In Conversation:
812 Royal Gallery and René Romero Schuler
You were originally born in Chicago, and now you live in Monterey. How do you feel your artwork has changed as your environment has changed, or does it stay rooted in that more internal, personal space rather than the external surroundings?
I have definitely incorporated some more “discernible” backgrounds and landscapes to some of my pieces, which have emerged as beach or hiking scenes and things like that. These are really fun, as they bring a whole new element to what I do, since I tend to prefer the more “static” figures in a more understated colorfield sort of space.
Your work is deeply personal. Do you see yourself in your work, or where do you locate the personal in your pieces? How do you approach bringing that emotional honesty to the canvas?
Literally every piece I create begins from my own energy and stories. As I work, other stories weave their ways in, but I have a seemingly constant flow of inspiration from the colorful and eventful life I have lived. I am always seeking grounding, strength and courage through my process, and the figures that come through become their own solid beings that embody those things and give balance to my topsy-turvy world.
Did your style come quickly for you in your artistic career, or did you go through a lot of different phases before you found what worked?
Oh my gosh, I definitely did a lot of experimenting and creation of various bodies of work before I landed on something I felt was truly good. This figurative work only found its platform after about twenty years of other styles and techniques.
You are a self-taught painter. What brought you to oil paint, and why did you choose such a classic, traditional medium? How has your relationship with oil paint evolved as you’ve gotten to know it more intimately?
In high school, I primarily used acrylic paints but was perpetually dissatisfied with their consistency and color saturations. I ended up in the acrylic/latex realm, painting murals and decorative finishes for many years. While working on those projects, I discovered oil glazing mediums, and began experimenting. The open time of the medium, and the interplay of color and buttery texture got me completely hooked. I moved to paintings strictly in oils and never looked back. The impasto technique I employ in my work is a wet on wet layering of oil paint, which allows for a very thick and sublime sort of surface tension in each piece. That dynamic texture is so important in what I do!
You’ve mentioned revisiting dark places and experiences that have broken you while wading through them with love and joy. How has embracing both the light and dark sides of life shaped your work?
The work, itself, grounds me to this world. That is a really important thing, when you feel like running away or just sinking beneath the surface. I put it all into what I do. The practice keeps me going. Whether the work is deemed as “good” or not, by the masses, is so far secondary to what it gives to ME. I create for survival. That act of creating IS THE GIFT. I capture the light and the dark, and construct a being who transmutes these things into a being that balances all of it out and becomes the strong, beautiful entity that I need to see within myself.
There’s a strength and grace in your pieces, a paradoxical quality, perfectly imperfect, confident yet masked. Where do you think this paradoxical nature comes from? Is it a reflection of your inner self, or of how you see the world and humanity? How would you describe it?
Definitely a reflection of my inner self, to a great degree. But yes, humanity too. There is an important- vital- need to feel understood…to be seen…to feel ok, or even beautiful… in all humans. We ALL have stories, scars, imperfections…things that have shaped us that can make us feel less than, or often far worse. When we encounter something that makes us feel like we matter, and that helps us to see that we are ok just as we are, this is just such an extraordinary thing. I want this to happen for everyone who encounters my work. I want you to see a little bit of yourself in what I do.
Your figures and “girls” feel so alive. Do they ever appear in your dreams, or do they come solely from your imagination?
Almost exclusively from my imagination. Every once in a while they will come in a dream- and I wish they would more often!- but it’s all just my imagination and story-telling.
Your work has evolved in a fashion-forward way over the years. Do you look at magazines, runways, or fashion trends for inspiration for the dresses your figures wear, or does it come from somewhere more intuitive?
I used to, but now I just let the figures emerge in the ways that come naturally through the paint. There does seem to be a fashion element- and I do love fashion!- but I just let things flow.
I’ve seen you listening to music while you paint. What do you normally listen to, and how does it influence your work?
I listen to all sorts of things…Dark Academia Jazz playlists, Rhye, Pure Hex, Tame Impala, and just too many artists to name here. I love music, and my playlists truly play a role in holding me in a time and space as I work.
Your process is so physical, with layering, scraping, reworking, and pulling, often using palette knives. Do you feel that this kind of layering and reworking is connected to life itself, the way we grow and reshape ourselves over time?
Oh for sure! I exclusively use palette knives to create the texture- which I have often described as “the stuff of life”, in an imperfect and rough surface that is emblematic of the things that we have experienced and that have shaped us over the years. And yes, we are constantly adapting, changing, reinventing.
Does your work ever surprise you? When you finish a painting and step back from it, what do you feel, and what does it teach you?
It has surprised me, though it’s been a while since I’ve experienced that sensation. When I step back from the work, I am typically looking for weight and balance in the piece. Sometimes I will see or feel something in a piece that catches me off guard, and those are very good days indeed! I am always learning and evolving through my work.
You handle everything with strength, grace, and logic, while also being emotionally sensitive. What would you say is the hardest part of your job? How do you balance all the layers of your work and life, and how do you relax, let loose, and have fun?
Well that is a very mighty compliment!! The emotionally sensitive part is something I cannot seem to control. I am what I am… The hardest part of my job is probably just managing all of the aspects of the “business” side of things. Working with several galleries is awesome, but there is a lot of management involved. But as far as balance goes, i feel like a master. I love hiking, spending time with my boyfriend and dog, I love cooking, reading, spending time with friends and family…. I absolutely prioritize the things that bring me the most joy.
It’s been such an honor working with you. You were one of the first artists to join 812 Royal Gallery. What made you feel this would be the right place, and do you move by intuition? Were you lacking representation in the South, or was there something else that drew you to showing in New Orleans?
A little of all of these things impacted my decision to take a flyer on 812 Royal. I love your young energy, I am intrigued by New Orleans and the south, and there was definitely some intuition as I enjoyed speaking with you and creating a plan to start out conservatively (haha, you took off like a dang rocket!!!!!).