Treeline 2012- Session Three at Caloundra City Private School

 One of the objectives of artist residencies in schools is to give students an insight into how artists work. Like many artists,  I use whatever comes to hand and whatever feels right for the job. Anything at all can become an art medium if you use it creatively.
For Session Three, our objective was to make more plant textures for the garden in Imagination sim, and students used a variety of tools.

 Digital images of real plants manipulated in Photoshop

 ArtRage on the ipad

 Crayons on Paper

Graphics tablet in Photoshop

The sim is starting to look more finished. it's our last session together on Friday and I plan on taking some preliminary video footage along so we can discuss the details of credits, music and sound effects, visual effects, mood etc.

Caloundra City Private School - Virtual Vegetation

As part of Treeline 2012 I'm working with a selected group of students from Caloundra City Private School over four workshop sessions. Together we are going to create textures for virtual plants that will be the basis for a machinima that will be shown as part of the Treeline exhibition at Caloundra Regional Gallery in May/June.

It's a big learning curve for anyone to get their head around the intricacies of virtual reality, so the first day was both exhausting and exciting. Each student now has a standalone simulator installed on their laptop, courtesy of the school's IT guru Mr Steven Rattey. For the students, their first taste of a virtual world showed them just how much fun it could be, and just how frustrating it could be when your avatar got stuck. In the picture to the right I'm introducing the students to my avatar Juanita Deharo and the world of virtual artworks.

It was a steep learning curve but lots of fun. The students at this school are well supported in their understanding and exploration of technology, and there's a philosophy that encourages enrichment through new experiences. For me as an artist it's a dream school to work with and I'm looking forward to what we can produce together as a collaborative work.




 
I'm already doing a collaborative project with artist Vic Keegan from the UK who is making textures on his ipad for me to use in creating a fantasy garden. The image above shows the students looking at some of this work. We also looked at the inspirational work of Soror Nishi and hope we can talk via live stream with her at one of our later sessions.
The last part of the day was used to begin creating some drawings that can be used as plant textures.
I've already started playing around with some of these, although it's in the early stages. Here are some very crude beginnings.

These are some plants I made from a drawing by Alex. I played around with the drawing in Photoshop and applied it to 3D object. The texture on the tree leaves is also made from Alex's drawing.

This one also includes Alex's images but also some of the plants and the foliage on the tree are made with an image drawn by Bronte.






Thank you to the students and teachers of Caloundra City School who have made me so welcome. I will be posting more pictures here as I continue to experiment with the students' drawings.
The next session is in a few weeks.

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/

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

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/

Virtual Treeline Artist - Sheba Blitz

Australian Artist Sheba Blitz is one of the artists exhibiting in the first exhibition at the Treeline Sky Gallery in Second Life. Sheba's says of trees:
"Trees produce oxygen - oxygen gives us life "
It might be a short statement, but it tells us a lot about why trees are important to us.

In this image Juanita Deharo ponders on Sheba's giant revolving disk of precious rainforest plants.