Fantasy Art Focus: Patricie Sapphire

"For myself the picture will always start with the pose, something I feel a connection to at the moment. It becomes the root for the look and the setting."...Patricie Sapphire

A beautiful girl wearing a pretty pink skirt with flowers and .....red boxing gloves....in a thunderstorm. Another lovely girl, who is a mime, sitting on a stool in shallow water with stilts and a parasol. A giant clock sitting in water while a winged girl with antlers and high heels looks on. These are descriptions of three works of art each with their own unique style, details and meaning. Works of art produced by one of the most creative talents in Second Life and Flickr.

left to right: Time Warps All, Baby Gunna Knock You Out, Mime of Hearts

Patricie Sapphire is this amazing, unique, and detail-oriented artist. Each and every piece she produces is very special with an all too obvious amount of love and care put into each one. By this I mean Patricie takes her time with every picture until it turns out exactly like she wants it. She puts her all into them and you can tell by looking at the beautiful color and intricate details once the picture is enlarged. This includes lighting and background detail, not to mention her talent for all kinds of effects, like water reflections and splashes. Her pictures tend to be eccentric, eclectic, and whimsical...with a touch of fantasy. Patricie also only produces pictures with some sort of special meaning to them, something that relates to herself.

Just who is she? Who is this outstanding talent? It is not surprising Patricie loved art in one form or another beginning at a very young age. She's always loved drawing by using charcoal and most drawing mediums, painting, wood works, lathe work, hand carving, and scroll saw. Because of this passion for all forms of art and because she was good at all she pursued, Patricie's Dad sent her away to an Arts school where she was "semi-schooled". What do I mean by semi-schooled? Well, halfway through her schooling, Patricie ran off and got engaged. To this day, her Dad still gives her a hard time about that!

Oh, Someone Let Her Out

A Few Clowns Short of a Circus

At some point, Patricie began playing Second Life and after the newness of the game wore off, she found herself looking for ways to enjoy it more. She began reading tutorials and blogs regularly in which she discovered the magic of photography within Second Life, just by noticing all the great pictures within what she was reading. This motivated her to begin using her creative background to produce amazing pictures in game. She started out just taking random snapshots and then later graduated to blogging along with it, also a way to justify all her spending in game :P She blogged about fashion by using simple poses that were less intimidating. However, because of a very traumatic and emotional hurt Patricie experienced within Second Life, things totally changed. She immersed herself into her artwork and began challenging herself to go beyond what she thought she could do. Intimidation had all but disappeared and out came Patricie, artist extraordinaire! She had begun to use her emotions and what she was feeling at any given moment as the motivator in her work. Because of this, a new level of art developed, and even her fashion pictures now always have a piece of what she's feeling at the time. She says once she finishes a picture, she feels a cathartic release!

Patricie continues to be just as passionate as she ever was regarding digital art within Second Life. She says, "I find Second Life to be such a creatively stimulating environment with heaps of talented people who have made and continue to make Second Life the great canvas it is. They have even left some blank spaces for us to create in as well."

Patricie uses Photoshop, Corel, numerous plugins, and a tablet for digital art as her mediums. Using all of these continues to be a learning experience full of new discoveries.

Patricie's Flickr stream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/patricie/

What Side of the Mirror Do You Live In?

Thoughts of Holiday Baking

Matador of Death

Chasing Your Youth

Catch Your Dreams

Fantasy Art Focus: Shoshisn Shilova (aka: Serg Sonnino)

Guardian of the Forest (taken at Enchanted of Elven Realm)

It's been a while since I've done a blog focusing on one of the many talented Second Life fantasy artists, so thought I would dedicate this blog to a wonderful artist who also happens to be a good friend of mine. His name in Second Life is Shoshisn Shilova, but he also goes by Serg Sonnino on flickr.com. I'd like to start with a quote he truly lives by and I believe is one reason he is such an exceptional artist...

This is the real secret of the arts: always be a beginner. Then we can really learn something.

In the beginner's mind there is no thought, "I have attained something." If you keep your original mind, the precepts will keep themselves. ~ Shunryu Suzuki

Shoshisn's work isn't only fantasy, but he does have quite a bit of fantasy art in his collection. His works are very unique and more of a contemporary, fractal style art. He also seems to favor artwork from nature and includes special people in his life as an integral part of many of his works. He is a graphic designer and photographer by trade in real life, so has brought this wonderful talent here to Second Life for everyone to enjoy :) Shoshisn just recently opened a brand new gallery called, Mother Earth Gallery. This is a must see and has all of his many works displayed including photographs and sculptures he has created in game. I will leave the URL below along with his Flickr stream link. I think the best way to describe and sum up Shoshisn's amazing talent is the fact he can take any simple picture from Second Life and turn it into a true masterpiece! He just has an eye for turning the basic or mundane into spectacular artwork. Now THAT'S talent!

Shoshisn's Flickr stream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/shoshisn/

Mother Earth Gallery SLURL: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Evening%20Star/236/112/29

MRD: Must See Gallery

Merlin's Flickr stream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/merlin_renfold/

Urban, eclectic, stylish, grunge, and shabby chic are just a few words that come to mind after visiting Merlin Renfold's amazing gallery of artwork in Second Life. The overall setting and look of the gallery go perfectly with the art he displays. I teleported to the gallery location and landed close to the front door. Before I entered, I had to take in the scene surrounding me. Off in the distance were the beautiful lights of the big city. As my eyes moved from this to the land immediately around me, I saw a spotlight moving to and fro, an old-fashioned car out in the grass that had obviously not worked in ages, pieces of trash on the ground here and there, and a big trash bin in the corner. I looked directly in front of me and saw the large brick building that housed the MRD (Merlin Renfold Designs) gallery. Straight above me was the MRD logo sign, and stairs right below that. I proceeded to enter the gallery.

Please be sure and click each picture below to see it much larger, thus seeing the full effect :)

Upon entering, I could see the overall ambiance was perfect and went well with Merlin's many different styles of art. Other than the artwork, the gallery was a little on the dark side, which made the city lights outside glow through the windows with just the right amount of light. To the right was an old-fashioned projector that showed an old black and white cartoon up on the wall. Straight in front of me was a working, caged freight elevator. The floors were of dark wood and the walls a stained cream brick texture with rust effect. The only thing that was bright and colorful, which I know was the intention, was Merlin's exceptional art. All his different styles and themes of art contrasted so well with the entire ambiance of the gallery. It really looked great the way he had everything laid out just right along with the colors and style of the entire gallery.

Old film projector...and notice the city lights shining through the windows

Standing in the center of the upper floor with Merlin...notice how well his artwork contrasts with the entire ambiance of the gallery...great plan!

More city lights and notice the ceiling windows with a blue glow and discolored panes

"As for my style and art, I tend to just make it. I often listen to people and work out a plan in my head. You know, to keep it simple and offer choices"...Merlin Renfold

A mix of Merlin's artwork... I tried to choose a variety so you could see how unique and different each piece is in its own special way

Merlin has always loved art and been a creative, artistic person at a very young age. When he left school, he had achieved a grade A in Art and was actually the only student that had progressed as far as B. Computers and graphic design didn't come into the mix until later in life and Second Life had a major part in this. He said the many people he met and worked with in game were important factors during the learning process for this kind of art, and they are the ones that truly helped him meet his dreams and goals. Step inSide furniture store, which got its name from Yasmin Little (also Merlin's personal designer of MRD), was Merlin's first dream that was recognized, a business where he could put his creativity and imagination to work. The store is still in business and currently owned by Merlin's first business partner, Lany Jun. She's the one who designed Merlin's couches for the sitting area at MRD. Merlin would work on his ideas at a sandbox alot of the time and he said this is where he found his work grew and he was able to come up with new ideas. He also enjoyed the sandbox because he loves helping others and found it rewarding to help new players in Second Life develop their basic skills. In a way, this is how I met Merlin and how we became friends. He complimented one of my pictures in Flickr and asked ME how I achieved the effect (which was in the program). I was honored he would even ask me, as I felt his work was much better than mine. I always remember him saying we are all at a learning stage of some point and can learn from one another. It's so true, he's helped me a great deal with advice and tips on my pictures, and in the process, has become a wonderful friend. Overall, Merlin finds making pictures and owning the gallery both his forte, after all, nothing beats receiving a compliment from a customer for a job well done!

Fantasy Art Focus: Yasmina Siamendes

Fairy Tale Forest

It's been a while since I've focused on a Second Life artist, and because recently I've discovered a wonderful fantasy artist whose work I love to follow, I decided it was time. I first saw Yasmina's work when I noticed she had done several pictures in Elven Realm and Elven Mist, my two sims. They were truly magical and beautiful and I really love the way she captured and brought out the best of both sims. Yasmina's work is amazing, and that goes for her ability to use colors and bring them out, lighting, composition, treatment and poses. She has the ability to play with all different "styles" when creating her art and has great talent doing anything from forest faes to modern landscapes. Overall, she has a knack for bringing out the magic in every picture and each and every one looks professionally done!

Yasmina comes from Germany and has been a member of Second Life for about four years now. She started out making quite a few friends and they would spend time in game chatting and dancing most of the time. She quickly got bored with this routine and wanted more, thus decided to become an elf and live in some of the beautiful forests of Second Life. Yasmina had always loved fantasy and thought the game was the perfect place to express this and live out her dreams of being a fantasy creature. She would take turns living in different forests, all the while still chatting and dancing while experiencing life in the woods. Again, she became bored with this and looked for more. She just happened to meet an exceptional photographer in Second Life named Alles Klaar while in the forest. Alles asked Yasmina to be her model for some photos, and Yasmina was happy to oblige....the rest is history. She started to become interested in photography within game herself and explored Flickr by looking at Alles' stream and several of the fantasy groups. Already having a background professionally in graphic art and design, Yasmina found that editing and using Photoshop became second hat. She started out doing unedited pictures, but wanted more. She wanted that creative and magical touch in her pictures, and you can definitely see that magic shining through in all her creations!

The first and second pictures posted are my personal favorites of Yasmina's work and both happen to be photographed at my sim, Enchanted of Elven Realm.

Colorful Fae - Anita Rakasta

Sad World

Forest Nightwandering

Helpfully

I asked Yasmina to tell me her own personal favorite pictures. She listed six total and I've posted them below with her MOST favorite first and so on. She stated it was funny because when she quickly worked on a picture and didn't spend much time on it, people tended to like those particular pictures the best. When she did spend alot of time editing one, those seemed to get less attention and not be as "faved" as the others. Overall, Yasmina likes the pictures she's done that have some kind of meaning behind them or statement to make.

I hope you enjoy Yasmina's pictures as much as I and many others do. I will have several of her masterpieces displayed at our gallery over Enchanted, so please stop by and visit! You can see many more of Yasmina's creations on her Flickr photostream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/61281993@N04/

Forest Nymph

Watersplash in the Elven Realm

Forces of Nature

Master of Magic Lights

Ocean Dream

Phoenix-Waterstart in Elven Realm

Tribute to Forest and Fauna All Over the World

To all the beautiful and majestic forests of this earth, and the creatures that make their homes there....

Picture by Magissa Denver

The Forest
by Leonard C. Mayer

The trees stand tall and stately,
surveying their domain-----
The first to glimpse the sunrise;
the first to feel the rain.

The flowers add some color
to mostly brown and green.
Their fragrance bathes the air
and makes it smell pristine.

The wind sets all in motion
and makes things come alive.
It brings the rain and pollen
that lets this world survive.

The sun lends warmth and comfort
to all the things that grow.
It's perfect for their needs,
high noon or evening glow.

The earth provides nutrition
and serves the mother role-----
Even the air that's needed
comes from her heart and soul.


Bless the Beasts and the Children
Song by the Carpenters

Bless the beasts and the children
For in this world they have no voice
They have no choice

Bless the beasts and the children
For the world can never be
The world they see

Light their way when the darkness surrounds them
And give them love, let it shine all around them

Bless the beasts and the children
Give them shelter from the storm
Keep them safe, keep them warm

Light their way when the darkness surrounds them
And give them love, let it shine all around them

Bless the beasts and the children
Give them shelter from the storm
Keep them safe, keep them warm

(the children)
(the children)
(the children)

Official Fantasy Kaleidoscope Gallery Opening!

ka·lei·do·scope [kuh-lahy-duh-skohp] A continually changing pattern of shapes and colors.  /kəˈlaɪdəˌskoʊp/ Show Spelle

First, I'd like to apologize for being rather quiet for a while! There's been alot of excitement going on at Enchanted and the new sim, Bewitched, as you can imagine. Along with the addition of the new haunted sim, and with the help of Andrek Lowell, I was also working on a gallery exhibiting Second Life artists' work above Enchanted. I had mentioned this in a past blog, but have never officially introduced it as being open. Well, this is the official announcement of the opening of the Fantasy Kaleidoscope Gallery above Enchanted! Andrek has done a beautiful job seeing that it blends well with the forest below, all the way from the scenery to the frames around the pictures. In keeping with its purpose, the gallery is truly its own piece of art! It is something that will always be in the works and continuously updated, as we have new art we want to recognize all the time. That is the main purpose of the gallery, to show off/exhibit fantasy art created within game and to give it the recognition it deserves. For a while I was recognizing a piece of art from Enchanted and a piece from the Finest of Fantasy Art group in Flickr each week. After I left it on the sim for that week, I'd move and place it in the gallery. I still plan to do something similar, but instead of just two pieces of work each time, it will be a variety each time and go along with a particular theme. For example, this week I will recognize art having to do with the theme, "Light and Dark". We are having a photo contest with this theme, so thought it would be perfect. I will display the artwork within the theme at the entrance to the gallery each time and depending on the event or what is going on, it could be displayed for a while, not necessarily just a week. In order to visit the gallery, please use the tp door at the landing point entrance to Enchanted.

There will be a post following this one explaining a photo contest meant to kick off the gallery opening, so please be sure and watch for this and enter the contest! I've posted some pictures from within the gallery in keeping with the light and dark theme, but please come by and visit, you'll be glad you did!

Teleport landing point

Nat standing in front of one of the gallery sections

Closeup of the frames used for this natural setting

Beautiful bridges and walkways to each section of the gallery

One of the four sections of the gallery, each with its own central fantasy statue

Another gallery area

Gallery lit up at night

Fantasy Art Focus: Wistful Mactavish

And Magic Happens


"God gives us creativity, and I don't intend to waste my share of it." ... Wistful Mactavish

Wistful definitely doesn't waste her share of creativity! She uses that God given talent to produce amazingly beautiful and unique pictures for all of us to enjoy. Her stream contains some of my all time favorites from Flickr and Second Life. She specializes in pictures full of magic and fantasy, elves and fairies, and quite a few landscapes. Although Wistful tends to produce fantasy art for the most part, every single picture is very unique and special in its own right. She doesn't have a particular style like many artists, instead she has the ability to create pictures with each and every one affording a style of its own. This is what makes Wistful's artwork so interesting! I always look forward to a new picture and when I see her name coming through the Flickr stream, it's almost always chosen as an automatic favorite.

Wistful became interested in photography within Second Life after entering a contest in game and placing Second. She remembers being so elated and realized how much she loved taking pictures in the game, so that's what she started doing on a more regular basis. Wistful is not happy with the quality of her computer graphics card, thus relies on post processing of her photos. After being highly intimidated by advanced editing software in the beginning, she has finally come to a point where she's comfortable with it and continues to learn something new every picture she takes. Wistful uses a variety of settings and backgrounds for her pictures. Most all of them use an avie from within Second Life, but sometimes she uses backdrops and textures (composites) found outside of the game. She always has an idea in mind of what she wants to accomplish with each picture and persists toward this goal until it is met. She would be able to tell someone a story about every single picture she's done, as they all have meaning and a reason behind why they were done.

With great encouragement from friends, Wistful opened her own gallery in Second Life. She sells the pictures she creates and says she receives great pleasure in the fact that she can share her love of art with others. She makes enough money to pay her rent in game, but most of all, she is grateful she can do something she is very passionate about for pure enjoyment, plus, make others happy by doing it!

The Faerie's Elf

Rainbow Fairy

A Fairy Playground

Catch a Dancing Fairy

Home

Looking for the Great Pumpkin

The Fairy Field

Drink of Magic

Loss

A Source of Magic

Autumn Wistful


Please be sure to visit Wistful's photostream:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wistfulmactavish/