tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-89688038171106767322024-02-19T12:04:05.228-05:00The Magpie's FancyGigi Thibodeauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15326335927273800932noreply@blogger.comBlogger507125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8968803817110676732.post-17226111132597921712016-12-31T15:47:00.000-05:002016-12-31T15:47:01.349-05:00A Year and a Word<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We woke up yesterday to find our backyard blanketed in many more inches of snow than we had expected. It was the thick, heavy snow that bends small trees to the ground and breaks off large limbs from the great white pines. It also temporarily turns our funny little garden shed into an enchanted fairy tale cottage. </div>
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Earlier in the week we'd walked the icy trails at Gilsland Farm, seeking quiet amidst the chaos of the season. This year's holidays have felt even more tumultuous than usual. I think the news of the world after this long, often terrible, year has left many of us exhausted.</div>
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In the face of unrest and suffering in the world, I've found myself turning more and more to the wintery landscapes and seascapes of my home state for solace. It's there in the bone-colored branches of birches, the grey ocean waves laced with white, and the dry tufts of frozen grass in open fields that I look for the escape my heart longs for.</div>
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I haven't become a complete hermit, I promise. I welcome the cries of seagulls as I walk the cobblestoned streets of Portland, the rush of winter robins' wings overhead in the trees, and the laughter of school kids swooping down hillsides on makeshift sleds.</div>
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And the companionship of loved ones. I'm not always up for talking these days, but I am almost always up for a walk, and a shared cup of something warm when we return home.<br />
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Choosing my word for 2017 was easy. I didn't even think about it. I just knew: <i>peace</i>. That's all I hope for this year. Peace for those I love, for myself, and for the world. Over the summer I taught myself how to play ukulele, and one of the first songs I learned how to play was John Lennon's "Imagine." As I learned the chords and gradually discovered how to weave the words in as I played, I found myself experiencing the song in a new way. I've always loved the lyrics, but each time I now come to "Imagine all the people, living life in peace," I feel it so strongly that I often have to stop playing for a few moments. Peace is what I hope for, for me and for you, my friends. I will do my best to help make it happen in the tiny ways that I know how. Wishing you a year of joyful adventures, truly funny moments, inspiration, love, and peace. xo Gigi</div>
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<br />Gigi Thibodeauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15326335927273800932noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8968803817110676732.post-68209654622938616632016-12-05T00:01:00.000-05:002016-12-05T08:30:52.889-05:00Five on Five<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello, my friends! Once again, I'm joining in with some photographer friends to share five of my favorite photographs from the past month. When I look through the shots I took from the past thirty or so days, I feel a tremendous rush of very mixed emotions. I can't go on without saying that the world feels like it flipped upside down since the last time I posted, and I can honestly say that November 2016 was one of the most surreal months in my lifetime. I promised myself that after some truly terrible experiences on Facebook early in the month, I would keep my blog a politics-free zone, so I won't talk about any of it here, but I will say that the photo above is of a place that has become a safe haven for Todd and me. In October we bought a small, rustic cottage on a lake here in Maine, and I took this shot on the afternoon of election day. It's part of the view from the little beach in front of our camp. We've already begun work on the place, and we've got lots more to do, but I can hardly wait until spring, when we can start really using the place. I promise to share photos and stories of the journey.</div>
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When life has been too hectic to make it up the camp, we've taken some great walks. I took the two shots above and below at one of our favorite birding spots, Gilsland Farm, in Falmouth. It's the home of Maine Audubon, and I can think of few places I'd rather walk at this time of year as autumn dips into winter.</div>
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My sister and I spent a couple of days earlier this month making wreaths. I hung this berry and rose hip wreath up on my shed one night, only to come out in the morning and discover that it had snowed overnight, making the wreath far more beautiful than my humble imagination ever could have. </div>
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I've been teaching and developing classes quite a bit this fall, and haven't had much time for my still life work, but I bought a couple of absolutely incredible pomegranates a couple of weeks ago, and when I combined them with the berries we'd gathered for wreaths, I just knew I had to find a little time for taking some still life photos. This one below is one of my favorites from the session.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlH7OxCYSHffHLuBQg1q5k4On4M6yMff0W0boxzWvj5jwoGn9NvBqQuqNHH7HkWofWsCPzhTiOK55fig1PbrbWQr4oXRqM3JCIIqTI63yfSX-KqOogUfA2rvIvXb3or5wOrENqbRLmgMRO/s1600/pomegranate+and+feather.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlH7OxCYSHffHLuBQg1q5k4On4M6yMff0W0boxzWvj5jwoGn9NvBqQuqNHH7HkWofWsCPzhTiOK55fig1PbrbWQr4oXRqM3JCIIqTI63yfSX-KqOogUfA2rvIvXb3or5wOrENqbRLmgMRO/s640/pomegranate+and+feather.jpg" width="512" /></a></div>
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As we head towards the solstice, I wish you much peace and joy, my friends! May you spend time with the people you love most, may you be warm and safe from harm, and may you discover inspiration in unexpected places. </div>
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If you'd like to see five of my talented friend Stephanie's beautiful photographs from the past month, click <a href="https://gfamilyjournal.wordpress.com/%E2%80%A6/%E2%80%A6/05/5-on-5-december/">here</a>.</div>
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More soon! xo Gigi</div>
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<br />Gigi Thibodeauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15326335927273800932noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8968803817110676732.post-22832231189995072192016-10-17T12:07:00.003-04:002016-10-17T12:07:48.606-04:00Of Worms and Wings and Other Sacred, Ordinary Things<br />
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Hello, my friends! Below I have posted the transcript of a talk I gave this past weekend at a celebration of Emily Dickinson's poetry and gardens. The event was hosted by the <a href="http://www.powowriverpoets.com/">Powow River Poets </a>at the beautiful Old South Church in Newburyport, Massachusetts. At the end of the day, some folks asked if I'd be willing to share the transcript, and I thought posting it here on the blog might be the easiest way to do just that. Those of you who read my blog regularly may recognize a few lines here from a post I wrote over the summer as I was drafting this talk. I've included a few of my photos from past posts here with the talk, too. Again, if you've read my blog for a while, and you know about my passion for gardens, fields, and woods, you'll immediately understand my love for Emily Dickinson.<br />
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<b>Of Worms and Wings and Other Sacred, Ordinary Things</b><br />
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Thank you so much. I want to say a special word of thanks to the Powow River Poets for this wonderful celebration of Emily Dickinson’s poetry and gardens. I can’t think of a better way to spend a Saturday--especially an October Saturday--and you’ll see why in just a bit. <br />
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I should begin by saying that I’m not an Emily Dickinson expert. I’m simply a devoted fan, and I have been ever since I was a kid in the 1970’s. Back when I was about 9 or 10, I had two summertime obsessions. They weren’t obsessions that I shared with my friends or anyone else. These were mine alone. <br />
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The first was one that I’m guessing many of you also had and probably still have; I read every single thing I could get my hands on. Magazines, books, cereal boxes—if it had words, I read it. And somewhere in all that reading, I stumbled upon a collection of verse among my dad’s old college poetry textbooks that included some of Emily Dickinson’s poems. And among those poems I discovered the first verse beyond the nursery rhymes of my early childhood that I knew I had to memorize. It seemed to me so clever and true that I wanted to put it in my pocket and keep it for myself always. So I did:<br />
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“The pedigree of honey<br />
Does not concern the Bee—<br />
A clover anytime to Him<br />
Is aristocracy.”<br />
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These lines embody much that I loved then and still love now about Dickinson’s poetry—economy of line, frankness, and a knack for telling the small but significant truth. In these four lines she captures the perfect symbiosis between blossom and bee—one of the world’s most essential relationships. This tiny poem has always stayed with me. When I was learning calligraphy as a teenager, it was one of the sentences I would write again and again, decorating it with flourishes in the curlicued shape of a bee’s flight pattern. In the years since then, it’s been a mantra, a touchstone that even now I repeat when I’m working in my garden: “The pedigree of honey does not concern the bee,” I murmur as I trellis the sweet peas or weed among the thyme and rosemary, and again at night as I drift off to sleep, knees aching, hair still smelling of mud and leaves . . . “a clover anytime to him is aristocracy . . . .” <br />
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But getting back to my childhood summertime obsessions. The first was reading, and as you might have already guessed, the second was gardening. I loved spending hours in my mother’s flower garden with my face as close to the peonies, the phlox, and the tiger lilies as possible. In the garden, my senses were heightened, things seemed more real, and I felt more connected to all the thousands of lives around me than I did anywhere else—connected to the worms in the soil, the butterflies careening among the cosmos, the cardinals calling one another from the branches of our white lilac tree. I wanted to be near enough to spy on the bees working their dizzy magic, near enough so that the flowers would, as Dickinson writes, “make me regret / I am not a bee” (808). Beyond the garden was noise and flash and distraction, the next-door neighbors arguing, planes roaring overhead, and the distant wash of cars on the highway—people rushing off to a world that seemed preoccupied with less vital things--at least to me. There in the garden was the much smaller, more vibrant world that Dickinson describes in Poem 1746:<br />
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The most important population<br />
Unnoticed dwell,<br />
They have a heaven each instant<br />
Not any hell.<br />
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Their names, unless you know them,<br />
’Twere useless tell.<br />
Of bumble-bees and other nations<br />
The grass is full.<br />
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The garden to me, as a kid, felt like existence at its most essential. While I reveled in its beauty, I don’t really think I held a romanticized notion about the pretty flowers, because, I saw life and death quite clearly for what they were when I was in the garden. In fact, I think if you want a child to understand death, you give her a hoe, a spade, and a pair of shears, and you send her out to vanquish the weeds, turn the compost, and deadhead the roses. Much as Emily Dickinson did in her own mother’s garden when she was growing up, I saw death all around me in the garden—and in some cases, I was even the cause of it, whether I wanted to be or not. I quickly learned that this was an unavoidable part of being a gardener.<br />
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I also witnessed intimately how everything that dies helps to bring new life into the world. And that many of the plants that died each year had ingenious ways of coming back to life the following spring. As Dickinson asks, “If a pod die, shall it not live again?” (Prose fragment 18) Over time as I continued to garden, continued to watch pods die each season and then live again, and continued to read Dickinson’s poems about the gardens, orchards, and fields surrounding her home in Amherst, I knew that I had found a kindred spirit—and isn’t this one of the key reasons that we read (and write) poetry? Dickinson herself called the poets she read “the dearest ones of time, the strongest friends of the soul.”<br />
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As a girl, I couldn’t put into words what I was discovering about the interconnectedness of life and death in the garden. In fact, I don’t even think I can now, really. As Dickinson writes, “Nature is what we know— /Yet have no art to say" (668).<br />
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But she doth protest too much, because she <i>did</i> have the art to say it: When Roses cease to bloom, Sir, /And Violets are done,” she writes,<br />
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When Bumblebees in solemn flight<br />
Have passed beyond the Sun —<br />
The hand that paused to gather<br />
Upon this Summer's day Will idle lie — in Auburn —<br />
Then take my flowers — pray!”<br />
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Or in “A Bird came down the walk," where she describes the bird that bit an angle worm in halves, “ate the fellow raw,” drank some dew from the grass, and then “hopped sidewise to let a beetle pass.” She intimately captures in her poems Tennyson’s “nature red in tooth and claw” (“In Memoriam A.H. H.") with a scientist’s precision and a poet’s sensibility. At the same time, she also explores the sacred in the everyday. “I hope you love birds too,” she wrote to her cousin Eugenia Hall. “It is economical. It saves going to heaven.” And in “Some Keep the Sabbath” (236) that great old chestnut taught in Introduction to Literature courses everywhere, she eschews conventional religion, finding her spirituality in the family orchard:<br />
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Some keep the Sabbath going to Church –<br />
I keep it, staying at Home –<br />
With a Bobolink for a Chorister –<br />
And an Orchard, for a Dome –<br />
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Some keep the Sabbath in Surplice –<br />
I, just wear my Wings –<br />
And instead of tolling the Bell, for Church,<br />
Our little Sexton – sings.<br />
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God preaches, a noted Clergyman –<br />
And the sermon is never long,<br />
So instead of getting to Heaven, at last –<br />
I’m going, all along.<br />
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For Dickinson the garden embodied immortality. As a girl, she describes heaven in a letter to a friend as “the garden we have not seen.” And many years later, just before her death, she asked to have her casket carried—by the workmen who tended the family’s grounds—in a circle around her garden, through the barn, and then up through the field of buttercups to the Western Cemetery in the center of Amherst. Heaven was inseparable from the flowers, the birds, and the bees, which were all parallels to and metaphors for her own life—for our own lives. That is not to say that she didn’t see them as ends in themselves, but that by seeing and valuing them for their own sake, she came to understand her own existence all the better. In the garden she found a way to comprehend mortality—and proof of immortality.<br />
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When I was a little girl in the garden with my shears and my spade, Emily Dickinson taught me something that I would later come to feel in my bones as true, and it’s that at root, a gardener thinks about life and death always as one. In each flower's race toward blossoming is its race, too, toward decline. I'm saying nothing new, only that when you garden, this thought is always present. In the spring garden I am surrounded by the new growth of runner bean sprouts, the full flush of a climbing rose, and the last breath of a lush peony all at the same moment. My wheelbarrow is piled high with a day's kill: the weeds I pulled, faded blossoms I plucked, lily beetles I crushed between gloved finger and thumb. The gardener must not be squeamish about death. She must recognize its necessity even as she rejoices at the sight of her first ever iris uncurling itself with a flourish from the spear of its stem. She must also accept its necessity when that iris blossom dies. <br />
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It’s a Saturday in October, and the garden is dying. But it will live again—improbably, miraculously, this coming spring. Even as it dies, it is living, and it will always live on, as will the iris, the rose, and the jasmine, the Indian Pipe and the clover, in Emily Dickinson’s words.<br />
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And so, because she had the art to say it, as well as anyone ever has, and as reverently, too:<br />
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“In the name of the Bee—<br />
And of the Butterfly—<br />
And of the Breeze—<br />
Amen!” (21)<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Note: Numbers in parentheses refer to poem numbers in </span><i style="font-size: small;">The Poems of Emily Dickinson</i><span style="font-size: x-small;">, edited by R. W. Franklin, 1999.</span></div>
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<br />Gigi Thibodeauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15326335927273800932noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8968803817110676732.post-21730509920498126242016-10-01T09:37:00.002-04:002016-10-01T09:37:32.060-04:00October<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
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Always my new year. Always a beginning. Always an answer to an unspoken question. </div>
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When I stray too far from the ways that keep me centered and whole--thinking, listening, sitting quiet and still--October reminds me. </div>
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In my kitchen I watch a ray of sunlight shift to copper at day's end. Apples on the counter wait to be peeled and sliced. Ginger simmers on the stove, its steam curling a golden trail through the room. Outside a cardinal calls to her mate from the oxblood leaves of the ninebark tree. What she sings to him I can never know, but her song keeps time with the beat of my own heart. </div>
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Gigi Thibodeauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15326335927273800932noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8968803817110676732.post-81075494937390712942016-09-05T00:01:00.000-04:002016-09-05T00:01:20.819-04:005 on 5<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOgML8RhZnR5_F8Ajp5XqXyaRKKTSGOAeOzm95klOIWXqAJLZbif_NsOPmMPVgjYIZVtPe89pv6Mfcxw3AjRqmP_XMGtkQOvjs600KaKfeHCIG-8Aen8E5TeLyVlS9wc-OhMIAtRXx3MUa/s1600/IMG_2516.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOgML8RhZnR5_F8Ajp5XqXyaRKKTSGOAeOzm95klOIWXqAJLZbif_NsOPmMPVgjYIZVtPe89pv6Mfcxw3AjRqmP_XMGtkQOvjs600KaKfeHCIG-8Aen8E5TeLyVlS9wc-OhMIAtRXx3MUa/s640/IMG_2516.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Standish, Maine, Grange Hall</td></tr>
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To live in a place where there are still long stretches of roadsides rimmed with evergreens and lakes where fireflies linger well into the night--this makes me truly blessed. I want to capture as much of what makes my state precious to me, so this month I snapped shots of grange halls and classic seaside spots as well as some quiet moments of late summer beauty from my garden.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Mt. Cutler Grange Hall in Hiram, Maine</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zinnias from my garden. Love.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Evening drinks on the porch at the incredibly beautiful Grey Havens Inn in Georgetown, Maine.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The latest in my Dark Flower Portraits, this one inspired by research I'm doing on Emily Dickinson.</td></tr>
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I'm joining in with 5 on 5 again this month. If you'd like to follow along with the other participants, take a peek <a href="http://www.jenniferbrake.com/2016/09/05/august-5-on-5/">here at Jennifer Brake's beautiful blog</a>!</div>
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More soon, my wonderful chickadees! xo Gigi</div>
Gigi Thibodeauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15326335927273800932noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8968803817110676732.post-22836663356138068542016-08-05T00:01:00.000-04:002016-08-05T00:01:07.585-04:005 on 5<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6dJNFVLnX3WrBOD63k8vy6AaiLlBnYZ64FuKrGoqexnN9SwRBaA-HDlwIYYgwj9U7eDYUiCBY-cpM7e6mCpv1GBfS5pobBp3s3oDq97HJ0ROmeWH0IgraqusQatH5ZjIqHdEnwXv1uj2D/s1600/IMG_1074.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="510" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6dJNFVLnX3WrBOD63k8vy6AaiLlBnYZ64FuKrGoqexnN9SwRBaA-HDlwIYYgwj9U7eDYUiCBY-cpM7e6mCpv1GBfS5pobBp3s3oDq97HJ0ROmeWH0IgraqusQatH5ZjIqHdEnwXv1uj2D/s640/IMG_1074.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Hello, my friends! I have so much I want to share with you. I'm back participating in 5 on 5 with some very talented photographers this month. Each month on the 5th we post our 5 favorite photos from the previous month, and then we link to each other's blogs. I'll post a link at the bottom of this post, and I hope you'll take a peek!</div>
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I've been wanting to share with you some wonderful news about my photography. Last month I showed you some of my recent Dark Flower Portraits, and I just wanted to let you know that some of them are now available at <a href="http://chelseaunderground.com/gigi-thibideau/">Chelsea Underground Fine Art Gallery in Chelsea, Michigan</a>. You can find out more <a href="http://chelseaunderground.com/gigi-thibideau/">here</a>. It's an honor to have my work in this beautiful gallery.</div>
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The photo above is one I worked on this month. It took a while to complete the process with this one, as I shot over several days as the peonies, catmint, and other flowers were drying. Once I discovered the moment that I was looking for, I then processed the photo with many layers. As I've mentioned before, I tend to shoot still lifes in my tiny study up under the eaves in our house. I have one northern facing window up there that lets me really play with light. I use lots of different backdrops. For this one, it was an old chalkboard.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZuYp_vQu3EdM0_z7uu3zRT0RsBjpSJJyakcYjSTxK53QB-ocZ05VtZE6Hv9aU8UekzB7p3cp7ZcrIF4bBSmq8K5Jr1ltMq6TzbyURHRV3g7ok8J-6tx7YfJabina7r8ii-p0FGmyC30wg/s1600/IMG_1442.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZuYp_vQu3EdM0_z7uu3zRT0RsBjpSJJyakcYjSTxK53QB-ocZ05VtZE6Hv9aU8UekzB7p3cp7ZcrIF4bBSmq8K5Jr1ltMq6TzbyURHRV3g7ok8J-6tx7YfJabina7r8ii-p0FGmyC30wg/s640/IMG_1442.JPG" width="512" /></a></div>
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When I'm not working on still lifes, I'm thinking about still lifes. I take long walks in meadows and along the shore, observing the textures of grasses and flowers. This shot above was near the end of the day at my old favorite haunt, <a href="http://maineaudubon.org/find-us/gilsland-farm/">Maine Audubon at Gilsland Farm</a>.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihJU-pReVUyqm85l0qCZJF6_nYFZyj8r74JXp8RJvr6TNiLoGV_dObP_X1e0TwplEGOygfdiE5RU8fccWz9YPn76zvz3lPei92MCPq6xNOtCAZ4PoKuGN0NV_qH-ZVBE6jpN0pFmxfjaWO/s1600/IMG_1501.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihJU-pReVUyqm85l0qCZJF6_nYFZyj8r74JXp8RJvr6TNiLoGV_dObP_X1e0TwplEGOygfdiE5RU8fccWz9YPn76zvz3lPei92MCPq6xNOtCAZ4PoKuGN0NV_qH-ZVBE6jpN0pFmxfjaWO/s640/IMG_1501.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Another favorite spot is <a href="https://portlandheadlight.com/">Portland Head Light</a>, where I took the photo above. As with my still lifes, I sometimes layer many textures over landscapes and seascapes, as I've done with this one.<br />
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And then sometimes I just aim the camera, adjust the settings a bit, and shoot. When the sunset is this glorious, I don't need to do much processing. I took this shot here in Portland out at our new outdoor music venue, <a href="http://www.statetheatreportland.com/thompsons-point/">Thompson's Point</a>. Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros were playing that night, and it was pretty much a classic coastal Maine summer evening.</div>
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I'm wrapping up my summer teaching this week, which means I'll have about three weeks off before fall semester begins. I've had some terrific creative writing students this summer--and all year--and now I'm ready for a couple of weeks of my own writing and photography time. I'm not gonna lie; it's been a wild summer--a wild year--with some challenges that I wasn't sure I could meet. July included a short but beautiful trip to Rangeley Lake for hiking and birding, and some of the most outrageous fireworks I've ever seen. It also included tons of work, lots of visits from family and friends, and a bittersweet weekend spent with family as we celebrated the life and mourned the passing of my sweet Aunt Connie. She was the last of my father's siblings, and now that she is gone, those days of childhood feel far away. In remembrance, I've been taking Dark Flower portraits at the end of this month of flowers from my childhood, including these Queen Anne's Lace, mixed here with some fennel.</div>
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Thank you so much for visiting, my friends! If you'd like to see some more of 5 on 5, head on over to <a href="http://www.jenniferbrake.com/?p=406">Jennifer Brake's wonderful blog</a>.</div>
Gigi Thibodeauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15326335927273800932noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8968803817110676732.post-75260213486542977802016-07-05T00:01:00.000-04:002016-07-05T00:01:09.858-04:005 on 5<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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So much has been happening around here this past month! Lots of interesting things are in the works. I have much news to share and many stories to tell, but first I have the great joy of taking part in 5 on 5, along with some wonderful photographer friends. Each month we share 5 of our own photos from the previous 30 days, and we link to each other's blogs, creating a chain of beautiful photos and stories. How wonderful is that? Big thanks to my friend, <a href="https://gfamilyjournal.wordpress.com/2016/07/05/july-5-on-5/">Stephanie</a>, for starting this group back at the beginning of the year. I've known Stephanie for years now through the blogging/Flickr world, and I've long admired her photography, so I'm just chuffed to be a part of this group. You can see her 5 on 5 post <a href="https://gfamilyjournal.wordpress.com/2016/07/05/july-5-on-5/">here</a>.</div>
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As some of you know, I've been working on a series of pictures that I'm calling my Dark Flower portraits. The peonies above are one of the newest in the series. I'll have news to share about the series in my next post, but for now, I'll just share some writing I did in an <a href="https://www.instagram.com/gigithibodeau/">Instagram</a> post that was inspired by this photo:</div>
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<i>A gardener thinks about life and death always as one. In each flower's race toward blossoming is its race, too, toward decline. I'm saying nothing new, only that when you garden, this thought is always present. In the garden I am surrounded by the new growth of runner bean sprouts, the full flush of a climbing rose, and the last breath of a lush peony all at the same moment. My wheelbarrow is piled high with a day's kill: the weeds I pulled, faded blossoms I plucked, lily beetles I crushed between gloved finger and thumb. The gardener must not be squeamish about death. She must recognize its necessity even as she rejoices at the sight of her first ever iris uncurling itself with a flourish from the spear of its stem.</i></div>
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Not all of my recent photos have been dark. In fact, some have been quite light and even ethereal. I'm taking nearly all of my stills in a northeast facing window of my little workroom/studio/study. It provides my favorite light for stills. I can't imagine taking photos without that northeastern light!</div>
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The peonies in the twilight shot above are only a few of the thousands to be seen and smelled at <a href="http://maineaudubon.org/find-us/gilsland-farm/">Gilsland Farm</a> in June. This old farm is home to the Maine Audubon Society, and it is one of my favorite spots anywhere in the world. Meadows, woods, marshes, and lush gardens all in one magical place on an estuary just a few minutes outside of Portland, but truly a world away.</div>
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Clearly, peonies have been inspiring me over the past month, but so have many far less showy flowers right here in my own gardens, including the pelargoniums (geraniums). In the shot above I tucked some lovely wild pink ones into a busted old crate.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW4_WqPzM-U5BLt_jzyCNuermYqETiZoSRPWxUgmIg64P4jG-DWlimNr86FqmAcQOFbc11hjOHuNWOmTWkezTe3e-1G2MXNXI3vJlwnnLQ5aaanfCxb3rI-k5HqtodW0EgQewlytF7wAkl/s1600/Possession+watermarked.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW4_WqPzM-U5BLt_jzyCNuermYqETiZoSRPWxUgmIg64P4jG-DWlimNr86FqmAcQOFbc11hjOHuNWOmTWkezTe3e-1G2MXNXI3vJlwnnLQ5aaanfCxb3rI-k5HqtodW0EgQewlytF7wAkl/s640/Possession+watermarked.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The purple geranium in this final shot is one of Todd's favorite flowers. It's combined with a wee sprig of lady's mantle in a handblown perfume bottle that a former boss gave me a lifetime ago. The Dark Flower portrait series is helping me to see photography--and thus my life--in a new way, and helping me come to terms with some things about the creative process (and the process of just living in this messy, heartbreaking, beautiful world) that have always frightened me. I relish this chance to dive deeper and work harder.</div>
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Thanks, wonderful friends, for stopping by. You never cease to inspire me.</div>
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<br />Gigi Thibodeauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15326335927273800932noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8968803817110676732.post-2648743795686371482016-06-05T00:01:00.000-04:002016-06-05T19:39:14.178-04:005 on 5<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the beach in Bournemouth</td></tr>
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Hello, chickadees! I'm excited to participate in 5 on 5 this month, along with some wonderful photographers I know. We share our five favorite photos from the past month. My favorite photos from May are all from a journey Mr. Magpie and I took to England and Belgium, where he was giving talks for a couple of weeks. We were both teaching our online summer classes while we were there, too, so it was a challenge to juggle work, travel, spending time with friends and colleagues, and just soaking up the ambiance and energy of places that we love. I returned home completely exhausted, but feeling incredibly lucky that I got to be back in England--and was able to explore a bit of Belgium, too!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A grave in the cemetery at St Alfege's Church in Greenwich</td></tr>
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Over the years, London has come to feel like a home away from home for us. When we're there we often stay in Greenwich, which is a Borough of London, but it's located east of the city center, on the south side of the Thames, across from the Isle of Dogs. Greenwich is incredibly beautiful, and we like to stay at <a href="http://www.burney.org.uk/Welcome.html">a wonderful B&B</a> there, hopping on the Docklands Light Railway or the Thames Clipper boat when we need to get into the city proper.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gravensteen Castle in Ghent, Belgium</td></tr>
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Midway through the trip, we took the Eurostar to Belgium, so Todd could give a talk in Ghent, and we snuck in a day in glorious Bruges, too. Both felt like magical fairy tale cities, and I will be back to post much more about them very soon. I'd never visited Belgium before, but I hope I'll have the chance to return. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the many gorgeous store floral displays for #chelseainbloom during the Chelsea Flower Show</td></tr>
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Meanwhile, back in London, the Chelsea Flower show was in full swing by the time we returned. I didn't manage to snag us last-minute tickets, because I wasn't willing to hand over $300 apiece, but we spent a wonderful afternoon at the Chelsea Physic Garden and wandering past the gorgeous floral displays in the shop windows of Sloane Square.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On Princelet Street near Spitalfields</td></tr>
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We don't spend a lot of time doing typical tourist stuff in London anymore, preferring to go to neighborhood markets, or to wander through lesser-known gardens and quirky, off-beat museums, sampling street food along the way. I'm working on a fun post about some hidden treasures to experience if you're looking for something a little off the beaten tourist path in and around London. <br />
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Thanks do much for stopping in, my friends. If you'd like to take a peek at Stephanie's beautiful photographs, her link is <a href="https://gfamilyjournal.wordpress.com/2016/06/05/june-5-on-5/">here</a>.<br />
<br />Gigi Thibodeauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15326335927273800932noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8968803817110676732.post-78641848765312228692016-04-14T13:50:00.000-04:002016-04-15T10:18:21.801-04:00Mingle Magazine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've been meaning to post some especially lovely news here, my friends. This month I have the tremendous pleasure of sharing the pages of <a href="https://stampington.com/Mingle-Spring-2016">Mingle Magazine</a> with several of the incredible women who attended <a href="http://themagpiesfancy.blogspot.com/2015/10/finding-stillness.html">Finding Stillness 2015</a>. We wrote a collaborative feature about the time we spent together, taking photographs, going on hikes, sharing meals, and just finding time for our creative selves at <a href="http://kimklassen.com/">Kim Klassen's</a> The Studio in Rivers, Manitoba. If you've read <a href="http://themagpiesfancy.blogspot.com/2015/10/finding-stillness.html">my blog post</a> about it, you know what a transformative week it was for me, so to get to work with my photographer friends on this piece for <i>Mingle</i> was pure joy. I was especially excited that I got to spend a lot of time with <a href="http://www.thestudio56.com/the-blog/">Diana Foster</a> to edit the text and gather the photos for the piece. She is a consummate professional, but she's also sweet and smart and down to earth, and I felt so lucky that we worked on this project together.</div>
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I hope you are well, and that every single day finds you doing something you love--even if only for half an hour, but hopefully for longer. I am finishing up a semester with my writing students over the next couple of weeks, which is bittersweet for me, because this has been an especially productive and exciting semester. Watching my students' work grow and develop is always rewarding, but this time around has been especially magical. I feel privileged to witness and be a small part of their creative journeys. Besides teaching, I've got several photo and writing projects in the works, which I'll keep sharing with you, of course. And I'm just getting back out into the garden, so there will be photos galore coming soon of new plantings and spring beauties as they begin to emerge. </div>
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More soon from the Maine coast, chickadees! xo Gigi </div>
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"Keep some room in your heart for the unimaginable." ~Mary Oliver</div>
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<br />Gigi Thibodeauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15326335927273800932noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8968803817110676732.post-8675119231018931232016-04-05T00:01:00.000-04:002016-04-05T00:01:01.859-04:005 on 5<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm happy to be back with my March 5 on 5 post! Even though I shot and processed a ton of photos this past month, I felt myself drawn to these shots I took during a very unexpected snowstorm here on the coast at the beginning of the month. Todd and I were headed south to Boston for the day, and the blizzard came on so fast and furious that we decided to cancel our plans and just hang out here in southern Maine instead. It ended up being a fairy tale snow globe of an afternoon during which we spotted this fox carrying his lunch of a wee mousie across the snowy lawn of a grand old home by the seashore. </div>
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This shot of Nubble Light in York looks peaceful enough, but I cannot tell you how bitterly cold and windy it was! I was nearly blown into the water getting the shots above and below. In the lighthouse photo I know that the water looks peaceful, but that's just my crop. The shot below is literally what was going on just a few yards away. I stood in the same spot for both of these pictures, just turning my body slightly. I've actually never come so close to being hurt while taking a photo. </div>
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We had a beautiful thaw immediately after this storm, complete with crocuses blooming in our yard, trees budding, grass greening, and the tulips and daffs beginning to poke through the soil. Then today, April 4th, we woke to 16 degrees Fahrenheit and another snowstorm. I took a short, again very chilly, walk through the West End Cemetery here in Portland after lunch, stopping to pay a visit to one of my favorite gravestone, this beautiful willow marker of Dorothy Abbot. The West End is the most gorgeous neighborhood in Portland, full of late 19th-century homes, many of them built after the Great Fire of July 4, 1866, which destroyed much of the city. We are fortunate today that much of Victorian Portland still survives. A stroll through the stunning West End down to the quaint Old Port still gives one a strong sense of what this seaport must have felt like in the 19th century.</div>
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If you'd like to see more 5 on 5, head on over to <a href="http://www.leannehymes.com/blog/march5on5">this post</a> by Leanne Godbey Hymes. I hope you're well, my friends! I'll be back soon, hopefully with much more spring-like photos and thoughts to share. xo Gigi</div>
<br />Gigi Thibodeauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15326335927273800932noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8968803817110676732.post-56331355671554524832016-03-05T00:01:00.000-05:002016-03-06T23:36:12.675-05:005 on 5<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;">
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<span style="text-align: justify;">Hi, friends! I've joined up with a wonderful group of photographers to do a monthly 5 on 5 feature. We're sharing our 5 favorite photographs from the previous month on the 5th day of each month. For me, this was one of the most beautiful Februaries I can ever remember. Living in Maine, I'm accustomed to harsh, cold weather, towering snowbanks, and intense cabin fever, but we had just a couple of storms, lots of sunshine, and my crocuses even began to bloom by the end of the month, nearly 3 weeks early! </span></div>
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I took this shot at Marshall Point Lighthouse on the coldest day of the year. Even though I froze my fingers to take it, the sunlight was glorious, so I didn't mind one bit.</div>
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The snow that did fall was of the dreamy, snow-globe variety. This incredible barn is at Morse's Sauerkraut in Waldoboro. If you are ever visiting midcoast Maine, a stop at Morse's is a must. </div>
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I tend to take a lot of flower still lifes at this time of year to tide me over until I can be back out in the garden. Tulips and sunlight get me through to the end of March.</div>
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I had the tremendous joy and honor of taking the photo for the cover of a dear friend's new book. I took a gazillion shots, including a few of the crinoline I wore beneath my wedding gown over twenty years ago. I was taking shots of vintage dresses, and I realized that this sweet petticoat pretty much qualifies as vintage now. Yup, we've been married a long time! I will share the final book cover as soon as the book is published.</div>
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And here's a wee bit of color for the final shot. I bought some very inexpensive lilies at Trader Joe's, and they've been lovely models for going on two weeks now. </div>
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I'm thrilled to be sharing in 5 on 5. If you'd like to see more, click on this <a href="https://gfamilyjournal.wordpress.com/2016/03/05/5-on-5-march-2016/">link</a> to my friend Stephanie's wonderful blog. Thanks for stopping by, lovelies!</div>
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<br />Gigi Thibodeauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15326335927273800932noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8968803817110676732.post-62486085271957873872015-12-01T09:39:00.001-05:002015-12-01T09:39:42.048-05:00Note to Self: Write Your Way Back<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I hope you are well, my friends. Here, life has been filled with work--lots of work--some sunshine, some almost unbearably sad days, some hectic ones, a few nights by the fireplace, more work, some serious pie baking for holidays and birthdays, and little time for writing my own stuff or taking photos--even silly iPhone photos. December looks to be a bit wild, too, but I have promised myself that I will steal time every day for my own creative work. I always tell my students and clients that no matter how crazy life gets, there is always, always, always time to write, always time to create. And it's true. I spend most of my days helping others with their creative processes, and while I LOVE every minute of it, I sometimes break my own rules and forget about my own process. The fact is, there are always deadlines to be met. There is always more work to be done. We simply have to turn away from the noisy demands of life on a regular basis, seek quiet and solitude, and focus on creating. I don't mean creating for yet another deadline or another editor; I mean creating for the pure joy of it.</div>
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The photo above is one I took in early November, right after Mr. Magpie and I returned from a trip to Sweden, where he had a literature conference. I took hundreds of photos there, and I promise to show you a few inspiring ones, but in the meantime there's this shot, which, for me, was all about stealing an hour or so of quiet one day to set up my beat-up chalkboard, this lovely copper vase that belonged to my memere, and some fading flowers from my garden. The little hanging votive lantern is something I discovered in a sweet shop in Uppsala, Sweden. I didn't process the shot until about three weeks later. I'm not kidding when I say that I've just really struggled to find moments in the day for quiet joy. And when I do take a few moments, it's not long before I feel a rising panic inside my chest, a sense that things are undone. I'll start to work on a poem or a photo shoot, and then I'll remember all the leaves that haven't been raked yet, the window that needs fixing, the lecture I haven't written, the new course I haven't even started to plan, oh, and, of course, the laundry I haven't finished--ever. And then there are all the personal commitments to people that I feel I'm just not honoring. It can be crushing, this feeling. I know that you likely know it well.</div>
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However, there is a worse feeling. The one that happens when I don't write the poem or set up a beautiful shot in some softly lit corner of the house. Todd told me the other day that he met a fellow scholar at a recent conference. She asked him what his wife does for work. When he told her that I'm a writer and freelance photographer, a writing teacher, an editor, and an obsessed amateur gardener, her reply was, "Oh, she's a maker!" Todd later told me what she said, and I felt, well, a little sad, because I haven't felt much like a maker this fall. I've written a ton, but all of it has been for other people's deadlines. I've actually felt lost, a million miles away from my own creative center. </div>
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I help other people overcome this same problem pretty much every week, so it's a bit odd to be feeling it myself. Thus, I'm taking my own advice: when you feel lost and far, far away from yourself--I mean your real self, the maker, the crafter, the dreamer, the alchemist--write (or paint or sculpt or dance) your way back. Imagine a path in the forest. Your process is right there in front of you. You left a trail of bread crumbs as you wandered far from home. You'd forgotten that you always leave those bread crumbs, but you do. You always do. Just follow them back. Every single day. Forget the laundry mountain in the distance. Forget the dark and frightening forest full of undone tasks. Forget your fear of what might be around the next bend in the path. Just do what you do. You'll find your way home.</div>
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<br />Gigi Thibodeauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15326335927273800932noreply@blogger.com39tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8968803817110676732.post-22271535079992889912015-10-19T20:36:00.001-04:002015-10-20T11:12:28.761-04:00Hard Frost<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I knew it was coming. I felt it before I'd even checked the forecast. As the sun sank behind the pines last night, I scurried around the garden beds, gathering as many blossoms as I could to bring inside. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi75w7BiayNPNZebUg71Hh9JdJRzfNVF4mrdR28kcTbGAr1T0QkktxEwmIcEnsYcOIT7UuGPOhFKPDKgW27hvjGIbJ2l5VHtXia_8pQquuj5-jkSW1dxK8t1e-uocEk7iIBrYAuQQks6a5c/s1600/IMG_5361.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="504" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi75w7BiayNPNZebUg71Hh9JdJRzfNVF4mrdR28kcTbGAr1T0QkktxEwmIcEnsYcOIT7UuGPOhFKPDKgW27hvjGIbJ2l5VHtXia_8pQquuj5-jkSW1dxK8t1e-uocEk7iIBrYAuQQks6a5c/s640/IMG_5361.JPG" width="640"></a><br>
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So even though it pained me to look out the back window at the frozen gardens this morning, here in the house I had the small comfort of all my rescued blooms in vases and pots and pitchers.</div>
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Really I don't mind this turn to the darker months. Here in Maine it is the best time to head to the woods or the beach or the mountain trails. Soon the last of the leaf peepers will climb back in their SUVs and head for warmer states, and we will have all this beauty to ourselves again until next June.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWQsYHpsAocJ7gNH-ro3Chytn0YyptLImpbKDgXtde0YOJIKTKNYS-p-M1rThp663kQI66nL8SYSvoHqnmEp-rrJN2_6V5IESralE28zSh5cXWwja9-EHEpRx_lty1jLmy2OKJ-EnyI5S0/s1600/Finding+Stillness-1213.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWQsYHpsAocJ7gNH-ro3Chytn0YyptLImpbKDgXtde0YOJIKTKNYS-p-M1rThp663kQI66nL8SYSvoHqnmEp-rrJN2_6V5IESralE28zSh5cXWwja9-EHEpRx_lty1jLmy2OKJ-EnyI5S0/s640/Finding+Stillness-1213.jpg" width="640"></a></div>
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And this turn outside means it's time for the turn inward, too. Time for fires in the fireplace, candles on the mantle, cups of tea, and thick books to read. I've piled up the warm blankets and taken my sweaters out of storage. And there's still plenty to do in the garden--bulbs to plant and leaves to rake and beds to prepare for the long, cold winter to come. </div>
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<br>Gigi Thibodeauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15326335927273800932noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8968803817110676732.post-41109554175552706332015-10-07T12:59:00.001-04:002015-10-07T12:59:04.281-04:00Finding Stillness <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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What do you do when one of your oldest and most treasured blogging friends announces that she will be holding a still life photography workshop for three magical days at her brand new studio in Rivers, Manitoba . . . and another of your oldest and dearest blogging friends invites you to come stay at her house just twenty minutes from the workshop . . . and those two sweet friends also happen to be among your favorite photographers in the entire world?</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1pQvGy-u3pvwQwfBmxexI8NKv6xGTMVDqIl2AvTcy-sww0ivgy4zomqMSVcIfsbZ2DtnRCuTX80mQMARGF4VXvFHeLsOW6Cg1yn7GnchqV5J3Z7NXoPY5NRF1u_wyxJNqHefcnYGfmfwW/s1600/IMG_4760.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1pQvGy-u3pvwQwfBmxexI8NKv6xGTMVDqIl2AvTcy-sww0ivgy4zomqMSVcIfsbZ2DtnRCuTX80mQMARGF4VXvFHeLsOW6Cg1yn7GnchqV5J3Z7NXoPY5NRF1u_wyxJNqHefcnYGfmfwW/s640/IMG_4760.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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If you're me, you thank your lucky stars, and you book a flight to Manitoba. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Dt_VfTEOh3tt-hOn7gzzhPlhPy8MDnlSbZ3geP7ZtGPdgv8iFYPm3F7FNDTTOZTr_eEM5euGlzTjF5kp7C9ymu_jgag3gObWucXG072E5spcdo_5dDPwFtQw2ZGpK4CBR9IE0aosy-rU/s1600/Finding+Stillness-4791.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6Dt_VfTEOh3tt-hOn7gzzhPlhPy8MDnlSbZ3geP7ZtGPdgv8iFYPm3F7FNDTTOZTr_eEM5euGlzTjF5kp7C9ymu_jgag3gObWucXG072E5spcdo_5dDPwFtQw2ZGpK4CBR9IE0aosy-rU/s640/Finding+Stillness-4791.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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In my post last week I mentioned that I've been a thousand miles away both literally and figuratively. Really, I've been <i>two</i> thousand miles away, but the miles cannot begin to measure what my time at Kim Klassen's <i>The Studio</i> meant to me. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7vnPB2ktogoHKArGZcx6d7byfCYd3oVRazv2fBvp3rXHbAIGGrw5neoBxpkBh5ZF320yQOkRm2X3-2tONMcobPsZ7qXy0en3TWWc84N-zZ5dkydZSKKWhgZ50J_79Xg2omF3eeebvQfIx/s1600/Finding+Stillness-0311.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7vnPB2ktogoHKArGZcx6d7byfCYd3oVRazv2fBvp3rXHbAIGGrw5neoBxpkBh5ZF320yQOkRm2X3-2tONMcobPsZ7qXy0en3TWWc84N-zZ5dkydZSKKWhgZ50J_79Xg2omF3eeebvQfIx/s640/Finding+Stillness-0311.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<i>Finding Stillness</i> was much more than a workshop. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaanlL_aamsRgM3lGRPlYmxmF-ao_xqMYh5eqXF7RF2zLC9tUhvhyphenhyphenTuxfDE40Bt-7IL6h21RTuDo1H4jFZNYUcIOwSfeaIxD2BipV4Hrk1zXilNvPL0sx0y6Enkrn5sqcNikA-9zX0MNDy/s1600/Finding+Stillness-0446.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaanlL_aamsRgM3lGRPlYmxmF-ao_xqMYh5eqXF7RF2zLC9tUhvhyphenhyphenTuxfDE40Bt-7IL6h21RTuDo1H4jFZNYUcIOwSfeaIxD2BipV4Hrk1zXilNvPL0sx0y6Enkrn5sqcNikA-9zX0MNDy/s640/Finding+Stillness-0446.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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It was a time and a place where we had the freedom to set up a shot, and to keep coming back to it as the sun moved across the sky over the course of the day--no distractions, no responsibilities, no other task than to play with color and focus and shadows and light.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicLpX61UdkmcNad0_OBz5P9OLslG9NwxrTdRZBWDaGmS-RTwNeQky4WsDDq4YC8uZ1jyv0_CdLO-IDKNiGczWcK-itI4iWORQQsYHrWL08ZL0LWN74xc01bZmvevrw0VrJDfnvMmcYzssP/s1600/Finding+Stillness-0716.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicLpX61UdkmcNad0_OBz5P9OLslG9NwxrTdRZBWDaGmS-RTwNeQky4WsDDq4YC8uZ1jyv0_CdLO-IDKNiGczWcK-itI4iWORQQsYHrWL08ZL0LWN74xc01bZmvevrw0VrJDfnvMmcYzssP/s640/Finding+Stillness-0716.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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It was a space filled with well-worn tables and chipped-paint chairs and shelves of cups and bowls and books for us to use as we practiced making magic. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7T0MVlvtVM_WFU1BibZmHKlZ2NnSnkfUcO4O0Bc8AylDJiz8QOglFB38KQgn4AD9ZLwrZnjFzy6hHq5nv62cLF6IvZYA5e-FiHRCZQpBTozCfucBntorxhrlbLDubOwnW4CojjZhy7nIT/s1600/Finding+Stillness-0625.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7T0MVlvtVM_WFU1BibZmHKlZ2NnSnkfUcO4O0Bc8AylDJiz8QOglFB38KQgn4AD9ZLwrZnjFzy6hHq5nv62cLF6IvZYA5e-FiHRCZQpBTozCfucBntorxhrlbLDubOwnW4CojjZhy7nIT/s640/Finding+Stillness-0625.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kim Klassen giving a demonstration on how she makes her magic</td></tr>
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It was also the place where after years and years, I finally got to meet my two incredible friends for real . . . and to watch them work . . . and to soak up their brilliance.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aeleen Sclater setting up a shot</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Barb Brookbank, Diana Foster, Kim Klassen, and Shelley Rounds out for a morning walk on the trail</td></tr>
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And it was, perhaps most importantly, three whole days that I got to spend with ten inspiring and talented photographers from the United States, Canada, and the UK. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNeTTpQ4iwJMwBwQgEDcxk97HdYlVQQBQbty6jfIrlj7EawEMtv5pUdFue43645LvU9It3SYgwN0odBBypJT2bVD6rDQgVr-JqjecdF1Bct62MVg1Od-5YBgvn1d2XIbZxWNYaHUNzzvSJ/s1600/Finding+Stillness-0767.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNeTTpQ4iwJMwBwQgEDcxk97HdYlVQQBQbty6jfIrlj7EawEMtv5pUdFue43645LvU9It3SYgwN0odBBypJT2bVD6rDQgVr-JqjecdF1Bct62MVg1Od-5YBgvn1d2XIbZxWNYaHUNzzvSJ/s640/Finding+Stillness-0767.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Carol Hart and Diana Foster</td></tr>
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We talked shop--lighting, cameras, lenses, techniques and tips--but we also talked life. And we laughed. A lot. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibCQBLemlNYG1JZAKzaNRao55AZ7zJScm-Hg2GilOBdYJViGwImKJqhYnUj5OlUXj-H-68d8ugNwy5k69shGxjsHwoeZh_nktXcS06FBHQ8hGA0WBIZ4lO67Rdne-HP8UPfPVI8grz_uo_/s1600/Finding+Stillness-0833.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibCQBLemlNYG1JZAKzaNRao55AZ7zJScm-Hg2GilOBdYJViGwImKJqhYnUj5OlUXj-H-68d8ugNwy5k69shGxjsHwoeZh_nktXcS06FBHQ8hGA0WBIZ4lO67Rdne-HP8UPfPVI8grz_uo_/s640/Finding+Stillness-0833.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ilse preparing a gorgeous salad while Xanthe Berkley, Barb Brookbank, and Barbara Skrobuton shoot</td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">We also ate the most delicious and nourishing food, cooked by Kim's mom as well as by Aeleen, and by Aeleen's friend Ilse, an incredible chef who graciously let us photograph her preparing our gourmet lunch on the final day of the workshop. It was a relief to be in a room full of people who not only didn't roll their eyes when I grabbed my camera to take endless shots of a gorgeous basket of peppers or a bowl of fresh salad tossed with line vinaigrette, they grabbed their cameras, too, and we all happily snapped away.</span></div>
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And then there was the stillness. I found it each day in moments both expected and surprising. We all shared an hour a day of silence, during which we were free to keep photographing or to process shots, read a book, write, take a nap--whatever our hearts desired. I treasured those hours, as I'm naturally a pretty introverted person who loves to spend most of my time working in silence. </div>
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But I discovered many times of quiet stillness throughout the day, even working side by side with other photographers. It was easy to simply <i>be</i>. Kim created such a light-filled and welcoming space that I think we all felt at home, whether we were gathered around Carol Hart giving a shop talk on using studio lighting or watching Xanthe Berkley make one of her incredible stop-motion animations or learning the secrets to gorgeous top-down shots from Barb Brookbank. </div>
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The feeling of home extended beyond the four walls of Kim's studio to the town of Rivers itself, where we took walks, went out for supper, and popped into some of the local shops. Everywhere we went in this small prairie town, people welcomed us, asked where we were from, and swapped stories. I can't imagine a more perfect spot for a photography retreat.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kim's sweet dog Ben was our muse and companion.</td></tr>
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For me, the retreat extended beyond Rivers all the way to Aeleen's beautiful house on the prairie. There, I got to meet her husband and one of her sons, hang out with her in the evenings, and run out the front door, into the fields each morning with her sweet pup Zoe.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Morning light in the room where I stayed at prairiegirl's place</td></tr>
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Everything in prairiegirl Aeleen's world is arranged with love. The shots above and below were taken in her house. I didn't have to set them up, because this is just how she sees things, how she crafts beautiful vignettes at every turn. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">me and beautiful pg (Aeleen)</td></tr>
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On my last day in Manitoba, I got to roam around early in the morning, taking shots full of color and texture at Aeleen's like the one above. And her gardens! And her studio! I think I need to save them for another post. There's too much to share. <br />
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As if staying with Aeleen were not treat enough, on my last night there, she took me to her neighbor Willi's Octoberfest, where we watched the full moon rise over the fields, and I got to see the biggest, most impressive bonfire of my entire life . . . not to mention fireworks <i>and</i> a fire lantern being launched. Fire was definitely the theme of the evening! And Abba. Did I mention Abba? There was much dancing to Abba. Perhaps there wasn't much stillness that one night, but it was a time I won't soon forget.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spoons and leaves at prairiegirl studio ~ love</td></tr>
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Since returning to my own life back on the coast of Maine, I've been swamped with work, but I've also been finding that my week in Manitoba is very much present in my mind in heart. The people I met there, and the time we spent simply sharing our love for taking photographs, have helped me to see why I turn to my camera so often, why I set up corners all over my house, always chasing the light, always seeking to discover a mood, a moment of stillness that once I've captured it, will always be mine . . . and maybe someone else's, too. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ben</td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">I found myself using one hashtag again and again on my Instagram account while I was in Manitoba: #feelingblessed. Thank you Kim, Aeleen, Xanthe, Carol, Diana, Barb, Brenda, Dorry, Shelley, and Barbara for three days full of more blessings than I can count. </span><br />
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<br />Gigi Thibodeauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15326335927273800932noreply@blogger.com29tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8968803817110676732.post-13369480837974619242015-10-01T14:10:00.001-04:002015-10-01T22:14:38.258-04:00October<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have been a thousand miles away--for real and true. There is much to tell, and I will, but for now there is October, the clear light it brings, and the days that disappear to dusk when I look away, when I take a breath, when I least expect.</div>
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Each leaf that shifts to gold on the maple outside my window is another blessing. We will rake them, pile them out behind the shed, let them take their sweet time to turn to magic for the borders and the raised beds. And there are bulbs for planting. I'll haul out the barrow and the heavy spade, dig troughs for crocuses and daffodils. There will be whole hills and mountains of snow between now and the next full bloom, but gardeners bank on hope, and October's sunlight gives just enough to keep me until spring.</div>
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Gigi Thibodeauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15326335927273800932noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8968803817110676732.post-38769551987914090232015-07-05T16:58:00.000-04:002015-07-05T16:58:14.701-04:00Strawberries and Sunshine<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I have lost count of the number of quarts of strawberries we've eaten so far this summer. If it's true that you are what you eat, then I am on the verge of actually becoming a strawberry. We grow beautiful strawberries in our garden, but the squirrels steal them, so I buy mine from local farmers, which is just fine by me. Before we ate the last quart, I managed to stop munching on them long enough to do a still life shoot. I could seriously take photos of these little gems all day. I believe they are among the most photogenic of all foods. The backdrop of the top shot is the inside of a vintage picnic hamper. It's the loveliest shade of forest green--just right as a shadowbox. The white berry basket is one I bought on sale at Anthropologie last week. Maybe they still have some left . . .</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOdapvKObItmP-Qf39YTzRMboDXMP2j3wxigz_CILihya0WpAll2WrbaNVpLpeyXrV08j68aGj4vgDulQLFuj3hZqUdp-qlKq_K36JUaoLtHyJEqopaTHEee2q7Z_b_Y2E3f5eBZWeJveI/s1600/Studio+Online-9601+watermarked.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOdapvKObItmP-Qf39YTzRMboDXMP2j3wxigz_CILihya0WpAll2WrbaNVpLpeyXrV08j68aGj4vgDulQLFuj3hZqUdp-qlKq_K36JUaoLtHyJEqopaTHEee2q7Z_b_Y2E3f5eBZWeJveI/s640/Studio+Online-9601+watermarked.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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We have just been enjoying the berries fresh with Greek yogurt or a little light cream--or straight out of the box, but I do love them in baked goods, too, so I thought I'd share a link to one of my favorite summertime treats: <a href="http://www.barefootcontessa.com/recipes.aspx?RecipeID=806&S=0">strawberry-rhubarb crisp</a>. This one's from Ina Garten, and I've made it a few times. Pure heaven!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPWGZtiDHSHpU37CxI50rD6mtOxN7BIp2XuO0gRbN1L8ZipFBVngjh14jzsknuNXp6Y7eb4LELqAB33OJ9odDSq_oHJAWg0ZHcWQ5VMbPnTw2oJYSwjMwNjzBg7R33ggU0cAnb-OGQv-QD/s1600/Studio+Online-9609+watermarked.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPWGZtiDHSHpU37CxI50rD6mtOxN7BIp2XuO0gRbN1L8ZipFBVngjh14jzsknuNXp6Y7eb4LELqAB33OJ9odDSq_oHJAWg0ZHcWQ5VMbPnTw2oJYSwjMwNjzBg7R33ggU0cAnb-OGQv-QD/s640/Studio+Online-9609+watermarked.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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And here's a recipe that I'll definitely be trying; this one's from Gena Hamshaw at Food52. It's a vegan <a href="http://food52.com/recipes/23281-strawberry-vanilla-coconut-ice-cream">strawberry vanilla coconut ice cream</a>. I feel like I need to make it before the season is completely over. Maybe it's time to invest in an ice-cream maker!!! If you have one that you love, please let me know the brand. :)</div>
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If you live in the US, hope you've been having a joyous and relaxing Fourth of July weekend filled with firecrackers and, what else, strawberry shortcake.</div>
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Back with more summer treats soon, chickadees! xo Gigi</div>
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Gigi Thibodeauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15326335927273800932noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8968803817110676732.post-16692852852088209822015-06-12T13:38:00.000-04:002015-06-12T23:24:08.447-04:00Moody Me<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello, my friends! I can't begin to tell you how much I have missed being here on the blog this past month. There I had made a big promise to post about our Brimfield adventures, and then I just fell off the map. Two things happened: first, my little Brimfield post kept growing and growing into a big, all-encompassing flea market post. Not unlike Brimfield itself, it started spilling out over the sides and becoming a little more than I could handle in just one brief post, so I've decided to develop it more and take my time with it. Second, my life speeded up much faster than I had planned. I have too much on my plate with work right now, and I haven't been able to keep up with, well, much else. </div>
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But all that is boring. All that matters is that I'm here now. I managed to steal some time this week to do a still life shoot or two--woohoo! The shot above is a vase I inherited from my Memere. It's filled with purple and chartreuse posies from our gardens. The backdrop is an old, beat up blackboard. The fabric is a pretty scarf I bought in London at Spitalfields. The lighting is my steady favorite--the moody north light I get coming through the window in my study/studio. Have I told you before that this window is beside the bathroom door, so I end up doing a lot of shoots against that door, which often means blocking access to the bathroom for hours. Good thing we have a second bathroom downstairs!</div>
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I was thrilled to discover this morning that the photo had been included by my amazing friends <a href="https://instagram.com/kimklassen/">Kim </a>and <a href="https://instagram.com/prairiegirlstudio/">Aeleen</a> in their #fouriadorefriday feature on Instagram. You can take a peek at the beautiful grid they selected<a href="https://instagram.com/p/31S2Z3C-pN/?taken-by=kimklassen"> here</a>.</div>
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This week here in coastal Maine we are finally having springish/summerish weather!!! The sun is shining and the gardens are bursting with life. I'm working in them whenever I have a moment to spare. You'd think all my photos at the moment would be flooded with light and white and beachy sunshine, but I'm kind of loving dwelling in the darker, moodier realm right now. The shot below is a "portrait" of Mr. Magpie. Those who know him know why this is a portrait. ;)</div>
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Sending a warm hug, lovelies! More very soon. xoxo Gigi</div>
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<br />Gigi Thibodeauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15326335927273800932noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8968803817110676732.post-2836891396548302072015-05-16T12:00:00.000-04:002015-05-16T12:00:26.981-04:00Vintage Spring<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Hello, chickadees! Just stopping in to share some spring blossoms. The crabapple is blooming in the front yard, and the lilacs and azaleas have just joined in, too. Next up will be the viburnums and rhodies, and then the weigelas, mock oranges, and bridal veil spirea will follow not long after that. </div>
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Life is a rush of activity this spring, but we did take one day to hit <a href="http://brimfieldantiquefleamarket.com/">Brimfield Flea Market</a> with our friend Kazeem, from <a href="http://www.portlandtradingco.com/">Portland Trading Co.</a> I'll have some photos and finds to share soon!</div>
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My photo above was featured by DistressedFX on their <a href="https://instagram.com/distressedfxapp/">Instagram feed</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DistressedFX?fref=nf">Facebook page</a> this week. If you haven't tried this app, I recommend it for photos that you want to really manipulate and push in exciting directions. I use this app as well as Stackables to create moody effects for some of my iPhone photos. I think I ended up using both apps on the top photo of the crabapple blossoms. Before I used the textures, though, I upped the exposure and desaturated the photo a bit. The background of that photo is my picnic table, which most people would think really needs a paint job, but I use it a lot for photos, so it will stay shabby chic a while longer. ;) </div>
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For photos I take with my big girl camera, I often use fewer textures and stick to subtler processing techniques in Lightroom. I do some of that processing from scratch or with my own presets, but I also use presets by other folks, including <a href="http://kimklassen.com/presetcollections/">this exciting new set from Kim Klassen</a>. Presets provide me with so much flexibility, and they give me ideas for creating several moods with one shot. If you've never tried them before, take a peek at Kim's collection. I think you will love it.</div>
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Vintage finds from Brimfield in the next post! I have some exciting things to show you. </div>
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Happy weekend, my friends! </div>
Gigi Thibodeauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15326335927273800932noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8968803817110676732.post-21653896824024063482015-05-05T13:33:00.003-04:002015-05-05T13:33:47.483-04:00Dreams and Schemes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've been working in the garden whenever I have a little spare time, which usually means early morning or just before sunset--the two most beautiful times of day. We spread yards and yards of compost last week, and still have more to go on some of the beds, but I'm not rushing. These are days meant to be savored. As you an see, the fritillaria and 'thalia' daffodils are blooming this week, as are the primroses and grape hyacinths. The tulips are just about to open, and in the woodland gardens, things like epimedium and lungwort are at their peak.</div>
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I've allowed myself to cut and bring inside just a few specimens for still lifes, as usual. I always love photographing them, but I love them in the garden even more. As much as I enjoy arranging large, elaborate bouquets (just wait until the dahlias and roses are blooming) I also love really simple clusters of flowers--not arranged at all, but just tossed in a dundee jar. They say springtime to me. In a couple of photos below, I've included my latest find, this sweet little watering can, which I bought at my friend Melissa's incredible <a href="http://www.fiachre.com/">garden-inspired shop</a> here in Portland. If you are ever visiting coastal Maine, a stop at <a href="http://www.fiachre.com/">Fiachre</a> is a must!</div>
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Oddly enough, I had begun taking some shots of the watering can and flowers over the weekend, and then I saw my friend Kim's latest prompt in the <a href="http://learn.kimklassen.com/thestudiosignup/">Online Studio</a>: Potting Bench! Well, that was an easy one, since my shots already looked like potting bench-inspired photos. As I took these, I thought a lot about my plans for the garden this year. In the photo below, you'll see that my gardening journal is opened up to a page I sketched our first fall in this house. Nothing really ended up as I'd planned it, of course, but that's not the point. I love dreaming and scheming, and discovering surprises along the way. Among the surprises in the garden this spring are the lady's mantles that have self-seeded, which I was hoping they'd do, but you can never plan for these kinds of happy accidents. I'm also excited to see that the lilacs, which I've trimmed back hard for two years, are looking the best they've been yet. Soon there will be blooms to share.</div>
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Have I told you that I'm devoting one of the raised beds to nothing but cutting flowers this year? I can't wait to see how it turns out, but in the meantime, I am loving the elegant fritillaria, with their little checked blossoms, hanging like plum bells beneath the wings of the white daffodils in the early morning light.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV6ix6BJIpcg80LjmrjCodbvS4ZixSaZmO-8ONk2aCfCoTac38tQiKItQCQerJwxuLIJJUSPIJnQIyIsBsB-2AEF2pFM1VID2LW8NMqCnK0XHeIvF_lApm0TSfwcCIIb0JefICwJ9bVmJ1/s1600/+Be+Still2-9404.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV6ix6BJIpcg80LjmrjCodbvS4ZixSaZmO-8ONk2aCfCoTac38tQiKItQCQerJwxuLIJJUSPIJnQIyIsBsB-2AEF2pFM1VID2LW8NMqCnK0XHeIvF_lApm0TSfwcCIIb0JefICwJ9bVmJ1/s1600/+Be+Still2-9404.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com%2Fblogger.g%3FblogID%3D8968803817110676732%23editor%2Fsrc%3Ddashboard&media=https%3A%2F%2Fimages-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com%2Fgadgets%2Fproxy%3Furl%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252F4.bp.blogspot.com%252F-4RplMzg-jW0%252FVUjo3RMj6vI%252FAAAAAAAAjwA%252FqKPkCh0Q56A%252Fs1600%252F%25252BBe%25252BStill2-9387.jpg%26container%3Dblogger%26gadget%3Da%26rewriteMime%3Dimage%252F*&xm=h&xv=sa1.35&description=" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 26px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 1618px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a><a href="http://www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.blogger.com%2Fblogger.g%3FblogID%3D8968803817110676732%23editor%2Fsrc%3Ddashboard&media=https%3A%2F%2Fimages-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com%2Fgadgets%2Fproxy%3Furl%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252F4.bp.blogspot.com%252F-4RplMzg-jW0%252FVUjo3RMj6vI%252FAAAAAAAAjwA%252FqKPkCh0Q56A%252Fs1600%252F%25252BBe%25252BStill2-9387.jpg%26container%3Dblogger%26gadget%3Da%26rewriteMime%3Dimage%252F*&xm=h&xv=sa1.35&description=" style="background-color: transparent; background-image: url(data:image/png; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: none; height: 20px; left: 26px; opacity: 0.85; position: absolute; top: 1618px; width: 40px; z-index: 8675309;"></a>Gigi Thibodeauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15326335927273800932noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8968803817110676732.post-8214276961437898882015-04-30T11:20:00.000-04:002015-04-30T11:20:31.171-04:00Being in the Moment<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLNicNc5eHk8IaA0N5_3GyH5WWEZUfLheC1TttMTfFLZonXgW6h3p45i8XSwa2xPp7byzamfhwQFQZfrmksbFL3IpJ2id9BoYZu2OMFUZXjVWQobvSjuTDU5UTOUOt-JviPkgEC_BwzYeV/s1600/IMG_0742.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLNicNc5eHk8IaA0N5_3GyH5WWEZUfLheC1TttMTfFLZonXgW6h3p45i8XSwa2xPp7byzamfhwQFQZfrmksbFL3IpJ2id9BoYZu2OMFUZXjVWQobvSjuTDU5UTOUOt-JviPkgEC_BwzYeV/s1600/IMG_0742.JPG" height="640" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">End of the Day, Town Landing, Falmouth, Maine</td></tr>
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Spring in our house always feels jam-packed. The to-do lists are long, the days fly by, and suddenly, after winter's long semi-hibernation, I wish I only needed about two hours of sleep a night. There just aren't enough hours in a day for us to do the work that pays the bills plus do the million and one house projects that somehow feel most urgent in spring plus keep up with the classes I'm taking, plus get my own writing projects done, plus see friends and family plus workout daily plus cook meals plus--and most pressing and exciting for me--work in the garden.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just Before Dusk, Congress Square, Portland, Maine</td></tr>
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I'm grateful for my iPhone camera, because it reminds me in the midst of all of these tasks and commitments (so many of which I love) to pause and breathe and just take note of what's around me. My word for the year is "see," and I live in a part of the world where so much of what there is to see is beautiful. But I see what's not beautiful, too, and I believe that's just as important. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Early Morning on Moulton Street, Portland, Maine</td></tr>
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So many of us feel rushed and stressed these days more than ever. I think that as much as we love them, our technologies--our phones and laptops and various other gadgets and devices--play a big part in this stress and in this feeling of never being able to truly shut down, rest, retreat. It's up to us to take charge and use this incredible technology for our own benefit--to determine how we use it rather than letting it gradually take over. So, I love to use my phone to take photos of simple, quiet moments. I share some, but many more I just keep for myself to enjoy. I also make sure that when I go for walks or out to eat I don't always bring my phone with me. Sometimes it's best to just be in the moment, no need to record it. I don't <i>need</i> a photo of every pretty latte I drink or every gorgeous rose I see. That makes the photos I do take all the more precious to me.</div>
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I'd love to know what you do to slow down and relax. What helps you rest and recharge?</div>
Gigi Thibodeauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15326335927273800932noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8968803817110676732.post-75374657163319896772015-04-23T19:42:00.001-04:002015-04-23T19:42:49.488-04:00Ordinary Objects and the Poetry of Salvage<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZur2FcA7hObbGk1g4m0jrNU27ND886oAqsU4-9tGqSQYvO8ogWwmnbQU6Svjk-2sbK5OP_eBdODjGpzhktYnP0G6c_rQKJvIpfKyXKmAPCI-9pnd0bkeuBXV68yiUz4CjoXu-c8_3lmWi/s1600/+Be+Still2-9321.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZur2FcA7hObbGk1g4m0jrNU27ND886oAqsU4-9tGqSQYvO8ogWwmnbQU6Svjk-2sbK5OP_eBdODjGpzhktYnP0G6c_rQKJvIpfKyXKmAPCI-9pnd0bkeuBXV68yiUz4CjoXu-c8_3lmWi/s1600/+Be+Still2-9321.jpg" height="512" width="640" /></a></div>
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Last weekend I climbed through many, many trailers of salvaged architectural bits and bobs, old stoves, rusted pieces of ceiling tin, faded signs, and corroded hinges to find a treasure in the rain. My sweatshirt was soaked through and my boots were caked with mud as I climbed the rickety steps to the next-to-last trailer in the salvage yard. I squinted into the gloom, took a few half-hearted steps across the sloping metal floor. Nothing. I didn't see a single object that sang to me in the way really special things do when you're on a treasure hunt. I was just about to turn to head back out into the downpour when my magpie eye caught sight of a soft glint in the shadows on a shelf over my head. I couldn't tell what it was, but I threw caution--and my fear of tetanus--to the wind and just reached up to grab whatever it was.</div>
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Well, it turned out to be the frame that you see in the photo above. A Victorian beauty, completely intact, with wonderfully worn gilding on its inner edge. That had been the glint I'd seen. I had to make it mine. I cradled it in my arms and went in search of the salvage yard owner. It turns out he had just placed the frame on that shelf earlier in the afternoon. When I say "placed," I don't mean displayed. It was just sort of lying there on the top shelf, nearly out of sight in one trailer out of several that were packed to the gills with jars of springs, boxes of brackets, and bins of rake handles. </div>
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When the owner offered to sell me the frame for the little bit of cash I had in my pocket, I knew two things immediately: 1) I will buy more treasures from him, and 2) this frame was going to be important for me, for my photos, for the vision I have of where I want my work to go.</div>
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I believe in the stories that beautifully made things can tell us--in the texture of history, the poetry of ordinary objects. That is one of the aspects of still life photography that appeals to me most. This photo is the first in what I hope will be a series of photos featuring my newly found treasure. I believe this old frame will help me dream up countless stories in the weeks and months to come. </div>
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Gigi Thibodeauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15326335927273800932noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8968803817110676732.post-90518699909644335072015-04-20T14:56:00.000-04:002015-04-20T14:56:17.873-04:00April Rains--A Garden Update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEXeXMkOIVGkXxgy65ZRH1xScLneco3F2G3TBwS_DWADbrD_jbN9pNNOolg5ptzm705uOnnPeQN9x3mbdI1kLiqKgiOKeHWOA2ypkTYkqXMLbdtK6UH1vlSOyDRyZCX7IIHEiVES4MvAsn/s1600/+Be+Still2-9117+watermarked.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEXeXMkOIVGkXxgy65ZRH1xScLneco3F2G3TBwS_DWADbrD_jbN9pNNOolg5ptzm705uOnnPeQN9x3mbdI1kLiqKgiOKeHWOA2ypkTYkqXMLbdtK6UH1vlSOyDRyZCX7IIHEiVES4MvAsn/s1600/+Be+Still2-9117+watermarked.jpg" height="456" width="640" /></a></div>
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The April rains have come, and with them the green and red buds on the trees. Out in the garden we've had crocuses--then snow--then then more rain and even more crocuses, sprinkled with some snowdrops. We have raked and tidied the beds, made way for the grape hyacinths, the buds of which are tinged with purple at their edges. The tulips are midway up, as are the daffodils and fritillaria. The lady's mantle are everywhere, pushing up their tiny pleated fans through the soil, and the pulmonaria are showing off their polka-dotted leaves. I've even caught sight of the first secret frills of red where the bleeding hearts grow at the edge of the woodland border. Out along the edges, the shrub border is filling with color--the red twig dogwoods and the Hakuroo-Nishiki willow are scarlet red, covered with buds. I'm thrilled to see that all the hard cutting and pruning I've done on the lilacs these last two years is paying off. They are looking stronger than ever--and they are loaded with buds. </div>
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Chores for the coming couple of weeks include dividing some of the day lilies and spreading the three yards of compost that we're having delivered this weekend. No bed will be left out. Everyone will get a top dressing to start the growing season with a bang. I'll also be starting many, many flower seedlings for the new cutting garden I'm planning to grow in one of the raised beds this year. And then there are the dahlias. They will be emerging from their winter sleep down in the cellar. I'll chit them out until the soil is warm enough to put them in. For the past couple of seasons I've mixed them in with other plantings, letting them grow with all the other flowers. This year I think they may get their own bed. We shall see.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjXANJaso_wBQ2gXtH7icMCMOe6wH7STP1RRxxAeR8Lp0opVDBp7EC8LHgxWygmLA9bV70kXRh1Iv1Q_PRUfRXlKx4aS84COgzMYrvT-rt7Csj7oMbBD9mCMHbpWfoUhY6vtRvJc8Q8cWP/s1600/IMG_0386.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjXANJaso_wBQ2gXtH7icMCMOe6wH7STP1RRxxAeR8Lp0opVDBp7EC8LHgxWygmLA9bV70kXRh1Iv1Q_PRUfRXlKx4aS84COgzMYrvT-rt7Csj7oMbBD9mCMHbpWfoUhY6vtRvJc8Q8cWP/s1600/IMG_0386.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
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Spring came late here in the Maine this year, but now that it's here, every plant seems to be rushing to put on a show. I am relishing these cool days, especially the ones when the sun puts in an appearance. It's too cool yet for the mosquitos, so we can just be out there in the mud, spreading grass seeds, trimming limbs, and dreaming up new garden plans. I hope your spring is shaping into a beautiful one. If you garden, I'd love to hear what is blooming right now and what you're up to in your garden. More soon--plus pictures of the early spring garden!</div>
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<br />Gigi Thibodeauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15326335927273800932noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8968803817110676732.post-11320738135218291102015-04-05T19:27:00.000-04:002015-04-07T13:53:44.935-04:00Spring is like a perhaps hand<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrQOYfIcO_v39MnyI7GVUd7MmQILhYS0BPUcEfc83G6vy4b4bBHzkZhNqJkjw5MKYStGVIfXAGKvL8j9sakKfG8Pf1gY6uxuVObOUWEhi3cf0D_xxI251uHsqAQacdTPmXl5gVGpI1e20D/s1600/+Be+Still2-9136+watermarked.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrQOYfIcO_v39MnyI7GVUd7MmQILhYS0BPUcEfc83G6vy4b4bBHzkZhNqJkjw5MKYStGVIfXAGKvL8j9sakKfG8Pf1gY6uxuVObOUWEhi3cf0D_xxI251uHsqAQacdTPmXl5gVGpI1e20D/s1600/+Be+Still2-9136+watermarked.jpg" height="640" width="456" /></a></div>
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<b>Spring is like a perhaps hand</b></div>
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E. E. Cummings, 1894 - 1962</div>
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III</div>
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Spring is like a perhaps hand </div>
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(which comes carefully </div>
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out of Nowhere)arranging </div>
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a window,into which people look(while </div>
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people stare</div>
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arranging and changing placing </div>
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carefully there a strange </div>
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thing and a known thing here)and</div>
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changing everything carefully</div>
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spring is like a perhaps </div>
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Hand in a window </div>
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and fro moving New and </div>
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Old things,while </div>
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people stare carefully </div>
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moving a perhaps </div>
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fraction of flower here placing </div>
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an inch of air there)and</div>
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without breaking anything.</div>
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Gigi Thibodeauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15326335927273800932noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8968803817110676732.post-76982504649270310252015-03-30T15:23:00.001-04:002015-03-30T17:53:04.668-04:00Just Do it Yourself, Magpie Girl!<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy8GKaCyaiG7jLHFRI7DwFkYPgtN7ABxJbEjXySDtgub0K_jz9KtLafOF1ks4oluQahqZupo8zqjU7CJPsJTtMUGkAEWJ1pJyZrv7WwjCc-7r83QVRj-7Iavk4I0ajyUB5x0oD_t1q4gE3/s640/blogger-image-1092176391.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy8GKaCyaiG7jLHFRI7DwFkYPgtN7ABxJbEjXySDtgub0K_jz9KtLafOF1ks4oluQahqZupo8zqjU7CJPsJTtMUGkAEWJ1pJyZrv7WwjCc-7r83QVRj-7Iavk4I0ajyUB5x0oD_t1q4gE3/s640/blogger-image-1092176391.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I have wanted a beaded wrap bracelet for ages, but I just can't bring myself to pay the prices I see in stores and online. A Chan Luu one at Garnet Hill costs $168! That's a bit much for a bracelet that probably won't last forever, I think. </div>
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So, I finally just made one over the weekend, and guess what?! It was incredibly easy. I was standing in the artsy craftsy store, oohing and ahhing over the pretty beads--the way we magpies tend to--and on a whim I looked up a couple of wrap bracelet tutorials on my phone. Turns out there are about a million of these tutorials online, so I won't give any instructions here. I looked up "Chan Luu bracelet" on Pinterest, or you could Google the instructions, if you feel like making one (or 100--I think it would be easy to get addicted to making these). </div>
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I spent about 20 bucks on beads and cording (I still have plenty left to make a second bracelet), and then settled in at home to craft for a couple of hours. Easy peasy. This one wraps around my wrist three times, and I attached a mother-of-pearl button I had in my button jar to keep it closed. </div>
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Just thought I'd share this wee bit of magpie inspiration today. It couldn't have been easier once I got started, and I always like saving pennies while fulfilling my desire for sparkly things. </div>
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Hope you all have a beautiful week, my friends!</div>
Gigi Thibodeauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15326335927273800932noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8968803817110676732.post-36486151688197997552015-03-25T00:00:00.001-04:002015-03-25T00:00:28.519-04:00Chasing More Light<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXgZWGlRxgo4krdV5DhGsm1FOZUuJiNuV_SqtgRZmFtQWghTRw3D8VcmEFKB-HtR2FxD7JX7uVzDlbhEyg7AiMtHiEf9T8Y9sVY_8ujBeYBV9gB5zs-7NGNjmBQFKmoiV0_I2YuaEU7yYy/s1600/+Be+Still2-spring+journey-40+watermarked.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXgZWGlRxgo4krdV5DhGsm1FOZUuJiNuV_SqtgRZmFtQWghTRw3D8VcmEFKB-HtR2FxD7JX7uVzDlbhEyg7AiMtHiEf9T8Y9sVY_8ujBeYBV9gB5zs-7NGNjmBQFKmoiV0_I2YuaEU7yYy/s1600/+Be+Still2-spring+journey-40+watermarked.jpg" height="456" width="640" /></a></div>
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I wrote in my <a href="http://themagpiesfancy.blogspot.com/2015/03/the-reason-why.html">last post</a> about chasing the light. It's true, I spend much of my time when I'm shooting pictures watching for certain kinds of light, hoping for clouds to pass--or to appear--depending on my needs and whims. There's a corner in my study/studio/hideaway with a small window that I love for its northern light. It's never a warm, glowing kind of light. Daylight coming through a north facing window has a coolness to it that makes for moody, slightly melancholy photos. That's just what I wanted when I took the above shot. And it's something I really accentuated as I processed it in Lightroom. I desaturated the photo quite a bit and added some graininess. The three kinds of tulips in this photo were all incredibly vivid; I wanted the richness of their colors, but not necessarily the intensity. I also wanted the light coming from the side, so that the curves of the petals would be traced by it and there would be a sense of shadow just off to the left of the photo--not darkness, but a gentle fade into shadow. </div>
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I actually shot this at the very end of the day using only natural light (I use natural light almost exclusively). I kept the ISO at 200 because I wanted to be in control of the grain during processing. I also let the photo be a little on the dark side, knowing that I would lighten the exposure later. This let me take a lot of shots in the fading light, and as the room grew dark around me, the photos got better. This is one of about 30 shots I took during that hour. There are more that I will share sometime soon. I'd been sick all day, fighting off a flu, but I told myself, "You've got one good hour of light left. DO something with it." I'm so glad I ignored my headache and chills, and did a wee bit of light chasing.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbqTY4LJTtqENBAUZTD2uec45EXy2bEW34LzrEZMacWehXKHaJLS1qq8JmG82YjxwX9XSRSoDPkpsrPQRYjsrVGvKkiGPZOLqP6BEjmWHLHvA_bvfLnWgttDo5Bnc254sJPuZE5btIcEhn/s1600/+Be+Still2-9007+watermarked.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbqTY4LJTtqENBAUZTD2uec45EXy2bEW34LzrEZMacWehXKHaJLS1qq8JmG82YjxwX9XSRSoDPkpsrPQRYjsrVGvKkiGPZOLqP6BEjmWHLHvA_bvfLnWgttDo5Bnc254sJPuZE5btIcEhn/s1600/+Be+Still2-9007+watermarked.jpg" height="640" width="640" /></a></div>
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This shot was something else entirely. I took it the week before the tulip photos in response to a lesson from the fabulous Kim Klassen in her <a href="http://learn.kimklassen.com/be-still-fifty-two-registration/">Be Still--52</a> class, in which she asked us to do a backlit shot. For that assignment, I set up a small table in front of a south facing window in my bedroom, and I took a series of photos in the mid afternoon when the sun was quite intense. Southern light is usually much brighter and cheerier--more golden than northern light. It can also be very intense, especially in a backlit shot. To soften the possible harshness of the afternoon sunshine and to block any trace of the view outside the window, I stretched a piece of cheesecloth across the window. I wanted the cheesecloth to have a bit more texture and some shadows, so I poked several white feathers into it. Because the focus of the shot is on the silk flower, the feathers don't read as feathers; they read as texture. I added the organza ribbon to give the image one more layer that the light could play with. I was especially happy that I could get some shimmer off it in the right side of the frame while on the left the ribbon intensifies the feeling of shadow. </div>
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Beneath the flower is a very old, very worn and faded piece of Irish linen that's printed with large cabbage roses. I love using distressed fabrics in my photos. The more worn the better. I especially love using things like linen and burlap in contrast to light gauzes and tulles. As with the tulip photo, I took out a lot of the saturation when I processed this. </div>
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I think light is the single most important element in photography. It has everything to do with setting mood and tone in a picture. Many things can be played with in processing--cropping, composition, saturation, exposure, etc.--but light quality (I'm referring less to the how <i>much</i> of it, and more to the <i>type</i> of it) is essential from the get go. It's more important than having a fancy camera (mine is not particularly fancy) or a bag full of expensive lenses. Those things are wonderful and helpful, but you can take gorgeous shots with your phone or your point and shoot . . . as long as you're willing to chase the light.</div>
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P.S. I want to thank Kim Klassen for featuring my above tulip photo on her <a href="https://instagram.com/p/0fl-VeC-hY/?taken-by=kimklassen">Instagram feed</a> over the weekend, along with photos by three wonderful photographers. I also want to thank her for featuring the silk peony photo on her <a href="http://kimklassen.com/still-sunday-instagram-feature-16/">blog</a> a couple of weeks ago as one of the selections for the Still Sunday competition. It was an honor to have my work included alongside such gorgeous photos. </div>
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I am blessed to have found an incredible community of writers and picture makers and takers over the past six years that I've been blogging. As that community grows and friendships deepen, I discover new opportunities for learning every week. I can't imagine a greater joy. </div>
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Gigi Thibodeauhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15326335927273800932noreply@blogger.com11