Category: Reviews

Seasonal art at Michiel Bechir’s Gallery in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Michiel Bechir Gallery, December 2024 – Inara Pey

Currently open at the Michiel Bechir Gallery in Second Life over the 2024 end-of year holidays through into the New Year, is a seasonal exhibition of art and photography featuring displays by four photographers and artists, together with a small art gift market.

The four featured artists are: gallery owner Michiel Bechir, together with curator Maggie Reno, both of whom have displays on the ground floor of the gallery; with Sophie (Ishtar7Inanna) and yours truly occupying the two upper floor halls. The individual collections on display range in number from 10 to 14 images, with the majority of the picture featuring wintertime landscapes, into which indoor images celebrating the season and avatar studies have been mixed.

Michiel Bechir Gallery, December 2024 – Maggie Reno
I truly embrace the beauty and comfort of winter and December! The season seems to bring to me a sense of peace, joy, and connection. The imagery of the colours, smells, the sound of rain and the warmth of home captures a cosy, reflective atmosphere.
It’s wonderful how the contrast of snowy landscapes and seasonal colours can make even the simplest detail feel special. 

– Maggie Reno, introducing her images

With her images, Maggie reflects her comments on the season by presenting a combination of outdoor and indoor images. The former, with their snowy landscapes almost monochrome in tone, thanks to the snow and skies, in which sudden bursts of rich colour – particularly a seasonal red – burst through; thus they encourage us to experience both the physical coldness of crisp winter days and the emotional warmth Maggie references. The indoor images, meanwhile, speak to winter comforts of family, celebration, love and contentment.

Michiel Bechir Gallery, December 2024 – Sophie (Ishtar7Inanna)
Each of my works captures something different, yet together they forma kaleidoscope – a reflection of how I see the world. 
These pieces are stories of life told as it is: filled with joy and sorrow, love and loneliness, but always illuminated by a glimmer of hope for something better. 

– Sophie, on her selection of images entitled Kaleidoscope

Sophie’s exhibit is perhaps the most broad in terms of content, featuring winter seasonal images mixed with those presenting a mix of warmer scenes and autumnal-looking settings. All are evocative and attractive, as are the avatar studies also included in this 14-piece collection.

Michiel Bechir Gallery, December 2024 – Michiel Bechir
Step into the serene beauty of winter through the lens of Michiel Bechir. This captivating collection of 12 photographs explores the quiet magic of the season, showcasing both breath-taking landscapes and intimate portraits of of people amidst the winter’s embrace.

– The introduction to Michiel Bechir’s collection Winter in Focus

Rich in tone and content, Michiel’s pieces largely focus on landscapes and settings. Each offers something of a story of the season within its frame: embarking on a winter holiday, possibly at a special retreat; the beckoning peace of the country land drifted in snow; the beauty of frosted, denuded trees seemingly on parade; the promise of a warm fire within the stout walls of comfortable cabin after a long walk through a snow-blanketed landscape, and more.

For my part, I’ve simply tried to express the sheer beauty of places I’ve visited over the winter months across the last decade. Each is a place I’ve especially appreciated and which has been lovingly created for us to enjoy. I hope they encourage you in your explorations of Second Life.

Michiel Bechir Gallery, December 2024 – Art Gift Market

Outside of the gallery and around the ice rink, is a set of 10 cabins. Nine offer a gift of an image from an artist – Raven Arcana, Tegan Tenby, TaniaAltAlbatros, Jamina Moon, Emma Jane, Sophie (Ishtar7Inanna), Hannah Starlight, Prins Evergarden and Charlotte Belladonna. The tenth offers Christmas greetings from the Gallery’s team.

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A touch of Decopunk and a Neverever Land in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Decopunk Metropolis, December 2024 – click any image for full size

Hera (zee9) opened a couple of new settings for people to enjoy in the run-up (and hopefully over) the holiday break (Hera’s builds do tend to vanish rapidly, so an early visit is always recommended!). Entitled respectively Decopunk Metropolis  and Neverever Land, they offer very different settings one to the other, with a hint of each of their natures given in their names. Both can be reached from the primary Landing Point, and given the introductory notecard to Decopunk Metropolis is offered at the Landing Point, I’m going to start with that setting.

Decopunk is one of the many offshoots of the original cyberpunk genre which have sprouted down the years. As the name might suggest it is centred around the art deco and Streamline Moderne art styles, folding into itself the likes of Fritz Lang’s Metropolis (1927) and 1991’s The Rocketeer. Technically a subset of dieselpunk (interwar period through to the 1950s), Decopunk remains firmly anchored in the period running through the 1920 to early 1930s.

Decopunk Metropolis, December 2024

All of this is presented in Decopunk Metropolis, which neatly echoes Hera’s Blade Runner / Drune style of design, in that we are placed within a city-style environment. However, it is one very different in styling and presentation; not Blade runner hints here; instead the references touch on Lang’s film whilst folding into itself physical-world Deco touches (perhaps most obviously New York City’s Chrysler Building).

Within it, and in difference to builds like Brutal City (which I wrote about here), there is no clearly defined “ground level”; the buildings rise from the mist, lit windows staring out like so many eyes, their upper reaches pillared and ornate, lit by streams of yellow falling along their flanks and spotlights thrown bright pools of light into the heavens, all watched over  by giant rooftop statues staring into the night.

Decopunk Metropolis, December 2024

Which is not to say the setting is without roads; they are most definitely present – they’re just as suspended as the buildings, ornate arches rising over them as if holding them aloft as they wind between (and through) the towers. Occupying two levels, they are linked via great vehicular elevators, with the lower level of roads offering three routes of exploration from the setting’s airport, the arrival zone for those coming from the main Landing Point.

Two of these roadway routes form a loop of which almost reaches completely around the setting. It is just cut short from doing so on the south-east corner of the city, where the road ends at one of the vehicular elevators mentioned above. The western around of the road, however, makes its way all the way around the city to a point directly opposite the airport. This is home to the Cortez Hotel, a place crowned by an ornate tower and also to be reached by taking the arrow-straight road also departing the airport to cut across the setting, north-to-south.

Decopunk Metropolis, December 2024

In making the crossing, the road bridge passes through the tallest building in the setting, which has a spire rising from it that looks almost as if it is expecting an airship to nuzzle up against it. This tower is also home to the Moka Efti lounge, with its very Chicago meets Cabaret vibe, and the local casino. These offer their own attractions and  – should you find them (it’s not hard) each offers a light-draped footbridge spanning the gulf between it and the east and west towers. Paralleling the road bridges, these each have a elevator station at their far ends waiting to take you to their particular points of interest, be it the apartment house high up on the eastern tower (and reach by way of taking the elevator up from the walkway to the road bridge, and then again up from their to the apartment), or to either / both of the Starlight Jazz Club and the Shanghai Dragon (again passing by way of the elevated road level).

Another way of getting around is via the local The Fifth Element style taxis; only rather than flying your from point-to-point a-la Corbin Dallas, these will whisk you around via teleporting. Just touch the taxi sign on a waiting cab and then pick a destination from the list. Those finding their way to the garage at the airport might also avail themselves of the motorbike that can be rezzed there, whilst also, and for the keen-eyed, there are various metal catwalks and stairways which may additionally lead to little places of interest, if followed and climbed.

Decopunk Metropolis, December 2024

Neverever Land, by contrast, offers a somewhat tropical setting, located at the region’s ground level. It is reached by way of the main landing point, and then an intermediary point, where more about the setting can be learned.

As might be guessed from the name, Neverever Land draws inspiration from Peter Pan – more J.M. Barrie than Disney – and the various additional works to which it has given rise. Comprising a series of interlinked islands set against a tropical back-drop, each of which contains setting based on both J.M. Barrie’s work whilst perhaps casting a wider net, the easiest way to describe this setting is that of a Neverland where the inhabitants are grown-up, but who have never quite lost touch with their spark of childhood sense of adventure and imagination.

Neverever Land, December 2024

This is actually setting which Hera last revealed in 2021, and which I wrote about in Hera’s Neverever Land in Second Life. however, as with all of Hera’s builds this in not just a rolling-out of something she’s had in-world before; there are differences. Perhaps the most noticeable of these – and one which extends to Decopunk Metropolis, is the use of AI NPCs.

These come in multiple forms throughout both settings – human, automaton, animal, bird – even, should you find it, a sandwich which has having an existential crisis concerning its purpose (being eaten) and its desire to continue (clue: look towards the left-hand end of the bar in Moka Efti). Hera started experimenting with AI scripted agents with the help and support of Kacey Stratton (in fact, one of the scripted agents from Brutal City pops-up in Decopunk Metropolis, but with a different persona.

Decopunk Metropolis, December 2024 – yours truly with one of the setting’s non-AI NPCs, the dancer Elly

I enjoyed my interactions with several of the character in the Brutal City build, but confess I didn’t gain the same level of enjoyment with the majority of the characters here; whereas the AIs at Brutal City were largely conversational in nature, I found the AIs at both Decopunk and Neverever Land too expositional in their multi-paragraph replies. In mentioning this to Hera, she indicated there had been an oversight in keeping the AI responses more constrained. Whilst unfortunate in the way it – for me – killed interaction, it most certainly does not spoil a visit.

Rounded out with a nicely curated audio mix on the audio stream that fits the Decopunk Metropolis setting perfectly, I thoroughly recommend the city as a place to visit, and Neverever Land as a nice addition.

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Cherishville’s winter 2024 in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Cherishville, December 2024 – click any image for full size

Lam Erin has redressed his homestead region of Cherishville for the holiday / winter period, bring to it hints of both the Winter 2023 and the Autumn 2024 iterations in small touches, whilst offering something new to visit and appreciate.

Those small touches are perhaps easy to miss – the winding road through the countryside and and arrival of a steam train; but they help remind those who regularly visit Cherishville that there are nice little visual touches to be found, reflecting Lam’s eye as a photographer-artist.

Cherishville, December 2024
Cherishville is a peaceful, photogenic destination set in the heart of winter. With snowfall and stunning scenery, it offers a tranquil escape. Using PBR textures, this region is perfect for capturing the beauty of the season.

– Cherishville’s Destination Guide entry, December 2024

Caught in a night setting with surrounding hills and distant mountains semi-shrouded by falling snow, the region might be seen as  being divided into two halves. to the north, and running west-to-east from the Landing Point is a little hamlet, bookended by a carousel close by the Landing Point and a Ferris wheel at the far end, the two linked by a main street.  It is by the carousel that the steam train might be seen, together with a very familiar touch from Lam which also gives a sense of continuity through many of his region designs: a railways station.

Cherishville, December 2024

The handful  of houses forming the hamlet are all furnished, presenting indoor elements to explore (and escape the snow!), whilst the road turns south as it reaches the Farris wheel to cross the local (and frozen) river. Here lies the second half of the region takes over, a rural setting a little mindful of the autumn 2024 design, the road winding through the countryside, looping back towards the little hamlet as it does so.

As the road does so, it passes a pleasantly-located farm; to one side, and overlooking the stream, a barns has been converted into a warm house; on the other two form a brightly-lit Christmas Tree farm.

Cherishville, December 2024

Tucked into this is a wealth of detail – places to sit, details to photograph – from polar bears playing on the ice, through reindeer wandering the countryside to teddy bears exchanging gifts. Those requiring props for photography will find rezzing in the region is open – but as Auto Return is off, do please remember to pick-up afterwards!

As ever, an engaging visit.

Cherishville, December 2024

 

Cherishville, December 2024

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Astoria’s wintertime in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Astoria, December 2024 – click any image for full size

Astoria is a Homestead region held by Eromara Vita and Dots (Dotties Stoop). For December 2024, and unsurprisingly, the region is dressed for the winter season and decorated with touches in keeping with the time of year. The easiest way to summarise the region is via its Destination Guide description:

Astoria is a Dutch winter destination perfect for snow lovers. Glide along ice skating paths, explore hidden caves, or take a scenic walk with loved ones. Enjoy dancing on the spacious dance floor or relax in cosy cuddle spots. Ride the ski lift to the mountaintop ski bar and descend on skis, snowboard, or sled for an exhilarating experience.

– Astoria Destination Guide description

Astoria, December 2024

In terms of design, the region is split into five islands (although the channel between two is so small, it’s easy to think of them as a single finger of land running long the north edge of the region). The waters between and around the island are frozen, thus forming the skating paths, the ice reaching out to touch the off-region surround of snowy mountains.

It is on the eastern end of one of those islands that the Landing Point resides, complete with a couple of jolly (if slightly argumentative!) carollers waiting to greet incoming visitors. Reindeer are fenced in here, possibly awaiting Santa’s arrival as the snow falls, and their time hitched to his sleigh. Going on the red-and-white logoed tractor-trailer inching its way over the ice, complete with red-suited guide, they may not have to long to wait before he arrives!

Astoria, December 2024

A hump-backed bridge spans the ice here to reach the largest of the islands. This forms the setting’s highest (indeed, only) summit: a tall hill with a steep but climbable gradient crowned by a coffee bar with outdoor seating and, at the time of my visit, vehicle which looked at if Batman might be out trying to remember where he left it – although as rezzing is open and Auto Return is off, I’m not sure if it was made to be part of the setting or left by a visitor who used it as a prop (but it is unlocked).

If you don’t fancy the climb up the hill, a walk around the coast to the south-western extent will bring you to the chair lift for an easy ride up to the coffee bar. Sleds and snowboards can be obtained from rezzers at the top of the chair lift for an easy ride down.

Astoria, December 2024

It is to the south-east of the main island that visitors will find the dance floor mentioned in the description above, sitting on its own snowy island across the ice. And speaking of ice, those wishing to skate appear of have three choices: pop on their own blades and set out on the ice freestyle, or keep and eye out for the skating balls along the edge of the Landing Point island. The latter take two forms: couples and singles. As I was on my own during my visit, I cannot speak to the doubles skating balls, but the single follows a scripted path around the island in a manner that reveals everything whilst leaving you with hands free for dramatic photos, if you so chose!

If you opt to remain on the northern islands for exploration, you can follow them as they point west, a little covered bridge neatly linking them. After this an avenue of tree with boughs bent as if to try to protect you from the falling snow will lead you onto the a further bridge and the larger of the two islands on the eastern extent of the region. From here is it just a short hop to the tall island with its hill – or if you prefer, you can remain where you are and escape up into a cosy tree house.

Astoria, December 2024

The final – and smallest – of the islands is something of a wildlife reserve; a magical place where not only do penguins and polar bears meet – but they seem just fine in roaming and skating around together 🙂 .

Through all of this are many places to sit and relax, together with opportunities for photos and fun – not all the sit points are to be found on chairs or benches! And make sure you check out the entrances to the caves – they sit on opposite sides of the large island and should be hard to miss –  a visit is not complete without a trip through one of them!

Astoria, December 2024

Astoria is a pleasant and engaging place to visit, so be sure to pop over and take a look.

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  • Astoria (Porto Leone, rated Moderate)

Alex Bader’s landscapes in art in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Alex Bader: Landscapes by Alex, December 2024

Alex Bader is a name in Second Life synonymous with some of the best landscaping kits and texture sets available for use in-world (his work also being available to other platforms as well). For my part, he is one of the two landscape and plant creators who are pretty much my go-to names in Second Life when it comes to landscaping, either at home or on behalf of friends (the other being Cube Republic).

However, what many among Alex’s friends and customers may not know – and I count myself as being in both categories – is that Alex is a skilled and high-regarded graphics artist and landscape painter in the physical world. As a graphics artist, his work has won international design awards and his clients have included the Scottish Ballet, Glasgow School of Art, the Centre for Contemporary Arts, Citizens Theatre, Glasgow Art Fair, Glasgow Jazz Festival and the BBC Symphony Orchestra.

Alex Bader: Landscapes by Alex, December 2024

From the above list of clients, it is probably obvious that Alex hails from Scotland, where he became inspired by his father’s watercolour landscapes and love of the Scottish countryside. This stirred his own interest in and passion for both the Scottish countryside and expressing its beauty in art through both photography and painting, as well as contributing to his involvement in 3D graphics design.

I spend a lot of time enjoying the landscape, whether walking the dog through forest and on beaches or cycling in the hills and woodland of Scotland. So it’s almost inevitable that I feel the need to communicate the impact this has on me. Whether through photography, design or painting – the result is always the same process of observation, discovery and expression.

– Alex Bader, discussing his passion for art

As an artist, Alex has seen his images and paintings exhibited across Scotland, each piece finely crafted and exquisitely capturing scenes and places in all of their allure and elegance. Whilst his father worked in watercolours, Alex has come to prefer oils for his art, painting out of his studio rather than in the field, using reference images and sketches of the location he intends to reproduce on canvas. His work also ranges form expressive realism, rich in detail and beautifully representative of a subject, through to more abstracted landscapes.

Alex Bader: Landscapes by Alex, December 2024
In painting, my main aim is to convey the rich textural detail of the landscape using loose, expressive brushwork while remaining true to the colour and values of nature. Through this combination, I hope to engage the audience on multiple levels – to draw the viewer in to the scene with a real sense of place while exciting the eye artistically.

– Alex Bader, discussing his passion for art

All of this is now available for Second Life residents to appreciate for themselves, as Alex has opened an in-world gallery where limited edition digital copies of his physical world landscape art can be admired and purchased. Situated in one of Alex’s own building designs – The White Loft Skybox Interior Space (I should mention I am also a fan of Alex’s buildings, owning both his Beach House and Forest Cabin, both of which I regard as superb) – the gallery is a clean, no-nonsense space perfect for displaying art.

Alex Bader: Landscapes by Alex, December 2024

Pictures are displayed framed and sized to a realistic scale for home display in-world, with each piece limited to just 10 copies. As a particular piece is sold out, I understand Alex plans to replace it with another on the same limited edition basis. Given that each image is limited in number, purchases are not made through the displayed copy of a painting; instead, payment is made by clicking on one of white sales cubes located under each painting. As purchases are made, cubes turn from white to red and reduce in size, making it very easy to see how many copies of a given painting remain available.

Nor are people limited to just having Alex’s paintings in-world; the original oil paintings can also be purchased in the physical world as a part of a cross-over exhibition”. All of the originals are available via a dedicated part of the Studio Skye website,  also called Landscapes by Alex. As with the limited digital copies, each painting is individually priced – and this price includes international shipping costs (all painting sold unframed for ease of shipping).

Alex Bader: Landscapes by Alex, December 2024

Whether seen in-world or on-line, Alex’s paintings are a delight to behold, and will grace any home, physical or virtual, so do please be sure to hop along and see for yourself.

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Primfeed adds ability to make profiles public & increase discoverability

Posted on by Inara Pey
via Primfeed.com

Since it opened in June 2024, Primfeed, the social media / photo-sharing platform geared towards Second Life users has been gradually gaining ain features and capabilities – as well as users; and December 13th, 2024 marked would could be a particularly significant move: providing the ability for Primfeed users to open their feed and gallery for viewing by non-Primfeed users / those not logged into the service.

This is particularly relevant, as one of the critiques of the platform since it opened is that is a essentially a closed service: to view anything, up until December 1th, 2024, one had to create a Primfeed account; something long recognised by Primfeed’s creator, Luke Rowley.

For a social media [platform], this restriction was a considerable downside for discoverability, or just knowing what to expect when you click a link. Now, every resident can open their profile and content to the public. You can change this setting by navigating to the “Edit your profile” button on your profile. If you open your profile to the public, your content will be visible to anyone, even if they’re not logged into Primfeed.

– Luke Rowley, announcing the ability to make Primfeed feeds public

As noted above, making a Profile (/timeline) public is a simple two-step process for those who wish to do so, and can be reversed at any time. Whether it is used or not in therefore a matter of personal choice; by default, users’ feeds will remain private unless the “public” option is explicitly set.

To make your profile (timeline) public, click on the Edit My Profile button from within your Primfeed profile (top), and then enable Make My Profile Public (bottom)

In addition, when the option is set:

  • Each type of link (events, profiles, or posts) now has its own preview when shared on messaging apps or social media.
  • Only General or Moderate content within an individual’s profile will be visible when it is made public; to avoid the potential of giving offence or violating other platform’s terms of service when sharing content, items rated as Adult and Adult+ within an individual’s profile will remain only viewable to those actually logged-in to Primfeed.
When a Profile is make public all General and Moderate posts, etc., made to that profile will be visible to people not logged-in to Primfeed, together with an invitation for them to join the service at the top of the profile’s timeline (top right, above)

On a purely personal note, I think Luke taken the optimal route in making this capability opt-in rather than opt-out. Not everyone will want to have their profile generally discoverable, and it is a lot more sensible to have those who do to go through the one-time step of setting the option for themselves rather than risking those who don’t want to have their profile so exposed, and feeling they’d has been forced to do so, and inconvenienced by having to disable the option.

There is still much that I would personally like to see added to Primfeed – such as the ability to use BB code or similar with the images I post to Primfeed so that I might also embed them into blog posts, etc., – but I know Luke has a sizeable backlog of options and capabilities he is working through (including the above). As such, he’s attempting to deal with things on the basis of adding the more popular requests as a priority – and and noted, Primfeed being a “closed” environment has been is particular cause of frustration with the platform. Hopefully, this will now change – and I certainly look froward to seeing what else is coming down the pipe for the platform in due course.

In the meantime, if you’re unfamiliar with Primfeed and want to know more, read my overview of the service and discussion about it with Luke.