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

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 — *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 — *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). — *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!

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.

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

What I Am Looking Forward to this Fall (Hint: one includes Paris)

The upcoming fall season brings much good news. Listed below are 3 items I am especially grateful for and excited to share with you:

I am honored and humbled that AIR Serenbe has chosen me for their artist residency for the month of November. What an honor! I will spend an entire month in the wooded community of Serenbe located southwest of Atlanta, Georgia, USA. I will be in my own cottage, with no assigned tasks except to explore, discover, experiment and create art! This accomplishment would not be possible without your continued encouragement of my work and me. (Thank you!)

Nehi Cola. Front Ave and 10th St, Columbus, GA, by René Shoemaker — *Nehi Cola. Front Ave and 10th St, Columbus, GA,* by René Shoemaker

2) I'm also thrilled to report that the Paris exhibit is finally going to happen after many delays due to the pandemic. I will be hanging the tropical flowers themed exhibit at La Caféothèque de Paris next week. In the heart of Paris, La Caféothèque is situated in the 4th arrondissement, right on the Seine River with a view of Notre Dame Cathedral. The exhibit opens on Friday August 28th. The reception (vernissage) will be held in October and I will be sure to let you know the date so that you can plan ahead to attend (!). I am extremely excited to be part of this two-person exhibit, held in the heart of Paris, which includes the French artist Anne Buxerolle.

Begonia 'Raddi', 2020, by René Shoemaker, at La Caféothèque de Paris. — *Begonia 'Raddi',* 2020, by René Shoemaker, at La Caféothèque de Paris.

Lévitation 009, by Anne Buxerolle, at La Caféothèque de Paris.. — *Lévitation 009,* by Anne Buxerolle, at La Caféothèque de Paris..

3) Les toits d'Aubusson is included in an exhibit that opened this week at ATHICA, the Athens Institute for Contemporary Art. SPACE: 2020 Juried Exhibition "references SPACE which is found all around us . . . as a concept and a construct with many different connotations." I am proud to have been chosen in this competitive exhibition, which will be on view through September 27.

Les toits d'Aubusson, included in the SPACE exhibit, sold to a collector in Chicago this week — *Les toits d'Aubusson,* included in the SPACE exhibit, sold to a collector in Chicago this week

Finally, as you know, for a number of years I've been working hard to bring the best art possible into the world to share with you while seeking to reach a wider, global audience. In the service of this goal, I am raising my prices on original art effective October 1st. As my subscribers, collectors, and loyal supporters I wanted to offer you this window of time to buy original art at the original price. (Fine art prints will remain at their current price.)

In 2001 when I first exhibited at the Clayton Street Gallery in Athens, Georgia, a silk painting sold, unframed, for $100. Today, the cost of materials, upkeep for the studio and working every day to bring my best art into the world is not sustainable at my current prices. Adjusting the prices to more accurately account for the value of time, labor, and skill I invest and the quality of the materials I use will insure that I can pay my monthly bills, allow my business to thrive, and enable me to continue to create art over the long term.

I appreciate your understanding, and as always, I am abundantly grateful for all the ways in which you continue to inspire and support me.

Église de Notre-Dame de Montluçon, France

Upcoming:

August 28 - October 15, 2020
De l'écorce à la fleur:
Les temps de la forêt
La Caféothèque de Paris
52, rue de l'Hotel de Ville
Paris, 75004, France

Now On Exhibit:
August 15 - September 27, 2020
SPACE: 2020 Juried exhibition
ATHICA: Athens Institute for Contemporary Arts
675 Pulaski St, Suite 1200
Athens, GA 30601, USA

Sharing the French Countryside

I'VE BEEN REMISS NOT TO SEND YOU PHOTOS OF FRANCE! This summer has been mild, and although we had a wet winter and spring, the summer has turned out to be dry. The farmers are once again visiting the local lakes and ponds daily to fill up their tractor-pulled water tanks to be able to provide enough water for their (beautiful) Limousin cattle. So, without further ado, I am going to share some photos of our life here, without talking too much!

We went to the seaside! I love standing on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean in France and imagining that if I would only look hard enough, I could see America on the other side. — **We went to the seaside!** I love standing on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean in France and imagining that if I would only look hard enough, I could see America on the other side.

Passing cornfields  while biking in La Creuse. — Passing cornfields while biking in La Creuse.

We discovered this small church in Sainte-Marie-de-Ré on Ile de Ré; with a model boat hanging there, a gift from the families of men who were saved in a storm. — **We discovered this small church in Sainte-Marie-de-Ré on Ile de Ré; with a model boat hanging there, a gift from the families of men who were saved in a storm.**

I hope that you and your family are doing well. I'll be returning to Georgia in October and wonder what we will find there. The cases of Covid-19 are very, very low here, and I feel a little uncertain about returning to a country where the cases are so high. But the strong urge to see my family (and friends, bien sûr!) again is overriding my hesitations. My silk-painting class scheduled for October has been cancelled due to uncertainty about gathering in groups; I apologize to those of you who have already enrolled or planned to take the class. I'll let you know as soon as a new class is scheduled.

(Originally published August 11, 2020)

MY NEW HOUSE IN FRANCE / MA NOUVELLE MAISON EN FRANCE

Let me tell you about my new house in France. I'm on my way there now! + But I have been on my way there for over 30 years...

Quote by Gregory Kramer collaged on top of a new work on silk — *Quote by Gregory Kramer collaged on top of a new work on silk*

I want you to know that anything is possible. My husband Harvey and I planted a very small seed of this dream many, many years ago, and it has finally bloomed. France has always spoken to both of us. We love the light, the language, the culture, the rolling hills of the countryside and the bustle of the cities. I especially am drawn to the deep love of art as a part of life. Not only am I going to France for six months to live and make work in a modest, old, mysterious home in a small, sleepy hamlet, but I also have an exhibition nearby that I have been madly preparing for. My dreams are coming true!

I want to share with you a little bit about this journey, because I'm not a "second home" kind of person. I raised my family in a homemade home in the woods outside of Athens, Georgia. Harvey and I were fortunate to buy property before the real estate boom in Athens, and we lived extremely modestly as we raised our children. Who needs a television when nature is right outside every window? I am fortunate to not have my values based on material culture as much as the culture that living life as our best selves gives us. A life full of love and leaky roofs and deer-scavenged gardens and the language of the forest. So, how did I buy a home in France? It sounds very complicated to some, but it's really about patience, commitment, and perseverance. Our little house in the woods in the US afforded us the saving of pennies, and the land we own is vast. We were able to recently sell a small parcel, using an incredible real estate agent (and an even more incredible artist !) named Sean Dunn, and we happily and fortunately sold part of our land to a young family with similar interests as we held when we started our homestead.

So, back to the question... how to buy a house in France? You look and look for years. You travel all around the countryside. You find a small place that feels like you belong. You go back and you visit and you make friends. You find a house that feels right, that's ready to live in but not completely renovated. I like it when homes are real, strong, and full of stories. It's not covered in coats of paint, there is nothing fancy about it. We paid cash for our home, that's how unbelievably affordable it was. It's perfect.

Today -- right now, in fact -- I am on a plane to live in France. Our son Sam and our lovely dog will hold down the homestead outside of Athens. I will set up my studio in the old barn that is part of the property, connected to the home. I like to think about everything that came there before me, and I wonder how it will influence my work. I look forward to sharing this journey with you.