How did you come up with your DeviantArt user name?

Like many people who come to DA from Second Life (SL), I adapted my Second Life name to DA. So, where did my second life name come from? Donna was my best friend in like 3rd Grade. She was just the coolest person in my world then. We were school friends and I only spent a couple of sleep overs at her house. Then, she moved away when I was in 5th grade and I have not seen or heard from her since. Still, after all these years, I still think of her and remember her as pretty, and popular and my best friend. Domenitzo is a name I chose from a list that Second Life provided and that I had to choose from. I’m first generation Italian American; my parents were both born in Italy, and so I chose Domenitzo because it was sort of Italian sounding.

Your dA profile says, among other things, that in Second Life, you like to “explore new things and fantasies that time and circumstance have not allowed me to experience as much as I would like.” Have you been able to do that on DeviantArt as well?

My DA art is very much an extension of experiences in SL. Especially the SL snaps that I post to DA. So, Yes! There is not much that I do in SL that doesn’t show up in my DA posts. Within the bounds of DA’s TOS of course.

What, if anything, are you able to do on dA that you’re not able to do on SL?

SL is an interactive social media. DA is an art forum. So, the two are fundamentally quite different. In SL most of the activity is interactive and social. The exception is that I do a lot of deliberate photo shoots in SL which translate directly to DA. The process of doing those photos is very interactive as I work with models and we discuss costumes, poses and other aspects of the shoot. But, once the picture is taken, the art I do and post to DA becomes part of a creative process, not an interactive social process. The SL snaps posted to DA become something different when they are posted to DA – they become a permanent entity which can be viewed an unlimited number of times by an unlimited number of people. They can be interpreted any number of ways. Sometimes in the captions I provide an interpretation but sometimes I leave the captions bare so that the viewer can fill in their own interpretation. A viewer can download DA art and make it their own, or order a physical copy of it and touch it. Thus, in so many ways DA is both different than SL and more.



What are the newest “things and fantasies” you’re currently exploring on SL and dA?

Hmmm… things and fantasies? It sounds like I’m about to be hoisted on my own petard in answering this one. You said newest, and right now I don’t think I’m doing anything particularly new in DA or SL. I’m really working on some of the same old themes but trying to do them better or different.

How would you describe your particular art style?

I’m sure I have one but I’m also pretty sure I don’t know what it is. Half tongue in cheek, I would call my style “copying others and failing.” I consider myself someone who is learning and not really an artist but maybe an artist wannabe. So I look at someone who is doing what I consider really great work and copy their style and technique. Of course in the process I don’t copy it that well and I add in my own little techniques that I like, and ultimately something unique emerges.

Do you have any formal training/education as either an artist or as a writer?

In art I can honestly say I have never taken any formal or informal training. I wish I had. In writing I took basic comp 101 in college. I studied engineering so I didn’t do much writing and I got a C- in basic comp so I never thought I could write well. In my professional career however, I started having to write for professional purposes and I was told I was pretty good at it. That led to more requirements and opportunities to write, and also the opportunity to publish professionally and work with professional editors (and I desperately need a good editor). So, though I have had no real training as a writer I do write a lot professionally. However, all my real writing is highly technical, nonfiction, and generally protected for business reasons. So DA has given me a chance for the first time ever to try writing fiction just for fun, and I enjoy attaching stories to the images I create.

What led you to try your hand at creating artwork digitally?

I met Etherea Serendipity in SL and she had a DA account. She showed me the pictures she had posted and encouraged me to do the same. So I did. I wasn’t satisfied with the quality so I tried to improve the SL snaps and that required a little digital painting and editing. Once on DA, I realized that the 3D world was an important digital media and the photo realistic results achieved there were fantastic. I also realized that the software (Daz3D) was free. So I thought I would try that as well. I got caught up in both and so here I am years later still trying to produce decent pictures.

Are you self-taught at using programs like IRAY and Reality/Lux, Photoshop, etc.? How did you become so proficient at using these programs?

I am completely self-taught in Daz3d and Photoshop and associated programs like IRAY and Lux. Because of that, there are huge gaps in my education! I just want to create pictures that come close to what I imagine and I’m not really interested in the technical details so I have learned what I needed to. I am also constantly constantly learning … I try to do something a little different in almost every picture, SL or 3D, that I do. If you assume I am proficient, that’s a big assumption; it’s a matter of practice and trial and error. Mostly tho, lots and lots of practice.

Do you experiment with the art programs you use to push yourself to do new things or do you “play it safe” by creating what you know you’re good at and what you know your fans/watchers want to see?

I do both. As I mentioned above, I am constantly trying to learn new techniques and approaches -- mostly by studying the work of others. But I also know that a lot of people watch my page and enjoy what I have done before so I try to play to multiple audiences. Some of my work is meant for me and Etherea and we know no one else will like it, some of it is just meant for me, some (most) is meant to please the watchers and visitors and my DA friends, and almost all is meant to practice and improve the quality that is posted.

In a Journal from early 2016, you wrote “In my heart of hearts I want to do more traditional artwork – original digital painting and sketching.” Have you been able to accomplish that goal? Do you do any artistic work in traditional media as opposed to working digitally?

The answer is I have not. I do some sketching with pencils, and some pen and ink. I have a dozen or more sketch books full of sketches that range from practice drills to potential base works for painting. But it is difficult, time consuming and not to the quality I feel comfortable posting. The same can be said for digital painting. I do a good bit of it. I am not satisfied with the quality – but it is generally getting better. A few of my sketches and digital paintings are posted to DA. I am going to force myself to do more in 2017.

 (pencil sketch)     (digital painting)

When did you do your first bondage image and what was it?

The first time that I remember doing any bondage related art was in college when I caught myself doodling a tied and gagged girl in the margins of my notebook. I soon transferred those doodles into simple sketches which I placed in a pocket inside my sketch book, but I didn’t do them in my sketch book because I often shared my sketch book with friends and family.

Why do you think males and females like to see girls tied up/gagged and in perilous situations?

I have no idea what it is for guys. I assume some kind of power feeling. I think for women, especially women who are strong and independent, it is about losing oneself in the sexuality of the moment and freeing oneself from inhibitions and responsibility. To me, the bound woman has no control and, in giving up that control, is released to feel and react with no boundaries. The more independent and powerful the bound female is, the more dramatic the transformation from control to helplessness, and therefore the greater sensual release. To me, that’s why the best heroines are strong women, and why super heroines in peril is such a popular genre.

Which bondage artists/photographers and/or comic book artists do you admire most and why?

Wow, what a loaded question to ask me. Sit down and get yourself your favorite beverage while I trot out my list. Let me start by saying i am going off your script to talk about my favorite artists in general. Of course I would have to start the list with Shiniez who I think has brought bondage and DS into the mainstream and with a very high degree of quality. I first saw his work on DA when he was just posting one offs for fun. It has been interesting and inspiring watching his success. A second artist has to be one of your favorites, Alazar www.AlazarsArt.com . His work is simple, but I think he tells a great story in a simple picture through the scene and expressions he uses. I never tire of his work and he must be doing hundreds of pictures and I love them all. His simple but evocative bondage pictures reaffirm that often less is more. Okay for pick number three, and this is difficult choice because he doesn't do bondage explicitly, but you can find some damsel scenes in his work, is Terry Moore. Again, he is an artist who tells more with a few strokes of his pen than some can express in pages. A story teller extraordinaire! I am an avowed Strangers in Paradise fangirl as well as his two follow up works. And finally, I want to shout out to several other artists who I just adore: Frank Cho, Barbara Jensen, Frans Mensink , and Keith Garvey . And I'm not going into the classics who I adore like Frank Frazetta, Vargas, and as out there as it might seem, Normal Rockwell. I'll stop there but just let me say there are lots of others, but you don't want me to gush for pages! And to those I left out who I also copy shamelessly, I'm sorry I forgot you!

Do you have any weaknesses when it comes to your 3D artwork that you’re working to improve? And, if so, what are you doing to overcome the weakness?

Some of the weaknesses in my 3D work are technical. I'm not really into techie things and so I learned what I need to and no more and I don't really care too much about why or how it works. Right now I'm still trying to get better with the IRAY lighting. It's difficult to use and to predict results. I've learned to plan on doing lots of low rez test renders. I think other than lighting, the only other major improvement I could do would be to upgrade to Octane or one of the other high performance 3D programs. That's probably not going to happen as you are talking about going from essentially a free software system to one that costs thousands. Not to mention the learning curve. If I do anything different in 3D, it will be to try to come up with more original content -- experiment with different approaches to composition. Don't ask me how; if I knew I would have done it already

Writers sometimes suffer from “writer’s block.” Do you ever get the 3D artist’s equivalent? And, if so, how do you deal with it?

Yes I do. Sometimes I just go to bed. Usually its just because I'm exhausted. Another way is to browse the 3D content markets looking for something that ticks off an idea in my head. Similarly, I often just browse google and websites looking for something sensuous that sparks an idea.


In your novella, Vice, you combined storytelling (more than 40,000 words) and art (25 renders). How easy or challenging was that for you?

It was fun and easy. For me I think 40K words is not too challenging. My other effort, based on my OC Blue Vixen, is even better in art and writing, but I unfortunately ran out of steam about 1/3 the way through. That work is probably going to be 90K words. It was very difficult keeping up the interest for the length of time needed to do it and I got both bored and tired of it. I'm hopeful that I can get back to it.

You and both use the term “girlfriend” when referring to each other. How do you each mean that – is it a real life relationship, an online roleplay relationship, a way to describe a really good friendship, or something else?

What Etherea and I share is probably something else. Something that is unique but I think increasingly common in SL and in the virtual world in general. We have a RL relationship, one that is very personal and intense and important to us both, but we limit it to our online connections. That is, through email, DA, SL and other ways we can connect online. When I say it's a RL relationship, I mean that it has all the emotion, commitment and connection as RL minus the day to day involvement in each other’s RL routine. We share all our important RL events, good and bad. We laugh together and we cry together. We are girlfriends, BFF, and so much more. It is very very special and I think, I hope, occasionally that comes through in our art.

Donna and EthereaS

Let’s talk about your Journal entry  Off, On Again, Off, On Again.  Have the concerns expressed in that Journal resolved themselves with some degree of finality? Based on your experience, what advice would you give to others who have concerns about their personal security on dA?

I think it has been resolved. I'm still not sure if it was someone who made some very good guesses about my RL or someone who may have seen the screen on my laptop when it was unattended in my office. Either way, after I closed my account for almost 30 days, I didn't get any more messages. So I'm hopeful its resolved and I'm more careful with my laptop, and I'm watching what I say about RL in SL and DA (she says as she chats away in this interview).

Now, let’s talk about DeviantArt. What attracted you to dA when you joined the site in early 2011?

I liked that there weren't a lot of limits on what could be posted. I also liked that the community of somewhat kinky nerds like me was welcoming and encouraging. Really its the sense of community that attracted me and keeps me posting things. I have my work on a few other sites -- some seem to have a lot more members, but there is virtually no interaction.

What improvement would you most like to see made to the site?

I would like to see it easier to post to groups. That's a minor thing but it literally can take me an hour to post a piece of work to a couple dozen groups. It is bad enough to keep me from posting much of my work anywhere but to a few core groups that I am an admin for.

You have more than 4000 watchers and 411,000 pageviews. Your art has been added as favorites more than 103,000 times and received more than 41,000 comments. Why do you think you’re so popular on DeviantArt?

This question makes me smile. I don't think I'm that popular on DA. I do think that some of my themes are popular and maybe I have enough variety of work that I have managed to tap into a couple of different genres. I know you and your readers love the bondage stuff (as do I ), but as you probably noticed on my website, bondage themes only make up about 1/3 of what I do and about half of what is most popular. The pinup genre is equally popular and attracts a different group. Then there are SL fans and 3D fans, and I even have a few car and aviation fans. So, I would say that it's the variety as much as anything else that gets me a decent amount of visitors and watchers.

Above is Donna's image that has received the most comments and been added as a favorite more than any of her other images.

What is the most memorable comment you’ve received to any of your images on dA?

I would have to say that having a professional like Shiniez fave some of my fanart of his Sunstone characters is pretty high up there. In general there are three types of comments I really like: when someone says that one of my 3D pictures looked like a picture; when someone says my SL snaps look like a painting; and when someone says that a picture touched their heart.

What one image of yours are you most proud of and why?

One of my favorite bondage pics is this.

I think it is an interesting picture technically, it's part of story which I always like, the character is based on Etherea so that's a huge plus ( ) and it also engages the imagination.

What three artists on DeviantArt would you most like to be compared to?

Okay, another question designed to get me in trouble! Here are three of many many... only one does bondage:
Jame is probably the best SL artist I have seen, especially when it comes to imaginative bondage, though she doesn't post too much recently.
Saphire Nishi is maybe the best photo realistic artist posting to DA.
Deane is producing the most sensuous 3D in DA.
I actually hate highlighting these three because there really are sooooo many superb artists who inspire me in DA and who I would love to be compared with even just in passing.

“Welcome to Donna’s Art 2017!” is a Journal you wrote which sets out “a few things I'm thinking, considering, and working on.” How do you keep track of all of the projects you’re working on and how do you decide which project you’ll work on at any given time?

I have a list... actually several of them, and I add to them regularly. I would guess about half of what's on the lists gets done eventually. When I sit down in front of the computer, I usually have something in mind. Usually something that has been nagging me for a day or two. If I don't, I refer to my list and sometimes I'm reminded of what inspired me and I get on it and cross that one off.

What do you like to do in the real world when you are away from Second Life and DeviantArt?

I have a lot of real world hobbies and interests... too many. I have a full time professional job which I slave at about 60 hours a week (my union sucks). I live on and own a small horse farm. I love my dogs, cats and horses and that takes up the bulk of my time. I used to ride competitively, now mostly I ride for fun and give lessons. The horses and riding are fun. Most of my time, however, is spent mending fences, mowing, haying, cleaning tack and stalls and paddocks. When I can fit it in, I run (half marathons), read a lot of fiction and non-fiction, and I'm very interested in aviation. That said, I know I'm leaving lots of stuff out!

Lingerie and Landing Gear Calendar

What else do you want people to know about you and your artwork?

Okay, let me see if I can say this in just a few words. I do my art to express myself, I enjoy it -- its fun. I don't want to offend anyone -- ever. If it taps into something that a viewer can relate to, then I win and the viewer wins! That's the best. The thing that makes me continue to post to DA is the combination of my own enjoyment and the interaction with the visitors to my page. If there were no comments, faves or watches, then I probably would eventually leave DA and not be happy about it. So, thanks to everyone who has ever visited my page -- sharing what I feel with you through art makes me very happy!