Opportunity for Urban Artists

I don't know how far the ECHI (Extreme Christmas House Illumination) craze has spread, but if it keeps increasing at its current rate here in Melbourne we're going to have to build a few extra power stations. I passed one house last night that may just be visible from Mars.

It struck me that perhaps I should be setting up a street stall nearby to sell sunglasses to the crowd of sight-seeing retina-bangers. It's not unusual to leave a loud concert and find your eardrums have tried to curl up inside their fluffy security blankets. Similarly, I expect these ECHI-surfers get back in their cars with searing images of Santa flaring their optic nerves every time they blink.

The opportunity mentioned in the title is not to decorate your home more spectacularly than your neighbours. The opportunity is far more exciting. All you need is creativity, a couple of rolls of black gaffer tape and a preparedness to take some risks (oh - a lightweight ladder may help too). I call this art form EECHI (Enhancing Extreme Christmas House Illumination).

Step 1. Choose your canvas. Find a house that has a large area with reasonably close spaced lights.

Step 2. Envision an image or short message that will fit your canvas. If you're a beginner you may wish to re-use a standard message just for practice e.g. "Cower Mortals", "Santa's Spawn", or even "Happy Easter".

Step 3. In the early hours of the morning (when the decorative lights are switched off due to council regulations) stick a small piece of gaffer tape over each of the globes you wish to remain dark. "How silently, how silently the wondrous gift is given."

Step 4. Be present outside the house when they fire-up the lights on the following evening. Having a camera ready is a very good idea. (I'll be only too pleased to display photos of your EECHI artworks on my site.)