SC: Deliziosa, you opened Gems & Kisses Fine Jewelry in 2009; what compelled you to become a jewelry designer (I prefer "artist" because her work IS art) in world?
DV: The first trials started in 2007, when I first joined SL, but a series of events prevented me from continuing until 2009. At that time I created some very good metallic textures and when I applied them to prims the result seemed very realistic. After that I rented some land and built the first jewelry box that has become the hallmark of the GK stores, past and present, and I rezzed a dozen vendors. The rest is history. I like to say that I express my artistic concepts and ideas through my jewelry creations. In the virtual world of SL, I can create many things that would be impossible in real life. I think that this concept of impossible or difficult will become a theme for my future creations.
SC: I took time to walk through G&K and fell in love with many of the pieces; in fact, I purchased several pieces recently when I went there, initially, to buy birthday presents for a friend! What inspires you to develop the designs for her jewelry?
DV: This is an interesting question and one I have attempted to answer on various occasions. In fact, I ask myself that question all the time. What is really inspiring me? I have always felt that the expression of an artist is something that they feel in the heart. There is no other way to describe it. My creations, as with any artist, are the sum total of all of my feelings and experiences. I breathe life to those feelings through my creations so, in a sense, they represent a part of me. I think that I was born with an innate sense of taste and style in RL and that I use that talent in SL. I think that I am constantly acquiring skills that help me to materialize the things I see in my mind. I don't think that inspiration is something that we can plan; it appears without an invitation, sometimes at the most inopportune moments. But it lives within us and is the result of our life experiences. Of that I am sure.
SC: What three adjectives would you use to describe the jewelry of Gems & Kisses?
DV: Oh my!!! How about Artistic, Young and Precise (or perfect)? :)
SC: Season 1 of Gems & Kisses Royal Miss 2012 is about to commence. Tell us, if you can, about the type of woman you think epitomizes what G&K represents.
DV: I think that I am looking for a lover and interpreter of my creations. Without love I think it is impossible to be an excellent interpreter. She needs to have something different from the norm, something that will impress us. I have a certain vision in my mind whenever I create a product. But that is my interpretation. I want to find someone who can make it their own in a way that makes me say "WOW". I don't mean that they need to create a style that is so esoteric that nobody else will understand it. On the contrary, I want something that will make people say, "Now why didn't I think of using it like that?"
SC: How does this competition further the initiatives of G&K, and how does it help in possibly propelling the winner's career in SL?
DV: We offer to the winner of GK Royal Miss season one a premier promotion for three months in a wonderful publication, Avenue Magazine. We will also promote them in our Royal Book, which is a compilation of styles based on GK jewelry, the face of a good number of our releases during those three months and the associated promotion in a lot of SL groups. I'm sure that we will offer other bonuses during those three months, but they also will gain entry into our special, end of the year contest which has a grand prize of $100,000L. These models help us to get the word out on our new creations, so the contestants help us by showing the many ways our jewelry can be styled. All of their photos are featured on Flickr for anyone to see. It's a great way to help each other further our interests.
SC: What can we expect in the future from Gems & Kisses Fine Jewelry?
DV: My first thought is to tell you, it's strictly a secret, lol. But that is probably more of an excuse because I don't really have a clear, creative plan. I know that I need to realize a few ideas that have been tormenting me during 2011 and I have not yet had the time to realize them. If only I could double the length of the day, lol. I will probably branch out a bit in other product areas besides jewelry. I have been expanding my skills all year in areas of sculpties and meshes and even my husband, Logan Keneinan, has created a series of lessons to teach me advanced scripting. That might give you some idea of the direction I am taking without revealing too much. :)
As a creator myself, I truly appreciate Deliziosa Vendetta's words regarding inspiration. A creator feels...much, and much of those feelings find their way into the art a creator makes. There is no doubt that passion is a must for a creator to develop something that moves others, and Deliziosa Vendetta is such a creator. When I walk into Gems & Kisses, I am barraged with a plethora of adjectives that illustrate what G&K means to me: bold, sexy, elegant, sophisticated, sassy, fun, sweet, delicate, edgy...the list goes on and on. When you can, without thinking, rattle off a list of this length regarding a creator's work, then you know that creator has "the touch"--and I'm excited to see what Deliziosa Vendetta touches next with Gems & Kisses.
Because I like to show me off in my collected wares, here's me wearing G&K's Princess A Royal Collection tiara, Princess H Royal Collection earrings, and Princess E Royal Collection necklace.
Run...don't walk to see the wonderful jewelry of Gems & Kisses Fine Jewelry. Your limo awaits!
No comments:
Post a Comment
Comments will be reviewed and posted within 24 hours. Please note any abusive content or outside promotional links may not be approved.