Starting Today ~ Creative Arts Group ~ Three Day Weekend
Last week, the Group indicated that, by allowing the "Thursday/Friday" feature to remain opened indefinitely, the resultant number of posts/comments often became so numerous, it slowed browsers and made for sluggish transmission.
So, after putting it to a vote, it was decided that we'd try a THREE DAY WEEKEND (Friday, Saturday & Sunday) going forward, and, see how it goes.
For now, at least, post creative work and comments as before, the difference being, that, on Sunday nights, the article will be locked and a new THREE DAY WEEKEND article will be posted on the following Friday.
Let's see if it flies.
© A. Mac/A.G.
Article is LOCKED by moderator [A. Macarthur]
Think of it as a "trial balloon".
Beautiful photos Mac. Catching the bird in flight is awesome.
Which sort of introduces things floating in the air - like lanterns. Your bird photo is amazing.
Morning. Love all the photos, they have brightened my day. Currently stuck in hospital have got shingles which is not good when having chemotherapy. Hopefully I will be home soon.
OMG shona! Shingles are not good at any time, and are very dangerous and contagious. My Mother had them and was in quarantine in the hospital for over a week. They would not let me go in and visit with her so that I would not get them as well. So I had to sit outside her room and use sign language to try and comfort her. She didn't want to stay there by herself and I wanted to stay with her, but, they would not allow me to do so.
And no, shingles are not good to have when you are having chemotherapy. Please take care of yourself and don't rush it, it will only make it worse. So just relax and stay in here with us and we will keep you company from here. We are here for you, and we look after our own.
So sorry to hear that, shona. I hope you can get over the shingles quickly so that chemo can continue as planned.
All the best wishes to a fast recovery from shingles and that your chemotherapy goes well, shona.
Yes I am in isolation but I have a good view outside so that helps. No one is allowed in and by the sounds of it I will not be going to Melbourne on Friday for treatment. But it is what it is and just have to make the best of it. The staff are great and can't ask for anymore. Thank you for your good wishes, wonderful to think people from across the world are thinking of me...
My wife sends you healing energy; If anyone understands what you are going through, she does.
Thank her very much and hope she is doing well. Have been thinking of her too.
Oh, I'm sorry to hear that - my late father experienced suffering with shingles - for him it was a form of torture. Get better soon!!!
Sorry you're having a rough time. I hope you get better soon.
I received shingles vaccination shots last year.
THAT SUCKS!!!
I don't think it would affect your chemo... ask if you're allowed to take L-Lysine, 1000mg / day. That will help [along with antivirals] to get rid of Shingles. Is it on the "trunk" of your body? That shit is really painful. I'm so sorry you're dealing with that on top of chemo especially.
Unfortunately, the chemo probably weakened your immune system just enough for the Shingles to rear its ugly head. Do they have you on acyclovir or valacyclovir? Don't ask me how I know.
Happy Friday! I was going to put up a new update of the new aquarium, but only half my plant order came this week. I have 10 pots of Anubius Nana Petite sitting in CA for the last 4 days. It was supposed to be 2 day FedEx shipping. Oh well... Here's what I'm using as a left over tank for now. An old flat back half hex my sis gave me a few years ago. It's just been sitting around until I put up that new 16g. I have some new flame moss that did come in last night to put on the "stump".
That's really beautiful, EG.
Your fish seem to really enjoy their habitat in that tank, EG. It is really a lovely display. Very nicely done.
Neat. Do you have three aquariums set up now?
Very professional.
This calf is 24 hours old and was born on the cattle ranch surrounding our community. I spoke to the ranch since we also have a lot of coyotes and the newborn could be in danger. They have a couple of cattle dogs that they leave out when a calf is being born. I wondered that cattle dogs aren't very big and a pack of coyotes could overwhelm them. He added that they an 80 lb Pitbull and a 100 lb Rhodesian ridgeback that patrol the area when a calf is being born. He said that the coyotes don't want to mess with those two and then add in a couple of cattle dogs and you have a fierce group guarding the calf and mom.
Photos were taken by our neighbor.
What a cute little baby. Hopefully, the cattle dogs will keep the newborn and Mother safe.
Good Dogs!
Sleepy dog in black and white from my iPhone -
A priest, a Baptist minister and a rabbit walk into the Red Cross to donate blood. The nurse asks, "What's your blood type?" The rabbit replied, "I'm probably a Type O."
Lol
That is a wonderful joke, EG. Really great.
I have to admit it took me a while to get that joke, but when I said the last line out loud it hit me. Very clever.
deh puppeth schleeps bery soundly.
After a day of playing and eating, what else?
I really tried to keep my eyes open as long as I could but I failed and it feels good...ZZZZZZZZZZ
That is really a great shot, G. Mother Nature doing what Mother Nature does best.
Thanks, Raven Wing.
I really like the way you are coordinating your frames with the photos. Nicely done, and compliments the photos very well.
Bee at work, cool shot Gsquared. ;o)
Thank you, pink.
It's probably saying: "Don't bug me, I'm bizzy."
I don't have any bee photos yet this year, but for the second year in a row I've heard spring peepers in February. A week ago it was absolutely freezing, and now it's mild and almost warm in the afternoons.
I took a camera out a couple of nights ago to capture the sound. I made a short video and then ripped the audio out of it. The video was no good anyway. It was night and all black.
It's a pretty good excuse to try the embed audio thing (never used it before), so here it is, 30 seconds of a spring peeper... in February.
Jeepers, creepers, where'd you get those peepers?
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That's great, Dig.
They were really going at it tonight. It sounds like full blown spring out there now.
I actually saw some kind of bug flying around today, and had a little rain with some thunder and lightning earlier. Just last week it was like the frozen North...
A dog's first experiece with snow, if it's deep, is quite a lot of fun to watch.
That audio is spectacular.
I had to look spring peepers up. I have never heard that term before. We don't have them around here.
Unfortunately, I missed her first snow. She showed up in 2011 as a starving stray, probably a year old or so.
It was really cloudy today and they were peeping all day long. I took a chair down by the pond and sat there for quite a while with the camera on a tripod. My movement scared them silent when I first got there, but after a while they started acting normal again and I was able to get all kinds of zoomed-in video of them peeping away. I haven't started editing the clips yet, but as soon as I have a watchable video I'll post it.
A Butler at his finest. And so very well framed and displayed. And it is fun to try and guess the history of such artifacts. I used to buy things from yard sales, and it was fun to try and guess this history of items that the owner didn't know about.
Thanks Raven. He’s very nicely detailed, right down to his wingtips. I imagine the dusty patina has a million stories embedded in it.
Indeed, Hal. Those are some very nice looking shoes. It would be fun to know where those shoes have walked. (grin)
Dust from the yellow brick road.
Why do you have it ?
Maybe the Hippie had it for the same reason.
Many people would consider me an old hippie, I have earned every damn thing I ever had and personally I think your hippie biasness is just your own immaturity showing.
Also personally I think that butler thing looks kinda stupid, I certainly wouldn't want it.
Don’t be a hater, Steve. He looked more like a gypsy. Better?
I do not hate, I do dislike it when people discriminate against "hippies" I've put up with that shit all my life.
So I have long hair, at least my personal appearance statement can be cut off any time I like people with tattoos and or piercings can't undo their personal appearance statements.
So I smoke marijuana at least I'm not a dead alcoholic like the rest of my immediate family are.
The discrimination against me stated when I was 16 and job seeking it still persists today.
So, No of course I don't like discrimination of people who look like a Hippie never did and never will.
He looked more like a gypsy... better... Not really.
Dude, you and I are more alike than you think. I have no tattoos or piercings, I indulge in the herb, and my wife is looking at me like she’s about to cut me off in the bedroom because I’ve decided to not cut my hair or shave since I don’t go to the office anymore. I’ve never had that kind of freedom before so I’m going to explore the world of longer hair. And by long I mean currently a couple inches instead of the normal 1/4”. My beard is starting to look like that of a mountain man right now.
Put it this way, the kid I bought this from looked like he’s a regular couch surfer. In my experience this piece would go for hundreds of dollars at an antique store because of how rare and detailed it is. He sold it to me for fifty bucks. It’s fair to say that he did not pay hundreds of dollars for it just to sell it on Craigslist for the price of a couple fat blunts. I’m not judging, I’m just saying that this piece surely has a story behind it - and it probably involves some sticky fingers and fun night out on the town with friends. Not saying he stole it, he’s just part of a lineage of owners (rightful or not), and now so am I. No disrespect to hippies intended. Although, my first wife did leave me for a really dirty hippie, so there’s that.
You are probably correct. But my hair has been down to my butt for about 45 years. Believe me long hair is not freedom. It's more like a chain around one's neck.
I remember long ago being told, "Go get a haircut and I'll hire you" I looked the man straight in his eyes and said "No thanks I wouldn't want to work for you after all." Turned and walked out. Dignity intact.
My wife left me for a fat ass dirty biker years ago. I looked her up on Facebook some time ago and laughed, she certainly is not happy.
I helped her get a college education but she no longer even has a job and now she looks like a pig herself and they also definitely live in a real pigsty. Seriously, the worse looking house within miles.
A nice bonus is her financial worth is nowhere what mine is. Crappy car, crappy house and crappy looking husband and wife.... LMAO
In contrast I am a very clean, honest, reliable, responsible, healthy, old quite happy long haired hippie who owns nice everythings.
So I do understand about your view of "dirty hippies" I'm a little bais myself now on dirty adulteress bikers.
My hair was past my butt, until it wasn't ... and it keeps getting shorter and shorter....
But, on the other hand, my beard is doing fine!
Have you named him "Jeeves"? I'll guess he originally stood just inside the front door of a club for dwarfs.
Here is my new Friday artwork....
BEAUTIFUL
Thank you very much, pink. I'm glad you like it.
Lovely all AROUND.
Thank you Buzz. (smile)
Practicing with color-isolated subjects on black and white backgrounds.
No colorized subject in this one, just a black and white effect on some clouds...
Those are all beautiful artwork Dig. Mixing color and B/W can often be far more intriguing than color or all B/W. Your photos prove that to be true. Very nicely done.
Thanks RW. I'm just now seeing how much I overdid the contrast on the one with the two cardinals. The red is wrong somehow, and makes them look fake. Oh well, lesson learned.
That is the right attitude, Dig. You are doing a very good job of stretching your imagination and testing out the capabilities of the features of your software app. If we don't make mistakes we can not improve. And believe me, I have made many mistakes myself, and still do. But, with each mistake I learn more of my own abilities and those of my software.
You and Gsquare are both new to your software, and learning very quickly how to use them to get the kind of effects and results you are looking for.
I truly enjoy watching you both as you progress and are having fun experimenting and challenging yourselves. Well done for both.
LOVE!
Awesome photos!
Really nice, Dig.
First of all you did right by putting a Blue Jay on top, especially on top of a Cardinal (so says an old baseball fan). But what knocks me out is what you did with the bottom photo. By doing so you created a work of art rather than just another sky shot. Had you read my treatise on Creative Arts "Group Pages"?
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Having the second most World Series wins in MLB history, cardinals can afford to be generous. I also thought the blue jay was the prettier shot, and deserved to be at the top.
Thanks for the compliment on the bottom photo. I just read your linked article on black and white photos. Great stuff, Buzz. Thanks.
Bookmark
© CZG 2020
Cute drawing, pink!
Looks like a perfect bookmark for a young reader. NIce work.
Thank you, and also for the young at heart.
That is a very cute, pink. The little girl reading to the mushrooms while having tea. Thank you for sharing the artwork with us, as we can now see what your avatar really looks like.
Thank you Raven Wing
Very beautiful. You can be very proud for having created it.
Thanks!
Good start ladies and gents!
Rainbow Trout in a Mountain Stream
© A. Mac/A.G.
Whoa! How'd you get a shot like that? Remote-triggered underwater camera?
I fish catch and release, barbless hooks and every trout I put back is held by the caudal peduncle and pushed gently backwards and forwards to force oxygenated water over the gills.
Sometimes before swimming away, disequilibrium causes a trout to turn a bit sideways and if it’s a few inches below the surface in crystal clear water, a luck shot will give the illusion that the camera was under water.
If you ever come across a fisherman standing in a steam with a fly rod in one hand and a camera in another (while strapped around his neck), if you’re in Pennsylvania at that moment, there’s a fair chance it’s me.
The shot is one of my luckiest.
That's a pretty cool illusion. I really thought it was an underwater shot.
Nice fish, too. The trout season opens on March 1st here, so 2 days away. I think we only have them as hatchery fish in the cold, spring fed streams, though. I've never gone, but it's apparently a big deal for fly fishermen around here, not having to travel to other states. I've seen pictures of them lined up almost shoulder to shoulder on opening day.
That's a beautiful Rainbow Trout, Mac. The one and only fish I ever caught in all my times fishing since I was 6 y/o, was a huge catfish. And I did it with a cane pole. It was at a fishing contest at one of the local fisheries, and the man standing next to me couldn't believe that I actually caught the catfish with a cane pole and was able to land it. It was the biggest catfish of the day, and the biggest fish of any kind caught that day, and I won a very expensive rod and real.
My Father only caught a small trout, and he was an avid fisherman, so I gave him the prize as he would get more use with it than I would. I have never been able to catch another fish since then. So I retired my cane pole.
Wow, very clear shot.
Since A.Mac is so adept at layering, I thought it was a layered photo, but A.Mac's skills are even more obvious as learned from his explanation.
I took this photo of a heron taking off by one of the small lakes we have in our community.
Great photo Kavika. Catching the Heron as its taking off from the pond is perfect timing. That is a good sized 'pond' in your complex Kavika. I bet you get a lot of different birds visiting there.
This one is named ''Little lake Arlington'' and there is Big Lake Arlington which is probably 3 to 4 times the size of Little Lake Arlington. There are another 5 lakes beside those two in the complex.
We have a huge bird population here, eagles, pelicans, a variety of ducks, heron, geese, hawks, egrets, plus the lake has fish and turtles in them.
Are you allowed to fish in the lakes? Or are they just for looks? With that many lakes your complex must be very large.
I'll be right down with camera and fly rods, one fly rod for you and one for me. For the record, I'll bring two cameras as well.
Ohhh....I wanna watch! (grin)
You are allowed to fish. There have been a few 5 lb largemouth caught here.
The lakes are really ponds so they are not that large.
The complex is around 180 acres, RW.
All of them would be easy to fly fish from the shore, Mac.
Wow! That is a very large complex. And it is good that people can fish the ponds. Especially so for the avid fishermen. And having so many different species of birds is a great plus as well.
If there were not fish in the lake, it might not have had such a bird population.
Good one! It's not easy to get a clean shot like that one.
It was walking along the shoreline looking for fish and my movement caused it to take off. I did a couple of clicks on my cell phone camera and didn't think I would get anything like that. Blind luck.
Sometimes that's all we get. Somethings happen in a flash then they're gone.
Of Course we've all missed the shots we would have loved to have captured.
I learned watching my dogs that if I got up to go after a camera they'd immediately stop doing whatever was so cool that I wanted a picture... So if I don't have a camera within reach I started just sitting there and enjoying it instead. Either way, I get no picture. sad .. lol
La Alhambra, Granada, Spain
That's a beauty, G. Spanish architecture has always been special in design and surroundings. Very nicely done.
Thanks, Raven Wing.
That is an excellent photo.
Thanks for the great compliment, Dig.
Sorry I never got there. I was only in Madrid, Malaga, Marbella and Toledo. I would have liked to have seen Seville and especially Barcelona.
We spent 4 days in Granada. It was a very special place. Visiting the Alhambra (La Alhambra) was on my things to do list for a long time. I have not been to Seville, but I would like to. On our first trip to Spain we we stayed in Madrid with day trips to Toledo, Avila, Salamanca, Segovia, and our stay in Granada. All great. Our more recent trip to Spain was 2 weeks in Barcelona with several day trips around Catalonia.
Speaking of "trial balloons" helps me to introduce the fact that yesteday here was the 15th and last day of the New Year Spring Festival, the day being celebrated as the Lantern Festival. It is when in China and some other Asian countries and their people all over the world, especially in Chinatowns, that lanterns of all kinds are hung and their beauty enjoyed. Usually the lanterns are red, the popular colour in China that signifies good fortune. This is a permanent lantern from in front of a home in the ancient museum village of Langmei:
These days the lanterns are often global in shape and covered with cloth or paper, like this one that was hung at the gate to the Sichuan Institute of Art, a short walk from our home:
Lanterns were hung along the walkway of a park in Chongqing that we enjoyed on New Year's Day a few years ago.
But the most fascinating time is at night, when candles inside paper lanterns were lit to heat the air inside them to make them float up into the cool Spring night air - the sky becomes filled with multi-coloured lanterns floating in the sky, a taste of which you will see in the video at the end of this photo-essay. I took the next 3 photos 12 years ago in Chongqing, at the time when I first came here to meet my wife. Here they are lighting the candle - but since that practice started fires when the lanterns landed, only tiny battery-lit bulbs are allowed now, and when lit they do still heat the air inside the lanterns:
Up, up and away...
Lanterns hung in a Chongqing riverside park - this is one of my favourite photos.
Now, click this link to watch a video about Lantern Festival - some of the sights are absolutely amazing. It also shows at the end the sesame seed and poppyseed stuffed glutinous rice balls that are served for breakfast on New Years Day and Lantern Festival Day, which I enjoyed on both mornings - no coin in mine. I didn't need it because I have already found happiness here and the good fortune of having found my wife.
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Really cool, Buzz.
The floating kind would probably set off a rash of UFO sightings around here if the wind carried them very far.
LOL. Let alone being blown out of the sky by hunters with shotguns.
Thank you for the beautiful photos and the link to the Lantern Festival. One of the many things I really like about watching the different historic Chinese movies and episodes is that they do show many of the traditions and cultures of the Chinese people. Several of the great movies I watch shows the Lantern Festival over the years, and the festivities that go with it. The lighting of the lanterns, making them, the many delicious foods and entertainment activities during that time. I am glad that it is still alive so that others around the world can also enjoy seeing these great traditions. I would love to be able to see and participate in the Lantern Festival in person, but, as that is not possible at this point in my life, being able to see and enjoy it via the movies and episodes is the next best thing.
Thank you for sharing this great event for us to enjoy.
The video also shows the Harbin Ice Festival - something that is one of the wonders of the world that I wish I had not missed during my years here, but my travelling days are done.
Yes indeed. It is such a great event. I love seeing it each year. I have never seen anything even close to it, and the work involved in creating is beyond believable. The myriad of colors and the reflections of them on the ice is truly awesome.
Like many other great wonders of the world I will never get to see in person, I am glad I can at least see it in pictures and videos.
Great photo essay! Posts like these make our Group special.
Indeed they do. And thank you for providing the group for us to enjoy.
Thanks A.Mac. This is one of the very limited couple of places where such posts are appreciated.
And gives us a chance to share our artwork and enjoy the great artwork of others. The beautiful part is also that it gets better as time goes by. And it gives us a chance to learn to improve our own work from others.
For Free ... LOL
Yes. And I can't think of a better group of people to learn from. I have a very high respect for the artistic experts here in this group, and they are always happy to help. The feedback I get from others here for my own creations does indeed help me work harder to do better.
Yep mine as well.
I always check out these picture posts. Some really special stuff here ! Thanks to all.
Since the subject of "bees" came up,
© A. Mac/A.G.
A nice looking bee, Mac. But, what is that in the photo with it? All I see is a few pick lines on something white.
LOL good bee pict to photoshop onto a face....lol
I know... I'm a sick puppy.
lol
The lines are stamens, male flower parts of rhododendron blossoms. The blossoms were white and pale pink, and I intentionally overexposed them so as not to distract from the bee.
I thought so. lol
But I didn't want to say "Overexposed" in case I was wrong.
lol
Ok Mac. Thanks for the clarification. I thought maybe my eye were just getting too old and could not see well anymore. But, the little bee looks like he has hit to pollen jackpot! He has a nice dusting of it on him.
Then I should get bizzy as well...
Look how full its little pollen pouches are. It sure has been working hard gathering all that pollen. What kind of flower are those? They truly are beautiful.
The flowers are Morning Glories
Thanks Mac. Been a good while since I've seen Morning Glories, so they didn't ring a bell.
It's Saturday morning, and here is one to start the day...
The perfect stained glass window placed prominently in a prairie council hall!
Thanks Mac.
Is that a dancer spinning with a swirling costume, so well contrasted by being placed against a solid wooden background?
Yes it is, Buzz. The dancer is a Fancy Dancer, in which there is a good deal of twirling and the extensive regalia gives the impression of the twisting and turning that you see directly behind the dancer. The dancer is set upon the wood burl that also has areas of swirls that contrast with those of the dancers regalia. The Fancy Dance is a very exciting and powerful dance. It is also one of the most popular dances among the various Native American Tribes.
While the regalia and music may vary, Tribes, it is pretty much similar from Tribe to Tribe. The young children learn to do the Fancy Dance at a very early age, as they do most of the more popular dances. They love dressing up in their regalia and dancing with the older children and adults.
I have watched videos of fancy dancing.
I have seen many Fancy Dances at the various POW WOWs that I have attended over the years, as well as many other types of dances. When I lived in San Diego there were a few POW WOWs held by the different Tribes in the areas. I really love to watch them. I have created some of the various dancers in their related regalia in my artwork. Some of the dancers are really experts at their different dances, and watching the little ones learning the footwork is amazing. One of my favorite dances is the Jingle dance, and their regalia is really awesome.
Saturday it is. New paintings. Not the best photos … taken with my iPhone, but, it will give the idea.
Those are all really beautiful paintings, Mac. You are getting better and better. The second one down on the left looks like a bright lotus blossom with its reflection on the water. Totally awesome.
The third one down on the right looks like a Brahman bull running while being chased by a large bird over head, and a Matador with a red cape in the background taunting them both.
The third one down on the left looks like the reflection of a Doe on the water as she prepares to take a drink.
The others are equally beautiful and have a great story of their own. Each has their own personality reflected in their various colors. Some paintings seem to be somewhat subdued, while others are very vibrant and full of gusto.
Very well done Mac. Your paintings appear to show how much fun you are having working with the paints as well. I look forward to seeing the new paintings each week.
They're getting better and more interesting and I'll bet that creating them is giving you, deservedly, an uplifting feeling of accomplishment.
Being as we are looking into Sunday....here is one to lead the way;
This is one I created some time ago, and when Kavika first saw it when I first posted it in the Anishinaabe group he named it the Beauty and the Beast. (grin)
However, their joint piercing eyes are are looking deep into your soul.
Yes, I beilieve I've commented on this one before. It is brilliant how her image combines with the wolf head.
Yes you did comment on it when I first created it. I posted it first to Kavika's group before I started to post to this group, and it was one that you really wanted me to post to his group.
Putting the two together made it more than enough to fill the image. Anything more, no matter how small, would have been to cluttered and take away from the Spiritual aura of the image.
In advance of Sunday …
Angelfish
© A.Mac/A.G.
That's a real beauty, Mac. Did you paint the background for it?
Started with a photograph and used a number of digital filters to make the whole appear to have been painted; but I did this years ago, well before my recent painting efforts.
Thanks for the explanation, Mac. That is really some great artwork.
About 4 or 5 years ago we bought this fish at a wet market in Chengdu, shown being sliced by the vendor, and it resembles A.Mac's Angelfish.
A couple of years ago we went to the restaurant ROAST FISH shown in my photo above, in the new huge department store mall across the road from our home, and ate this fish that also seems to be about the same shape as A.Mac's Angelfish.
A.Mac is a "catch and release" fisherman, while I've always been a "catch and eat" fisherman.
The fish is a flounder, Buzz. Unlike the Angelfish, flounders, while similarly triangular anatomically, spend most of their time, flat, underside on sandy ocean floors, flapping their fins to cover themselves with sand to camouflage themselves, waiting for prey. Angelfish swim with their bodies perpendicular to bottom strata and the surface.
Sunday,
I am hoping to put these up in a local art show in the fall; I will have to display them on some sort of stand-up display, other, larger paintings on canvas, possibly on small easels on tables. While I have no way of knowing whether or not these will sell, I can't imagine that, the colors alone would not, at least, cause people to stop and look.
But we shall see.
I plan to show at least 50-75 of these.
Those are all beautiful paintings Mac. Looks like you have found a new calling and very promising new sales product. I can see that those who are very interested in abstract art would buy those. They would make very nice and interesting artwork to have sitting on a desk or sideboard to enjoy seeing. Most of the paintings would very likely provide a lot of different views at times. Never changing, yet, never the same.
Be careful about displaying too many at a time, A.Mac. There is a psychology to consider. Potential buyers on seeing less could think that the product is more rare, thence more valuable, but if there are too many, then it could cause a "dime a dozen" effect.
I agree. Buzz. I found that out years ago when I was making and selling wood burl clocks at a community arts and crafts show on Saturday and Sunday. At first I put out everything I had made the prior week, and whatever I didn't sell the prior weekend. As some were similar in size and of the same type of wood burl, it got to be too confusing for potential buyers. So I started to only put out one of each different size and same wood burl, and changed the style of clock numbers and hands. It worked out that I sold everything out up front, and would then add others when the first batch were sold out. The clocks were essentially one of a kind, but, some were somewhat similar, so they would be displayed separately.
While it may not always work that way, lots of times it does.
Sunday is here, and here is the last one for this week.....
Very, very nice!
Thank you very much G. I appreciate the compliment
Absolutely lovely.
Thank you Buzz. I'm glad you like it.
Reminder to all; "Three Day Weekend" will be closed later this evening.
Thanks to all for making the Group the special entity it continues to be.
A. Mac
Eh, what ever you want to do but I thought it was easier just having a weekly thing.
Having it only on the weekends makes it much easier to have participation by more people throughout the posting period, as when the on-going postings got too many it slowed the response time of the article, and thus limited the number of people who could participate as it took took long for the some browsers to respond.
This way, it allows browsers to respond faster and more people can continue to participate. And, there is the opportunity for others to post other artwork articles here in the group between Mac's articles on the weekend.
Oh ok. Kinda sad if you ask me. If it is closed all week, what about the people that only log on during the week. I know several people like that.
I can post a separate article during the week, but, it’s sometimes tedious to monitor continuously for weeks when articles run one into the other.
Any group member can post an article any time, but, I will consider a one-day article between weekends.
The Thursday/Friday articles ran one up against the other with no gaps possibly for a year or more.
Oh I understand. I am just selfish...Haha
I just think yours kinda self moderates. Even the people of different political stripes kinda behave and just enjoy the pics.
Maybe you could get Raven to help moderate. (Throwing you under the bus Raven..Ha)
I Really do understand though. Constantly having an open forum.
You do and have done more than enough.
I actually thought you said you were going to do that when you asked for votes. A Monday through Wednesday thing or something, after the weekend one.
It's okay with me if you don't want to do that, but if that's the case, then it might be worth just leaving the weekend ones open. Maybe only lock them if they start getting close to 400 comments or so.
Dig, even 300 comments are enough to make the comments, photos and artwork take much too long to load for some whose internet provider is slower than others. When that happens, some of the participants would give up and just not participate anymore until the next article. Not all internet providers are on the same levels.
I have a similar issue with my own private site for Technical Beta Testers who help test new software for various companies. Not all internet capabilities are the same world wide, and eve here in the US. So when the number of comments reach close to 300, while desirable by the article poster, it can affect how members can participate.
So it is unfair to prevent some members from enjoying the article and artwork of others when the count reaches too high. So I think Mac has been very considerate in his decision to limit the size of of the article count so that no one gets left out.
However, if someone else wants to post an article during the week for not more than one or two days in the middle of the week to keep the group active, they can contact Mac by PN for his permission to do so, and they will be responsible for moderating their own article. That way, Mac will have free time during the week to do the things that he needs to do as well.
Does that sound OK?
I usually only have lag on the articles filled with music videos.
Maybe we could have someone volunteer to have the during the week article.
I wouldn't mind doing it but I really don't post enough pics.
If I recall, Mac is not the only one who posts here in this group, and you would not be the only one posting in any article you might post. I am sure other Members would also enjoy posting to your articles, and those posted of others.
You can, and anyone else, set the theme of the article of whatever type of artwork you/they prefer. The name of the group is Creative Arts, and there are many types of artwork that can be shared and enjoyed.
I have a lot of photos of various places I have been that I would be glad to share. And I am sure others do as well.
It will keep the group active and give Mac a break during the week as well. You won't know if you don't try it.
Sure. I've only been participating for a few weeks. I'm okay with whatever you guys want to do.
And you are doing a great job here too, Dig. I really enjoy seeing your aquarium photos. I am a fish lover of all kinds. They are very interesting critters. They each have such interesting personalities, and contribute to the environment in their own way. I don't try to keep them anymore, as like house plants, including false ivy, they wind up dying on me no matter what I door how hard I try to take care of them. And it hurts me that they cannot live in my home, so I just don't bring them home anymore. It is not fair to the poor things, and it makes me feel so guilty. So I leave them for people like yourself who can give them a happy and healthy life.
But, I do admire them them, and respect them for all they collectively do to make our world a better place, no matter when they live.
Thanks, RW, but that's EG. He's the aquarium guy.
Oh geez...
...sorry Dig. I get the two of you mixed up at times. 
But I do admire your lovely photos, and how you are learning to use your app to create some truly beautiful artwork.
The last two articles I posted on this group succeeded in getting, other than my comments, exactly one comment each and it was A.Mac who posted them. I haven't bothered after that.
Alhough it is Monday morning where I am, I'm not overstepping the Creative Arts 3 Day Weekend format because I'm a half day ahead of most of you, but my final post for this weekend's article, from a nightime canal cruise through the canals of Suzhou, will be a preview of my next weekend's contribution - The Colours of China at Night.
Thanks for the lovely photo, Buzz, and a preview of what we can look forward to next weekend.
I decided to leave this article open overnight and lock it in the morning; that allows some extra time for posts. A compromise of sorts.
Thanks again everyone.
Awesome. Thanks, Mac.
I was going through old folders earlier and made a couple of new ones out of pictures from summers gone by.
A wood duck in the little pond in my yard, and a chipmunk stuffing his cheeks full of bird seed under the feeders.
Great photos, Dig.
I especially like the wood duck.
Thanks. Me, too. I think I'm going to print it as a little 8x10 when I get some more photo paper.
Cool
Those are great photos, Dig. And the framing is really a compliment to the photos.
Very well done!
Your framing concepts give them a kind of vintage feeling.
Last call. Another hour or so and I hope to see everyone on Friday.
Thank you ladies and gents.
thanks for the happy place Amac. I may not comment here much, but I do like to look.
My pleasure.
See everyone on Friday.