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

Seeking advice

It was mid-March, our bags were packed, and the dog’s paperwork was in order. It was the day before we were to fly to France, and we were watching the news very closely. The EU borders had closed; we thought our visas would get us into the country, but who knew for sure? We certainly didn’t want to arrive at the Paris airport only to be detained or sent back to the States.

So here we are. It’s mid-April now, and we are watching Spring arrive in Georgia. We live in a rural location, we don’t go out much anyway, and we don’t need to try too hard to social distance, since our nearest neighbor is ¼ mile away. Our family is here, safe, and watching out for us.

Make no mistake about it; COVID-19 is a catastrophe. But don’t you think the world is going to change, somehow, when this is all over? I think so, too.  

I now have a vision for peace: if everyone in the world can agree to work together to stop the spread of the disease—if we can all agree to  wash our hands, social distance, shelter in place, and work from home—then certainly everyone worldwide can decide that peace is possible. What if we all, collectively, said “No more war!” Couldn’t we do that? We are already proving that we are all humans who can work together to bring this tragedy to an end. 

For the past month, you may have noticed that I’ve been very quiet. No texts, no emails, no newsletters, no Instagram or Facebook posts. Personally, I’ve been in a hibernation mode of sorts. 

I was supposed to go to France and my mind was already in a “no contact” zone. 

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A quote from Thich Nhat Hanh, shared from a previous post.

I’ve been sequestered in my home and studio-in-the-woods, and I’ve been focused on getting some work done, discovering what the new reality of not going out would be. Although I may not have been communicative, please know that I am thinking of you, and I am moving forward. 

For the last six weeks I have also been focusing on a program to better this business of art, and it’s been fun and stimulating to be in “school.” At university, I studied art, not business. As you can imagine, being an entrepreneur is a little nebulous and the parameters of running a small business continue to change. 

My business model up to this point has been to produce beautiful creations, sell them, pay my taxes, and buy supplies to produce more beautiful creations. There can be more to it, and I am ready to take this business to the next level. I hope that I can serve you a lot better with care and compassion as I grow as a person, an artist, and an entrepreneur. 

I am in B-School with Marie Forleo, and she and the program are changing my life for the better. I am coming to the end of the coursework and I am about to graduate—with your help. If you are willing and have time to help, I have one simple question to ask you.

Marie has challenged me to identify my three strongest, best qualities: my Superpowers, if you will. It’s so hard to recognize one’s own strengths, and I need this information to move forward and better serve my community. What do you come to me and my website for, and where do you see me offering substantial value to the community? If you’re able to share any ideas, it would help me tremendously. 

If you would, please leave a comment below (or you can contact me directly), and respond by filling in as many of the headings below as you can: 

René’s three superpowers are:

#1 Superpower :

#2 Superpower

#3 Superpower

Thank you! I deeply value your opinion and appreciate your time. 

Again, thanks for being here with me. We will certainly get through this pandemic together, and hopefully create a better world built upon our collective experiences.

Sending love your way,

-René

A Lesson in Resiliency : Learning How to Live the Good Life

Last week I traveled to Toronto to celebrate the 90th birthday of my dear, sweet Aunt Yvonne.

What a joyful experience it was!

I am close to Yvonne and I enjoy visiting with her whenever I can, usually once a year. She and my cousin Marie even came to see us in France last year. Yvonne had never been to France before and she figured, well, now or …

L-R: Marie, René and Yvonne

I was super excited to be with Yvonne and her children—all 11 of them! Yvonne and Uncle Gene, who sadly passed away in 2014, have 43 grandchildren, and many great-grandchildren continue the family line. What a fulfilled life!

Many of the Power clan gathered on the golf course

Yvonne is one of the strongest women I have ever met.
She was born in 1930, grew up during the Great Depression, and watched the world change dramatically during her life. She gave birth to and raised 11 children, and after seeing a century almost all the way through, celebrated her 90th birthday with 150 people, danced until 2 a.m., THEN went to the after-party party at the local hamburger joint. That MUST make a person feel pretty darn good! Yvonne has undoubtedly known plenty of sadness in such a long life, but boy, does she know how to enjoy her life and live it to the fullest. The event space has already been booked for 2030 to celebrate her 100th birthday! Yvonne golfs, plays badminton, and practices yoga. She tells me stories about her brother—my dad—and the rest of the extended family that I would never know otherwise. And she helps guide me to be a better person.

Living the life she has takes a great deal of resiliency, as life constantly presents us all with unexpected challenges.
But the rewards of the way she has lived her life are so great, her attitude towards life is so open and positive, and her family has such unmistakable love has for each other that it is so incredibly inspiring to me. She is such a centered human being and a fantastic role model for the way I want to live my life. It is a joy to spend time with Aunt Yvonne. I love her very much, and I look forward to many, many more opportunities to share our lives together in the future.

Aunt Yvonne with a version of herself at age 17 - Isn't she beautiful? . . . . .

. . . . .

ACT NOW!

My silk painting workshop is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, February 8th and 9th
at the KA Artist shop in Athens, GA.
As of this writing, there are only 2 seats left.
You can find more information and sign up at the KA Artist Shop.
The format of the class has changed to offer you more time to wok with silk and explore your creative ideas.

Looking for a gift for a loved one or for yourself?
My online shop is open 24 hours a day and is awaiting your visit at: reneshoemaker.com/shop

I truly hope that the beginning of 2020 has been good to you, and I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Please share this email,
and leave a message below to send me questions, comments and new ideas.

I love hearing from you!

A bouquet of beautiful white flowers celebrating Yvonne's 90th birthday.

Now on Exhibit

Sharing the Magical Landscapes:
affordable archival prints of Japanese inspired paintings
December 2 - February 4, 2020
Jittery Joes 5 Points 1230 S Milledge Ave Athens, GA 30605

Silk Painting Workshop
February 8 & 9, 2020
Silk Painting Workshop with René Shoemaker
K.A. Artist Shop Athens, GA

Upcoming Exhibit
June 2020
Floral Heritage of Central America
La Caféothèque de Paris
Paris, France

Expanding your art collection?
My studios in Georgia and France stocks lots of art in many sizes & price points!
Contact me for a private tour.

In Athens, GA,
my cards, postcards, prints and magnets
are carried by the KA Artist Shop