Cajsa Lilliehook covers the best in virtual world screenshot art and digital painting
This photo by Ethan Lane just took my breath away. It sets the mood so well. Though candlelight is yellow the score is blue from the moonlight shining down from above. He is rapt, studying the score, marking it up with his notes. See the pencil in his mouth. And of course, it is called “Moonlight Sonata.”
I found this picture with many other fantastic pictures featuring piano in Ticklin’ the Ivories of Second Life, a group nearly 500 strong who’ve posted roughly 2000 images featuring the pianos throughout the virtual world.
I was listening to one of my favorite pianists when it occurred to me there might be a group devoted to piano pictures. It was a good bet, there’s a Second Life Flickr group devoted to just about everything.
For more ivory-ticklin’, click here:
CccandyX created the most romantic picture, I think. What with the flower-festooned piano, the smocked and ruffled blouse, the relaxing chignon, and she’s even wearing a pearl earring from the famous Vermeer painting. Now, you must click through to hear her musical accompaniment as the picture is clearly her inspiration.
Otto Wor has created a stunning composition in “Fallen Angel” Black-and-white often heightens the drama in a picture, but notice how in this picture, it creates this black-white-black wave. It’s fascinating. Then there is the contrast between the silky soft flowers and the hardwood of the piano, the feathers and the hard arching wings and of course, he adds other textural elements, both hard and soft.
Siobhán Muintir gives us “Joue pour moi” or “Play for Me.” This is a favorite because I love the subtle way she suggests a mildly louche scene with the black hosiery and garter. It makes me think of Edward Hopper and even with the suggestive sensibility and the colors, Toulouse Lautrec. She will regret nothing.
Betty Geraln’s “Playing Piano for Hein” is another show-stopper. I love the lighting, the use of depth of field to intensify our focus on her back. I love how the tattoo down her spine creates the suggestion of a clef note.
I could keep going and going; there are so many great pics. Browsing through the group, certain tropes occur several times, but even holding your ear to the keys or lounging provocatively on the piano have been shot a hundred times, many of the instances are beautiful and even fresh takes on old themes. I didn’t see any off-topic pictures which shows that the moderators work hard to keep it in good shape. And where else could you see a leopard playing piano?
So go check out Ticklin’ the Ivories in Second Life, maybe tickle your own ivories and add a picture.
What are some of your favorite groups? I love finding people who are obsessed with something, what do you suggest?
See all of Cajsa's Choices here. Follow Cajsa on Flickr, on Twitter, on her blog, and on her Ko-Fi.
All images copyright their creator
Suggest images and Flickr feeds to Cajsa: Cajsa’s Choices is devoted to unique, artistic, and innovative virtual world-based images and screenshots that showcase the medium as an art form and Second Life as a creative platform. (Generally not images that fit on this Bingo card.) To recommend the best in virtual world imagery, tag the picture with #CasjaNWN or tag Cajsa Lilliehook by adding her to the photo.
Cajsa Lilliehook is a sixteen year resident of Second Life, where she owned a photo studio, spent several years as a DJ at The Velvet, and for her first SL job, cleaned up prim trash. She co-founded and runs the It’s Only Fashion blog with her best friend Gidge Uriza. She also has a book review blog, Tonstant Weader Reviews and a cooking blog, Single Serving Recipes. She spends a lot of time researching and reporting on Republican sexual predators. In her first life, she is a retired grassroots leader who has worked for economic and social justice issues most of her life. She is also the minion of a cat named Nora.
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