NFT Events in The Uplift World

Art Jump is rare digital art by Joe Chiappetta, available on NeftyBlocks. At ArtVndngMchn Amusement Park, players can come to do art jumps through multiple elevations of fine art... if only they dare!

While the below events have concluded, you can still visit all of these sites for an out-of-this-world fine art and gaming experience.

Through my ArtVndngMchn fine art project, I am co-hosting a number of highly interactive events in The Uplift World this week. The Uplift World is basically Minecraft morphed into 3D art galleries of interactive exhibits and adventures with NFT integration built into the environment. We are giving away a number of free NFTs at these Autumn 2021 events: the first event is on September 22nd with 3 NFT projects participating and the second event is September 24th with 4 NFT projects participating. I will be present at both events leading tours of participants on ArtVndngMchn art jumps and roller coaster rides like nothing ever experienced. 

To receive NFTs, participants must (a) attend in-game, (b) take 1 screenshot of each session, (c) post screenshot on each host's Twitter as a retweet to host's post of that day. and (d) include your WAX wallet in that retweet.

September 22, 2021 - NFT Fun Fair

A day of entertaining quests, art performances, and NFT giveaways in The Uplift World! Those who participate in all parts of this event will receive NFTs from each participating host project. For those who collect them all, these NFTs can then be blended to create an exclusive collaborative NFT.

3pm UTC: ArtVndngMchn Amusement Park

Server/Location: Gratitude 3195 2277  
joeychips on Twitter

• Take part in a thrilling art jump, dropping through multiple artworks as part of an historic art performance.

4pm UTC: The Aztec Hotel by MitzisNiFTis & Sovoccor

Server/Location: Upluft 1000 2000
mitzisNiFTis on Twitter

• Virtual video game immersion experience

5pm UTC: Rocket Gallery

Server/Location: Genesis 3550 3200
swedish_gold on Twitter

• Jump in the aquarium and find out which artist is showcased now and the name of the art piece. Take a selfie/screenshot.

September 24, 2021 - Gratitude NFT Quest

Many of you have been curious about the Gratitude server in The Uplift World, and it is our pleasure to announce we are hosting our very first Gratitude wide event! Gratitude is currently full of NFT artists hard at work, creating a server full of activities and amenities for everyone, and we are thrilled to invite you to this exclusive sneak peek at the progress we have made so far! There will be events, a scavenger hunt, and prizes for all, including NFT and in game prize. We can't wait for you to see what Gratitude is all about! 

Visit participating sites any time throughout the day, or follow the schedule for these cool happenings: 

Gratitude wide: Starting at 12AM UTC we will release our scavenger hunt list, take selfies at each location in the hunt (make sure your avatar is in the photo) to win a prize! First person to complete the hunt gets their choice of an in-game prize, and a WCH NFT! Prizes will be included for participants as well.

Anders | Anyobservation

Location: 1700 1700

anyobservation on Twitter

12AM UTC: Kick off the event with a full day of hunting for selfies in the depths of the Anyobservation pyramid and earn some exclusive NFT's

3pm UTC : Anders will go live 

Anders will release selfie scavenger hunt list on his twitter the day before the event, all selfie submissions received on twitter from between 12AM UTC and 11:59PM UTC will be eligible 

ArtVndngMchn Amusement Park 

Location: Gratitude 3195 2277

7pm UTC:  Take part in a thrilling art jump, dropping through multiple artworks as part of an historic art performance to receive a free NFT.

joeychips on Twitter

WCH Designs

Location: Gratitude 1650 850

11pm UTC boat race

12am UTC parkour course

WCHDESIGNXXX on Twitter

EOSUSA

Location: Gratitude 4200, 2100

All Day - take a selfie in front of EOSUSA's logo and the best 3 submissions will get 100 WAX.

ivote4_eos_usa on Twitter

Come and join the fun!

Silly Daddy Zine #1

My newest book is out now on MakersPlace!

Available exclusively to owners of this rare digital art, only those who purchase Silly Daddy Zine #1 will gain access to this 50 page book as an unlockable, high resolution PDF download. It has been released as a limited edition of only 10 rare digital books. Through blockchain technology, this means only 10 book art collectors can ever own it at the same time.

I have been in the publishing industry since the mid 1980s and have won awards in cartooning as well as writing, yet this book represents a unique career milestone. Silly Daddy Zine #1 is my 13th book, yet the very first one I have issued on the blockchain. It is 50 full-color pages long, plus a painted cover and back cover. The entire book took over 1 year to create. Think of this museum-worthy volume as part comics, part home-grown magazine, part fine art exhibit, part short story collection, and part experimental coolness. Every page is either a brand new work of fine art or a never before published short story.

This very rare book is entirely a product of California. I started drawing, painting, and writing it using an iPad Pro with Apple Pencil while living in Pasadena, CA. Yet I finished the art book after we moved to Riverside, California, and released it through MakersPlace: a very user-friendly rare digital art market headquartered in San Francisco.

Those who have been following my work a long time know that zines, rare book publishing, and art/writing experimentation are my roots. This new digital book contains an eclectic blend of those elements, and it reads like a lively trip to an unpredictable art happening. The pages of Silly Daddy Zine #1 are new, previously unpublished digital artworks that could stand on their own hanging from a gallery wall, yet are loaded into a book full of concentrated art rarity.

Buy this rare digital book at https://makersplace.com/joechiappetta/silly-daddy-zine-1-1-of-10-43976/

FAQs for Silly Daddy Zine #1

1. Why can't anyone preview pages of the book before becoming a potential buyer?

• My preference is that this book/zine be a complete surprise to each person who buys it. I liken it to the early days of the zine scene that I was a part of in the 1980s. It was a time of great creativity and fascination. You'd see one tiny ad or one picture of a zine's cover in a print catalog, read the description, and then order that zine. After a few weeks, the zine would be delivered to you and for the very first time you would find out what was inside. I want to recapture that sense of discovery with Silly Daddy Zine #1. That's why there are no preview pages or review copies that have been sent to anyone.
• Limiting who can see the book to just those who bought it also increases the book's exclusivity and rarity.
• My previous artworks and books have been in circulation and easily accessible on the Internet. In fact, literally hundreds of my previous drawings and artworks can be viewed for free online. Therefore anyone can readily gain a clear idea of what I am about as an artist, writer, and creator through the integrity of my previous works.

2. Since the book title is Silly Daddy Zine #1, does this mean this is the start of a series of Silly Daddy Zines?

• Making a series of unique art zines was the original intent when I started making this book. I really do hope to continue this series.
• However, after finishing every book I have ever released, I always like to take an extended deep breath and just be grateful that I was given the ability to bring the book to completion.
• Therefore I will not make any promises, but continuing this series is a very real possibility.
• Given enough encouragement from collectors of this zine would certainly influence me in a positive way to continue expanding my creativity in the wonderful world of zines.

Zip into the warm and wonderful community zine scene with Silly Daddy Zine #1

Art Wars

Art Wars is rare digital art by Joe Chiappetta available as a limited edition of 5 on MakersPlace.

After working on this artwork off and on for over a year, it is finally finished. The animation serves as a preliminary concept painting for a rare digital art game that I hope to create called Art Wars. This artwork is more of a poster for the game rather than a depiction of the actual game play. In the Art Wars game design, art collectors battle with each other using their actual digital art collection as shielding against each other's attacks. 

Ready your battlestations in style... with Art Wars!

Art v Economy: Declaring a New Winner

Art v Economy by Joe Chiappetta is rare digital art available on MakersPlace. The initial drawing started out as a still image drawn by Joe on the Dada.art online drawing community. He has drawn over 350 original digital drawings and paintings directly through the Dada.art online drawing tool.

Art v Economy: Declaring a New Winner

By Joe and Denise Chiappetta

A Southern California husband/wife team with the combined traits of being artist/author/collector draw up battle plans in a peaceful fight to create new opportunities for artists and art-lovers.

Let's start by stating the obvious before we move to something radical. The economy heavily influences art. Some creators, especially those who spend more time on the business side of art, might even say that the economy oppressively influences art. The pursuit of wealth and/or income in the arts reshapes art into a highly altered state. Most art we see today is not quite pure art; rather it is art under the intoxicating influence of the pressure to make money. In fact, too many artists find themselves ever-transitioning their under-funded careers based on what they think the market will eventually pay them for.

Of course, in the early stages of an artist’s life cycle, he or she often creates whatever they want. Yet, someone needs to pay the bills. Such artists eventually go from following that inner voice to following what they think will sell--hopefully without compromising “too many” of their principles. It’s a survival issue that, like it or not, heavily influences most artists who are not independently wealthy.

Can we also say the reverse is true: that art heavily influences the economy? Hardly. When was the last time you saw a painting that compelled you to forgive a debt owed to you? Try asking a banker that same question.

Art sales are certainly part of the economy, yet art almost never has a heavy influence on the mechanics of the economy itself. Sure, art can move people’s hearts for a time, and it should. Yet an artwork’s influence rarely scales from the heart to the pocketbook and on into the wallet of every practicing artist. The term “starving artist” is common for a reason.

Sadly, there is an all-too-easy way to prove this. As wonderful as art is, most restaurants will not let the average artist exchange a drawing as payment for their meal. Landlords will not accept a mural to satisfy the upcoming rent due. Moreover, it is well known that most artists do not make a sustained, sufficient living off of their art creations. Art school typically increases an artist’s debt: oftentimes, sadly, without increasing the likelihood of paid employment in the arts.

Why are such things true? It is a supply and demand issue. The economy historically does not have enough art demand to pay a living wage to even one-tenth of all the artists active today. For those keeping score--thus far--the economy wins. Artists lose, culture loses and therefore everyone loses. Thus the status quo marches on.

"Meet the new boss; same as the old boss." Pete Townshend wrote that classic lyric into The Who's hit song Won't Get Fooled Again back in 1971. Sadly, that statement keeps ringing true in way too many areas--including the art market. It was hoped, with the rise of cryptocurrency--which is revolutionizing money--that most artists could also benefit through a related innovation called "rare digital art." Without getting too technical, that's an emerging practice of releasing digital art paired to an unique cryptocurrency token that can be easily traded and authenticated instantly online. 

Yet rare digital art is already 5 years old, and most artists who use it have not experienced a significant lifestyle improvement due to this technology. To be clear, rare digital art is incredible technology and and growth opportunities exist in this field. In fact, our family has benefited from it significantly. However that is not the case for the majority of participating creative people. That's because no one (so far) has successfully merged an art community sharing mentality with a conscientious art collector's mentality while also making the process fun, social, fair, friendly, and economical.

Is there a solution to this issue? Yes, there is. Mind you, it is one that will take a heavy degree of coordination, but it can be done. Indeed, there is a way for artists to win, which in turn, means everybody who participates wins.

The steps required to create this new paradigm--where artwork has an extended socioeconomic reach--is multifaceted and off the beaten path. Getting there can happen as soon as most of the following challenges/opportunities/steps are fulfilled.

A Dozen Steps to Art Victory

1. Create a symbiotic culture where gifting art is highly valued, thereby increasing the value of the art, the value of the community, and the value of the art-creating and art-acquiring experience.
2. Incentivize the community to value commitment over popularity, and ensure that latecomers are not disadvantaged.
3. Create a network where sharing and open collaboration are rewarded.
4. To log all the art provenance data, use a publicly accessible decentralized blockchain that operates quickly, is user friendly to non-tech people, and also has 0 (or near 0) end-user fees to transact on the network.
5. Bring in vendors and suppliers who accept art tokens as payment or discounts for their services.
6. Transform art collectors into art stewards. These custodians of art can pay for the honor and public recognition of being custodians of particular pieces, yet the majority of sales commissions go back to the artist, with the whole community also getting a distributed cut of the action.
7. Reward non-artists for measurable actions that advance this art community.
8. Operate the community as a somewhat decentralized organization where roles are delegated to those who have proven their worth to the community, and the duration of each role is reassessed regularly.
9. To guard against counterfeit art, build an online art creation tool that authenticates who created which art.
10. Make this art creation tool collaborative, where artists have the option to collaborate on works together.
11. Enable the art creation tool to issue a tradable token uniquely tied via blockchain to each piece created on the art tool, thereby giving market functionality to every piece created in the community.
12. Structure the community in kindness as a blend of online and in-person interactions.

If all this sounds like it is too theoretical, it actually is not. At least one-third of these components are already in place in a rare digital art community called Dada.art, and the rest are in active development in that very same community. Think of DADA as an endless jazz session, yet for people who draw.

This twelve-step plan--in a nutshell--is to incentivize a nurturing creative original art ecosystem that benefits all participants while making the economic components of art less celebrated yet still important. In the Dada community, such a vision is increasingly called “The Invisible Economy.” Once all dozen of these steps are completed, we believe everyone will call it “progress.”

The current state of this world we all share is troubling, with a worldwide health crisis, a global economic crisis, as well as widespread political and racial unrest. However, we have been given the gift of advanced technology and a philosophy to structure a nurturing international ecosystem for the art community. Used wisely, it can rework the traditional landscape of both art and the economy, while building bridges of compassion and creativity across the borders of nations around the world.

Using these twelve steps, an online drawing platform that turns individual drawings into art conversations becomes supercharged into a functional force of hope, artistic equality, and even an art market revolution. Creators and art lovers will soon have the opportunity to create, share, influence, and extend the value of authenticated art as they practice their craft. A time for change beckons. Join us and be a part of it. In an epic race that has spanned for centuries, we plan to see you at the victory line: where art is finally declared the winner!

Art Gallery 70 Years in the Making: pixEOS

"70 Years in the Making" is new rare digital art by Joe Chiappetta which depicts an oscilloscope from the 1950s. It is animation that provides a modern-day glimpse into our art history roots--70 years in the making, and is one of the many artworks available in the pixEOS Gallery.

I really enjoy exploring my artistic roots to understand who has come before us to pave the way. Recent research has led me to the 1950s in Cherokee, Iowa. It was there in the American Midwest that a widely talented man, Ben Laposky, created some of the earliest known electronic visual art. Ben used an oscilloscope, which is a device that turns voltage into moving lines of light. He recognized these patterns/designs as unique artworks, and called them "electrical compositions" as well as "electronic abstractions." Back then, the only way Laposky knew to potentially monetize his animated creations was to take black and white photos of his abstract designs and exhibit them. Ben was a mathematician, Purple Heart recipient, and remarkable pioneer in the arts.

The steady advancement of computers in the decades to come would entice more artists into the (literally electrifying) field of electronic arts, both analog and digital. Seventy years later, excitement and innovation continues to run high in the electronic arts, with no signs of slowing down. This is especially true in the 5 year old field of rare digital art.

Attention continues to increase for online digital art markets--made even more apparent by the March 2020 closing of all physical museums and galleries due to the spread of a worldwide disease. Despite these global health issues, art collectors remain active with a real appetite to collect blockchain-registered art. All made possible--of course--through electricity, these artworks are issued in limited editions and tied to cryptographic tech running in the background. Just as cryptography regulates Bitcoin in a verifiably limited supply, the same is true for artworks, hence the name rare digital art. Also known as non-fungible tokens (NFTs), art ownership, release dates, sales history, and artist authenticity are automated through global computer networks.

The technology to issue rare digital art keeps evolving. The latest in this evolution is the Grand pixEOS Art Gallery. Operational since March 25th, 2020, a few features of the pixEOS Gallery are worth highlighting.

1. Gallery transactions (buying/selling) are fast--like blazing fast. That can be attributed to the team being active in the industry for many years and the fact that the EOS blockchain, on which the gallery operates, is known for its speed.

2. The artists in the gallery are a widely diverse blend of international talent. Some have been "around the blockchain" for many years, some are longtime pro artists yet new to rare digital art, and some are emerging artists grateful to gain instant access to global sales potential for their creative works.

3. Art collectors buy the rare digital art using EOS tokens or PIXEOS tokens, depending on how the artist chooses to list for sale.

4. Each collector gets their own unique page to exhibit their prized possessions and/or resell them for a potential profit.

5. Each time an artist's work is resold (when the collector who buys the work sells it to another collector), the artist receives a percentage of these secondary sales automatically.

6. Artwork can be auctioned off or sold for a fixed price.

7. Simple and complex motion is often added by artists to their static original artworks, creating a new animated art marketplace. Using GIF format, animations are widely created and collected.

While it is unfortunate that legendary electronic art pioneers of decades-gone-by were not able to utilize this exciting new way to distribute, monetize, and collect electronic artwork, many remain grateful to be active in such a lively legacy that has become a digital art revolution. To the future... to the pixEOS Gallery!

A Safe House For Your Imagination

A Safe House For Your Imagination is rare digital art by Joe Chiappetta, available as an edition of only 1 on MakersPlace.

I created an animated painting of my wife's old wooden dollhouse and she wrote an accompanying essay to mark the occasion.

A Safe House For Your Imagination 
Essay by Denise Chiappetta, art by Joe Chiappetta

It's been over a 40 year journey and I've carried very few things with me the entire time. But the dollhouse my parents gave me when I was 3 years old, has traveled many miles in many decades. Childhood, while wonderful, can also have its challenges. A perfect little world of fancy furniture, a picture-perfect fireplace and perpetually smiling family members made an ideal escape. 

Since my early days spent in grand imaginings, while sitting in front of this tiny home, I have raised 2 daughters who have woven their own whimsical tales within its small walls. So, the dollhouse remains a fixture in our household, some years being played with on a daily basis: other years fly by and it sits largely untouched, as childhood imaginings give way to bigger projects, and adulthood concerns. But every so often, us 3 girls, now women, who lived tiny lifetimes within its walls, will take an extended glance at it and recall the moments of whimsy we were privileged to enjoy within the walls of our very own little "safe house" for the imagination.

pixEOS Gallery Live on EOS Mainnet

Many years ago, when the EOS blockchain was still just an unlaunched idea in active development, I wanted to assemble the right people together to create a rare digital art gallery on top of that promising new technology. In the course of this wild and entirely unpredictable journey I met a few others who had the same vision and we joined forces. Finally, after much prayer, planning, perseverance, and development, that fine art marketplace has become a reality that we now call The Grand pixEOS Art Gallery.

It has been a long, winding, and sometimes abstract-expressionist road, yet I know that this is really just the beginning of a paradigm shift in the art market! The gallery is now officially open for business as the first professional international digital art marketplace on the EOS blockchain. Art collectors can now collect their favorite pieces of rare digital art (also known as non-fungible tokens, NFTs), trade them, and participate in the future of art today!

I thank God for victorious moments like this, and for the blockchain and arts communities for being so patient and supportive of us!

Joe Chiappetta

How To Become A Relevant Artist

This timely art advice for these troubled times is a very rare one-of-one edition of rare digital art at https://makersplace.com/joechiappetta/how-to-become-a-relevant-artist-1-of-1-21860/

Joe Chiappetta

Rare Digital Art Slot Machine

Rare Digital Art Slot Machine by Joe Chiappetta is rare digital art available on MakersPlace.

I would like to build a crypto-powered slot machine that spits out rare digital art as prizes. This can help to transform art collecting into a series of fun game mechanics with artwork ownership registered on the blockchain. In this new paradigm of fine and fun arts, the art collectors would become gamers, while gamers become art collectors, and gamblers could display their winnings in the form of modern-day masterpieces in virtual art galleries... or trade their digital art for more slot machine virtual tokens.

Slot machines, historically known as "one-armed bandits," would soon become one-armed blockchain curators!

What Makes Great Rare Digital Art?

In a strange new world of blockchain kicks and crypto culture clash, one man stands poised to sort it out for the greater good.

Rare Digital Art Man by Joe Chiappetta will soon be released as rare digital art in the pixEOS Gallery.

Along with a tribe of talented developers and entrepreneurs, I am part of a team that will soon be launching a rare digital art gallery on the EOS blockchain. It is called The Grand pixEOS Art Gallery. This will be a marketplace where creators of art can monetize their original artwork through a process called tokenization. That means an artist creates unique artwork and through the pixEOS market, uploads it to an online blockchain art gallery to be sold in exchange for cryptocurrency: in the case of the pixEOS gallery, artist will choose to sell their art in exchange for EOS tokens or PIXEOS tokens.

What art collectors actually buy when selecting rare digital art to collect is a unique cryptocurrency token that is specifically tied to that art image and can be resold on the blockchain and traded as determined by one owner at a time. Limited edition pieces can also be released, so prior to publication, each creator chooses whether to sell the art as a super rare edition of only 1 or in limited editions, such as 5 or 10 copies. Ownership and scarcity is uniquely verifiable on the blockchain.

This is a new movement in the arts that goes by a few different names: rare digital art, non-fungible tokens (NFTs), and crypto-goods. On the Ethereum blockchain, my favorite marketplaces/communities to issue and collect rare digital art have already been up and running for over a year: MakersPlace and SuperRare. I am very active in those communities and have made good friends there too. EOS is a newer blockchain, and after over a year of development, the EOS community will also soon have the ability to participate in a similar full service professional rare digital art gallery experience.

In creating such a marketplace/gallery for rare digital art on the EOS blockchain, the community (of course) wants the art therein to be great--or at least really good and highly collectible. Yet there is no singular definition of great art; there never will be. The vast international and cultural diversity in the art community will ensure that not everyone will agree on what is great, or even appropriate. As the old saying goes, "beauty is in the eye of the beholder."

Nevertheless, I do have in mind what I am looking for in the arts; I want to create a safe, inspiring place where people of all ages can appreciate and collect art without fear of harm or offense. Think of it as an inspiring shelter from the storm of life. Imagine a gallery where you can browse art with your young kids as well as your conservative grandmother and be continuously uplifted. I always appreciate the succinct and noble goal stated in Epidemics, an ancient Greek medical text: "to do good or to do no harm."

Doing good and/or not being harmful is a guiding principle I use in life, and it is also central to how curating art in the pixEOS Gallery will operate. I also believe that such a principle is at the core of what makes for really great, timeless art. To outline this further, below are a few practicals that support such a view of greatness, specifically in this new world of rare digital art. I encourage creators to use this list as a starting point as they assess which works they should (and should not) release as rare digital art.

Recipe for Great Rare Digital Art

1. Art that you would actually spend your own money on if you were a budget-conscious collector.
2. Art that is one of your best pieces if you had to pick your top ten pieces you ever completed.
3. Art that is professionally photographed or scanned (as opposed to a dimly lit pencil drawing taken by a weak cell phone camera where the paper edges are not cropped properly and the white of the page shows up as medium gray tones).
4. Art that is at least 1500 pixels wide.
5. Art that is uniquely original, where no one else's copyrighted characters or intellectual properties are the main focus.
6. Art that has not been--and will not be--tokenized anywhere else.
7. Art that complies with the law and upholds to marketplace terms of service.
8. Art that gets people thinking deeply, is inspiring, or makes people laugh without being rude, offensive, or discriminatory.
9. Art that does not entice people to do evil.
10. Art that has a spirit of purity: safe for viewing by children of all ages as well as engaging to adults.
11. Art that is accompanied by a thoughtful description and/or title.
12. Art that provides solutions--or at least awareness--for important matters, whether global matters (like environmentalism) or local matters (like personal kindness or joy).
13. Art that communicates truth with grace.
14. Art you'd be glad to exhibit in your family's front room.

I am sure there are more traits to mention, but these are just some to ponder for now. Such a place of refuge and insight is where I want to collect art, as well as release artworks of my own.

Together I believe we can all go there!

Joe Chiappetta
http://SillyDaddy.net

Crypto Paste

Crypto Paste is rare digital art by Joe Chiappetta available as an edition of only 1 on MakersPlace.

Is it glue, or is it money? Yes to both!
The official glue of the financial revolution is finally here in all its blockchain glory. Crypto Paste is such a strong adhesive, you'll be stuck for life. 

Joe Chiappetta
http://SillyDaddy.net

Prescription: SoCal Hot Tub

Prescription SoCal Hot Tub is rare digital art by Joe Chiappetta, available on MakersPlace.

This conversation that my wife and I had some months ago continues to humor me to this day. Denise is not a comedian by trade. Yet by life, her sharp wit is highly impressive.

I drew this comic sitting in a chair next to the hot tub of our apartment complex in Pasadena while Denise enjoyed relaxing in the bubbly hot water. Later I colored and animated the scene. The side edges are intentionally left unfinished. Just as a partially colored drawing reveals the underbelly of artistic illusion, so too a profound statement can reveal the underbelly of life.

When a person is in a hot tub in any wonderful place like Southern California, on the surface it would be presumed that they are doing great. Yet of course, illusions are everywhere--especially in the shadow of Hollywood and the make-believe entertainment industry of LA. While a hot tub can be nice, and we should be grateful for such pleasantries, rarely is it a complete prescription for true health. However, that's a topic for deeper waters.

Joe Chiappetta
http://SillyDaddy.net

CryptoArt Shrugged: What To Do During Rare Digital Art Technical Difficulties

CryptoArt Shrugged is rare digital art by Joe Chiappetta on MakersPlace.

CryptoArt Shrugged:

What To Do During Rare Digital Art Technical Difficulties

Imagine for a moment this scenario. The most amazing art the world may ever see has just been finished, and you're its proud creator. Anxious to release your work for sale as rare digital art, you head over to your favorite online art market to launch the artwork to the public... yet... something's wrong! The marketplace is supposed to be live but it's temporarily delayed. Or other unexpected technical difficulties--with your entire preferred blockchain--make it impossible to immediately release such precious art. 

Would this now be the time to...
(a) Panic?
(b) Complain?
(c) Keep clicking buttons until your will be done?
(d) Leave this sketchy, experimental field forever?

The answer--probably--is actually (e), none of the above.

Therefore what should creators do when their preferred rare digital art gallery--in which they desperately want to release new artworks on--is having downtime or is delayed? The short answer is... something else. As with most things highly technical, new, and still evolving, proper development for mass consumption takes time and frequent revision. Rome was not built in a day.

Remember also some related facts of development.

• The Internet was quite fragmented at its inception. In fact, many sites only worked in certain browsers. Many computers did not even have a web browser. The first web browser was created in 1990, yet it took at least 8 years before the Web Standards Project started to push for the Internet to have clear standards for web browsers.
• While Bitcoin went live in 2009, it took another 6 years before anyone could issue rare digital art on top of Bitcoin (through Counterparty).
• With Ethereum launching in 2015, it was not until over 2 years later that anyone could issue rare digital art through Ethereum.
• Launched in 2018 as a faster blockchain with no transaction fees (unlike Bitcoin and Ethereum), major rare digital art markets on the EOS blockchain (such as pixEOS) will not go live until the later portion of 2019.

With these things in mind, the "urgent" feeling of disappointment or even frustration when delays bump through new technologies are--in most cases--not cause for alarm at all. It's all relative, and just a normal part of the development process. In other words, that's life; shrug it off.

Nevertheless, there is a way to make the most of such delays. Below are some useful professional actions that any artist can take when there are technical delays in publishing art through a preferred rare digital art market.

Rare Digital Art Downtime Game Plan

1. Think of more relevant tags and text to add to your existing artwork.
2. Re-share previously released, yet unsold art on social media.
3. Look around the web to see if this art would be good as a new submission for a contest or exhibition (which could get you extra publicity).
4. Let existing collectors know from you by direct message that you will soon be coming out with a new piece, and you can give them an exclusive preview.
5. Write a full article on your blog where your newly released artwork will serve as the main illustration, thus giving the artwork a wider potential audience.
6. Add that design to a merchandising site so fans can order it on t-shirts, phone cases, and more.
7. Review and revise pricing on your previously released unsold artworks.
8. Ask a colleague to post a review of your existing work.
9. Catch up on the necessary accounting work associated with your businesses so it does not all pile up.
10. Study what people who are more successful than you are doing.
11. Become a rare digital art collector.
12. Make related art, thus creating a cohesive series.

As anyone can imagine, the list of useful, professional, and forward-moving tasks that can be done during unexpected delays are quite involved and productive, in-and-of themselves. More could easily be added to this list as well. Those in the crypto-art field long enough know too well that a strategy to manage blockchain delays is simply a good thing to have. Therefore the prudent will pass the "downtime" wisely, turning it into "uptime." And soon--yet never soon enough in the moment--that preferred site that had you in such a bother due to delays will be up and running--and so will you--already.

Joe Chiappetta
http://SillyDaddy.net

Silly Daddy Site Map

Silly Daddy Site Map by Joe Chiappetta is rare digital art available on MakersPlace.

Almost all of my major (and minor) works of art and writing from this century have been covered on my Silly Daddy website at one time or another. It is a little odd to think about; here I can see what my main interests have been, because we create what we care about. Topics of parenting, sci-fi, faith, crypto-art, comics, surrealism, and family are all there. Much of I have done creatively is packaged in a virtual electronic world connected by wires, airwaves and computer hardware that I cannot begin to understand.

This experimental animation came about while I was making a navigational site map for that website. It was just a bunch of boring text links on a plain page and I really wanted to spice it up with some surreal digital art. However I also wanted the cartoon illustration to have at least something to do with signs and navigational pointers. That way, the artwork would have relevance to the various themes of my work for the past few decades. So after much trial and error, drawing and redrawing, animating, editing, and revising, I finally created the most atypical site map art--at least that I have ever imagined.

Are you a curious navigator looking to see how my Silly Daddy Site Map art fits in with a bunch of website text links?
Then go to https://joechiappetta.blogspot.com/p/site-map.html and cruise around what may be the first site map illustration to be put on a blockchain.

Joe Chiappetta
http://SillyDaddy.net

Easy Computer Living

Easy Computer Living is rare digital art on MakersPlace by Joe Chiappetta.

I set out to draw a comic that is fun, retro-stylish, semi-smart, yet also with powerful hidden depths. Let’s thrown in some social commentary, and irony too. So join me in a grand toast to easy computer living!

Joe Chiappetta

http://SillyDaddy.net

Process note: The composition for this cartoon was derived from a photo of an old super computer made by Control Data Corporation.

The Future of Art in Gaming

Gamified Art Gadget is rare digital art by Joe Chiappetta on MakersPlace.
This animated tech cartoon alludes to what must happen for the art industry to be saved.

The Future of Art in Gaming:

Revitalizing the Art Market Through Game Integration

The ability for the masses to create art has become commonplace in our highly technological society. Everyone can be an artist, especially with all the online art-making tools available now. In the past, a person needed artistic skills to make art. Now all we need are certain websites that make the art for us through a form of artificial intelligence. To reiterate, I am not talking about tools that are coming soon. I am talking about free art-making tools that are available right now. A person needs to look no farther than Artbreeder to see the truth in this.

On one hand, making art simply by pressing buttons is a good thing, since more people can express themselves creatively. On the other hand, it may not be great for those trying to sell their art in an increasingly flooded and talented market. As the supply of art increases, it's value will decrease.

Therefore the future of art--as a highly valued commodity--lies not just in creating "better" art. Rather the future of valuable art lies in creating a better art experience. When art gets integrated into gaming environments, art can get radically more fun, relevant, and valuable. The exhibit halls, galleries, and artists able to make art-viewing and collecting more of a literal game are the ones who will rise to the top of an over-saturated art market.

The Plight of the Current Art Market

Some might still argue that the art market is fine as-is and does not need fixing. People might point to a few high-profile art sales at auction. However, these stories are in a fractional minority, and in most cases, the artist gets nothing from the resale of their work at auction.

Moreover, the rate at which colleges are cranking out graduates with $100,000 art degrees is staggering because most of those poor folks end up in horrible debt with no career in the arts to show for it. According to a 2014 report on art degree results, only 10% of those with art degrees make their living in the arts. So there is a massive disconnect between what the art market can currently sustain verses the myth sold to naive art students. Such issues can only fester for so long.

Saving the Art Industry

A number of companies already see the writing on the wall for the art market and are providing solutions to this matter. Opportunity has presented itself in the form of a whole generation that has grown up with video games, craving more, more, more. Therefore some digital visionaries are making bold moves to blend art and gaming into one integrated ecosystem.

EverdreamSoft CrystalSuite, MakersPlace, pixEOS, and CryptoVoxels all have projects that combine gaming with art in various ways, providing potential economic opportunities for the entrepreneurial artist. It should come as no surprise, since I am a long-time artist and art collector, that I am an active member of these communities. In fact, I spend a good deal of time touting the benefits of these new projects because most still don't know that these opportunities exist. I drink the Kool-Aid--so to speak--as do a growing number of professionals in the art and gaming industries.

Ironically, all 4 of these projects are blockchain-based, with cryptocurrencies playing a key driver in their innovation and economic agenda. All 4 projects also have ways to issue limited-edition cryptocurrency that is tied to artwork. This effectively makes owning limited-edition digital artwork possible too.  Yet the surviving projects will not be the ones who simply flash cryptocurrencies around... or rare digital art around. Rather the attractive companies will be those who integrate payments seamlessly (as in user-friendly) into their systems while also maintaining a lively gaming and artistic atmosphere that leaves customers coming back for more.

Soon it will not be enough to just collect art, or view art. The rising population of digitally native people will want to experience new adventures with their favorite art. Games can provide the perfect vehicle for such art. Imagine a virtual game where collectors shoot at each other's avatars while holding defensive shields that take the form of particular pieces of their art collection. Perhaps the art remains digitally scarred for a week before reverting back to its original appearance. The winner of the game could receive new rare digital art from an artist. Or perhaps the winner could receive a piece of the defeated collector's art.

Or imagine a virtual 3-D world where you--as an avatar--walk through digital galleries that display art on virtual walls that prompt you to discover new art by solving mysteries or riddles. All sorts of gamified incentives can be coded into this realm. Perhaps the more artwork of other artists that you share about on social media, the more points you receive that can be traded in for new artworks. Another option is that members of this 3-D virtual art world can earn new gallery wall space to exhibit their own collections as they complete certain online games or tasks.

As you can quickly see, such experiences are well-suited for building memorable interactions, and they are exactly what is needed to keep art more relevant as a highly valued item in our fast-paced, attention-competitive society. Therefore to the galleries, curators, artists, and collectors, I pose this question as a challenge;

To build a more vibrant future, how will you gamify your corner of the art world today?

Joe Chiappetta
http://SillyDaddy.net

The Art-Arcade Atmosphere on Blockchain

The Art-Arcade Atmosphere on Blockchain is rare digital art available on MakersPlace.

The Art-Arcade Atmosphere on Blockchain:
Commending Good Crypto Galleries and Gaming Projects

No one really needs to know what a good crypto gallery is, or a good crypto gaming project is... but once you do know, such tech innovations sure do open up a whole new world of opportunities! Both for entertainment purposes as well as for collecting digital art, an impressive amount of development is happening. Short for "cryptocurrency," crypto-galleries and crypto-gaming platforms are part of a growing international ecosystem that uses cryptocurrency to quickly pay for things like digital art or game items. Indeed, it's not that you need to know this, but many are already having fun with it as well as building unique businesses around it. Perhaps you should too.

Every complex ecosystem comes with many diverse and rapidly operating parts. It is a fragile balance. Think of one button in a video game arcade. Remove that button from the game, and game play is ruined. Besides, not many could wire that button back into the game effectively. Now add such sensitivity to the complexity of all the games in an arcade. On top of that, add a diversity of players, with all the unpredictability that comes with human nature. It's a whole universe of intricate pieces in a delicate balance, yet producing an unforgettable (and usually pretty cool) atmosphere.

Such balance of ecosystem parts is also the case with art and gaming on the blockchain. Many of today's collectors want their collection to be mobile, rare, transferable, valuable, auction-able, visible, highly promoted, secure... and the list goes on. Blockchains like Counterparty, Ethereum, and EOS provide key features for such an ecosystem. The cryptocurrencies that fuel these networks add to the mystique of "Hey look at me; I'm using weird, futuristic internet money." Yet beyond this gut-level appeal, there is a depth of true innovation going on underneath the hood.

Developing a cryptocurrency application that serves as a marketplace for rare digital art and gaming items is one thing--and a significant thing it is. Designing this marketplace to also be user-friendly, fast, respectable, compliant, and secure is quite another thing. Attracting engaged community members and customers is yet another thing: as is forging great partnerships, and of course, funding the project until it becomes self-sustaining.

The list of essential project components that lead to success is no small ensemble. There's also retaining customers and partners, moderating those who violate the project's terms of service, scheduling public events, managing team members and bounty programs, building cross-blockchain payment systems as well as payment systems for those wanting to pay in traditional currency, educating new customers, maintaining government compliance as laws change... and the list keeps going on and on.

Reflecting upon these moving parts, I must commend a number of projects for tackling these elements with perseverance. While there are more than these 3 that are worthy of attention, I focus on these because I have the most personal experience with their products, team members, and community.

• EverdreamSoft Crystal Suite: operates Spells of Genesis, one of the oldest (and still great) blockchain games, as well as a diverse rare digital art gallery with wide gamer appeal
• MakersPlace: a most user-friendly and versatile rare digital art gallery, also doing innovative things to gamify the collecting of art
• pixEOS: operates 7 active blockchain games, with a rare digital art gallery in the works

Has each project mastered every aspect of the points I highlighted? No... not yet. However, each project listed here does have real working products now. They also have a vision aligned with those above-mentioned points, as well as implementation and/or plans to back it up. As alluded to earlier, I can say these things with confidence since I am active in all of these communities, and a grateful user/artist/collector on each of their respective platforms.

So keep "blockchainizing" the arcades of today. Keep building in a delicate balance where none have built before. Keep creating a future that those who come later will thank you for.

Joe Chiappetta
http://SillyDaddy.net

Blind Demon of Crypto Art

This colorful and lightly animated piece of digital art is layered with all sorts of depth as well as trivial matters. It is meant to be a bit of a profound mystery waiting to be unraveled by the inquiring mind. Isn't that just like real life? One minute we are pushing against the weight of the whole world. Then suddenly, our sentiments adjust to external circumstances and we find ourselves talking about the shifting shapes of clouds while singing nostalgic pop songs that have no real meaning. How did we get here? What's the big picture again?

The Blind Demon of Crypto Art is available on MakersPlace as rare digital art.

The big picture is often-times too big to wrap our heads around. So let's ease into the big picture by talking about something fun and slightly mysterious itself. Cryptocurrency, as well as artwork related to cryptocurrency (also known as Crypto Art), are both relatively new innovations. Much excitement--as well as controversy--follows them almost wherever they go. Indeed, cryptocurrency, crypto art, and the blockchains they revolve around, hold remarkable promise for opportunity. While I am a fan of these advancements in economics and the art delivery ecosystem, I must admit that cryptocurrency and crypto art also hold potential for great loss as well as waste.

Why would such a paradox exist within these blockchain-born creations? It's important to understand that cryptocurrency, as well as crypto art (AKA cryptoart), are both merely tools. Whether it be the Bitcoin, Ethereum, Counterparty, or EOS blockchain, such chains are neither good, nor bad. Their value to society depends on what people do with these tools. The "good" or "bad" aspects of cryptocurrency and cryptoart reside in the human hands who wield these futuristic tools of today.

It is reflecting on these principles that I present this essay, designed to accompany the cryptoart piece which I painted of the very same title:

The Blind Demon of Crypto Art

The Blind Demon of Crypto Art wants to be worshiped.
He wants you to think that you need to be worshiped too.
He wants you to think that crypto art will solve most of the world's problems.

The Blind Demon of Crypto Art wants you to make blockchain your new religion.
He wants you to think that cryptocurrency leaders are uniquely qualified to save the world.
He wants you to think that economic revolution will happen any minute now.

The Blind Demon of Crypto Art is very attractive and entirely compelling.
He goes by many names, including Art on the Blockchain Demon, Rare Digital Art Demon, Digital Goods Demon, Non-Fungible Token Demon, Tokenized Art Demon, Crypto-Collectible Demon, Rare Digital Assets Demon, Blockchain Art Demon; the list goes on.
Yet regardless of the remarkable innovation this creature so boldly associates himself with, never forget; he is a demon.

The Blind Demon of Crypto Art wants you to think that your art will last forever.
He wants every crypto artist to believe that collectors will gladly buy most of their creations.
He wants you to think that cryptocurrency will last forever.

The Blind Demon of Crypto Art wants you to think the market is not flooded.
He wants you to live for art and not the demands of responsible reality.
He wants you to check the prices of cryptocurrency at least twice a day--every day.

The Blind Demon of Crypto Art wants you to think that Internet acquaintances love you deeply.
He wants you to serve cryptocurrency and art with equal passion.
He wants you to only be happy if a collector buys your rare digital art.

The Blind Demon of Crypto Art wants you to love cryptocurrency and art instead of loving people.
He wants to be your closest relationship.
He wants you to sell your soul, and he gladly takes payment in all all kinds of crypto.

The Blind Demon of Crypto Art is wrong.
He is not your friend.
He is your enemy.

Pasadena Pops Art

Jam to the Pasadena Pops is rare digital art available on MakersPlace.

As an orchestra celebrating, preserving, and performing music from the Great American Songbook, a night with the Pasadena Pops is a night to remember! Thanks to my friend Jim Fenton, whose company, City National Bank is a sponsor, my wife and I had the true pleasure of seeing the Pasadena Pops deliver tunes that never failed to move the heart and bring a healthy dose of nostalgia and inspiration to all attendees. Held at the LA County Arboretum, the outdoors never sounded so passionately panoramic.

As an artist who loves to sketch from life, I have a long history of drawing performers while at various concerts. On-stage personalities become melodic models, ever in motion. Therefore I like to join in the fun by capturing that moment with more than a few artistic strokes of a digital paint brush.

In one of my drawings, Vocalist Tony Yazbeck is wow-ing the audience with song and dance. The performance is worthy of any classic, epic, and award-winning musical. In many of these musical numbers, one of the orchestra members appeared to be more visible than the rest, even though he was farther back. Perhaps he was standing or sitting on a stool. I could not tell. Only the top of his instrument was somewhat apparent to see. Yet the sounds were universally apparent to all. Once cannot help but immediately sense that the presence of greatness has been witnessed.

While I firmly believe that real life will always be better that any art I can create, my hope is that my music-inspired art makes you want to experience the good in life all the more. Certainly that's the attitude that the Pasadena Pops deliver non-stop... and they make it look easy. Yet we know it's not.

The Giant of Pasadena Pops is rare digital art available on MakersPlace.

On my end, such art was created largely by drawing somewhat synchronized to the beat of each song. In fact, while most may never notice, between brush strokes, if an observer would have looked carefully, they might have seen my digital stylus mimicking the movements of the musical conductor. Does such mini-conductor imitation make for better art? You be the judge.

Joe Chiappetta
http://SillyDaddy.net

Victory of the Spiritual Mind

Victory of the Spiritual Mind is rare digital art available on MakersPlace

We all want victory in as many areas of our life as possible. For me, this is especially evident in the things I go to God about in prayer daily. The things I want to gain a victory in are the things I am typically praying about... over and over. Such things have become the themes of this surreal, symbolic digital painting of mine.

Many of these themes are easy to spot in the painting but some may be more subtle, because this particular artwork has paintings within paintings. Therefore I will list the victory-seeking areas I have painted about in this piece of animated art, and I will do so in the form of a prayer:

Dear God, please grant me, my friends, and family great and enduring victory in the realms of faith, servitude, kindness, business, finances, cryptoart, family-building, playfulness, insight, friendships, joy, and peace. Amen!

Joe Chiappetta
http://SillyDaddy.net