my subjects while I was giving her a tour. 

Just outside of Felletin, if you turn left and go up a hill, you will discover this sign—one sign for two villages with similar but different names (one is plural and the other is singular). How intriguing! I have not yet discovered the story behind this, but I bet it is a good one!

High on another hill to the east of Felletin is the Château d'Arfeuille. Here is the chapel that is located just outside of the gate of the property.

At the top of Felletin is a lovely little park where the town originally originated. At one corner of the park is this tiny house, which I adore.

Thank you, Becky, for sharing this memory with me!

My interpretation of this little house shows that 
          this pink house loves to dance!

The results of the art-naming question are in! Thank you to all who replied. Half of the responses are in favor of keeping the names factual, as I normally do; 10% preferred evocative names; and 40% voted for incorporating both approaches in some form. 

Two comments I particularly liked were, "The only title I don't like is ‘Untitled’" (I wholeheartedly agree), and "I never purchase art based upon the title of the work.” It was interesting to read your varied reflections on this question, it seems to have created some mixed emotions with lots to think about. 

If you have any further feedback on the matter, let me know what you think! You can simply hit “reply” to send me your thoughts. 

The items listed here are for sale online in my shop, either in their original form or as fine art prints.

If you enjoyed this newsletter, please feel free to share it!

May your sweet dreams become a reality.

-René

(Originally published May 26, 2020)

Do you like to plan ahead? My next silk painting workshop is scheduled for October 2020 in Athens, GA. You can find more information at the KA Artist Shop. The class will be held over two days so as to offer the time to work with silk, explore the world of color and dyes, make multiple paintings, and develop new creative ideas. And if you would like me to travel to you for a workshop—let’s talk!

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

I look forward to hearing from you soon. Please share this email and simply hit "reply" to send me questions or comments. I love hearing from you! 

Silk Painting Workshop:

October, 2020
Silk Painting Workshop with René Shoemaker
K.A. Artist Shop
Athens, GA


Upcoming Exhibit:

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

Expanding your art collection?  Contact me for commissions and/or a private tour of my art, which is available in many sizes & price points.

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

Thank you for supporting the arts in Athens, and beyond.

With gratitude, 
-René

What's in a Name?

I’ve been wanting to ask your opinion on an important matter for a long time.

I’ve never been sure if the way I title my artwork is effective. That is, does the name represent the artwork and does it foster curiosity?

The way my mind works is that the title locates the subject of the painting and brings back memories of standing at that spot, creating the drawing, setting up the composition, looking for details to highlight, etc. etc. 

But I now realize that no one else has had that experience except me.

Everyone loves a good name.

Suzanne Gernandt is a wonderful teacher I’ve worked with who uses the most tantalizing titles for her work. Examples include, “How to Find Poetry,” “Peeking through the Haze,” and “Cool Summer Drink.” In fact, I met Suzanne through a week-long workshop I took with her at the Appalachian Center for Craft in Tennessee because I was intrigued by the title of the class, “Layers of Color, Layers of Meaning.” That title still tantalizes me to this day.

Everyone loves a good story. 

I have a sneaking suspicion that others may prefer more romantic, evocative names. It’s true that Suzanne’s textile art is abstract, whereas mine is place-based. Does that matter? For example, should this painting, below, which I titled, “354 Milledge Circle, Athens, GA. Fred Orr, Architect,” instead be called, “Waiting for the Sun” or “Exciting Times Arose in the Sleepy Afternoon”?

Or, for example, this delicious cushion, below, is now called “Raven.”

Would it be more tempting to own if it were called, “Lavender Bird Traverses the Sky Before the Moon Rises?”

And here we have the soft silk broadcloth cushion,"Whip-poor-will."

Shall it be “Hearing the song of the Whip-poor-will at Dusk Makes My Heart Soar?”



I suppose another way to phrase this question is: 

Do you pick up a book because of its title or its cover?

Let me know what you think! Hit “reply” and send me your thoughts. Will the winner be descriptive or factual?

All of the items listed here are for sale online in the shop.

If you enjoyed this newsletter, feel free to share it!

Have a lovely weekend,

-René

Les Toits d'Aubusson, detail (or shall we call it "Green Swims Over Blue?")