This is Not what you Think it Is

It is always amazing to be able to insinuate oneself into other peoples' visions - something which is most easily done in a virtual world where that art can be expanded bigger than an avatar. Gracie Kendal's Ce n'est pas une peinture at Linden Endowment for the Arts Sim 15 is an example of this with more brilliance than most - she literally transported her offline art into digital format and then bent and curved it, making it move all over an entire sim. You can fly through it, but I have to admit I found that distinctly overwhelming; Kendal's offline art is brightly colored and modern in style, and experiencing it all mixing and mingling in three dimensions was too much for me to try to capture in two - though I highly recommend you go for a flight. I found it much manageable where art meets water - or rather where art meets its own reflection.

I loved the combination of the clarity of these reflections, my own form, and my reflection was a lot of fun - I think it hints at the three dimensions without making them overwhelming.Adding in light sources from windlight and you could gain some amazing effects - like the spotlight above which I found by accident then struggled to immortalize in a picture. The blown out effect of any light source is something I find particularly pleasing, and to be able to bring it into Second Life always gives me little shivers of joy. Now and then I was also able to find ways to take advantage of the effect when the objects hit their own reflections - they were layered forward and back in three dimensions, so like a kaleidoscope where the objects hit the mirror at different places for different effects, the art simply seems to burst off of the screen.

I had originally thought to put myself together in shades of black, something simple and severe to stand out from the riotous shades, but then I couldn't get into the sim! Fearing the worst, I ended up contacting the illustrious artist and it turned out there had been a technical snafu; by then I had put back on my blush outfit from the recent Single Frame Story. Surprisingly, I really liked the effect against the colors - the slightly more neutral blush shades sometimes seem to fade into the background, other times to stand out distinctly, and with one windlight I tried I actually almost vanished into a peach and blush dream world.

The outfit is made up of combinations of many items, based on the Rosal corset and boots which I have absolutely fallen in love with. They are tintable and have several textures besides, making them hugely adaptable. The shirt is a very old purchase from G Field which I paired with a recent purchase from G Field in the form of her mesh shorts. I topped it off with a braid from elikatira which I fell in love with ages ago but only put on now. I crowned that with a gorgeous new group gift from World's End Garden to celebrate the newest remake of that amazing sim, a lovely band of flowers or around the brow. All in all, although it was a difficult look to accomplish, I was enormously pleased with the result!

( More pictures here. )

Credits:

Skin: De la Soul, Aestali - Cream Rose
Eyes: De La Soul, RooMee Eyes - Rainbow
Eyelashes 1: SLink, Eyelashes
Eyelashes 2: Flugeln Brise, 05-A
Eyeshadow: Elymode, Solstice - Moon
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Lipstick: Mock, Bella Vetro Gloss - Guardsman Red
Hair: elikatira, Wherever - Blonde 10
Coronet: Worlds End Garden, Le jardin de la fille hair wreath (group gift)
Wings: Fancy Fairy, Azarelle
Hands: SLink, Mesh Hands
Jewelry: League, Pearls & Lace
Shirt: G Field, Floral Halter Top - peach
Corset: Rosal, Unmei Mesh Corset
Shorts: G Field, Frill Shorts - salmon
Boots: Rosal, Unmei Thigh Platform Boots

Poses: Glitterati

Location: Ce n'est pas une peinture
Light Settings: Various
Water Settings: Mirror Water

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

Fashion For Life: Bourke White

Bourke White's clothing style is well out of my norm, but the built itself is lovely. A cityscape, like Irving Penn, Bourke is more of a melding of the curvaceous and the angular. The buildings are blocky, as buildings have to be, but the wrought iron embellishments are curved. On one side of the road, Celtic Knot style decorations are on the walls, and the window guards have a gorgeous natural bend to them. On the other side, stone styled arch windows are occasionally guarded by Roman style columns.

The contrast between different styles continues in the light sources, which all look wrought iron and spiraling, and the textured stone of the walkways with their curved road inset. Within the cutout the stone is brick-like and angular; outside of it, on the "sidewalks" it is rounded. It's a build that could only show up on Second Life, where it's a matter of attaching a texture and no longer about cutting stone and putting it in place. The wave is mimicked on the walls here and there as well, tying everything together.



Tall towers and differing heights of buildings make Bourke White truly seem real in a tangible way, too, as well as provide for wonderful photo opportunities. I particularly liked how high I could get, and the amazing building facade along the edges, interspersed with adorable little parks. Once again, contrasting white and medium gray make everything seem variable, and yet harmonious, even as the styles shift to an almost nautical theme on the towers.

Like in previous sims, the clothing is all of a theme. If I were to come up with a name for the style here, it would be modern sexy - with a focus on showing skin and wearing very little or being sort of comfortably casual in a modern, simple way. Not really my style, but likely the style of a lot of Second Life, judging by the Fashion Feeds. This was the first sim where I didn't find much I liked, but I did pick up one free outfit to show - definitely not my usual style - and this latex number that may or may not ever see the light of day again.



This was a free gift from A&k, called Spank Me. I can't say it's something I would have picked up on my own, but the outfit is well made and I would imagine it might make a stir in a club, revealing just about everything without being entirely naked. The straps over the shoulder are pretty fun, though, and the pushed up nature of the shirt... well, lets just say it looks like I've had fun recently, and leave it at that.


Credits:
Skin: De La Soul, Charlie - Cream (Phoenix) (with blond brow tattoo)
Dress: A&k, Spank Me
Shoes: Favole, Possession
Pose: doll., Faerie 07


The skin, from Kira, is darker than my usual choice but I love the cosmetics around the eyes - green and spiky with dark eyeliner - almost catlike. They go very well with the pink, blushing cheeks and the almost nude lips.

Wrap Me Up, a fun wrapped latex outfit from Vanilla Pleasures, was a total whim purchase. I was struggling to find things I wanted to purchase, and I find the idea of being all wrapped up like a present entertaining. When I put it on, I was pleasantly surprised by how much it covered, and how well the ribbon additions add to the textured latex. There are several bows to undo, and they can actually be clicked on and removed by others - which could make for a fun scenario with the right people. Chances are it will languish in the depths of my inventory, but at least now I know I can wrap myself up like a gift.

Credits:
Skin: Style by Kira, Willow Skin - Fantasy 01J
Outfit: Vanilla Pleasures, Wrap Me Up - Purple
Rose: Nova, RFL Purple Rose
Shoes: Elikatira, Move Pumps - Near Black
Pose: EverGlow, Pose 6

( More Pictures here. )

Credits for all pictures:
Eyes: Tacky Star, Pride
Ears: Illusions, Mystic Ear - Fairy (tarnished)
Hair: Calico Ingmann Creatons, Sandira II - Mocha Midnight
Wings: Fancy Fairy, Azarelle Wings - tinted black

Location: Fashion For Life - Bourke White: sponsered by Elikatira
Light Settings: [TOR} Eurphoria - Natural High

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping only