Iona Shores, August 2021 – click any image for full size
Earlier in August, Ocean (OceanLag) poked me about making a return visit to the Homestead region of Iona Shores. I last visited the region in June 2019, when it offered a mix of public spaces and private rentals – a combination that can be hard to blog about, given the potential for encouraging trespass into the latter.
Since then however, much has changed. Now the home of Ana Cristole (Anais Cristole), the region offers a new setting, courtesy of the design work of the ever-brilliant Busta (BadBoyHi) and is now offered to the public as location largely open for exploration, relaxation and photography. I say “largely”, because there is a house occupying part of the region that lies within its own parcel; while it has no signs to indicate it is private, I would suggest that caution is employed and it is treated as such to avoid trespass.
Iona Shores, August 2021
Like its Hebridean name sake, Iona Shores sits within a group of islands – although these are off-region in nature. Also, it would appear that were this to be a place in the physical world, it would reside in latitudes a lot further south than Scottish waters, given the monkeypod trees that can be found scattered over the uplands and narrow lowlands of the region, and the occasional palm trees waiting to be found around the coast.
It is the sharp contrast between the uplands and the beaches that define the nature of the setting. The former rise sharply as a trio of rocky plateaux with predominantly near-vertical cliffs and steep slopes, the beaches forming an almost all-encompassing skirt around their feet. the house occupies the largest of these plateaus, which is flanked on either side by the other two and is connected to them by a pair of bridges.
Iona Shores, August 2021
All three of these rocky tables has its own route to its top, but moving between the three is a little difficult assuming the house is a private residence, as it straddles the route from the plateau to the south-west to the one in the north-east, and thus blocks a direct route across all three.
That the direct route is blocked is not to the detriment of any exploration of the region – Ana has a right to have her house as she desires, after all. But more to the point, the fact the house is there encourages visitors to spend more time exploring via the island’s other routes. Also, given the manner in which they have been connected to the house rather than being left separate from it gives the suggestion that the two flanking plateaux have been cultivated as wild gardens for the latter. Each has been been planted with wild flowers and offer places to sit and relax, an old well also occupying the top of one of them.
Iona Shores, August 2021Further places to sit can be found around the beaches, some of which can be reached with relative ease from the (quite arbitrary) landing point I’ve offered here while others might take a little walking to in order to discover / reach – such as the cove to the north-east with it’s little shaded and slightly makeshift hideaway. The lowlands between the three plateaus offer narrow paths between the east / west and north / south sands, helping with exploration, but the best way to find all the coastal spots is to follow the sands around the water’s edge.
Off to the north-west there sits a small nub of rock rising from the waters, home to a small lighthouse. Connected to the rest of the island by a wooden walkway, it sits as a perfect vantage point for looking back and appreciating the rest of the setting.
Iona Shores, August 2021
As one would expect from a design by Busta, Iona Shore is perfectly put together, a natural setting that offers a lot to see and plenty of opportunities for relaxation and photography and is undoubtedly a place that should be seen by all who enjoy exploring Second Life.
Biancajane Juliesse has been involved in art and painting since she was four years old and her mother gave her a paint by numbers oils set. From the start she fell in love with both the smell of the paint and the creative opportunities it presented.
The love affair continues to this day: known in the physical world as Mary Sparrow, Biancajane is a gifted artist whose work has shipped to over 30 countries around the world. Specialising in fine art creating commissioned heirloom portraits for over 25 years, and also works closely with interior designers to create custom artwork for residential and commercial spaces.
Sisi Biedermann Gallery: Biancajane
While she came to Second Life primarily as a means to relax, she became involved in its creative potential in a number of ways, such as her prefabs and furnishing business in-world, and through the exhibition and sale of prints of her original art.
A selection of that art can now be seen at Sisi Biedermann’s Gallery at an exhibition that officially opens on September 1st, 2021 – although it is open to the public now – and runs through until November 1st. In all, some 20 pieces are presented, the majority of them portraits, although a neat little selection of famous perfume brands is also offered.
The portraits are utterly captivating in their depth and detail. Several of the pieces include the subject’s pets – notably dogs – which adds a further layer of personality to them. As a cat lover, I particularly love the image of a woman in a red evening gown with her long-haired Siamese cat seated on a cushion at her feet. While the woman may be the intended focus of the picture, Biancajane has purrfectly captured the cat’s expression and the fact it knows who the real subject of the picture actually is!
As well as pictures that appear to have been posed, the selection also includes group and individual pictures that have a marvellous sense of immediacy about them, like snapshots that unexpectedly capture a moment of sheer, unstaged joy or a moment where thought distracts the subject, again adding a sense of life and vitality to them.
Rounded out by a portrait of Frida Kahlo, famous for her own portraiture and self-portraits, this is an engaging exhibition, with individual pieces offered for sale. A couple do appear to be mis-labelled, but this is a minor distraction, and while I would have liked to see some of Biancajane’s animal and landscape paintings among the selection (yes, I know, I’m greedy!), this is nevertheless a selection of start that will engage the eye and mind of any patron of the arts in Second Life and is more than worth a visit.
ArtCare Gallery, August 2021: Anja and Therese Carfagno
August 26th, 2021 saw the opening of a joint exhibition at Carelyna’s ArtCare Gallery. featuring the work of two very different artists whose work nevertheless presents something of a whole when presented side-by-side.
Anja (Neobookie) describes herself as a Second Life photographer who enjoys exploring Second Life and capturing the places she visits – as witnessed with her Flickr stream. However, as she has demonstrated in recent exhibitions, she has a gift for creating pieces of surrealist art that perfectly encompass the richness of that movement, and at ArtCare she presents six large-format pieces in proof of this.
Each offers a backdrop of a wooden fence in front of which has been strung a washing line, and it is what is on the line that forms the focus of each piece. Offered in vibrant colours, these subject range from surf boards to toothbrushes and toothpaste tubes, passing by way of Minion handbags and melting ice lollies. and more.
ArtCare Gallery, August 2021: Anja
These are images that initially appear simple in their presentation, rich in colour but which – for those who look – perhaps offer a little comment on life and living (might Minion Bags, for example a commentary on the drive for us all to conform as best we can to the dictates of modern consumerism, and Ice Ice Baby a reflection on the passage of time (or the brevity of summer?). But however you take them, there is no mistaking the joy and lightness each piece offers when simply taken in its ability to bring together the ordinary and the extraordinary to create completely something truly unique and engaging.
Therese Carfagno is an artist with an intriguing range of styles and presentation that can encompass real and Second Life photography, her work touching upon abstraction, collage, impressionism, expressionism and more.
The pieces offered at ArtCare very much reflect this richness; they are also offered as “families” or “collections” of themed images, ranging from pairs of pieces through to a quartet entitled Blood. Within them we can find abstraction in the form of Wall, collage in the triple set entitled Sophia and digital overlays with the Sita pairing – and more, including a touch of sensuality a triple set of monochrome pieces. However, the most striking set is that of Blood, a quartet of portraits, again monochrome, that offer a depth of narrative that forces the attention to come back to it over and over.
ArtCare Gallery, August 2021: Therese Carfagno
The contrast between these two small exhibitions couldn’t be stronger in terms of colour: Anja’s works are all vibrantly saturated in their use of colour, their brightness infectious. With the exception of the Wall and Sophia series, Therese’s selection is generally heavier in tone – if not mood; the colours more muted, and lean more towards monochrome. Individually, they are very different selections, yet together they offer a flow of art and style from one to the other that is impressively engaging.
Needless to say, a visit to this joint exhibition is highly recommended.
Once Upon a Tide, August 2021 – click any image for full size
I first dropped into Once Upon A Tide, a build by Mïa ((zielonooka1) occupying a homestead region, just on a month ago as July was drawing to a close. If I’m honest, I cannot remember whether the landmark came from Mïa herself (my apologies to her if it did!), whether I heard about the region through other means (in which case my apologies to whoever poked me about it) and I grabbed the LM on that first visit, or the landmark came via other means. Anyway, it’s taken me a while to put fingers to keyboard and write about the setting, as I’ve (a little unfairly) allowed other things to get in the way – so again, apologies to Mïa.
No description is provided for the region in it’s About Land floater, but that’s not a problem, as it makes for a charmingly easy visit for those who drop in, offering – in the words from Mïa’s profile – “a little bit of Ireland”. The focal point for the setting is a compact rectangle of buildings, sitting as both a waterfront promenade of businesses look down over a sea wall to the west and the fishing boats that are making their way to wooden and concrete piers and as a beachfront row of businesses as they look eastward over broad cobbles and broader sands to more waters, these broken by sandbars and rocks that are in turn watched over by the local light house.
Once Upon a Tide, August 2021
The landing point sits at the top of the wide steps that offer a way down from the rectangular street scene to the sandy beach, presenting visitors with a choice – to walk around the shops and places of business as they stand back-to-back and side-to-side as if in defensive huddle atop their sea walls, or trot down to the sands and wander over their warmth.
A walk around the former will reveal that the majority are façades, although one of the pubs and the neighbouring coffee shop each have interior décor as well as outdoor seating on the cobbles, should anyone fancy a sit down. But the fact the majority of the builds are façades doesn’t diminish them; they collectively offer numerous opportunities for photography – joining the local group will provide those who need them with rezzing rights (just – as I always tend to request – remember to pick up anything you put out when you’re done).
Once Upon a Tide, August 2021
The beach, meanwhile, runs along most of the east side of the island, curving around its south side to become a narrower ribbon of sand before it encounters a rocky shoulder extending out from the town’s sea walls. Here, tucked between the wall and the tide, is a place for outdoor music, the nearby steps providing a handy route up to the pub and coffee house for those who might be in need of refreshment after dancing in the Sun. Along its eastern arm, the beach offers numerous places to sit, the opportunity to snag some fish’n’chips, and even the chance to watch some home movies (aka YouTube) whilst lying on the sand.
To the north, the land becomes a little more rugged. Low cliffs mark the northern coastline, a place where a quartet of beach houses stand over the waters below, supported on wooden piles and beams that extend outward from the edge of the cliffs. These are available for rent by those who wish to extend their visit in the region (or even make it a most home – 100 LI is included in the rental fee).
Once Upon a Tide, August 2021
Between the beach houses and the town sits what might have once been the grounds of a large building many, many decades ago. These now sit as informal gardens, just a single block of ancient stonework and arches remaining. Poles strung with lights stand close by, suggesting this might also be a place for outdoor events as well – a fact also spoken to by the plastic cups strewn under the lights, awaiting collection.
Between the northern cliffs and the sands of the east beach, the land stands as a grassy table, offered as a camp site and the preserve of a pair of trailer homes that look as if they’ve dropped in from the United States, the battered pick-up truck with its Alabama plates adding to this feeling. A meal is being prepared alongside an outdoor fire, and someone has put together a makeshift tub for bathing – although I have to admit, the campsite’s weather report system had me smiling.
Once Upon a Tide, August 2021
Easy on the eye and the viewer, offering room to relax, opportunities for photography and a setting where the various points within the region both sits as a individual settings and flow together as a whole, making Once Upon A Tide interestingly varied for explorers and photographers alike.
Elven Falls Gallery, operated and curated by Ant (AntoineMambazo) and Aires Hax, is a relatively recent venture to arrive on the Second Life art scene, offering four galleries spaces for art exhibitions, and a growing sculpture garden for 3D work. The majority of the gallery spaces each offer two floors in which artists may display their work, with all four halls currently being occupied by a quartet of artists who offer displays that are fully engaging, whether taken individually or collectively.
Sisi Biedermann is an artist I’ve often covered in these pages; so much so that it is probably well known to regular readers that I find her once of the most engaging, evocative and remarkable artists in Second Life; her work apparently knows no boundaries, and she is ever-willing to engaging in genres and and experiment with styles, approaches finishes, whilst her subjects involve everything from the natural world through in-world settings to the fantastical and even touches on the abstract and the near-surreal. Thus, her exhibitions are often a voyage of discovery even for those who are familiar with her work.
Elven Falls Gallery, August 2021: Sisi Biedermann
At Elven Falls, Sisi offers what I’m going to call a triptych (and admittedly using the terms a little loosely in this case) exhibition, in that it comes in three parts – two of which are very definitely connected. These are on the lower floor of the hall, where Sisi takes us on a walk through two well-tended gardens. The English garden to the left that has the inevitable neatly mown lawns and rose bushes (as well as other floors), while to the right we pass through a Chinese garden with water features.
Given Sisi is a photographic artist and a painter, I’ve no idea if these images started as the former and were then processed in to the latter, or began as acrylic-based paintings; but the truth is, this doesn’t matter: all of the pieces are given a slightly surrealist bent that makes them captivating in their beauty. Meanwhile, on the upper floor of the gallery, Sisi exchanges the peace and beauty of the garden for another world entirely, that of Steampunk in all its mechanical and Victorian glory. A stunning collection of digital images finished as etchings, these images sit as a kind of middle panel in this “triptych”, straddling the two, offering a further demonstration of Sisi’s range of artistic expression.
Elven Falls Gallery, August 2021: JudiLynn India
JudiLynn India also needs no introduction here, also being an artist whose work never fails to attract my attention. A painter focusing on abstract work, she has been active in Second Life as an artist since 2010, and her work never fails to catch the eye with its form and richness of colour.
At Elven Falls, Judilynn splits her display into four parts. Three (two on the lower floor of her exhibition space and one on the upper), each present sets of 12 original pieces, Defined as sets in terms of colour, they are offered for sale on the basis that when sold, the purchaser takes the original from the gallery, leaving a blank space. The rest of the space offers a more “traditional” – displays of JudiLynn’s art in which the purchaser receives a copy, and the original remains on display. Whether original or copies, all of these pieces again demonstrate the richness of JudyiLynn’s abstract work.
Elven Falls Gallery, August 2021: Kraven Klees
Should one call Kraven Klees an artist or an illusionist, is a question that often comes to min when viewing his work.
Working in mixed media this incorporates digital manipulation and techniques that include fractal abstraction, digital impressionism and a touch (in places) of surrealism, he more that qualifies as the former. Yet in his finished work, there is something more; these are works that speak not so much of conscious focus in their creation as they do of abstracted automonism. Such is the unconscious foundation within his work, Kraven’s pieces also call for a pareidolic or apophenic response from the observer as the eye moves from perceiving each image as a whole to focusing on its parts and back again.
Here, Kraven presents a range of his art that can be fully appreciated on both levels – use the teleport disk outside of the main gallery building and between the halls holding the exhibitions by JudiLynn and Sisi in order to reach the upper levels of the gallery.
Elven Falls Gallery, August 2021: Faith Maxwell
Faith Maxwell is an artist whose work is new to me, despite the fact she has exhibited widely in a Second Life. Working in both 2D and 3D formats, she produces the most engaging pieces as wall-mounted art and free standing sculpture that range from the abstract to contemporary in style, passing by way of Modern Art. These are piece that, whether animated or static, have a richness of life about them that is immediately apparent, drawing the to each in turn to appreciate its beauty and form.
Smaller than the exhibits by the other artists, occupying just a single level of gallery space, this is nevertheless as an engaging a display of work as the others, toe smaller number of pieces allowing the eye and mind to feel more settled in viewing them.
Update, September 20th: Shadezar and Venesha appear to have closed.
All of this has happened before, and it will all happen again.
No, that’s not a quote from the Ronald D. Moore re-imagining of Battlestar Galactica – although that show did famously use a variation of these words and is possibly a more popular modern frame of reference when the quote is now used. However, in this form, the words actually come from J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan, and it is one of two quotes Hera (Zee9) uses (with very good reason) to introduce the latest iterations of her builds Shadezar and Venesha, which are once again available for people to see in-world, at least for a time.
Venesha, August 2021
When Hera contacted me to say she had decided to bring these two build back to SL, I confess I moved them to the top of my list of places to visit because, as I recently stated when writing about Shangri-La, the build she opened earlier in August 2021 (see: Losing myself in Hera’s Shangri-La in Second Life), Hera a region creator whose imagination is in many ways unparalleled in Second Life. In fact, I’ll expand on that statement here: Hera is a genuine world builder, conjuring cities, islands, kingdoms and more from the depths of her imagination and casting them into Second Life where they might be discovered and inhabited by those who find them.
In this, Hera is also a weaver of tales. Whether we are transported to a future world – be it Earth or elsewhere in the solar system / galaxy (Drune), or to the romance and danger of desert kingdoms (Shadezar) or a voyage to arrive in an alternate version of renaissance Venice (Venesha) or a medieval city cast within a Gothic garden ( Golgothica) or discovering the mysteries of an ancient tropical temple (Shangri-La) – Hera lays down the fibres of stories in such a way that we are invited to weave them together within our imaginations into stories that can take flight, be it through our photography, a changing of outfit so as to feel more fully immersed in the setting whilst exploring, or casual free-form role-play with friends.
Shadezar, August 2021
It is as a world builder / story weaver that Hera here presents the latest versions of Shadezar and Venesha. Both are offered on a Full region, with Shadezar occupying the ground level, and Venesha, in keeping with its last appearance in Second Life and these pages) occupying a sky platform. However, they are not the only builds within the region. Those visiting will automatically arrive in a third – the Attic.
Sitting within its own skybox, the Attic is more than a simple landing point; it is the place where dreamers are welcome and stories await their telling. As such, it is a place that should not be immediately hopped away from, but should be appreciated in its own right, having much to say for itself, both it terms of Hera’s builds and in reference to her approach to her creations.
Venesha, August 2021
For as long as I can remember I have wanted to do a Neverland for adults. I even came up with a name for it, Neverworld X. It has always seemed to me that the Peter pan story has a lot more going on than the Disney version. But although I tried many times to build it, I always ended up feeling that it would in the end just become a naff place used for kinky sex etc. Nothing wrong with that, but not something I wanted to pour a lot of time and effort into. And it occurred to me that, in fact, SL itself was already this Adult Neverland. So, needing an entrance hub for these sims I decided to get this whole Neverworld, Perter Pan Nursery thing finally off my chest once and for all.
– Hera, explaining The Attic landing point for entering Venesha and Shadezar
Shadezar, Venesha and Shangri-La: tales in the Attic
Thus, The Attic sits as a place where we can enter a world of dreams and tales – the three books on the trunk under the window beckoning us to open them and be transported to Hera’s lands of fable and into tales framed though her work and our imaginations. It is a place that, as a portal, reflects Hera’s thoughts on the magic and power of Second Life, thoughts she also gives voice to in introducing visitors to her creations of Shadezar Venesha and Shangri-La by way of this attic setting:
You are maybe familiar with the Neverland from your childhood. But that is just one small Island of the Neverworld created by the minds of children. Adults loose the ability to play there when they grow up. But they should not despair, it is simply time to move on and discover the far bigger land of fantastic fantasy, The Neverworld.
It was once said of the Neverland in relation to adults that “On these magic shores children at play are for ever beaching their coracles. We too have been there; we can still hear the sound of the surf, though we shall land no more.” … Listen now to its deep sea waves as they crash against dark rocks of deep forbidden desires, and again to the soft lapping rhythm of the surf as it gently rolls up upon the beach of sensual dreams. Listen as they call you away to adventures far beyond the innocence of childhood, to the mysterious islands of Neverworld X.
Shaedzar, August 2021
Here as well, to further enhance our mood for a visit to each (and preferably all) of her designs, Hera offers us a story of her own, written in the manner of J.M. Barrie, and which is deserving of being read for itself. Look for a fourth book within this attic nursery as it lies propped against the fireplace; and when you find it, give it a click.
And without wanting to over-egg things, I would suggest Hera’s use of the quote from Peter Pan also has a very literal application.
This is not the first time either Venesha or Shadezar has appeared (or reappeared) in Second Life. Both have long histories – Shadezar’s origins lie within the Hera’s Kingdom of Sand build, whilst Venesha’s history stretches back to her Venexia build. Both have appeared in Second Life more recently (August 2020). Thus they are very much an embodiment of the quote from Barrie used by Hera and seen at the top of this article.
Venesha, August 2021
However, their return is no mere repeated roll-out of builds that were here a year ago; there are departures from previous iterations awaiting discovery. This iteration of Venesha, for example, has an entirely new version of the Doge’s palace from baths up to salons. Elsewhere, links to the past remain as well. Shadezar, for example, retains its subterranean invitation for swords and sorcery role-play that carries echoes all the way back to the Kingdom of the Sand. Reached via direct teleport from the landing point outside of the city’s walls, the role-play information area also offers a map of the city for those who might need it.
Throughout both of the builds, as one would expect, there are numerous opportunities for photography – and also numerous opportunities for engagement among friends and visitor, be it through simply spending time within one or both, engaging in casual role-play or making use of the rooms and places waiting to be found as a quiet hang-out (the Doge’s palace in Venesha caries out for use!).
Shadezar, August 2021
When introducing her idea of Neverworld within The Attic, Hera also offers a variation of a quote by T.E. Lawrence from his autobiography, The Seven Pillars of Wisdom:
Those that dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds,
wake in the day to find that it was but vanity
But the dreamers of the day are dangerous folk
for they may act upon their dreams
with open eyes and Dream True.
This is an excellent quote to repeat in closing this article, because Hera is such a dreamer – and we are fortunate to be able to share in her dreams as we walk the streets, paths, halls and rooms of Venesha, Shadezar and Shangri-La. And if you appreciate her work, please consider a donation to her teddy bear in The Attic – the funds will go towards the cost of keeping Hera’s dreams available for all of us to enjoy.
