Month: August 2026

The start of the week saw an invitation arrive from Nomore (Manoji Yachvili) to visit her homestead region and latest art exhibition, Cellophane.

Whilst I was unable to make the opening due to pressures elsewhere, I was extremely pleased and surprised to receive it; earlier in 2026 Nomore had closed her Homestead region to public access, and had also offered what looked like being a final exhibition of her art, hosted by Dido Haas at Nitroglobus Roof Gallery (see: Of Inventory, art and the artist in Second Life). I was therefore keen to hop along and see both the region and the exhibition.

I’ve covered past iterations of Fading Shadows numerous times in this blog, and have always enjoyed how Nomore has blended natural setting, architecture and art to create a flowing sense of space and environment.

This is very much in evidence with this iteration for mid- 2026. Entitled The PALM, it presents a minimalist, windswept coastal area of sand and dunes into which the rolling tide has sculpted inlets and bays, and the slopes of the dunes and hills have been smoothed and rounded by the passage of the wind.

There is a sense of age to the setting, both in the way the sands have been so shaped, and in the fact that that an old stone watchtower guards one corner of the setting, the wreck of sailing ship caught on the shoals below it, guarded by an orca.

Across the region, to the north-east, the land becomes rockier, the sands rising to cleave to a table of rock on which sits Nomore’s private home, and the only part of the region off-limits to visitors.

These are not the only structures present within the region; Nomore has a captivating means of incorporating various architectural styles into her region designs which both perfectly fit the aesthetic and which can serve as a home to her art exhibitions. The PALM is no exception.

Scattered across the landscape are four modern building designs, each home to a themed exhibition of Nomore’s Second Life and physical world art. As with many of her past region designs, these have been blended into the setting through the use of texturing and materials – something perhaps most apparent here within the cliff house gallery on the north side of the setting.

Cellophane, Nomore’s latest exhibition is housed with Cory Edo’s Jura Cottage, a building I’ve oft considered playing with myself (still might!), which here again Nomore has superbly blended into the setting through careful retexturing of the base and some of the outer walls

The exhibition is – like many for Nomore – something of a reflection of personal feelings and outlook and accessible commentary designed to prod us into thinking about life and the planet around us. For me, this always makes Nomore’s exhibitions especially attractive; they are both visually and mentally engaging and multi-layered.

Cellophane offers food for thought on modern society and its outlook on a range of matters from global warming through to questioning the purpose of art, whilst gently reminding us that we are all stewards of this planet, and we all have a responsibility for actively caring for it.

In this the use of cellophane / plastic particularly layered; its convenience makes it both ideal for simple preservation, whilst at the same time it is one of the most ecologically damaging materials we can use and which we often so carelessly dispose. It is also a perfect metaphor for our willingness to be inactive participants (if you will) in expressing concern for the directions the world around us seems to be taking.

These thoughts and ideas have helped shape The PALM as a whole; reading the artist’s reflection on the exhibition sheds light on the nature of the region’s form and the idea of slow erosion. Thus landscape and art further come together.

In this, there is perhaps a wider contrast hidden without the quiet beauty of the region; particularly in the contrast between the flotsam and jetsam of human vacationing scattered over the sands and the quiet reminders of the beauty of life in all its forms in our oceans, and which can be glimpsed as we explore the landscape.

Which is not to say the PALM is all about Deep Thinking. Its minimalist beauty is captivating and photogenic; there are multiple places to sit and simply chat or enjoy the passing time; there are opportunities for padding out on the waters via little boats or have a little fun on a springboard.

Nor is the art within the region confined to the gallery spaces or even the ground. Elements of art have been carefully folded into the setting in the form of sculptures, whilst an active Experience operating within the region can be used to hop between the ground-level galleries and those up in the air over the region, which house Nomore’s personal collections of art.

In short, there are multiple reasons for visiting The PALM – and I very much hope that after reading this, you will hop over and see for yourself. My thanks to Nomore for the invitation, and apologies for no making the opening event!

Slurl Details

• The PALM (Fading shadows, rated Moderate)

I recently received an invitation from Robin Lobo to visit Shamone Beach and Shamone Surf, two regions within the estate operated by Sharon (Sharon Twist) under the Veteran’s Network banner.

Designed by Robin, the two regions – Shamone Beach being a full Private region leverage the available Land Capacity bonus and the Shamone Surf a Homestead – present a tropical archipelago neatly melding with off-region islands and the remaining regions in the estate (which fall outside of this article, although the SLurl to the main regions is supplied at the end; I’m uncertain if the islands in the remaining regions are public or private) to give a sense of wide open waters as might be found in a South Pacific cluster of islands.

The largest island in the group takes up most of the north-west of Shamone Beach, presenting a rocky setting crowned by a private residence (clearly marked), with the rest of the island open to public exploration, complete with signs to help guide the way and avoid trespass.

To the east of the main island is a second island split between a rocky, tree-crowned hill and a humpbacked beach of golden sands. This neatly straddles the boundary between Shamone Beach and Shamone Surf, and provides access to the main physical attraction within the archipelago: surfing.

Completing the group are three more islands marching across the southern extent of Shamone Beach, one of which is a sandy events and social space, able to keep its head above any tides long enough to grow a crown of stubby, grassy hair into which acacia trees have been able to transplant themselves.

The second of these three islands is dominated by the tall cone of a volcano. It is separated from the main This may have once been a part of the main island given the closeness and similarity of the rock formations, but if so, the sea has long since cut a channel between them. However, there’s no danger of the volcano upsetting the beauty of the setting with a rude eruption as it appears long extinct and its crater flooded. Between it and the events island a little round hump of sand pokes its head above the open waters as an island-beach retreat.

The waters between the islands are relatively shallow – doubtless the reason why surfing can be enjoyed here as the waves coming in from deeper waters shoal and raise themselves up. However, the waters are far from deserted: orca, shark and stingrays are to be found swimming around and through them (so those opting to take a swim themselves might want to take a little care!), and alligators seem to be looking for a snack on the low hump of the events sand bar!

Passage between the three largest islands in the group is facilitated by a rope slide and footbridge for those who prefer not getting their feet wet, whilst bubble rezzers are to be found here and there for those wishing to drift around on the winds when passing between them – or when trying to reach the smaller isles.

This is a place where relaxation and having fun are carefully stirred together to meet the needs of anyone seeking to just relax and share time under a warm Sun or who might wish to have some fun with various activities – surfing, riding a jet ski, swimming, dancing…

Places to sit and chill are to be found right across all of the islands; some are obvious (particularly along the beaches) others might take a little finding. Some spots might come as a surprise (I had no idea Hobbits enjoyed tropical holidays! 😀 ), and some might challenge those prone to vertigo! Those seeking the jet skis will find them moored in a little cover on the main island (keep inside the marker buoys when departing), or alongside the tiki house on the volcano island – the dock there also gives with opportunity to go swimming with a dolphin!

I’m not really one for beaches and the like – not for holidays in the physical world, at least; I prefer to get out and about and explore 🙂 . This perhaps leaves me with an unfair bias against beachside resorts and the like in Second Life (whilst also perhaps explaining why I do spend a fair amount of time in-world exploring!).

However, when it comes to Shamone Beach and its surroundings, I really did enjoy wandering, poking, photographing and generally having fun. Robin has put a lot of care and attention into making the islands both relaxing and fun – and to ensure visitors can do both without ever feeling like they might be intruding on the privacy of the house on the top of the main island.

The is genuinely a place offering something to see at pretty much every turn, be it a little place to sit and pass the time somewhere or the surprise of coming across a cosy hobbit hole or suddenly realising the shadow passing by you whilst swimming belongs to a gentle stingray, happy to leave you in peace if you do the same.

Do, however, mind the coconuts when wandering some of the beaches, as some of them can be very energetic. Some don’t so much fall from from their tree as they do launch themelves from it with gusto – as I found out whilst paddling in the shallows! 😀

My thanks again to Robin for the invite – and for the delay in getting this piece written up; and also to Sharon for a brief chat during my more recent visit and before the Tuesday Restart Monster chased us both off of the islands!

Slurl Details

All regions rated Moderate

• Shamone Beach
• Shamone Surf
• Shamone Landing Point