An evening in Paris with Art

I can't express how much fun it was to ride up to Paris on the train with 19 new artworks in my suitcase to hang in my new exhibit at La Caféothèque. Even more fun than riding the train was BEING in Paris, meeting with my colleagues, and HANGING the long-awaited show. It was great! The whole process was captured on video, and innumerable photos were taken. I met with my friend and curator, Christina Chirouze Montenegro, and the artist Anne Buxerolle, with whom I was shared the exhibit space. 

Exhibition catalog, designed by Christine Chirouze Montenegro

The sunrise that morning was strikingly beautiful, welcoming me a new day and a new adventure. Once I arrived at Gare d'Austerlitz, I walked along the Seine River to La Caféothèque de Paris where the exhibit was scheduled and... celebrated my adventure with the best café latte In the heart of Paris. The exhibit will be on display through October 15th and the reception will be held October 1st in conjunction with the 15th anniversary party for La Caféothèque. I am extremely excited to be part of this memorable occasion honoring a business I so deeply respect.

Sunrise over La Creuse from the train, August 2020

First course of business when arriving in Paris, enjoying a coffee at La Caféothèque de Paris (in the time of coronavirus).

We mounted the exhibit after the café closed. Les temps de la forêt: entre la fleur & l'écorce (The times of the forest: between the flower and the bark) is beautifully displayed, with Anne's detailed wood drawings mainly in the first room, and my flower paintings on silk in the tropical room - which made perfect sense as my flowers are  all TROPICAL!

The tropical room at La Caféothèque

All the artwork is for sale. You can contact me to check on availability, but sales are handled by Christina. You can reach her directly at christina@lacafeotheque.com or through Instagram at @coffeexhibits . The prices range from 120€ - 435€ ($140 - $515) each, and they would love to share their living space with you.

Scenes from the exhibit

It's been fun to share these adventures with you! Here are a few more photos of Paris for you to enjoy. Have you ever been to Paris? if so, what was your favorite experience there? Leave a note in the comment box below - I’d love to hear from you!

Sunset over Paris, a perfect ending for a perfect day

Now On Exhibit:

August  28 - October 15, 2020
Reception: October 1st
Les temps de la forêt:
de l'écorce à la fleur
La Caféothèque de Paris
52, rue de l'Hotel de Ville
 Paris, 75004, France

and 

August  15 - September 27, 2020
SPACE: 2020 Juried exhibition
ATHICA: Athens Institute for Contemporary Arts
675 Pulaski St, Suite 1200
Athens, GA 30601, USA

What I Am Looking Forward to this Fall (Hint: one includes Paris)

The upcoming fall season brings much good news. Listed below are 3 items I am especially grateful for and excited to share with you:

I am honored and humbled that AIR Serenbe has chosen me for their artist residency for the month of November. What an honor! I will spend an entire month in the wooded community of Serenbe located southwest of Atlanta, Georgia, USA. I will be in my own cottage, with no assigned tasks except to explore, discover, experiment and create art!  This accomplishment would not be possible without your continued encouragement of my work and me. (Thank you!)

Nehi Cola. Front Ave and 10th St, Columbus, GA, by René Shoemaker

2) I'm also thrilled to report that the Paris exhibit is finally going to happen after many delays due to the pandemic. I will be hanging the tropical flowers themed exhibit at La Caféothèque de Paris next week. In the heart of Paris, La Caféothèque is situated in the 4th arrondissement, right on the Seine River with a view of Notre Dame Cathedral. The exhibit opens on Friday August 28th. The reception (vernissage) will be held in October and I will be sure to let you know the date so that you can plan ahead to attend (!). I am extremely excited to be part of this two-person exhibit, held in the heart of Paris, which includes the French artist Anne Buxerolle.

Begonia 'Raddi', 2020, by René Shoemaker, at La Caféothèque de Paris.

Lévitation 009, by Anne Buxerolle, at La Caféothèque de Paris..

3) Les toits d'Aubusson is included in an exhibit that opened this week at ATHICA, the Athens Institute for Contemporary Art. SPACE: 2020 Juried Exhibition "references SPACE which is found all around us . . . as a concept and a construct with many different connotations." I am proud to have been chosen in this competitive exhibition, which will be on view through September 27.

Les toits d'Aubusson, included in the SPACE exhibit, sold to a collector in Chicago this week

Finally, as you know, for a number of years I've been working hard to bring the best art possible into the world to share with you while seeking to reach a wider, global audience. In the service of this goal, I am raising my prices on original art effective October 1st. As my subscribers, collectors, and loyal supporters I wanted to offer you this window of time to buy original art at the original price. (Fine art prints will remain at their current price.)

In 2001 when I first exhibited at the Clayton Street Gallery in Athens, Georgia, a silk painting sold, unframed, for $100. Today, the cost of materials, upkeep for the studio and working every day to bring my best art into the world is not sustainable at my current prices. Adjusting the prices to more  accurately account for the value of time, labor, and skill I invest and the quality of the materials I use will insure that I can pay my monthly bills, allow my business to thrive, and enable me to continue to create art over the long term.

I appreciate your understanding, and as always, I am abundantly grateful for all the ways in which you continue to inspire and support me. 

Église de Notre-Dame de Montluçon, France

La Creuse, France

Upcoming:

August  28 - October 15, 2020
De l'écorce à la fleur:
Les temps de la forêt
La Caféothèque de Paris
52, rue de l'Hotel de Ville
 Paris, 75004, France

Now On Exhibit:
August  15 - September 27, 2020
SPACE: 2020 Juried exhibition
ATHICA: Athens Institute for Contemporary Arts
675 Pulaski St, Suite 1200
Athens, GA 30601, USA

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?

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



SEEING INTO THE FUTURE

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.

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.

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.

Simón Vega. Archipiélago de Intercambio (sketch), 2019

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!