Beaches Art Exhibit Artist Interviews, Continued…Wildstar Beaumont and Larke Longmeadow

As you know, we are enjoying the BEACHES Art Exhibit at Côte de la Mer Galerie & Lawn. The summery and refreshing nature of the artwork captures the spirit of the sea as it reaches the shore – in any season. Some of these works are stunning in their focus and scope, and you can stand before them and become immersed in the vision of the artist. Whilst doing just that, I recently had the pleasure of visiting with a patron; we had quite a conversation about several of the works we are honoured to share. We had differing perspectives – somewhat based in the fact that I have often lived near an ocean and that the patron had never seen the sea in person – we both came to a similar conclusion: we could feel the movement of the water and smell the salt spray as if we were truly au bord de la mer. I called on lovely active memories and he on a beautiful, rich imagination. We were as bookends to the experience and it delighted us both!

As I now post interview responses from two more of the artists exhibiting, I keep the learning from that encounter in mind. Art is marvelous for many reasons, but one of them is this: it can take you back into the sweet field of memory or ahead to somewhere you’ve never been before. It can gather the best of your past together and set apart the wonderment of your future…it can spark what we hold dear in our hearts or enliven that about which we dream. Through the experience of art we can relive moments as fleeting as a breeze or envision those as limitless as the skies.

We are always happy to show the work of one of the premier photographers in Second Life™, the gifted Italian artist Wildstar Beaumont. He is widely known for his photography and deep artistry, and is sought out to chronicle important events such as the annual Fantasy Faire for Relay for Life of SL™ and the Second Life™ birthday celebrations. The Admiral, as he is known for his seagoing leadership at Winterfell and elsewhere, has a catalogue of images taken of magnificent seaworthy vessels. Last year, he filled the gallery with gorgeous photographs from the sea in his Sailing exhibit at Ce Soir Arts. It was thrilling to view those pieces, and the two he has graciously included in the BEACHES Art Exhibit are just as marvelous. Of course, we love the one of Ce Soir Beach…it’s a perfect representation of the freedom and security we feel there. The other – gloriously colourful and inviting – is RAIN FOREST: South Sailor’s Cove. Wildstar’s work is the centrepiece of the exhibit; lovely!

Having a newly exhibiting artist in at Ce Soir Arts is always a joy. We love fostering interest and exploration of both the arts and Second Life™. It’s no secret that we love our virtual home and the vast ground, sea, and air of SL™ in its wide and wonderful otherness. We met Larke Longmeadow when she took a parcel on one of our sims a few years ago. She was on her own and happy as, well, a lark! She always made us smile whe she was about and we remember she asked if she could photograph on the island. Of course, we said yes! We’ve kept pace with Larke, as she is a fan of our Poet Laureate, Artist-in-Residence, and Musician Extraordinaire, Russell Eponym. In her medical field work in RL, she is busy and cannot visit often, but when she does, we smile – in part because it’s a treat to see her and because we know we’ll end up with an array of great photos! Larke graces the gallery with three bright photos of summer dreams…a home on the beach, a boat casually moored with a lone gull overhead, and a beautiful capture of summer at its end. These are thought-provoking and sunny views of BEACHES.

THE INTERVIEWS…

Wildstar Beaumont:

M: What started you off on the adventure of creating art in your life – in-world or otherwise? Was there a specific moment or experience that sparked your creative energies?

WILDSTAR: I remember I started taking images in SL™ since the very first days. Soon people started asking me to be a photographer at their wedding or other event. However, if I have to pick a specific moment when I decided to play the role of photographer in-world, I think it was back in 2008 when I started being the photographer for the (now defunct) SL™ Shakespeare Company for a while.

M: What do you like best about the Second Life™ experience? How has it enriched or otherwise informed your artistic work – your process, perspective, choice of media?

WILDSTAR: I love SL™. I love SL™ because it it not RL. 🙂 It is where I relax, where I have fun. Even after the Relay for Life weekend where I end up totally sore after days of photo taking, I am happy to have been in SL™, admiring all the creativity of the campsites and helped keeping their memory.

M: Inspiration is important to us at Ce Soir Arts. Where do you most often find the inspiration for your work? What about for your work in the BEACHES exhibit?

WILDSTAR: I love light, I love colors. I love to play with Windlight™ and take my strong colorful images. It is my taste (that I share with my RL photography), and I find SL™ the best to find inspiration. Sometimes I like to experiment with post-processing, like the picture of South Sailor Cove I display at the exhibit, which is actually the blending of multiple images trying to recreate an HDR (High Dynamic Range) feeling in SL™ photography.

M: How about the future? What do you forecast or dream for yourself in regards your artistic vision and other creative endeavours?

WILDSTAR: I consider myself much more a simple photographer than an artist. I like to document SL™ and to keep memory of the huge creativity displayed in this world and that too often disappears overnight. So, whatever SL™ will have to offer I’ll be there to document! 🙂

M: Thank you, Wildstar, for sharing your beautiful work, for documenting the beauty and activities of our wonderful virtual world!

Larke Longmeadow:

M: What started you off on the adventure of creating art in your life – in-world or otherwise? Was there a specific moment or experience that sparked your creative energies?

LARKE: When we were children, my brother and I found some paint in the garage. There were several small cans, and we were curious. We looked at the opened cans, and as we were turning to get more, one of us (still don’t know which one!) kicked over a can that kicked over a can that kicked over a can. We were worried about being discovered, but we were struck by the patterns made by that paint on the floor. Those shapes and how the colors morphed together was fascinating. I paint casually in RL – very abstract stuff – but am enthralled by the virtual world and everything in it. So…I take pictures to freeze-frame special moments.

M: What do you like best about the Second Life™ experience? How has it enriched or otherwise informed your artistic work – your process, perspective, choice of media?

LARKE: The camera was just sitting there, and I decided to snap something other than myself for a profile shot. Truly, I just pointed and clicked, but I really liked what I saw. I had taken a photo of a sweet little house where I was residing at the time. The love I felt for that place came through the image, and I knew I would continue. SL™ inspired me to take that shot, because there are so many possibilities here. I am inspired to try new things, to express myself in new ways – and it’s incredibly relaxing. Things are just so POSSIBLE. I HAVE to take photos to capture the moments.

M: Inspiration is important to us at Ce Soir Arts. Where do you most often find the inspiration for your work? What about for your work in the BEACHES exhibit?

LARKE: Visiting various sims, some designed for photographic beauty, and traveling about to shop or enjoy a music concert takes me many places where I discover the world in layers. I guess that’s what I like most about SL™ and photography: the surface beauty, and what lies underneath. The sim where I used to live is owned by someone quite artistic. The beach there (as you know!) is swept clean, raw. That inspired me for this exhibit as I conjured up alternative views for that fresh and very summery space.

M: How about the future? What do you forecast or dream for yourself in regards your artistic vision and other creative endeavours?

LARKE: I know I’ll keep snapping photos. I come in whenever I can (work interferes!), and I find myself wearing the same clothes over and over. I do like to change it up, but I’m also always on the lookout for someplace to go, another interesting place. As far as RL art is concerned, I think I’ll keep spilling paint and enjoying the results!

M: Thank you, Larke, for your responses and for sharing your view of BEACHES!
Readers, we are so grateful for your visit to our blog and this posting about two more of the 12 artists exhibiting at the BEACHES Art Exhibit at Côte de la Mer Galerie & Lawn! The exhibit will be open until late August, so do come, relax, and enjoy…and be inspired tonight!