Category: Reviews

Resting at The Outer Garden in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
The Outer Garden, October 2022 – click an image for full size

For want of the need to unwind, I found myself in-world and re-visiting The Outer Garden, the always-engaging garden world designed by Bisou Dexler. The last time I visited, he gardens had moved from a sky platform to the ground; with this visit, I found it has not only moved back to the sky, it has relocated to a Mainland region.

The Outer Garden has always been a place of beauty and enigma, and this remains the case for the current iteration. The core of the build are the ruins of what appears to have once been a mighty manor house, much of it roofless and caught within the glowing light of a misty morning / evening (take your pick as to the time of day) which haunts the huge building with a ghostly glow.

The Outer Garden, October 2022

The landing point sits at one end of the ruin’s main hall running from west – and the landing point – eastwards, various rooms and halls opening off of it, each with its own theme or secret. The first of these, opening on the right as one walks away from the landing point, forms a watery garden where water tumbles from the walls and forms a curtain within the arch of the room’s great window. These falls feed into a stream running within the room, shrouded in mist, and with trees and plants growing along its banks to form a mystic garden enclosed by the high stone walls.

Further along the hall sit another room, this one under a surviving part of roof of the manor house. Cluttered with furniture, it forms a cosy yet untidy space full of the warmth of life and a sense of retreat. Balloons float within the room, and a bed and painting canvases suggest this is home to someone, and the manor house not entirely deserted.

The Outer Garden, October 2022

And there is still more: a broken access way into an inner garden the manor house may once have surrounded; a hall heavy in vines and with a stairway within it forming an artistic statement rather than being intended to anywhere; and a strange room of vanity screens and bed and an mannequin, all of which appear to be trying to tell a story. All bring character to the setting and are linked by smaller details waiting to be found along the hallway.

Beyond the ruins, the land continues to be shrouded in mist, the inner courtyard garden flank on this far side by the broken remains of the main house and a smaller, glass-roofed hallway now serving as a unique, if narrow, tea house.

The Outer Garden, October 2022

The garden is also home to both a carousel and what looks to be a small Ferris wheel. Lit by a hundred glowing bulbs, the latter is beautifully ornate, if lacking cars one which people might ride around it. Beyond this, amidst the trees and mist lie still more ruins, chapel-like in form, but sans anything within their broken walls.

In my previous visits to The Outer Garden, teleports offer then means to visit two more settings The Moon is Serene and The Rose Garden, both of which I had in the past enjoyed spending time within. While the Destination Guide entry references a teleport mirror within The Outer Garden’s landing point and providing the means to visit other gardens, I confess that I did not see any such mirror either at the landing point or during my wanderings. Ergo, the images here only represent the main build.

The Outer Garden, October 2022

Whether my lack of success in finding any teleport is down to my own failure or because the other gardens mentioned on the DG description are no longer available, I have no idea. If I did miss both teleport and additional spaces to explore, then the fault is mine alone, and I offer my apologies to Bisou from missing them.

Even so, The Outer Garden still retains its sense of beauty and mystery whilst offering multiple opportunities for photography and for simply escaping and relaxing. As such, it remains a recommended visit.

The Outer Garden, October 2022

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The Art of Turning Japanese in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Monocle Man Sky Gallery, October 2022: Alsatian Kidd

Alsatian Kidd is perhaps best known as a region landscaper; his Green Acres Homestead region has been a regular destination for me for several years, as reported in these pages, and he also provides services to those who would like their regions and parcels landscaped. But in addition to this, he is also an accomplished photographer, as indicated by his Flickr stream and  – for the next couple of weeks – through an exhibition within the Sky Gallery at Monocle Man Galleries, the arts centre operated by Lynx Luga and Kit Boyd.

I often talk about art in terms of the narrative and the story it contains; be it within an individual image and / or through the the overall theme for an exhibition. Sometimes the narrative is offered through the image itself, sometimes through the title it has been given, and sometimes the mix of title and subject. With Nihongo-Ka – which translates best as “turning Japanese” – Alsatian offer a 4-chapter series of images which – thanks to the accompanying word panels – offer a story of one man’s travels through feudal Japan and the adventures / trials he faces.

Monocle Man Sky Gallery, October 2022: Alsatian Kidd

Starting on the ground floor hall immediately on the right of the entry hall, the story unfolds in a clockwise direction through all four halls of the gallery space. In the first hall, we are introduced to the protagonist – Rokudenashi – and his white wolf, whilst setting the scene for his travels. From here, each chapter takes us, hall by hall, through the pair’s journey, at times introducing us to companions who might aid them, or those who might try to thwart them in achieving their goal.

Within each hall, the chapters (presented as scrolls with illustrations from both classical Japanese art and also captured from within Second Life) are mounted with images created by Alsatian that more fully illustrate the unfolding tale. Taken at Japanese-themed locations in Second Life, the images present elements of each chapter in a clear-cut manner with a light touch of post-processing that gives each image as sense of being illustrative to the story without dropping them into the realm of comic / graphic novel, instead leaving each as a piece that can be appreciated in its own right as well as in being part o the unfolding story.

Monocle Man Sky Gallery, October 2022: Alsatian Kidd

As well as offering the final chapter of the story, the fourth hall of the exhibition space also presents what might have initially served as the inspiration for this artistic tale – the lyrics from Turning Japanese, the  single by British New Wave band The Vapors. Released on the group’s first album, New Clear Days, the song reached number 3 in the UK singles chart in 1980 and remains popular with fans since the band re-formed in 2016.

A simple but engaging artistic tale, Nihongo-Ka will remain open to the public through until the end of October 30th, 2022. And Star Trek fans might what to keep an eye open for the subtle reference to the original series tucked away within one of the panels!

Monocle Man Sky Gallery, October 2022: Alsatian Kidd

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A European styled Perpetuity in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Perpetuity, October 2022 – click any image for full size

For those in the northern hemisphere who want to grab a last touch of the late summer before winter throws its chilly cloak over us, should consider hopping over to Perpetuity, the Full region held and designed by Camis and Tamara Sierota. For while the leaves there are turning golden brown for autumn, there is still a sense of summer warmth waiting to be found for a little while longer.

The last time I visited the region in April 2022, it offered the look and feel of Smalltown USA in the spring / early summer months, so a return to the region as the years starts to close out is perhaps appropriate. However, a greater reason for dropping in again is that the region, in keeping with the tradition Camis and Tamara have for presenting different settings for the appreciation of visitors, now appears to have its roots in southern Europe, with hints of Italy’s Tuscany and France’s Provence to be found nestling among its trees and overlooking its rugged shores.

Perpetuity, October 2022
A place for quiet moments and photography with areas to bring your partner or to come alone and relax surrounded by nature in all it’s beauty. Join the group to rez & support the sim.

– Perpetuity’s About Land Description

The first hint of this European styling comes at the landing point, tucked into the north-west corner of the region. Here visitors find themselves on the lower terrace of a distinctly Greco-Roman ruin, the upper portion of which stands as the remnants of an open-air baths, the water still fresh and inviting and overlooked by the weathered statues of gods or perhaps former patrons of whatever estate may have once stood within the lands south and east.

Perpetuity, October 2022

Suggestions that this was once an extensive estate are quick to locate: a broad cobbled road runs due east to where a walled villa and its outhouses sit before and a little above a broad expanse of beach. Rows of vines stand to attention on either side of this road, hinting that grapes and wine might have long been a part of the history here; and while the villa and its outhouses – like the tall clock tower close by – are clearly of far more recent times than the baths, the exposed stonework on the villa’s walls does suggest it has perhaps just material from a much older structure which may once have stood here.

The clock tower stands between two further roads that both run due south. The first dips down the undulating land to reach another Tuscan-style villa,  this one sitting on a broad paved terrace fronting the sea, a single outhouse converted into a cosy and inviting café. Where the road to this villa descends, the second road alongside the clock tower rises, hopping up a gentle slope to pass under trees and between bushes and hedges to reach a further junction, one arm of which point eastwards once more, and the second curves left and right to reach the arms of an imposing Provencial summer house.

Perpetuity, October 2022

Built from great squared-off blocks of stone, this imposing build appears to be a club or resort of some description; its three buildings sitting on three sides of a terraced pool. The largest of these buildings forms the main part of the facilities, offering a central pubic room with two small rooms bracketing it. All are open to the public, as are to the smaller buildings flanking the pool, and the pool itself.

Away to the east, the remaining arm of the road is carried over a stream by a little bridge, itself just a short walk from where it falls down the face of sheer cliffs into a bay tucked between two headlands. The smaller and lower of the latter forms a part of the resort grounds, and offers a look-out point separating the bay from the resort’s span of beach. Meanwhile, the taller of the two headlands is home to a farmhouse which appears to have been converted into more of a vacation property, the road to it running past the head of another waterfall that feeds the bay below.

Perpetuity, October 2022

As well as the cobbled roads, tracks also run through the landscape, offering further opportunities for exploration, whilst the furnished nature of all the buildings, together with the fact that they are all open to the public, provide many opportunities to sit and pass the time, particularly with a loved one / partner. For those who prefer, there are also numerous outdoor locates scattered across the region offering places to sit.

There are some rules to take note of when visiting Perpetuity – nothing onerous, just make sure you accept the offered note card on arrival -, and those requiring photo props can gain rezzing rights by joining the local Group. The note card also references bike and horse rezzers, but I have to say, I didn’t notice either in my wanderings and camming so I’m not sure it these were from a previous iteration of the region or I simply missed them; either way, it doesn’t change the fact Perpetuity remains an engaging visit.

Perpetuity, October 2022

With thanks to Shawn Shakespeare for the suggestion of a re-visit.

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Onceagain: a broadening artistic presence in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Onceagain Gallery, October 2022

It’s been barely a Kwarting¹ since I was last at Onceagain Art Gallery curated by Onceagain (Manoji Yachvili), with my last visit being to witness the B&W Group Exhibit (see: Onceagain with black and white in Second Life); and while a month is traditionally said to be a long time in politics, the same is very much true in Second Life. This is because in the time since my last visit the gallery has been relocated from the sky to the ground, and Manoji, and has expanded, its facilities.

Now located on the ground level of its home parcel within the Peaceful Mountains region, the Gallery comprises a number of halls and buildings separated by landscaped gardens. At the time of my visit, parts of the the gallery were still in development. However, this is to be expected because, as Manoji notes herself, she is always tweaking things and making adjustments (and in fact note that the Gallery might be closed on Mondays so that she can do so in peace) – but there is more than enough to occupy the eye even should some elements of the gallery’s lands be under development.

Onceagain Gallery, October, 2022

This being the case, the new facilities,  which opened on October 16th, 2022, comprise:

  • The Main Gallery, alongside of which is the primary landing point for the Gallery spaces as whole (although the landing point is not enforced so that all remaining gallery spaces can have their own LP). The Main Gallery provides an ensemble exhibition of art.
  • The Private Collection, which as the name suggests, features art from Manoji’s personal collection.
  • The Personal Exhibition Gallery, featuring Manoji’s own work, which appeared to be under construction at the time of my visit.
  • A “Free to Rent” gallery, which was again under construction at the time of my visit, but once available, will be available subject to guidelines offered through a dedicated note card.
  • The Artist of the Month gallery, presenting the featured artist invited to display within the Gallery’s spaces – if I am understanding Manoji’s notes correctly, may be presented in one of a number of gallery space designs, as selected by Manoji after viewing the artist’s work.
Onceagain Gallery, October 2022

In addition to the above, at the time of my visit, the north side of the parcel was marked as Under Construction both for what I took to the Personal Exhibition gallery noted above, and to what appear to be three further boutique style gallery spaces and a little caravan park.

Between and around the buildings, the setting has been landscaped as a garden space, high granite cliffs forming privacy walls along two sides, and from which water falls, some of it to feed a stream burbling and bubbling its way through the land. A good portion of the garden has been constructed using Alex Bader’s always popular Zen Garden Building Kit, with the more open lawns being home to 3D art elements again from Manoji’s own collection, whilst towards the centre of the gardens sits what appears to be an office-come-bookshop / quiet spot.

For October, the guest artist is Kika Yongho who, along with Manoji, presents a light-hearted selection of images entitled I only have eyes for the Flamingo. Kika’s images are located on the upper level of the gallery (alongside the landing point), and clicking each piece will supply a note card offering something of a story to go with the image. Four further flamingo-centric images by Manoji can be found on the lower floor of the gallery.

Onceagain Gallery: Kika Yongho –  I only have eyes for the Flamingo

Those wishing to have their art displayed at Onceagain as a featured artist should contact Manoji directly for information on how to do so – with information also being supplied via note card to those using the main landing point.

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  1. Kwartang (n.). A unit of measure for time in British politics named for Kwasi Kwartang, the former Chancellor of the Exchequer. It is roughly equivalent to three times the American political unit of measure, the Scaramucci – itself some 11 days in length. (Yes, folks, a touch of political humour to go with the time, if utterly divorced from the focus of this article.)

A journey through the Gardens of Shadowfell in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Gardens of Shadowfell – October 2022; click any image for full size

October is here once more, and with it come the familiar round of pumpkins, mysteries, hauntings and region and parcel builds with a spooky twist.  To be honest, I’m not actually much for all the kafuffle that goes with Halloween, as I’ve noted in the past; however there are one or two exceptions to my overall lack of enthusiasm, of which the most notable is probably the annual Calas Galadhon Halloween build – and 2022 is no exception.

Every year, Tymus Tenk, Truck Meredith and the Calas team bring us worlds of wonder to explore in the form of their Halloween and Christmas wonderland builds as an adjunct to Calas Galadahon Park, and each year we are gifted with (generally) two regions of mystical / seasonal delight. Mixing an atmospheric setting rich in places to explore, scenes to uncover, rides to enjoy and events to attend, all knitted together by the weave of environment settings, soundscape and supporting music, these builds are always and genuinely a highlight of Second Life.

Gardens of Shadowfell – October 2022

For October / Halloween 2022, the team present Gardens of Shadowfell, a journey to a realms which although probably not modelled specifically after any element of Tolkien’s mythology, carries with it something of a sense of Middle Earth during the Second and Third Ages, mixed with hints of other franchises to offer an engaging potpourri of elements deserving of careful exploration.

As with all of the Calas themed builds, this is one in which it is very important visitors not at least some of the guidelines regarding a visit, all of which can be found at the landing point – with the most important perhaps being:

  • Make sure you Used Shared Environment (via World → Environment).
  • Make sure Advanced Lighting Model is active via Preferences → Graphics).
  • Enable local sounds.
Gardens of Shadowfell – October 2022

It is suggested that those who can, should also enable Shadows via Preferences → Graphics.  This is worthwhile if you can, but I would suggest you’re not losing a lot from the experience if you cannot, as the general look and feel of the regions is just as atmospheric with shadows as with. For those who would like to see Shadowfell with shadows enabled, but may find it hard going, pulling any high (128m+ draw distance down could help boost performance – particularly as the overall design of the build works with moderate draw distances.

In terms of exploration, Shadowfell offers two primary means: on foot, following the paths winding through the regions; and via tour boat (available a short walk from the landing point). I strongly recommend you take the time to use both; the paths and trails offer the most comprehensive way through Shadowfell – including a journey through the caverns; while the boat tour misses the latter, it has its own features and views of the setting that are unique. I would also suggest, perhaps, that when exploring on foot, the accompanying music track is turned off during a first visit. Instead, turn the music on for the boat tour (and for subsequent visits); in this way all of the local sounds can be fully appreciated when exploring. Finally, and as per the guides at the landing point, keep an eye out for the eye-in-hand tapestries along the routes – they offer teleport opportunities to additional sit points and locations that you are unlikely to otherwise reach.

Gardens of Shadowfell – October 2022

This is a place very much of two halves: the landing point directly adjoins a walk that takes visitors through a dark realm. It’s not Mirkwood by any shape or means – but in places it carries a Mirkwoodian vibe. Here the trail winds under the boughs of bent intertwined trees and along an ancient stone path that passes over strange, misty waters on the back of stone bridges. Follow the route correct through trees and mystical quarry, and it will bring you to the entrance to the caverns.

As this entrance here is open and without a great lake before it, there is no need to ponder riddles before suddenly crying, “Mellon!” or fear what might emerge from the waters behind you. However, the first part of the route through these caverns is not as simple as may appear; and those who fail to Touch at the right place might be fooled into retracing their steps prematurely….

Gardens of Shadowfell – October 2022

The caverns proper are one of those places where I wish Second Life allowed us to set music streams via altitude – for within them, we move from a suggestion of Middle Earth and Tolkien to what might be called the Realm of Ridley Scott; a place that ideally suits the music of Jerry Goldsmith, as written for Scott’s 1979 Alien (a film which, the first time I saw it a good few years after its release but still on the big screen, fairly scared me out of my knickers!). These are tunnels made to be walked to the haunting strains of Goldsmith’s theme from that film (in fact I actually did this during a visit, with a little help from You Tube, even allowing for the spiders along a part of the route and their suggestion of Mirkwood again!).

Beyond the caverns, visitors can travel onward to where the path is partially drowned; its stonework visible just under the glowing waves, stairs descending to it and rising on the far side of the water indicating it is still the way forward. Cross the waters brings you to a very different realm (and over a region crossing). If the first part of the journey gives a sense of travelling (in part) through Mirkwood, then here lies a suggestion of that great forest before it fell into darkness, and the times when it was known in elvish as Eryn Galen, or Greenwood the Great.

Gardens of Shadowfell – October 2022

Here, while there are still creatures of darkness / mystery lurking, so too are sights more pleasant: rabbits might be found frolicking, whilst further on is a great and wild garden of exotic flowers and plants filled with a sense of a mystic presence. This is a place in which, gardens and ruins alike, there is an unmistakable elven feel – and more than one path to explore. It is also where several of the tapestry teleports can be found – although they are not exclusive to this part of Shadowfell. The platforms and pavilions they access offer a mix of places to sit and opportunities from private dancing.

The individual scenes to be found throughout Gardens of Shadowfell are many and varied – from the Alien-esque elements up in the caverns, to the orcs busily at work through to the zombies wandering here and there and the crocodiles waiting to waylay boat tours and more, time is needed to appreciate all of the detail and care poured into this setting – care and detail that are Ty and Truck’s annual hallmarks. And , of course there are the little touches of humour awaiting discovery – like the Gollum-like alien sneaking his precious way among the face hugger eggs, or the zombie worried about her broken nail or Mickey Mouse, who pops up quite unexpectedly with a happy greeting whilst simultaneously looking a little lost and bewildered…

Gardens of Shadowfell – October 2022

I could wibble on and on about Shadowfell, but in truth, it’s best you go see it for yourself – and check the schedule of entertainments set for the pavilion there as well!

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Animal Instinct at Glinka Gallery in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
The Ginka Gallery: Lash VV – Animal Instinct

Currently open at The Glinka Gallery, operated and curated by Wolfgang Glinka, is an exhibition of original paintings by Serbian painter and digital artist, Lash VV. Entitled Animal Instinct, it marks his fourth show at the gallery, and focuses on one of his core interests as an artist: the natural world.

Located within one of the gallery’s halls, Animal Instinct is a collection of some 25 paintings of animals in the wild. It’s a selection that offers insight into Lash’s range as an artist, the pieces representing original works produced in oil, acrylics, watercolours, charcoal and ink drawings, drypoint, his skills with digital post-processing techniques and more.

The Ginka Gallery: Lash VV – Animal Instinct

These are pieces also representing their subjects in a similarly broad range of genres – still-life, impressionist, minimalist, abstracted – with each approach clearly balanced to best reflect the motion of its subject or captures the manner in which we tend to picture them in the mind’s eye.  This gives each picture a depth and sense of life that can so easily capture the eyes – and also offer a hint of a story.

Take Dance of Love, for example. It captures two Japanese cranes in courtship, but more than this, though the the style, the minimalist use of colour, the piece offers a broader suggestion of the country itself.  close by, Antelopes similarly captures the alertness of their subject while the light hatching of lines beyond them as all we need to see in order to be transported to the Serengeti.

The Ginka Gallery: Lash VV – Animal Instinct

Standing just inside the hall on the right is Fight, a beautifully raw piece, accompanied by a poem by Wolfgang entitled Rutting that equally captures the rawness of animal life in the wild.

Watched over by a 3D salamander also created by Lash, this is a wonderfully evocative selection of art guaranteed to capture the hearts of wildlife lowers.

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