My photo blog

This photo is typical of my stay in April. After the hot weather in March which I wasn't prepared for, rain and cold, which I wasn't prepared for either (non plus)! I didn't have my winter coat (manteau) and I was cold. I took this photo from inside a bus.



This is the queue in front of Orsay museum; I climbed on a wall (grimpé sur un mur) to try and photograph the umbrellas (parapluies) from the top. Fortunately (heureusement) I had a ticket so I didn't have to queue, I don't know how the people have the patience, especially in the rain.

I discovered something new today - and someone - by following a photo of eggs I liked on REDBUBBLE.COM
I have been photographing eggs recently and was intrigued by this one; I have a lot of squares and patterns at home and never thought of putting my eggs on the floor (sol)
I went to see the person's profile and really loved her photos, especially the ones in her 365 ONE A DAY PROJECT
I read she was host of a group called MIKSANG PHOTOGRAPHY so I clicked to see what it was about.
Revelation, this puts a name to what I am doing with my camera. Here's what another adept says:
" I find great pleasure and satisfaction in noticing shapes (formes) and colors which might seem insignificant to a rational, judgmental mind (esprit). Instead they are incredibly enriching and magnetizing to a relaxed and non-judgmental, open mind and especially open eyes! It is refreshing to be able to be enchanted by the daily life reality of even trashbags (poubelles) or towels (serviettes de toilette), curtains (rideaux), dishes (plats), windows, sidewalks (trottoirs), the sky, a wall or anything else (autre chose) which one might see through the experience of a flash of perception--free from preoccupations with good or bad or neutral."
I joined the group and went out with my camera.
"This is done by becoming aware of things in your environment that catch your eye and then taking a photograph of exactly what your flash of perception was without all of the distractions. It is through this mindful approach that you are able to enter a meditative state and the minimal look of most Miksang photographs results from reducing what caught your eye down to the pure visual elements of colour, light, pattern, and space.
This is the result of level 1 workshop, I must see what I already have in REDBUBBLE
I think I've got it correct this time.

Our tea on Easter Monday, home-made chocolate and vanilla buns decorated with Spring garden flowers by my grand-daughter - beautiful - and delicious. And they're so easy (facile), just the old Tupperware yoghurt cake recipe cooked in paper bun cases (caissettes) for 10 minutes. Unfortunately we had visitors so we didn't have many each, we had to share (partager)! We accompanied them with tea flavoured with ginger and cloves (clous de girofle), delicious also.
For lunch we had local oysters (huitres), a delicious pot-au-feu because the weather was cold and cherry clafoutis for dessert.
In the afternoon we flew kites (cerf-volants) in the garden because it was very windy (venteux). 'We' was me, my husband, my son, his wife and their two children -my grand children.

I was invited into a new group in redbubble
It's a bit philosophical and difficult to understand what they want, but my first photo has been accepted and featured, so.... I created another one to put on the present challenge:


The challenge is "ZEBRA" "black and white stripes (rayures) is playing with contrast and disguise (déguisement) all at once en même temps) – integration of opposites... our challenge is to look in-between two conflicting alternatives, protective camouflage and identifying uniqueness."
Does that mean you have to have something zebra with black and white stripes or something with camouflage?
My photo was accepted so...

REMEMBER? I took another photo today: Now I have a series of three.



I like the simplicity of these photos, I like the repetition of circles on the plate and its colour not exactly white.

Here's another plate, but full of delicious food this time.



This was my plate in our favourite Portuguese restaurant in Paris. It is octopus and prawns (crevettes) grilled on the barbecue with red and green peppers (poivrons), potatoes, onions and black olives. Deliciously perfumed olive oil was poured (versé) over it just before it came to my table, the smell was unbelievable (incroyable). As you can imagine, I enjoyed it. We had a bottle of sparkling (pétillant) Vinot Verdi to accompany it - all Portugal in a glass. I'll definitely go again.

I made a double one this time - with some help fixing the frames (cadres) together (ensemble) and the plastic boxes behind.



It was a special order to go next to a modern art painting with green and mauve in it.



This one is completely different, it's made of slate (ardoise) and it's heavy (lourd). i'm not completely satisfied with it, I might change it (il se pourrait que je le modifie.)

I've been photgraphing my supermarkets again



Fantastic, this one, love it!

This time I went inside and found something graphic to photograph.



It's an attractive plate but I can't imagine eating my toast or a piece of tart in it. I didn't buy it, just took a photo.

This was taken from the top of the Centre Pompidou coming out of the Matisse exhibition. I had bought a ticket on Internet but when we arrived at about 3.30pm (a very bad time) the queue for the exhibition was so long! We visited the permanent exhibitions and at 6 pm there was no queue. We were disappointed at the Matisse exhibition, there were not many paintings and we were out in 40 minutes - luckily: I was in time to take a photo of the beautiful sunset behind the Eiffel Tower.



This is a reconstruction of a room in the Elysée palace which was commissioned by Pompidou, who with his wife, loved modern art. It is by Yaacov Agam (b. 1928) an Israeli sculptor and experimental artist best known for his contributions to optical and kinetic art - amazing!

My latest addition to Arbrecourt art week

I bought the chair for 5 euros in the local Emmaüs, spent 3 times that on paint and a blue pot and here is the result. The plant is a jasmine and is supposed to climb up the chair; it's a work of art, it's not to sit on.
I must admit it's not my idea, I saw it on internet, but I think it's going to look great in my garden, not too far from (pas trop loin de) the house because it's nearly the same colour as (la même...que) the shutters volets).

I also planted some seeds (graines) in an egg box.



They are seeds (graines) from a magnolia tree in my neighbour's (voisine) garden. They were bright red when I collected them; they have been in the freezer and all winter in the fridge and I hope they're going to grow. (à suivre)
Update 15th April - my seeds didn't grow! what a disappointment!

I'm delighted (enchantée), this year I won't have maize in front of my house! This calls for a celebration.



This year it's barley (orge) so it won't grow 2.5 metres high and block my view for 5 months. It has just started to grow (pousser) in spite of the lack (malgré le manque) of rain. It will be a field of golden colour in June and be cut in July. I'm very happy.

My good deed (action) for the planet today was a trip to the recycling plant to throw away (jeter) my old computer. I arrived just in time for it to be taken away (emporter) by a big impressive lorry.

I am proud (je suis fière) to be part of the 'natural ressources' of the 21st century!!
I am going to continue throwing things away to declutter (désencombrer) my house. I feel so much better when there is more space.

I cut a chinese cabbage in two and look what I found! it was beautiful inside, with tiny buds (boutons minuscules) and flowers. It's like a bouquet framed (encadré) by its own leaves.
I took a closer photo:


It's delicate, perfectly protected, until I discovered it!

Two photos for a pink challenge:


A shop window in Paris, completely painted pink except for these holes (trous).


A pile of pink suitcases (valises) used in a display au Printemps.
Very vibrant colours.

“Life isn't how to survive the storm, it's about how to dance in the rain.” ― Taylor Swift.
Do you agree? (Etes-vous d'accord?) I read this quote in somebody's profile on redbubble. I have a photo to illustrate it: