Shellina Winkler - Treeline 3 Artist

Also in the Treeline Sky gallery this month are works by Shellina Winkler. Shellina's prim paintings are 'constructed' works, built layer upon layer with prims, as she explores the potential of the medium in Second Life. She also carefully maximizes the potential of each single prim by using textures or merely colours to maximimum effect. The results are serene and sophisitcated works, seemingly simple, but sometimes complex in their construction.

As well as several 2D works on the gallery walls there is also a three dimensional abstract tree made by Shellina. It reminds us how the tree is universally and instantly recognisable - even when that symbol is abstracted and devoid of organic texture. What is it about trees that makes them such an easily recognised symbol?

Shellina is a well known and respected artist in second Life, who has works in many places, usually with her partner Solkide Auer. Her work can also be seen at:
Blog: http://shellinawinkler.blogspot.com/
Pics: http://www.flickr.com/photos/shellina_winkler/
Pics: http://www.koinup.com/shellinawinkler/
Video: http://it.youtube.com/user/shellinawinkler

Trill Zapatero - Treeline 3 Artist

This month one of the Treeline Sky Galleries is showing 2D work reproduced from real life paintings by Trill Zapatero.

Trill describes her paintings as travel collages or maps of journeys. Having spent part of her life in Asia, captivated by its richness and diversity, her work resonates with exuberant colours and the mix of reality, myth, fantasy and dream one finds in much of this part of the world. She says what she is looking for is some place to get to that is behind the surface, beyond the material nature of the painting and collage.

Her work is informed in part by the landscape, the flora and fauna of the places she has visited, in part by the 'happening' of the painting where images and ideas form of their own accord, and in part by inspirational material from other sources. Her works in this exhibition are all related to trees.
Trill says:
Trees are a universal symbol of growth and as such inform the organic nature of the process of my painting

You can see more of Trill's paintings on her Flickr site:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/gwenbpenner/

Survival of the Wollemi Pt 1 - Olmia Tenk

The survival of the Wollemi pine intact, from the depth of prehistory is truly a remarkable story.
Olmia Tenk’s whimsical installation at Treeline is based on an original story written by Olmia about Muttaburrasaurus, a herbivorous dinasoar that lived 200 million years ago and a Wollemi pine cone. While the Muttaburrasaurus became extinct about 60 million years ago, the Wollemi pine has survived to this day. It was only discovered in 1994 in what is now the Wollemi National Park in Australia. It is a very very special tree and a fitting subject for an artist’s attention.

The installation in the sky over the Treeline site is contained within a giant Wollemi pine cone.

The pages that form the story were originally bound into Second Life book in traditional format but have now become a true ‘artist book’ freed from the binding but still telling their story as the reader moves through the installation, walking inside the cone on Wollemi pine leaves, through rain, snow, fire, all the things the Wollemi has survived through the ages. Olmia has also produced the Wollemi story as machinima.

Olmia Tenk is currently completing a 'Master of Fine Art' by research candidature at Monash University, Australia and is using her experiences and work in Second Life as part of that process. She attended the opening of her exhibition at Treeline suitably attired and blending in perfectly with her installation.

In real life Olmia Tenk is Lily Tan.Olmia is coined from 'Wollemia Nobilis', the scientific name of the Wollemi pine.
You can read more about the Wollemi pine on the official Wollemi pine website at:
http://www.wollemipine.com/

Virtual Treeline2 - Artist Jadyn Firehawk

Jadyn Firehawk is a professional geographer and an amateur photographer. Studying geography (in particular, doing field studies) has helped me learn to see with a "geographer's eye." Born in the Philippines and raised in the United States, she has lived many places in her life and is currently the environmental education coordinator for a statewide water quality program in Texas. With a photographer's eye for composition and colour Jadyn's work in this exhibition speaks to us of the dignity of trees and the beautiful colours of the changing seasons.

Jadyn says:
Most people see things in pictures; I see pictures in things. I especially like to photograph things that I see in daily life "as is," things that simply catch my eye, without any staging. I have jokingly told people that if I ever publish a book of my photos, it will be called "Pictures of Nothing." I am amazed that once I start looking for interesting pictures, the world around me gets more interesting. The more I take pictures, the more beauty I see in the world.














In Second Life Jadyn's main gallery is located at:http://slurl.com/secondlife/Las%20Lagunas/170/173/22

Virtual Treeline2 - Artist Lynda Robinson

Lynda Robinson's pastels take us to the heart of the Australian bush and the eucalyptus tree, ubiquitous in many parts of the world, but native to Australia. In this exhibition her paintings are in stark contrast to the photographic works of Em Larsson and Jadyn Firehawk whose works focus on the seasonal changes in the northern hemisphere. Lynda's paintings capture the vibrant and unique colours, textures and light of the Australian environment. Her works reflect her love of the Australian bushland and the trees that inhabit this dry, harsh and sometimes hostile continent.

Lynda Robinson is a real life Australian artist who lives on 40 acres in the bush in the state of Victoria. Her son, avatar Rooperto Robbiani, exhibits and sells her work in Second Life. Her website can be found at http://lyndarob.redbubble.com/


Soror Nishi's bonsai trees at the Virtual Treeline Sky Gallery are the perfect accompaniment to Lynda Robinson's pastel painting.

Treeline - Official Launch

The real life Treeline project will be officially launched at the Bunya Dreaming Festival at Baroon Pocket Dam in Queensland, Australia on January 30th. This is a low tech event without computer access, but Virtual Treeline has provided several printed brochures to be handed out at the festival.
Bunya Dreaming is an small festival celebrating the connections indigenous people from this area of Queensland have with the Bunya Pine (Araucaria bidwillii). Festival organiser Beverly Hand says:
The Bunya tree was so special to our people that there were laws that precluded people harming it in any way.
The festival shows that the tree is more than just an icon, it generates understanding of Aboriginal culture, provides a forum for networking and information sharing, and strengthens community partnerships.
The Virtual Treeline brochures outline the project and show images of work from some of artists who have shown at our gallery in second Life, including RAG Randt, Alizarin Goldflake, Em Larsson, Araminta Kroitschov, Bocan Undercroft and Soror Nishi.
A separate brochure is dedicated to images and information about Araucaria, the work of Chilean artist Anyunie Daviau, which is currently featured at the Treeline ground level.http://slurl.com/secondlife/Lie/80/214/22
Anyunie's work (above) is about a tree from the same genus as the Bunya Pine, which is of special significance to the indigenous people in Chile. What a great link from across the oceans to the local indigenous population through the Bunya Dreaming Festival.

Opening Tomorrow - TREELINE 2

Virtual Treeline opens its second exhibition in Second Life tomorrow Thursday January 21st at 2 pm PST.
Featured on the ground level are works by Anyunie Daviau (above) and Em larsson (below). At Sky gallery level are Lynda Robinson, Em Larsson, Jadyn Firehawk and Araminta Kroitschov. Please join us to celebrate these wonderful works.

RAG Randt-Virtual Treeline Artist

RAG Randt's work usually has a touch of whimsy with a serious message. I smile every time I see one of his pieces. He has a wry sense of humour and a very finely balanced and well honed sense of graphic design.








For the first Virtual Treeline exhibition RAG (Illustrator/Designer from the USA) shows a series of visual messages that link human desires and activities with the natural world, through the use of trees as easily recognised visual symbols.
His small 3D installation hidden at the end of a pathway in the sand dunes is a delight for all the senses. On can almost hear the jungle animals celebrating their colourful fall setting.....and what's that smell?

RAG says:
"Trees are a major symbol for me. My concepts tend to be humorous visual statements broadly interpreting a given topic. I have found trees to be wonderfully rich and flexible in symbolism whether I am making a statement about Hope, Networking, Communication, Finances and many other ideas. As trees are a vital part of the earth's ecosystem, they are also a vital part of my visual problem solving vocabulary."



RAG also says in his profile information:

The global environment is a subject I care deeply about and I would like to leave the world a better place.

Can art make a difference?

Virtual Treeline Artist - Asmita Duranjaya

We are pleased to have German artist Asmita Duranjaya as one of the first to exhibit at Treeline. Asmita's three versions of her 'urban trees' show her skill with capturing the essence of trees against the background of human activity. The very lovely textures take on new life and meaning in the three different versions- all of which touch some moment of memory in us.
Asmita says:
Since my childhood trees have been a main subject of painting, drawing and taking photos. Trees are, for me, a universal symbol, for life, for stability and fragrance at the same time, for beauty and character, esp. when they are old. Trees have something protecting, nurturing, because they produce our oxygen and are a source for regenerating energy. lastly, trees are a cultural and spiritual symbol for the cycle of life and death. There is much more, that can be told on trees, but there is not enough space here and it will be done at another time...

More of Asmita's work and her comments on Virtual Treeline can be found on her blog at:http://giridevi.blogspot.com/

For the Love of a Tree

Some people, not content with loving places and things in the real world, want to recreate their favourite things in virtual reality. One such person is Jayjay Zifanwe from the UWA sim in Second Life. Jayjay has not been content to recreate the buildings of his beloved UWA campus, he wanted his favourite fig tree too, so his virtual self could lie under its shade and dream.

And as if that isn't enough, Jayjay has not one, but two versions of his favourite tree on the virtual UWA campus. The top pic. is of a fig created by Nyx Bree and the bottom tree was created by Bradly Dorchester. Great work guys.
That's the nice thing about virtual worlds. You can have whatever you want.
What do you want for Christmas Jayjay? Another tree?

The real life UWA fig tree can be seen here:
http://photos.imageevent.com/gladysclancy/perth/university/151_2314.jpg

SOROR NISHI CHEMIST'S TREE AT TREELINE

The first artist to be featured at our location in Second Life is Soror Nishi. Soror is well known as the creator of beautiful virtual plants, trees, gardens and forests. The Chemist's Tree makes a wonderful centrepiece to the watery site at Lie.

Enjoying the light show from the Chemist's Tree with Juanita Deharo, coordinator of the Virtual Treeline Project, are Innula Zenovka and Dave Ruby from the UK, and XXXGabiXXX Miami from Chicago