Now open through until Sunday, July 31st, 2022 is the most captivating exhibition of mixed media art it has been my delight to visit. Hosted within the Sky Gallery at NovaOwl, operated by Uli Jansma, Ceakay Ballyhoo & Owl Dragonash, the exhibition features the work of Melina Sue (MelinaSue1).
Set across two levels within the skybox is a selection of art that spans the digital divide, offering images, drawings and paintings from the physical world, together with avatar studies and wildlife pictures captured from within Second Life that is collectively utterly engaging in its richness and diversity.
A long-time resident of Second Life (having originally joined in 2009), Melina Sue describes herself as “a multi-discipline, mixed media artist”, a description that fall far short of her creativity, her eye for composition, colour, narrative, pose and lighting, and her innate ability to capture the very essence of life within her work.
Enter the main level of the gallery and you enter a place where Africa touches upon India’s rain forests, where gazelle, lion, elephant – and tiger – roam under a night-time sky (make sure you use the gallery’s Shared Environment settings). On the rock walls bounding three sides of this grass hollow are arranged images from Second Life: three large format avatar studies of equally enormous richness and that depth of life mentioned above, and three wildlife pictures.
Touching on elements of fantasy, all three portraits contain within them their own narrative that extends well beyond their frames, but which still as individual pieces that can be appreciated for their own beauty – with Inside Me offering a powerful resonance as to the strength of a woman. Between two of them, the wildlife pictures do more that offer images of the animals within them – but carry us to the Serengeti itself; placing us on the grasslands to witness first-hand the movement of gazelle, giraffe and elephant.
On the upper floor, reached by way of a ramp passing two further avatar studies, is another display of Melina’s art, which brings together paintings from the physical world, mixed media pieces from Second Life, and the most engaging drawings containing beloved pets and true life studies. These latter pieces are a continuation of a display of art on the lower floor, arranged around Melina’s signature. Click this and – if you have media enabled – you can witness her bringing a painting to life.
More than this, this selection of studies offer an introduction to Melina’s art in a manner we can all share: as a working artist, she offers both the opportunity for us to purchase her work to hang in our physical world, and will accept – subject to discussion – commissions to produce portraits of humans and our pets. For those who would like a professional photographic portrait of their avatar – or a painting of same – the info board alongside the display provides her rates, whilst more of her work can be viewed on her website.
A truly gifted artist, and a genuinely engaging exhibition.
SLurl Details
- Melina Sue at NovaOwl (Novatron, rated General)
Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld 
Thank you Inara so wonderful to host this new to Sl exhibiting Artist. Mel is a delight to work with! Really glad you could come by.
LikeLiked by 2 people
pictures of horses? pictures of cats? i’m sorry, i have a different idea of art. this is merely decoration, but far from art
LikeLiked by 1 person
Art is subjective, obviously. But to dismiss this exhibit as “pictures of horses, pictures of cats” is to miss the wider thrust of Melina’s art. As noted, there are images from SL, still life drawings of people, paintings of scenes from the world, and more. As to pictures of horses “being far from art”, I suspect that were they able to do so, Rosa Bonheur, George Stubbs, John Frederick Herring, Charles Marion Russell and Eugène Delacroix (to name but four artists of old) might take issue with you; as might modern artists such as Janet Ferraro, Eric Sweet, Zil Hoque, Marija Čolić, Kim Kimbro, et al. But, as I said, art is subjective, and if we all liked the same things, then the world would be a somewhat boring place.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Huh?? Drawings with rl hands from cats or horses isnt art?? Well, I dont agree… Someone as Melina, with a HUGE talent to draw RL animals, but as well SL digital paintings.. as clearly can be seen ánd read in this wonderful blog by Inara… surely IS art.. of course it’s just a matter of personal taste if you like or not like, but that is the case with áll art. Keep going dear Melina, you are a true talent, and on top of that one with a golden heart… keep shining!
LikeLiked by 1 person
if she drew it herself, she is a good craftswoman who makes beautiful illustrations and animal studies. unfortunately, i lack a concept for art. for me personally, art has to express more than just looking nice. just my 2 cents, it’s always subjective
LikeLiked by 1 person
hello landra,I am always surprised that people leave a comment who have not even painted a picture. If you can give me the proof that you can do it better I would be surprised dear greetings Quirima
LikeLiked by 2 people
how do you know that i have never painted? i attended the art academy, mainly for industrial design, graphics and painting. before you make hypotheses about me here, you should think carefully about what you write, because you don’t know me 😉
LikeLike
Reblogged this on ceakayballyhoo.
LikeLiked by 1 person
First of all: A big thanks to you Inara for your awesome blog and your article about my exhibition. Its my first exhibition in Second Life and Im so happy that I got the chance to show the most of my art. It shows me and it shows what I love and Im happy that so many people see and like it. NovaOwl gave me the chance to build my own little “world” around my Paintings, Drawings and Photos and Im very thankful for all
.
And @Landra: Art is very different and no one likes all but to write that my Art is no Art is not nice and it shows me that you don’t know much about art. The drawings of horses, cats and dogs are just one part of my Art. You havent been at the exhibition and so you cant say that my art isnt art. Art can be so much and Art is so different. Art is much more… and if you dont like my art its okay for me nobody like all but Im sure the reason of your comments is not my ” Decoration” and that is sad really sad… Have a nice day 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hello! And thank you – it was a genuine pleasure to witness your work and talent; I very much hope you’ll continue to exhibit in SL!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Sure I will continue Inara 🙂 I cant live without art because its a deep part of me. And yes I show different styles on my first exhibition because I would show all I can do and all I love to do…. I think the most have seen and understood that I show not only art .. I show myself and who I am and feel. Thanks to all Visitors who came and come to see my Art. ♥
LikeLiked by 1 person
yes, you are right… art is always in the eye of the beholder. what you mean with your last sentence is a mystery to me, since i don’t know you
LikeLike