San Francisco / Paris / New York City - The SF exhibition is now open!

My exhibition opening was a roaring success!! It was so wonderful to meet so many San Franciscans, and many friends from Athens, GA arrived for the celebration.

I'd love to introduce you to Michelle Thomas, the beautiful lady in the coral dress, who is the curator and owner of the gallery.

Michelle Thomas & René Shoemaker . July 21, 2024

I loved every minute of the reception, and talked until I had no voice left.

Today I'll begin a guided tour of the exhibition for you.

Leaving Paris, Heading East

My journey begins with this painting from 2014, Leaving Paris, Heading East. I chose this painting to open the exhibition because it is very much about exploration and discovery.

This body of work, San Francisco / Paris / New York City, is the story of a journey. Yours and mine. Ours.
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My husband Harvey and I were off to discover the country of France in 2014.

We had spent a month in Paris, trying to live life as Parisians.

Then we packed up our bags and bicycles, and rented a Renault Kangoo that we could sleep in if need be.

Our first day out, we drove into this landscape.

Soothing, peaceful. Beautiful & calm.

Inviting.

Beckoning us with a curving road to move into our dreams.

I did not know at the time we would be living in France soon.

40 29th St, San Francisco

That journey in France is now connected to this exploration of San Francisco. What led me there, led me here: a passion for adventure and discovering new cities.

This silk painting of the interior of Michelle's gallery is this rich color for when asked what her favorite color was, Michelle answered without a moment's hesitation : "Coral!", and I wished to share her bright spirit in the artwork.

I love the large windows that populate San Francisco architecture, and here the sunlight is streaming in the gallery through the wall of windows, welcoming us to sit in the quiet and to enjoy the artwork on display there.

-René

​San Francisco / Paris / New York City: néw work by René Shoemaker
July 21 - October 25, 2024​
Michelle Thomas Fine Art Gallery
​ 40 29th Street
San Francisco, California 94110

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https://michellethomasfineart.com/reneshoemaker

A DREAM COME TRUE: MY ART RECEPTION IN PARIS

November 12, 2014 - Truly one of the best days of my life. There was a crowd at the reception, half of whom were people I knew and their friends, and half of whom were total strangers to me. Such a nice mix! Everyone loved the artwork and asked lots of questions about my process, inspiration, etc. Most people spoke in French, and I did my best to reply to them in French.

During the reception, Christina, the cultural events coordinator, gave a talk about my work. Below is the text of her talk (translation courtesy of Etienne and Christina):

"I think René's artwork is very interesting. The pieces give a strong atmosphere , and you don't see people in the prints and paintings. There may be a dog that walks around, but otherwise you see only glasses and coffee cups. With these cups one can imagine the people behind the coffee; those who have prepared the coffee, or those drinking it. These art pieces are 'inhabited.' They invite us all to pick up the cup and enjoy some coffee.

I am very happy to introduce René to you all. This reminds me of the saying, 'Tell me what you drink (or eat); I’ll tell you who you are.' René embodies this idea. She travels through taste: she often comes to France, and she drinks good wine and good coffee. This is how she came to La Caféothèque: because she was looking for some good coffee to drink. That was one year ago. We communicated through e-mail and we met each other only one week ago. We actually found out that we make a great team!

I also  want  to thank Laure, who helped us a lot. She is a very sensitive person with art; she has good judgment and she can create stories through what she sees to share with others.

I am very happy to be here and share this time with you. The exhibition will be on display until January 7. I invite you all to have another look at the pieces . Enjoy!"

-Christina Chirouze Montenegro

Beyond Excited!

I am beyond excited

about my upcoming art show

in Paris!

I've been trying to remain calm and stay focused on my work, but now that the time for departure is near (October 14th), I find myself dancing in my shoes without moving my feet. (Did I really just make up that saying? - But, it's the way I feel!)

There is a Facebook Page for the exhibit & reception created by the venue; the reception will be held November 12, 2014, at 6:30 p.m. Please share the news with your friends who might be able to attend; I'm sad that my U.S. friends won't be able to be there with me, but I am certainly intending to make new friends while I am in Paris. I love art receptions!

I've been working hard printing all new beautifully colored prints for this exhibit, and I'm very happy with the results. I will have all the new café prints uploaded to my website before I leave, so you can see the results of this labor of love.

The image, above, is of the café table at La Caféothèque in Paris. Their coffee is superb! You can see the bag of coffee beans I bought and the delicious latte I was drinking when I made this sketch. Très fantastique!

Un café, s'il vous plaît 

Lino prints of the café experience by René Shoemaker La Caféothèque de Paris 52, Rue de l'Hotel de Ville Paris, France November 12, 2014 - January 7, 2015 Reception: Tuesday, Nov 12, 6:30 pm

Color and Pattern on Cloth at Arrowmont

My good friend and great textile artist Susan Gernandt is teaching a workshop this summer at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. If you’ve been thinking about learning about weaving and surface design, it’s your chance to learn from a great one - this is how I met Suzanne - she’ll have you doing great designs and exploring creative ideas in no time!

I first met Suzanne when I participated in a class she taught titled “Layers of Colors; Layers of Meaning” at the Appalachian Center for Craft. The title of the class intrigued me, yet it is a perfect description of her work.

Added benefit - Suzanne and I are exhibiting together now through the end of February at Aurum Studios in Athens, Ga. The reception is Thursday, February 6, 6-8pm. Come meet her and see our work!