Category Archives: Great Places to Shoot

The Art of Light and Shadow

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I wonder if the artists of Second Life® are chagrined to see their creative impulses and efforts reduced to a background for a fashion blogger’s photos. I also wonder about the relative support for art in SL. For retail events like Collabor88, there usually is a horde of people waiting for the clock to tick over to midnight, a collective “Open! Open! Open! Open! Open! Open!” prayer offered up to Commerce, the god of Second Life. Has anyone been unable to teleport into an art exhibit because the sim is full?

But Second Life is no different than real life. For many people, their choices in fashion and home decor are their forms of artistic expression and appreciation. Art for art’s sake is often a luxury – one that is disappearing from our schools and our cities. So, I do wonder about art in SL and the artists and how they feel. Is it wrong to use a piece of art as a backdrop? I don’t know. It might get people to go see the art, to appreciate the effort, the imagination, the inventiveness. Or maybe it just gets more people to go pose in front of it. Who knows?

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I frequently check out all the LEA sims – one after another – to see what is new. I was struck by the constructs at LEA29 and how the lighting makes the visitor part of the art. This is not the best example, but for some reason every time I tried to take a picture from the other angle, I crashed. After three crashes, I decided that you all just need to go see for yourselves.

0109_013These pictures are from the central gallery. Asked about her exhibit, the artist FreeWee Ling said, “The central part of the sim is more or less a gallery space, but the rest is for a sort of uneasy paranoid landscape with the occasional alien showing up here and there. Like the little mobile cafe is currently manned by an alien chef bot.” The exhibit is not completely finished. She has a couple more days of work before it’s done, but you should go and soon because she only has the sim for the month of January. Don’t delay and miss this wonderful interplay of light, shadow and form.

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If on a winter’s night a traveler

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13 Dec 27

If on a winter’s night a traveler,
outside the town of Malbork,
leaning from the steep slope,
within fear of wind and vertigo,
looks down in the gathering shadow,
in a network of lines that enlace,
in a network of lines that intersect,
on a carpet of leaves illuminated by the moon,
around an empty grave –
What story down there awaits its end?

13 Dec 27

If On a Winter’s Night a Traveler is a short miracle of a book written by Italo Calvino. I am thinking of rereading it again for perhaps the tenth time. It’s written so beautifully it feels like poetry. In fact, the chapter titles, as you can see above, seem to make a poem. But the real poetry is the evocative language and the deep, authentic love of language that Calvino reveals.

The novel begins in a railway station, the locomotive huffs, steam from a piston covers the opening of the chapter, a cloud of smoke hides part of the first paragraph. In the odor of the station there is a passing whiff of station café odor. There is someone looking throughout he befogged glass, he open the glass door of the bar, everything is misty inside, too, as if seen by nearsighted eyes, or eyes irritated by coal dust. The pages of the book are clouded like the windows of an old train, the cloud of smokes on the sentences. It is a rainy evening; the man enter the bark he unbuttons his damp overcoat; a cloud of steam enfold him; a whistle dies away along tracks that are glistening with rain, as far as the eye can see.

From Chapter One of If on a winter’s night a traveler

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Buon Natale. Merry Christmas. Peace.

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Wishing you all serenity, wishing you all peace, especially that inner peace some of us are still looking for and it seems so hard to find. Let’s not forget those who have nothing or no reason to celebrate, let’s not forget to share 🙂

Merry Christmas, everyone :)

Love, Olela.

Oh yes, some CREDITS for you :

  • Skin: Glam Affair – Mokatana – America 03 – at Collabor88.
  • Hat and hair: Lamb – Desire Lines – Grayscale pack – at Collabor88.
  • Sweater: tee*fy – Elan Wool Vest Shirt Black Plaid – at Collabor88.
  • Boots: COCO – KneeBoots BeigeGrey – jeans coming with the boots.
  • Gloves: VCO – Gloves Necklace01 RARE – at The Arcade Gacha.
  • Pose: HNFactory – no more available.
  • Location: “Yuki No Yume”…A Dream of Snow..

Art and Fashion

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One of the most shocking moments in Project Runway history was when Nina Garcia declared, “Fashion is not Art. Stores are not museums. You go to stores to buy clothes. You do not go to stores to look at clothes.” Seriously? Her fashion credentials should have been revoked then and there. Also her membership in the sisterhood. Has she never gone window-shopping? Has she never gone “shopping” with her friends just to look?

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Marc Jacobs also declared that fashion is not art, though his argument was more cogent and fully-formed. “Fashion to me is not art because it is only valid if it is lived in and worn. I make clothes and bags and shoes for people to use, not to put up on a wall and look at. I think clothes in a museum are complete death. I have seen exhibitions of the clothes of Jackie Kennedy and I am not interested in her wardrobe. I am interested in the life and the women who wore those clothes.”

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Of course, the answer to that question depends on how you would answer the question “What is art” If you define it as static and inviolate objects separate from function and use, then fashion cannot be art. If you define it as the combination of craft and materials in a creative expression of ideas about form and function, then fashion is clearly an art. I think, however, that one Alexander McQueen dress is also a definitive proof that fashion is art.
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Slink Goes to New Heights

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Shoe addicts have a new drug thanks to Siddean Munro of Slink. Her flat and medium bare feet have conquered the grid, enabling shoe-makers to focus on making shoes while skin-makers bring their expertise to create appliers matching feet to their specific skins. It was a great innovation that has enhanced everyone’s style, but now Siddean takes it to new heights with her high bare feet. Shoe-makers whose focus has been on high stilettos can now join the party of folks doing what they do best – making shoes.

Fittingly, she is releasing these new higher bare feet at Shoetopia, the fabulous celebration of everything footly. Shoetopia is fundraising expo of shoes, socks and feet hoping to raise funds to support Soles4Souls, a charity that gives shoes to the shoeless around the world and also supports micro-enterprises in developing countries by allowing people to sell used shoes and earn a living.

SLink is also releasing three pairs of shoes for the high feet at Shoetopia. This is Hera, a sinuous stiletto with beautiful curving lines that enwrap the foot. I love how the natural flow of leather seems simply to be about curves as though securing the shoe is incidental – a lovely trick of engineering.

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My dress is from Mea Culpa. I love the gorgeous print and the extravagant stargazer lilies on the shoulder and hips. The rich gold and deep burgundy are gorgeous colors for fall. In particular, I love how the sweep of the gold lines in the dress remind me of the sweeping curves of the shoes.

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The glorious colors of the dress inspired me to go out leaf-peeping at Seni Seviyorum. It’s gorgeous and so many lovely spots for taking pictures.
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There Is Nothing Frivolous About Shoes

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Shoetopia is literally shoe heaven.

Shoetopia will be opening soon. Just two more days until the fashionistas of Second Life® can descend on shoe lover’s heaven, literally so as the build is itself heavenly. A brief bloggers preview run through tells me that folks will be thrilled with the variety, creativity and quality of shoes and that the most difficult aspect of Shoetopia will be deciding what to buy.

Some people love to make fun of people’s love of shoes, as though it is somehow decadent to enthuse over that fusion of art and engineering, but while shoes can be and often are extravagant indulgences for some, they are also the most important article of clothing there is.

Most of us are lucky enough to have shoes for many functions, daywear for work, formal dress shoes for special occasions, work shoes to protect us from harm while gardening or chopping wood, boots and galoshes for cold and rain, and even specialized athletic shoes for different activities.  Not all people are so lucky. In a working class family, they may buy one pair of new shoes for the school year – and hope no one grows too quickly. I grew up in a such a family and know very well the dilemma of choosing one pair that must be strong and hardy enough for the year. Those shoes are never delicate and dainty. Loafers, saddleshoes, oxfords, those last a year. Mary Janes? Not so much.

My parents never encouraged me to go barefoot to save on shoes in the summer. A good thing, since many kids get hookworm from walking around barefoot. On top of the risk of broken glass, sharp objects and hot burning tar on the road, parasites are a serious health hazard for those who go barefoot. Soles4Souls is a charity aimed at making sure people have the shoes they need to protect them and help them lead a healthier, safer life. Kids cannot go to school without shoes – so they are also important to reducing poverty. This is a critical, and often neglected, charitable need and Shoetopia aims to raise funds to donate to Soles4Souls efforts.

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I love this sleek modern sheath from CIA Designs.

{ SHOETOPIA 2013 - COMING SOON! }
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LOTD – November 9, 2013

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LivGlam had a Halloween Hunt on their sim last month and this lovely dress is something I picked up while exploring the nooks and crannies of the shops. I love how most of her outfits have a HUD for changing the color scheme. Today I’m wearing one of the purple options.

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More after the cut….
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This is my look of the last days!

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*peeks out from behind the door*

Hello folks!
In my last post here, one month ago, i talked about some gorgeousness from Collabor88 and now that the October collection is going to be replaced by a new one i would like to show you another fantastic item from C88 which i’m sure you all already know and probably got (such coolness should be a MUST in our inventory).
I’m talking about the Hesed Neck Warmer from .Shi: i like it so much i decided to create a whole look (skin, make-up, hair, clothes, accessories) starting from it. And i love what came out.
So, i’ll shut up now and show you the pictures, then all the credits.

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I love every single piece of this outfit, i don’t want to take it off anymore XD

Mwah, everyone!

 

CREDITS:

  • Hair: Dura – Girl*50 – Black
  • Skin: Essences – Opera 01 *beach*
  • Eyes: Poetic Colors – Jades Eyes – Wet Sand
  • Eyes make-up: La Malvada Mujer – warrior #5
  • Lipstick: Essences – Song Lipgloss 04
  • Neck warmer: .Shi – Hesed Neck Warmer (Old Book) – V1. Femme – still at C88 only for a few hours, then i guess you’ll find it in store.
  • Top: Plastik – Ayana Top – Leather
  • Arm Tattoo: CoLLisions – Light Side Armbands – Set of 3
  • Body jewel: ( r e d ) M i n t – Body Jewel – Silver
  • Skirt: Corvus – Black Long Skirt
  • Bangles: ( r e d ) M i n t – Bangles w/Rings – Silver
  • Hands: Slink AvEnhance Hands Female – Casual
  • Poses: Label Motion – from Andrea and Mery sets
  • Location: UTSA ArtSpace – Metamorphosis by Igor Ballyhoo

I Was Enchanted

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I went shopping at Enchantment, the big new fairy-tale event that opened this morning. Of course, since I was shopping, I was not wearing any of the items, but I did pick up a few that you will soon see. I just wanted to share my observation that the sim design and execution for this event was pretty wonderful. I loved that the vendors were so unique and idiosyncratic. There was no uniformity which meant it was visually interesting all the time – even when the products were not to my taste. Though of course, far more was to my taste than was not. I spent more than I should have – but that is how events work. They beguile your eyes and enchant your hearts and put a open spell on your wallets.

I wore this gorgeous coat and capelet from Kunglers. It has the warmth and comfort for shopping outdoors – which is where Enchantment is. You will have to explore, not everything is laid out in a straightforward path like most events. Snow drifts and trees obscure parts of the build, giving you beautiful settings that reveal bit by bit the enchanting items for sale. It’s beautifully done and worth exploring right to the top of the mountain.

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Hitchhikers Guide to catching the Coach in 1834

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What is a girl to do when she wants to get to the next town over, without a cent to her name?

She strikes a pose, that’s what!

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There is very little time left to head on down to the latest round of Genre, This round was Western in theme. While not my normal thing, I thought I’d give it a try.

I ended up looking like a partially dead strumpet, but I am totally fine with that!

Credits

Hair – The Stringer Mausoleum – Morning Hunt in Darknight
Skin – La Petite Morte – Quinn in Tone 4/Bare Makeup – Rare Item @Fantasy Gacha Carnival
Eyes – Umeboshi – Rue Eyes in Brown/Hot Coffee
Lashes – La Sylphide – N/A
Hands – Slink – Elegant Pose
Makeup 1(Liner) – Fake – Sylvia in Night
Makeup 2(Eyeshadow) – Mock – Pantone Fall Duo in Acai Linden
Makeup 3(Lipgloss) – 8+ – Summer Gloss Light
Dress – Senzafine – Molly Burlesque Ensemble in Peridot – Discounted @ Genre
Hair Decor – Paper Moon – Molly Fascinator in Peridot – Discounted @ Genre
Necklace – Krystal – Nicole Necklace in Onyx – Discounted @ Genre

Poses all from Shop Free*Style

I tried to find a location to shoot, which was somewhat hard. Most places that had the look I wanted, required traditional garb and esthetics. I had the clothing, but the skin wasn’t appropriate, or so the GMs all told me. Even just for taking pics.

I did eventually stumble upon the starter area for Wyoming West. Again, this was another location I was not allowed to tp down to, but the starter area was nice enough to take a few snaps in.

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Location – Wyoming West