Every Step of the Way

I find it so interesting that often when you read an artist's bio, look at their webpage, and see all their qualifications, it all seems so easy. It looks like they popped out of the womb as an accomplished artist. And it all seems so matter-of-fact that they are where they are in the world today.

For me, I find that every little step of the way—every “first”—is a moment to be celebrated. First class in art school. First exhibit in a gallery. First webpage. First exhibit in a museum. First exhibit in Paris. First residency. Each one is a new opportunity to share my art with the world.

Here I am, sitting at a desk in a secluded cottage with my mind as my only companion. And I just discovered that I am now considered a “Fellow”—my first designation as such.

Finding joy in the everyday; seeking shapes in the physical world; finding connections between the exterior and interior psyche: this is my mission.

The way I move forward when working on my art is by responding to what excites me. Which line makes my heart beat faster? Which color makes me dream all night? Which ray of sunlight inspires me?

I'm always excited to share my creations with you. I invite you to share them with your loved ones, especially during this upcoming holiday season, or as gifts for winter birthdays or other occasions.

1) Fine art prints of Las Flores Tropicales series that was exhibited in Paris this past fall are now available. Choose from the images below and let me know which of the flowers you would like, or go to my online store to make your purchase.

2) Original art is available by clicking here, or of course, just hit 'reply' to this email and let me know what you are looking for.

3) Color, texture and playfulness are all features of the new collection of Silkies that just arrived. These touchable artworks made for small children are very soft, and often become constant companions, like a blankie might be. I think your little ones will adore their gift of a Silkie, which are comforting and educational at the same time.

Las Flores Tropicales series, paintings on silk now for sale as limited edition fine art prints on archival matte paper.

Babies LOVE Silkies! Each Silkies is a unique work of art.

Thank you for your support, and during this holiday week and always, please be safe!

-Rene

PREPARING FOR THE HOLIDAYS?

I have new items for sale on my website, including gifts for everyone on your list: limited edition fine art prints, original art, baby gifts, stationery, and home decor. Take a look and feel free to contact me with any questions or words of advice of what you would like to see in the shop.

Creature Comforts - Fine Art print of original silk painting

Artist-in-Residence:

November 1 - 30, 2020
AIR Serenbe Artist in Residence:
Fiber Forward Focus Fellowship
Chattahoochee Hills, Georgia
USA

Investigation & Inquiry

One moment I am in Limousin, France, the next moment I am casting my vote for President-elect Joe Biden, and the next moment I am deep in reflection in solitude in the Southeastern USA.

We can finally exhale, knowing the U.S. is on a clear path of recovery. America can begin to right its wrongs.

And we can now continue our creative endeavors.

I arrived at AIR Serenbe on November 1st, the recipient of the 2020 Fiber Forward Focus Fellowship and a month-long residency. It is exactly what my soul needs right now. 

Quiet. Contemplation. Investigation. Inquiry. Focus.

My days at Serenbe are full of inspiration and energy. What I find so interesting is that even in solitude, life continues. Before I arrived, I imagined the days would seem endless. But in fact, I still have to eat, bathe, and sleep, and the matters of the everyday take time out of my waking hours and away from art creation. 

I quickly discovered that a schedule of a five hour work block allows me the space to move into flow. After that, I must walk, I must check messages, I must sweep the cottage. It is wonderful to really have the time to investigate and discover the world through books. I am researching the artist Agnes Martin (1912-2004), whose work I mentioned in an earlier newsletter. I now have the opportunity to delve more deeply into understanding who she was, what motivated her, and the body of work she created. I am reading more of her own words and exploring her work through the Tate Modern catalog of the 2015 exhibit Agnes Martin.

Agnes Martin, The Islands, 1961, oil and graphite on canvas, 72" x 72" (182.9 cm x 182.9 cm) © 2019 Estate of Agnes Martin/Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York

By reading about Martin, I am recognizing how important it is to express my thought processes and visions on paper. In my days at Serenbe, I take copious notes and create numerous sketches. I have a new notetaking system that is helping me organize my ideas. I’m setting up the dye baths to begin dyeing, but I have also committed to using this time to follow paths of discovery I rarely have time for while preparing for an exhibition. The residency allows me not only the space to allow ideas to flow, but also the time to follow a path of exploration in my own work.

I am continuing to find my artistic voice by questioning myself, my motives, and my instincts. I am intrigued by what I am drawing and creating, which piques my curiosity to explore ideas further. I have so many ideas and design concepts swirling around in my head that sometimes I cannot write fast enough to get them all down and I feel like I really have to pay attention. I just have to step aside and let the ideas land in the sketchbook. 

I look forward to sharing with you the ideas and discoveries that emerge from this month of contemplation and creativity. Thank you for being there.

With gratitude,

-René

PREPARING FOR THE HOLIDAYS?

I have new items for sale on my website, including gifts for everyone on your list: limited edition fine art prints, original art, baby gifts, stationery, and home decor. Take a look and feel free to contact me with any questions or words of advice of what you would like to see in the shop.

"Normaltown" Fine Art print of original serigraphy

Artist-in-Residence:
November 1 - 30, 2020
AIR Serenbe:
Fiber forward Focus Fellowship
Chattahoochee Hills, Georgia
USA

Expanding your art collection? 
 Contact me for commissions and/or a private tour of my art,
which is available in many sizes & price points.

In Athens, my paper goods and small gifts are carried by:
 KA Artist Shop .

Sustainable packaging courtesy of 
noissue .

Thank you for supporting the arts in Athens, and beyond.

With gratitude, 
-René

Adding New Dimensions to My Art

I'll keep this newsletter short today with just three items of note. My artwork and art career have taken on some new dimensions, and I couldn't wait to share them with you! Music, video, and audio recordings are all in store:

1) Ed Cashin of Atlanta, GA was inspired to compose music to accompany my tropical flower paintings. I invite you to click on the links below to listen to two examples.

Orchid Riot

Aechmea Caudata

Which of the two compositions do you like best? I'm intrigued by the different energy that is captured in each piece. They each have their own personality!

2) The Columbus Museum's program "60 Seconds with the Artist" for their virtual museum invited me to discuss the "12th and Broadway, Columbus, Ga" large-scale painting I created for my exhibit "Discovering the Chattahoochee Valley" there in 2015-16. Click here to listen to that interview.

I'm proud to be included with so many accomplished artists in this audio visual series.

12th and Broadway. Columbus, GA

Included here is your invitation to our Vernissage (art reception) in Paris:

Exhibition invitation for you, designed by Alejandra Paz

3) AND last but not least: You can watch a video interview with the curator of the Paris exhibit and me regarding the exhibit that is on display through October 15th.

Christina and René discussing the premise of the exhibit in the video.

Included here is also the interview with Christina and my co-exhibitor Anne Buxerolle; her interview is in French.

All of the  "Les temps de la forêt" artworks are for sale except for Coffee Arabica #3 and #4, as they were purchased last week by a collector in Oklahoma (Thank you, Tom!). Contact Christina or me for purchase inquiries. 

Thank you for taking the time to look at (and listen to) these links. And please let me know your opinions on all this new work - I ALWAYS appreciate hearing from you!

With gratitude,

-René

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

Expanding your art collection?  Contact me for commissions and/or a private tour of my art, which is available in many sizes & price points.

In Athens, my paper goods and small gifts are carried by:
 KA Artist Shop .

Sustainable packaging courtesy of 
noissue .

Thank you for supporting the arts in Athens, in France, and beyond.

With gratitude, 
-René

How Does Less Do More?

My friend Jon has a habit of asking me thought-provoking questions about my art and the art-making process. As I answer Jon's questions, I thought it would be interesting to share my thoughts with you. His first question, “Line or color?” I took to mean, “Which is more important in your artwork, is it line or color?”

First I thought back to my influential artists, although I have to admit I don’t see that much original art these days (isn’t everyone hung up on Instagram?) and it’s been especially hard to see real art since we’ve all had to stay home for so long now. There really is no comparison between a computer screen vs. real-life art.

With regard to my art, which I can only share with you now via a computer (or worse yet, a phone screen), I want to share some ideas I reflect on during the act of creation.

Every step is a decision-making opportunity (or struggle, depending on the decision at hand).

When I make these decisions, I am guided by this principle:

My goal as an artist has always been to get an idea down with the fewest lines and colors as humanly possible. 

Okay, not humanly possible, because if I got it down to THAT, it would be one line and one color. But I always ask myself, Would two lines and two colors suffice?

Two of the greats related to this, from my perspective, are Mark Rothko and Agnes Martin. Mark with color and Agnes with line. How I would love to sit down and have a conversation with these two!

Agnes Martin. Stone. 1964. MoMA http://www.moma.org

Mark Rothko. Untitled. 1954. artsy.net

I get very excited when I can synthesize things down to the fewest elements.

For example, the simplest silk “painting” I think I’ve ever created is “77 rue Alfred Assolant, Aubusson.” 

René Shoemaker. 77 rue Alfred Assolant, Aubusson. $495.

In 2018 I was very excited to be making a body of work about my community of Aubusson in central France. I was using joyful bold colors and refining my drawings down to basic elements. In fact, quite a few paintings from that show became my “favorites.” But back to the rue Assolant painting, I made the bold statement of drawing on the silk the lines of my original drawing and then leaving the silk a pure white.

Seems simple, eh? In reality, it took a lot of contemplation, a lot of nerve, a lot of chutzpah to leave that silk white and call this a “painting.” But I must admit that I was very happy with the result, I was happy to watch others' reactions to it and I was even happier that I listened to my heart. 

Next week I will share a few more paintings from that exhibit where I felt like I “got it.”

I look forward to sharing more examples of this process with you in the coming weeks. I also want to mention that over the next few months I will be working on a Horizon series, a distillation of painting on silk to one line and two colors. I’ve been wanting to work on this series for a number of years, but I wasn’t sure where it would go, creatively speaking, or where I could exhibit it. 

Although this concept previously seemed too “simple,” I believe I am ready for the challenge! Now that simplicity excites me as I envision the Horizon series paintings of all sizes hanging in one gallery, creating an environment that will encircle the viewer in color and tranquility. I currently have a commitment to exhibit this work in France at the beginning of 2021, although I am no longer sure that will happen because of the virus’ impact on small businesses worldwide.

Now that I’ve shared my thoughts, tell me:
 

    1.    How do you feel about painting as a medium that can be expressed in many variations, and what types of paintings are your favorites?


    2.    How do you feel about being exposed to new artistic ideas via the Internet?


    3.    How do you feel about simplicity?


    4.    What is your definition of art?


Let me know! Better yet, share this post with friends and ask for their thoughts on these topics, and share those reflections with me. I will include your responses in my next newsletter.

Upcoming Events:

September 2020
Floral Heritage of Central America
La Caféothèque de Paris
Paris, France

October 2020
Silk Painting Workshop with René Shoemaker
K.A. Artist Shop
Athens, GA