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

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

The One Thing You Need to Know

The One Thing You Need to Know to Get Started in Silk Painting

Painting on silk is a joy.

It is not difficult.

It is quick.

And it is rewarding.

The thing I like best about silk painting is the swiftness of seeing results – the colors, the beauty, and the immediate gratification. You can paint a scarf one day and be wearing it the next! Or hanging it on your wall for all to admire.

Personally, I love to take an image or design and simplify it down to a few lines and shapes. The color then becomes the main focus of the design. Silk soaks up the dye like magic, and it is a beautiful and stunning process to watch.

I'll be teaching a Silk Painting class in Athens in April, and I will send out more details in a few days.

Oh – and that one thing you need to know to get started in silk painting? It doesn’t take any special talent or skill. I will guide you through the process in our class.

Take care,
-René 

Roujan Hillside-Languedoc Roussillon, France

Shown here is another view of Roujan, which I introduced to you earlier with the paintings of the Roujan Medieval Quarter, and in another street scene (with the Volkswagen). This view is from the bottom of the hill while standing between the soccer field and the wine cooperative; the school is in the forefront, and at the top of the hill is the town bell tower made of wrought iron.

One evening, as we explored the perimeter of St. Laurent Churich in the twilight, the priest offered us a personal tour of the building, along with stories of the history and architecture. On the feast day of the patron saint, St. Lawrence, the sunlight shines in a small window, illuminating the rose window at the back of the church.

[Art now on exhibit of my French experience at Aurum Studios in downtown Athens, GA for the month of February (last week!). ‘Widening the Horizon’ with Suzanne Gernandt, textile artist extraordinaire, of Waynesville and Asheville, NC.]

Illustration: Roujan Hillside, Roujan, Languedoc-Roussillon, France. 2014. Hand-painted silk twill. By René D. Shoemaker