The Strip / Ramsey's Gallery of Fine Art / Nyra 19 years ago

Ramsey's Gallery of Fine Art

The two story ice blue victorian replica sat on the artsy end of the strip. Amid a few antique shops, one Asian artifact gallery and several other art galleries. The whole structure was the art gallery. Inside there were two main downstairs rooms, painted in tastefull creamy gray and lit appropriatly, at the artwork. There was one sweeping staircase that led upstairs to three private showing rooms and an office. Each floor had restrooms, 3 stalls each, done with a pale blue and cream floral paper and cream beadboard.

In the downstairs there was the sunset room, with soft periwinkle fainting couches and even a few arm chairs. The other downstairs room displayed the sunrises with benches of pale pine with soft natural toned silk cusions. There were small tables in both rooms, in the pale pine, discretely placed about with glass tops for people to place their drinks upon.

The stairwell held a reception area, coat closet and fine silk wall coverings in an ancient smokey gray. There was a pine bench and blue armchair as well as some sculpture set on the blocks placed about or attached to the wall for smaller pieces.

Up the stairs lead to a small hallway in the same silken gray that lead to six doors in a small landing area. The bathrooms were clearly marked but the other rooms had doors flung wide open for the event. One housed the darker paintings on its eggplant toned walls. The dark grey striped room held barely a dozen moonscapes. The last showing room held scenes from Nachton on its creamy walls with beadboard base. The office was just that, desk, chairs and a few tables.

Plants were strewn about and hanging from ceilings but never obscuring the paintings. The light pine floors gleamed with polish but the stairs had a pale gray carpet runner.

There was a black velvet rope cordoning off the gallery but the sign outside proudly announced the Galla Black Tie event of the Opening of the Showing of Nyra McGurn at 7:30pm.

Nyra 19 years ago

If one didnt know there was a kitchen attached to the rear of the building only accessed through a door hidden behind a large tree in the back of the stairwell. The kitchen was quite modern and held half a dozen waitstaff that gathered and prepared for the party. They had platers of fingerfoods awaiting opening.

Trays were filled with veggies and dip, cheese and crackers, fruit, mini grilled veggie kabobs, tiny triangle quesadillas and even stuffed mushrooms. The trays were thin grey ceramic, painted with the Ramsey's logo and signature blue swirls. Each waitperson had on black slacks, grey top and powder blue vest with blue on blue swirls to match. They were quite adept at serving everyone while staying unobtrusive in the crowd.

The bar was set up right before the door. The bartender had wines, some mixed drinks and sodas available for the guests. He even had a bottle of champagne and sparkling white grape juice. The later a request of the owner, who knew his artists preference.

The manager in his tuxedo, placed several small square plates, in matching gray around the tables set about, along with creamy napkins for the guests. He checked and double checked the art hanging and placed about. Thankfully there was nothing to clean or straighten. But that didnt stop the man from sweeping the stoop one last time.

Nova 19 years ago

Shit. Where the hell am I supposed to park?

Nova rolled along the strip, the firebird grumbling but not stuttering, keeping her eyes peeled for a decent lot. She grinned in victory as a previously parked car pulled out right in front of her, and merrily gave the offending driver the finger before turning on her blinker and claiming the abandoned space as her own.

She was looking good. And feeling good. While the latest experiment was shot all to hell, she had finally found a meal today for the low low price of a ride in her pretty car. The bite was off a Duibne coworker, a human who knew the score but didn't want the change quite yet. Some day, though. He was younger, and cute enough, but she'd been a bit too hungry to play with her food, and he didn't look quite so tempting after she was done with him. She was nice enough to bring him home.

Damn good meal though. So nice to have cool coworkers.

She locked the door and slammed it closed with her hip, then stepped up to the curb, wobbling a little in her high heels. She was meant to meet her brother at this shindig, though she had no idea of where he was. She wondered if he would recognize her without the tee shirt and jeans she normally wore.

No, tonight was more sophisticated fun, and Nova intended to show up at this rich person get together in style. She had even painted her toenails a lovely terra cotta, and had only gotten a very little on the toes themselves. Her hair was pulled up into something part bun, part twist, and part spray of extra strands that didn't really belong anywhere in particular. That was quite alright, though; it was mostly hidden by the black fedora with the snakeskin band.

And she didn't stop there.

Her halter style catsuit with the flowy legs moved with her as she walked on strappy snakeskin sandels with four inch heels. Her yellow phone was clipped at her hip where the caramel skin of her back and sides was exposed. From her ears, hoops with colorful little parrots attached jangled as she made her way to the gallery.

Oh yeah. She looked -good-.

Jan 19 years ago

Jan lounged outside the gallery near a small unobtrusive ashtray receptacle and waited for Nova. He was dressed up for the occasion though whether he was dressed appropriately was debatable. The pants were skin tight black leather along with a thin black leather tie, the shirt was pale green silk that matched the faded green of his eyes and was left untucked, the "too long" cuffs were turned back and the last few buttons were undone. His hair was its usual mass of chin length black waves.

Spotting the firebird..ok, hearing the firebird and then spotting it, Jan straightened and took the last few drags on his clove while watching his sister make her way up to the entrance.

Well, well, if Daddy could see her now. Simon, along with the rest of Tacharan that saw Nova in faded jeans and tee shirts from every colour of the rainbow, would probably fall out in shock. He was doing his best to remain upright himself. Who knew she had curves like that?

And the hair wasn't being held back by a pencil or thrown into a ponytail. He smiled as she got next to him and looked up at her.

"Excuse me, ma'am, but have you seen a woman in a tee shirt that says "I'm multi talented. I can talk and PISS YOU OFF at the same time" and a pair of faded jeans. She's this tall." Jan motioned to about the same height as himself. " Hair about your colour... loose ponytail, stray ends here and there. I was supposed to meet her here but I haven't seen her yet."

He grinned and added. "Oh well, she hasn't made it by now, care to join me?" Jan put the butt of his cigarette in the ashtray and then held out an arm to Nova. "You look good, I should take a picture. It might be a hundred years or more before I see this again."

Nova 19 years ago

Hey, that's a great shirt!

Nova flashed Jan a toothy smile and accepted the offered arm. In all honesty she was damn near blushing, something she did little of, and did her best not to giggle.

Hell, with that sort of reception I might have to do this more often. Though I guess half the fun is the shock value. Still grinning, she resisted the urge muss Jan's hair with her free hand, though she gave him a nudge with her shoulder. You cleaned up well yourself, no surprises there. Good color for you.

Yeah, Jan had the looks in the 'family'. And forever sixteen to boot! Nova couldn't decide if he was lucky or not; she had taken a few years to come into her own in the looks department and being turned so young would have really sucked for her, but she figured Jan was a cherubic child, a striking teen, and would have made a freakin gorgeous older guy.

Nova had chosen her own time to turn, old enough to not appear to be a student, young enough to look current. Jan's case was different, so she supposed it was a moot point.

But enough about us being the best lookin' people in the place. Let's see about this art.

With that, she stepped through the entrance and into the reception area. She wasn't normally game for this artsy stuff, but the subject interested her and besides Jan wanted to go. Plus the idea of showing up to a black tie event was just funny; if they got restless they could always amuse themselves by making fun of the snobs. Of course she wouldn't cause trouble on -purpose-...but anything could happen when Tacharan crashed the party.

Amberelle DeEspionne 19 years ago

Vivaldi swelled into a booming roar inside the confines of the blue Aston Martin as it zipped down the strip. For once Amberelle had left the top up, she saw no reason to destroy the hairstyle she'd so painstakingly done. Not that the blonde mop would stay in the desired mess of loose curls swept back into the shimmering clasp at the base of her neck long, it had a mind of its own usually. But she could try. Spying an opening less than a block from the gallery she gunned it and did a tight spin in the street, neatly cutting off traffic from the other direction and stole the spot.

Glancing in the rearview mirror, she dabbed on a bit more lipstick in a frosty cream, dusted a touch more of the bronzing glitter across her nose, cheeks and clevage and puckered at her reflection. The coppery eyeshadow and smoky khol she'd applied gave her topaz eyes an almost feline slant. She grabbed her small clutch in a crushed wheat chiffon that matched her dress and tucked the cosmetics inside. Opening a slim vial of eau de toilette, she tapped on a bit behind both ears, at the base of her throat, on the back of her neck and some in between her breasts. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes and let L'Artisan's blend of summer blooms fill her senses. The orange, lemon and jasmine was the perfect blend for a warm night.

Amby opened the car door and slipped on her bronze leather, jeweled heels, wrapping them quickly around her bare ankles. With a wiggle of her freshly French manicured toes she climbed out and locked the doors with a beep. A stray breeze caught the hem of her dress and made her shiver. With a naughty grin she enjoyed the feel of the silk dress over her bare skin as she walked down to the gallery. Wearing nothing underneath was daring, but after all she reasoned with herself, the skirt was so translucent at times that wearing anything at all would show. Her breasts swelled in the confines of the deep V neck over the Empire waist to both show off and only hint at her ample curves.

((OOC : Le Chasse Aux Papillons by L'Artisan is her cologne))

Bertrand 19 years ago

Standing at the door, Bertrand repositioned the black velvet rope to form a line down the sidewalk, rather than block the entrance. Hopefully the early birds would enjoy his efforts.

Straightening his bow tie and brushing off his tuxedo coat, he looked up at the building. It was magnificent. Fresh blooms had appeared recently in the trees and shrubs, adding to the sparkle were tiny soft white lights. Not overly obvious, just nestled delicately here and there. The path was lined with lights in the shape of tulips that had stems curling up then back downward in a gracefull arch. The grass had been freshly mowed that morning.

All in all, everything appeared ready. He entered the building, unnessicarily straightened the brochures and business cards at the entrance table and took up his post for greeting guests.

Jan 19 years ago

Jan smiled and led the way inside, lending support to his 'taller' companion on her thin heeled sandals.

" Thank you. I do try...sometimes."

Nodding to the host at the doorway, Jan entered the building with Nova. The air was cool in the gallery and he breathed in the faint smell of cleaning supplies, oil paints and canvas. It wasn't his own medium but as an artist, he appreciated the talents of other fields.

" Yes, I suppose we should look at something besides a mirror even as portrait worthy as we are."

Jan briefly wondered whether his sister's potential comments were likely to cause a stir. She was known to be both blunt and opinionated and he had the fleeting hope that Nova at least liked to artwork lest her views on the pieces be heard within earshot of the artist herself. It was, of course, only momentary concern, He'd probably agree with her opinions in any case and its not like he hadn't been known to have his share of shocking moments of expression.

((OOC: Could we possibly get some ooc descriptions of some artwork and perhaps some titles so we can look and make comments on them in our threads? )

(Permission granted to move Nova)

Connie 19 years ago

Connie couldn't answer Nyra's question about how she "did all this," how she "topped herself" when she did what felt right for Nyra. What felt good, what made her happy to do. She non-answered with a shrug and a smile. The flabbergasted woman was probably too high on nervosity and romantic feelings to understand Connie's wayward philsophizing.

Connie broke the seal on a six-ounce bottle of ginger ale in the minifridge between the long seats and handed it to Nyra. "Please drink a little, dear, and feel free to ribba-dip in here to clear the butterflies from your tummy a little."

Nyra finally sipped of the bubbly and gave a petite little burp - "That was cute," Connie'd said - and Connie sat herself behind Nyra, giving the artist a gentle shoulder massage. Her fingertips dancing lightly across her shoulders, neck, and just under her hairline, then around to her temples, Connie guessed Nyra would almost fall asleep in her arms if she weren't wound so tightly.

The limo came to a stop, and the ladies situated themselves on the seat at the rear. The door opened; the driver held his hand out to let Connie out first, then Connie held out her own for Nyra.

It might not be the Oscars, but there certainly were a surprising number of photographers at the entrance.

As Nyra stood and smiled her dazzling smile for those waiting, she held out her arm for Connie to take it. Flashbulbs popped.

Amberelle DeEspionne 19 years ago

Walking down the sidewalk, humming softly to herself, Amberelle smiled as she admired the gallery's entry way. The lights twinkling overhead in the trees had a magical quality, like tiny faries in the darkness. Breezes swayed the branches gently, releasing their bloom's perfumes into the air. All together it was the perfect backdrop.

A limo glided past her and stopped, the driver scurrying around to help two well dressed women from the back. Amby slowed her steps as the lingering press seemed to come to life and began snapping their photos.

'Must be the artist.. and her date. At least I'm not late.' Pausing to watch them make their way inside, she pulled a breath mint from her purse and popped it in.

Bertrand 19 years ago

Brochure with thumbnails of each picture along with a brief notation.

Showing of Nyra McGurn's Masterpieces!

Sunsets
Sureal Shores - Sun setting over a beach, ocean frothing almost black, while the sun sinks in orange, red, purple and pink.

Next time - Another beach with a castle getting slowly washed away by a gentle sea with sun set in orange, pink and yellow.

Gifts from the shore - Beach, shells, a faded red bucket and pale yellow shovel with the sun setting in pinks and oranges.

Stormy - Rough ocean, black clouds with a sunset in blues and purples.

Timber - Forest full of evergreens bunched closely together, sun sinking behind them in yellows and pinks

Poplar - Strand of poplar trees, leaves blowing in the wind, whispy clouds, sun resting on the horizon, breaking through the leaves.

Bare - Storm ripped trees stand broken limbed and leaves scattering the ground. Sun almost completely gone, just a few sparks of red, pink and blue.

Memories - Playground, swing gently swaying in the breeze. Sun setting in yellows and pinks.

Mount sun - Huge green and brown mountain framed by the setting sun with lots of orange, blue and purple.

Tomorrow - Modern sculpture sitting in a front of a high tech building. Sunset reflected in the glass in reds, pinks and oranges.

Sunrises
Fresh - Sunrise over an orchard with fruit weighing heavily in the soft damp air.

Sparkling - spiderweb close up, damp with dew, tree behind it with broad green leaves. Sunrise in pink and yellow with faint blue.

New day - Beach with gentle waves lapping the paws of a dog shape, in shades of blue, pink and red.

Aftermath - Tornado swept houses with rubble and debris strewn about. Sunrise peaking though clouds, illuminating a undamaged cloth doll.

Forest - Thick trees in green, waking up to yellows, blues and orange.

Rare finds - Gritty rock mountain, sparkling like diamonds in the bright sun of yellow, pink and purple.

Fae Meadow- Sparkling dew strewn meadow with deer, butterflies and flowers, dawn in pink, red and orange.

Sand - Beach scene with frothing ocean, sand being pushed about by the waves. Sun coming up and reflecting off the water in blues, greens and yellows.

Tropical Fling - Island scene, with a woven hammock in sight, flowers blooming in flamboyant colors, sun sparkling on the horizon in reds, oranges and blues.

Sailing - Ocean with several sailboats, sun peaking red and orange on the water.

Moonscapes
Serenity - Full huge moon over a grove of trees, framing a meadow with a pool reflecting the moon. Blues, greens, browns and yellows predominantly.

Salty - Shore with a ramshackle building, sleeping seagull and a half moon shining down, dusting the sea with faint sparkles of light. Browns, blues and yellows.

Fearless - Trees, small bat leaping from a branch into the dim halflight of the moon. Blues, browns and pale gray.

Dear - Sleeping deers, in a bower of tree branches, nestled down and hidden. Baby deer sleeping under mother's protective neck. Waxing moon bathing scene in light. Greens, whites and soft browns.

Sleepless - Female figure, hair blowing in the wind, walking down a beach. Waning moon illuminating a frothy ocean. Blue, beige and whites.

Home - House at the end of along tree lined drive, new moon hiding lots of details in the shadows. Faint trees, tire swing and lightening bugs. Blacks, faint yellow and greens.

Then - Two figures entwined on a beach, full moon peeks at them through fluffy clouds. Blues, tans, pinks.

Panic - Sickly sickle of a moon looming over trees blown sideways and clouds racing across the ocean, faint funnel clouds loom. Grey, green, blue.

Nachton
East - View of the skyline from the East, sun shining bright.

West - View of the skyline from the West, sun shining bright.

North - View of the city in more detail with the sun rising.

South - View of the city in more detail with sun setting.

Night Bay - View of the bay with the moon reflected on it.

Day Bay - View of the bay, ships abounding, sun sparkling on the water.

Vesper - Trio of paintings featuring the Vesper Gardens, the fountain, a trellis of flowers and a flowering tree and bench. Sun shining brightly in thick streams of golden tones.

Strip - Stylized rendition of the strip with no distinctive notations visible. Moon rising, neon bright.

Tracks - A view of the railroad tracks, dark, grafitti, weeds, sun shining on a dog laying happily in the sun.

Miscellaneous
Trio of graveyard pictures - Sunrise to an empty open grave, rainy day to a contingent of umbrellas and a casket with damp flowers, sunset to a dirt mounded pile.

Tree - A dead tree standing stark in the sunlight that was not gold but had more of a sickly green tint.

Flowers - A trellis of flowers with another sickly sun, flower petals on the ground.

View - Window with gingham curtains, faded by the sun, lush green plants block the view out but the sun shines bright rays in.

Duality 1 through 7 - Sun with moon paintings. Beaches, forests, meadows and one cityscape.

Sculptures
Reach - Stylized woman reaching for the sky, hands splayed, nude in bronze.

Dance - Stylized woman swirling skirt spinning with one arm overhead and another out around her, in bronze.

Devastated - Stylized woman kneeling, head bowed in hands, nude in bronze.

Lift - Dancing pair, stylized male lifting female in classic ballet pose, nudes in bronze.

Abstract - Geometrical shapes swirlled together in random patterns in bronze.

Circles - Circles and rounds connected together to form random shapes and patterns in bronze.

Vases - Ceramic vases with etched sun designs in terra cotta colors. Six available.

Bowls - Ceramic bowls with etched and raised sun and moon designs in dark blues and greens.

Nyra 19 years ago

Remembering exactly why she didnt normally drink ginger ale, Nyra held her breath. The driver handed Connie out of the car. When Connie reached in to take her hand, she was nervous. What if no one liked her paintings. Would she be able to stay the rest of the time knowing she was a failure here. What if she made a fool of herself. What if she tripped. Did she brush her hair before leaving.

Her mind raced in panic as she slowly took her date's hand and exited the car. When bulbs flashed she was shocked. Who knew photographers would be here, taking her picture, instead of the artwork. The three camera weilding people, two men and one woman, stepped back and got a full length shot of her and Connie, hands clasped, first step up from the limo.

Once they were close enough she gently requested their attention. "Please feel free to snap shots of the art, it is why we are here." Smiling friendly at them as they scurried inside. Perhaps she should have arranged for shots to be taken earlier in the day, so as not to interfere with the party. She nodded at Bertrand who had stopped them briefly and gave them 1 hour to take pictures inside.

Looking around she felt a swell of pride at her artwork on the walls, her sculptures on the pedastals. The waitress Kay, who she had spoken too earlier today, brought her and Connie each a glass of golden sparkling liquid. White grape for her and Dom for Connie. After a quick thank you to the girl, Nyra turned to Connie and raised her glass, hoping for a toast. "Here we are!"

Connie 19 years ago

Connie raised her glass to Nyra. Her accent was mostly supressed as she intoned, "To the artist; may her talent shine brighter than the sun, may her works be respected and loved and indeed imitated but never copied, for her heart is pure and the well of her imagination deep."

Nyra 19 years ago

"And to the most wonderful goddess of a woman I have ever known."

Their glassed tinked quietly together, with that ring only crystal has. Nyra smiled at Connie, happy, not shy or overwhelmed but deleriously happy. The art looked good and if nothing else she and Connie would enjoy it.

"Would you like to wander through and look at everything? I know I am expected to mingle but I would gladly put that off to show you everything they have here today."

Connie 19 years ago

Rose coloring her cheeks, Connie smiled and sipped at her drink. She hadn't realized it was wine until she sipped; her senses were more in tune with the silver beauty before her. "Cheers."

Connie gave Nyra a soft kiss on the cheek and whispered first, her accent coming out, "You know, if we're goin' to be togethah, I fully expect to enjoy the foods and beverages you do. The wine wasn't necessary, but it's appreciated."

Clearing her throat, she straightened and smiled. "And besides, t'would be a serious breech of protocol for the arteest not to mingle with her guests. Go. Mingle. I'm a shout or 'come save me' gaze away. In fact... If you bite the left side of your lip in that sexy way you do, I'll know to come running and bail you out." Connie winked as she turned Nyra gently towards the throng of people milling about.

Amberelle DeEspionne 19 years ago

Giving the couple ahead a couple moments to make their way inside, the blonde finally made her way through the entrance and into the gallery building proper. Tucking her clutch under her arm, she shook her head and knocked a few errant golden strands back over her shoulders.

Stepping in, she made note of the neat arrangement of brochures and plucked one for herself. Smiling at the proud looking tux clad gentleman, her eyes glanced around looking for a direction to begin in.

Nyra 19 years ago

Nyra let Connie go look around the gallery. Bertrand caught her attention the minute her date stepped away. He quickly ensconced her in the stairwell room and began bringing her a plate of vegan munchies.

As people entered he had the option of introducin them to the artist or directing them to one of the viewing areas. She nibbled on a carrot stick and smiled at everyone.

Nova 19 years ago

Nova backed up against a wall as a sudden crowd of people flooded in through the doors. Flashes from several cameras went off as the throng passed, and she cursed under her breath at the light. When the room cleared a little, she leaned in and spoke softly to Jan.

Well I'm blind. How about you? She shook her head. You'd think they'd want you to actually -see- the artwork, hope this isn't a bad sign.

Shrugging, she walked with Jan into the next room, where a series of sunsets were on display. The paintings perked up her skeptical attitude considerably, and she grinned down at Jan.

Alright, this was a pretty good idea you had.

She scanned the paintings, not having a connoisseur's patience, and honed in on one she liked especially.

This one's cool. She peered at the title. "Bare."Â? She shot a look at Jan. Figures I guess.

She held out a hand to the painting in question, palm up, as though she could feel the sun as well as see it on the canvas. Then she shrugged. People went ten years without seeing a proper sunrise or sunset all the time. Shouldn't be any big deal.

Stupid, really, to get sentimental about it.

Jan 19 years ago

Jan blinked a few times to try and rid himself of the spots from the various camera flashes and smiled at Nova.

"I wonder if that works with music? Think if I blare some really harsh loud noise before a concert it will make me sound better?"

He chuckled and followed after her, noticing her choice to stop in front of, not surprising in the least.

"Yeah, I'm thinking I could have predicted that one."

His smile softened as he watched her put her hand out and knew what she was thinking, hadn't they all missed the sun in the early years? You'd never guess it was that big of a loss until you didn't have it. These days at least you could see it reproduced in various forms that were almost as good as the real thing. Still it wasn't the same and seeing an image of a sunrise or sunset was likely to make even the most jaded vampire pause and remember just what they'd lost when they gained immortality.

Wrapping an arm around her waist, Jan gave her a comforting hug.

"It gets easier. Hardly miss it after a while." So it was not entirely the truth.. It did get somewhat less difficult to bear over the years.

Amberelle DeEspionne 19 years ago

Making her way through the crowd slowly, she wandered into the room the brochure she had taken noted as the 'sunrise' area. As she stood in front of one, a beautiful expanse of trees with the sun breaking though she paused. Noticing the name, simply 'Forest', she smiled faintly.

It was barely more than a decade ago that she'd seen her last sunrise, breaking out over the lush swamp and glittering on the water. 'If only I'd known it was the last..' Amberelle knew there was no way she could have, but somehow it didn't stop her from feeling sad, like she should have appreciated it more, tried to remember it clearer. Biting back her emotions, she chewed on the inside of her lip. Turning away, she continued around the room, pausing to admire each. Sometimes she would fight back the urge to reach out and try to touch, a shimmery spider web especially caught her attention.

It seems so real.. she murmured to herself softly.

Nova 19 years ago

Nova smirked a little; yeah, so she was predictable sometimes. And pretty much read like a book. She gave Jan's shoulders a squeeze with one arm, still looking at the painting, and put her hand down.

Do you even remember? I sort of do...but it's like when you're away from a person long enough to be convinced you've forgotten what they look like, even though their features would all fall into place if you saw them one more time.

She snorted. Or something like that. Maybe I'm just forgetful. She chuckled. You done in this room?

She turned, keen to see what else there was, and spotted a pretty little blonde with an expression not unlike her own of a minute ago. She jerked her head in the woman's direction.

Guess I'm not the only sap in this place.