The Xara Xone @ Christmas: member input?

[Gare]

Hi—

It’s been a tradition with Gary Priester’s Xara Xone stewardship for many, many Christmasses Past to put up a Year’s End Art Show, featuring submissions from TalkGraphics members.

As the new steward of The Xara Xone, I thought I’d leave it up to members how to celebrate the season and the end of another year. There have been two pieces of friction toward the end of Gary P.’s shows that suggest that members would prefer a modification or something to the show.

First, it was difficult for Gary P. to get submissions, which is natural because just before December 25th folks have other, physical things to do. Second, the submissions weren’t all uniformly of a Holiday theme. People with no time did the Good Deed and submitted drawings, but they were from the respective artists’ personal galleries and some had nothing to do with the theme, the season of the gallery.

What do you all think we should do to celebrate in an expressive, artistic, community way? I have a suggestion.

For several years Barbara and I ran a tree decorating “party” on TheBoutons.com. Because she and I are here, and not very often tending out own website, I thought, “Hey, let’s bring a blank tree over here and see what members can do to fancy it up?”

We asked for ornaments to be attached to posts, and every few days or so I’d graft submissions onto the tree, and by the week before Christmas, the tree looked grand.



This is just a suggestion. If you can top it, please do, but I gave this a lot of thought and drawing an ornament isn’t the sort of investment in time as doing a complete illustration or a swf animation.

Let’s hear it by November 21st. I’m all elf ears.

My Best,

Gary

[stygg2003]

Sounds like a great suggestion Gary, decorate the tree, I'm all for it but can we include the odd chrissy card to put on the mantlepeice behind the tree.

Stygg

[Karateed]

I think that's a great idea Gary.....I would also not restrict the entries to only ornaments. There are so many very talented people on this site that it would be great to see season related animations, drawings, anything that celebrates the holiday season....varietly is wonderful and I love seeing the talent displayed via different themes....Christmas is a great theme to display in many different ways as possible.......just my thoughts on this.....

[angelize]

This sounds like a lovely idea, I like the idea of doing a fireplace mantle as well as the tree. As members contribute the holiday scene will become more complete, there could be stockings, cards, and decorations added to the mantel as well and there could be gifts for under the tree. Will the final image be displayed here at TG or on the Xara Xone? and what about a gallery of all the individual images? Although if we posted our images here at TG as both a small image for the scene and a larger image perhaps that would kind of provide a gallery of sorts? If time and creativity allows will members be allowed to post more than one decoration?
Will we be required to use only Xara for this or would other programs be allowed as long as Xara is used as well?

[Gare]

@Frances—

The spirit that inevitably comes around December to the civilized world is so all-inclisive that I’d be a hypocrite were I to say, as an example, “No. Only Xara artwork. Corellians and Photoshoppers, go find another star to lead you to the crèche.”

I’d like this collaborative celebration to be based on our favorite drawing program, and I suspect the majority of posts will be done with Xara, however if your creative urge is from the heart and your expression is a sincere one, use a tool you own or are comfortable with.

@Stygg—

This is a fairly nascent idea right now, but yeah, why not create a Christmas card and post it on a mantle? I’ll even try to provide an illustration of a mantle for you and others.

I might call this a “Christmas Collaborative Celebration”, but you don’t have to be a Christian to participate. This is all about:

• Self-expression.

• Good will.

• Compassion, tolerance, beauty, the power of faith, the joy in your soul, no reservations.

If any of the above strikes a resonant chord, then GOOD! It’s a terrific start for an ornament, or a menorah for the mantle, or a shining star drawing to guide us, you get the idea.

It’s about love at the end of the year, because far too many of us have endured the pain of a flood, hurricane, or other natural disaster, or a man-made disaster, or the strong preying on the weak…and we owe it to ourselves to take a deep, fresh breath and renew ourselves.
And I hear artwork is a pretty good cathartic avenue.

Let your love out.

Do it with a pen tool or whatever.



How’s that for guidelines?

My Best,

Gary

[wizard509]

I like the idea of decorating a tree as well as a mantle, or under the tree, or walls, or whatever.

[wizard509]

Tree lights. I add a few every year.

Rich

Yeah, I was thinking about you always doing that Rich. I think I collected your posts of those. They are very nice.

[angelize]

Um guys... I think all Gary was looking for for now was just some feedback. I think it's a little early to start actually doing the Christmas stuff isn't it? Maybe it would be an idea to wait a week or two?

[Gare]

@ everyone—

Frances is right. It is more than a forthnight too early to go posting contributions, and this won't even be the thread, so I'll download Stygg and Rich's contributions and hang on to them.

Let me add one more thing to our celebration to contemplate right now. Every well-dressed Christmas tree needs resents underneath, and as Frances has demonstrated, Filter Factory is a great way to make seamless textures...which I believe could then be made into gift wrap on a prersent.

Just something to think about, FF or not.

Let's get to it soon, okay? I need time to get November's video tutorial done and then it's Thanksgiving here in the USA. After that, I think we'll be good to go.

-g

[Soquili]

I'm ready to go with tree ornaments, cards, decorations, or what ever the majority decides upon.