Month: March 2021

The art of Isabel Hermano in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Janus II Gallery: Isabel Hermano – Living in a Steampunk World

I did not intend to write about another exhibition at Chuck Clip’s Sinful Retreat so quickly after my last arts write-up (see: Sheba’s mystical art in Second Life). however, after witnessing Isabel Hermano’s exhibition at the Janus II Gallery in the region, I could not help but put fingers to keyboard.

Given the breadth of her work that is on display, I’m rather surprised to admit that’s I’ve not previously documented Isabel’s art, as her digital images are truly  captivating to the eye.

Janus II Gallery: Isabel Hermano – Living in a Steampunk World

Although entitled Living in a Steampunk World, the pieces offered through this exhibition feature much more than the style of retro-futuristic images we might normally associate with the idea of “steampunk”; while such elements  – the ideas of Victoriana, corsets, goggles, exotic mechanicals – present in several of the images, so to does the exhibition cast a wider net, capturing retro-modern elements, touches of Fritz Lang and Buck Rogers, hints of childhood, even a glimpse of contemporary science fiction.

This wider casting of the net doesn’t invalidate the title of the exhibition – rather, it enhances it, and offers a new twist.

Take Tinman, with its the image of C3-PO for example: whilst his appearance might bring to mind thoughts of a technologically advanced, spacefaring civilisation far beyond that of our own, his appearance as a “tin man” is not actually that far removed from the ideas of steampunk mechanoids.

Isabel notes that she likes to use bold colours  on account of the depth of passion they suggest, and that use of colour is clearly shown here – and I would argue that its presence in these pieces adds a further dimension to their narrative. And make no mistake, these are pieces rich in their ability frame moments and ideas that capture the eye and transport the imagination in the most marvellous of ways, whether or not the idea of steampunk are central to the journey.

For me, this sense of narrative is particularly strong with Radio City Music Hall, and The Sisters. These are also two pieces that may not immediately appear to be particularly “steampunk” in nature. The first brings to mind the era of Marlowe and hard-boiled detectives, whilst the latter richly mixes ideas. With the three female characters, there is a clear reference to Fritz Lang and Metropolis, whilst the airship above them both suggests steampunk airship – but set against a cosmic backdrop of a nebula cloud, it also carries that Buck Rogers vibe mentioned above.

Janus II Gallery: Isabel Hermano – Living in a Steampunk World

Theses are also pieces that are rich in motif and symbol – the use of animals in several of the more “steampunky” pictures, the juxtaposition of modern technology with suggestions of the Victorian era, mechanical octopuses, and so on that can lead the imagination onwards in it journey – and the eye to the richness of detail within each of these pieces.

Open through until early April, Living in a Steampunk World is a captivating exhibition of digital art.

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Postcards from home in SL

Posted on by Inara Pey
A little view of home

Apropos nothing in particular, I’ve been hovering around the island home a lot of late recently, fiddling with bits and pieces in the grounds, playing with old and new landscaping kits – notably Alex Bader’s Animated River Building Kits, which were sent to me when launched, but which I’ve only recently got around to being able to put to good use (and found them to be exceptionally versatile in making streams, rivers and even coastal edges for islands) and taking photos of the results.

So, this being the case, I thought I’d be self-indulgent and bore you with some of the resultant shots 😀 .

The Studio Skye Animated River Building Kits allowed me to build a set of streams to help break up the island land, while also offering the perfect setting for another favourite of mine, the Chapel Ruins by Marcus Inkpen. A bridge built using elements of IvanBenjammin’s Wooden Walkways & Stairs set is used to span the main stream
One of the things I like about Marcus’ Chapel Ruins is that they are easily customisable: with the use of plants from Happy Mood, Alex Bader, Cube Republic and others, they can be made into something of a garden space. It also forms a place for us to relax in, courtesy of a hammock, and the ideal place to display a sculpture by ArtemisGreece, an artist I’ve recently come to admire.
Another mesh sculptor I’ve long admired is Ciottolina Xue. Her sculptures have adorned the gardens of all the homes I’ve had in Second Life since I first came across her work in 2015, and they are part of the current design as well, some free-standing and others combined with plant displays.
Sasaya Kayo provides some excellent low-LI ground cover under the Happy Mood Brand, and also some interesting tree forms that can offer a nice twist on a given landscape (note the twisted trunk on the right). The board walk has been built using IvanBenjammin’s Wooden Walkways & Stairs set mentioned above.
Private corners are always good to have, and a combination of Krystali Rabeni’s Love Eternal Folly (with the swing removed and replaced with a picnic set by Follow Us!) and gardened by a dragon, provides one of ours.
Another tree I like is by AzaleaBluebell (seen at the centre of this image). A gift offered at a past Fantasy Faire, it’s a simple, effective design that resizes somewhat (LI allowing) and offers a nice amount of shade.
Hammocks make a great place to play spot-the-shapes-in-the-clouds…

Anyway, for what it’s worth, that’s another glimpse of our little corner of SL and with it, I’ll return you to your regularly scheduled viewing 🙂 .

An Enchanting Small Town in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Enchanting Small town, March 2021

Enchanting Small Town is a homestead region design by Nataly Moonwall that opened earlier in the year, but which I’ve only recently managed to hop across to and see. For those seeking something of a urban setting for photography (albeit sans props, as there is no group available for rezzing rights), it could be a useful place to visit.

Step away from the stresses of life and chill in this realistic small town. A place to hang out & explore. Take great pictures. Beautiful, relaxing beach. Café, Playground, Jazz Club and more! Enjoy.

– Enchanting Small Town About Land description

Enchanting Small town, March 2021

Compact in size and easy to explore, the setting very much has a US West Coast vibe to it, set out as a waterfront location overlooking a sloping beach and backed by taller buildings and hills and suggest it could be part of a larger coastal setting.

The beach and the waterfront are the focal point, the latter comprising a main road that doubles as parking for the beach, being a dead end. Behind it sits a large, modern house that appears open to the public – although the sign on the main gates offers a stark warning to trespassers! The general design of the house, complete with infinity pool to the rear (which may have worked better facing the open sea), oozes wealth. But for me, it wasn’t the house – as excellently furnished as it is – that held my attention.

Enchanting Small town, March 2021

Bracketing it are two pedestrianised areas that caught my attention the most. One is fronted by what looks to be a recent development of boutique shops adjacent to a subway entrance and small newspaper kiosk. This area runs around to an older part of town with apartment houses and narrow streets that is fronted by a motel entrance.

The entire layout here suggests that at one time the waterfront road may have continued around to the motel, but the construction of the boutique shops prompted the broader pedestrianisation and the opening of the subway station entrance / exit.

Enchanting Small town, March 2021

The main entrance to the subway lies beyond the motel, where the West Coast feel starts to merge with a sense of the the other side of the United States: the signage for the station (and that over the smaller entrance / exit) would clearly be more at home in New York. While there may not be a station under the entrance, it points the way to the local jazz club, a cosy place that sits within a neighbourhood that again perhaps suggests New York than Santa Monica, further adding to the region’s mix of West Coast / East Coast vibe.

To the other side of the main house is a further pedestrian thoroughfare that leads to to a small recreational park. It is home to one of those small community supermarkets together with a bubble tea café for those needing some refreshment; it’s the kind of place someone might come to people watch, although it is currently more home to the local pigeons and doves.

Enchanting Small town, March 2021

Whilst most of the buildings in the region are façades, places like the café, the supermarket and jazz club, as well as the furnished house, add depth to the setting by providing places for people to go to and spend time within. Further depth is added by the inclusion of areas of the setting including props such as cars, etc., but which are not currently directly accessible, suggesting things could be moved around to present different areas to explore.

With the beach awaiting swimmers and sunbathers, a beach bar waiting to serve cocktails and opportunities for photography throughout, Enchanting Small Town makes for an easy, engaging visit.

Enchanting Small town, March 2021

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Sheba’s mystical art in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Janus III Gallery: Sheba Blitz – Into the Mystic

When Sheba Blitz first arrived in Second Life, it was without any preconceived ideas about displaying her work.  However, after encountering the vibrant arts communities that exist across the platform she decided to give exhibiting her work a try – and I, for one am glad that she did.

Hailing from Australia, Sheba has studied art in a variety of styles over the years, gaining several diplomas in the process. However, throughout her time as an artist, she has found focus in painting mandalas – which she does so quite exquisitely.

Janus III Gallery: Sheba Blitz – Into the Mystic

For those unfamiliar with it, the mandala (literally meaning “circle” in Sanskrit) is a symbol with very deep religious, spiritual and even political meaning. It may be employed in spiritual guidance, focusing the attention of practitioners and adepts, as a means of establishing a sacred space and as an aid to meditation and trance induction. Mandalas are particularly used in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Shintoism. They also have new age symbolism, and were regarded by Jung as a means to explore “the fourfold nature of the psyche”.

I first encountered Sheba’s work five years ago and was immediately captivated. Specialising in painting quarternity mandalas, she works with gouache, acrylics and metallic paints on either canvas or paper, drawing on sources such as music, books, astrology and tarot symbolism as her inspiration. The finished pieces are all intricately beautiful, endlessly geometric, generally perfectly symmetric, and rich in symbolism.

Janus III Gallery: Sheba Blitz – Into the Mystic

All of this creative, spiritual beauty can currently be seen at the Janus III Gallery on Chuck Clip’s Sinful Retreat, where Sheba is exhibiting a selection of her work entitled Into the Mystic.

Across the two floors of the gallery one can find the most meticulous pieces of art that are utterly captivating.

Whenever I witness Sheba’s art and and consider the work that went into each piece, I cannot help but be put in mind of dul-tson-kyil-khor (mandala of coloured powders) in Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism. Like those painstakingly constructed sand paintings, there is an inherent balance within Sheba’s paintings in terms of symmetry and harmony that lifts the spirit whilst also speak to the depth of focus on the part of the artist.

Like the work of Tibetan monks, Sheba’s art is rich in iconography that combines geometric shapes and spiritual symbols.

However, unlike the Tibetan sand painting, which is intentionally impermanent, each piece ritualistically destroyed and used as an offering to water and life once the meditation of its creation is complete, Sheba’s art endures well beyond its creation. In this, while sand painting might speak to the impermanence of life and the cycle of creation, Sheba’s art reflects the enduring nature and balance of the cosmos around us.

Janus III Gallery: Sheba Blitz – Into the Mystic

This is art for which images on a page simply do not do justice. Each piece is so rich in form and intricate in detail, Sheba’s work deserves to be seen and appreciated first hand whether you are drawn to the spiritual symbolism of the mandala or simply drawn to art for its beauty and geometry So do take time to drop into the Janus III Gallery before this exhibition ends later in the month.

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Patch Linden talks Linden Homes and more

Posted on by Inara Pey
Patch linden appeared at a Home and Garden presentation session,on Wednesday, March 10th, 2021

On Wednesday, March 10th, 2021 Patch Linden attended the home and Garden Expo to talk about his role, Linden homes and other aspects of SL  and Linden Lab, and to answer questions from the audience.

The following is a summary of the session covering the core topics raised. The notes provided have been taken directly from the official video of the session, which is embedded at the end of this article. Time stamps to the video are also provided for ease of reference.

Notes:

  • This is a summary, not a full transcript, and items have been grouped by topic, so may not be presented chronologically when compared to the video.
  • The last 20+ minutes of the session is a general Q&A session where Patch was addressing questions and comments put into local chat, which is not visible in the video. Some of these are highly specific questions based on an individual’s experience, other more generic – please refer to the video directly for this part of the session (commencing at 56:50).
  • In places, information that is supplementary to Patch’s comments is provided in square braces (.i.e. [ and ]) are used in the body text below to indicate where this is the case.

About Patch

  • Originally a Second Life resident and business owner who joined the platform in 2004, and became a Linden in 2007.
  • Initially worked as a support agent and then as a support liaison. From there he moved to the Concierge team, eventually becoming that team’s manager. From there he took on the role of Operations Support Manager for a year, then moved to the Product group, the team responsible for defining the features, etc., found within Second Life.
  • In 2019 he was promoted to Vice President, Product Operations, and joined the Lab’s management team (see: Linden Lab’s management team expands: congrats to Grumpity, Patch and Oz).
  • In this role, he has two major departments reporting into him: those of Support and Product Operations, the latter of which comprises the Lab’s internal content creation team (which includes the Moles of the Linden Department of Public Works) and the Land Operations team, which he originally established whilst working within the Product group. Together, these make up the largest teams at Linden Lab.
  • Together with Grumpity Linden, who is Vice President of Product and Acting Vice President of Engineering since Oz Linden retired, he oversees Second Life’s continued development.
  • He is based in Atlanta, Georgia, and was responsible for establishing the Lab’s support office there.

Linden Homes And Bellisseria

Linden Homes

[Video: 6:38-23:06]

  • The “new” Linden Homes, as launched in 2019, came about in part because of the Premium “free” tier being upgraded from 512 sq m or 1024 sq m. They were also driven by the “ageing” design of the original Homes themselves (i.e. using older capabilities, being non-mesh, etc), together with their relatively high density tending to make them less appealing over time.
  • Developing the new Homes has been both a learning process and an exercise in incorporating additional capabilities within the different themes.
  • The release of the Silt Homes (see: Linden Stilt Homes released in Second Life), the first release to be made following the move to AWS services, did bring with it a number of issues (e.g. the infamous “blue window” issue), but most of these have now been resolved or have fixes in the works.
  • The release of the “Alpine” – or fachwerkhaus, as Patch would prefer them to be called – theme is now “just around the corner”, and may be occurring in the “next couple of weeks”.
    • Preparations for the release have seen an large extensive in Linden Home regions to the north-east of Bellisseria beyond the Silt Home / Houseboat regions, such that the estate now almost reaches Satori.
    • While the regions containing the fachwerkhaus theme will have hilly / mountainous areas, they will not be “snowy”. The Lab has learned through various channels that predominantly snow-covered regions tend to be polarising: people either love them or hate them, so prefer keep it seasonal.
    • However, were there a demand to make such regions “snowy” in theme, it may be something the Lab could look at doing in the future.
The fachwerkhaus theme of Linden Homes could be released within the next 2-3 weeks
  • Right now the overall drive with Linden Homes is to get all the planned themes – fachwerkhaus and beyond – released by the end of 2021.
  • Once this has been achieved, it is likely that the retirement of the “old” Linden Homes will commence.
  • There are currently no plans to directly replicated the themes found in the “old” Linden Homes beyond what has been seen (e.g. the Log Homes offering a similar environment to the Tahoe theme).
    • This is something that might be contemplated some time after all the currently planned themes have been released, but no guarantees.
    • In terms of the “old” styles, only one – the Meadowbrook (the “suburban” style 1- and 2-storey homes) – proved to be particularly popular, beating the other three styles by “leaps and bounds”.
  • There have been requests to allow groups of people to select Linden Homes that are located close to one another, so that they might establish little communities of friends, etc. This is actually difficult to achieve, but might be something that could be looked at some time after the roll-out of Home themes has been completed.
  • [33:20-34:55] The next NEW theme for Linden Homes (to follow the fachwerkhaus theme) will be previewed at SL18B in June.
    • It is promised that it will “Blow your socks off” and be the “most impressive theme released to date”.
    • It will have “unique” capabilities not previously seen in Linden Homes
    • It is unlikely the theme will actually be released during the SLB event, but will likely be available some time afterwards.

Bellisseria and Community

[Video: 23:15-32:49]

  • It was anticipated that some form of community would develop around Bellisseria,  if only going by lessons learned from Bay City. However, the speed with which it developed and grew has been surprising to Patch.
  • Has been watching the growth of the many sub-communities with the continent, which now cover all interests and social aspects – boating, flying, merfolk, LGBTQ+ – even Adult.
  • While it was not with a specific aim of building “community”, having public spaces to visit and explore within Bellisseria and venues that could be used was key part of planning the estate.
  • These remain a focal point of effort through seasonal events and activities – such as those in Millbank such as the Halloween build there.
  • There is a dynamic between the community and the Lab – the latter listen to the former, may adopt ideas from the former, and the former may take ideas and facilities from the Lab and run with them (as with the use of the Bellisseria Fairgrounds), etc.
    • An example of this is the adoption by the Lab of the house number system introduced by the community.
    • Also, the Bellisseria Bureau of Bureaucracy “passport” system will be adopted, with the Lab providing their own kiosks within the various locations within Bellisseria they maintain, allowing visitors to have their passports uniquely stamped.
  • There are no plans to name roads in Bellisseria – it is hard enough to come up with fresh region names [although I admit to having an amused groan over the likes of Salmon and Gillfunkel, OccupenSea (together the neighbouring xxxSea regions), Lone Shark, Miniature Gulf and so on!].

AWS Migration

[Video: 37:07-48:22]

[Note: details on several of the issues relating to the AWS migration and the on-going follow-up work on it can be found in my weekly Simulator User Group meeting summaries and on my notes from the February Lab Gab AWS update.]

  • The move to using AWS services that was completed at the end of 2020 was just that: relocating services to AWS without making significant changes to them, unless absolutely essentially to their smooth running [what Oz Linden and his teams referred to as “lift and shift”].
  • Unfortunately, this met that certain services (e.g. the Map tile generation and the Land Store) did break.
    • [The major cause of these breakages was down to the code having certain assumptions about the operating environment “baked in”, which are no longer true within the AWS environment.]
    • The Land store issue is now fixed, and the Map tile issues are well on their way to being fixed [there are still issues around the “stitching” and rendering process when zooming out from the Map].
  • With the migration work completed, the emphasis is not on performance tuning and on bug fixing.
  • Broader issues – such as Search  (notably People search) are also problematic, and these issues are also on a priority list for fixing.
  • As always, if people come across a specific technical issue (particularly if it can be reproduced using the official viewer, please raise a bug report.

SL, the Lab and the Pandemic

[Video: 46:28-56:50]

  • SL has seen numerous examples of increased activity during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. In particular, merchants across markets are seeing increased sales; charity events are seeing increased fund-raising, etc.
  • The Lab remains sensitive to the issue, particularly around issues of people who may have lost loved ones or are struggling with increased financial hardship as a result of the pandemic.
  • Obviously, the Lab is pleased that Second Life has provided a positive outlet for people, and they have noted upticks in “old” users returning to the platform an in “new” new user accounts being created.
    • The latter is particularly being noted through the use of the platform by the likes of the education, business and non-profit sectors, which has in turns spurred renewed media interest in the platform.
  • Patch [and others at the Lab?] appreciate the greater freedom using Second Life gives them over other other business tools they use – Zoom, Google Meet,  etc. – simply because it offers the chance to have a change of surroundings and relax into their avatars.

Cherishville’s coastal spring in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Cherishville II, March 2021

We were drawn back to Lam Erin’s Cherishville on the advice of region super sleuth Shawn Shakespeare, who noted to me the region has relocated since our last visit in mid-2020, and has been redressed for the spring season.

The last time we visited, Cherishville has been given a look of tropical splendour that mixed a splash of the Caribbean with a twist of the Mediterranean, whilst also carrying a sense of timelessness. For the new setting, the region – now referred to as Cherishville II – has moved to a somewhat more temperate climate in terms of its setting. However, while sporting a new look, it retains that air of timelessness.

Cherishville II, March 2021

I say this because as you explore the region, elements pop-up that give cause to consider it to be in a certain period, but then others appear to suggest something else. For example, on arrival I felt I’d dropped into a coastal setting that is in the immediate post World War II era. A 1940s Citroen is parked at the roadside, whilst a worn-out 50’s style car is slowly being overtaken by grass and weeds. Similarly, a boat moored close by has that 40’s / 50’s styling about it, whilst across the water the ruins of a large house look as if they are the result of ordinance of some kind having struck it. But then, in looking around, other details surface that suggest the region is placed in a more recent period.

Take, for example, the ruined house; it sits on one arm of the local harbour’s cove, the east and west ends still standing, the middle long gone, the wreckage having been cleared so that the space created might be used as the outdoor forecourt to a café-bar. This sits slightly set back from the ruin as you look at it, and is of a distinctly modern architectural form – that of a giant coffee mug, complete with handle, its brickwork almost pristine – suggesting it belongs to more recent times then the post-war years. Similarly, the two motorbikes parked outside of the old walls to the property suggest they are far more recent than the 40s or 50s, particularly given the off-road looks of one of them.

Cherishville II, March 2021

These dichotomies extend to the overall design of the region, which tends to suggest it might lie somewhere along the Atlantic coast of France (allowing for the presence of the surrounding mountains, hardly a feature of the western coast of that country!), but which can also awaken thoughts of the more remote parts of the North American continent, or in my case (again allowing for the off-region mountains)  in places brought to mind thoughts of Cornwall or Ireland. Thus, a further layer of magic is added to the scene.

The bay mentioned above is home to both the landing point and a small hamlet that might have once seen fishing as a potential mainstay, although those times may well have passed. While there is a fishing boat present, it is out of the water and up on stocks; whether it is undergoing repairs or restoration is open to debate, but it’s ageing condition matches that of the buildings close by, suggesting that it and they no longer see regular working use.

Cherishville II, March 2021

The hamlet’s presence spreads beyond the curve of the region’s inlet, extending eastward from where the café bar sits on the northern coast. Here again, the buildings offer a sense of age as they huddle around the foot of a narrow hill to reach an old stone built farmhouse. The flank of the hill directly behind this farmhouse has neat rows of lavender marching up it, as if going to war against the remnants of an ancient fort the crowns the hill. With its circular walls standing without evidence of ever being part of a larger structure, this put me in mind of the promontory forts of Cornwall and Devon – although similar ruins may well be found elsewhere in Europe.

While the slope from farm house to fort can be climbed, the best way to reach the latter is via the road that points south from the harbour and the landing point before meandering its way around the landscape. This is ideal for exploration on foot or – if you have one – via a wearable horse.

Cherishville II, March 2021

Running under tree and beside more lavender neatly arrayed in a field, this is one of those roads that, while you know you are confined to a single region, has the feeling of genuinely going somewhere. As you follow it, the bay and the buildings around it are gradually and naturally obscured by the trees and the lie of the land, whilst what lies ahead is similarly gently revealed as you explore.

It’s possible that at one time the fort offered a commanding view over the bay and the surrounding landscape, but the passage of years have seen the slopes around it become the home of trees that now match and exceed it in height such that whatever command it once had has long since passed. Now it sits with stones worn by weather and moss, a memento of a bygone era and, perhaps, the setting for lover’s trysts.

Cherishville II, March 2021

Beautifully laid out and presented, this iteration of Cherishville ensures the region retains its reputation as a photogenic highlight of Second Life.

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