Avatars with Style: Jewel MacMoragh

I’m incredibly excited to kick off this new season of AvatarStyle by bringing you a profile of an avatar that I absolutely adore. Meet artist, conceptual photographer and funny, gifted, and charming gal-about-SL, Jewel MacMoragh.

I first met Jewel at Artis Gallery last spring where her partner Sledge Roffo was installing his “Dots” series. Since then, I’ve had the privilege of getting to know her and working with her too — she most recently created for me a series of photographs, a rez-day gift for the (very lucky!) Patrick Cournoyer. The vision for these works was hers entirely, and the final result captured all that I wanted and more than I could have ever articulated.

In her work she is fun, flexible and light-hearted … yet passionate, deeply creative and joyfully meticulous. So infectious, she is single-handedly responsible for my newfound passion for Second Life photography. An obvious respect and admiration for her work aside, I’m just damn happy to know her as a person and proud to call her friend. I know you’ll enjoy getting to know her too!

xo~Claudie

This very short video showcases some of Jewel’s SL photography works:

Jewel’s Style

Q: The Basics—Shape, Skin, Hair:

Shape: .::MADesigns::.
Skin:     Free Speerit
Hair:     *Cross*

Q: How would you describe your Skin, Shape and Hair? For example – is it a reflection of who you are in RL? Does it portray an image of who you want to be? Is it fantasy?

I have been told more than once that my avi looks like my RL self but I don’t see it so much.  Okay maybe the eyes, I do have ice blue eyes *bats lashes*  And maybe the hair.  My hair is wild and unruly.  Okay and maybe the skin, I am fair in RL.  And well, the curves are kinda RL, too.  To be honest, this is, like, version 5 or 6 of Jewel.  I just put together what makes me feel pretty.

Q: What are some of your favorite vendors for skin, shape, clothe and/or hair?

I don’t really have a favorite, per se.

Q:  Any tips or experiences you can share with other avatars that wish to upgrade their look?

HA!  No.  You got any tips for me?

Q:  We all started as newbies, we didn’t all start out this glamorous! Any stories relating to previous avatar versions you care to share?

Oh, well it took me forever to figure out the whole AO thing.  A friend took pity on me and gave me a copy of an old, kinda jerky AO she had and the lightbulb switched on.  I soon coughed up the cash and bought my own.  I still have it now (+ a few add-ons)  cuz I still like it.

Q:  How much time  have you/do you spend on your avatar?  And money — would you say that you spend a) nothing, b) a little, c) moderate, or d) “OMG I am afraid to check my bank balance!”

I am lucky to have a rich, generous partner who showers me with gifts.  No, I’m kidding.  Not about the rich generous gift part, of course.  I kinda go through phases.  I tend to spend all my time with Sledge at home or creating or dancing or exploring.  Anything but shopping.  Then, after a few weeks, as if called by a greater force, I shop my ass off.  I do give myself an allowance each month and I stick to it.

Q:  Do you change your avatar or have you created a look and stick with it? Do you change hair, makeup or skins? How often? How many do you use?

ANSWER:  I love to try on demos but I rarely change what I look like except for photos.  I am comfortable in this av, anything else feels a bit like an imposter.

Jewel’s SL experience

Q:  Tell us a little something about the person behind the avatar, your RL self, answer what you feel comfortable with or skip it if you prefer.

I’m afraid there is not all that much to discover that you don’t already know.  I am in RL what I am in SL.  I don’t know how to be anything else.  In fact, I suck at rp sims because I always fall back into ‘me’.  In RL I work in healthcare and am an amateur photographer, whatever that means.  I am an advocate for a few health related issues that are very near and dear to my heart.  I have some kids and a fat, spoiled dog.  I love music and art, anything sparkly, the occasional glass of fine wine and ohhhh SHOES!!!

Q:  How do you feel your av expresses the RL you, or does he/she?  What is he/she expressing?

Jewel is me.  I am Jewel.  There is no difference.

Q:  Do you have a philosophy about how style relates to your experience in SL?

Philosophy?  Nah.   I just do and buy and create and arrange and enjoy things in a way that makes me smile.  In my opinion, SL is meant to be a place of joy and beauty and creation.  A place to relax and enjoy each other and all the incredible-ness (pffft, that a word?) that surrounds us.  I have no time for anything else.

Q:  What do you spend your time doing while in SL?

Ahhh, my time in SL is incredibly valuable to me because I feel I have so little of it.  For the last several months I have been collaborating with Sledge on various projects.  Mostly I make the textures and he creates the magic.  We have worked together on Burning Life, SL7B, some of his latest series including Dots and a new one he is about to unveil and now a new project at Pop Art Lab.  Most recently, however, I have gone back to exploring SL photography and I am loving it!

Q:  What is your primary reason to be in SL?

To create, to enjoy, and to be madly, deeply in love

Q:  What inspires you in SL?

My inspiration in SL is the same as in RL.  To capture the unexpected, the spontaneous, the magical, the exquisite.  To live eyes wide open, and to never ever miss a thing.

Q:  What keeps you in SL?

Sledge

Q:  What do you enjoy most about SL?

Sledge

Q:  Anything you would like us to promote, any messages to friends, etc. … this space is for that.

I have a few RL and SL photo exhibits around the grid:  My gallery “The Brothel” at Sanremo, a collection of SL pictures,  I’m part of a group exhibit at Gable Gallery called “Flickrs of Second Life”.  I also have RL photo exhibits at Streamlife and ROF Coallition. (All LMs in my profile).

Q. Does anything in SL relate to your RL? Do you keep them separate, and if so, how does it work for you?

Everything in my SL relates to my RL.  I understand that many people prefer not to share one life with the other for various very valid reasons.  I accept and respect that.  Sorry to be blunt but I think it’s bullshit that they don’t intertwine.  Can you honestly tell me that you never think of SL when you are going about your RL?  Do you not see things everyday in RL that remind you of SL and vice versa?  Are your feelings not just as potent and tangible in SL as in RL?  Having said that, I do believe it is prudent to be very careful what you share with whom.  I have been extremely fortunate to have met some amazing, beautiful, fabulously hysterical people that I straight up adore.  I believe these people would be my friends regardless of which life we were introduced in and I am honored to have them however they come.  On a less intense level, I have grown my love of music and art here.  We spend a lot of time exploring galleries and clubs in SL which has rekindled my desire to do the same in RL.

Jewel’s Artist Statement

“Through my camera I seek to document my own personal experiences, to capture scenes and events as I see them and to share with others the beauty and diversity of the world I’ve seen.”

My father aimed his old Nikon at me when I was only minutes old, he put his camera in my hands as soon as I was strong enough to hold it and gave me my own camera on my first day of kindergarten. It was the beginning of a beautiful, life-long love affair.   At 19, I experienced a renewed enthusiasm and appreciation for photography while living in New Zealand where I spent untold hours on the side of a rugby field shooting the often bloody battles that ensued.  I’d build a collection that I’d throw down on the bar every week and was more than a little surprised  by my first offer of compensation from a very large, very scary Kiwi.  I began receiving inquiries for portraits and weddings soon after and thus was dragged kicking and screaming into the business of photography.  But business is not where my heart lies.  My passion and joy are in capturing the unexpected, the spontaneous, the magical.  There is simply nothing better than going into a situation unscripted, eyes wide open, camera in hand, and discovering something glorious. The best things happen when you least expect them.   It is these images I bring to SL.   -JM

Streamlife August Expo 2009:  I am so proud&happy to present you the outstanding B/W’s of Jewel MacMoragh! You will love them all…*eyes wide open*…they will catch you and transport you directly to another dimension…I would say…”they are like an unforgettable melody of this world…you won’t forget” – Life Charron,  ? B/W Art Gallery Streamlife??

Visit The Brothel – The Jewel M Gallery and follow her on Flickr.