France again, but this time at La Gacilly, in Bretagne (Brittany)

post #299
      Before getting to Paris this summer, I made sure to visit as well a close friend, Mariko, who lives in Rennes, in western France. I met her years ago in Japan, but she has been married to a frenchman and living in France for a long time.  A couple of springs ago on this blog I showed photos of her and her husband, Christian, in Rennes and in St. Malo. 
       This time I only had a single day to visit, due to one of my airplanes having been canceled.  Anyway, with two of her friends, we drove to La Gacilly, about an hour away.  That is where a famous annual outdoor photo exhibit takes place: several hundred large photos set up all over town, grouped by photographer or by topic. It was impressive!  Actually, this year one of the major topics was photos from Japan.  
     One of Mariko's friends, Joelle, is also a photographer, and last week she sent us some of her photos from that day.  That gave me the idea of showing some of her photos and some of mine of the same places.  I will try to pull off my idea today, both to show the town with its renowned event being well attended on a Sunday, and, mainly, to enjoy the way each photographer's own eyes have the final say about how a photo looks. Merci, Joelle, pour tes photos fantastiques!

Ann - first views of the village of La Gacilly, to be followed by Joelle's first views

Joelle!  This has more water, and of course the willow tree!

another perspective, by Joelle

I love this photo -- Mariko made it!  And it shows three of the four of us. Next are two other versions of this same main area at the entrance to the town.

(Ann)  I assume this red structure is there year round.

(Joelle) looking back from the big buildings -- I didn't notice while there how the shaped tree reflects the red structure.  So glad to see it here.

As we walked around the town, which had so many photos on display, I noticed this stairway off to one side; we all had a long discussion about how to compose a photo of it. So here, one is mine, one is Joelle's -- a beautiful use of a staircase that's probably unsafe to use...

(Joelle) the ancient town well

(Joelle) I missed this as well!

(Joelle) I assume this was a favorite photo of hers.

three friends, after our true French lunch

This mother and daughter are acquaintances of my gang. They just happened to be having lunch at the same restaurant!

(Ann) the "square"

(Joelle) the same "square," in La Gacilly

 

I will now add some photos, some by me, some by Joelle, with hopes they give the flavor of how there was something interesting to see around every corner.

(Joelle)

(Ann)

(Ann) -- first of three photos from one place

I never found out the story behind choosing this photo for a posed moment....

Joelle making a photo.

(Ann) I put the head in the photo on purpose, partly to gauge the size of the photo on the wall, but also to acknowledge that the whole place was a celebration of photography, with tourists looking at the several hundred photos on display and taking photos in return..

(Joelle, of course)

We figured someone had left this bike out as a prop.  So we obliged....  After all, the day was also about having fun! It was the first time any of us had been to this village and so also the first time to see one of the annual exhibits.

Thanks, Joelle, for this fine photo of Mariko and myself.

a favorite photo there, though my photo of it doesn't do it justice

exhibiting!

post #292
       Today is a short post because my place is filled with family, which includes shifts and wonderful new adventures.  I think this occasion provides a good excuse for sharing the information about an upcoming juried exhibit called "Firmly Rooted, 2016" at the M S Rezny Studio/Gallery in Lexington, Kentucky.  My photo of the milkweed pod with a tiny frog sitting on it was accepted to be included!  More information is on the postcard I hope to show here (two sides) or at the gallery's website: msrezny.com 

       Many regular viewers of this blog already know that I followed a couple of milkweed plants throughout an entire year. Had I not been looking closely at them almost daily, I would never had noticed the handsome visitor. It was a thrill, as always, to meet and discover as part of being an artist.
      Earlier this week, a photographer friend sent me a surprise photo, from Minnesota, that I loved seeing. Thanks, Tom!  This frog was sitting on a lawn chair at the Quaker conference he was attending.  Frogs getting out in the world....

      

      

       Happy discoveries to all, Ann 




 
        

The mingling of winter's ending and my exhibit's ending

post #274
       All good things.... time to move on..... wow, what adventure is next... why have I been so busy.... and how come I am not as well organized as I'd like to be....  Many things to think about besides the crass and even shocking sideshow currently taking place in the American public arena. I'd like to think my photos celebrate a certain American generosity and groundedness, and, when push comes to shove, this quality of American life will prevail. Americans from all backgrounds are way better than what Donald Trump has stirred up with his mean-spirited and egomanic behavior.
        Well, with that out of the way, I am following an idea that came to me combining the intensity of ending my retrospective photo exhibit with the sudden and unexpected snow experience we all had around here on Thursday -- when the forecast gave rain for the day.  Ha!! I made it home, but barely. There were wrecks in too many places, and even our interstate closed down for awhile to clear them. So my plan is to alternate winter and exhibit, the orderliness of one balancing the unexpected of the other, both sharing mystery.

signs of snow

the banner outside the Arts Center 

overview of the exhibit, just hours before we took it down

 

out the kitchen window

first of the views with the black walnut tree and barn

 

So glad Randy Kinsler could come on the last day -- we worked together in his bookstore years ago; I loved it.

out the back door - many tracks from visitors at home during the night.  No group photos available.....

I started the wood stove in case the electricity went out (which it did, for a few hours!)

Sort of by accident, this photo montage from a fire tower near Hazard, KY, was hung under the fire alarm..  Wonderful!

the beloved sycamore tree

bird feeding  (downy woodpecker)

If this had been the rain it was supposed to be I wouldn't have been able to make this photo!!!

getting ready for the exhibit soon to replace mine

Does it seem clear by now that this inconvenient snow was also beautiful and fascinating and a time taker!!??

Guess what's coming... Happy March to all!

links, thinks, and a photo exhibit tease

post #270
        So much sun today -- which this time of year nicely warms our south facing house. I'm almost ready for some more snow, but hopefully not so much all at once!
       Today I have two links, take 'em or leave 'em, but first some shots from my photography exhibit at the Rowan County Arts Center.  Several readers have indicated they liked seeing the setting up process, so this will be a kind of follow-up report from last week's post. 

a banner outside the Arts Center building -- my name up in plastic! Nice!

The first of several "snaps" of the place without the long tables and the photos leaning up against the sides

from my series following a few milkweed plants for a year

the visitor guest book -- page 1 --

and some cards for sale that match the hanging photos, a few smaller/unframed versions for sale as well, along with copies of Counting on the Woods, a poem by George Ella Lyon, and my photos.

Here is a favorite photo  -- my neighbor Sandy's cat whom I discovered snoozing there when I got into my car one day to return home, with the Destination perfectly placed. I give it the title of "on the way." I'm always glad when I have my camera in the front seat of the car and am ready to go.

I would like to give two links today, and the first is for George Ella's newsletter. Being Kentucky's Poet Laureate for two years has kept her even busier than usual, but I am awed by the amount of work she manages to pull off, including her quarterly newsletter. She is unfailingly original in words and in person. 


The other link is for the great conference coming up with information about gifted kids, put on annually by an organization that I was part of for many years, the Kentucky Association for Gifted Education. They have made such a difference in our state, and, in this time of budget cuts that push the needs of children aside, I think it is even more important then ever to stay informed and to speak up for the importance of each child receiving the education they need and deserve. I hope to be able to go to at least a day of the two day event, Feb. 22-23.