Acacia Bloom

August 30, 2007 | Filed Under Contemporary Quilts | 2 Comments

I’ve finished quilting and am auditioning how much white I want to keep in the border. Thank goodness for the cropping function in photo manipulation software!
    

Moonstruck

August 29, 2007 | Filed Under My Surroundings | 2 Comments

The lunar eclipse was surprisingly impressive. Of course, my zoom was no match for the spectacle and I really should have pulled out the tripod (not to mention read the night photography chapter in my camera manual) but here’s a taste:
  

Blood Moon

August 28, 2007 | Filed Under My Surroundings | 4 Comments

Apparently, tonight at 8.37pm (AEST) the Sun, Earth and Moon will be in total alignment, scattering light as it passes through the Earth’s atmosphere and bounces off the moon in hues of bronze and red. Sydney and New Zealand are ideally positioned to view the lunar eclipse so I will be out with my binoculars. Meanwhile here is a very aposite painting by my sister Amy:

Earth from Above

August 27, 2007 | Filed Under Inspiration | 1 Comment

I can see that my next trip (or two) to the city will be one big gallery hop with all the exhibitions that I want to take it. Earth from Above is a free outdoor photography exhibition that is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week at Darling Harbour, Sydney until Christmas Eve. Billed as “an aerial portrait of our planet - towards sustainable development by Yann Arthus Bertrand“, it looks like it features some great photos. Click on the gallery and find the patchwork carpet image in the middle at the bottom of the page. Elsewhere, the artist generously shares a gallery of photos that you can download as wallpaper including these very quilty image of a car yard and an Australian mine.

More on Movie Mode

August 26, 2007 | Filed Under Blog Admin | 1 Comment

As I mentioned yesterday, Blogger now has a video upload function. I’ve tested it and it is very easy to use. If you know how to upload photos in Blogger, then direct video uploading in Blogger is just as straightforward (assuming that you have a video camera in the first place and also assuming you have broadband).

If your blog uses another platform (eg WordPress or Typepad), then it is still an easy matter to add a video clip to your blog without too much fuss. While I was surfing around looking for something else today, I found this step by step guide on how to add a video or movie clip to your Blog or webpage. I notice that the same site has other tutorials including how to add a favicon icon to a Blogspot url and how to add music to a Blogspot blog. Sounds like a useful resource for all you blogspotters out there…

And in answer to my own question yesterday as to whether increased easy access to video uploads will change the face of blogging, I’m still inclined to agree with Lorelle Van Fossen who, as I mentioned back in April, declares: The web is about words. No matter how visual and audible it becomes, it continues to be about the words. Blogging is about writing.

Movie Mode

August 25, 2007 | Filed Under Blog Admin | 4 Comments

Whether it’s your mobile phone, your computer software or your sewing machine, few of us fully realise the potential of the gadgets in our lives. For example, my digital camera has a movie mode and this is the very first time that it has been put to use. Click on this picture to find an audio/video of the view from my studio this afternoon:

(Note: To view the video, you will require Quicktime 7 which you can download for free. Alternatively, see here for a flash-player compatible version.)

I notice that Google has now officially introduced video uploading within Blogger:

Blogger Buzz: Today we are releasing video uploading to Blogger! This feature allows you to upload videos and create a video podcast with the same ease that we currently provide with photo uploading.

When you go to the Blogger post editor, you’ll see a new button […] next to the image uploading one. Just select a video from your computer, wait a few minutes for the upload and processing to occur, and voila!

No longer will blogspot bloggers need to upload videos via third party platforms such as You-Tube or similar. Will this easy access transform the look of blogging as we know it?

I’ve got it covered

August 24, 2007 | Filed Under Quilters' Guild of NSW | 1 Comment

A while ago I was lamenting that a hole had appeared in my ironing board cover. If you find yourself in a similar predicament, then I can highly recommend the Fitz Like A Glove ironing board cover made by Interface Australia. What’s more, if you use this Order Form or quote the code “QG25” when placing your order, Interface Australia donates 20% of the sale (excluding postage) to the Community Quilts project of The Quilters’ Guild of NSW Inc.

I told you…

August 23, 2007 | Filed Under Other Projects | 2 Comments

I have stripes on the brain:

This quilt is slightly larger than a fat quarter and is intended to be used with soft toys.

More stripes

August 22, 2007 | Filed Under Technique:Design | 1 Comment

There’s so many other things I should be doing but I have stripes on the brain:

Judging Stripes

August 21, 2007 | Filed Under Education | 1 Comment

Yesterday’s snail mail brought good news - I’ve been accepted into a 3 day [quilt] judging workshop in New Zealand in early November with NQA Certified Teacher and Judge and former Senior Features Editor for Quilters Newsletter Magazine, Jeannie Spears.

According to the workshop promotional materials, each participant will learn:

• to examine, evaluate and provide feedback on workmanship, colour, successful design and use of embellishments;
• to use appropriate vocabulary to critique the visual impact of quilts;
• to consider sponsor responsibilities and define categories; and
• to set up a practical and efficient judging process.

The workshop organisers also hope that those who successfully complete the intensive course will go on to initiate the establishment of certification progams for quilt judges in their home country. (There are other Australians enrolled in the workshop.)

I’m really looking forward to the workshop and building upon some of my experiences as Exhibition Secretary for The Quilters’ Guild of NSW Inc. And, although I will be stepping down as Exhibition Secretary in October, I hope there will be an opportunity to share my insights from the workshop with the Guild in a meaningful and appropriate way.

Meanwhile, I’ve just spotted a current Sydney exhibition that I am keen to take in:

John Nicholson - Irregular Readings
Sarah Cottier Gallery - Paddington, until 1 September 2007
John Nicholson works with layers of technicolour perspex, laminated together and sanded to a high gloss. Unfortunately, he doesn’t seem to have a website or online gallery (thereby failing Alison Stanfield’s Art Biz 101) but there are a couple of images in this recent issue of Art Interview and you will see that his sculptural works are very reminiscent of Bridget Riley’s striped canvases such as Big Blue and Shade.