Where the Mountains Tumble Into the Sea

There, the light is magical.

Port Vendres, in the Pyrénées-Orientales department

Charles Rennie Mackintosh lived there for four years. Henri Matisse, after discovering the light here, summoned his family to be with him. Charles André Derain and other artists found endless inspiration in the landscape and light of the Roussillon area of France*; and along with Matisse, they were inspired to create a new style of art. The Fauves emphasized emotion and color over representational images.

Collioure, Department Pyrénées-Orientales

Have you ever felt the presence of someone you admire greatly in a place you both shared?

The Collioure bay

This was an inspiring trip for me; the best kind of getaway, creating energy and inspiration. I was delighted to immerse myself in the same harbor, walk the same streets, visit the same lighthouses and breakwaters as my artistic mentors and idols. Both Matisse and Mackintosh have been sources of inspiration for me throughout my artistic career, albeit from museums and books. But here I was, standing where Matisse stood, seeing the same line of buildings and houses lining the harbor, walking next to the same lighthouse and the same chapel overlooking the sea.

It’s not a glitzy area—pas du tout. But the movement of the sea is constant, the wind companionable, the sky clear, and the starry nights comforting. The sounds of the wind and the waves are very relaxing. The seafood—fresh off the boat—was delicious and nurturing.

The working harbor in Port Vendres

Port Vendres and Collioure, neighboring towns, are an easy walk from each other. In fact, we first hiked along the sea; on a very windy day we clambered across the rocks, feeling like mountain goats, glancing down regularly at the swirling sea below us

Remains of fortifications by the sea

And my church!! My church is there. I was so comforted to arrive at Port Vendres and see my church of the Notre-Dame-de-Bonne-Nouvelle. I wrote about her in the past. Just as the birth of a child signifies the continuation of a life, seeing my church once again, comforting the harbor, caring for the sailors, the fisherman, the pieds-noirs*; an emblem of history, the community, the care—ah, my church. My painting, which I created after my first visit to Port Vendres just over 10 years ago, now lives in its new home, loved by its new family, with a life that will extend beyond me. I am forever honored when art lovers buy my artwork and invite it into their homes, where it continues on to become part of their lives, their history, and their family.

Église Notre-Dame-de-Bonne-Nouvelle, Port Vendres

This is how I described my painting at the time of creation:

“The church was a wonderful discovery in a French town, Port Vendres, on the Mediterranean coast near the border with Spain. Notre-Dame-de-Bonne-Nouvelle (Our Lady of Good News) is a fitting name for the late 19th century church whose town is a fishing and cargo port. I can imagine the women of the village awaiting the return of their loved ones from the sea, expressing gratitude for their safe return by praying to Notre Dame de Bonne Nouvelle. The church faces the harbor, and I loved the idea of this amazing building inviting people to enter, whether it by foot, bike, auto, or boat.”

Église Notre-Dame-de-Bonne-Nouvelle, Port Vendres

In honor of this fantastic experience and my ability to share it with you, I am offering giclee prints of this painting for the first time, so that she, and the memories and dreams of beautiful French villages by the sea can grace your house also. At 10” square, the luxurious Fine Art Velvet paper size is just right for framing in a 10”, 12”, or 14” square frame.

If you would like to welcome this lovely painting into your home, click here.

The framed print of Église Notre-Dame-de-Bonne-Nouvelle, Port Vendres

Let me not forget to mention the Millau Bridge! On the way there and equally, on the way back, we stopped at the Millau Bridge, which is, in my estimation, the most beautiful bridge in the world. It is graceful. It is big. It is a wonder of engineering, civic community, art, and beauty. Can a person fall in love with a bridge? If so, I have.

Millau Viaduct, Aveyron department

*Roussillon is a culturally rich area otherwise known as Northern Catalonia or the Eastern Pyrenees.

**The Pieds-Noirs, singular Pied-Noir, are the people of French and other European origin who were born in Algeria during the period of French rule from 1830 to 1962, the vast majority of whom departed for mainland France or Corsica as soon as Algeria gained independence, or in the months following. (Wikipedia)

Where the Port Vendres harbor meets the sea

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

Want to Know Why You’re a Superstar?

YOU are a superstar! I know that because I know how much you mean to me. If you weren’t there to read my blogs, I wouldn’t be writing them. I am your biggest fan, and I just want to say thank you.

Star Portrait. Pastel on paper.

You probably know that I love hearing from you and answering your questions, and I also love receiving new ones. You know me—I have an insatiable curiosity. Write to me! Tell me what you’d like to know: about what I do, what I create, what I write, and what I offer for sale. I’d love to hear your thoughts about how I can better serve you and which items you’d like to see featured in my shop. The sky’s the limit: What do you dream about that I should make? What art would you like to commission? How can I enhance your shopping experience in my online store?

Recently a woman from Michigan emailed me to inquire about my Globe t-shirts, which have been out of production for, well, five years. But I will now reintroduce them to my shop because I know there’s a demand for them. In fact, she said she needed not just one, but one for every member of the family: her husband, five- and three-year-old children, a onesie for the baby, and an extra for her husband’s friend!

Diane wearing her Globe t-shirt at Condor's Chocolate shop in Athens GA (Yummm)

I also have a friend here in France who has been asking for a Globe t-shirt for over a year because her daughter, who lives in London, pilfered it for herself. I’ve made other sales in London, so I was pleased to know that at least two of my tees would be floating around that city. Perhaps they’ll bump into each other on the street - wouldn’t that be fun?

I hope you’ll leave a comment below and let me know what comes to mind. Talk to me!

I promise - I write back to all emails and comments personally.

Boulangerie-Patisserie. Aubusson. Painting on silk

After a long winter, spring will come I am now sure. Do you know someone with a spring or summer birthday? A new baby about to enter the world? A wedding that will finally take place once the Covid restrictions are lifted? A graduating senior? With Mother’s Day less than a month away, do you need a gift for your mother, grandmother, or other important women in your life? If you’re looking to make any special occasion more special, may I suggest original art or a scrumptious baby silkie?

Cuddly baby gifts, a luxurious silk scarf for mom, a colorful painting to brighten your wall, or a print to give as a gift of friendship—all are available here. Congratulating a new grad with a gift of original art to accompany them in their new stage of life sounds like a perfect gift to me!

I miss seeing you; I miss interacting with my friends, but your smiling face is on my mind all the time. I’m creating new objects of art for you each week; please let me know what you’d especially like to see in the queue. Let’s do this together!

Thank you for your continued support and friendship.

Take care,

-René

P.S. As a coffee aficionado, I find myself musing on how much the sales of coffee machines and coffee paraphernalia in France must have skyrocketed as a result of the cafés being closed for so long during the pandemic. Stopping by the café for a quick shot of espresso on the way to work is practically a national sport. I have to wonder how the French are coping with this situation!