A Street Named Desire

Returning to France now is like returning home.

There was snow, and there was cold.

There was space and light.

Long walks watching the changing colors of the fields under the mid-winter sky.

Thibault, in the snow

And now we have a dog!

Thibault has come to live with us; he is a 10-month-old English setter.

Thibault has added another dimension to our lives in France - and that has to do with a dimension of never-ending love. And lots of walks. It is nice to have another being around so that I'm not so much in my head; thinking about art, and work, all the time.

(The pronunciation of his name is "tee-bo".)

Place + Names on exhibit at Galerie des Marches, Aubusson

photo:J-M Gargantiel

I also returned to find my artwork installation still hanging at the Galerie des Marches, which made me very happy.  

In mid-January, I also discovered that its companion artwork is hanging once again in Columbus, GA!

A Ribbon Runs Through It, Illges Gallery, Columbus State University

The Columbus Museum, which holds two of my works in its permanent collection, has included them both in an exhibit titled, “A Ribbon Runs Through It: Textiles from the Columbus Museum.” How appropriate, for that is exactly what I wrote about when describing the artwork in Aubusson, intrigued by the way the works from two countries are connected by the image of the river: "The work conveys a sense of continuity through the symbolism of architecture and rivers. Our lives flow, the currents merge, then break off again for new investigation and discoveries."

A Ribbon Runs Through It is on exhibit at the Illges Gallery, CSU Corn Center for the Visual Arts at Columbus State University while the Columbus Museum is undergoing renovation. I’m including here a few photos the curator, Jonathan Walz, and other friends, sent to me. My silk paintings are hanging from the ceiling, in good company!

Kristen Miller Zohn, seen smiling here, is the person responsible for the entire Columbus, GA collection being created. Thank you, Kristen, from the bottom of my heart!

These original paintings are available for purchase, and if you or someone you know would like to own one, please contact me for details. 

I realize it is not possible for everyone to own a 6 ft to 10 ft original painting, so I wanted to make this work easily accessible and shareable with you. So I am also now offering prints of the entire collection of large paintings, in at least two sizes, in my online shop. You can see the collection here.

12th & Broadway, Columbus, GA (detail)

During the pandemic, the Columbus Museum created the “60 Seconds with the Artist” series. There you can see my artwork in the Museum and hear me discussing it, all in 60 seconds! Click here for the video.

To see a video walk-through while I discuss the exhibit at the Galerie des Marches, click here.

And a nice presentation of "The Doors of Athens" collection of prints can be seen at The KA Artist Shop here.

And why did I title this - ‘A Street Named Desire’? Because I love that street scene of 12th and Broadway and I am so very, very happy that it is in the permanent collection of the Columbus Museum!

Leave a comment below and let us know how you like the exhibit(s)!

Many thanks,

-René

My Athens

Don’t you love seeing your name in print? Maybe your photo, too?

I’m happy to report I have had two publications recently,

Each New Year, the Flagpole Magazine in Athens, GA asks for community contributions so that they can take a holiday without leaving their readership high and dry. And they published my submission concerning my relationship to Athens and Aubusson. I list it here to share it with you, or you can read the article regarding #my_athens [fact check] on the Flagpole [hypelink] website.

The French newspaper La Montagne published a review and interview on my exhibit “Places + Names” at the Galerie des Marches in December. I am waiting to share that with you next

People often ask how I ended up living in France.

“Perseverance furthers,” I answer, citing the I Ching quote that I live by.

But that answer often leaves them unsatisfied.

It’s not about having lots of money.

It’s not about being fluent in French.

I suppose it is about pushing the edges and the envelopes in life.

It is about a willingness to put yourself in situations you have no idea how to get out of . . . where there is no safety net.

It is about being willing to go on an adventure, and to live with an adventurous spirit.

So exactly how does it feel okay to sit in my little stone house in France (where the internet service is really good, and inexpensive, I might add) and type those two hashtags on social media without a feeling of misrepresentation?

#thisismyhomenow

#my_athens

Athens IS my hometown. It is not where I was born (which was New York, NY) but it is where I grew, where I matured, where I was educated, where I worked, where I loved. For 40 years. It’s where I put down (deep) roots. Athens has cradled me and helped me grow, and continues to do so.

Aubusson, in central France, is my newly adopted town.

Like any good adoptive family, it has welcomed me . . . even though there has been some tough love along the way. France has welcomed me to its community, its air, its way of life, its centeredness.

I thought I lived in a rural area in Georgia.

“Rural” is different in France, at least where I live. There are a lot of cows. And open fields. And beautiful views when you get to the top of a hill.

But the land use patterns are different. There are villages scattered around the countryside. Some of the villages have cafés and boulangeries (bakeries), and sometimes a butcher, too.

It’s nice.

The pace of life is different. More relaxed. Less stressed. 35-hour work weeks and Sundays off for everyone.

I had a dream

 to live in France.

   to exhibit my art in France.

     And now I do,

       And I am happy.

I have had French solo exhibitions in Paris (2014-2015), Felletin (2017), Felletin (2018), Paris (2020), and most recently Aubusson (currently on view through Dec 31, 2022).

Perseverance furthers.

Athens, I love you.

You have supported me in my times of greatest need.

You have helped me grow; you have helped me mature; you have given me the strength to carry on in this life.

“The Doors of Athens” exhibition, currently on view at Athens Art and Frame, was my love song to Athens.

The current exhibition in France, “Places & Names,” is how I share, in Aubusson, my two worlds. The work conveys a sense of continuity through the symbolism of architecture and rivers. Our lives flow, the currents merge, then break off again for new investigation and discoveries..

The visitors to the Galerie des Marches in Aubusson have fun trying to identify the images as Georgia or France. The architecture, is it French? Or is it  Gothic or Southern Second-Empire-style?

I landed in Aubusson, which is known for its tapestry production. I am surrounded by weavers and dyers and people who value textiles. Living in a tapestry town, how cool is that?

In the March 25, 2015 issue, I shared my first Parisian exhibition with Flagpole readers.

I’ve discovered art and travel do not satiate; they only create more desire for more discoveries.

Athens, GA is my hometown. It is my center. It is where I draw my strength from.

Athens, I love you.

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

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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".