Feb 8 Friday: Art Opening, Athena Gallery

Stop by Athena Isle from 1-3pm SLT for the official opening of "Her Seasons," an exhibit of watercolors by Inanna Aya and photographs by Liadona Rau. SLURL: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Second%20Shores/51/50/23. Athena Gallery of Women's Art displays work from women artists in SL with new shows every month.

About Inanna Aya
Inanna Aya is a child of the sea. Born in a coastal Alaska town in the mid-1970s, her artwork reflects the shifting moods of an ocean that both gives and takes life. Fluid, organic, visceral. The inner reflecting the outer, the outer giving form to the inner.

After receiving a formal art education at Marylhurst University, in Oregon, Inanna returned to her roots. She moved back to her hometown, became a mom and a massage therapist, and continued developing as an artist. Her primary medium is watercolor, with periodic forays into silver and wood carving.

Inanna comes from a long line of talented and creative women. Both her grandmothers were artists – one an accomplished doll maker, needlepoint artist and painter, the other a painter and silver carver. She draws on their legacy for strength and inspiration.

She invites you to explore her art, from the shores of Southeast Alaska. Blessings to you and your own.

About Liadona Rau
Liadona Rau is fairly new to SL, but not new to the world of nature photography having been behind the camera for more than 30 years in her first life. Her first RL show took place a few years ago at Randolph-Macon College when she showed pieces taken at Chincateague and Assateague islands in the Chesapeake bay in Virginia. As a member of SL, Liadona has been able to take the photos she takes to the next step - in some cases focusing on one or two small pieces within the picture to find something completely new.

In her first life, Liadona Rau is a mother, wife and a federal employee who feels very lucky to live amid the trees.

12 Feb: Janice Taylor, author of Our Lady of Weight Loss

12 FEB Tuesday at 12pm SLT, the Second Life Women's Club presents:

Janice Taylor, author of Our Lady of Weight Loss: Miraculous and Motivational Musings from the Patron Saint of Permanent Fat Removal



From Janice's web site:

No longer a fig-newton of my imagination, Our Lady of Weight Loss: Miraculous and Motivational Musings from the Patron Saint of Permanent Fat Removal - is HERE!

In this extraordinary book, Our Lady of Weight Loss, the patron saint of permanent fat removal, dishes out fat-free, calorie-free, carb-free, guilt-free heaping helpings of divine diet inspiration!

Our Lady of Weight Loss is the ultimate cheerleader – your best friend – who will keep you on course even when those double-fudge brownies beckon like a siren!

Weight loss artist*, Janice Taylor, most certainly did not wake one morning with a smile on her face and enthusiastically say, "Whoopee, I'm fatter than ever. I'll go on a diet. This will be fun!"

No. She rolled out of bed, pulled up her size XXL elastic-band pants and said, "Oh my, even these are tight. I must stop the fat monster from further multiplying before HE takes me over entirely." She prayed for guidance.

That's when Our Lady of Weight Loss entered the picture. "Who is Our Lady? Where did she come from?" you ask. Janice wonders as well, "Is Our Lady a higher-power, the higher-self, the 'good' Mother that lives within each of us, or is she just a fig newton of her wild imagination? Does it really matter?"

What matters is that instead of eating crazy amounts of fried foods, heavily buttered bread and chocolate in any form, Janice was able to permanently remove over 50 pounds of excess weight 5 years ago. (Butter up your boss, not your roll!)

"I exchanged fat for art," she explains. "Our Lady guides me and 'feeds' me messages, and I illustrate them. At first, I created the art just for myself, but soon friends and acquaintances wanted to know the secret to my oh-so-fabulous success."

Find out more about Janice!

Our First Women's Club Event!

We have scheduled our first official event!

01/29/08
Tuesday
12pm SLT - note the new time!

Susan Shapiro Barash,
author
"Tripping the Prom Queen: The Truth about Women and Rivalry"

The recent rash of books and movies about mean girls may seem to indicate a new phenomenon, but Longfellow observed about a certain little girl almost 200 years ago, "when she was good, she was very good indeed/but when she was bad, she was horrid." The 500 women gender studies scholar Barash interviewed for this exhaustively researched book on female competition confirms that women can indeed be mean. Barash outlines why women compete with each other differently than men do with other men and why women often want to sabotage powerful female rivals.

Male competition is goal-oriented and limited, Barash says, while women compete over appearance, children, the workplace and relationships. Why? According to Barash, for women, competition is about identity and relationships, and they have a harder time setting boundaries to competition. Barash devotes chapters to specific areas of competition, from looks to career, and then presents real-life examples of situations in which resentment and jealousy can be used to improve one's life without destroying anyone else's.

Overall, this study provides a helpful starting place for any woman wondering if it's possible to get what she wants without hurting or being hurt.

Rolig Loon, proprietor, Sa Roligt!

SLURL: http://slurl.com/secondlife/230/135/25 - The shop located through the pillars beyond the cafe behind Town Square.

"I started about six months ago, making simple things like T-shirts for myself. They were pretty bad, but the experience piqued my imagination," says Rolig Loon, a clothing designer who recently opened her first in-world shop on Elysian Isle. "I became fascinated by flexi and the challenge of creating fabric textures that would look good in SL."

Loon designs her own fabrics and patterns - nothing bought or borrowed from other designers. Her shop, Så Roligt! - Swedish for "Such fun!" - is a tastefully appointed space featuring her pastel toned feminine and classic designs. She says she is fearless when it comes to experimentation, and she works quickly.

"I've always liked designs that draw on nature - not necessarily literal butterflies and flowers – although I like them too – but organic themes that conjure up a natural, outdoors feeling as opposed to stark geometricals," says Loon. "I prefer soft lines as opposed to sharp, hard ones, and I like flounce – clothes that flow with you."

The sign on the front window of her shop says it all "Smart clothes for smart women."

SLURL: http://slurl.com/secondlife/230/135/25 - The shop located through the pillars beyond the cafe behind Town Square.

AnnMarie McCellan, LowPrim < HighStyle Furniture

SLURL: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Heathrow/62/203/22

"I wanted a kitchen - but the one I had was about 58 prims. I didn't need all the fancy stuff like opening doors because I wasn't planning on using (it), just wanted it for show," says furniture designer AnnMarie McCellan. "I thought I could keep the prim lower if I got creative with my textures. And now, my 14 prim kitchen is my best seller."

McCellan's furniture is modern and elegant, with simple, clean lines. She says real life art and furniture inspires her, and she often finds herself counting prims in her head. She leaves modify rights on her work allowing customers to match pieces to their décor.

A self-proclaimed "city gal," McCellan's designs are surprisingly affordable, and she'll build custom pieces to boot.

The New Clubhouse!

So much has happened since I first formed the Second Life Women's Club a few months ago. Namely, I have a new clubhouse on Athena Isle.

Right now it consists of:

1. An outdoor venue accommodating up to 40 people with a stage. For guest speakers, panel discussions and music events.

2. A 3-tiered meeting space. First floor are chairs around a fire, second floor are cushions around a candle and third floor is a Mysti Table for roundtable discussions. Most Isle events will take place here to start.

3. Athena Gallery - Women's art. Officially opens in January. The first month is to market women artists, subsequent months may include artwork for sale.

4. Gallery Rooftop/Party Deck - The deck is for parties, dancing, hanging out. Currently under construction.

5. Cybergrrl Productions Office - I'm trying to keep regular office hours Monday thru Friday between 10am-11am SLT.

6. Sky studio - For my new SLCN.tv show "REAL BIZ in SL" which debuts in January.

7. Cybergrrl house - In the sky. Consists of a little Japanese house and a Zen garden.

Athena's Gallery - Women Artists in Second Life

Here's an interesting article: Virtual Art, Real Money

In the spirit of supporting women in the arts, I'm opening up a gallery of women's art and will hold an opening party soon. This is a co-production with another cool SL female, Safra Jetcity, who is partnering with me on a number of arts-related projects.

If you are a woman artist in SL, please join our group: Women Artists in Second Life (yeah, so original, I know). And also feel free to drop a piece of your work to Cybergrrl Oh for inclusion in the gallery for promotional purposes. One piece per artist to start. Eventually, we'll begin rotating shows for each artist.

Athena Gallery is located on Athena Isle. Currently, we already have pieces by artists Brigitte Kungler, Monroe Snook and Eshi Otawara.

Note of Caution: Make sure you are not at work when perusing the gallery. We have some very FEMALE pieces on display that may not be suitable for viewing at the office.