Winner of Koinup's Avatar Art contest - NPIRL category

Koinup's Avatar Art contest has just concluded and the winners have been announced in each of the three categories: surreal/Not Possible in Real Life; post-modern/traditional and kitsch; and realistic-pop art. The contest was open to photography taken in all virtual worlds.

It was my pleasure to judge the surreal/Not Possible in Real Life category, and the winner is Winter Wardhani with this image.



While there were hundreds of photographs to choose from, I selected Winter's image because she strayed away from the "beautiful human" look and did something entirely different, and fun. You can view all of the entries here.

The winning photographs are on display at the Museo del Metaverso.

It's easy. No, it's magical. No, it's easy and magical - Plus, a Black Swan writing contest

When I was five years old, my dear and wondrous grandmother - who undoubtedly would have had an even worse case of NPIRL-itis than I do - took me to a "thousand and one nights" themed restaurant for dinner. We were greeted at the door by a sheik... the tallest man I have ever seen... and led to our table through a candlelit path by a veiled and supernatural beauty.

Later, to celebrate that I had eaten all the lamb on my plate, that same belly dancer branded the evening's experiences on my mind for all eternity when she ripped a gold coin off her belt... and gave it me!

For years, I begged to be taken back, and my grandmother's answer was always the same: "It will never be that perfect again, so why upset the memory of it?"

The restaurant was in a strip mall, the sheik was surely a local high school basket ball player, and the belly dancer, well, she was just sweet. That coin? I still have it today... the gold paint worn off by me and the five-year-old fingers of my envious friends who were sometimes allowed to hold it.

Years later and just one week ago, I visited the Black Swan sim to see the "Night Dreaming" stone girl for the first time. No one had told me what to expect. "Okay...sculpties," I thought, and touched her to learn more, thinking I'd soon be teleporting off. Suddenly she was transformed into a living, glowing nymph, and I was that five year old all over again, shivering and thrilling all by my lonesome.


These photos by ColeMarie Soleil

Her creator, Light Waves, assured me today that there was no magic to it at all. "The effect is very simple," he said and proceeded to explain the process in his gentle and breezy manner, in terms that even I - a half-baked script-hacking dilettante - could understand.

Well, I don't care if it was simple or complicated. Easy or hard, the effect was sorcery, in my opinion. It transported me to my magical place and I'm not coming down.

The point is - and no, I don't own stock in Linden Lab - Second Life is the most affordable and complete tool I know of to commit hardcore creativity. Every single one of us - whether we are paying members or not - has tools at our disposal to enchant, mesmerize, and even disturb our fellow residents through the use of a simple script or a texture overlay or... but we just have to ssstretch our imaginations... which is the most powerful exercise of all.

Which brings me back to the Black Swan sim. Everything about it is mysterious and unexplained... so the online speculative fiction and dark fantasy zine, The Future Fire, has invited Second Life residents to participate in a creative writing competition that must have a discernible link to the artwork at Black Swan. Go there (teleport directly), flex those brain muscles, and you might become the author of the best entry. The winner of the first prize will receive (USD) $500, and be published in The Future Fire as well as in Second Life by Black Swan, but hurry... the deadline is December 10, 2007.

As for me... I am still buoyant, and I'm headed back to visit the stone girl. Unlike strip malls in the eyes of a five year old, her magic still holds up, and is locked inside me forevermore.

The Not Possible IRL group needs a logo - Announcing a contest!

* What we hope to see in our group logo *

Ideally, the logo will be memorable and evoke an emotion or response. It should also be grounded in the concept of virtuality… and especially that which would not be possible IRL (in real life). The logo should be created in both color and black & white.

The logo will be used for many things related to the group, including our blog and our group descriptor.

RULES:

* Timing *
Contest begins October 8, 2007 and ends with the unveiling of the winning logo at the first annual Not Possible IRL Halloween party, October 31, 2007.

All contest entries must be submitted to Bettina Tizzy by October 22, 2007. No late entries will be accepted or considered. No exceptions.

* Awards and Entry Limits *
No more than 30 people may submit a design, so be sure to get your design in soon. Only one design per person. Not only will we accept but we encourage NPIRL members to participate. People outside of the NPIRL group may also participate.

* One Grand Award *
$20,000L and the perpetual visibility and fame worthy of a NPIRL award winner.

In addition, Bettina Tizzy (marketing and PR consultant IRL) will allocate four hours with the winner to develop a marketing strategy and image campaign for both in and off world needs. Bett doesn't want to reveal her RL hourly rates, but let's just say this is worth a pile of Lindens.

Finally, if the winner is not a NPIRL member, membership to the group will automatically be extended to that winner.

* The Jury *
All contacts - other than actual submission of entries - with Bettina Tizzy and the contest jury regarding the logo design will be strictly prohibited during the contest period. This rule is being implemented to avoid having designers attempt to persuade the jury to choose their design.

The Jury:
- Random Calliope
- Gary Hazlitt
- Sugar Seville
- Douglas Story
- Bettina Tizzy

The Jury will select 5 finalists, and then all NPIRL members will have the opportunity to vote for the winner.

* Format *
Please submit 512x512 JPG or targa files, via email, to Bettina Tizzy at bettinatizzy@gmail.com, keeping in mind that the final version for both the color and b&w versions must be in vector EPS.

* Rights *
All rights to the winning logo design will become the property of the Not Possible IRL group, but the designer will be permitted to display the work in his/her portfolio both in and off world.

* Restricted Design Content *
Any logo must be the original work of the submitter. Absolutely no third-party images may be used in the logo design (e.g. Clipart, Stock Photos, Stock Designs). Any consequences that may arise from the discovery, by a third-party, that one or more of their pieces was used illegally, will be assumed by the designer and not by Not Possible IRL.