Kuro Neko – Marsha’s Second Life Interviews

Bonjour!

Yes, it’s time for an interview with Bellinda Box, the French pop artist who is nuts about the colour pink and ducks. Pink ducks.

Bellinda Box: Hello!
Kuro Neko: Hey there.
Kuro Neko: Interesting clothes. How have you been?
Bellinda Box: Very well, thank you.
Kuro Neko: Do you want to sit in the cat basket?
Bellinda Box: Perfect.
Kuro Neko: If there is a question you do not wish to answer, just say.
Bellinda Box: Ok Marsha. You know i am french my english is not so perfect.
Kuro Neko: I’ll bear that in mind. I am very patient. Tell me a bit about yourself, and your art.
Bellinda Box: I do squared box with perspective in 2D, this is the base of my work. I start my artwork that I called ‘Bellinda’ 3 years ago, and now it’s become my artist name.
Kuro Neko: So the art was dubbed “Bellinda” and you used it as a psudonym?
Bellinda Box: People called me Bellinda, so now I feel my name is Bellinda. But firstly it was the name of my universe, my concept.
Kuro Neko: Do you feel you have lost your true identity?
Bellinda Box: Not at all, the contrary. I discover myself in my work.
Kuro Neko: How did you get the idea of bringing your art into Second Life?
Bellinda Box: It was so natural! I work on 2D with perspective, so SL was perfect to show and to realize it. When i arrived in SL, I pictured my work straight away in the game.
Kuro Neko: So you saw the potential straight away. How popular was your gallery at first, how did you promote it?
Bellinda Box: No, many people came and they really like the atmoshere so they come more often and they bring some friends, also people were happy to try to give me ideas and advice. I make really good friends in my gallery.
Kuro Neko: Has Second Life helped you gain more recognition as an artist?
Bellinda Box: Yes, because in SL you have more time to share with people than a real vernissage, and I can make more huge exhibitions in SL.
Kuro Neko: What is a vernissage?
Bellinda Box: Private viewing before release to public. I mean in SL you have more possibilities to show your artwork
Kuro Neko: Ah, right ok, so you’re saying SL gives you more time to talk with people.
Bellinda Box: Yes, because if I am busy they’ll come back to meet me. In real life is different.
Kuro Neko: Where do you get your inspiration
Bellinda Box: I get my inspiration from every day life, what I see on tv, on the street, the big shops. What I see inside my fridge. Everything.
Kuro Neko: Has Second Life spawned more inspiration for you?
Bellinda Box: Yes indeed. I know Second Life changed my vision to see things. I never used 3D before Second Life.
Kuro Neko: Do you think there is a distinct lack of art galleries in Second Life?
Bellinda Box: I dont know. I visit lot of galleries in Second Life but I was a little disappointed. But I also find some good artist in Second Life!
Kuro Neko: Have you discovered the delights of Machinima?
Bellinda Box: Not yet but someone spoke to me about this.
Kuro Neko: Machinima is very popular here, and also very many examples of it around the web, used to promote businesses here in SL.
Bellinda Box: For the moment I create clothes for SL.
Bellinda Box: I’ll go soon.
Kuro Neko: No you won’t. I’m almost done..stay in the damn cat basket!
Kuro Neko: I notice you are very pink. Do you think if there was a competition in Second Life for the pinkest avatar, you would win?
Bellinda Box: I hope!
Kuro Neko: Woooo! Finally, can you tell me what the future holds for Bellinda?
Bellinda Box: I dont know. I have to think about it
Kuro Neko: Thank you Bellinda for taking the time to answer my questions. I really appreciate your cooporation.
Bellinda Box: Thanks to you Marsha.
Bellinda Box gave you Bellinda Skull and Rose shirt.
Bellinda Box: One of my t-shirts.
Kuro Neko: Thank you
Bellinda Box: I hope you’ll like.
Kuro Neko: Well let’s see. It’s nice
Bellinda Box: You like ?
Kuro Neko: Thank you Bellinda.
Bellinda Box: You’re welcome!
Kuro Neko: If you have a few seconds, I can show you my garden.
Bellinda Box: Ok.
Kuro Neko: It’s a really lovely place here.
Bellinda Box: No flower?
Kuro Neko: Maybe one day. I’m not really a flower person.
Bellinda Box: Why not?
Kuro Neko: Maybe I could put up some art. Do you know anyone who does art?
Bellinda Box: Me! Have you visited my gallery?
Kuro Neko: Yes I went briefly. I was told to leave because I was a cat.
Bellinda Box: Really?
Kuro Neko: Nope, just kidding.
Bellinda Box: Haha..because I have a dog…
Kuro Neko: They don’t scare me.
Bellinda Box: Ok Marsha I go to my gallery.
Kuro Neko: Sure!
Bellinda Box: So you want to come?
Kuro Neko: I have to do another interview, i’m sorry.
Bellinda Box: Ok no problem. Come when you have time.
Kuro Neko: I will see you again soon.
Bellinda Box: Good Bye!

Visit Bellinda Gallery in-world by clicking here.
Visit Bellinda’s website by clicking here.

Me and Bellinda snuggling in the cat basket. I annotated it for your benefit.

Hi ladies and germs.

This is a quick announcement to say that I have created a group on Second Life now which will enable you to receive updates on new posts/interviews on my blog. If you want to join you can either IM me (Marsha Ling, in case you didn’t already know) for an invite or search on Groups tab for Kuro Neko’s Blog Update Group.

Also, quick update now – next interview up will be Bellinda Box from Bellinda Gallery followed by Iris Seale of Punch Drunk. Still waiting on Kaysha Sion’s questions, and I met with Sarah Nerd a couple of days ago. So, look forward to those!!

-Kuro Neko.

It’s time for another interview.

I was fortunate enough to catch up with Nyte Caligari of Nyte’N'Day recently, and managed to get a quick interview with her between her busy schedule. So here it is…

Kuro Neko: How long ago did you first open Nyte ‘N’ Day?
Nyte Caligari: I’m not sure of the exact date anymore! I think it was probably around August 2005.
Kuro Neko: How quickly did business pick up?
Nyte: It was a few months. I used to get so excited when I would check my transaction history and see I’d made a sale. I would excitedly check them every day and do a little happy dance when one was there. Haha…being a new designer was so much fun. It’s still tons of fun!

Kuro Neko: What was your first outfit?
Nyte: Hmm. Not sure about the outfit… but I remember my first shirt. It was a tank top “thing”. Haha! It was very odd-looking but I keep it around for sentimental purposes.
Kuro Neko: How difficult do you find making skins?
Nyte: Well… they’re for sure more difficult then clothes for me. However, each time I work on my skins they get easier. Not sure if easier is the right word… Comfortable. There’s the word. The more I do, the more comfy I am with making them. I’m working on a new skin now and I’m finding this one to be going much more smoothly then any previous ones.
Kuro Neko: What would you say was the most popular thing in your store?
Nyte: That’s hard to say, everyone has different tastes, so there’s no clear “popular item”.
Kuro Neko: Do you get recognised a lot in Second Life, and if so do you get a lot of praise?
Nyte: I hardly ever leave my studio anymore! I’m always creating or doing something to do with Nyte’N'Day.
I do get recognized sometimes when I’m out and about. It kinda makes me uncomfortable to be honest when people are like “Oh my God, you’re Nyte Caligari!”. I mean, of course it’s awesome, but at the same time I dunno, I don’t like being in the spot light…even in a fake world. It’s just kinda weird, humbling and flattering all at once.
Kuro Neko: Do you ever try and replicate your favourite items in real life, or do you only come up with unique designs?
Nyte: I draw a lot of inspiration from real life clothing. Most of the time I open Photoshop and just start playing around though. A few times I’ve dreamed of clothes then woken up and made them. It’s pretty disturbing when you dream of SL. haha!
Kuro Neko: Nah, I do it all the time. Haha.. so, name some of your favourite places to go and shop in Second Life.
Nyte: I’m always on the hunt for good modeling poses, oh, and hair. The list is endless of places to shop! My latest fave hair came from Calla.
Kuro Neko: Do you ever get approached or instant-messaged by people asking for opinions on their clothing designs?
Nyte: Rarely. It used to happen more when I was just starting out, but hardly happens ever now.
Kuro Neko: What’s the nicest thing anyone has ever said to you regarding Nyte ‘N’ Day?
Nyte: Wow. Many people have said many nice things. When I was really sick I got to know how loving and friendly SL is as a whole. I got so many IMs and well wishes it blew me away. It meant a lot (and still does) reading messages of support. I could barely be on SL but dragging myself to the computer long enough to read them was, to say the least, very touching.
Kuro Neko: Have you ever experienced griefers in your store?
Nyte: Unfortunatly, yes. I dislike being an enforcer but sometimes they make me.

Visit Nyte’s blog to see latest updates at Nyte ‘N’ Day by clicking here.