What is Silk Painting?

Silk painting is a form of art.

[All art begins with a good cup of coffee.]

Silk painting is colorful, expressive, textural, and fascinating.

Silk painting is a bit like watercolor painting, which almost everyone can envision, understand, and recognize when they see it.

Silk is sumptuous.

Unlike oil painting, where the paint sits on the primed canvas (which is treated to NOT let the paint soak into the canvas fabric), silk dyes soak into the silk; when the brush touches the silk, the dye magically spreads and moves, and takes on a life of its own. Then, upon setting* the dye, the dye becomes one with the silk on a molecular level.

[I thoroughly enjoy what I do.]

The colors are luminous.
The colors are magnificent.
The colors are rich.
The fabric is luxurious.

And depending on the type of silk we use, the dye color is lustrous (as on charmeuse), or it can be absorbed into the silk and become matte (as on organza).

The types of silk I use, and am using for the San Francisco exhibit, are:

Charmeuse
Twill
Broadcloth
Habotai
Chiffon
Crepe de Chine
Pongee
Noil
Shangtung
Organza
Taffeta

The types of dye I am using are:

​Jacquard Red Label dyes ​
and
​Jacquard Acid dyes​

I cannot share my images until the exhibit opens, but here is a very small detail so that you can see the sumptuousness of the silk and the luminous dye

I am using this new exhibition to stretch my imagination and use more silk types and more kinds of dyes—in fact, I am experimenting while I am creating/making. (Usually I am too concerned about doing what has worked in the past, creating what I think is good. This time, I want to interact more with the audience. I want to learn what you like, and which art and art type you respond to; not only the image, but the usage of the dyes and silks.)

When you enroll in one of my silk painting classes, you will learn all this and more.

Tell me, What is your favorite subject matter? What would you like to create? What would you like to paint?

I am setting up the curriculum for the silk painting class in the French château now; your help is invaluable.

Soon I will discuss mixing the dyes and creating colors with you in an upcoming newsletter.

*setting - We set the dye, usually, by steaming the painted silk upon completion. The steam creates an environment of heat and moisture that lets the fiber easily absorb the dye, and the dye molecules can bond with the silk molecules. As a non-scientist, I find this idea fascinating, and have a clear image in my head of the molecules dancing together once they bond.

[Wouldn't you like to own one of my paintings?]

***

Learn silk painting here:

July 23-25, 2024 are the workshop dates for San Francisco. You can click on this link to learn more and to sign up​

September 12-17, 2024, are the château workshop dates in France. Click here for that link : https://www.manorandmaker.com/maker/2024-silkpainting

Detail of 'View from the Clock Tower "- Finished and for sale in my shop

Many thanks,

-René

The Doors of Athens - Poster and Art Release

What makes you fond of your hometown or your alma mater? I think about this question often and I'm curious to know your opinions is on this subject. (Hit "reply" - let me know!)

I've made it my life mission to uncover this mystery, and as a result, I am so excited to share with you a project I've been working on for months: The Doors of Athens!

The Doors of Athens is a multi-product program I have been diligently creating since midsummer, and it is finally here, ready to share with you and the world, just in time for the holidays!

Mixing the dyes for my new collection of paintings

Short on time? Scroll down to the end to see the big reveal!

...or read on, if you want to hear the whole story.

The last time I was in Athens I spent a lot of time with my children, Kate and Sam. Can you tell which business this is by the unique color of the building?

For December and January, I'll only be in Athens for a short 6 weeks, but you know how much I love Athens. In the heart of Northeast Georgia, Athens was a location of safety and stability for my wandering 20-something self. Its history runs deep, and every one of us whom the city has touched has a unique and personal experience with it. Established concurrently with the University of Georgia in the early 1800s, Athens is a historic yet progressive city with a small-town feel. The 20 square blocks of downtown Athens host a collection of unique eateries, gift shops, art stores, boutiques, vintage shops, bars, music venues, and much more, attracting students, townspeople, and visitors alike. The motto “Shop local!” becomes more relevant and stronger every year, and is exactly what Athens needs to keep it vibrant and thriving; i.e., local small businesses.

Testing the colors on stretched silk

To honor my beloved hometown and share the love, I have created a poster featuring 16 small businesses that are unique to Athens. As a special introduction, I am offering the first 100 posters, locally silk screened by hand, and signed by the artist (that’s me!), on my website and at a few locations around town (to be determined - I'll let you know where soon). I have poured my heart and soul into this project, and I hope it will be as meaningful to you as it is to me.

Creating colors and experimenting with designs

Since I began my art career, my artistic output has focused on the question of “What makes a place feel good?” My goal is to share the uniqueness of places, focusing on that which people tend to ignore when passing by.

Silk painting #2 in the series. Which business is that?

Often when people are scurrying down the street, thinking of their destination, they get involved in their own thoughts and fail to observe their surroundings. Yet one of Athens’ treasures is its collection of interesting entrances—environments you recognize but may never consciously perceive. Transitioning from the public to the private sphere, from the outdoors to the interior, from the grand to the intimate, enables you to share a space with those you love or explore a totally new location.

Silk painting #5, in process, drawing the design on the silk

My goal in creating this new art series is to bring attention to everyday experiences, the beauty of our town, and our affection for this place.

Deciding on the placement of the designs

When I first heard the phrase place attachment theory from Madeline Blankenship of the Get Artistic program hosted by Creature Comforts Brewery, images of my beloved Athens immediately began to swirl in my head. This poster and exhibit were born at that moment. The exhibit aims to highlight the joy we experience when visiting our favorite businesses after our pandemic confinement, when we are free to move about again. I have highlighted my favorite businesses of Athens with their delightful architecture and inviting entranceways, and created, not only fine art paintings, but a poster for sharing, enjoying, and giving as gifts.

The Doors of Athens exhibition of original contemporary art paintings on silk will open December 10th at Creature Comforts Brewery in downtown Athens. I look forward to seeing you there!

Silk painting #5 (detail) in process

Which location is this?

Here it is!!! The Doors of Athens poster is printed in dark blue ink on a beautiful off-white 100 lb. poster paper by the kind people at Indie South. At 18" x 24", your new poster will fit in a standard poster frame for display and protection to adorn your home, office, dorm room, or place of business.

The Doors of Athens poster will be shipped Dec 2nd. Pre-order now!

Perfect for gift giving! Perfect for yourself! Buy your poster here, and come see the NEW artwork at The Doors of Athens exhibit opening December 10th. More details to follow, but mark your calendar now!

New greeting card design release - just in time for the holidays!

Saint-Amand, La Creuse

Don’t you love to receive a unique card in the mail - maybe a unique design with a personal touch?

L'église Saint-Amand front & back

Today I share my 2021 holiday card available for purchase.

My pen and pencil drawing

Saint-Amand is a village over the hill not far from my house. It is a short bike ride away, and offers the nearest café to where I live.

First watercolors are applied

The church in Saint-Amand is nestled within the community, on a small square and near the Chez La Marcelle café and along a walking path.

Mixing the colors and choosing just the right ones

I hope you like this design! I so enjoy sharing my French communities with you.

Details:⁠

-Minimum order: one pack of 10

      1 pack of 10: $35

       Extra packs: $30 each

-original watercolor painting printed on smooth cardstock

-card size: 4.13" x 5.83" ⁠delivered with a white envelope

-custom printed in groups of ten⁠

-blank interior allows for your personalized message⁠

-the back of the card says simply "Saint-Amand, La Creuse" 

     with the artist’s signature or website 

-printed in the USA (for orders outside of the US, the cards are printed in the UK)

-allow two to three weeks from order date for delivery

Water color set in action!

Detail of the cloche-mur (bell tower)

Click here to order your cards!

The final painting

The final card - ready for you!

St Amand has a very narrow roadway passing through it - every time I drive between these two buildings I hold my breath!

Another view of the clocher-mur: an extended wall with openings for the church bells. The yellow sign below is the map for the hiking paths,

Clocher-mur-detail

---

Ever since I was in art school, I've been making my own holiday cards. In the beginning, they were all made by hand: printed or drawn; possibly painted or silkscreened.

A few years ago, thinking of all the people I wanted to send cards to who were not receiving one of the few hand created ones, I began printing them with my favoirte Moo card printer (who prints my business cards, too - they’re stunning!).

Saint Amand is a village over a hill, near my house. I can get to it one of four ways (excluding car travel). I can ride my bike to Croix de la Fortune and downhill all the way to Saint Amand, past cows, fields, farms and stone houses. This is very thrilling, because I feel like I can go so fast! The countryside is beautiful and the traffic very light.

The other way I can go is through the village of St Maixant, past the castle, the city hall, the school and the community center (all that makes St Maixant sound way bigger than it is! It is petite, also). Then ride the bike up the hill and over the top, past the grazing cows where one has a beautiful view of the Plateau Millevaches way off in the distance. Green pastures, blue sky, and communities sprinkled from here to the horizon.

The church in Saint Amand is nestled within the community, on a small square and near the Chez La Marcelle restaurant which recently re-opened, reimagined by the two grand daughters of the original Marcelle who had the café in the bottom of her house there for many years. I’ve heard it was a welcoming afterschool hangout for he local children back in the 50’s. The café faces the street that goes through the village named, aptly, "Le Petit Café".

Drawing the Horizon

I’ve had a vision for quite a long time for a new series of artwork I now look forward to sharing with you. About five years ago, around the time we moved to France, the vision became clearer and stronger, and I started creating silk paintings I called the Horizon Series.

While some consider the horizon line strictly an artistic device, in this work I am using the horizon to create a feeling of balance and ease. I am endlessly intrigued by how the placement of a line on the picture plane can affect viewers’ feelings in various ways.

Questions of color, form, line, and design are endlessly fascinating to me, as are the innumerable possibilities for the placement of the horizon line in a work of art. Envisioning and then painting these designs in rich color on luminescent silk reminds me of standing at the ocean’s edge, hearing the waves gently kiss the sand, staring off at the horizon where the immense sky meets the solid mass of water covering the earth.

I realized today that I’ve been waiting for permission to begin this project, to work on this investigation, when in reality that permission can only come from me. There is no longer any reason to wait to begin.

I’d love to take you on this journey of discovery with me. I'll share my drawings, inspiration, and process, and each time I’ve completed 10 paintings I will release the series for sale. I’ve been waiting a number of years to exhibit these as a collection in a gallery or museum, and I can so clearly visualize how that exhibit would be arranged. But given the restrictions Covid has placed on us, working with you directly seems like a much better way to get my art out into the world and share my new work without further delay.

What exactly is the inspiration, you ask? Why am I steering away from architecture, from that which we find in our physical surroundings, to focus instead on a highly abstract, non-representational and ephemeral concept in time and space? My interest in this project stems from my wish to continually view the physical world with fresh eyes, unfettered by old habits and established patterns.

I am extremely excited to create this body of work that has lain dormant in my psyche for so long. I can’t wait to begin, and for us to shepherd it into the world together!

I hope you’ll accompany me on this creative venture and I invite you to share your thoughts below. You can follow my progress on Instagram at @rene.shoemaker.art and on a new Instagram account created solely for my art (minus the photos of France, cows, and travels) at @rene.shoemaker.art.only . Please share these links with friends who might be interested and encourage them to sign up for my newsletter, too! 

Before I go, I wanted to say, if you’ve had your Covid vaccination, congratulations! I have, too. If you find that you’re eager to visit family and friends after you’ve had your vaccination, doesn’t that feel good? At least now there is some hope that our lives will return to a sense of normalcy. I CAN’T WAIT TO START HUGGING PEOPLE AGAIN!!

Enjoy the spring! -René