♥ Renée Christine ♥

If you read nothing else on my page, please read this:
** WRITE FIRST, ADD LATER! **
I don't add people who don't introduce themselves first.
Hi! If you don't know me already,
I'm Renée Christine!
Friends and family call me Nae, NaeNae, Miss Nae, Reenie, Eener, Nénés (Katie tells me it means "boobs" in Français), Grenade, or FussyBitchy Woman. My name in its' entirety literally translates to "rebirth of the anointed one who keeps the gate" or "born-again Christian gate-keeper" or "second coming of the Messiah who keeps the gate." I don't ascribe to the Judaeo-Christian belief system so I prefer the first definition. It's all a bit pretentious though, don't you think? Parents should give more thought to what they name their children. The second coming of Christ in female form is a hell of a lot to live up to!
My Mommy, Linda Anne
1949 - 2005
None of these meanings occurred to my mom when she named me. She had a sudden epiphany about it all when I was 18... Truth is, she actually named me after The Left Banke 1966 hit, "Walk Away, Renée" just because she liked the song.
I love the song, too - I find it melodically beautiful, especially because it features the baroque cello and viola - and I LOVE the sound of the cello. If I could be an instrument, I'd want to be one. The reality is that I'm probably more of a blaring trumpet... but in my quieter, more reflective periods, I'd like to think I'm a little cello-esque.
The Cello Look
Sadly, I don't have a musical bone in my body otherwise I would have taken lessons to learn to play the cello. The flute is also featured in the song and I did attempt to learn to play that back in 5th grade... what a disaster! My mom also signed me up for accordion lessons too - but we won't get into that! Thankfully, at least in this case, I showed no gift for this instrument either! My little sister, P.J. is the musical genius of the family - she plays the piano and the bass sax- and she's taking cello lessons just because she knows how much I love it. Her idea though, not mine. But what a sweetheart!
I'm of Irish, Italian and Native American (Montana Cheyenne) descent but since my mom was full Irish and she's the one who raised me, I tend to lean more toward the Irish ways than the other aspects of my ethnic background. I'm also proud to say that I'm the first born of the first generation of Americans on my mom's side of the family - most of whom still reside in Canada and Ireland. As for my dad's side... well, the natives were the original Americans before America was America. So, I guess I'm a perfect amalgamation of the old and the new of all that my family has ever been from both bloodlines.
Ingenue: The Eternal Revolutionary
Renée Christine Yates, 2004
I'm a professional illustrator and the interior art coordinator for a children's educational publisher in Southern California and have worked in this industry since I was 19. I have absolutely no formal training in art - never took an art class in my life - but I've been drawing since I was 3 and either taught myself what I wanted or needed to know or was trained in my field by the school of life which, to me, is far more educational than any formal class could ever be.
Double Entendre: A Paradoxical Parable
Renée Christine Yates, 2002
The two most significant artistic influences of my life are Trina Schart Hyman and Alphonse Maria Mucha.
Trina Schart Hyman
I discovered my first "Trina Book" in my pediatrician's office when I was three years old - "Minnie the Mump" - and fell in love with her style. Later I'd discover several other of her masterpieces in the form of illustrated children's books at our local library and found myself checking them out over and over again for both the sheer enjoyment of looking at her work but also for study purposes. I often said as a kid that I wanted to grow up to be the next Trina. Later, friends and family started buying me her latest published works for birthdays and Christmas and now, thanks to Half.com, Alibris, Amazon and Ebay, I can track down all the titles I don't have! Over the span of her lifetime Trina illustrated over 200 children's books. I own about 80 of them... and counting!
Sadly, Trina died of breast cancer in November of 2005, just 7 months before the death of my own mother from the same disease. Trina's death hit me very hard even though I'd never met her in person or had the pleasure of actually knowing her. Suddenly all her work became "book-ended" and the reality of accepting there'd be no more Trina Books was difficult for me to absorb - but it also brought the point home that we all have a very limited time to do what we came here to do in the lifetime we're given. Once our time is up, whatever it is we've offered to the world... well, that's it! Thankfully, she gave so much of herself to a generation of children that her spirit and visual storytelling lives on in me and countless others that have been mesmerized and inspired by her work.
Alphonse Maria Mucha
Moravian born Alphonse Maria Mucha (1860 to 1939) is known by many as the Father of the Art Nouveau style and one of the Masters of the Poster art form.
Mucha created paintings, posters, advertisements, and book illustrations, as well as designs for jewelry, carpets, wallpaper, and theatre sets in what came to be known as the Art Nouveau style. There's even a museum in Prague dedicated to all his mass amounts of work and one day I hope to visit!
His works feature beautiful young women in flowing Neoclassical robes, often surrounded by lush flowers which sometimes formed haloes behind their heads. The man obviously knew a thing or two about the Sacred Feminine! In 1894, he produced the artwork for a lithographed poster advertising the famous actress, Sarah Bernhardt, at the Theatre de la Renaissance - the first of many he created that would feature her. His lush stylized poster art won him fame and numerous commissions thereafter.
I can recall exactly the first time I saw a piece of work of Mucha's. The Shakey's Pizza parlor on Torrance Boulevard was one that we frequented often when I was a kid and on the wall, amidst numerous interesting pieces of memorabilia and interesting poster art was a huge Mucha poster of Sarah Bernhardt as "Medee" mounted on a wood backing and shellacked to a high gloss. I was both drawn to and frightened by the image. Drawn to it for it's beautiful flowing lines that is unique to the Art Nouveau style but haunted/fascinated by the morbid and disturbing subject matter. Eventually I ran across a book on Mucha at the Torrance Public Library (also on Torrance Boulevard - it was a small town back then!) and found myself doing the same thing with that book as I did with all of Trina's. Today I own just about every volume dedicated to the man and his art and, also like Trina's work, I study his pieces over and over again, year after year, always finding something new to learn and attempt to incorporate into my own style.
These two teachers, and a handful of others who have influenced my style and taught me in similar unorthodox ways, contributed greatly to my own career as an illustrator. Since my late teens I've done extensive freelance work for books, magazines, and such in other genres and even collaborated on a tarot deck with my former spiritual teacher back in the mid-90's that still selling well to this day.
The Empress
Renee Christine Yates, 2003
The work posted around my page and in my artwork picture album is mine. Some of it has appeared in various publications. Generally though, I only have time for one or two pieces a year since so many other aspects of my life and career keep me really busy.
I was born and raised in Torrance, California and moved south to Long Beach back in 1993. I've lived in the same place ever since. I'm one of those types of people who put down their roots and it generally takes a tree removal service to get them to move... call it steadfastness or stubbornness... either is applicable.
Me and my first cat, Joey
I'm a huge animal lover - I have 6 cats whom I sincerely consider to be my kids. And yes, I fully get that I'm well on my way to being one of those crazy old cat ladies who bake things for the neighbors that no one wants to eat for fear of the amount of cat hair mixed in!
Me and Ned Blue, my PoodlePoo
I'm a vegetarian for ethical reasons and carry the numbers for animal control in both the city I live and the city I work... just in case I run across an injured or dead animal. I mean, really, you wouldn't drive by an injured or dead human being if they were lying in the road so I don't get why people do it with animals all the time. I truly do not comprehend the notion that some people have that we are somehow superior to other-than-human beings. Animals are far more in tune with life than we are and have much to teach us. Unfortunately, we've made this world into our own image and all animals suffer in one way or another for it - even those lucky enough to have human caregivers (notice I don't say "owners" - I don't believe we don't own anything or anyone in this life other than ourselves... and some people can't even get that straight!) - so I feel it's important to speak up and speak out for animals since most people fail to listen to them and the wisdom they impart. I truly think the world would be a better place though if we all did.
I was raised Irish Protestant but I just couldn't reconcile the incongruencies, the blatant misogyny and the attitude of patriarchal superiority and dominion, and what I perceived to be - even as a 5 year old child - a lack of common sense and logic of the Christian faith as it was presented to me - and as it still strikes me after continued scholarly study of it as an adult. The Gnostic Gospels are a different story though... but the Canonical ones most people are familiar with... um, no.
The Sevenfold Priestess by Robert M. Place
In my teens I found myself exploring all religions and spiritual paths, both traditional and alternative. In my early 20's I chose the one that spoke most strongly to me and opted to undergo a formal apprenticeship in an Irish spiritual tradition. I spent the next 10 years earning my various degrees as well as my tradition teaching credentials and ministerial credentials through the state of California - my special area of training and focus being that of wholistic individual/internal and group energy dynamics and mind/body/spirit healing.
I've since let my community involvement and certain aspects of my beliefs lapse though after experiencing a crisis of faith at 30. However, I do still accept and actively adhere to select principles of what I'd spent so many years studying and practicing.
I could sum up all my years of spiritual seeking, training and practice in one simple saying that encompasses it all for me now:
"If you bring forth what is within you, what you bring forth will save you.
If you do not bring forth what is within you, what you do not bring forth will destroy you."
Saying 70 of Jesus Christ
The Gnostic Gospel of Thomas
Some people have said and I concur - I'm kind of an intense person at heart... although I have lightened up considerably as I've gotten older. Yet, I still don't really go for trivial chit chat. Even though I am a very happy, bubbly person, I do have a darker, shadowy side that most people don't suspect or expect. I'm more introverted than extroverted - although I do have my moments and can do the social butterfly thing if I absolutely have to - but it's not my preference. I have been known to just check out completely from others when I need "zero people" days... And Saturdays are always my official "day of rest" where I just spend the day more or less with myself... although I'm not nearly as reclusive these days as I've been known to be...
My friend, Keith, probably put it best when he said I should come with a label stamped across my forehead that reads:
"Not For Beginners... Advanced Players Only."
*My greatest loves in life*
My cats, all the people in my life who are near and dear to me for all their various reasons, my work, my life, my home, chips and salsa, Taco Salad with avocado from El T, the artwork of Alphonse Mucha and Trina Schart Hyman, long baths with a good book, the color white, white lumpy foods foods (sticky rice, cream of wheat, mashed potatoes, sour cream, cream cheese, cottage cheese, Crisco on my finger dipped in white sugar... and yes, I was a notorious paste eater as a kid), Big Stick popsicles, Snapple Peach Tea, Lays Barbecue potato chips, old style Fun Gum wax lips, Orbit Lemonmint and Mojito Lime flavored gum, anything chocolate with raspberry and/or almonds (*hint-hint* buy me a pound of Sees Raspberry Cremes and I'll seriously consider loving you forever!), my bed with my mass amounts of blankets & down comforter & electric mattress cover (What can I say? I have no fat insulation on me so I always lean toward freezing most of the time), Kate Bush and Tori Amos, Gary Oldman, Jeremy Northam, Autumn, cold rainy weather, poop jokes, jeans that fit perfect, comfortable slouchy clothes, cha-cha heels (John Waters/Divine fans know what I'm talking about here) if I have to wear shoes, sunflowers against blue skies, tulips, gardenias, the smell of fresh jasmine on the Spring breeze, the richness of deep red opium poppies, pretty painted toenails on pretty feet, waking up without an alarm clock, Pink Sugar perfume, Vicki's Secret and BB&BW's floral body sprays... and going barefooted just about anywhere.
I do loves me muh Snapple Peach Tea!
*Things I most loathe*
Bad hygiene, dishonest and deceptive people, pushy people, public water (the ocean, pools, jacuzzis, etc.), cell phones and other mobile communication devices and the lapse of social skills and common sense that has resulted from the overuse of them, laziness - especially with the English language - but also when it comes to pulling one's weight and putting in a decent day's work, perpetually negative victimy people, delusional folks, superficiality, people who can dish it out but can't take it in return, people who lack inner substance so they attempt to use money and material affluence to impress others (so not impressed!), people who try to convince you of how important or amazing they are and then get pissed off and hostile when you don't hop on their supposed fan club bandwagon, and Sushi, Indian and Thai food.