(part 1)

I left Chateau D'Orquevaux and the enchanting group of creative people who became newfound artistic influences and friends about a week ago, and I'm still not sure I have all of the words I would like to say, to accurately share the experience with you. 

As I've mentioned in previous posts, I arrived there with big plans to make new pieces for the series I've been working on since January, which is centered on my dichotomous relationship with food and eating, and explores themes of femininity, joy, shame, beauty, consumerism, and comfort.

I arrived there, made a handful of attempts (above) and realized I couldn't replicate the level of control I normally use in my work, so my big plans and productivity goals for that specific series went out the window.

Although control is one of my strengths within photography, I'm aware that making room for magic requires making room for the unknown (and uncontrolled) and I'm grateful that my stay at the chateau reminded me of that. I loosened my grip by going back to the basic things that keep me using a camera, rather than learning a different medium to express myself : light + beauty + the ephemerality of a moment.

As you know if you've followed my work for a while, one of my favourite ways to learn about the light in a new space (and also to calm my nervous system) is to build and photograph still life compositions inspired by the masterful Dutch paintings we're all so familiar with.

I think I'll always love composing these because it forces me to slow down. The process really enhances how I appreciate my environment - firstly by gathering little pieces of it and secondly by inviting the light in that specific room at that specific time to co-author a little story with me.

These compositions take time and patience, two things I often feel short of, so the practice of making them has gifts to offer on multiple levels.

This still life work is also a way for me to romanticize life. It's a tonic for spending a lot of time faced with the harshness of reality in the world these days. Each one is like a love story between me and a moment.

I'll leave you here for now, but the topic of love stories and the wrap up to my Chateau D'Orquevaux residency is to be continued soon...