SL’s Got Talent!

A while back I wrote about Darien Caldwell of Dari’s Haus fame, and touched on the amazing talents that lie within SL.

Well, it’s about time I mentioned two other amazing individuals I’ve been very, very lucky to meet and get to know in SL – one of them very well: Rena Sakai and Latexia Kavka.

Rena Sakai

I first met Rena – well, almost 18 months ago! At the time we were both working as models – Rena a damned sight more successfully than me, and for very good reasons! She has an amazing personality and divine avatar. We became friends, started moving in some of the same circles, etc.

Over time, Rena moved from in front of the camera as a fashion model to behind the camera – and also modelling for herself. She dove into PhotoShop and emerged….quite possibly one of the most artistic photo-illustrators in all of SL.

Rena’s work has to be seen to be appreciated – no words on Earth can do her justice, and it is little wonder that she has already been featured in several exhibitions across the grid – and even had her own solo exhibition.

I’ve been very privileged in that Rena has often bounced ideas off of me, so I’ve seen her creative genius grow and shine ever brighter with my own eyes. With her permission, I’m posting a couple of prints of her work:

Both of these are personal favourites of mine. The first is a wonderful composition that communicates so much. The second is just simply breathtaking – and a marvellous homage to the work of Ma Yuan.

I’ll put up dates and locations for Rena’s future exhibitions – you really should get along to see her work.

Latexia Kavka

I met – or rather saw – Latexia by chance while shopping. IM’s were exchanged, and we’ve stayed in contact ever since. At the time, I had no idea she was a brilliant portrait artist until she very kindly invited me for a shoot. The result of that is the masthead picture on this blog and on my SL Profile.

When I saw it, it just totally blew me away – and I’ve been in awe of her work ever since.

Like Rena, Latexia’s work is truly unique and inspirational. Her images breathe life into any avatar she captures on film.

And if you say I’m biased….you’d be right – on two counts – I love Latexia’s work and I love the fact we share a natural passion for a certain material….!

But – neither of these facts change what I’m saying about her work one iota. But again, don’t just take my word for it. Latexia has a number of places her work can be accessed, notably her own flickr group and also her SLLatex Flickr group. Most recently she has started her own blog (yay!), which I’ve added to my links on the right.

I’ve been very, very fortunate to meet both of these hugely gifted ladies in my Second Life – and the fact that I can call them both my friends is a double honour. They’ve enriched my time in SL with their conversation, support, time – and talents.

Thank you so much, Rena, Latexia.