The Big Fish : Art In Hats 2015

For Art In Hats. I've designed 3 exclusive noggin decorators. Get yours now!

I do apologise for my absenteeism.
The more interesting news is not the why I left but the now I'm back!

What I'm currently doing :
I'm participating in Art in Hats (4th till 14th November) and have created the above three pieces as event exclusives for which a portion of the proceeds shall go straight into the coffers of the American Diabetes Association.
You can read more information about this on Art In Hats - 2015

I think with blogs and flickr and life in general , you experiment as you figure things out for yourself. What you want to do, what you don't want to do and so on. I've been having an interesting year that's been in pursuit of other adventures outside of the realm of the virtual aesthetic and as serendipity would have it - find myself currently tangled with an other whose passion for art (amongst other things) inspires me to examine my own.

I'd like to take this opportunity too to thank both Lyrical B!zarre and Shortcake Sugarplum. These ladies have always faithfully sent their creations my way - despite my long absence from blogging.
I'm full of admiration for them as their own creative spirit seems tireless! Lyrical is also participating in the same event with the following offerings :

Hat Ballet
(featuring Danette Hat by Lyrical B!zarre)

Taste The Rainbow
(featuring Adele Hat by Lyrical B!zarre as well as Butterfly eyes by no.7)

Moodlight Sonatta
(featuring Trey Dress and Chloe Hat both by Lyrical B!zarre)

On a side note , all the above have been taken with my donning a completely mesh avatar which is all the rage in the virtual photography world because of how 'materials' and advanced lighting works in SL. (Will broach more on this subject at a later date)

Meanwhile 

Thank you for reading.

The Artfish - Relating to that flight

This series in order : Relating to that flight Taken @ Spencer Museum of Art Renee Skin by Glam Affair (from recent Arcade Gatcha) Harpy in Black Swan + Behind the mask by June Dion (Bare Rose) ID. eyes November Gift (Brown) Hair Natum in white (Hair Fair 2012) by [INK] " Ultimately, it starts with a creep towards the edge ... a peer into the abyss" " Sometimes when you jump, you fall..." " Sometimes when you fall..." "... you fly."

The Artfish : Good Morning .. or is it?

Good Morning - by Dita

D of Ourfish is really having a creative spurt on Flickr and is still exploring the phenomena of pile ups as the digital equivalent of the found object as a medium. The original for this idea is by Carmy Mirabeau and can be found here

D always finds it slightly odd to talk about her own work and thinks that how an image is to be interpreted is something that should remain open. 

" In the broadest sense, I find it interesting to create work in a medium that is fickle and frivolous - Using that background as a canvas seems appropriate commentary for the age."

Some more distinct art references as follows :

Landscape_XV  -HR Giger

Painted Plaster Mask - Rene Magritte

Pierre Gobert [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

The Artfish : Forgive and forget (Tempus Fugit)

ORIGINAL IMAGE capture by Cecelia Levee.  This photo was edited for the SL Picture•Pile•Ups group.

In making art, D is always shadowed by a sense of futility ie. "Does anyone get what I am trying to say" and " Is what I am saying, worth saying at all…" It's quite an interesting state of ennui, which D likens to being like purgatory for attention seekers.

Beauty (and art) is in the eye of the beholder - so here in the continuance of this blah is all about why D made it this way. 

However, for arts' sake this image should be regarded just like song lyrics.

Sing how you like and what sounds good in your ear even if the original song writing does not really contain your lyrics. 

What you think it says or more so.. what it says to you is always tons better!

D's Artistic Statement

In my off-line work, I've always found an affinity for working with found objects and my interests in the creative process had long since moved off canvas. Thus coming across flickr 'pile-ups' is very tantalising for its virtual equivalence.

I've always been fascinated by the idea of a containment of and for 'art' as well as for visual language. 

This piece embodies my pet subjects on many different levels in terms of the history of its origins as a question about reality, continuity and decay.

The Artfish : Copyright issues or Pile Ups II

So recently having discovered this creative game to play, D fashioned this image from an
ORIGINAL IMAGE capture by ☆ ღ Skip Staheli ღ ☆
This photo was edited for the SL Picture•Pile•Ups group. See something you'd change? join the group, download the pic, and edit it your way


However, being that the modifications to the image were for all intents and purposes - not something that is obviously, glaringly different from the original; D started to idly wonder about claiming the image as a new original piece of art…

What makes art to begin with? Well that through the course of a rather lacklustre meander in tertiary education - is no easy thing to answer. In essence, art is an activity that humans engage in as an expression of sentience. Art for the masses captures the zeitgeist of the age. Art is changeable in interpretation and differs from creator, to audience, to curator. It alters perception and is powerful given context and purpose. It can also be whimsical and frivolous. Although art speaks, not everyone has the inclination to listen.

Nonetheless,  this isn't written as a treatise on what may or may not be art; but just a short blub into what intellectual copyright is and when those rights are waived for the sake of allowing new "art" to be created.

These are certainly different times and most people do not actually bother with; or are otherwise often ignorant about copyright licenses. It's a sticky issue given how global the internet is and how such legalities seem irrelevant that is until they become relevant.
Say for example, if an image of yourself or of your creation is otherwise replicated or misappropriated.

Some relevant jargon :

Public Domain - is used to describe works available to be used without license owing to any of the following reasons

1. An expiry of intellectual property rights
2. A forfeit of intellectual property rights
3. Where such works are not protected by intellectual property laws

Copyright - is a legal term meaning " The right to copy" and refers to the concept of exclusive rights to  the author of an original work as their intellectual property for a defined period. It also expresses the right of the copyright holder to be credited for a piece of work; and to bestow on them the right to determine other uses of such a work as they may be adopted, modified or benefitted from and etcetera.
In most countries copyright is regarded as a private right and automatic for the originator of the work to claim for his or herself.

Cue a relatively modern invention called - The Creative Commons Licence
In short, it is a legal disclaimer that enables you to control the way in which your intellectual property or copyright may be licensed. It makes clear for abundant reasons how others may treat your creative works although this may or may not become relevant in the general scheme of things.
It is still just a good little thing to know...

The Artfish : Swan Lake

The nice thing about Second Life is that it is an instantly accessible medium for creating visual imagery. Today, D decided to interpret Swan Lake. Swan Lake as we know it, has its origins as a Russian composition (1875 - 1876 according to Wiki) by Pyotr Tchaicovsky for the Bolshoi Ballet.

It is a tragedy that centres around two women whose features are so alike, they are mistaken for the other. Princess Odette is enchanted by the evil Sorcerer,Von Rothbart - and cursed to live out her days as a swan. She inhabits a lake that was magically formed by the tears of her grief struck mother.
Together with her companions, who are also cursed alongside her, Odette is only able to regain her human form at night. The enchantment can only end with the power of a vow of true love; however if such a vow were alas to be broken, then Odette would be twice cursed to remain forever a swan.

Odile, the black swan, is the rival of Odette

One day, a young Prince Siegfried happens to venture deep within the forrest, coming across a beautiful swan that he first intends to shoot at with his new cross bow - when low and behold the swan transforms into the peerless Princess Odette. So moved by her beauty and story is he that he offers to take her for his queen - inviting her to the castle ball so that they may marry. They dance the night away together falling deeper in love till the dawn breaks and Odette is once more forced to resume her swan form.

The next night at the ball, Prince Siegfried anxiously awaits the arrival of Odette whom he tragically mistakes for Odile - the daughter of Von Rothbart who is herself enchanted by her father as a trick. The sorcerer's plan is to make the Prince break his vow so that Odette would be in his power forever. It is a plan that  succeeds as the Prince recants his love for Odette and declares himself in love with Odile. He fails to tell the difference between the two women. Nor does he notice the appearance of Odette at the castle window trying to warn him to be faithful to her. 

Odette was forced to live by a lake formed magically from her mother's tears

The only way left for the curse to be broken is with the death of Odette who has no desire to live without Siegfried. As dawn breaks, she throws herself into the lake - and Siegfried who now realises that he has been tricked, follows his true love. With their sacrifice, Odette's companions are freed and the magic broken as Odette and Siegfried rise up to the heavens together in spirit for all eternity.

Related Links : Yinka Shonibare MBE

Fashion Direction :
Body Suit and Feather Collar from " Behind the Mask" by Bare Rose
Tutu by Canimal
Hoodie by La Rosa (Midnight Angel)
Nails by Mandala
Necklace by Miamai
Lace Jumpsuit by Boudoir
Makeup by Niju