Photos of the day

I haven't posted my photos for a while.  The first year that I did this blog, I simply posted a photo a day.  It was hard work, making sure it was done every day.  I think I even filled the days up afterwards when I was away for a period.  (I didn't do it from my iPhone, and I didn't have an iPad then).

Then I used to put up a photo just one day a week. I don't want to tie myself up to doing things on a specific schedule at the moment, but I have been taking some interesting photos so I will post some of them on regular (but irregular) basis for the next while.

Today I have two photos of water (from a tap).  To achieve the opposite effects - catching the water in slow, and fast, movement - I had to think back to the things I learnt when I studied photography in the 1970's.  Then my camera was a semi-automatic SRL, which was easy to set up manually.  With the current automatic digital cameras, setting up the manual controls is more difficult, but perfectly feasible to do, as long as your camera is a little more complex than a very simple 'point and shoot' one (most likely it can't be done with a mobile phone camera).

Anyway, here are my water photos - fast moving and slow moving.  The effects are achieved with exactly the opposite photographic controls:  for fast moving water, you need a slow speed; for slow moving, or rather frozen in time, you need a very fast speed. The short and long exposure times are noticeable in the background to the water.

My work at Black Swan Arts

Black Swan Arts is a forward-looking, long-standing, hard-working for the arts, local art gallery within an arts complex in the town of Frome, Somerset, UK.

Black Swan Arts have an annual Open Arts competition/exhibition, which is open to all artists, not only  those from the South West of England.  I am pleased to say that I have had a piece accepted this year (the third time I entered, and the second time I got in), and it is now on show in their building.

My work is one of only two textile pieces in the show - and the only quilted hanging. The majority of the works are paintings, sculptures, glass, photography, ceramics, with a sprinkling of mixed media of various types, some using fabric as one of the elements.  Although the majority of the works are in more traditionally 'arty' materials and categories, there are many 'cutting edge' works.

It is certainly worth visiting, if you are in the area. The exhibition is on until 25 May.  Open 10 am - 4 pm Monday-Saturday, closed Sundays.  There is a big public car park next door, and the lovely Divas cafe in the building, on which walls some of the art exhibition is hung. "Seeds", a studio crafts shop, and several individual artists' studios, as well as an open studio space which can be used for workshops, complete the complex.  Plenty to view!

"Mapping Earth", above, is my piece in the show. I have mounted it on a canvas stretcher, which makes it look more substantial.

It is always worth entering local art shows - textiles are sometimes accepted. And they are always popular with the visitors!

Alicia

Red Brick Building Arts

I'm having an exhibition on the cafe area walls of the Red Brick Building, Morland Road, Glastonbury, Somerset, BA6 9FT, together with painter Jenny Graham.  It is on until 12 May, so there is still time to visit.  Open Mon-Fri 9 am - 4 pm, closes 3 pm on Saturdays, closed on Sundays. Free  parking.

Because of this, Jenny and I were interviewed by the local radio, Glastonbury FM, in a programme about business - the interviewer wanted to talk about 'the business of art' - very interesting!  If you live in an area within 10 miles of Glastonbury, you can tune in to gfm - 107.1 fm, but you can listen to it via the internet anywhere in the world.  Just go to their website, www.glastonburyfm.co.uk.

Digital Photo Presentations

For some time I've been intending to transfer my old slide shows to digital presentations, and create some new ones.  I'm pleased to say that I've started!  My first move was to buy a digital projector, the best I could afford for projection of photographs.  There is a bewildering array of choices, and I found an online specialised seller that I could phone and get advice from.

The second step was to start creating slide shows.  I already have one digital presentation which I created years ago, A Passion for Colour, which was done in PowerPoint, and it took quite a lot of time to build.  This time I needed to be able to build "My Journey As A Quilter" in two days. So how to go about it? Solution:  do it on my iPad using Apple's Keynote programme (available from the App Store). I already had it, so I started by reading the instructions and found them very intuitive.

I had to make sure that the photos I wanted to use were actually in the iPad, so I transferred them from my computer, which in any case is an Apple one. Then I built my new presentation.

If you depend on other people's projectors, and have a PC rather than an Apple computer, the Keynote presentation can be saved as a PowerPoint one, and transferred from iPad to computer via iTunes. Once downloaded into the computer,  it can be saved, and then burnt onto a CD, or transferred to a data stick, or shown directly from your PC.

But the best and easiest way is to simply connect the iPad to the projector. For that, you will need a special cable, as the iPad does not have the same plugs and sockets that the projector cable has.  There are various alternatives for different connection systems, but the one I bought is an "iPad to VGA" cable.  I plug the VGA end to the projector's connecting cable, the iPad end to the iPad, and then plug the other end of the combined cable system to the projector.  Turn everything on, and hey presto! the projection starts.

I had also had great fun playing with the transitions between slides.

Now I've got to create some more shows. I can see possibilities for workshop use too.  I take my iPad to classes to show students various photos, but taking the projector will be even better.  It is very light (I chose a portable one) and fits neatly in a carrying bag with all its cables.

I recommend giving this system a try!

Thanks for reading!

Alicia

Contemporary Patchwork and Quilting class at Red Brick Building Arts

I will be teaching a Contemporary Patchwork and Quilting class at the Red Brick Building in Glastonbury.  I talked about this amazing new community venue in my last post, but since then, there have been a number of changes in the classes arrangements.  So ignore the previous leaflet I posted previously, and look at this new poster instead:

Red Brick Building Arts wants to reach people at all levels of knowledge and income, and make arts and crafts available to all.  Therefore I will be running a first class as described in the poster, to help RBB in their mission of attracting as many people as possible and make the enterprise succeed.

There are many other classes and activitiesgoing on, from yoga to photography, and a thriving cafe, so do have a look in the Red Brick Building website!

My class is already filling well, but as we work in a new, bright and big studio, there is still space for more people.  So even if you can't come yourself, pass the word round!

Alicia

13-2-13

I like the date figure:  13 - 2 - 13.  Same day as the year.  And the month is February, which is my birth month (but not today - it was a few days ago).  Thirteen has been a good number for me;  I was married on a 13th, and my youngest daughter was born on a 13th.  So I had to post an entry today - before the day finishes and we are into Valentine's Day.

I have been busy as usual but also taking things a little more easy and trying not to rush about too much. Less trips abroad (only three so far for this year), and not so much teaching.  Hopefully time to make more quilts. It also shows in less posting in my blog.

But as I said in my previous post, I am getting more involved locally with crafts projects and ventures.  Glastonbury's Red Brick Building Arts will start functioning in March, and below is a leaflet with the teaching programme with which I will be involved.  I will also have an exhibition there from 8 April to May 12, together with painter Jenny Graham.  Come and see us if you can!

Alicia

New local ventures

This year I am keeping my sights much more local.  I will be working on the Earth Stories SAQA project, my theme for which is "Protection of Endangered Species in the Avalon Marshes Nature Reserves". Within the area of the nature reserves on the Somerset Levels there is a craft gallery, run cooperatively by the members, who donate a proportion of their sales income to Natural England, the body who looks after some of the reserves in the area.  I have now become a member of the group and my quilts are hanging in the gallery.  Have a look at their beautiful website:  Somerset Crafts

Another local project I am getting involved with is the Red Brick Building in Glastonbury.  This building has been saved from demolition by a group of dedicated local volunteers, and after several years of hard work the building will open in March, with a full and wonderful programme of events, courses, exhibitions etc.  Do come and visit if you are in the area.  See full details in the website:  Red Brick Building .  I will be running a two day workshop there, on Monday 29 and Tuesday 30 April.  See details in my website:  www.aliciamerrett.co.uk - Forthcoming Courses page.

Photos coming soon!

After the fire, the floods and the snow

My last post, exactly a month ago, was a seasonal greetings card with a big bonfire on it - one of my own pictures.  Since then, Somerset was flooded because of the heavy rains in December, and now in January, we have snow.  Floods were very inconvenient and upsetting to a lot of people, while snow is pretty on the first day - then it gets either slushy, or icy, or both.

Here are some photos of the first day snow taken through the windows of my house - I didn't have to go out at all!  I'm staying at home catching up with a lot of things, hopefully until the snow clears out.

View from the front room window

My neighbour's tree, full view and close-ups.  It was snowing lightly.

Garden table and chairs

Happy Festive Season

I wish the happiest Christmas, and a wonderful and creative New Year, to all my friends and family!

Cheers!!!

Alicia

West Country Quilt Show

For the next three days - Thursday 29, Friday 30 November, and Saturday 1st December - ten of my quilts will be on display in a gallery within a new quilt show - the West Country Quilt Show.  I took my quilts there today for hanging, and it looks very promising - with all quilts hanging on large white walls.  It takes place at the Bath and West Showground, near Shepton Mallet, Somerset, open 10 am to 5 pm.  Full details in their website:  www.westcountryquiltshow.co.uk . Other participants are Ferret, Rosemary Hillman, and Kaffe Fassett. Christine Porter will be signing copies of her new book.

Go and have a look if you are in the area!

Time and the City