Friday, November 30, 2012

Complementary Knight

Leap

I love knowing what goes on beyond things, behind things, where no one sees. I love the details in the tapestries of our lives, just to know - I rarely feel inclined to pass on what I discover, I just like to discover it. I love the stories of people, the little details which make up a coherent perspective. I spend hours watching Inside the Actor's Studio and listening to director commentaries, and when I return to the movies and television shows in question they are richer and have more depth because of my knowledge about all of the weave behind the polished surface of the screen.

Earlier on the radio, I listened to someone wax lyrical on how we could never know the self, that we schlep ourselves around mistaking our shoes and clothes and jobs for who we are. Earlier, another person decried irony, claimed it withered the soul and denied connection, claimed sincerity and integrity was fading and only found in the "suffering" class who don't have the time or energy for humor. There is a profound disconnect between me and them, and the shape of it is odd but it weighs on my mind. I love the things I own, to some extent, both for their intrinsic value as beautiful, functional objects and often also for what they represent, be that an idea, a relationship, or even a means to pleasure, however I don't see myself in them except so far as what I value reflected in where I put my money. I adore irony and owuld be grieved to lose it from my reading; two of my favorite authors are Jane Austen and Oscar Wilde, both known for their deep, moving, and penetrating irony which reveals far more than it conceals.

Ominous Glow

My favorite Austen is Pride and Prejudice, the first I read, but my second favorite is the far less mentioned Northanger Abbey, which was a satire both of the sorts of horror romances which were popular at the time and of cultural tropes of femininity, maturation, and courtship. One of my favorite lines comes at the end, when the drama has all been explained and when the lovers are finally united: "I leave it to be settled, by whomsoever it may concern, whether the tendency of this work be altogether to recommend parental tyranny, or reward filial disobedience." This is characteristic of Austen's sweeping ironic statements and the delicate way she crafted even relatively shallow works like Northanger Abbey - there are always deeper considerations to the ethics and morality underpinning her own work, which is part of the satire itself. It could easily be argued that the pause before Catherine and Mr. Tilney (by far my favorite Austen groom) are finally wed was valuable in slowing their headstrong fling into marriage based on only a couple months' acquaintanceship even though the cause was pure calculation on the part of his father, but it is also not to be denied that the final happiness requires Tilney to defy his father without reservation; both things are true within this story, but usually not to be encouraged in wider society, and hence the irony of the book.

My favorite Wilde is An Ideal Husband, largely for the character of Lord Goring and his ironic courtship of Mabel Chiltern (which I always felt should be played more archly and less poutily than the 1999 movie). Here is an example of two layers of irony - Goring does use ironic statements within the play in order to keep both his father and Mabel at a distance, in a manner which reflects the style of detachment and cleverness which was expected during that era. It is an arch and trivial play about an arch and trivial man where the moments of sincerity are all the stronger because their setting is so sly and reserved. The entire focus is on appearance as opposed to substance, even while the proclaimed substantive pair have the clay feet which drive the action - while Goring is central to the action, his own story is sidelined for that of the friends he admires and wants to help. My favorite lines and the ones I think sum up the serious implications of this charmingly trivial play are spoken by Mabel, my second favorite character: "An ideal husband! Oh, I don't think I should like that. It sounds like something in the next world... He can be what he chooses."

Rib Shot

( More pictures here. )

Credits:

Skin: De la Soul, Aestali - Cream Rose
Eyes: De La Soul, RooMee Eyes - Rainbow
Eyelashes: SLink, Eyelashes
Eyeshadow: Boom, Eye Paint - watermelon
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Lipstick: Schadefreude, Sealed With a Kiss
Hair: Alice Project, Demonia
Wings: Fancy Fairy, Azarelle
Outfit: Curious Kitties, Tragic Springtime (The Perfect Fit Gift)

Poses: eXpression

Location: Split Screen: Danse Macabre (through December)
Light Settings: Places
Water Settings: Mirror Water

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

Monday, November 26, 2012

Madpea Hunt: Property of the Princess

FInal Gate

A sorcerer, dark in spirit and craft, happened upon the Princess Enid in the forest one day. So besotted was he by her beauty and compassion he sought to keep her by his side always. To this end, one night while she slept, he crept into her bed chamber and plucked 15 hairs from her head. With each strand he pulled, he captured one of Enid's memories of her life before she met him. When Enid awoke, she found herself in a beautiful garden. She had no memory that this was not her home and when she saw the sorcerer, she had no memory that he had stolen her away in the night.

Every morning he comes to visit Enid and every evening he leaves, after spending the day basking in the glow of her kindness and love. Each evening when he leaves, he carefully replaces the lock on the garden gate. An enchanted lock he has fashioned from the strands of hair he plucked from Enid's head. A lock that has braided her lost memories together and makes it impossible for her to ever remember who she is or who might be missing her. As long as she never finds her lost memories, Enid will stay in the secret garden, locked away from her kingdom. Unable to free them from the frost that has settled over the land in her absence.

Help Princess Enid to find her memories! (MadPea Information)

This hunt object is very tiny - almost like a gleaming of light with an aura than anything easier to find, so you really need to pay attention to the clues to find them! The MadPea facebook is also helpfully giving pictures of different places where the memory is found, which I found really helped. I also recommend taking it slowly, reading the clues in their entirity, and stopping when you start fantasizing about violence. ;)

MadPea Hunt: Fallen Gods PrizeMadPea Hunt: Fallen Gods Prize
MadPea Hunt: Fallen Gods PrizeMadPea Hunt: Fallen Gods PrizeMadPea Hunt: Fallen Gods Prize
Tattoo - Frozen Yin Yang - and three eyes

1) Fallen Gods - There isn't a fireplace, but there is other things from the clue and they're key!
.: I loved my uncle. He was Father´s younger brother, very handsome, and never treated me like a child or told me I couldn´t do things because I was a princess. Mother called him the Black Sheep. I´m not sure why, maybe it was his black hair which he always so patiently let me braid. We would sit in front of the fire and I would braid his hair and he would tell me fantastic tales about his voyages across the sea.

.: Once he brought me back a special gift. Something I had never seen before. It was a box that played music. After I examined it, he took it from my hands and sat it on a table next to us. He opened it and the most beautiful haunting melody drifted through the room. The fire was dancing in the hearth casting shadows across the room as he bowed to me and offered his hand.

.: "M´lady," he said, his voice soft but strong, "may I dare hope you could honor this poor rogue with a dance?" I giggled, but immediately recaptured my reserve and replied with equal seriousness, "My dashing Captain, you have traveled far through many perilous adventures. It would be my greatest pleasure to dance with you."

.: And slipping my hand into his he swirled me around the room, our shadows dancing with the flames against the wall in a much exaggerated fury of movement that no ballroom had ever seen. When the music finally stopped we collapsed on the floor in a pile of laughter. Search for the memory @ Selidor

MadPea Hunt: The Looking Glass Prize
Wearable, flying Pennyfarthing (not resizable)

2) The Looking Glass - Your destination is far, but the clue tells you what to look for.
.: My knees crumbled out from underneath me and I fell in a heap rolling down the hill. At the bottom I came up with a nose full of toadstool. Turning over on my back I took a deep breath and mentally checked to make sure I was alright. No burning pains. That was good. I saw the sun flickering through the leaves over my head and took a deep breath catching the fresh scent of forest floor. Mother was not going to be happy. She hated that I insisted on going outside the palace gates and running through the forest.

.: "A proper princess never runs," Mother said. Getting up I shook my head banishing the thought of Mother´s disapproval from my mind. I was late. James would be here any moment and he had sent me ahead to make sure everything was ready. I patted my pocket and froze! Oh no, I had lost it. James was going to kill me. I got down and started searching through the leaves to find the bottle, it must have fallen out when I rolled down the hill. Finding it a few feet from where I had landed I was relieved to see it hadn't broken.

.: I placed the bottle on the stone table and dusted off the extra leaves my fall had thrown up. Everything looked perfect. The wine from the fairies was the final touch. I so hoped Emily would say yes, it would be wonderful to have a sister. James could be such a toad some times but if he married Emily then maybe all those years of his teasing would have been worth it. As I heard footsteps approaching over the bridge I slipped behind the trees and crossed my fingers. James hadn't actually told me not to eavesdrop so I didn't figure it was wrong to stay. Search for the memory @ Horizon Dream

MadPea Hunt: Trident Prize
Three Frozen Mistletoe Arches

3) Trident -This one made me almost quit. With two people trying to give me extra hints, I still couldn't find it because there is barely anything of the hint in its final resting places, and about a half dozen places it could be given the hint. Look at the facebook picture, forget the blocks of ice even though they're mentioned, stick to the outdoors, and ask for help even if people yell at you that its a hunt and the given hints should be enough. 

.: The autumn of my 13th year I was very ill. I lay in bed with a fever for days completely unaware of where I was or that time was passing. As my fever continued to rage I had the strangest dreams of a land of ice and snow, where white bears talked and the Queen lived in a palace made of crystal with penguin guards. Blue pixies worked all day cutting out snowflakes and stuffing them in silken sacks that Frost giants would pick up every evening to scatter across the land so every morning, fresh snow would meet the light of the rising sun and twinkle like a million diamonds.

.: When my fever finally broke and I came back from my dreams, it was with some small regret for I had never seen snow in real life and I was sad to leave my beautiful white kingdom; however, the first thing I saw out my window were trees covered with snow. I thought I was still dreaming until I saw Mother was there by my bed smiling and I knew I was awake.

.: Seeing the quizzical look on my face she leaned down and pressed a kiss to my now cool forehead and explained it was not real snow, but a covering of chipped ice left over from the huge blocks Father´s knights had hauled down from the mountains to help keep me and the many other children who had taken ill keep cool in our fevered states. I nodded and slipped back into sleep. I had snow trees and Mother and I was happy in my dreams. Search for the memory @ Nordmaar

MadPea Hunt: Vengeful Threads PrizeMadPea Hunt: Vengeful Threads Prize
Bikini and Corset-dress; Men's Outfit (not shown)

4) Vengeful Threads - This is another "look for the thing in the hint and it's pretty easy."
.: I learned to swim in the fish pond in the palace gardens. I wasn't actually intending to learn to swim when it happened. James as always was the exceedingly helpful older brother. It was one of the rare times that James and I were alone with no tutors or servants or friends in tow. Mother had sent us out to gather some flowers for an arrangement she was making and as usual we got sidetracked and instead were wading in the lily pads trying to catch a frog. We could hear what sounded like a whole chorus of frogs but couldn't actually see a single one.

.: We had kicked off our shoes and were wading in the tall grass trying to get a better view on our prey when James saw a log floating out just beyond the reeds. He told me to wait and he would swim out to it because sometimes frogs liked to sun themselves on old logs. I wanted to see too but couldn't swim so just jumped back and forth along the shore as James went out to the log and looked. He got it and pushed it back into shore. No frogs but he said that if I wanted he would take me out for a ride. I should have been suspicious. I climbed onto the log, one leg on either side dangling down into the water.

.: The day was hot and the flies were buzzing lazily through the lily pads as we pushed through the vegetation and out into the open water of the pond. I laid back on the log closing my eyes and enjoying the coolness of the water against my skin. Suddenly I felt a weight on my chest and opening my eyes was face to face with the biggest grandfather frog I had ever seen!

.: I screamed and rolled one way. The frog leaped the opposite way and suddenly I was in the water, unsure which way was up kicking and flailing until my head broke the surface of the water and I grasped at the log. And heard James laughing. Search for the memory @ Vengeful Threads

MadPea Hunt: Whatz PrizeMadPea Hunt: Whatz Prize
NPCs, Two Talking One Silent

5) Whatz - The item is at landing point level and in the named store.
.: Deep in the forest there were a set of stone ruins we liked to explore. We made it our castle and would stage elaborate battles to protect the court from advancing barbarians. We spent a lot of time clearing away leaves and brush until we had exposed a space almost as large as the palace banquet room.

.: Sometimes instead of battles, which the boys preferred, we would pretend to have great feasts with jugglers and dancing dogs, finding fun in imitating the acts of the adults with all their pomp and protocol. Our castle even had a stone faced old ruler who watched over our play and to whom we pledged our allegiance. Anyone divulging the location of our secret kingdom would be forever banished, luckily that punishment never had to be enforced. Find the memory @ Thentis

MadPea Hunt: Quixote's Dream PrizeMadPea Hunt: Quixote's Dream Prize
Twice-As-Big Avatar and Outfit (Male and Female included)
Comes with cosmetics HUD, skin tinter, etc...

6) Quixote's Dream - The Facebook Picture isn't accurate, but it's there so don't lose hope!
.: There is no better place for overhearing gossip then a comfy seat underneath the stairs. I had my own favorite spot for finding out what was going on when no one wanted me to know. Leaning back against one of the columns I would slide down it, pressing my back into the cool marble. Out of sight I would listen as people came and went down the corridor or up and down the stairs.

.: It´s how I found out that the man who used to visit Portant was no longer welcome in the palace. I heard Uncle tell Father he had seen Valko in a tavern in one of the cities by the sea. Not knowing who Uncle was he had talked freely of using dark magics to gain a certain petal that he desired. I didn't know why that was so upsetting but Father become very agitated as they walked out of hearing range. Find the memory @ Muskeg

MadPea Hunt: Sucreries De Fairy Prize
Frozen Garden and Gazebo

7) Les Sucreries de Fairy - A lot easier than expected; close to landing point.
.: We were allowed free reign of the palace and the grounds even into the town and reluctantly the forest against Mother´s wishes, but the one place Father forbade us to go was into the caves. He told us that they were a labyrinth where we could easily get lost and roam for days. Of course this just made the caves that much more intriguing and a place to be defiantly explored. I knew a secret for exploring safely and since I wasn't suppose to be in the caves, it was the perfect place to escape to without fear of being found.

.: I would tie the end of a ball of string to a rock just outside the cave and then unroll it as I followed one cave into another. It worked perfectly until my string broke without me realizing it. I was lost in the cave for 10 hours before they found me. Father´s best bloodhound tracked me down. I was never so happy to see Burton as that moment. Father was close behind and swooped my up in a bear hug. He wasn't even mad just so happy I was safe. I think it was the only time Mother wasn't mad at me either, well at least not immediately. Find the memory @ Sunfield

MadPea Hunt: An Lema Prize
Water Temple (very large)

8) Am Lema - In the store, near the landing point (and you can't get to the third staircase anyway).
.: I was so excited when I was old enough to go to my first ball. As I made my entrance down the grand staircase, a smile flickered across my lips for all the times I had defied Mother and stayed up well past when she thought I was in bed watching the dancers swirl and turn across the ballroom floor like flower petals caught on the wind. Tonight I would be one of those petals, and I would float so high it would make me dizzy.

.: Lost in a daydream I stumbled at the bottom of the stairs and almost fell. The night would have ended before it began if not for my gallant rescue by Thomas, who caught me in his arms and then held me there all evening long. Find the memory @ Alqualonde the Swanhaven

MadPea Hunt: Roawenwood Prize
Harp, with Poses

9) Roawenwood - Near the landing point, despite the size of the store.
.: Mother and Father had very different views on how to raise their children. Mother emphasized all the royal duties and always wanted us on our best behavior, but Father believed that the most important thing was to be comfortable with the people we might someday be asked to lead. As such, he encouraged James and I to run and play with the other children. We could go anywhere and you would often find us hanging from trees in the forest or galloping through the middle of the town on the way to make believe battles to save the kingdom.

.: Sometimes we would climb to the very top of the palace and take turns daring each other to walk the roof ridge between one tower and the next. Father also loved knowing James and I were productive members of the palace community. One of my favorite activities was helping with the harvest. It was long days of hard work out under the sun but I didn´t mind. Getting hot and sweaty just enhanced the pleasure of our afternoon swims. And no food tasted better then that served at the end of the day when we knew that we had helped gather it.

.: At the end of the harvest there would always be a huge celebration for everyone with tables laden full of food and beverages. The first wine I ever had was at one of the harvest celebrations and knowing I had helped collect the grapes for it made the taste even sweeter. Find the memory @ Five Blades

MadPea Hunt: Whimsy Prize
Ice Hat

10) Whimsy - Look for the store
.: Cook said lavender helps to make you sleep so she sent us out to the field to fill our baskets with lavender flowers for her to dry to use for tea on nights Father couldn't sleep. I loved this chore because the lavender was always so fragrant when we cut it. The aroma lingering in the air and sink down onto us as we lay down in the field with the sun warming our faces.

.: Laying enveloped in warmth and scent I always felt like a feather carried aloft on the wind, floating toward the clouds drifting through the sky. I believe Cook was right about the effects of lavender. I always had the sweetest dreams laying in that field. Find the memory @ Agriopis

MadPea Hunt: Dragon Magick Warez Prize
MadPea Hunt: Dragon Magick Warez PrizeMadPea Hunt: Dragon Magick Warez Prize
Two Level Tower

11) Dragon Magick Wares - Look for the store
.: I had tutors for dancing and needlepoint from Mother and for Latin and archery from Father but my favorite class was with Portant, a tutor Granny arranged to school us in different mystical practices. She said science was all well and good, but it never hurt to know how to turn lead to gold, the art of reading tea leaves, or how to commune with the spirit world. I never did learn how to turn lead to gold and my tea leaves often talked about my effect on the weather, which made no sense, but still I loved my weekly visits to Portant´s chambers in the northeast tower.

.: His rooms here full of books and exotic ingredients for his potions like eels´ teeth and goblin spit. I had seen Portant talk with Uncle many times after Uncle returned from a long sea voyage. They would exchange little bags of which I would only image what the contents were. There was another man who visited Portant as well. His name was Valko and apparently they had apprenticed together when they were younger. Once I overheard them arguing, Valko said that Portant was teaching parlor games to children when he could be manipulating the destiny of a kingdom. I never saw him after that. Find the memory @ New Kadath

MadPea Hunt: Forest Feast Prize
Floating Island with Large and Petite Swings

12) forest feast - Extremely far from the landing point; there are maps with teleport points which can help give you a direction (think fairies) so you don't end up in the cafe, the music building, and underwater like me.

.: I raced down the stairs from Portant´s chambers. I finally had it! I couldn't wait for tonight. Impatiently I waited through dinner until I could slip away and set up outside in the garden. It was a full moon tonight. Perfect for attracting fairies. I had found the fairy ring three nights before and that was when I absolutely knew I had to have the blue fire.

.: I had begged Portant for days to show me how to do it and today he had. I knew the full moon would bring the fairies out to dance. I also knew that with the blue fire burning they would be so mesmerized that maybe I would be able to get close enough to see them. I was determined as I waited for the moon to rise and start the blue flame fire in the center of the fairy ring. Granny was right. Alchemy was a great thing to learn! Find the memory @ feast

MadPea Hunt: Boudoir Prize
Frosted Antlers

13) Boudoir - Don't spend time looking for attics or chests.
.: It was a rainy day so James and I decided to explore the attic. We were going to a section over the east wing of the house that I had never been to before. James said he had something to show me and that I would never believe it unless I saw it. I of course was intrigued but skeptical because James was not always completely honest. However I was bored and tired of practicing my needlepoint which was what Mother thought rainy afternoons were made for, so we set out on an adventure.

.: Climbing the steps to the attic, James was unusually quiet. I wondered what he could have found that made him so thoughtful. Finally he started to talk. He said he had overhead Uncle talking to Portant about Aunt Marina. Something about a potion to stop dreams. James got curious. Why should Uncle want to stop his wife from dreaming. He started to actively investigate our Aunt. Uncle had brought her back on one of his voyages. Mother was appalled that they were married but Father had been happy that his brother might settle down.

.: I remembered all this and I liked Aunt Marina very well. She was kind and very beautiful but sometimes she seemed sad and I would find her staring at nothing with a far off look in her eye. James said he found out that Uncle had hidden something belonging to Marina in the attic, so he started looking for it. By this time we were standing in the middle of a large collections of trunks. James walked over to one of the largest and pulled a skeleton key out of his pocket. Opening the trunk he pointed. I peered in and stared.

.: At first I didn't know what I was looking at, it looked like a fish, but only the tail part. I looked at James and he slowly started to nod his head. Gravely he said, "Aunt Marina is a mermaid. This is her tail. As long as Uncle keeps it hidden she can´t go home." I looked at the tail again, reaching out to touch it. And that´s when James dropped the lid and started to laugh. He is such an idiot. Find the memory @ Boudoir

MadPea Hunt: Star Kindler Prize
Mask (Multiple Sizes)

14) Star Kindler Designs - Trees are the keys.
.: Growing up in the commotion of the palace was sometimes overwhelming. All I wanted was a quiet place to escape and read or draw without Mother, tutors, servants, James or even my friends watching me and correcting every in unladylike thing I did or said. As often seemed to be the case, my rescue came from nature. I was walking near the back wall of the palace gardens when a nut fell on my head. I looked up half expecting to see James somewhere throwing things at me only to find that it wasn't my brother but a very insistent squirrel. The squirrel was running back and forth along the top of the wall and then down the wall where it disappeared behind an overgrowth of ivy.

.: As I watched the squirrel reappeared at the top of the wall form the other side only to repeat the whole procedure again and then a third time. Walking over to the wall I pulled the ivy away and found a crack in the wall, quite large enough for me to slip through. I was ecstatic! Here was a way to slip out of the palace grounds without anyone finding out. Mother would think I was safely in the gardens and I could be miles away.

.: I slipped through the crack and on the other side was the most inviting tree. I had a huge trunk with a indent at the base that was perfectly positioned for sitting back against. And low branches that allowed for climbing and cradling. I was so happy with my tree that I never did slip out and run miles away. Whenever I needed peace I would just sit cradled in the boughs of my grandfather tree looking over the wall into the garden but still feeling a million miles away from all the responsibilities of being a princess. Find the memory @ Caledon Brigadoon

MadPea Hunt: MOSP Prize
MadPea Hunt: MOSP PrizeMadPea Hunt: MOSP Prize
Garden Pieces and House

15) Machinima Open Studio Project - You get a HUD at the landing point, and it comes in handy; don't worry about kittens, though.

 .: There was a gypsy caravan that at least once a year would take up residence on the palace grounds for a few days as they travelled across the kingdom. The life of a gypsy seemed very adventureous to me. Sleeping under the stars and seeing the four corners of the kingdom. It was always a curiosity when the caravan sent up camp and all the palace children would take to spying on the gypsies from the top towers where we had the best view. Though it was fine to spy from afar, we never actually ventured into the camp until the day James dared me to. I laughed and told him I´d do more then just skulk around the borders of the camp. I would march right in and visit one of their wagons.

.: He scoffed and walked away. I had no idea how I was going to accomplish this boast however I believed something would present itself. Later as I was going to find my Father I saw a young girl sitting outside the Throne Room playing with a kitten. I didn't recognize her but when she saw me she beckoned me over and smiled at me holding out her kitten for me to pet. As we talked I found out that she was the daughter of the Gypsy King who had come to talk to my father.

.: When her father appeared, she asked me if I wanted a kitten. Thus I entered into the Gypsy camp at the side of their king. Oh how I hoped James could see me from the palace tower. Isabella showed me her very own wagon and gave me a tiny white kitten with the bluest eyes I had ever seen. As we talked about all she had seen in her travels, the kittens curled up together and napped on her pillow. Find the memory @ LEA20

Saturday, November 24, 2012

2012 Color Challenge: Week 47 - Barley Corn

The Long Hall

Barley Corn was a difficult color to find by name, though I found a couple of barleys. My De La Soul skin, which I think was a limited edition with lovely snakeskin detailing around the eyes, was a limited edition - but Beatrice is still for sale in her store, and barley is an awesome olive-toned skin a few shades darker than my usual Cream. The hair is also called barley and is a more golden tone; from Truth, it's a delicious updo with a fantastic wavy bang which is what attracted me to the style to begin with. I paired it with Felicity's Thanksgiving release, which is a two toned pair of shoes with multiple lacings. Finally, the dress - an old purchase from G Field - is the bit of sweet in the barley, caramel richness which leaves me warm and satisfied. In a little while I might make a sundae - pure vanilla ice cream with warm caramel and fudge dribbled over it - a combination which always makes me smile. If only I had malt, my sundae desires would be purely met.

Tiny Blossom

Cooler weather is always a blessing for me; I overheat pretty easily, and I enjoy the sensation of snuggling down into blankets and feeling them warm up around me. It also inspires that most pleasing of tendencies in my furry companion - the impulse to snuggle. Over the years I've gotten him from pathologically afraid of blankets to happily snuggling under them with me; even as I type this, he's snuggled up next to me, wrapped under the blankets I have across my lap, purring occasionally when I pet him.

Into the Light

( More pictures here. )

Credits: 

Skin: De la Soul, Beatrice, Barley - 2012 Dragon
Eyes: De La Soul, RooMee Eyes - Rainbow
Eyelashes: SLink, Eyelashes
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Hair: Truth, Mayim - barley
Wings: Fancy Fairy, Azarelle
Jewelry: League, Pearls & Lace - natural ivory
Dress: G Field, Classic Dress "Erica" - caramel
Shoes: Felicity, Farah Stilettos - Thanksgiving Special (on sale through Monday)

Poses: D.Luxx

Location: Frisch
Light Settings: Places
Water Settings: Mirror Water

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

Friday, November 23, 2012

Single Frame Stories - Humility

Single Frame Story - Humility

Where we come from, the earth we are formed and fashioned from which holds the bones and breath and blood of our ancestors, the hummus we walk upon and disregard and see so little of, terra incognita right under our feet. Humility is a loaded word, one heavy with the wine and wishes of religions, the detachment and discernment of philosophies, the tricks and trickery of removing from they who suffer the fruits of that suffering. Wherever our feet touch down, there is earth beneath. Through concrete and stone and wood and foundations, all of it lies on the earth, tied into the ground, pulled tightly to the surface of a spinning ball hurtling through space.

It is through our ancestors that we are given the benefits and responsibilities of life. They give us both gifts and burdens, and our connection to them and the honor and dishonor of family ties shapes us into who we are. Some ancestors are made through ties of blood, others through promises and will, but relative to our ancestors, to all ancestors, we know ourselves in the world.

It is important to know the texture, strength, and nature of the earth which supports us.

Voices of my People
Kate Price
(transcribed from the audio)

The voices of my people fly high on beating wings.
They sing the seasons of the moon, the thawing of the spring.
The melodies of sun danced on rise through us to the sun.
The voices of my people are one.

The dances of my people pound deep into the land,
Calling those who went before to join us hand in hand.
We call upon our ancients to guide us through the night.
The dances of my people unite.

In the darkest hour
Before the break of day.
You can hear them call,
Calling you away.

The visions of my people, illuminations clear
Beyond the dark horizon, beyond the veil of fear.
With our hearts we wander where there is no journies end.
The visions of my people ascend.

In the darkest hour
Before the break of day.
You can hear them call,
Calling you away.


( More Single Frame Stories here. )

Credits:

Skin: Fallen Gods, Onyrica
Eyes: De La Soul, RooMee Eyes - Rainbow
Eyelashes: SLink, Eyelashes
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Hair: Wasabi Pills, Christy
Wings: Fancy Fairy, Azarelle
Dress: Evie's Closet, Ariel

Pose: Glitterati, 

Location: Isle of Amras
Light Settings: Places District8

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Cream and Ice and Everything Nice

Long Road

I started thinking recently about why I do what I do. I had considered it sort of a style of art or photography - yes, it's screen captures, but like photographs you have to arrange your figures and angles to create something pleasing out of things that you did not create. It can be an art, but it's more often for the pleasure of the photographer and a few people who might like the images created. I got my picture taken by a "professional" Second Life photographer, and what struck me at the time was how odd the process was, especially the assumption of the term professional. I've always done my own profile pictures with no photoshopping, so getting a photoshopped picture was decidedly odd, but if professional is defined by receiving money for something, than many photographers in Second Life are professional though I remain amateur. I've considered on and off taking some of my favorite images, texturing them a little with photoshop perhaps, putting them on prims with some sort of frame (or doing the bare canvas treatment of the sides of some prims) and then seeing if a gallery will take me - would that make these pictures "art"?

Gate of Winds

Part of my continuing bristling is an offhanded comment by some artists that Second Life art isn't real art, and that artists don't need prompts to create art, and I still twitch a bit to think of it, mostly because within myself I want to think of what I do as an art, if not art itself, but I know it's very different from putting acrylic on canvas even if the same rules of composition are being used. I've never been able to satisfactorily settle on what i consider art to be, though; taken in it's full context, art began as embellishment and decoration on functional things, and only shifted to non-utilitarian things, like paintings and conceptual art, as cultures became less survival-focused. In many ways, now many of us are as divorced from creating our own food as we can be. There is survival, but it's several pieces removed - earning money to purchase food other people farmed or even created. Likewise, our worlds have become less decorative as a built in function of walls and doors and ceilings, and more something placed on top - purchased and then displayed. Virtual images, like the ones I make, are even further removed - decorations for the walls of flickr and maybe a few folders, rather than anything more tangible. Where does the art live, then? Is it in the physical representations, the ideas behind it, or something else more ineffable?

Ravenswood

( More pictures here. )

Credits:

Skin: De la Soul, Aestali - Cream Rose
Eyes: De La Soul, RooMee Eyes - Rainbow
Eyelashes: SLink, Eyelashes
Eyeshadow: Elymode, A Little Drama - yellow & blue
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Lipstick: Mock, Bella Vetro Gloss - Santa Fe
Hair: Rosy Mood, Sweetbun
Wings: Fancy Fairy, Azarelle
Hands: SLink, Rigged Mesh Hands
Jewelry: League, Pearls & Lace - natural ivory
Dress: Schadenfreude, Bubblegum Ice Cream Gluttony
Shoes: G Field, Lady Rose Shoes - tinted offwhite

Poses: Glitterati

Location: Goatswood
Light Settings: Places Astryls Wild
Water Settings: Mirror Water

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

Monday, November 19, 2012

Pose Appreciation Week: Making Credits

Edge of the World

It's pose appreciation week, in which we focus on the poses which make us all look good. My pose store of choice these days is Glitterati, at least in part because I have over four hundred poses from her which means I can fit a wide variety of moods and types of clothing. I have an advantage over some loggers because I take discrete pictures and don't combine them (unless I'm doing hunt prizes) so it's relatively easy to keep track, but I figured I'd share some of my process so that people who are struggling with how do do things behind the scenes might get some ideas. For a long time I kept the notecard in world, but now I use notepad (so that there isn't any extra code when I cut and paste it to different places) and edit it to match each new photoshoot. I actually have a separate one for petites, since the defaults I use are very different, but I'm using today's photoshoot as an example. I start with the note open so that I can easily put in the store name and item name of everything I'm wearing (even if it isn't visible, like the katat0nik shoes under my enormous Dressed By Lexi dress).

Skin: De la Soul, Aestali - Cream Rose
Eyes: De La Soul, RooMee Eyes - Rainbow
Eyelashes: SLink, Eyelashes
Eyeshadow: Glow, Crazy Eyes
Eyeliner: Adam n Eve, Hepsut
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Lipstick: Mock, Bella Vetro Gloss
Hair: Discord Designs, Calvin (promotional item)
Wings: Fancy Fairy, Azarelle
Hands: SLink, Rigged Mesh Hands
Jewelry: Primalot, Joy
Dress: Dressed By Lexi, Dangerous Beauty
Boots: katat0nik, Bowie Peep Toe Heels

Pose: Glitterati,
1) 227
2) 239
3) 298
4) Long Hair 4
5) 170
6) 210

Location: Enchanted Frost Hunt
Light Settings: Places Annamaria
Water Settings: Mirror Water

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

SL, Second Life, De La Soul, Illusions, SLink, Glow, Adam n Eve, Illusions, Mock, Discord Designs, Fancy Fairy, Primalot, Dressed By Lexi, katat0nik, Glitterati, MadPea, Enchanted Frost

Born from Flames

When I take pictures, I name them for the date (and sometimes a phrase for specific shoots) and they're numbered automatically, so for today I ended up with pictures 2012-11-19_001 to 2012-11-19_006. Since they automatically number, it's easy to track which pose I'm using for each on a list underneath the name of the posemaker. Flickr has a new uploading program where I can create sets while labeling each picture individually. I actually edit and cut and paste the set description into this post even before uploading the pictures.Then, once I've put into the descriptions of each picture in bulk, I can edit down for each individual number, and then rename the pictures. At this point, the process is so ingrained I could probably do it in my sleep.

White I'm doing the brainless labeling, I'm also thinking of what i want to say, which includes whether this needs to be a "namedrop the creators" shoot, like mentioning my awesome hair with the teeniest tiniest cornrows is from Discord Designs and available at the Around the World Event, or if I can wax philosophical or even just self-indulgently off on various topics on my mind. I try to do all of this while still wearing the clothes because I usually grab the urls for stores from the creators' Picks (creators, I love it when it's the top one!) while stacking their profiles for ease of notecard distribution with the published blogposts url in it. I do my Plurk post, with a picture I think will suit that medium well, and finally, I put the url for the blogpost in each picture and add them to the appropriate groups on Flickr. Depending on my level of focus and how much I have to say, the whole process can take anywhere from a couple of hours to half a day, but a lot of my attention is on minimizing the boring stuff so that I can focus on what I really enjoy - taking pictures and exploring.

Red Robin

( More pictures here. )

Credits: 

Skin: De la Soul, Aestali - Cream Rose
Eyes: De La Soul, RooMee Eyes - Rainbow
Eyelashes: SLink, Eyelashes
Eyeshadow: Glow, Crazy Eyes
Eyeliner: Adam n Eve, Hepsut
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Lipstick: Mock, Bella Vetro Gloss
Hair: Discord Designs, Calvin (promotional item)
Wings: Fancy Fairy, Azarelle
Hands: SLink, Rigged Mesh Hands
Jewelry: Primalot, Joy
Dress: Dressed By Lexi, Dangerous Beauty
Boots: katat0nik, Bowie Peep Toe Heels

Poses: Glitterati

Location: Enchanted Frost Hunt
Light Settings: Places Annamaria
Water Settings: Mirror Water

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Mists and Mazes

Purple Boon

Mesh has brought us many things, some foreseen and most not - but the latest release is a new mesh head. I tried a demo, like a lot of people, and I was really startled by how viscerally uncomfortable I was with a face different than my own. As in, I became deeply disturbed and took off the demo before really playing much around with it. The features were simply so different from what  view as "me" that I couldn't stand it. Like many new to Second Life, the first thing I did was my face, and it's remained mostly the same since I joined, with some time spent to trying to make it look like me (as much as skins and peculiarities of the Second Life mesh allow - like the shadow on the top of my nose isn't there, and neither are my two signature moles, and weirdly it's impossible to have less than Angelina Jolie lips, oh, and my ears aren't quite so big offline). I've grown attached to this face, though I wouldn't mind making it look more like me. I've considered for a while making my moles, though I think it could be argued that the level of verisimilitude is a bit much. How much we invest ourselves into our virtual personas, though, is an interesting question in an age where avatars are becoming an evermore present aspect of everyone's identity - from little squares on Facebook to fully three dimensional figures in a variety of games.

Faerie Ring

How we relate to these external representations of ourselves is at once similar and entirely different from how we relate to our bodies - because our avatars are completely within our power whereas our bodies are not; they change outside of our control, sagging and tanning and gaining different spots as we age. Avatars are much more within our power, however close or far they are from our bodies, but only within the allowance of the creators. I was dwelling on this recently in relation to a new game on Gaia Online, where my "lead character" of sorts is male, a choice I usually don't make. Even on Civilization, where my virtual alternate rarely shows up, I am almost always female. I really wanted my whole virtual army to be female - it tends to be how I roll these days. After a childhood spent imagining myself through the adventures of multiple men - wishing I could be Merlin, or Sherlock, or Robin Hood - I deeply and strongly want to experience adventure through the appearance and ability of a woman, like I am. It amazes me that even now most of the stories told can only be told with a male protagonist, that if there's a female protagonist on a show she's almost always paired with a guy - or several. Its getting better, it's shifting so that there is more parity (and don't even get me started on ethnic under-representation) but it sometimes seems like there's a long way to go.

Into the Maze

( More pictures here. )

Credits: 

Skin: De la Soul, Aestali - Cream Rose
Eyes: De La Soul, RooMee Eyes - Rainbow
Eyelashes: SLink, Eyelashes
Eyeshadow: Mock, Glitter Pop Eshadow - Iced Grape
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Lipstick: Mock, Lucir Lipcolor - Tall Poppy
Hair: Alice Project, Grace (Hunt Prize)
Wings: Fancy Fairy, Azarelle
Hands: SLink, Rigged Mesh Hands
Jewelry: Elemental, Cross Your Heart
Dress: Blue Blood, Disgrace - Purple
Boots: Kcreations, Feline Boots

Poses: Glitterati

Location: The Kingdom of Alurel
Light Settings: TOR, FOGGY Das Fog
Water Settings: Mirror Water

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

Saturday, November 17, 2012

Harlequin Unleashed

Queen's Room!

I've been going through my inventory, trying to sort out what I want to keep from what I don't, and trying to clear out some dross and detritus. Unfortunately, being who I am, I keep stumbling across things I wanted to photograph, or meant to, and never got around too - which is how we come to today's Harlequin, courtesy of Sublime Shroud Kreations. This is the rainbow colored one, which isn't entirely rainbow but is an amazing brilliant combination of orange and purple which simply explodes off of the screen, standing out no matter what windlight settings are used. I decided to have some fun sneaking around Rennister Castle, a new release from my friend Charlie at De La Soul. The idea of an impish harlequin sneaking around behind the Queen and her Captain's back amused me beyond telling.

Proper Use of the Library

Harlequin is one of the characters from Comedia dell'Arte, an Italian style of play beginning in the 16th century which established some of the traditions we still practice today - like female actors and improvisation, as well as prop-based styles of acting. Harlequin is a trickster, a comic servant who was known for his agility and gluttony. Later, he begins to be a more romantic character, but even in the early days he was sometimes paired with Columbina, one of the more intelligent of the archetypes in Comedia dell'Arte. He dances in motley, and here I'm in a style of brightly shaded motley, dancing like any Harlequin in the absence of my Masters.

Sly

( More pictures here. )

Credits: 

Skin: De la Soul, Aestali - Cream Rose
Eyes: De La Soul, RooMee Eyes - Rainbow
Eyelashes: SLink, Eyelashes
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Lipstick: Adore & Abhor, Silent Star - Baroque Orange
Hair: Exile, Beyond the Waves
Wings: Fancy Fairy, Azarelle
Hands: SLink, Rigged Mesh Hands
Dress (includes mask): Sublime Shroud Kreations, Harlequin - Rainbow (promotional item)
Feet: SLink, Rigged Mesh Feet

Poses: Glitterati

Location: Isle of Amras, Rennister Castle
Light Settings: Places Astryls Wild
Water Settings: Mirror Water

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only

Friday, November 16, 2012

Single Frame Story: Critique

Critique This

I can be a little defensive when it comes to critique.

At my current job, critique is a necessary and central part of my job, but it's usually self-induced rather than other-induced. I've had jobs in the past, though, where the critique - while accurate - was so moving and disconnected that it proved entirely worthless, and having spent teenage years being compared to inaccurate and insulting descriptions of my mother (inaccurate twice over, as my mother and I have different natures, and their opinion of my mother was also inaccurate), I have sensitive nerves to misplaced and cruel critique. The gentle and loving critique of my current job is a soothing balm, but the sensitivities remain.

( More Single Frame Stories here. )

Pink Crush

Train Game

Pulling together a look for blogging is always an interesting process, half impulse and half planning. I usually start with the look; some item of clothing which sticks and makes me want to take pictures. In this case it was the gorgeous crushed velvet on this dress from Nomine (briefly on sale for 100$L until sometime too soon so hurry there fast). I'm pretty sure the mesh itself is a template, since the same dress showed up at another store with different texturing (I bought some of those, too), but I have to admit to loving the style, and the rear end isn't as watermellony as others so it was a go for me. I also love the texture, and it's that which really makes this dress - the muted velvet softness, the richness of the color while it's still soft instead of bright, this is really a hallmark of Nomine's clothing style and I love seeing it applied to a well made mesh base.I'll be fascinated when Nomine starts making her own mesh, though; based on the quality of her sculpts, they will really be something special. So the impulsive piece, initially, was this dress - simply because the textures really captured me. The Eclectica jewelry was a present, and I put it on on impulse, since I'm trying to clear through my "new" folder, but the style was so perfect for the deep v-neck of my dress that I simply couldn't resist. It's color changing, two different gem sets and the metal. I really love the chandelier effect of the hanging beads all layered over each other.

High Grass

So with two basic pieces in play, it was time to round out the outfit - and that is always a bit of a challenge, especially with starting colors this lush; the hair I picked up at collobor88, one of D!va's gorgeous releases. It doesn't quite fit my ears right, but with the right coloring and angle who can tell? The loose updo style also fit the dress well, being both classy and yet still carefree. It struck me as the kind of style where initially it was tightly bound but hours of bright lights and partying has loosened the braid, sent little tendrils flying free, and in a few hours I'll finally take it off and pull off my high boots after a long night of partying. The boots were the final, hardest thing - I ended up pulling out a set I'd picked up from Lassitude & Ennui, which is fast becoming a favorite shoe store of mine. I couldn't find the right color, though, and this is where I thank creators for leaving their items modify-ok! I was able to take the gray and tint them, and I think they really look lovely with the rest of the ensemble.

Now to put my feet up and have a cool drink.

On My Wavelength

( More pictures here. )

Credits: 

Skin: De la Soul, Aestali - Cream Rose
Eyes: De La Soul, RooMee Eyes - Rainbow
Eyelashes: SLink, Eyelashes
Eyeshadow: Virtual Insanity, Post Pink
Ears: Illusions, Seelie Ears
Lipstick: Mock, Bella Vetro Gloss - Flirt
Hair: D!va Hair, Daria (Collobor88)
Wings: Fancy Fairy, Azarelle
Hands: SLink, Rigged Mesh Hands
Jewelry: Eclectica, Cascade (gift)
Dress: Nomine, Mesh Zipper Dress (100$L Sale)
Shoes: Lassitude & Ennui, Phoebe Mesh

Pose: Glitterati

Location: : ) B C C
Light Settings: CB, Rouge 6
Water Settings: Mirror Water

Photographed by Deoridhe Quandry
Post processing: Cropping, only