Ta'Illistim Grand Arts Gala 2017

Ta'Illistim Grand Arts Gala was held 11/10/2017 - 11/13/2017 and included an exhibition of 43 elven and non-elven works of art, in addition to select pieces from the Hanesyddol Museum in Ta'Loenthra. Argent Mirror Myasara Illistim personally oversaw the opening and closing of the event, along with the art auction of works submitted. Items sold at the auction were eligible for hanging in Premium homes.

Event	Date	Time
Welcome by Argent Mirror Myasara	11/10	9:00 PM
Art exhibition	11/10 - 11/12
Tutorial: Drawing 101 by Ysaeril	11/11	4:00 pm
Ta'Loenthra Art Exhibit Opens, Presentation and Discussion	11/11	6:00 PM
Gallery Critique	11/11	7:00 PM
Symposium: Watercolors versus Realism: Dichotomy or Imaginative Interpretation by Ysaeril	11/12	4:00 PM
Art Show Awards by Argent Mirror Myasara	11/12	8:00 PM
Art Auction

[Gala Art Exhibit, Reception]
Elegant lengths of thick ivory brocade cover the walls of the large pavilion. A pair of crystal chandeliers hang from a peak in the roofing, their heavy forms suspended from thick silvery chairs. Cushioned chairs and small several cushioned sofas have been placed about the area, their clawed feet resting on a thick sapphire-hued wool rug. Centered in the space is a small copper brazier, a woven basket of sticks resting nearby. Along the far wall is a large white oak table covered with elegant refreshments. You also see a polished silver-framed painting, a wide gilt-accented painting and an oak-framed oil painting.
Obvious exits: northeast, northwest, out

a polished silver-framed painting

Pale green fronds appear to sway in a light breeze framing the form of a beautiful elven lady perched on a fallen log. Long, pale blonde hair falls over her shoulders in a silken cascade. Her hands gently rest upon her abdomen outlining a slightly rounded figure. Under the careful watch of her mismatched silver and blues eyes, two small elven girls sit at her feet, each playing with a porcelain doll. The watercolors blend seamlessly from one focal point to another giving the scene a hazy appearance.

There appears to be something written on it.

In the Common language, it reads:

"Linsandrych Illistim"

To be donated to the city of Ta'Illistim

a wide gilt-accented painting

Swirling paint in shades of green, white and blue frame a group of elven women bathing in a stream. The dampness of their sheer garments molds them to each lady and shows off the elegant lines of their forms. Wet tresses mingle together in a tangle of gold, copper, and alabaster hues as the positions of their mouths and light in their eyes shows their abandoned joy. Outside of the focal colors, darker shades fan out from the center giving the illusion that this is an oasis from courtlife.

There appears to be something written on it.

In the Elven language, it reads:

"Unrestrained Joy, 5112"

On loan

an oak-framed oil painting

Painted in long thick strokes, layers of wide spreading branches reach out to form a thick canopy above a small stone-rimmed pool. Several leaves of bluish-green appear to be gently floating to the ground while a few others glide upon the surface of the glassy, clear water. A petite elven girl sits next to the basin, her head rests upon one arm as she gazes wistfully into the surface. Light from beams of sun gently blanket the child in a pale glow.

There appears to be something written on it.

In the Elven language, it reads:

"Pensive Under the Klys Tree, 4117"

On loan

Elven Art

[Gala Art Exhibit, Elven Art]
Rich ivory draperies cascade down the walls of the spacious room. Pale golden light from frosted crystal globes illuminate the various pieces of elven artwork perfectly placed for viewing. You also see an ornately-framed painting, a pair of combat-locked statues, a woodland painting, an immense silken tree tapestry, a small marble table with some stuff on it, a faded woodland painting, a gilded woodland painting and a silvery woodland painting.
Obvious exits: northeast, southwest

an ornately-framed painting

A small pond dominates the foreground of the painting with whitecaps painted in rings beneath a dark sunfish arcing down into the clear blue water. A fat brown toad sits near the bank, its tongue out as if trying to catch a fly which is nowhere in sight. A solitary soldier looks across the water toward a large keep which encompasses the background of the painting. The soldier stands straight and tall, his uniform painted with crisp, clean lines, and his arm lifted in a perfect salute toward the keep.

There appears to be something written on it.

In the Common language, it reads:

"Guardian of the Pond"

Artist: Dannia

Buyer: Ysaeril, 100,000

a pair of combat-locked statues

Locked in weapon-to-weapon combat, one statue is of a young, muscular man holding a spiked mace and bearing the visage of Kai. The other statue is of a large, imposing man clad in blood-stained armor and bearing the visage of V'Tull. Tightly gripping his black scimitar, V'Tull gazes down menacingly at Kai with his pupil-less, coal black eyes as Kai returns the gaze with a confident yet fierce look of his own. With their faces just inches apart, the intensity of the battle is almost impossible to ignore.

There appears to be something written on it.

In the Common language, it reads:

"The Divine Showdown, 5116"

Artist: Unknown

Buyer: Heartfire, 400,000

an immense silken tree tapestry

Fine metallic threading is worked into the heavy silk material in an intricate pattern of iridescent embroidery. A perfectly symmetrical tree patterned with oblong leaves and large ivory blossoms is rendered in stylized silhouette, its branches overrun with countless birds. No two fowl are alike; each is bedecked in colorful plumes and captured in varying poses of unrest and repose. Gilded threadwork shot through the intricate design glimmers in the ambient light in a fiery accent.

There appears to be something written on it.

In the Common language, it reads:

"Afternoon Delight"

Artist: Unknown

Buyer: Jooniper, 450,000

a woodland painting

Sunlight bathes the forest in the life-bringing warmth of spring. Buds in various stages of unfurling into myriad leaves and riotous flowers cover the boughs, and bunches of wood violets are pushing up from beneath the loam surrounding the trees' roots. Forest fauna scurry about, fully engaged in the uncontrolled joy of renewed warmth. A young elven child sits upon an elegantly carved stair surrounding one tree, her expression relaxed with happiness as she watches the forest reawaken.

There appears to be something written on it.

In the Common language, it reads:

"Ardenai in Spring"

Artist: Unknown

Buyer: Erek, 250,000

a gilded woodland painting

Golden sunlight shafts through the boughs of the forest's towering treetops, limning the leaves with brilliant hues. Huddling at the bases of the giant firs, as if deliberately seeking shade, blooming feanor trees and clustered bunches of golden wood violets nestle amongst roots and mossy green rocks. An elegantly carved spiral stair is visible winding around one tree's trunk, its destination lost to view as the stair climbs into the upper reaches of the forest canopy.

There appears to be something written on it.

In the Common language, it reads:

"Ardenai in Summer"

Artist: Unknown

Buyer: Erek, 250,000

a faded woodland painting

Jastatos sunshine cascades through thinning boughs as leaves in myriad autumn hues drift lazily down from the forest's canopy. Tiny fauna are busily gathering leaf, twig and nut as they prepare for their coming time of slumber. Drooping golden wood violets, clustered amongst the roots of the giant trees, struggle for their last bits of sunlight as the leaves pile slowly atop them. An elegantly carved spiral stair, leaves piled high upon each step, climbs into the upper reaches of the forest canopy.

There appears to be something written on it.

In the Common language, it reads:

"Ardenai in Autumn"

Artist: Unknown

Buyer: Erek, 250,000

a silvery woodland painting

Pale light washes the forest in icy blue hues. Delicate snowflakes fall downward through the barren forest canopy, swirling as if teased by an invisible hand as they pile upon the drifts of glittering snow. A lone white snow hare huddles amongst the roots of a tree, its bright eyes gazing deeper into the forest as if searching for long-sleeping friends. A pair of red cardinals rest upon the railing of an elegantly carved snow-covered stair, which winds upwards into the swirling snow into invisibility.

There appears to be something written on it.

In the Common language, it reads:

"Ardenai in Winter"

Artist: Unknown

Buyer: Erek, 250,000

On the marble table: a black ink-on-vellum drawing, a midnight-hued stained glass mosaic, a chalk-smudged charcoal sketch, a large glass-mounted map

a black ink-on-vellum drawing

Framed in dark grey haon is an immodest scene of reposed and dancing elven silhouettes captured in black ink against an ivory background, their lithe forms accented with sepia shading as they cavort with one another. Touches of scarlet hint at wine and lipgloss, while faint silvery brushstrokes suggest wisps of cigar smoke.

There appears to be something written on it.

In the Elven language, it reads:

"Nalfein Bacchanalia, 4965"

Artist: Tymian Bayvel

Award: Third place

Buyer: NFS

a midnight-hued stained glass mosaic

Scattered within the deep black glass are tiny circular pieces of white glass representing the night stars. In one half of the mosaic, traced with smooth silvery pieces of glass, is a slender man grasping a sword. The other half contains a larger man with a jackal-shaped head outlined with jagged golden glass shards. The two men stand facing each other, glaring into each other's eyes with intense, cold stares.

There appears to be something written on it.

In the Common language, it reads:

"Battle for the Night, 5116"

Artist: Unknown

Buyer: Sabotage, 150,000

a chalk-smudged charcoal sketch

A series of heavy dramatic strokes across the pale blue parchment blend upward to form a towering tree, its trunk lost in somber charcoal shadow behind an abundance of drooping branches. Cleverly depicted in lighter, delicate arcs and smudges of brilliant white chalk is a haze of leaves, the canopy seeming to radiate a ghostly luminescence across the arboreal scene.

There appears to be something written on it.

In the Elven language, it reads:

"Glowbark, 5048"

Artist: Unknown

Buyer: NFS?

a large glass-mounted map

Contained within the glass is a map of the whole of Ta'Illistim. Each street is carefully inked, along with every business, residence, and region. Illustrated in exaggerated size are the Sapphire Gate, the Hanging Gardens, Library Aies, Ta'Illistim Keep in the center of the city, and Sylvar Pointe to the northeast. The space beyond the city walls is marked by mountains to the northwest and forests elsewhere, save for the observatory of Seethe Naedal, whose dome peeks out of clouds dotting the incline.

There appears to be something written on it.

In the Common language, it reads:

"Map of Ta'Illistim, 5101"

Artist: Ysaeril

Award: Honorable mention

Buyer: Sabotage, 100,000

[Gala Art Exhibit, Elven Art]
Rich ivory draperies cascade down the walls of the spacious room. Pale golden light from frosted crystal globes illuminate the various pieces of elven artwork perfectly placed for viewing. You also see a montage of three tall canvases, a willow-framed painting, a brightly daubed oak panel, an oak-framed ravaged city painting, a Liabo and Lornon painting, a small marble stand with some stuff on it and a wide maple-framed painting.ken tree tapestry, a small marble table with some stuff on it, a faded woodland painting, a gilded woodland painting and a silvery woodland painting.
Obvious exits: southwest, northwest

a montage of three tall canvases

A trio of canvases, rendered in oil, feature abstract architectural scenes from around the city of Ta'Illistim. Bright blue and silvery grey pigments capture an array of staggered mosaic-tiled domes against a cloudless sky. Offsetting this striking central illustration of the Keep is an angular cobblestoned var lined with white marble villas to the left and the more gestural image of a swathe of green grass within a ring of cut stone socles to the right.

There appears to be something written on it.

In the Elven language, it reads:

"Archi-Trio, 5117"

Artist: Unknown

Buyer: Sabotage, 100,000

a willow-framed painting

A small, blonde-haired elven girl in an ivory frock is shown standing in front of a youth-sized easel. Before her stands a massive willow with a staircase encircling its trunk, though oddly, the steps begin far out of reach. At the top, a platform is just barely visible among the branches. The peak of Seethe Naedal is scarcely visible beyond the willow's massive crown. Upon closer inspection, the painting is composed entirely of tiny dots in a broad range of colors.

There appears to be something written on it.

In the Common language, it reads:

"Willow Observatory, 5117"

Artist: Ysaeril

Buyer: Istoriel, 200,000

a brightly daubed oak panel

Aswirl with stippled color, the tall panel displays an impressionist depiction of a distant tower set on a verdant hillside. Rich reds and golds are daubed among the many shades of green that speckle the landscape, indicating the onset of autumn. The tower gleams in shades of grey, though its asymmetrical shape and a network of darker hatching suggest it may yet be under construction. Layered whorls of blue and white illuminate a sky abroil with clouds, with tendrils swirling about the incomplete spire.

There appears to be something written on it.

In the Common language, it reads:

"Arise, Rassetivan."

Artist: Unknown

Buyer: Archales, 200,000

an oak-framed ravaged city painting

Short, dense brushstrokes of grey and ivory pigments are layered to depict the ravaged stone architecture of a partially collapsed city. A silver-haired elven woman kneels nearly hidden amidst the wreckage of one of the buildings. Thin dabs of red hues trace cuts and bruises along her forearms as she assists in lifting a young blonde page from the rubble. Near the edges of the painting more people are portrayed, gathered together to help in excavating the area.

There appears to be something written on it.

In the Common language, it reads:

"From the Wreckage"

Artist: Lissaya

Award: Honorable mention

Buyer: Archales, 150,000

a Liabo and Lornon painting

Painted on an oversize canvas, this lunar artwork has two distinct sections. One half contains the brilliant white moon of Liabo, while the other half contains the cloudy gray moon of Lornon lightly shrouded with a crimson haze. Closer examination of each moon reveals the symbols of the Arkati and other spirits intricately blended within the lunar surfaces. Lurking in the starry night background is a faint golden outline of a large drake keeping a watchful eye on both celestial bodies.

There appears to be something written on it.

In the Common language, it reads:

"Celestial Watch, 5116"

Artist: Unknown

Buyer: Sabotage, 500,000

a wide maple-framed painting

A pale ivory bighorn sheep is shown lying in a bed of moist grass and mossy rock, with eyes shuttered and head bowed. The animal's massive horns make three full revolutions before disappearing beyond either edge of the painting. In the foggy distance, boughs of leafless trees complement the form of the animal's regal horns and a blue-grey sky sets a serene, albeit somber tone to the painting. Upon closer inspection, the painting is rendered entirely of tiny dots in a broad range of colors.

There appears to be something written on it.

In the Common language, it reads:

"Bighorn Sheep, 5117"

Artist: Ysaeril

Buyer: Meril, 150,000

On the marble stand: a glass-mounted architectural drawing, a perched vellum and ink peacock, an ivory-matted vellum map

a glass-mounted architectural drawing

Contained within the glass is an architectural drawing rendered in black and blue charcoal on smooth white paper. On the left side of the drawing, a low castle is depicted upon a hill, surrounded by blue and grey obelisks. Faint accents to the building's exterior are suggestive of ice, rather than stone. On the right are two interior diagrams drawn on a shifted axis, representing multiple levels to the building. The lower level is more shaded and contains no windows, implying an underground location.

There appears to be something written on it.

In the Common language, it reads:

"Proposal for Icemule Twilight Hall Annex, 5117"

Artist: Ysaeril

Buyer: NFS

a perched vellum and ink peacock

Composed solely of cut vellum and ink, the life-sized peacock perches atop a silver stand tall enough to allow the magnificent train of its tail to drape to its full length. Individual lines of painstakingly inked barbs of feathers, from short brilliant blue on head and chest to long eye-spotted indigo, green and silver on plumes of tail, create a solid iridescent shade when viewed from a slight distance. Its neck is elegantly arched displaying the fanned crest that crowns its head.

Artist: Unknown

Buyer: None

an ivory-matted vellum map

The full-color map is beautifully rendered on fine vellum, matted with ivory linen, and mounted in a slim frame. East to west, the illustration is thick with lush forests. Most notable in its depiction are two sets of ruins. One is closer to the city of Ta'Illistim, while the other is densely packed between groves of highly animated, gnarly oaks. A small estate and nearby settlement are located in the southeast quadrant of the map, which comes to a close at the shoreline of the Lake of Fear.

There appears to be something written on it.

In the Elven language, it reads:

"Map of Sylvarraend and its Environs"

Artist: Ysaeril

Buyer: Sabotage, 200,000

[Gala Art Exhibit, Elven Art]
Rich ivory draperies cascade down the walls of the spacious room. Pale golden light from frosted crystal globes illuminate the various pieces of elven artwork perfectly placed for viewing. You also see a narrow vertical painting, an oval-framed painting, a darkly inked forest scene, a somber battlefield painting and a burled fel-framed oil painting.
Obvious exits: southeast

a narrow vertical painting

The painting is narrow, vertical, and composed almost entirely of a massive cloud formation. Ivory, orange, blue-grey, and raw umber paint, applied in a scumbling technique, gives a puffy appearance to the clouds. Near the bottom, a plethora of pale yellow hashes, suggestive of wheat in a field, are painted at severe angles. The slim strip of sky beyond is pale near the horizon and darkens toward the top, in contrast to the richness of the image's primary subject matter.

There appears to be something written on it.

In the Common language, it reads:

"Autumn Comes to Sylvarraend, 5117"

Artist: Ysaeril

Award: Second place

Buyer: Naamit, 100,000

an oval-framed painting

A pair of bulbous-eyed goldfish are depicted in a lazy, circumnavigational aquatic waddle in this oval painting. The fish's pectoral and caudal fins are shaped like broad, wavy fans, while occasional umber and ivory mottling graces their rich, golden-orange scales. The contrasting cerulean background is speckled with waves of turquoise and faint, slightly darker hexagonal tracery. Upon closer inspection, the painting is composed entirely of tiny dots arranged in a broad range of colors.

There appears to be something written on it.

In the Common language, it reads:

"Fish in Fountain, 5100"

Artist: Ysaeril

Buyer: Ysaeril, 100,000

a darkly inked forest scene

Cast primarily in monochrome inks and watercolor, the scene depicted is one of a forest at night. Trees loom as dark masses, their craggy bark a sharp craquelure of smoky grey and ebon and their branches and foliage mere shadows against a sliver of watery, mottled sky. Subtly off-center, a thin bloom of color stands out against the surrounding gloom, a circle of painted illumination cast by a single guttering candle flame held aloft by a gnarled hand. The hand's owner remains lost in darkness.

There appears to be something written on it.

In the Elven language, it reads:

"Apprehension"

Artist: Jossarian

Award: First place

Buyer: Istoriel, 3,000,000

a somber battlefield painting

Washed with a dusky leaden grey, the tableau of carnage is rendered in hazy brushstrokes. A dwindling ring of armor-clad elves holds against a surge of rotting undead, their comrades piled beneath in tragic finality. Piercing thunderheads above, silvered light illuminates three figures in stark relief upon the field's center. Poised back to back with weapons aloft, their banners stand at sharp angles behind them--an ivory peafowl, a silver harp, and a golden wyvern, each nearly tattered to shreds.

There appears to be something written on it.

In the Common language, it reads:

"And Thus, With a Return to Shadowguard, Valiant Defiance Ends in Tragic Defeat"

Originally painted in 5113 to honor the ten year anniversary of the battle.

Artist: Unknown

Buyer: Nihrvanah, 5,000,000

a burled fel-framed oil painting

A window dominates the canvas, opening out from an apparent second-story perspective into a sunlit vision of city streets. Graceful elven architecture and artfully arranged gardens greet the eye, enticing the viewer with delicately arched bridges over canals and clusters of elegant, well-dressed elves in lively conversation. In contrast, the edges of the painting are drab, the walls inside dingy and cracked, and an irregular streak of rusty red in the lower right corner is almost lost to the shadows.

There appears to be something written on it.

In the Common language, it reads:

"Untitled V"

Artist: Unknown

Buyer: Jossarian, 150,000

Non-Elven Art

[Gala Art Exhibit, Art Display]
Rich ivory draperies cascade down the walls of the spacious room. Pale golden light from frosted crystal globes illuminate the various pieces of artwork perfectly placed for viewing. You also see a half-finished modwir panel relief, an elaborate gilt-framed painting, a rectangular dark-framed painting, a small stone pedestal with some stuff on it and a horizontal oak-framed painting.
Obvious exits: southeast, northwest

a half-finished modwir panel relief

Carved into a modwir panel, the relief depicts an antlered mountain deer, his ears perked and head turned to look past the viewer's shoulder. Depressions traced onto the neck suggest well-defined muscles beneath a downy mane. Thin, curled flakes gather haphazardly around the relief's edges and along the deer's back, giving an impression of an unfinished carving, but at a closer look the flakes have been preserved and affixed to the relief to create the effect of the deer standing amidst falling leaves.

There appears to be something written on it.

In the Common language, it reads:

"Watcher"

Artist: Meril

Award: Third place (non-elven)

Buyer: Heartfire, 120,000

an elaborate gilt-framed painting

Shades of blue from cerulean to ultramarine stretch across the canvas forming a finely detailed settee upon which is lounging a nude half-elven female, her hand draped across the back. Smoldering eyes gaze directly from the canvas with a come hither look accompanied by a single beckoning finger. A lock of anthracite black hair drapes partially over one shoulder, creating a strong contrast to her pale skin. Her hourglass figure is turned slightly towards the front, leaving nothing to the imagination.

There appears to be something written on it.

In the Common language, it reads:

"Guilty Pleasure"

Artist: Jastalyn

Buyer: None

a rectangular dark-framed painting

The painting is monochromatic red, ranging from murky sanguine shadows to pale carmine highlights. The landscape image closes in on a defaced stone crest of the House of Illistim. The veiny, marble symbol is in three pieces; the first is heavily scored, the second seems scorched, and the third is speckled with a deep sanguine. Gravel ground surrounds the ruined medallion, which leads off to the distance where chunks of stone are strewn about in this scene of mass architectural destruction.

There appears to be something written on it.

In the Common language, it reads:

"Vibrato II, 5117"

Artist: Naamit

Buyer: None.

a horizontal oak-framed painting

The painting is monochromatic red, ranging from murky sanguine shadows to pale carmine highlights. The still-life represented is anything but alive. A badly damaged elven skull resides in the center-left of this rectangular painting and is surrounded by an assortment of half-eaten and rotten food. Behind the gruesome display stands a diminutive bud vase holding a nondescript, ecru parchment flower that is liberally adhered to the surface of the painting.

There appears to be something written on it.

In the Common language, it reads:

"Impermanence II, 5117"

Artist: Naamit

Buyer: Heartfire, 100,000

On the stone pedestal: a scorched black zombie scalp baldric fringed with talons and claws, a deep cerulean blue narwhal skin sheath inlaid with sapphires and diamonds

a scorched black zombie scalp baldric fringed with talons and claws

There appears to be something written on it.

In the Common language, it reads:

"Weapon Thingie"

Artist: Heartfire

Buyer: Naamit, 100,000

a deep cerulean blue narwhal skin sheath inlaid with sapphires and diamonds

There appears to be something written on it.

In the Common language, it reads:

"Sea Weapon Thingie"

Artist: Heartfire

Buyer: Erek, 175,000