Destiny of Empires [Diplo Game] [Story Thread 8 - May 2011]

[Russia (DoE)]

Hours later the First minister was over the edge in desperation. The Princess was nowhere to be found. The letter from the Israelis was still pending. The generals was given orders and the armies was goose-flesh awaiting the storm of Tel Aviv at dawn. And yet the order for attack was not issued.

"What if the princess was going to took their offer and make peace with the Israelis?" The First minister hands were shaking and his eyes rolling.

"What is their offer, First minister?" the Second minister asked "Can I take a look?"

"Why not, anyway, the Princess is not going to see it"

After reading for some minute, the Second minister said with his voice flat:

"There is nothing to worry about, First minister - she was not going to accept it anyway. She looked so sad and disappointed from the Rabbi's last letter and his brazen language, affording to even insult her, so I doubt if she ever wanted to talk with him anymore. The Israeli people should consider this Rabbi a traitor to his own country, as he led them in this situation. He continues to threaten with destruction and razings even now, when he is supposedly suing for peace. No leader would take such offer in the current situation."

"Maybe we can talk to General Georgii - to send him message with post pigeons or whatever we use for quick communications?" The First minister was still worrying he might do something wrong"

"As far as I know, General Georgii is not leading our armies in Israel. Rumors are that he is on a secret mission abroad."

"You know a lot of things for a Second minister, Second minister!" the First minister felt some inexplicit threat in his younger, but more decisive colleague's cold-bloodness .

"...And you are so not suitable to be The First Minister" The Second minister Visarionovich though to himself.

[Israel (DoE)]

David walked through the streets of Istanbul.
The palace was visible from quite a distance.
He could walk through the streets unnoticed, dressed as a Turk, facial hair as a turk.
Speaking fluently Turkish, David could not be told apart from real Turks.
14 years of training by the Mossad had made him one of the best spies of Israel.
And now he was about to uncover himselve...
David's mission was not a mission of sabotage or destruction.

He arrived at the palace.
Walked around it. Climbed against the wall, using trees and relief.
The window was easily forced to open. Nobody had seen him.
It all happened in only a few seconds.

In Tel Aviv a copy of the Sultan's palace had been built.
David knew the entire interior by heart. And the exterior.
The mossad was the best agency in the world.
Nothing was left over to luck or chance.

Quickly David took of some clothes. Suddenly his appearance was the appearance of one of the Sultan's servants.
He walked to the restroom of the Sultan while greeting others.
Then he opened the doors of the restroom.

The Sultan was in the distant corner of the room.
Getting close to him would be the most difficult task.
Mahmud was not around. Just a few women and some guards at the doors.

David walked into the direction of the Sultan with a very assured look in his eyes.
As if it was the most normal thing to do.
The guards looked at him but did not stop him.
Then at 5 meters from the Sultan he stopped, bowed his head and spoke to the Sultan: "May I approach you majesty?"
A look into the corner of the room revealed a pile of Israelian communications. Sealed and unopened. "Just as we expected" David thought.

He looked with the corners of his eyes to the guards. They were at a distance of 7 meters.
If any of those would move he should pull his knife and grab the troath of the Sultan.
But by the Tabernacle, David hoped that he could speak to the Sultan in peace and could go home without harming the Sultan.
But the message of the Rabbi should be brought to the Sultan. Preferably peacefully, but if needed by force.
"Don't kill the Sultan, don't harm him in any situation at all" the Sanhedrin had ordered the Mossad.
But that was not something the guards should know. A knife at the troath of the Sultan should be enough to keep them at distance.
And that should give him enough time to explain the situation.

But none of the guards moved.
David bowed his head deeper, kneeled on the floor, waiting for the answer of the Sultan....

[Russia (DoE)]

"Боже помози!" The First minister flapped his forehead "We lived to see this - to know what our leader is intending from the newspapers!"

"Yes, it is good that we check the international press. In fact I do read Sexstanbul quite often" the Second minister said not too proud of himself.

"Look at this interview - is it true of some fiction?"

"They could not lie about such thing."

"Well, let me read it once again"

SEXSTANBUL 28.05

Our reporters have surprisingly found the Russian Princess Catherine, nicknamed Cat in a smoky tavern in the middle of Istanbul. Looks like she was drinking and enjoying the oriental dances with a small retinue of fiery looking sturdy men, which blond hairs were showing under the travelers cowls they were wearing in attempt to hide their identity.

Reporter: Princess Catherine, is that you?

Cat: Nichevo ne ponimaiu. You have to be mistaken me for someone.

Reporter: Dont deny, we know it is you.... and ...AAAHHHH... PpleeeaaAAAASE! tell your guards to leave meeEEE!! Oooh..."

Cat: Let him free, rebiata.

Reporter: Ahhh... Thank you Princess. Now can I ask you few questions?

Cat: Da. Imeesh tri.

Reporter: So, what are you doing here?

Cat: Spending some rubli in this excellent tavern. The next one.

Reporter: Who is in charge in Russia now?

Cat: Russia is doing fine and my generals are well instructed what to do. So at the moment I can just enjoy my youth and meet the real people.

Reporter: Will there be peace with Rabbi Amran Goan and what will happen with Israel?

Cat: Well, those are indeed two questions, but as I found you sympathetic, I'll answer. Rabbi played me for a fool, rejected my terms and at the end laughed at me, threatened Russia and insulted me. I was hoping he will act as a real man of vision leader concerned for his nation well being, but alas, he did something absolutely different, condemning his nation to disaster. I will not negotiate any more with this arrogant lunatic, who is also a known traitor. About Israel, I dont want to make predictions, but if it comes to Russia, Israel will be occupied to ensure their loyalty, and once the war is over and the people of Israel overthrow Amram Goan and give this villain to be put to the Russian court of justice, Israel will be free and independent state again. They will have to pay reparations of course just the same as any nation who is lost a war.

Reporter: Thank you so much for your time, Princess Catherine!

Cat: Thank you too for the attention to my humble person.

Reporter: But why you are not crowned Empress yet, Princess? And you reffer to yourself as a humble person?

Cat: You are starting to annoy me, but I like the question and I will answer. I think these titles and privileges are something from the past. Everyone is born equal and have equal rights. My mother was so strict once in the time, when she asked your ex-sultan to stop oppress the Ottoman women making them wear burka and treating them like second class humans. This is something that insult the women and me in particular. Look at my mother - Catherine The Great - in what she was inferior to any man?

Reporter: Well, she was Empress!

Cat: No matter what. I believe all people are born equal and intend to implement this my belief.

Reporter: But do you really believe this can be done? What will happen with the current system? Will you lose your right to rule Russia?

Cat: People with strong beliefs can go a long way and can do a lot of things who are currently believed to be impossible.

Reporter: Wow, not only stunning beautiful, but also intelligent and charismatic! What a combination! Thank you again Princess, chok selam!... Aferim... Ashkolsun! ...

[Inca (DoE)]

The Inca Begin a Fact-Finding over the North African Campaign

The stars looked down upon the man from their distant and vacuous perches. Eternal observers, they saw the world in upheaval in fast motion, at the scale of their own lives, not of the miniscule lives that danced and collided far below. In one moment, they saw a conflicted yet composed thing staring anxiously up at them, and in the next that thing had crumbled into a nearly unrecognizable form, shriveled and wrinkled by its rapid aging and deterioration. With some pity that stars appraised this creature, seeing that despite its terminal decline, it still remained as composed and conflicted as before, perhaps more so for both now.

Pala admired the stars, for although his world was in continuous pangs of creation and destruction, the future forever unsure and at times terrifying, the stars never really changed, their lives and worlds ones of relative stasis and near-total security. He had grown fond of staring at the stars, as Inca researchers had poured into the study over his lifetime, and now nearing his death he would likely be able to see this directed pursuit pay off in a new discipline that could perhaps, in time, explain the origins and purposes of these twinkling pr;cks of light.

Yunaca had not stayed long enough to see the Israeli war deepen and ruin fall upon those people. His exit had been some time back, and now Pala sat with his son, the heir to the Y'capac family. Tolanca was every bit as assuring and cautious as his father, and spoke as passionately as any other in the empire. He still sat in some awe of the Emperor, now a grand and established statesman, who had garnered the respect and admiration of the high classes through his just and appropriate reign. Still, tonight the Emperor came to him for advice, as he had done in the past with his father so regularly.

Emperor Pala returned his gaze to the earth, or at least this particular pile of stone and wood that lay on top of it, and to the young man seated, far less leisurely than his father, on top of that. A dry voice emanated from his throat, every bit as powerful and as calm as the great ocean that lay before him, "and what of the Israelis now? Your father gave me good advice to keep my nose outside of the affairs of the 'mainland', yet the sensibilities of the nobility have been quite aroused of late..."

Tolanca, not as slow to respond, quite sure of his correctness and opinion, and quite inexperienced with appreciating reflection, darted out an answer, "yes, the nobility indeed is quite upset over such destruction by what we consider to be 'enlightened' powers. If I may speak for the general nobility," and his voice wavered, some sense of his overreaching mind coming to the fore before being pushed aside by youthful arrogance, "it is simply not acceptable as the situation is commonly understood."

"He speaks rapidly, without much thought, with the sureness of one who doesn't know his own ignorance, yet perhaps I confuse self-ignorance with the sureness that comes from being too well-informed, too on-the-ball to wish to appear anything but convinced of his opinions, for he knows them to be a certainty... surely, he is well known, well traveled among the highest cliques, and some of the low, well connected, and determined to know the 'warmth of the waters'," thought Pala. Indeed, a useful friend to have for judging the waters of his court and community.

The boy continued on, "I know the respect for you and your reign is great, and any potential successor would be well-served by your recommendation, so I do not suspect this issue will play too heavily in your affairs and concerns unless you personally desire it to. Yet, we believe the Emperor is responsible for hearing and taking into consideration the demands, desires, and disgusts of the High Communities, and as such we expect some action on this."

Pala continued to sit, continued to gaze, and continued to say nothing. The boy, somewhat set off balance by a non-response, at least at his speed, spoke again with a greater pace and louder voice, "so, indeed some order, some stability may be brought to Northern Africa at last; some balance found again among the great Eurasian powers, indeed, but this all depends on the peace signed... and, you will agree that without objective outside mediation, such a peace seems increasingly unlikely."

Pala continued to sit... the boy spoke further, "this episode, this campaign, is increasingly looking like one of genocide, rather than or retribution or conquest. Indeed, campaigns of revenge tend all too easily to turn to genocide, and the greatest atrocities occur during such campaigns, as any student of history could tell you."

"Ah, I suppose I should need students to tell me of history now," Pala thought as he chuckled slightly. This unnoticed, the boy went on further, "such cruel blood, such barbaric blood, such innocent blood cannot be tolerated by our general community, Emperor! This world is one of stability, not one of such destruction! Even at their worst the French never engaged in such brutal conquest, nor were their eyes ever so hungry as the Russians'. If we allow this to go unheeded, then what world do we make for our future? Their is no civility in total war, no diplomacy in complete destruction, no security in domination, no stability in a world of behemoths! Why should we stand by as the existing order and nature of war shifts in front of us into this new, garish and gargantuan form?!"

Pala, impressed by the boy's passion, finally found the moment to respond, "indeed," he uttered, which immediately brought silence and respect into the boy's previously consumed eyes, "these developments are unnerving. We were, and are, of course, good friends of the Russians, as we are of almost all empires of this world, and we only wish for this friendship to continue to grow, yet your words ring mostly true." He paused and saw the slight smile cross the boy's face, his eyes again becoming consumed by that look that had defined them a minute before, "but we do not know the full truth of the matter, and international diplomatic dispatches have an uncanny way of being unreliable in the extreme. You must appreciate that we simply do not know the situation on the ground, especially as our own consulate is under much chaos after their recent move. Still, the time for idling is past. I came here to get some final piece of this puzzle, and I feel now that I have. I thank you for this," the boy began to respond but was cut off by a man no longer so easy to interrupt, "and will tell you first what our plans are..."

The boy sat up and leaned in towards the Emperor, the mix of emotions on his face indecipherable. "I am convening a fact-finding mission, which will look into the claims by both sides, and press for a solution we find fair and proper. The Russians will listen to us, and given Israeli commitment to peace, we shall broker a lasting solution to this gruesome war. But that brokering is down the road a bit, and perhaps the three parties will complete one prior to our involvement. I would prefer that, yet I doubt it."

After a pause, the Emperor got up, said goodbye to the boy, and went back to his palace. The following day, dispatches went out to the various embassies and diplomats to begin constructing a picture of the events that have unfolded.

The boy, until his death, remembered the Emperor's last words to him that night, "perhaps I am no Putabo, no, but then Putabo failed to find a peace. I only wish that one day my name as well may be spoken by future generations as one of reasonableness and objectivity. My record domestically is lackluster, despite continued progress, compared to the grand expansions of past leaders like the Matalins or the Great Chullana, and I have not conquered so much as a single pirate save any new territories or barbarian armies. This is, indeed, my only chance to enter the histories of the future, and as such I must approach it will all the dedication of one who has no other salvation but this." And with that, Pala left.

[Israel (DoE)]

The Sanhedrin was gathered in the counsil building in Tel Aviv.
All defense forces were ordered to leave the city.
The Sanhedrin would not leave.

Rabbi Amram Goan was preceding the council.
"Fear not for G'd Adonai is with us." he said.
Then he continued to cite Psalm 134:

1 Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O LORD. 2 Lord, hear my voice: let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications. 3 If thou, LORD, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand? 4 But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.
5 I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. 6 My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning. 7 Let Israel hope in the LORD: for with the LORD there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption. 8 And he shall redeem Israel.......

The the doors suddenly opened and Russian cossacks entered the place....
Amram looked up from the book role and looked into the eyes of the commander of the Russians...
"What are you looking for?"

[Ottoman Empire (DoE)]

Mexico... Days after the Aztlimaztli Championship...

Taner woke up with a splitting headache and blurred vision. He had a terrible dry taste in his mouth and he was on the ground, face first in a dusty mat. As he came to, he discerned that he was inside a large tent... a cooking fire was lit in the center of the tent, and it was night.

'Where Am I? How long have I been sleeping? What happened to me?' he thought...

As his head started to clear, he felt a rush of panic 'The money! I gambled the Sultan's money!... But wait I won... Didnt I? Was I robbed? What did I do with the money?

As his vision cleared, Taner could see that he was not alone... A strangely familiar voice was talking to him from the other side of the tent. As his eyesight returned, he could see that it was the same woman from the Aztlimaztli match... the one who he thought was Irina, leader of the Accolytes. As she spoke, her eyes reflected the Amber and orange lights of the cooking fire...



"Do not be afraid High Messenger" she said "We are loyal Turks. You are among friends. By now the Sultan is looking for you, but have no fear, we have saved you and secured the Sultan's money. Robbers attempted to poison you, but we have healed you, and your fever has broken"

Tanner was intrigued by the beautiful woman "Are you Irina? Why did you save me? What do you want?"

The woman smiled "Yes I am Irina, and I have news for you. Turkey has invaded Israel, and events are in motion that will stray the Turkish people from the path of the inventor Brahman. The Israeli leaders in the Sanhedrin are religious zealots. They wish to engage in eternal holy war against Turkey. Turkey can never be safe as long as Israel's military is controlled by these religious fanatics. That is why we have come here... to escape the Israeli religious fanatics."

"I wish to learn more" Taner said "tell me everything."

Irina smiled again... "You must come with me back to our city in the North. There you will learn everything about us, and bring our case back to the Sultan... You must urge him to make peace with the Israelis... But first, we eat!"

Irina motioned to an Accolyte in the corner, who quickly fetched a ladle and began spooning a delicious smelling broth into a bowl. Taner thought 'I could get used to this' and he set his pen to paper... a letter to the Sultan's court... to a sympathetic ear.

[Aztecs (DoE)]

The Aztec Inquirer

There were some serious head-turners on the red carpet this year, including this mysterious lady, who accompanied prince Xochi to the Sportsman of the Year ceremony.
She wore a stunning gown by none other than Qaztlan.

Is this the new interest of the recent Aztlimaztli winner?
And where did he meet her?





The rest of the event was rather uneventfull as Xochi won the Sportsman of the Year award, as could be expected.
Sadly our reporter lost sight of his Royal Highness, and his attractive companion, as they managed to sneak out via a servants entrance.

[Ottoman Empire (DoE)]

Istanbul... Private room of a Local Tavern

Princess Catherine was already in Istanbul, and at the request of his advisors, Sultan Ahmed V had joined her, travelling incognito. The two young rulers sat together and spoke of trivial matters, whilst their advisors drafted the terms of a momentous treaty. One that would hopefully bring lasting peace to Africa.

The advisors shuffled back and forth, whispering arguing bickering among themselves... The main issues being, (1)proper respect to be paid for the Death of Empress Catherine the Great as a result of the Israeli betrayal (2) Turkish security in the face of the religious Zealotry of the Israeli Sanhedrin (3) Proper compensation for allies, and (4) Proper compensation for the tremendous expenses bourne by Russia.

One thing was clear, the Russian and Turkish people were ready for peace with Israel, and the Israeli people were ready as well. The only obstacle had been the obsolete religious fanatacism of the Sanhedrin.

The advisors would approach the rulers, and whisper in their ears... The rulers would nod, and negotiations would continue. It was clear that the young rulers trusted their advisors, but still maintained final say on this delicate matter...

When all was said and done work had continued non-stop for days, and neither Catherine, nor Ahmed had gotten a wink of sleep. When the document was finished, they affixed their seals to it, and ordered that it be delivered to Israel. Catherine also recommended that it should be released publicly rather than privately to avoid any controversy over the true contents:

The Tel Aviv African Peace Accords

In order to end the war between Israel, Russia and Turkey and bring lasting peace to Africa for generations to come, Russia and Turkey offer this Peace Treaty to Israel with the following terms.

Russia's terms

1. Russia and Israel will sign 75 turns of unbreakable peace. Included in this umbrella of unbreakable peace will be Turkey, Mali, Zulu, Arabia and England, so that attacks against Russia's allies will not neccessitate further War with Israel.

2. For the duration of the 75 turn peace, deal Israel must never close borders with any of the included nations.

3. To ensure that Israel is not obtaining advanced weaponry to undermine the peace of Africa and the security of Russia's allies, Israel will close borders with France Neandor and Vikings for the duration of the 75 turns or until all war between Russia, and these nations cease, whichever is longer. During this period Israel will not transfer money to either of these nations.

4. Russia will immediately return Tel Aviv to Israel as soon as the conditions of the Turks are also met.

In order to acheive proper compensation for the tremendous expenses bourne by Russia in this war, Russia puts forth the following condition for lasting peace with Israel:

1. The full income of Bethlehem for 20 turns to be paid to Russia

In order to pay proper respect for the Death of Empress Catherine the Great as a result of the Israeli betrayal Russia puts forth the following conditions for lasting peace with Israel:

1. In the city of Bethlehem a Christian Cathedral will be built and named St. Catherine. The relics of Catherine the Great will be moved there and all the

2. Russian pilgrims will be allowed tax-free access to the city and cash-back at the end of the year forever. After the initial term of payment ends, this will take the form of a permanent deal whereby Israel pays the sum of the number of Russian cities with Christianity in gold per turn.

Turkey's terms

In order to provide for Turkish security in the face of the military threats Israel has posed, Turkey puts forth the following terms for Peace with Israel:

1. Turkey and Israel will sign 75 turns of unbreakable peace. Included in this umbrella of unbreakable peace will be Russia, Mali, Zulu, Arabia and England, so that Africa will be free from futher wars and upheaval.

2. To ensure that Israeli spies are no longer posing threats to the security of Turkey, Israel will agree to use your spies at Turkey's direction and build more if needed to reduce you espionage points on Turkey to under 200 points. You agree that this will be done prior to Tel Aviv being returned to Israel.

3. To ensure that Israel does not have sufficient Army to threaten Turkey or betray Turkey as she has done in the past, Israel must immediately surrender 8 Cannons, 8 Muskets, and 8 Macemen to Turkey. This will leave Israel with adequate defense, but remove the threat to Turkey. Of course Israel will be safe regardless, because of the 75 turn unbreakable peace treaty with all other African and Arabian nations.

4. To ensure that no Israeli Naval threats arise to Turkey, Israel permanently agrees not to build any cities on the Mediteranean coast, and to leave the coast area either unsettled, or to be settled at Turkey's discretion.

In order to provide for Turkish security in the face of the religious Zealotry of the Israeli Sanhedrin and past betrayals by Israel, Turkey puts forth the following terms for Peace with Israel:

1. Amram Goan and the Sanhedrin must surrender to the Russian authorities in Tel Aviv. Amram Goan will be extradited to Turkey to face trial for his crimes, and the rest of the Sanhedrin will be stripped of their titles and must leave Israel forever.

2. No Rabbi, or member of the Sanhedrin or any religious figure whatsoever may ever be allowed to hold any office of any kind in the Israeli government.

3. Representatives of the new Israeli government must publicly acknowledge that the city of Jerusalem no longer exists and was completely destroyed eons ago, and agree to forever stop referring publicly to Damascus as Jerusalem.

4. Representatives of the new Israeli government must eternally renounce any claim to the city of Damascus.

5. Representatives of the new Israeli government must publicly acknowledge that Israel is a nation that uses the civic of Free Religion and does not observe any state religion, and therefore is not a nation of Judaism.

6. Representatives of the new Israeli government must publicly acknowledge that Judaism is not the majority religion practiced in any major Jewish city and renounce the Jewish religion permanently as the Turks have already done.

7. All vendettas, religious or otherwise against Turkey must be renounced and abandoned publicly, forever.

8. When Turkey's terms have been agreed to and met, Tel Aviv will be immediately returned to Israel.

.

[France (DoE)]

Phillipe finished reading the recent release from Turkey and Russia, and then slowly pulled his glasses from his nose. He peered out the palace window for a few minutes before turning to his Minister of Foreign Affairs.

"You know what this will mean, Marc?"

"Yes sire. I have shared it with general Jugan. He is of the same opinion. Open borders and 24 new regiments. It is pretty clear."

"Damn! Here we go again."

"Yes, Sire. It would appear so."

[Israel (DoE)]

[ooc]for the record, A russian cossack has entered the counsil of the Sanhedrin where all members of the Sanhedrin were present. Russia has to continue that story to tell what happened to the members of the Sanhedrin.
I don't know their fate. (post #95 of this thread[/ooc]

[Russia (DoE)]

[OOC]Yes, I am developing the story, will come back a bit later with the story[/OOC]

[America (DoE)]

[Ottoman Empire (DoE)]

Notice to All Concerned Nations:

Please note that after much ado over the treatment of Israel and Israeli claims of desiring peace, that Israel has acted without even responding to the peace proposal. Let this serve as incontrovertable proof that there was no desire on the part of Israel for peace.

Mahmud, substitute messenger of Sultan Ahmed V.

[Aztecs (DoE)]

6 Secrets to Painting Realism
The "secrets" you need to know if you wish to painting realism successfully.
By Azlan Lelac

What many people mean when they say they'd like to learn to paint, is they'd like to learn to paint realism. To create a painting where the subject looks like it does in real life, or "real".
It's only when you're up close you see the skillful manipulation of color, tone, and perspective to create the illusion of reality.

Realism Takes Days Not Hours
Painting realism takes time. Expect to spend days and weeks, not merely a few hours on a painting.
You can't paint detailed realism and also want to knock off a painting every afternoon unless you're painting a small canvas with something simple like a single apple.
Take my latest painting of the Mysterious Black Lady; this has been made by me, while following these guidelines..





Accurate Perspective is Crucial
If the perspective is wrong, the painting won't look right not matter how beautifully it is. Get the perspective accurate before getting into the fine detail.
Check the perspective regularly as you're painting to ensure it remains accurate.

Shadows Aren't Black
Shadows aren't solid black. Shadows aren't shapes of darker color painted right at the end after you've done everything else.
Shadows aren't the identical color or tone in all areas of the composition.
Shadows are integral parts of the composition and should be painted at the same time as everything else.
Spend as much time observing the subtle shifts in color in shadow areas as you do in the non-shadow parts.
In the painting of the Mysterious Black Lady I spent hours to get her black mink coat exactly right.

Eyesight Realism
Your eye sees more detailed color, your eye doesn't frame the scene in standard proportions, your eye doesn't have a depth of field that's dependent on a setting.
A realistic landscape will be "in focus" all the way to the horizon, not blur out of focus.

Color is Relative
Color isn't a set thing. It's relative to what's next to it, what kind of light is shining on it, whether the surface if reflective or matte.
Depending on the light and time of day "green" grass can be quite yellow or blue; it's never a simple match to a single tube of green paint.

Compelling Composition
A subject painted with great technical skill isn't enough to make a good painting. The choice of subject needs to speak to the viewer, to grab their attention and compel them to keep looking.
Spend time considering the composition of your painting, what you're going to include and how you're going to arrange it.
Work it out before you start painting and you'll save yourself anguish in the long run.
Pay special attention to the lips in the painting of the Mysterious Black Lady, they are meant to capture your eyes, and become a real focus point.
And thus it adds a whole new layer of imagination to the composition. Another point was the carefull placement of her hair, following the lines of her coat and her garment.

Painting realism isn't about copying the world as it is. It's about selecting and composing a slice of reality.



EDITORIAL MESSAGE: The painting of the Mysterious Black Lady will be on auction on June the 23rd.
The estimate of Royal Tezlan Auctioneers is that the price will be about 150 gps. It is rumoured there is interest from abroad.
An American newspaper even showed this extraordinary peace of art on it's front page!

[Israel (DoE)]

An Ottoman messenger arrived at Bethlehem waving a white banner.
Some people ran into their houses, fear in their eyes.
Others entered the great square in front of the Church of Nativity. Hate in their eyes.
Mostly men were gathered, about 200.

The Ottoman messenger came close and said with a great voice: "I have a peace proposal for the leaders of Israel"
Some man looked like they would kill the messenger but nobody moved.
"To whom can I hand these official peace conditions, is there anybody in Bethlehem that represents the Israelian leadership?" the turk said.

Nobody knew what had happened to the members of the Sanhedrin.
They certainly weren't here in Bethlehem.

Bethlehem was deserted. No pilgrims, no christians.
Some were relieved, the city was jewish again without all these blasphemers.
Others missed their steady income.

Then a strong tall man stepped forward and countered the Ottoman messenger: "Why would we read your peace conditions? While you are presenting conditions of peace your men have invaded the Israelian cities of Hebron and Ai. You speak with a double tongue. Why would we accept peace if you bring war to Israel? Why would we let you live?"

About 12 strong men stepped forward and the Turk visibly became nervous.
He strongly waved the white banner as if it would save his life.
Then another man stopped forwarde. Yitzhak Rabin was a man of peace. He spoke to the turk and said: "Why don't you give your terms to me. We'll read them and consider them. Keep your soldiers in the meanwhile in your cities. I can't convince these men that you are willing to negotiate peace while you continue to attack us."

The Turk handed the documents to Rabin.
The angry men were unsure on what to do. Their respect for Rabin was enourmous, despite his peace loving nature.
The Turk left the city. Unharmed. While the Turks were killing Israelians everywhere, this Turk left Bethlehem unspoiled.

"After all we are the people of G'd" Rabin spoke to the people.
"We do not kill in hate or for revenge only."
At that moment Rabin had not read the 6th Turkish term for peace yet....