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Friendly Leopards, Or, Saturday Morning at 9:43am

A photographic artist in your family? Recommend 11/10. Many of you will remember my stepmother, Brigitte Carnochan, and her beautiful gallery work.

A photograph of an echinacea flower, by Brigitte Carnochan
Echinacea, Brigitte Carnochan

Or perhaps you remember this picture of my children, on Martha’s Vineyard in 1992, captured with my iPhone 10 minutes ago from the wall in my living room, complete with reflections. They were so cute, and so cold.

Two small children, obviously chilly, at a beach in Martha's Vineyard

Neither has feet like puffy marshmallows these days, but one will on occasion put an arm around the other. Today we are in luck because Gitta, as we call her, has just returned from a 3-week photographic safari to Africa. These are not your usual Look At My Trip pictures. For your Saturday,

The dust.

The feathers.

The nuzzle.

The pals.

The end.

There was one more photo, of hyenas and their kill, but I didn’t feel like creatures eating other creatures was what we needed to see today. Thank goodness for art and beauty and talented family. All my best to all of you on this Saturday morning.

16 Responses

  1. Such gorgeous photos of Africa! We did a trip there for my husband’s 60th birthday and it was without a doubt, the best and most life changing trip we’ve ever taken. Brigitte is extremely talented and her photographs are all so transportive. Such a wonderful post and so uplifting.

  2. Thank you for sharing these gorgeous images, Lisa! Totally uplifting. Your stepmother is tremendously talented.
    I especially love the one of your children with their “puffy marshmallow” feet. Great description. That one touches my heart.

  3. How beautiful and peaceful. I’ve dreamed of visiting Africa since a friend spent time there during our college years and sent me some of her photos from the trip. She volunteered at an elephant orphanage in Kenya, and her stories from that experience were so touching — both warm and sad. Your stepmother has a true gift to convey those warm feelings in photographic form. Thank you so much for sharing her photos, and yours, with us! I was looking forward to your post today and am certain this was just what we all needed. ❤ I hope your weekend is absolutely beautiful and full of love.

  4. Thanks, Lisa–and thank you all for your comments…yes, an African safari is thrilling–hard to describe the intense feeling of connection to the flora and fauna as well as the continual surprise of the unexpected.

  5. Your stepmother is an extraordinarily talented woman. It makes me smile to remember that I loved and followed her photography before I knew you. Then, in 2011, you wrote about her on your blog. You mentioned a show she was having near where I lived in San Francisco. I stopped in. You and your family had mostly departed, but I introduced myself to Brigitte, and admired her work. Today, after seeing her African safari photos, I went to her site to look at her flowers, which remain my favorite of her work. I’d still love to own one of her pieces, though I’m presently winnowing artwork, and framing photography from auction houses for my walls here. Turns out a tiny condo with floor-to-ceiling windows is not book or artwork friendly. It’s an interesting challenge. Thank you for the beauty. xo. (I just went back to one of Brigitte’s rep’s sites, and looked at everything again. So much beauty to soothe the soul. https://www.peterfetterman.com/artists/73-brigitte-carnochan/works/)

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