In June, Kultivate Magazine published the first volume of Quill and Pen, a new twice-yearly publication focusing on the work of writers and poets from across Second Life. It features short stories (including flash stories), non-fiction and poetry, and is published each June and December.
You can obtain / read this first volume in a number of e-formats on-line and on mobile devices:
On August 22nd, 2016 Kultivate announced submissions for the second volume of the journal are now open, with the publication date set for December 5th, 2016. Writers and poets from across Second Life are invited to submit their work for consideration / publication, with submissions are welcome in the following categories:
Poems: one poem per page, single spaced and left justified, maximum of six pages
Non-fiction: one essay up to 3,000 words, double spaced, no extra space between paragraphs, white space for section breaks only
Fiction:
Full-length stories: one story up to 3,000 words, double spaced, no extra space between paragraphs. White space for section breaks only
Flash fiction: up to 700 words, double spaced, no extra space between paragraphs. White space for section breaks only.
To submit your work, please complete the Quill and Pensubmission form.
Please do not copy / paste your work into the form when applying. All work should be made available via Google Documents or a similar service, with the link to its location included in the submission form. Kultivate will then download your work from the provided link, thus preserving formatting for publication. Thank you.
Now open at Ce Soir Arts is Sailing, a nautical-themed exhibition of photography by friend and long-time Second Life resident, Wildstar Beaumont.
Perhaps best known for his work as the official photographer of Relay For Life, and featured artist during the intermission period on Designing Worlds, as well as being the feature photographer for both the former Primgraph magazine and for Prim Perfect, Wildstar visually documents the ever-changing face of Second Life.
As well as sharing a common interest in Second Life photography, Wildstar and I are also avid Second Life sailing enthusiasts and lovers of tall ships; little wonder, then, that I was drawn to this exhibition. Tall ships are a particular focus in the pictures, but other vessels are also offered, with many of them also offering unique views of Second Life’s most famous water-bound locations.
Fastnet Rock lighthouse (Crows Nest) can, for example, be seen in several of the images. Other images incorporate places such as the Leviathan’s Skeleton (Ahab’s Haunt), the marina at Starboard’s Yacht Club, the paddle steamer quays at Dutch Harbor (see my August 2014 article on the magnificent vessels moored there), and the Temple of Neptune looking out over Blake Sea, to name a handful.
But I confess, it is the tall ships which capture my eye and heart. There is a romance to the great sailing ships of old which belies the often harsh life aboard them, whether merchantman or warship. Who cannot be moved by the sight of such a vessel, sails unfurled, white-foamed sea curling back from curved bows as it runs before the wind, unfettered and in full career – if I might borrow from Brecht. Or, equally as moving, laying at anchor, sails furled as the sun casts its last rays of the day across masts and deck.
Wildstar captures all this and more in his images; so much so that to point a finger at any one is perhaps unfair, but I admit to being very drawn to his images of the Star of Winterfell, (shown on the right in the banner image for this article) and the trio of studies showing the Bright Star passing the Fastnet Rock Lighthouse (below right, alongside a closer viewer of the Bright Star).
All of the pictures in the exhibition are for sale at a very modest price, and are presented pre-framed and ready to hang at home. And believe me when I say, they will more than grace any home with wall space to spare. For anyone in love with sailing or who appreciates Wildstar’s work, this is a must-see exhibition.
I’ve long been a fan of the work of artist Milly Sharple – particularly her fractal art (see my article on her Fractal Insanity exhibit at Timamoon Arts) – as well as her flair for region design, which I’ve blogged about twice in relation to her homestead region of Isles of Lyonesse when it given winter makeovers for public enjoyment in 2014/15 and 2015/16.
It is to Isles of Lyonesse that I recently returned, as it is now the home for an an extensive exibition of Milly arts in a gallery complex she has collectively called New Fractal Insanity, a reference to her small gallery space, Fractal Insanity, at Timamoon Arts.
Housed within three buildings arranged to form a peaceful central quadrangle between them, New Fractal Insanity offers plenty of space for Milly to showcase her work, which encompasses both fractal and abstract art, the latter of which also incorporates both expressionist and surrealist leanings, many of which utilise her photography as their point of origin.
Milly’s fractal art is almost instantly recognisable wherever it is displayed; there is a beautifully organic feel to it which demonstrates just why fractal pieces are so captivating. Generated by algorithms they might be, but Milly work offers stunning images which between them ideas such as capture the vibrant pulse and flicker of a flame caught in a faint draught of air, the sweep and flow of coloured oils on water and the texture and look of flower heads, petals and leaves. Even within the more abstract pieces, which may more prominently feature “traditional” Mandelbrot and Julia Sets, this organic sweep and turn is retained.
Offered in the second of the two larger gallery buildings, Milly’s abstract art continues this theme of organic origins, whether the art is founded on fractal work or Milly’s photography. Some of this is very obvious (but no less eye-catching), such as the series of (fractal-based?) studies of flowers, while others may be more subtle in their organic lines and flow.
It is in this wing that the rich mix of abstract, impressionism and surrealism intertwine across two floors of art. Here visitors can find images strong in modern abstract expressionism with bold colours and sweeping or angular lines, whilst others a present a surrealist abstract view of the digital world. These latter are, for me, most beautifully offered through a series of paintings based on Mistero Hifeng’s sculptures (two of which are shown below). Elsewhere there are images strong suggestive of art generally produced through other mediums, such as oil on glass, all of which adds up to a thoroughly engrossing exhibition.
The third building bordering the quadrangle has a more industrial look to it. While open to exploration, the doors carry the warning Caution! Woman at Work!, suggesting this is perhaps intended to be more a workspace / studio more than “purely” a gallery space. Within it can be found more of Milly’s abstract pieces, some of which can be seen in the “main” gallery spaces, together with a examples of her landscape art.
New Fractal Insanity is a place in which one can easily lose oneself; I wandered back and forth through the galleries for over two hours, examining and re-examining the art on display, finding myself lost in the rich depth of Milly’s fractal work or admiring her ability to encompass so much within her abstract pieces, or simply mesmerized by her animated works, several of which are soothingly hypnotic in their effect.
All of the pieces on exhibition are available for purchase, and with comfortable seating throughout, as well as a coffee shop, the galleries offer lots of space to sit and consider purchases or to just admire the art to a select of chill-out tunes over the audio stream. Even if you don’t make a purchase during a visit, do consider offering a donation towards the region’s upkeep via Milly’s tip kitties – one of whom seem to be particularly enjoying the audio stream!
In June, Kultivate Magazine published the first volume of Quill and Pen, a new twice-yearly publication focusing on the work of writers and poets from across Second Life.
Quill and Pen features short stories (including flash stories), non-fiction and poetry, and is published each June and December.
The journal was initially made available through the Kultivate Magazine website in Issuu format, and via Smashwords in epub, PDF and Mobi / Kindle formats. However, as of August 15th, 2016, it is also available in Kobo, Scribd and Nook formats.
The in augural volume features contributions by R. Crap Mariner, Eleseren Brianna, Glitterprincess Destiny, Kamille Kamala, Dawnbeam Dreamscape, Sabreman Carter, BayJoy, Judith Cullen aka Caledonia Skytower, Huckleberry Hax, Hobby Writer, Journey McLaglen aka Cindy Landers, Bryn Oh, Inara Pey, Ahn Avion, Pieni Resident, and John Herring aka Johannes1977 Resident.
I’m especially please and privileged to be a part of this newest publication in the Kultivate portfolio, and doubly delighted to have witnessed the strong show of support for the first volume from the writing community in Second Life.
Where to Get It
If you’ve not already done so, you can read Quill and Pen, for free by either clicking on the cover image above right to open the Issuu version in your web browser, or by following one of the links below, according to your preference:
The Quill and Pen is published twice yearly, in June and December. If you would like to see your work published, free of charge, submission in the following categories are accepted:
Poems: one poem per page, single spaced and left justified, maximum of six pages
Non-fiction: one essay up to 1500 words, double spaced, no extra space between paragraphs, white space for section breaks only
Flash stories: up to 500 words, double spaced, no extra space between paragraphs. White space for section breaks only
Fiction: one story up to 1500 words, double spaced, no extra space between paragraphs. White space for section breaks only.
Submissions must be made via the Kultivate Quill and Pen submissions form, which will be opened for a period of time prior to each publication. So, keep an eye on Kultivate Magazine (and this blog!) for announcements, and in the meantime start thinking about what you’d like to write, or dig out those stories or poems and get them ready to submit for publication!
Update: To mark the anniversary of William Henley’s birth, Storm would like to hold a poetry event at Invictus at 15:00 SLT on August 23rd. She has a open invitation to Second Life poets and voice artists who would like to attend and read either their own work or that of their favourite poets (“even if it’s Dr. Seuss!” , she told me, eyes twinkling). If you are interested, please contact Storm via note card or via email.
Invictus (Latin: “unconquerable“) is the name of the full region installation by Storm Septimus, which is now open through until the end of 2016. It is a stunning visual interpretation of William Ernest Henley’s famous 1875 poem of the same name.
The poem, untitled at the time of its writing (editor Arthur Quiller-Couch added the title when including it in The Oxford Book of English Verse in 1900), came at a time when Henley was facing severe challenges. Diagnosed at an early age with tuberculosis of the bone, he had lost half his left leg to the disease in 1869, when he was just 20. Rather than accept the loss of his right leg as well, he spent three years hospitalised between 1873 and 1875 while noted surgeon Joseph Lister (ultimately successfully) fought to save the limb, and it was at the time of these multiple surgeries that Henley wrote his poem.
It is this determination of the human will to overcome adversity, no matter how dark, even with the portal of death awaiting, which forms the central theme of the poem. It takes the reader on a journey through life’s hardship, enduring the battering of circumstance and chance, to the recognition that whatever circumstance we face, we alone determine our fate. Dark through the initial three stanzas, the poem emerges in an affirmation of spiritual fortitude; a triumphant proclamation of self-will over fate, and our ability to lay claim to our time on Earth.
It’s a powerful message, and one evocatively presented within the installation, which offers a visual journey through the poem. This begins on the upper floor of a tower. Notes on navigation are presented on a scroll, and touching it will deliver them in note card form – recommended lest you find yourself forgetting directions.
To descend the tower is to descend into the black pit of the poem’s first stanza, which awaits at the lowest level. Outside, the journey continues, winding down a mountain, passing the remaining stanzas along the way, their surroundings reflecting and interpreting each in turn through metaphor and symbolism.
Any attempt to describe this journey is meaningless; it is something which is to be experienced first-hand. There is marvellously expressive symbolism to be found throughout; not only of the poem itself, but also the broader themes encompassed by its verses. Some of this is obvious, such as the giant hands grasping chain reins of great stallions, encapsulating the idea of taking control of one’s fate, reflecting the exultant final two lines of the poem.
Elsewhere, the symbolism is perhaps less obvious. Are the arrows found throughout the upper parts of the installation perhaps be a reference to “the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune”, a line from Shakespeare’s famous soliloquy on life and the nature of death? After all, the latter is not so very far removed from Henley’s own musings on the subject found within in the couplet, “Beyond this place of wrath and tears / Looms but the Horror of the shade”. Elsewhere we might also find reflections on the nature of life and death, and on he times in which Henley lived; the child-angels, for example, might be seen as a reminder of the high infant / child mortality rates in England in the mid-19th century.
This is also, I would suggest, something of a personal statement by Storm. Just as Henley used the poems written whilst hospital to explore his time as a patient, so Storm has used her art in Second life to explore her own circumstance through installations like 2015’s Failure to Thrive, exploring depression, or 2014’s examination of insomnia through The [Void] (which I wrote about here). Thus, within Invictus, it is hard to escape the feeling we’re being given a glimpse of Storm’s own self-affirmation the she, and not the challenges she faces, holds authority for her life.
Across the water from the mountain and tower lies the ruins of a cathedral set within a garden. Storm indicates this is not strictly a part of the poem’s interpretation, being intended for photography and events. However, it would seem to offer both a further motif for the more spiritual lines from Invictus and a contemplation of the calm certainty which follows the poem’s final two lines. To reach it, visitors can either fly or – in a more light-hearted nod to those final lines – by taking the rowing boat waiting at the foot of the mountain, thus figuratively becoming the “captains of their souls”.
The Kultivate Magazine / Windlight Gallery Summer Art Show has opened in Second Life. Running through until Saturday, August 20th, the event features, art, music and shopping, with plenty to see and do throughout.
Over 50 2D and 3D artists are participating in the event, including Boudicca Amat, Ceakay Ballyhoo, Glitterprincess Destiny, Cica Ghost, Hana Hoobinoo, Silas Merlin, Bryn Oh, Sina Souza, Betty Tureaud, Myra Wildmist – and yours truly! You can find the full list of participating artists and merchants on the Summer Arts show page at Kultivate Magazine.
Given it is a summer show, the theme of the event area is very beach oriented: sand ripples across the land, with merchant kiosks to one side presenting a summer stroll, and the two gallery spaces for 2D artists presenting a shady retreat where paintings and photographs can be viewed and – if you’re so minded – purchased. Between the galleries and the kiosks and out on the sand, are the 3D art pieces, together with the event stage.
Entertainment Schedule
At the time of writing, the entertainments for the event were as follows, but please refer to the Summer Art Show web page for updates. All times are SLT:
Date
Time
Event
Friday, August 12th
13:00
Phemie Alcott – LIVE
16:00
Bad Amp Tribute Band: Metallica
18:00
Steampunk Party with Gabriel Riel
Saturday, August 13th
Noon
Summer Rave Party with DJ Paradox Messmer
14:00
Tallyesin – LIVE
Monday, August 15th
18:00
Whymsee with DJ Cordie
Tuesday, August 16th
Noon
Tribute and Crown Pub event with DJ Mia
Wednesday, August 17th
Noon (?)
Tribute and Crown Pub event with DJ Mia
Thursday, August 18th
Noon (?)
Tribute and Crown Pub event with DJ Mia
Friday, August 19th
16:00
Summer Ball event with DJ John
Saturday, August 20th
14:00
Bad Amp Tribute Band: Queen
Kultivate / Windlight Gallery Summer Art Show: your truly has a modest display
In addition to the entertainment, there’s a sandcastle hunt running throughout the event, featuring 25 prizes comprising men’s and women’s apparel and home and garden items donated by the participating merchants. As the name suggests – find the little sandcastles and claim your prize!
So whether it is art or shopping or a bit of both, be sure to drop in to the Kultivate / Windlight Gallery Summer Arts Show?
Kultivate / Windlight Gallery Summer Art Show: Caitlyn and I take Cica’s washing machines for a tumble!
Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld 