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Keep up with the latest art and adventures from Rene Shoemaker Art!

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

And Now - San Francisco!!

…a body of work, not yet created, of various sized paintings on silk. The paintings of architecture, common spaces, and discovered details would dance and describe the personalities of these three great cities. The collection would not seek to compare the cities, but joyously explore their magic and beauty, welcoming the viewer to respond with joy to these vibrant global metropolises.

Read More

SEEING INTO THE FUTURE

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Simón Vega. Archipiélago de Intercambio (sketch), 2019

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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! 

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A Day in The Life

In my last post I promised you a look into my process while in France; here we go!  (select any image to enlarge)

I wake up about 6am when I have art projects going. It’s easy to get up that early; the bedroom windows face the rising sun, and those windows are wide open almost all of the time (no bug screens necessary here!!!).

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My well-loved planner and a favorite spot :)

and another view

Bonjour!

My dog Dexter climbs up the stairs while I am descending; he gets extra snooze time with my husband Harvey while I get quiet time, which is very important to my creative process.

Stretch, drink tea, plan my day using my paper-based journal, a beloved vintage Franklin Planner. 

I try to stay away from turning on the iPhone or computer, so that my head stays clear.

. . .

Begin work. Again, I try to stay away from the computer and start working on my art right away. If there is a silk stretched and ready to be painted, that’s what I do first. And/or mix colors, because that process is long; when I create a color, I put the new color on a test grid, and then I need to wait until the dye is completely dry to really see what the color is! That often leads to a new adjustment of the color, another drying spell, etc etc - you get the picture.

 

Today's visitor, la vache, is the domesticated pet of a neighbor; when not at home with her, it is often seen wandering the village

Navigate to the studio. To get there, I walk out my front door, turn right and go up the stone steps into the studio. I think it was these very same outdoor steps that made me fall in love with this house immediately when I first saw it.

The steps to my studio.

Outside my studio window with Ganesh.

After at least an hour of creative work, I eat breakfast with Harvey and we go on a walk with Dexter all together. Here we have the option of walking down the Roman road (really!), a footpath that goes through forest and tree-lined fields with cows and hay, or “around the block” (I’ve always been fascinated that the French language has no word for block). This route goes toward a lake and past more fields with mama cows and baby cows and hawks and sparrows, past a castle, then returning to our house. Yet another route is down the road to Léon le Franc - what is now a tractor path that used to be a major foot thoroughfare to the village 2.5 km away - and we love how descriptive the names around here can be!

This is at the corner of my village; if I turn left I am following the Roman road. The woman who lives in the house you see here takes care of the little plot of land on the corner; the poppies are so beautiful here and seeing them always make me happy.

"around the block"

Dexter

Back home, drink tea, and back to the studio. I have work organized and lined up, both on my table and in my head. I try to make between 15 - 20 new pieces of art for each solo exhibit I hang, and that's what I'm working on now. I design, wax, and paint about 3 silks at a time, so as one is drying I can apply the resist to another, etc etc. When I am working on a large (6 ft long) silk, the banner material will take up my entire work table, so I concentrate on one of those at a time. Also, because the smaller works need to be delivered to the framer, and he needs time to measure, prepare, and cut the frame molding (called “baguettes” - the same word as the typically French loaf of bread!), I create the small works first.

Testing the dyes in my studio to capture the very colors I'm looking for.

Beginning the resist process using wax to draw with.

Here I am standing at the door to my studio looking out. That's my yard in the background.

I hold the artwork outside the door so I can see what the colors look like in the daylight and in the sun.

the set-up

In a very un-French way, we eat lunch about 2pm. The French lunch break is 12-2, and all the stores and businesses close during that time — very wise! After lunch I often sit in the yard and soak up some sunshine while doing hand-sewing or reading and remind myself how lucky I am to be here. And then drink a cup of coffee and move back into the studio.

A large part of the process is patience. And coffee. This is a new artwork for my next exhibition in August, inspired by the town of Aubusson. I look forward to sharing more about this soon... 

Break in routine. The outdoor Felletin Market happens every Friday morning, and it is very lively and a great place for socializing. We buy our vegetables, meat, and olives there, and on Saturdays the Aubusson Market is available; our cheese, bread and fruit come from this market. On Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, the Ressourcerie -- the Habitat-for-Humanity-type second-hand shop, is open and this is where we buy almost everything that we need for our house. We visit there once or twice a week.

Once a week, usually on Friday, I set up the steamer for setting the dyes on the art that I have made that week. The silk steams for 1 hour, but the whole process of preparing and washing and ironing afterwards takes about 4 hours total. I have learned not to leave the steaming until the last minute!

For working on the computer, I try to take it in chunks later in the day, setting a timer so I won’t get lost in the fog of the Internet and social media. The internet is unbelievably speedy here! I answer emails, write blog posts, do photoshop work, and check in with family and friends. And search for new places to exhibit my art.

I take another long walk with the dog towards the end of the day, and never plan on accomplishing anything after dinner - the process is long and the good French wine slows me down. If we are having my favorite (anything “bubbly”/champagne-style) I totally write off the whole evening because I tend to just want to sit in the yard while sipping bubbly with Harvey and Dexter and stare at the sky, the beautiful setting sun, the stars that appear, and the rising moon.

Bed about 11.

 
 

- René Shoemaker, Juchefaux, St Maixant. June 30, 2018

Does it even need a caption? Arc en ciel.

The house that is attached to our friend Madeleine's house in a nearby village. It is so beautiful! We were eating dinner in her yard and drinking champagne to celebrate my birthday when I captured this view...

Our sunset.

Look at that moon!

The moon with planet on my Mother's Birthday which was June 21st.



 

PS - A friend in America just commented: “You are so prolific in France!” Yes, I am making the artwork - but now how do I SELL it?!?! - this is the mystery I am seeking to unravel. Send me your ideas and advice, please! And check out my shop, let me know what you'd like to see there...