Renee Berthelette's Portfolio
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    • Finding a Sacred Space
    • Battling the Storm
    • Satisfy Your Soul
    • Aqueous Isolations
  • Costumes
    • Tailoring
    • Fabric Painting and Dying
    • Crafts >
      • Armor
      • Millinery
    • Draping
  • Contact
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The Painting Pavilion
Episode I:
Finding a Sacred Space

Click here to see more about this painting.

The Painting Pavilion
Episode II:
Battling the Storm

Click here to see more about this painting.

The Painting Pavilion
Episode III:
Satisfy Your Soul

Click here to see more about this painting.

The Painting Pavilion - Mockup Video

This mockup video is how my current exhibition began, using The Eye of God as a place holder for future works and standard jazz tunes as a soundtrack.

The Painting Pavilion is currently available to view through January 10.
The exhibit is free and open to the public on weekdays from 10-6 pm at:
The RISE Center
58-03 Rockaway Beach Boulevard
Queens, NY 
(Please note, RISE is closed between Christmas and New Years.)

The Making of a Painting 

Through a combination of still images and time lapse sequences, this video demonstrates the progression of one of my recent paintings,
​ "Crest Fallen."

The piece begins with large brushes a wet blend to create the background and sky.

In less than a minute and a half, details, decisions, and textures evolve the painting approaches its finish.

By completion, the wave is bursting with texture; only vaguely reminiscent of the original groundwork seen at the start of the video. 

Aqueous Isolations: Live Performance

Aqueous Isolations Performance July 12, 2020
Recorded and Broadcast from FirstLive Studio in Brooklyn, New York

A 3 minute video of edited clips can be viewed here.
Aqueous Isolations began as a traditional gallery but evolved into an exploration of collaboration while in isolation.

The series is a visual timeline of the artists’ lives through the pandemic, exploring the intensity of solitude and culminating with a celebration of music and creativity. The music was curated and broadcast live by DJ *chef kissyfingers*.

The fluorescent palette represents colors expressed by certain corals in distress, as a desperate attempt to re-attract the algae they need to survive. 

The performance is an exploration of being plunged into chaos, with creative outlets as the only lifeline for survival. It is a map of human experience, charted in brushstrokes, vacillating between poles of hope & despair, frustration & focus.  

"Orbicella Faveolata" Process Video

"Orbicella Faveolata" (Mountainous Star Coral)
2020
Acrylic & Ink on Mounted Silk
​5" x 7" x 1.5"
"Orbicella Faveolata" is one of 21 endangered or threatened species featured in the Mini Coral Series of Aqueous Isolations, done in collaboration with TINSTY.

While some Mini Coral paintings were created using the denim of the jumpsuits from the live painting performance, others were created with silk from our headscarves and paint supplies. These silk paintings required additional steps before being mounted as a finished piece.

​The silk must first be stretched onto a frame to prevent the paint from pooling, and then allowed to dry completely. Following these steps, the silk was then mounted on a canvas and for final details.


To view the full series, visit: AqueousIsolations.com

Omni Open Studios - Artist Talk

Omni Open Studios - December 5, 2020
Omni Open Studios is an online, artist organized event that brings a digital audience into the studios of artists from all over the world. 

The shared goal of the collective is to help audiences connect with new artists and to reconnect a community that has been divided by the pandemic.

This segment from December 2020 shares a little bit about the inspiration, process, and goals of the Mini Coral Series, and was the duo's second time participating with Omni Open Studios. 

A 5 minute edited version of this interview is available here. 

Good Morning Bushwick - Podcast Appearance 07/08/20

Picture
Podcast Appearance - July 8, 2020
My "Aqueous Isolations" collaborator and I made an appearance on "Good Morning Bushwick" with Bud and Roach, two hilarious podcast hosts. 

The show was broadcast live out of FirstLive, the coffee shop & recording studio where our paintings were on display. Over a morning coffee, we discuss collaborating during a pandemic, music, politics, and so much more... even... Nicholas Cage? 
​
The full episode is available on Vimeo, with our interview starting at the 50 minute mark.


Stretches for People who work with their Hands

Instructional Video - 2015
After a work-related repetitive stress injury, I was unable to work for eight weeks, and in physical therapy for six months. I learned so much from doctors, nurses, physical therapists, and yoga instructors about how to help my body work more efficiently for the tasks that I do day-to-day.

These exercises were part of a program designed by physical and occupational therapists, and I'm happy to share this knowledge as an advocate for self-care, to help others to avoid future injuries.  

This 
series of stretches and tendon gliding exercises are for the hand, wrist, and shoulder; geared towards people who work with their hands.  

Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional. If you are in pain, please seek medical attention.  

    Feel Free to Contact me:

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Tailoring for the Visual Learner
Chapter One: Measurements

Tailoring for the Visual Learner is an instructional video series that takes the viewer through every step of creating a hand tailored vest, from fabric preparation and drafting to the final fitting.

Chapter One (of ten) looks at the first and most crucial element of tailoring: taking accurate measurements that will inform a well-made pattern. 

After nine years of lost footage, my thesis has finally been re-digitized to be shared with the world! 

Produced, Directed and Hosted By: Renée Berthelette
Director of Photography and Editor: Eric Gazillo
Suit Model: Harrison Koiwai
Music Composed By: Joel Love & Ian Baird


When she's not painting, Renée works as a tailor & costume maker at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City.

  • Home
  • Art Work
  • Videos
    • Finding a Sacred Space
    • Battling the Storm
    • Satisfy Your Soul
    • Aqueous Isolations
  • Costumes
    • Tailoring
    • Fabric Painting and Dying
    • Crafts >
      • Armor
      • Millinery
    • Draping
  • Contact
  • Resume