A Studio In the Woods

I’m lucky to live in a quiet environment in a hand-built home that faces south, with the sun rising through the bedroom window and setting through the kitchen door. My studio is behind the house, and I wish to thank Harvey right here and now for helping to shape this space into what it is: a home for the two of us and our children, Kate and Sam.

I often use the phrase “My studio in the woods” when describing my workspace, and you may have wondered, “What does that mean?” So here is an attempt to convey what I experience on a daily basis while practicing my craft:

“My studio in the woods” means:

 I have solitude while I work.

 I have nature surrounding me.

 I hear birds singing as I type/draw/paint.

 At night, I hear the crickets sing.

 When the air is clear, I can hear water rushing over a dam that is over two miles away.

 If I am working at night and step outside the studio, I see an amazing number of stars in the sky.

 My studio is small, and hand built. It means it is naturally “air conditioned,” except when it gets really hot, and then          I use a new-fashioned air conditioner.

 I am very lucky to have this special place to work.

 I can take a walk in the woods - and not see anyone else - any time I want, right out my studio door.

 My dog, Dexter, can lay on the stoop outside while I work inside, as he prefers watching the birds to sleeping inside the studio.

 I have the space in my head to think expansively and to design.

 Any anxiety I bring to my studio time is just that: imported, and I am learning to let go of it.
 

It means, in effect, I am living the good life, and very happy to be here.

WHERE DO COLORS COME FROM?

Maureen asked: Your work is beautiful from the perspective of the architecture and everyday life graphics that you capture (read coffee cups), but I am also mesmerized by the color you use. What inspires your color choices? 

My answer: 

Maureen, the colors speak to me. When I look at a piece of white silk with a design sketched on it, an area of the design presents itself to me and says, “Me! I’m red!” And once I decide which type of red it should be, mix it, and paint it, that particular red informs the next color. Do I want a color that contrasts with the red, or blends with it, or complements it?

Sometimes the composition informs the color choice. For example, how many blue skies can I paint and still make each one unique? How many different colors of blue can I discover to represent a sky? Do I want the blue to be a “real” sky blue or a shocking, unusual sky blue? Just yesterday I painted an orange sky--and I’m ecstatic about it. Yes, it is unusual, but the orange spoke to me when I looked at the forest green foreground and the fuchsia midground. And speaking of foreground and midground, I take into consideration whether I want the foreground color in a painting to bring that foreground close, or to make it visually recede.

It may take up to a week to find the right color. When I’m working on a color it’s the first thing I think about when I wake up in the morning and it stays with me all day. It’s like a dialogue I have with the artwork and the colors. I cannot explain how my mind “sees” a color and how I then interpret it. But if I have an idea of a color in my head, I may say to myself, “Well, that would take a royal blue, rather than a navy blue, and then I will add some lemon yellow . . . ” Sometimes the colors surprise me completely. I was so excited to see that when I mixed the forest green (which took a week to perfect) and the fuchsia, which were side by side on the painting, it created a beautiful deep maroon-burgundy, which then created harmony in the painting when I used it for the details. Divine!

Quite simply, colors make me happy. I relish them, absorb them, and study them constantly. When I am driving down a country road in the early morning (which, living in the country, I frequently do), I often stop the car so I can study the colors in the sunrise. My eyes drink in the colors; I put what I know and what I have discovered about the color into my color memory bank, and live with it for a while. I also study artists whose work speaks to me: Henri Matisse and Edouard Vuillard, for example. And sometimes I ask friends what their favorite color combinations are, or I look around to see the colors in my own environment that inspire me. And I use that information as a jumping off place to begin painting.

Now you know why I enjoy being an artist: I love the feeling of being surrounded by beauty and surprises all the time! 

A DREAM COME TRUE: MY ART RECEPTION IN PARIS

November 12, 2014 - Truly one of the best days of my life. There was a crowd at the reception, half of whom were people I knew and their friends, and half of whom were total strangers to me. Such a nice mix! Everyone loved the artwork and asked lots of questions about my process, inspiration, etc. Most people spoke in French, and I did my best to reply to them in French.

During the reception, Christina, the cultural events coordinator, gave a talk about my work. Below is the text of her talk (translation courtesy of Etienne and Christina):

"I think René's artwork is very interesting. The pieces give a strong atmosphere , and you don't see people in the prints and paintings. There may be a dog that walks around, but otherwise you see only glasses and coffee cups. With these cups one can imagine the people behind the coffee; those who have prepared the coffee, or those drinking it. These art pieces are 'inhabited.' They invite us all to pick up the cup and enjoy some coffee.

I am very happy to introduce René to you all. This reminds me of the saying, 'Tell me what you drink (or eat); I’ll tell you who you are.' René embodies this idea. She travels through taste: she often comes to France, and she drinks good wine and good coffee. This is how she came to La Caféothèque: because she was looking for some good coffee to drink. That was one year ago. We communicated through e-mail and we met each other only one week ago. We actually found out that we make a great team!

I also  want  to thank Laure, who helped us a lot. She is a very sensitive person with art; she has good judgment and she can create stories through what she sees to share with others.

I am very happy to be here and share this time with you. The exhibition will be on display until January 7. I invite you all to have another look at the pieces . Enjoy!"

-Christina Chirouze Montenegro

Working with my "team" in Paris

 

November 7, 2014. I AM SO HAPPY TO BE IN PARIS!! Met my "team" tonight - Christina Chirouze Montenegro & Laure Jubert. We looked over my art, decided how to hang it, and discussed our philosophies on art and life.

Christina & Laure loved their t-shirts I brought for them. I can tell that these two talented women are going to make great things happen!

November 8, 2014. Out shopping for picture frames, and having a coffee (of course!) at café Loustic in the Marais - where Laure works during the day. Event documented below -  with the inimitable Christina Chirouze Montenegro!

I'm exploring France and calling it research - how awesome is that?  What artwork will come from my current experiences? In just a few days we'll be celebrating the opening of my first exhibit in Paris!