Second Life Art News

Poetry Moment

2009-02-19T10:48:00.001-08:00

Gitte Broeng.
Originally uploaded by Strawberry Holiday

If you looking for a fun mixed media moment in Second Life®. Gitte Broeng as her Second Life® avatar, Beatrice Coleslaw has a little minute long gem at Boom Pearls in SL. It's a sweet poem called "Hypothetical imperatives (desserts)".

This isn't an amazing, blow your mind, Second Life Experience. But it is a quick, fun read along moment.

SLURL: http:/slurl.com/secondlife/Phyllira/169/139/90

The Official Press Release:

Gitte Broeng: Dessert Room - at Boom Pearls in Second Life
Opening online, 21. February. 16-18 gmt+1. 7am-9am sltime.

Dessert Room is a hybrid work that mixes words/sound/image in an ironic vision which challenges traditional ideas about one of life’s sweetest phenomena: desserts.

The work examines what happens when all context is removed and a space without orientation arises. It is inspired by Second Life’s wasteland with no physical reality, where you are able to build a “second life” from scratch - but without scents, tastes and feelings, senses without which a dessert does not seem to be any pleasure at all - or any kind of food for that matter. 

The starting point for the work is Broeng’s conceptual poem Hypothetical Imperatives (Desserts) based on dessert recipes that she has “emptied” of all ingredients. Instead of descriptions of delicious desserts we are faced with imperatives such as whip, grate, decorate. Recipes like to make use of imperatives in the instructions and if the ingredients are removed the odd thing happens, that the recipes will appear as insensible commands. Completely inverse of the product they describe the making of. 

Dessert is a total sensory boom, we do not need to eat, but eat anyway - of sheer pleasure. However Gitte Broeng’s dessert room at Boom Pearls’s territory in Second Life is completely devoid of sensuality. Here visitors will meet a monumental cookbook, which stands as a sort of open brown building in the desert-like surroundings. On the pages of the book the vertical commanding poem is seen and by pressing “Play” Broeng’s reading of the words, or rather orders is activated in the dessert room. To view the installation inside Second Life please visit this link: http:/slurl.com/secondlife/Phyllira/169/139/90, which will teleport your avatar to Boom Pearls in Second Life. Avatars can be made at www.secondlife.com.

Gitte Broeng b. 1973. Lives and works in Copenhagen, Denmark. Being both a poet and visual arts facilitator Broeng is interested in hybrids between the two artistic fields. She published the book “Interiør” (Interior), Hurricane Publishing in 2006, a book that she designed herself. Broeng has done several public readings and published texts including visual poems in literary journals in Denmark and abroad.

Dessert Room is the third show at Boom Pearls in Second Life. 8 artists have been invited as newcomers to this online world which consists of mainly user created content, and the exhibition projects show art at the transition from Real Life to Second Life before the artists have decided if they want to be integrated users of Second Life or not. Screenshots and other documentation can be viewed at BoomPearls.com. Boom Pearls is curated by Jon Paludan.

The installation can be seen until 22. March 2009
Thanks to the Danish Arts Council

Wintery Heaven in Cu Mara

2008-12-28T00:12:00.000-08:00

My home in these past few days has been the beautiful Cu Mara. I love the peaceful winter atmosphere here. The snow movement, colors, trees,...everything is absolutely charming. I ended up making a little machinima about the sim (see below) and I even edited some of the footage into my holiday card for this year.

If you'd like to spend a few moments in the ideal winter environment with your friends or by yourself, I highly recommend Cu Mara. There is also a hidden skating ring that you can get to by sitting on a snowman :) Have fun exploring!

The Photography Studio of Grignano

2008-09-24T16:09:00.001-07:00

Contest 42: BURNING LIFE

Theme: Burning Life, the SL version of Burning Man, which takes place from 27 September through 5 October 2008. Also eligible: photos from previous Burning Life celebrations.

From the wiki:
"Because Burning Life is a mirror in spirit of a real life event, albeit with the unique and creative twists only Second Life can offer, we follow suit. Together, we will build a city, and we voluntarily accept many of the same restrictions that Nature imposes on the real thing. We do this to see how creative we can be with the same palette of materials and to revel in the beauty of simplicity. We use the same blank, desert landscape, and many of the things we build are naked or primitive in structure, easily revealing to the casual viewer how they were constructed. Just pretend that you're bringing everything you need with you in your car or truck and you're going camping. Extreme Camping. Really Extreme Camping. "

The wiki is here: http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Burning_life

Cash prizes.

You may make something like an animated texture or other cool thing if you want. You don't have any tight limits. If you make something cool that doesn't seem to fit the "textures" requirement just enter it anyway.

Straight snaps or manipulated - it's all good.

DATES
Enter by: 19 October 2008
Exhibition: 21 October - 22 November 2008 in the Photography Studio upstairs gallery.

++++++++++++++++++++++++
We will have an awards ceremony - time TBA.
++++++++++++++++++++++++

TO ENTER
Enter 3 textures of Second Life screenshots. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<----------
Textures can be no bigger than 512x512 - rectangular photos saved as 512x512 regain their proportions once they are put on a prim. TRY TO ADHERE TO THIS, PLEASE.

Title entries with title + your name <---= so I don't lose it in my inventory
Send them to Osprey Therian with MOD permission and COPY permission.
Give me an IM so I know to look for them.

>>>>>.Don't send them in a notecard - I say this as I look at textures every day but I rarely look at notecards. If I don't get your heads-up the entry gets buried under the billion spam notecards I get per week. I hate it when things get lost - the only entries to've been lost thus far were in notecards.

The Loco Pocos Are Arriving!

2008-07-02T20:08:00.000-07:00

I was recently invited to beta test the Loco Pocos adventure island, created by the super-talented Damien Fate...and I can't wait until July 9th, when the doors of the sim open for everyone to explore! This place is not only breathtakingly charming, but it's also chock-full-of-details and follows a beautiful story that unfolds as you visit the space. It's actually a perfect introduction to Second Life, in a myriad of ways. Read on for details and info on how you can get in before the crowds!

Sending you love from the Loco Pocos! :)

I'd say that there are three levels of complexity that made this experience truly special:

1. The customizable avatar
2. The story of the island
3. The gaming/puzzle elements

First, you are encouraged to explore the lush island by fitting into the story and becoming a character. If you want to try the deep immersion, definitely get the avatar pack. It contains one of the cutest and most advanced bunny tinies I've ever seen. The package also comes with a pleasant HUD that allows for easy control of emotional expressions, gestures, and endlessly customization of your avatar & its accessories (hats, glasses, tshirts, etc.). As you visit various spots on the island, you can win treasures, typically swag items for your avatar. No description can do this justice - just go try it out!

Loco Pocos avatar HUD

The storyline really makes use of all the elements and invites visitors to learn more about the history of the place. It's seamless and doesn't seem forced. The background is part of the large puzzle of the island - you get small insights into why the giant tree exists and where the abandoned ship or lighthouse areas fit.

Down the bunny hole to start the journey!

By the time you start the individual brain twisters, you are won over by the character of your new avatar. The user experience in the various puzzle sections is incredibly well-developed and thought-out, both in the gaming aspect and in adapting a game to the Second Life environment. There are four games: one situated at the abandoned ship, one in a tunnel/maze, one on a burning lake of lava, and the final one in a hobbit-like village.

If you like what you're reading and seeing, you can join the Loco Pocos group for free right now and get a sneak preview on July 6th. All others will be allowed into the island starting July 9th. Either way, this is one island you won't want to skip!

The talented creator of Loco Pocos - Damien Fate

Ilianexsi Sojourner at Mysterio Gallery

2008-06-27T14:26:00.001-07:00

Ilia has been in Second Life for over four years, and has been creating intriguing self-portraits, which will now be on display at Mysterio Gallery. There will be an opening Saturday, June 28, 2008, at 11AM at the gallery, so come meet the artist herself and compare her current look to her images! Virtual food and drink available.

PetGirl Bergman's Art Exhibit for the Swedish National Celebration

2008-05-31T22:13:00.000-07:00

Tina's installation based on the Swedish flag - formed of scripted units that will appear bit by bit, can be seen from 1 June at the Swedish Embassy - Second House of Sweden - until June 6. In the evening of the Swedish National Day celebration on 6 June, it will disappear forever.

The complete Swedish flag finished size is 30x48 meters, consisting of a total of 168 prims 3*3* meter in size. One can walk on it, look at it - and Tina says, "The flag will also show my point of how Sweden as nation are today... have a look at it and you will understand."
Then it die, quite simply vanish, leaving no trace - something which is possible only in Second Life.

The installation is created by Tina (PetGirl) Bergman - the idea and execution in cooperation with Deirdre Boyer who did all necessary scripting.

A bright light goes out...The Sojouner

2008-05-26T14:15:00.000-07:00

It's impossible to encapsulate Soj's life in a few words, but saying nothing at all would be even worse. The Dreams community was the fuel behind my belief in Second Life and Soj's faith kept all of us on track through some rough times.

I met The Sojourner in my first months of Second Life, back when I was still considering medicine as a career. I then realized something that may seem naive now...if you ever read about stroke in a biology book, you'll never know the whole truth: the subtle and not-so-subtle ways in which every day, stroke survivors find themselves more limited than they were the day before. It's a feeling of uselessness, of anger at yourself and at the world that very few can conquer with as much dignity and patience as Soj did. She challenged herself and the obstacles her health placed in her way. With Second Life as a filter, I almost forgot that she was a bit slower or that she reacted to a social/technical change by falling apart. She focused so much on helping others that we, in turn, almost forgot the struggles she went through or that she only had a short amount of time to be with us.

The Soj I had met wasn't the person she was before stroke, or at least this is what she told us all. The truth is that stroke changes people – things you could do alone before, even simple things like reading the analog clock, need to be done with the help of someone else. I found this email I once sent to her:

“Often times I wish I had saved the many conversations we had. I am truly happy I met you, and even happier that you now have a part of your life that can make you feel like you have a purpose. I think the purpose was there all along, it just may be harder to adjust to it when you change from being the strong one into the one who needs support.“

I don't know about you, but Soj never felt like she was asking for help. She inspired strength and love, while taking in a little advice or care when she was discouraged. Second Life allowed her the freedom to be who she truly was, to keep being a nurturing, loving person, even when real life was very different.

The Sojouner ...despite her name, she is here for a lot more than just a day. I know a lot of us will fight to keep her dream alive. Let's hope we can be half as strong as she was for us. To place a tribute to her, please follow this link.

The Photography Studio of Grignano

2008-05-04T22:45:00.000-07:00

Contest 38: BAY CITY

Enter your 3 photos! Join in the parade! Make a weird picture involving graffiti taggers, boats, gangs, roller skaters, and/or THE PARADE.

SL Shakespeare Company

2008-05-02T19:27:00.000-07:00

Os Goes to the Globe

I usually forget to go to things as my time is so limited, but I happened to read something on the forums about this, and since it was in about half an hour I stirred my stumps and got a good seat before I wandered off to the kitchen to find some yoghurt.

The costumes and actor's look in general was excellent.
/me gives Hamlet a comb.

The setting was lovely, and the theatre itself very nice.

Ina Centaur and everyone who has contributed to the production deserve praise. It was an enjoyable evening out and I'd recommend it to anyone.

NMC Presents........

2008-04-12T16:50:00.000-07:00

NMC CAMPUS
Presents ...
An Interactive, Kinetic, Holographic, Virtual Art exhibit.

Come explore the possibilities of what can be created,using SL as a medium for art. Many talented SL artists have art on display at this exhibition. Play with the art, interact, touch, watch... enjoy! Now thru April 30th.

Ars Simulacra 223,213,22
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Ars%20Simulacra/223/213/22/

Starax!

2008-04-12T16:05:00.000-07:00

Over 20 Starax Sculptures can be seen at the Crescent Moon Museum.
The exhibition is being held over until the 19th of April.
Stop by when you get a chance and see the masterpieces of one of the
first and most famous artists within SL. http://slurl.com/secondlife/Fairchang%20Village/191/138/21/

The Photography Studio of Grignano

2008-04-09T23:22:00.000-07:00

Contest 37: MUSIC
Theme: The theme is "MUSIC " in any use or interpretation of the word . Get weird - you know you want to.

Cash prizes.

On the poster: Bitstream Boogie - Real time Internet/SL music jam
Komuso Tokugawa/Japan http://music.sonicviz.com
Hathead Rickenbacker /Canada http://hatheadinc.com/hhi/ (less)

You may make something like an animated texture or other cool thing if you want. You don't have any tight limits. If you make something cool that doesn't seem to fit the "textures" requirement just enter it anyway.

Straight snaps or manipulated - it's all good.

DATES
Enter by: 30 April 2008
Exhibition: 4 May - 24 May 2008 in the Photography Studio upstairs gallery.

++++++++++++++++++++++++
We will have an awards ceremony - time TBA.
++++++++++++++++++++++++

TO ENTER
Enter 3 textures of Second Life screenshots.
Textures can be no bigger than 512x512 - rectangular photos saved as 512x512 regain their proportions once they are put on a prim. Title entries with title + your name <---= so I don't lose it in my inventory Send them to Osprey Therian with MOD permission and COPY permission. Give me an IM so I know to look for them. >>>>>.Don't send them in a notecard - I say this as I look at textures every day but I rarely look at notecards.
If I don't get your heads-up the entry gets buried under the billion spam notecards I get per week.
I hate it when things get lost - the only entries to've been lost thus far were in notecards.

Organic Symmetry

2008-04-09T23:15:00.000-07:00

A press release from Vlad Bjornson:
Join me as I celebrate the re-opening of my New World Gallery. Organic Symmetry is an exploration of the shapes and colors provided by Mother Nature, viewed through a distorted digital lens. Undulating colors and self-similar shapes are combined in a variety of ways to create an immersive, full-sensory experience.

The works begin their life as RL digital photos captured in the wild places of the Pacific Northwest. Moss & bark, flowers & leaves, earth and sky. I take these images into Photoshop, exploring the shapes and color combinations that arise as I experiment. I have always been a fan of symmetrical compositions and the self-similar shapes found in Nature, and I enjoy creating my own variations on these themes.

I brought these manipulated images into SL for further experimentation. In here I can combine the images in new ways, put them in motion, create interactive pieces that surprise and delight. I never know what this Mashup of tools and ideas will bring about, but I know what I like when I find it. :) This Organic Symmetry show includes digitally manipulated photos, interactive sculptures, kinetic art, video installations - even a symmetrical space created specifically for this collection.

MoShang Zhao will also be joining us for a live musical performance. His music is a perfect fit for this show. Energetic yet introspective - a blend of traditional Chinese music, ambient sounds, and hip-hop flavors. He calls it 'Chinese Chill'. You can learn more about MoShang at his website: http://moshang.net/

I will also be providing some live visuals to accompany MoShang's music. Pictures, videos, particles, and other colorful eye-candy drawn from the same pool of natural imagery.

See you at the show!
Vlad Bjornson

Contest - - Rinascimento virtuale

2008-04-08T18:51:00.001-07:00

Rinascimento virtuale
Originally uploaded by Frank Koolhaas

Mario Gerosa, known as Frank Koolhaas on Second Life, will be presenting his new book, "Rinascimento virtuale" on Friday 11 April 2008 at noon SLT (9pm italian time), in the Toscana sim, in Second Life http://slurl.com/secondlife/toscana/85/215/105. The book, which has been published in Italy, is about the art generated in social network, avatar branding, grassroot culture, virtual tourism and much more.

For the occasion, a contest will be open to all SL residents, called "Second Renaissance." The competitors must create one or more pics (max 3) inspired by famous Renaissance paintings, with the photos being entirely taken in SL. The avatars should take poses and situations by famous masters like Botticelli, Leonardo, Michelangelo, Raffaello.

Submissions are due by 3 pm slt, Thursday, April 10 (midnight Italian time) and must be submitted in .jpg format, no larger than 250 kB, to secondlife@intoscana.it. The submissions will be shown during the presentation on April 11. The jury wil be comprised of Mario Gerosa, journalist and writer; Mirko Lalli marketing and communication officer of Fondazione Sistema Toscana; and Sergio Tossi, gallery owner and curator of contemporary art exhibitions in Florence, Italy.

The three top pieces will receive these prizes:

1st prize: Weekend in a Tuscany agriturismo offered by B&B LA VILLANELLA (http://www.villanella.it, lavillanella@katamail.com - 0575.48394). Winner to provide their own transportation.

2nd : 5 books by Meltemi, shipping prepaid

3rd: 3 books by Meltemi, shipping prepaid

Gossip - Death of an Avatar By Poid Mahovlich

2008-03-22T16:21:00.000-07:00

gossip
Originally uploaded by Strawberry Holiday

:: Gossip - Death of an Avatar :: Part 1
By Poid Mahovlich

Saturday March 22nd 2008
4pm SLT
Ars Simulacra: NMC's SL Artist Showcase Island

This interactive installation by Poid approaches the themes of gossip, betrayal, and SL Drama. Scripted to allow you to "point the finger".

you can tp directly from here.

Cotton's Dystopia

2008-03-03T11:46:00.001-08:00

Cotton's Dystopia
Originally uploaded by Vivian Oblivion

Recently Cotton's Dystopia was razed - sad as it was a good build. I had meant to chronicle it a wee bit before its end, but there was a surprise lightning-fast deletion that took more people than me by surprise.

As I understand it Cottonteil's account was suspended for something minor like needing a card update or something, but she never bothered to sort it out . The build, on land owned by Thea, was owned by Cotton, and therefore couldn't survive a land sale. Set me straight in comments if I'm wrong.

Life moves on. On the plus side the new doings in Gibson are heartening.

AM Radio's "The Refuge and The Prospect"

2008-02-29T18:04:00.000-08:00

AM Radio's wheat field at "Far Away" has been one of the most photographed artistic installations in Second Life. For a limited time, until March 6th, you can see a new installation, on a larger scale: The Refuge and The Prospect.

The scale makes for a different experience, which is probably why the exhibit has a new name. Despite some of the pieces we have grown to know from the initial installation, The Refuge and The Prospect stands on its own and silently prompts visitors to participate by fitting into the look and feel. Don't be surprised if you find yourself taken over by an overwhelming desire to whip out a run-down truck and drive it on the highway through the middle of the set. :)

You can meet and greet AM Radio on Saturday, March 1st, at 6 PM SLT (Pacific time). Click here for a teleport link. Many thanks to Callipygian Christensen, who has donated the land for the artist's use.

Also, a heads-up: March 8th - Madcow Cosmos, the maker of dinosaurs and other fine things, will be next in line with an installation in the same spot.

Sandhya2 Patel at The Crescent Moon Museum

2008-02-25T19:09:00.000-08:00

Today marks the opening of Sandhya2 Patel's exhibit at the Crescent Moon museum. Her artwork is a compilation of whimsical sculptures and figurines, some taken from stories or literary pieces such as Alice in Wonderland.

From the artist: "I was fascinated immediately by the possibility of building things in SL.
I started the fist day and have been building ever since.

I have created avatars, built houses, done landscaping , but the most fun
I have had is making statues and sculptures."

Head over to the Crescent Museum now!

Illusions of Light and Words

2008-02-10T16:18:00.001-08:00

Illusions of Light and Words
Originally uploaded by Strawberry Holiday

Admittedly I'd never heard of To Ryba or Stray Aeon when I teleported to ArtSpace:SL following a landmark, but I'm glad I did. The notice that came among the plethora of blue windows I get from "Arts and Artist Network" claimed " Illusions in Light and Words" combined digital painting with text and installation art.

That was enough to get me to follow the TP. I'm sure glad I did, because when I arrived I found three different mini-immersive installations composed of dancing prims in an almost Juria style, combined with poetry awaited me in rooms, and when I sat on chairs, it pulled me in. This is exactly the kind of new work I like to see. Creative, original, and not something I've seen 100 times in 100 galleries in SL and real life!

Illusions of Light and Words
Originally uploaded by Strawberry Holiday

Check out this exhibit yourself @ Artspace:SL and get used to hearing the names Tu Ryba and Stray Aeon… because I'll be following anything they do from now on.

And if you take any photos, feel free to contribute them to the new Flickr group

SynaesthAsia

2008-02-01T17:35:00.000-08:00

Komuso and MoShang are beta testing SynaesthAsia but it must be close to going public as it is a blast.

MoKo LoCo
Real time Internet/SL music jam
Komuso Tokugawa/Japan
http://music.sonicviz.com
MoShang Zhao/Taiwan
http://moshang.net/

Creative Commons
Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0
License

SLart Warfare

2008-01-23T10:49:00.000-08:00

In a move guaranteed to enrage the art community, someone named ArtWorld Market has trademarked "slart." The term has been around for a long time and is used by Second Life residents when they refer to inworld artwork. Since "SL" is commonly added to just about everything ("SLamazons, SLeek, SLiterary, SLesbians, SLarchitecture, SLawyer) it's obvious that the reason it was able to be trademarked was that the government body in charge of trademarks has not got clue one when it comes to SLingo. To them it was probably a novel and ungainly little made-up word. Actually it's a common, ungainly little word the use of which predates the trademarking and even the rezdate of the usurping avatar.

Vint Falken is fighting the good fight over at her blog.

CENSORED

2008-01-21T10:43:00.000-08:00

Not long ago a blogwriter here was approached by someone mentioned fleetingly in a very old blogpost I had written. What was it - 2005? The post itself was about an artshow at Dreams, and well I remember going there and wandering about. It's a good thing I can remember as my post - on my own blog - was deleted to appease that person, and not by me. I was very surprised and angry. No, not at the deleter - at the person who seems to be wandering the blogosphere searching for innocent references to himself.

If I had been approached I'd've removed his name, certainly. Not my entire post including photo. Should this EVER come up again (although I can't even see why it came up once) the official policy is this: approach the person who wrote the post.

I am thinking of IMing the person in question to complain that he has destroyed part of my blog with his meddling, however I haven't yet.

4 must sees!

2008-01-19T15:09:00.001-08:00

I've been out of town, and AFK for almost a month, and I come back to find all sorts of amazing things waiting for me! These are four (count them *four*) MUST see places!

1) Dyna Fleur by Douglas Story & Desdemona Enfield Dizzy Banjo - music and sound Poid Mahovlich – terraforming
a. SLURL
b. Dyna Fleur Blog

2) PARSEC by Dizzy Banjo, Eshi Otawara and Chase Marellan
a. SLURL

3) The Electric Forest by Spiral
a. SLURL

4) Art by Pheonix Dreamscape
a. SLURL

Wearable Art: The Fishook Dress

2008-01-15T12:56:00.001-08:00

Eshi Otawara has created a piece of wearable art that will be available until the 30th January. As she says, "The usage of fishook stencil sends out a direct message "If you come close, you WILL get 'hooked' !"- very bold and direct. The more graceful the movement of one who wears it, the more seductively the dress moves spreading out into a wild flower shape, splitting itself into wing-like shapes or, even, an aura-like halo which slowly settles back in place."

I'm always interested to see the wearable artforms in Second Life - something I've never seen in any other virtual world, and which run the gamut from abstract avatars to Queue Marlowe's bold and colorful creations which are not quite clothes, not mere showy costumes, but more abstract adornments. Here Eshi has a dress that will appear ordinary until the avatar swoops or swings, and as well as being a message saying the viewer will get hooked, is, to my mind, a subconscious play on "Barbies." Beware the barbs on the Barbies.

music immersion

2008-01-10T14:53:00.001-08:00

Click to Play

MoKo LoCo
Real time Internet/SL music jam
Komuso Tokugawa/Japan
http://music.sonicviz.com
MoShang Zhao/Taiwan
http://moshang.net/

License
Creative Commons
Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0

License at
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/

SkyDancer Second Spring

2008-01-06T23:33:00.001-08:00

dancers_009
Originally uploaded by Vivian Oblivion

Dancoyote Antonelli's lovely live production Second Spring is an exhilarating and colorful happening. Music, costumes, and execution are all wonderful, indicating close teamwork that has paid off for the audience in a finely coordinated performance.

I have a group of pictures on Flickr, so if you are curious take a look - then go and join the viewers to see the wheeling and swirling dancers for yourself.

dancers_020
Originally uploaded by Vivian Oblivion

dancers_035
Originally uploaded by Vivian Oblivion

dancers_068
Originally uploaded by Vivian Oblivion

dancers_071
Originally uploaded by Vivian Oblivion

Whalesong

2008-01-01T13:26:00.001-08:00

Click to Play

Miki Gymnast's installation is framed by pocket universe clips and augmented with humpback whalesong in this little movie I put together today.

The Photography Studio of Grignano

2007-12-25T11:29:00.000-08:00

Contest 34: COLLECTION

Theme: Past contest themes - after Unnatural Hue comes down I will put up as many posters as I can cram into the gallery. Before then, you may use the lower section of this notecard - it has textures and things from the old contests.
USE A THEME ONLY ONCE. 3 ENTRIES = USE 3 THEMES
Cash prizes.

THEMES
The contest themes are the contest theme. Identify your entries with their name and the contest they are harking back to, i.e. Frizzled by Oso Mirage- Beach Blanket Tringo. Snape by Ibello Maunder - Circus

You may make something like an animated texture or other cool thing if you want. You don't have any tight limits. If you make something cool that doesn't seem to fit the "textures" requirement just enter it anyway.

Straight snaps or manipulated - it's all good.

DATES
Enter by: 1 February 2008
Exhibition: 3 February - 29 February 2008 in the Photography Studio upstairs gallery.

++++++++++++++++++++++++
We will have an awards ceremony - time TBA. I want to do something tricky with the awards but dunno what yet.
++++++++++++++++++++++++

TO ENTER
Enter 3 textures of Second Life screenshots. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<----------
Textures can be no bigger than 512x512 - rectangular photos saved as 512x512 regain their proportions once they are put on a prim.
Title entries with title + your name + the contest they are harking back to <---= so I don't lose it in my inventory
i.e. Frizzled by Oso Mirage- Beach Blanket Tringo. Snape by Ibello Maunder - Circus
Send them to Osprey Therian with MOD permission and COPY permission.
Give me an IM so I know to look for them.
>>>>>.Don't send them in a notecard - I say this as I look at textures every day but I rarely look at notecards. If I don't get your heads-up the entry gets buried under the billion spam notecards I get per week. I hate it when things get lost - the only entries to've been lost thus far were in notecards.

Gallery Beleza Dragon Photo Event

2007-12-13T22:28:00.000-08:00

Gallery Beleza is accepting entries in their dragon photo contest from 6 December through the 26 December. Second Life screenshots, manipulated or not, are eligible. It's a dragon photo contest, therefore photos must have a dragon in them - I know, I know, you saw that coming :D

From the notecard:

Permissions Each submission must be set to copy/modify/transfer (C/M/T). Submissions not made as C/M/T will be returned to the submitter. Although the submitter retains ownership of the original, the submitted item becomes the property of The Gallery Beleza at Avendale and its owner, Wealthy Mizser. The submission cannot be sold or used for barter by The Gallery without expressed written permission of the submitter, unless separate arrangements are made between the Gallery and submitter.

Second Round
Out of all submitted entries, fifteen will be selected to move on to the second round. For the January show in The Gallery Beleza at Avendale, these 15 pieces will be on display on the Main and Second floor. During the month of January, those visiting The Gallery will be able to vote for their favorite entries. Visitors can vote for as many or as few entries as they want. At the same time, each entry will be available for sale. All sales will be handled by The Gallery. The artist will get 60% of the total sale value, paid at the end of the second round. The price of each entry will be identical and a definitive amount will be determined at a later date.

Panelists
The panelist for this years event will be: * Cosimo Urbanowicz * Fleep Tuque * LauraMaria Onomatopoeia * Octane Eliot * Pern Milestone * Yogi Fargis

Final Selection
Voting on entries will be closed at 9:00pm SLT on Monday, January 28th. The panelist will review the voting and, along with Wealthy Mizser, will determine the First, Second, and Third Selection as well as an Honorable Mention.

Awards
The First Selection will be featured in The Gallery Beleza at Avendale for the month of February. The artist will also be provide an opportunity to display a limited number of additional pieces. A Policy Agreement Card will be set up to detail all the arrangements and all art will be set for sale based on the Policy Agreement Card. In addition, the First Selection artist will get to choose one of the awards in the Award Pool.
The Second and Third Selection will, in order, select an award from the Award Pool. The Honorable Mention will get to make the final section from the Awards Pool.

Awards Pool
* L$5,000 - Octane Eliot has donated the above cash award to this competition
* Custom Dragon Avatar. Octane Eliot has agreed to work with the person selecting this award to design a customized dragon avatar. This will be a unique creation, exclusively for this contest and the award receipient.
* Childo Artist Residency. Cosimo Urbanowicz and the Chilbo Arts Foundation will, for up to 2 months, provide the artist selecting this award with a parcel of land and up to 400 prims for use as a workspace, installation or gallery display. The Chilbo Arts Foundation will work with the reciepient, find the best location and type of proprty and build for their intended use.
* Gift Certificate to Tofino. Yogi Fargis has provided a $L300.00 Gift Certificate to Tofino, a gallery and store with furniture and art.
* Gift Certificate to The Gallery Beleza at Avendale. Wealthy Mizser has provided a L$500.00 Gift Certificate to The Gallery.

Acceptance of Terms
By submitting an entry you acknowledge that you read, understood, and agree to the terms outlined in this notecard.

Q&A Notecard
If you have a question, please check the Q&A Notecard at the Front Desk of the Gallery Beleza at Avendale. 􀀂 If after reviewing the card you still have a question, please submit it on a notecard to Wealthy Mizser. An answer will be provided directly to you and all questions and answers will be posted in Q&A Notecard.

MEME SCHMEME

2007-12-13T18:10:00.000-08:00

I am not one to talk about myself and I have to come up with 8 things about ME? I blame you for this Stella!

1. My name is Tayzia, after the 1940's Disney film, Fantasia. Most people in SL however, pronounce it Tayzeea. Either works for me :)

2. My fondest memories of childhood are visiting my grandparents' farm, picking apples in the orchard, walking back to the woods and playing with the farm animals.
Except for that time when I got chased by that tom turkey, or accidentally let the chickens out of the coop and had to run around the barnyard to catch them, or stepped in pony poo...wait, maybe those aren't my fondest memories.

3. I was raised stay "inside" the box; I'm only just now discovering the outside.

4. I love to read, watch stand-up comedy; I love art, music, nature and dogs.

5. I will not watch horror movies and am scared of roller coasters.

6. I wish there were more hours in a day so I would have time to keep in touch with all my friends in SL.

7. I would love to someday visit Italy and Egypt.

8. I run around SL like a wide-eyed child in awe of brilliance and artistry that can be found everywhere.

I tag...Random Calliope, Barnesworth Anibus, Fayandria Foley, Lumiere Noir, Larry Pixel, Ravenelle Zugzwang, and Torley.

meme doing a meme

2007-12-12T23:36:00.001-08:00

ME, rocking.
Originally uploaded by strawberry.holiday

1. I don't like things that are flavoured like strawberry. Artifical strawberry flavor, that is. I do like REAL strawberries.
2. I have a weakness for all things Torley. I watch the tip of the week, even if i already know how to do whatever it is just to have a Torley experience.
3. I, like Osprey, have never done a "meme" before. But how can you resist Thea?
4. My hobby is writing Haiku.
"half way through meme
four more fun strawberry facts
bored like prim plywood"
5. I'm morally opposed to making a shape with a smaller butt to wear with skirts. So make your skirts modify people if you want me to buy it.
6. I have two alts, both women. Actually my main name "Strawberry Holiday" started as my alt. My first av is "Strawberry Bommerang" But it annoyed me that it was Bommerang instead of Boomerang so I made a new one.
7. Sometimes I dream I'm in Second Life, when I'm asleep in Real Life.
8. I'd rather be a sniper, than a bomber.

La Reve.

2007-12-12T22:52:00.000-08:00

Chimera of Muses.
Originally uploaded by Strawberry Holiday

A laudanum induced vision or a Absinthe enabled dream enraptures the mind as La Reeve ( Teleport Here ) begins to rez. Lash Xevious claims that while her build in La Reve was not created under the influence, that it is there to give the viewer a peek into her dreams. Waking dreams, sleeping dreams, and the dream that residents of Second Life will begin to use SL as a canvas for creation, and not just a new commercial endeavor.

Lash @ Her La Reve
Originally uploaded by Strawberry Holiday

Lash Xevious came into Second Life with a rich background in art. Sculpture work in clay, and portraits using soft pastels, charcoal, and pencil, oil painting, and even graffiti were her many media before she discovered her newest medium, Second Life. She spent nearly three years with a successful mainland hair shop, and then left it all, and built La Reeve, so that residents would see that "SL is still first and foremost a place to express yourself, to explore what's in your head."

La Reve is Lash's first large-scale SL build, though she's done other sculpture work for Burning Life and a winter festival.

Tamed Frustration
Originally uploaded by Strawberry Holiday

The sim isn't all new works, however. Many different pieces come together to create her fantasy world. Blue land, mermaids, faeries, a fortune teller shack, and treasure under the ocean. Even Lash's first SL sculpture is tucked away in the sim. Among the plethora of original textures, sculptures and ideas, can you find "Tangled Frustration?" A snapshot cannot do it justice.

WHO, ME ME?

2007-12-12T18:14:00.000-08:00

Okay I will play along, eight random facts:

I have six avatars in Second Life, four women and two men (well, one hermaphrodite and one man).
I make patterns in Photoshop from scanned images of my paintings and use them as fabric for the clothes I design, wear and sell at my shop Wearable Art.
I love to sail in SL, but in RL I have not sailed since childhood.
I joined Second Life on Valentine's Day 2004.
I have had the name Enjah since Uru Live, and I have no idea where it came from, but I like it.
I love watching movies and some TV, reading and of course, doing artwork.
I am part of The Show Must Go On, a vaudeville troupe. We are working on a video of our show now and plan to have a new show in 2008.
My hobby is creating odd-looking avatars that no one would want to buy.

Damn You, Amalthea

2007-12-12T17:00:00.000-08:00

I didn't actually want, or expect, to get tagged as I am Not That Sort of Person. However, since I was tagged by Amalthea, and since she's teh nicest person around, I will not do either of the things foremost in my thoughts at the moment. That is, I won't make up outrageous lies or dig in my heels and refuse outright.

OK - BLAME AMALTHEA.

1. I am a tender meme virgin. Be kind. Wait... it's bigger than I thought..
2. I was married once, briefly, a billion years ago, and my husband* was 8 years older, but our mothers were the same age. I said, "A woman is born with her eggs, therefore you and I are from eggs the same age." He whipped around and stared at me and said, "No one has ever had that thought before." HAHA!
3. Everyone is frightened of me. I think.
4.When I was about 5 and on a mushrooming expedition with my family, I picked up a good sized quartz rock and have had it ever since. I can remember finding it and what I thought at the time. That was... uh... *mumbles*.. years ago.
4. I'm just a wee bit violent. I was raised with horses and dogs and violent sporting pursuits, and it took me many years to become... uh.... less... feral. /me accidentally stabs the reader. Sorry - stabslock.
5. *looks at clock* Am I done yet? Hmmmm.... I'm an opera buff.
6. I think visually. Words are a translation and I don't communicate well with them.
7. *sneaks a look at Thea's list* I have never liked cooking although I am good at it. My kitchen cupboards are full of art-type stuff and always have been.
8. I usually ask people if they would rather be a sniper or a bomber.** I'd rather be a sniper. I'm always shocked when someone says bomber.*** I also frequently ask people another question, too, but TIMES UP NUMBER 8 PLEASE BRING YOUR BOAT TO SHORE

I'm not tagging anyone because this is an ex-parrot.

*(uncharitable comment removed)
** I once asked someone the question in SL, looked at him and noticed he was wearing a a prim bomb strapped to his body. He said this: HAHAHAHAHA
***Like my genius poet pal, Lucia.

A meme is to be had!

2007-12-10T15:40:00.000-08:00

Stella tagged me with this meme and, although I don't typically do these things, I also realize that many who read this blog don't know much about the writers. So I'll share my 8 random facts, and pass the torch to Strawberry, Enjah, Osprey, and Tayzia. :)

1. I chose my name, Amalthea, from the she-goat who fed and raised Zeus in Greek Mythology. My friend, The Sojourner, quickly named me Thea.

2. I love cooking in real life, I think of it as chemistry experiments that you can actually taste! I also heard that molecular biologists make very good cooks, but it may just be a coincidence :)

3. When I have free time in SL, I'm usually attending a live music performance by Grace McDunnough or eyewall Paine ... I love the Live Music Enthusiasts Group!

4. When I truly enjoy an art piece, I will write about it and/or make a machinima. I don't often write negative reviews. However, the opposite is not true...if I didn't get to write about something, it may mean RL stepped in and distracted me.

5. Art, literature, and music all blend for me - they are languages we humans use when simple words aren't enough to express how we feel. I doubt that I will ever be able to pursue them in real life, which is why I'm happy to do so in SL.

6. I tend to have several truly close friends and few acquaintances, but I'm always happy to meet new people, so say "hi!" if I don't :)

7. The Dreams sim, a community that serves as outreach for stroke and Asperger's Syndrome support, has always been a big part of my SL life.

8. I used to watch a lot of anime when I was little, with Italian voice-overs. I'm still in love with the Italian theme songs for anime...weird combo, heh :)

Nebulosus Pays Homage To Jim Morrison

2007-12-08T23:05:00.001-08:00

Shrine
Originally uploaded by strawberry.holiday

Today would have been the birthday of Jim Morrison, of The Doors. To honor that, Nebulosus Severine, owner of Arts and Artists network made a building, shrine, dancing space, homage to the spirit of Jim Morrison.

Nebulosus Severine
Originally uploaded by strawberry.holiday

The inside is a kaleidoscopic rainbow dream, with particles, love beads that long to have been alive in the 70s.

Almost as cool from the outside, a mega prim sphere encompassed in twisted, colorful prims, flash under the moon, as it wraps the dancers inside in it's cocoon of dancing light.

:)

Shrine from Outside
Originally uploaded by strawberry.holiday

Nebulosus Severine promises that this, the perfect chill-out art spot will be up for a little while, so check it out, while it's there.
The calming environment will wrap your avatar in art and music and provides the perfect place to RELAX.

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Kress/174/87/722

See it Here.

Photography Art Show opening at Cannery on Wednesday, Dec. 5th

2007-12-05T11:04:00.001-08:00

Shoshana Epsilon has just informed me about a new celebration of photography in Second Life taking place on Wednesday, December 5th at Cannery Rezzable. The party actually starts at noon and goes on until midnight, with an official opening event at 4 pm SLT (Pacific time).

The featured artists are listed below, with links to their Flickr accounts in case you'd like to catch a glimpse of their work before you see it in SL:

Other artists showcasing here are Steven Venkman, Ryker Beck, Shoshana Epsilon, CodeBastard Redgrave, Vint Falken, etc.

The Photography Studio of Grignano

2007-11-30T14:06:00.000-08:00

Contest 33: Unnatural Hue
Theme: weird color
Cash prizes.

THEME
The contest themes are always loose - any interpretation is good. The theme is Unnatural Hue - whatever you think fits. Do ANYTHING you want. Use WindLight, renderglow, wireframe, etc., etc. - whatever is at your disposal. Or just make a weirdly colored object, skin, or landscape and snap it. Some islands already have unnaturally colored land ;D

You may make something like an animated texture or other cool thing if you want. You don't have any tight limits. If you make something cool that doesn't seem to fit the "textures" requirement just enter it anyway.

DATES
Enter by: 16 December 2007
Exhibition: 17 December - 5 January 2008 in the Photography Studio upstairs gallery.

TO ENTER
Enter 3 textures of Second Life screenshots.
Textures can be no bigger than 512x512
Straight snaps or manipulated - it's all good.
(Rectangular photos saved as 512x512 regain their proportions once they are put on a prim)

Title entries with your name + title <---= so I don't lose it in my inventory
Send them to Osprey Therian with MOD permission and COPY permission.
Give me an IM so I know to look for them.
Don't send them in a notecard

Caissa Amat Show Opening at Mysterio Gallery Saturday

2007-11-30T07:27:00.000-08:00

Saturday, December 1, at 11AM SLT, come to the opening of a new one-person show at Mysterio Gallery (Palomarian 34, 240). Caissa Amat is a painter who lives in Greece. Uploaded images of her RL paintings will be on display on the first floor of Mysterio Gallery for the next couple of months. Come meet the artist herself and see this lively work. Her paintings have classical themes, done in a fresh, modern style.

The Photography Studio of Grignano

2007-11-24T21:53:00.000-08:00

Awards Ceremony
Join us at 2pm on Tuesday at the Photography Studio of Grignano to view the exhibit The Wilds, and congratulate the winning photographers.

Huh?

2007-11-17T20:46:00.001-08:00

What on EARTH happened to this blog? Suddenly there is GIGANTIC type all over the place.

WindLight

2007-11-14T16:38:00.000-08:00

It's back - get it HERE.

Strawberry's World

2007-11-12T00:54:00.000-08:00

Pictures from Strawberry Holiday's new installation.

A nice view - it's just up for a week
so now's the time to take a look.

Strawberry at work.

gone memespelunking

2007-11-08T21:44:00.000-08:00

"Cosmic Kisses Illuminated"
Originally uploaded by Strawberry Holiday

"Kisses under the stars.
Yes, in love once more."

This line from the poem in the Exhibit information about "Cosmic Kisses Illuminated" captures the feel of the piece completely. Swirling, twisted, cubes dance in an array of pink and white. Soft sounds, like a digital wind chime, only add to the magical feel that surrounds you as you teleport into the first installation at "The Garden of Memespelunk".

4:4
Originally uploaded by Strawberry Holiday

Walking away from Cosmic Kisses is a difficult thing to do, but you're rewarded by immediately discovering "4:4". "4:4" is the final week of four installations in four weeks by Juria Yoshikawa, the artist behind all the exhibits at the Garden of Memespelunk. About this piece Juria says "In making this I imagined a situation climactic yet pristine. Like a supernova, magnitudes greater than the star in its normal life, expelling all final energy. In logical terms, the cube gallery has been multiplied by 4, rising toward the heavens. There are tables with 4 chairs, some right side up others upside down." She continues and talks about the rise and fall of all things in life, including art, and how this piece is a celebration of that cycle.

Juria Yoshikawa at Garden of Memespelunk
Originally uploaded by Strawberry Holiday

Piece after piece, I'm amazed by her works. Each is unique in its composition, but mimic's the other's abilities to draw you in. Juria's artist statement says she came "looking for a new artistic spark". Well I think she's found it. Landmarks to all sorts of builds and installations by her can be found at The Garden of Memespelunk.

This Second Life artist is definitely worth more than a few minutes of your time.

Links:
- Blog
- Flickr

SLURLs:
http://slurl.com/secondlife/North%20Dolores/202/61/24
To Liquid Light, http://slurl.com/secondlife/Stheno/83/100/600
Garden Electric, http://slurl.com/secondlife/IBM%201/220/10/37
Aurora Room, http://slurl.com/secondlife/Alexander%20Beach/116/124/25

Blackfyr McBride @ Nectaris Arts

2007-11-06T15:45:00.000-08:00

Nectaris Arts
Originally uploaded by Strawberry Holiday

Erin Talamasca is owner of Nectaris Art, which displays a regularly changing exibit of real life paintings and photography, including many of her own photographs and artwork. The current exhibit, which opened Friday, November 2nd, is a set of surreal imagery by an artist new to second life, Blackfyr McBride.

Many gallery owners shy away from new artists, knowing that it's artists with big names that bring in traffic and sales, but not Talamasca. She says "I had a new player approach me and ask about a show - I used to curate a place that existed to help new artists in SL, so it's something I like doing."

Erin Talamasca
Originally uploaded by Strawberry Holiday

The "new player" in question is Blackfyr McBride. With only three months in SL, she hasn't had much exposure. A wide array of colors and styles in the works on display at Nectaris makes me think the Artist must use different media, or process, but in fact when I ask about this, I find I'm wrong.

Blackfyr: "It's mostly the same process with all of them. I start with a digital photo in Photoshop and make multiple layers which I then run through filters, overlaying them on the other layers and play with the interactions of the layers until I get something I like."

Blackfyr McBride
Originally uploaded by Strawberry Holiday

Most of the photographs are Blackfyr's original digital images, as well. Though she says she sometimes uses stock photography or publicly available imagery.

Blackfyr has a website called Broken Hexagon, where there is info about her and her art, but like many of us SL artists, we've found something to be gained by exhibiting in this virtual world. For Blackfyr it was "People interested in creating. My website pretty much just sits there in cyberspace getting lost in the morass of crud, whereas SL has a built in population of people who either like to create or like looking at other people's creations - or both."

So if you're one of those people interested in creating, this new artist would love your feedback, and friendship! Stop by and see her work today at Nectaris! http://slurl.com/secondlife/Riiki/126/45/33

The Photography Studio of Grignano

2007-11-01T21:55:00.000-07:00

PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST
The Photography Studio of Grignano

Contest 32: THE WILDS
Theme: virtual nature
Cash prizes.

THEME
The contest themes are always loose - any interpretation is good. The theme is The Wilds - whatever you think fits. Do ANYTHING you want. I think you can stretch this beyond just lovely scenery - and if you do, rest assured your whackiness will not be unappreciated - let it loose.

Especially fun: setting up a scene with people, animals, monsters. etc. acting out an idea or story.

SL is full of lovely wild areas. A great resource for finding them is the -->Virtual Parks and Recreation Service website at: http://www.virtualparksandrec.com/ The registry contains placesyou might like to explore.

You may make something like an animated texture or other cool thing if you want. You don't have any tight limits. If you make something cool that doesn't seem to fit the "textures" requirement just enter it anyway.

Straight snaps or manipulated - it's all good.
********************************
TO ENTER
Enter 3 textures of Second Life screenshots. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<---------- ]Textures can be no bigger than 512x512 - rectangular photos saved as 512x512 regain their proportions once they are put on a prim. Title entries with your name + title <---= so I don't lose it in my inventory
Send them to Osprey Therian with MOD permission and COPY permission.
Give me an IM so I know to look for them.

Don't send them in a notecard - I say this as I look at textures every day but I rarely look at notecards. If I don't get your heads-up the entry gets buried under the billion spam notecards I get per week. I hate it when things get lost - the only entries to've been lost thus far were in notecards.
*****************************
DATES
Enter by: 24 November 2007
Exhibition: 26 November - 15 December 2007 in the Photography Studio upstairs gallery.

We will have an awards ceremony - time TBA.
++++++++++++++++++++++++

Virtual Parks and Recreation Service
http://www.virtualparksandrec.com/
Higbee Protaganist, having worked alone for four years trying to encourage the creation of beautiful areas in Second Life for the refreshment of the human spirit, has lately been joined by a number of energetic nature-lovers. The former Second Life Parks and Recreation Service has blossomed into the Virtual Parks and Recreation Service - not limited, in other words, to any one version of virtual reality, but ready to embrace all worlds, here now or yet to be created.
***************************************************

The Far Away

2007-10-30T21:56:00.000-07:00

The Far Away
Originally uploaded by strawberry.holiday

Tall dry grass, abandoned locomotives, windmills and a view of farmhouses off in the distance make you feel like you're in a field in the mid-western USA, instead of in Dreamland North in Second life.

AM Radio's installation, "The Far Away" transports you out of SL. Avatar Erin Lasek, a good friend of AM Radio told me this evening, "This place is impressive because it actually feels real to the mind." The more I think about that statement, the more I think that it's true.

I've been to "The Far Away" a few times, but haven't had enough to say about it to make a comprehensive blog. "Wow" on a sheet of paper by itself doesn't make for much interest, so I IMed AM Radio tonight and he agreed to sit and talk with me.

AM Radio with Strawberry Holiday
Originally uploaded by strawberry.holiday

" I wanted to see if it could be done… large amounts of grass stalks without grinding the server to a halt… how to solve the problem." AM radio describes how he began the build. When sitting on the front of the locomotive, contemplating the earth, or the sea, or counting the pieces of grass in this installation, you don't imagine that it began as a test of skill. It feels like it has meaning, something to say.

According to AM, this was intentional, " I started creating all these things, I realized that I could start putting things together in ways that implied meaning" The things that came together, rusting cars, dining tables, sideboards and windmills create a plethora of eye candy. I think it'd be hard to choose a favorite, but I asked AM what his favorite part of the build was, anyway.

Strawberry Holiday
Originally uploaded by strawberry.holiday

The thing that AM chose as his favorite element of "The Far Away", was not any of the physical buildings, or objects, but the experience of being able to share his visual story with painters across Second Life, and the charity that he has a donation box for at "The Far Away".

"The first week this was up, I got crazy traffic. I decided I better do something while I have an audience. My 15 minutes of SL fame wasn't going to be stupid. So I researched charities and Heifer had a great rating on all the charity comparison sites. Its agricultural slant also was appealing as a match and that's how I settled on Heifer… and look here I have raised enough to buy a real cow for charity. How can that not be my favorite part of the build?"

Table for Two
Originally uploaded by strawberry.holiday

This was AM Radio's first claim-to-fame in Second Life but there is more to come! Keep an eye on his group notices in the open-enrollment group "The Quiet and The Far Away"!

SLurl: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Dreamworld%20North/227/96/30

Introducing...

2007-10-27T23:24:00.000-07:00

...Strawberry Holiday, an artist who is interested in spreading the word about interesting exhibits and places - to share experiences with anyone who has a desire to explore. When asked, "Why do you want to do this?" she said:

'Because there is so much fantastic art (besides mine, of course) in Second Life, and people always seem shocked and amazed when I show them new things. It'd be much more efficient to blog about it, rather than to teleport the 150 friends on my list to each build, or art piece individually.

Meeting so many people via. my latest installation, "A Fishbowl View..." has made me realize I do have something to contribute to the SL art world, more than just making stuff.. because though there's awareness in certain aspects of SL, there isn't to the everyday avatar.'

Welcome, Strawberry!

Toxic Garden Rezzable

2007-10-27T23:03:00.001-07:00

Sky View of Toxic Garden

Toxic Garden Rezzable is an extremely well designed prim build. Wandering around this overgrown garden overflowing with mutated garden life and genetically altered insect species, you feel like you're trapped on the home planet of Audrey 2 from Little Shop of Horrors.

A combination of prim trees and texture shrubberies creates a complex landscape to house a drowning statue of liberty, a series of foundry/reactor buildings, a train, and a vast system of tunnels and sewage.

Train at Toxic Rezzable

You'll need to find your way along a path, starting out in a dank entryway that leads you through a forest of plants writhing with moss and slime. A trail will lead you around to a plethora of delightful prim builds as long as you don't get bitten by the toxic ant-like creatures; you'll find one surprisingly well done build after another.

Lady Liberty of Toxic Garden

The Toxic Garden is another must-see build in the growing collection of Steampunk sims, but be prepared to face the challenges of toxic poisons in the air and ground which suddenly overwhelm you and send you back to your home sim.

Find Toxic Garden Rezzable at http://slurl.com/secondlife/Toxic%20Garden%20Rezzable/128/128/0

by Strawberry Holiday

Second Front at The Gate

2007-10-05T09:34:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I went to Second Front at The Gate, which was a performance group being streamed from SL to Brussels through the 2-way streaming portal called The Gate.

It drew a crowd, but was the standard boring stuff we see in SL every day, i.e. fires, oddly-made avs, etc. The same attention-craving people but in a different societal subset from our common-or-garden griefers were displaying what I'm sure they thought was edgy and fascinationg behavior. Alas, it's what we see every day in SL and it's boring. I didn't stay for the entire SF event as it was hours long. Maybe they had a big finish.

It was funnish seeing the Brussels crowd. The Gate is an interesting idea and I really wanted to see at least a still photo of what they were seeing. I think the quality of SL things being streamed will improve if The Gate stays up long enough. At that time yesterday the performance was lame, though.

The Photography Studio of Grignano

2007-09-30T12:55:00.000-07:00

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Contest 31: CITY STREETS
Theme: cities
Cash prizes.

THEME
The contest themes are always loose - any interpretation is good. The theme is cities, urban places, city people, whatever you think fits. Do ANYTHING you want. Is it a city in the past? The future? --->Rest assured your whackiness will not be unappreciated - let it loose.<---

Especially fun: setting up a scene with people acting out an idea or story. SL is full of urban areas.
Here are a few places you might like:
Downtown
Nexus Prime
Nova Albion
Nakama
Suffugium
Babbage Square
Chaos
There are many, many more.

You may make something like an animated texture or other cool thing if you want. You don't have any tight limits. If you make something cool that doesn't seem to fit the "textures" requirement just enter it anyway.
Straight snaps or manipulated - it's all good.
DATES
Enter by: 20 October 2007
Exhibition: 22 October - 9 November 2007 in the Photography Studio upstairs gallery. ++++++++++++++++++++++++
We will have an awards ceremony - time TBA.
++++++++++++++++++++++++

TO ENTER Enter 3 textures of Second Life screenshots. <<<<----------
Textures can be no bigger than 512x512 - rectangular photos saved as 512x512 regain their proportions once they are put on a prim.
Title entries with your name + title <---= so I don't lose it in my inventory
Send them to Osprey Therian with MOD permission and COPY permission. Give me an IM so I know to look for them.
Don't send them in a notecard - I say this as I look at textures every day but I rarely look at notecards. If I don't get your heads-up the entry gets buried under the billion spam notecards I get per week. I hate it when things get lost - the only entries to've been lost thus far were in notecards. *************************************************** The Photography Studio is located in The Brownstone East, Grignano.
Grignano is a pg sim. <--= *****************************************************************

Contest Deadline Extended!

2007-09-03T15:50:00.000-07:00

CONTEST ENTRIES ACCEPTED
UNTIL 22 SEPT

Contest 30: COMICS

Theme: Comics, funnies, cartoons, single panel or strips MADE IN SECOND LIFE
Cash prizes.

SL Toon Studio is on the roof of the Photography Studio! Try it out - it rocks!

http://doodle.blip.tv/ <---demo video Patch Lamington is offering 3 Special Prizes for Toon Studio shots: #1 - 500 L for best submission using an unedited Toon Studio snapshot (single frame) #2 - 500 L for the best submission using 3 or more Toon Studio snaps stitched together to make a single comic. (no other editing!) #3 - 100L special bonus for the funniest joke set in the library ( just to see if its possible :-) There is a Toon Studio in Amicitia at Patch's Place which can be used by anyone.
Also one will be set up for use at Blumfield Park.
Boxed Toon Studios will be available at both places for purchase.

THEME
The contest themes are always loose - any interpretation is good. The theme is comics. Do ANYTHING you want. Get funkeh.
Single panel, multi-panel, dress up in cel-shaded gear, use the SL Toon Studio or use something else.
If you make a machinima cartoon I can display it - however if I get more than one it won't be as easy.

You may make something like an animated texture or other cool thing if you want. You don't have any tight limits.
If you make something cool that doesn't seem to fit the "textures" requirement just enter it anyway.

Straight snaps or manipulated - it's all good.

DATES
Enter by: 7 September 2007 - late entries will be hung space permitting but will not be eligible for prizes.
Exhibition: 10 September - 30 September 2007 in the Photography Studio upstairs gallery.

++++++++++++++++++++++++
We will have an awards ceremony - time TBA.
++++++++++++++++++++++++

TO ENTER

SPECIAL COMIC-TYPE ENTRY RULES
COMIC STRIPS may be formed from multiple textures on prims.<<<-- or Enter 3 textures of Second Life screenshots. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<---------- Textures can be no bigger than 512x512 - rectangular photos saved as 512x512 regain their proportions once they are put on a prim. Title entries with your name + title <---= so I don't lose it in my inventory Send them to Osprey Therian with MOD permission and COPY permission. Give me an IM so I know to look for them. Don't send them in a notecard - I say this as I look at textures every day but I rarely look at notecards. If I don't get your heads-up the entry gets buried under the billion spam notecards I get per week. I hate it when things get lost - the only entries to've been lost thus far were in notecards. ************************

Click To Play

The Show Must Go On

2007-08-31T14:24:00.000-07:00

Click To Play

We are now retiring to our home stage at Phobos to make a machinima of the show, but 15 September we perform again! This time it's at the Heron Sanctuary at 2pm.

The above video trailer is outdated - the show is now over an hour long and very fast-paced.

From a comment::

2007-08-31T13:44:00.000-07:00

Looking for virtual creators
Design the Festival of Creativity island and win 200,000 Linden Dollars to spend on Second Life and a three-day stay in Tuscany during the Festival (October 25 to 28)
Fondazione Sistema Toscana, creators and managers of www.intoscana.it (official portal of the Tuscan Region), the Festival of Creativity and the Tuscan islands on Second Life, is launching a contest for all Second Life creators.
Design the island of Creativity!
The island dedicated to the Festival of Creativity is already viewable at www.festivaldellacreativita.it and remains, for now, a desert island in the shape of the Festival logo (created by Alessandro Mendini and others).
The goal of the contest is to gather ideas on how to realize the entire island project, which is dedicated to this great Florentine event, covering the shape of the island, the architecture, proposals for events and activities, and how to launch such events.
No limits: anyone may participate and each may express their creativy as desired. Projects will be evaluated based on the item submitted, aesthetic value, feasibility, the communicative strength and, above all, on adherence to the principals inspired by the general idea of the Festival.
All materials must be sent to: secondlife@intoscana.it
The DEADLINE is September 15, 2007.
The contest winner will be the guest of Fondazione Sistema Toscana during the 2007 edition of the Festival of Creativity, will see their project realized on Second Life and will receive a prize worth 200,000 Linden Dollars!

The Show Must Go On!

2007-08-21T17:45:00.001-07:00

The Show Must Go On!

Friday, 24 August at 6:30pm
SLCC @ Learning

The Show Must Go On!

2007-08-17T18:45:00.001-07:00

VENUE CHANGE FOR SATURDAY

Raglan Shire has been having dificulties so we are now performing on Hopes Point sim.

Burning Life '07

2007-08-15T18:17:00.000-07:00

Update: There's a blogpost and 18 sims.

Burning Life '07

2007-08-15T15:09:00.000-07:00

I started working on my Burning Life '07 build the other day. I have no clue how it's to be signed-up for, but only know it's on. I'm excited (as usual) about BL, and hope I get a spot.

There's a Burning Life website, and a group, .:Burning Life:.

This year's Burning Man theme is The Green Man. I love the green man, so it makes it even more exciting. Back when I started SL one of the first things I tried to make was a Green Man avatar, but it was a bit beyond me then. Of course now with sculpties, scripted attachments, and floopy prims it would be a lot easier, as well.

The Photography Studio of Grignano

2007-08-09T16:31:00.002-07:00

Contest 30: COMICS

Theme: Comics, funnies, cartoons, single panel or strips MADE IN SECOND LIFE
Cash prizes.

SL Toon Studio is on the roof of the Photography Studio! Try it out - it rocks!

http://doodle.blip.tv/ <---demo video Patch Lamington is offering 3 Special Prizes for Toon Studio shots:
#1 - 500 L for best submission using an unedited Toon Studio snapshot (single frame)
#2 - 500 L for the best submission using 3 or more Toon Studio snaps stitched together to make a single comic. (no other editing!)
#3 - 100L special bonus for the funniest joke set in the library ( just to see if its possible :-) There is a Toon Studio in Amicitia at Patch's Place which can be used by anyone.
Also one will be set up for use at Blumfield Park.
Boxed Toon Studios will be available at both places for purchase.

THEME
The contest themes are always loose - any interpretation is good. The theme is comics. Do ANYTHING you want. Get funkeh.
Single panel, multi-panel, dress up in cel-shaded gear, use the SL Toon Studio or use something else.
If you make a machinima cartoon I can display it - however if I get more than one it won't be as easy.

You may make something like an animated texture or other cool thing if you want. You don't have any tight limits.
If you make something cool that doesn't seem to fit the "textures" requirement just enter it anyway.

Straight snaps or manipulated - it's all good.

DATES
Enter by: 7 September 2007 - late entries will be hung space permitting but will not be eligible for prizes.
Exhibition: 10 September - 30 September 2007 in the Photography Studio upstairs gallery.

++++++++++++++++++++++++
We will have an awards ceremony - time TBA.
++++++++++++++++++++++++

TO ENTER

SPECIAL COMIC-TYPE ENTRY RULES
COMIC STRIPS may be formed from multiple textures on prims.<<<--
or
Enter 3 textures of Second Life screenshots. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<----------
Textures can be no bigger than 512x512 - rectangular photos saved as 512x512 regain their proportions once they are put on a prim.

Title entries with your name + title <---= so I don't lose it in my inventory
Send them to Osprey Therian with MOD permission and COPY permission.
Give me an IM so I know to look for them.

Don't send them in a notecard - I say this as I look at textures every day but I rarely look at notecards. If I don't get your heads-up the entry gets buried under the billion spam notecards I get per week. I hate it when things get lost - the only entries to've been lost thus far were in notecards.
************************

Click To Play

The Show Must Go On!

2007-08-02T21:51:00.000-07:00

2 pm on Saturday, 4 August
at
Belle Isle

This promises to be the biggest show ever.

The Photography Studio of Grignano

2007-07-29T12:36:00.001-07:00

Contest 29: ORIGAMI

Theme: Origami
Cash prizes.

A Thousand Cranes
The paper crane has become an international symbol of peace in recent years as a result of its connection to the story of a young Japanese girl named Sadako Sasaki born in 1943. Sadako was two years old when the atom bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan on August 6, 1945. As she grew up, Sadako was a strong, courageous and athletic girl. In 1955, at age 11, while practicing for a big race, she became dizzy and fell to the ground. Sadako was diagnosed with Leukemia, "the atom bomb" disease.
Sadako's best friend told her of an old Japanese legend which said that anyone who folds a thousand paper cranes would be granted a wish. Sadako hoped that the gods would grant her a wish to get well so that she could run again. She started to work on the paper cranes and completed over 1000 before dying on October 25, 1955 at the age of twelve.

THEME
The contest themes are always loose - any interpretation is good. The theme is origami. Do ANYTHING you want. For me, I will think about peace.

Especially fun: building "origami" sculptures and then screenshotting them in different places.

You may make something like an animated texture or other cool thing if you want. You don't have any tight limits. If you make something cool that doesn't seem to fit the "textures" requirement just enter it anyway.

Straight snaps or manipulated - it's all good.

DATES
Enter by: 6 August 2007
Exhibition: 6 August - 26 August 2007 in the Photography Studio upstairs gallery.

++++++++++++++++++++++++
We will have an awards ceremony - time TBA.
++++++++++++++++++++++++

TO ENTER
Enter 3 textures of Second Life screenshots. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<----------
Textures can be no bigger than 512x512 - rectangular photos saved as 512x512 regain their proportions once they are put on a prim.

Title entries with your name + title <---= so I don't lose it in my inventory
Send them to Osprey Therian with MOD permission and COPY permission.
Give me an IM so I know to look for them.

Don't send them in a notecard - I say this as I look at textures every day but I rarely look at notecards. If I don't get your heads-up the entry gets buried under the billion spam notecards I get per week. I hate it when things get lost - the only entries to've been lost thus far were in notecards.
***************************************************
The Photography Studio is located in The Brownstone East, Grignano
Grignano is a pg sim. <--=

Journey into the ABYSS!

2007-07-16T12:42:00.000-07:00

You do not want to miss this amazingly beautiful installation created by Sunn Thunders and Rezago Kokorin. Not only is it aesthetically pleasing, but it is educational as well.

"The Abyss combines history and art into a fantastical exhibition of the wonders of our planet's oceans." -Sunn and Rezago

During your visit, you will experience sights and sounds of the sea, including:
--replicas of ocean research diving vessels, the Trieste and the Alvin,
--timelines of diving history and ocean exploration,
--hydrothermal vents with mysterious black smokers and the life they support,
--an underwater garden teeming with exotic plants and creatures,
--and a look at humanity's impact on our oceans.

This collaboration between these two brilliant artists is a gift to us all, so please take some time and visit the ABYSS! The Abyss can be found at the Blekinge Sculpture Park.

Collaborative Installation at the Princeton Sim

2007-07-16T12:06:00.000-07:00

Saturday July 21st at
2 pm SLT
Princeton University Sim

FlowerBall - An Interactive Art Thingy

Douglas Story - concept, prims, pictures
AldoManutio Abruzzo - soundscape
Desdemona Enfield - scripts

FlowerBall is a very large, very colorful, very musical and very immersive bit of art - the kind of thing that truly is possible only in Second Life. At 120 feet high and wide, it’s huge - your avatar flies up and through five layers inside a gigantic sphere, your interaction with the layers changing the visuals, and adding new layers of sounds and music.

It will soon be open to the public on a pristine sim owned by Princeton University, FlowerBall presents the almost abstract close-up floral photography of Douglas Story in a unique way. As you float inside these luxuriant images, you are awash in a multi-layered tapestry of lush ambient musical sounds by noted Second Life live musician AldoManutio Abruzzo. All of this is powered by complex scripts written by the talented and energetic Desdemona Enfield.

Visitors do need to be aware that they really must pay attention to the instructions that they will be given to them as they arrive at the site - unfortunately one must change an audio setting in Preferences in order to hear the sounds properly. The creators assure you that the experience will be well worth that small effort.

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Princeton%20University/24/193/104/

FlowerBall is presented under the auspices of Tayzia Abattoir and New Media Consortium, with special thanks to Princeton University.

The Photography Studio of Grignano

2007-07-15T19:21:00.000-07:00

You Are Cordially Invited
to the
STEAMPUNK PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST AWARDS

2pm on Monday, 16 July 'o7
at
The Upstairs Gallery
of
The Photography Studio
(located in Grignano)

Throwing Stones Gallery

2007-07-01T22:38:00.000-07:00

I am always fascinated with what people can do by adding several layers of complexity to something that's already there, in front of our eyes.

Sasun Steinbeck had sent me the landmark to PleaseWakeMeUp Idler a while ago (thanks, Sasun!) and I had taken pictures of his artwork. However, the installations are 3D and deserve to be experienced in person. I love his mix of colors, especially for the sunset/sunrise and abstract pieces.

I highly encourage you to go take a look for yourself at the Throwing Stones Gallery. And if you like what you see here, take a look at what others have done with a similar technical trick - I particularly enjoyed Lumiere Noir's exhibit stand at SL4B. If you manage to find your way there and not get lost because of the old-fashioned telehub transportation system, it's worth checking out! :)

Krya, Vlad and Lou at the aho

2007-06-22T13:09:00.001-07:00

The aho museum is proud to present a new collection of 3 artists - Kyra Gaea, Lou Portsmouth and Vlad Bjornson. Sunday the 24th of June at 4pm Slt @ aho museum, NMC Campus (49, 101, 38) **You must join the NMC guests group to visit the campus**

Gaea a painter, poet, composer and pianist in real life - presents oil on canvas & palette knife which is skillfull guided slides across her canvas producing truly inspirational works.

Bjornson says “mother nature has a wild imagination, and that he likes to experiment with the shapes and colours that nature creates” - his Natural Symmetry exhibition awaits you.

Lou Portsmouth - I have been keeping journals and making artworks since I was a very young child. At some point these two outlets for personal catharsis, immature and indiscriminate grumblings, and “analytical distance” merged together to become a mash-up of media and meditation, mapped in non-linear fashion onto the pages of folio-sized hardbound sketchbooks. The pages were shaped by clippings and scrawled doodling in pencil and ink, paint and magic markers swirled with reckless abandon, all with little reverence for - but keen attention to - the information barrage coming from external stimuli: friends, family, teachers, and the surrounding environment. As time went by, and lessons (both soft & hard) were learned, the thickening layers of the sketchbooks began to form a personal and distinct syntax and running narrative; I realized that I was in possession of a certain & deliberate apparatus for not only the marking of time, but also for the synthesis and synchronization of disparate and altogether non-sequential moments and occasions. Such a device has been an invaluable tool in my life, and I am ever searching for ways to transform it, to allow it to evolve. Second Life might just be the next major step, and the possibilities amaze me!

We greatly look forward to seeing you all there!

The Photography Studio of Grignano

2007-06-19T12:26:00.000-07:00

Photography Contest
Theme: STEAMPUNK

From the Wikipedia:
"Steampunk is a subgenre of fantasy and speculative fiction which came into prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s. The term denotes works set in an era or world where steam power is still widely used—usually the 19th century, and often set in Victorian era England—but with prominent elements of either science fiction or fantasy, such as fictional technological inventions like those found in the works of H. G. Wells, or real technological developments like the computer occurring at an earlier date. It is often associated with cyberpunk and shares a similar fanbase and theme of rebellion, but developed as a separate movement (though both have considerable influence on each other). Apart from time period, the main difference between cyberpunk and steampunk is that steampunk settings tend to be less obviously dystopian."

THEME
The contest themes are always loose - any interpretation is good. The theme is STEAMPUNK. Do ANYTHING you want.
Some nice steampunky areas in SL include but are not limited to: Babbage Square, Babbage Canals, Caledon, esp. SteamSkyCity
There are shops selling steampunk gear. - Ordinal Enterprises and Fredrickson Airships spring to mind but there are many.
There are steampunk groups.

The gallery will be set up with some interesting artifacts and landmarks in the latter part of June.
These will just be to educate and instruct and will in no way be required as subject matter for your photographs.
Straight snaps or manipulated - it's all good.

DATES
Enter by: 13 July 2007 at 5:30.
Exhibition: 16 July - 4 August 2007 in the Photography Studio upstairs gallery.

++++++++++++++++++++++++
We will have cash prizes and an awards ceremony - time TBA.
++++++++++++++++++++++++

TO ENTER
Enter 3 textures of Second Life screenshots. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<----------
Textures can be no bigger than 512x512 - rectangular photos saved as 512x512 regain their proportions once they are put on a prim.

Title entries with your name + title <---= so I don't lose it in my inventory
Send them to Osprey Therian with MOD permission and COPY permission.
Give me an IM so I know to look for them.

Don't send them in a notecard - I say this as I look at textures every day but I rarely look at notecards. If I don't get your heads-up the entry gets buried under the billion spam notecards I get per week. I hate it when things get lost - the only entries to've been lost thus far were in notecards.
***************************************************

The Show Must Go On

2007-06-13T11:14:00.001-07:00

SL's 4th Anniversary and Beyond

2007-06-12T20:02:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

Out of my own frustration of not being able to follow events, or blog about them fast enough to raise awareness comes the SL art events group on eventful, and the SL Meet the Artist/Show and Tell schedule for SL's 4th Anniversary Celebration.

Please join eventful.com -- you can add notifications to your yahoo or google calendar, create reminders, feeds, everything you need to keep up to date with events YOU want to attend. We all know the limitations of SL Search. Eventful.com could be a more civilized way of working around the typical problems.

So please please get an account, log on, and let's make the SL Art Events Group on Eventful the main portal for listing cultural events in SL!

http://eventful.com/groups/G0-001-005030208-1
http://eventful.com/calendars/C0-001-000074791-5

For those of you interested in the SL 4th Anniversary, artists currently participating are at https://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/SL4B_Art. Contact Shoshana Epsilon if you wish to be included.

SL's Fourth Birthday

2007-06-09T11:06:00.000-07:00

SL4B
GET YOUR WORK IN AS FAST AS YOU CAN

Second Life's fourth birthday party is rather disorganised compared to last year, it seems.
This is the skinny as far as I can tell at the moment:

Shoshana Epsilon = 2d art and sculpture
~~moo Money~~ Ephemeral Flan = machinima
Will Webb = community/groups
Ariel Otafuku = events
JayJay Talamasca = live music

Update: moo has left the event group.
Update 2: Ephemeral Flan is the machinima person now I understand.

Folk Festival at Mill Pond - Starts tomorrow at 3 PM SLT

2007-06-07T20:23:00.000-07:00

We hear every day about instances in which real life explodes into Second Life. Companies are establishing communities and stores here and artists are joining in an effort to reach out to new audiences. But how about the other way around?

Grace McDunnough in concert at Bonfire. Photo courtesy of Kronos.

Second Life is about to expand out into real life with the help of a full-scale, virtual folk festival. The beautiful Mediterranean towns of Mill Pond and Stone Hill are gearing up for a breath-taking two-day celebration of art and live music, kicking off at 3 PM SLT on Friday, June 8^th. Nearly 40 live musicians playing at three stages throughout the Mill Pond and Stone Hill areas, this event has gathered artists from Canada, Australia, Europe, and the United States. These are some of SL's best singer songwriters, with Montian Gilruth, Montrealer Moody, Lyndon Heart, and Dale Boyle being just some of the names participating. A full list of musicians, the exact schedule, and landmarks/SLurls can be accessed
here. The stream url is freely distributed in SL and on the web at large in an attempt to broaden the audience for SL live music.

Grace McDunnough and Micala Lumiere, two of the main folk festival organizers.

There is also a section of art vendors & display s, so come check it out, support the artists, and enjoy a great display of talent!

Opening Night

2007-06-03T20:37:00.001-07:00

The Show Must Go On, a variety show with many performers, and which is over half an hour long, opens on Info Island at the SLL Pantheon Performance Hall on Saturday, 9 June @ 4 pm. Partial funding was provided by the Foundation For Rich Content.

Previously a glimpse of the show, without audio introductions, was performed at the Ask Patty grand opening on Ride. The Saturday opening, however, is the full show with up-to-the-minute audio enhancement. This show has been almost a year in the making, proving that development in SL can be glacially slow, yet it pays to stick with it.

After Voice hits Agni - well, the audio will change again.

The Show Must Go On - Performances

2007-06-01T11:00:00.000-07:00

THE SHOW MUST GO ON
Opening Performance
9 June @ 4pm
Pantheon Theatre on Info Island (II?)

After that it's:

THE SHOW MUST GO ON
Matinee Performance
16 June @ 2pm
Machmit sim

Click To Play

First Look: WindLight

2007-05-31T19:21:00.001-07:00

Click To Play

The Photography Studio of Grignano

2007-05-28T22:30:00.000-07:00

Click to Play

Alonso and Ned judge the Photography Studio of Grignano's METAL photography contest.

Second Life @ lulu.com

2007-05-25T11:38:00.000-07:00

For those who don't know lulu.com, it's a website where you can make books and put them for sale (simplification there).

The FIRST artist/writer I learned about who made Second Life books for sale at lulu.com is Scrap Book. His first is a look at SL in general, while his second is a chronicle of every build in Burning Life '06. He has the books inworld at Grignano Books -- the first one is free, the BL06 book is L95.

When I was told a few days ago about Amy Freelunch's Postcards from Second Life I didn't think about it a lot as I was (as always) busy. I would guess that a lot of people are like me -- receiving a constant barrage of information to the point where I can't squeeze any more of it into my brain. It's like being a fois gras goose - o, unhappy thought. When I'm riding around on a unicycle in rehearsal or building a 5m world Leader medal and I get IMs or notices I tend to respond with the unused portion of my brain. Typically that would be the part that absorbed "Yummy Yummy Yummy I've Got Love In My Tummy" years ago and was therefore rendered unfit for any creative endeavor.

From the PR:
Amy Wilson's (Freelunch's) Postcards from Second Life is now available, and there will be a free signing of the book in Second Life on Saturday, June 2nd, 6pm PST at the Pooley Auditorium ( http://slurl.com/secondlife/Pooley/250/6/38 ).

The book, a set of watercolors documenting the travels of the artist inside a virtual world, is currently available at lulu.com ( http://www.lulu.com/content/840930) for $15 US.

The SL version of the book is created by Falk Bergman and will go on sale after the event for $300 Lindens at Bergman Books in Nemesis ( http://slurl.com/secondlife/Nemesis/111/92/30).

More (I hope) when I can actually look at it :D

Triple Exhibition

2007-05-14T16:17:00.000-07:00

On Saturday May the 19th at 4pm slt, the aho museum on the NMC campus will host an exhibit of three very different and amazing artists. Featured during this exhibit will be Nobody Yap, his installation "One Life" was created for a college project. Also featured, Autopilotpatty Poppy, an amazing photograhper and Esch Snoats an awesome graphics designer/photographer. The NMC Campus is group of private sims, you will need to join the nmc guests group to view these exhibits.

"One Life" by Nobody Yap

2007-05-14T08:07:00.000-07:00

GREETINGS FROM SPAIN
Pedro García Muñoz (Nobody Yap) invites you to the press meeting that will be celebrated inside Second Life platform.
The meeting will be held in the Gonik Amphiteatre (NMC Campus 120, 99, 26), New Media Consortium property, Tuesday 15th of May, at 13:00 hours, Second Life Time), with the theme of the next inauguration of his art installation “One Life” that will be made 19th of May in the AHO Museum (NMC Campus 51, 97, 38).

The exhibition will be supported by the Universidad Miguel Hernandez de Elche and by NMC Group. You need to join the NMC Guests group before you can access this event.This group allows friends of the New Media Consortium to access the NMC Campus. Membership in NMC Guests is open to any interested party.

"Overall, my work tries to develop a dialog about the way in which the metauniverse interweaves across the individual “me” within everyone, until it becomes a physiological ratable level.
Through my installation, I seek to trace a swerve from the people viewing this technology as a development support.

I aim to center their efforts in understanding. Many other people are using it to supply physiological deficiencies: sex, affection, respect, identity, usefulness, etc.

I don’t want to judge anybody with my art, I am only intending to debate, the relationships with metauniverse, that human beings are able to generate, and what
underlying agents are causing them." -nobody yap

Hope Photography Contest

2007-05-13T22:28:00.000-07:00

POSTPONED UNTIL 20 MAY

It looks like they need some participation in this worthwhile event. From the rules notecard:

SL RFL team, Groovy Kinda Quest, invites you to participate in a photography contest benefitting the 2007 American Cancer Society Second Life- Relay for Life.
SLurl
Contest begins Thurs..,April 26th, 2007 and will be judged on Sun., May 20th

Categories are:
1- color
2- black and white
3- unedited (snapshot)

***Photo must be taken in-world.***
***All entries must include the word "Hope" creatively somewhere in the picture or in the title**
All entries must be rated PG, since it is for RFL ;)

Anyone may enter with a suggested minimum 100L donation per picture. If you want a notecard giver with your entry, send with your entry. ( MORE is better!) hehehhe

***Edited pictures must be uploaded (full rights) in-world, attached to a notecard with your name, category, and a title and drop in the entry box located at Moonspell Studio next to the RFL kiosk.

Entries will be displayed at Art in the Park, from time of entry until
judging on
Sunday May 20th at 4:00 pm SLT, featuring Live Music and some 'special' surprises!

When our RFL campsite is ready they then will be displayed and auctioned there one last time until the RFL is over.

Judges will determine a 1st & 2nd & 3rd place winner for the best two from each category.
All who enter will receive a souvenier album of all the entries :)
Entries displayed will be auctioned -all proceeds going to the RFL!!
GO RELAY!
.. groooovy baby ;)

The Show Must Go On

2007-05-11T23:53:00.001-07:00

Click to Play

Now booking engagements around the Grid.

Mother's Day Exhibit

2007-05-08T20:56:00.000-07:00

A Mother's Day exhibit will be held on the island of Service at
the NMC campus Saturday May the 12th and Sunday May the 13th./
Sculpture from various artists will be on display both days for your viewing
pleasure. If you are a mom, have a mom, or have had a mom..take some time
to see this beautiful, tranquil exhibit! NMC is a private campus; please join the
nmc guests group for the day to gain access to the island.
* This exhibit will be up Through the 20th of May!

Ars Simulacra (57,224,24)

Folk Festival at Mill Pond!

2007-05-08T20:04:00.000-07:00

Micala Lumiere sends me news regarding a great folk upcoming event and some information on how to enter it!

The festival will consist of two days celebrating arts in Second Life. We have three performance stages with the best live musicians in Second Life performing throughout the event and we’ll be having an arts festival and vendors as well – that’s where you come in!

Details of the festival are as follows:

Each artist and/or vendor will be given a tent 10mx10m in which to display. Please feel free to post a notecard with a landmark to your main store and/or gallery as well.

Prim limit is 50 prims.

Set-up will take place on June 7 and no later than 3pm SL on June 8. Displays can be taken down on June 10 and 11.

The deadline for participation is May 12. The entry fee is L$500.

The Mill Pond Folk Festival will be extremely well publicized inside and outside of Second Life with potential involvement by NPR and other companies. We expect high traffic and involvement from the Second Life community during this event.

Please complete the information below and submit it to Micala Lumiere if you’re interested in participating.

Avatar Name:

Type of artist or vendor:

What will be on display:

Typical price range of your items for sale:

Second Life 4th Birthday - Art Community Leader Needed!!!

2007-05-07T07:25:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

It turns out that this year I won't have the time needed to pull together the Art Community Displays at the SL 4th birthday event. :(

If you are interested in the role and would like a great opportunity to interface with a vast variety of artists, please IM me in SL (Amalthea Blanc) or shoot me an email at amalthea DOT blanc AT gmail DOT com. I am also available if you have questions about how much time is needed and what this task entails.

I promised the show organizer I would make a suggestion about who can take over this role for me by the end of next week. Hope to hear from you soon :)

Beware of the Madcow....

2007-05-07T07:21:00.000-07:00

He has mad skillz in sculpting! For the next 14 days a different piece of Madcow Cosmos will be rezzed at midnight at the Oyster Bay Sculpture Garden. His prim healthy skeletal builds are a sight to behold! Make time to stop by Oyster Bay to take in these pieces that are inspired by an overactive imagination and a love of fantasy.
Oyster Bay, Oyster (40, 169, 82)

A Living Art Garden, by Abbaca Aoi

2007-05-02T00:46:00.001-07:00

Abbaca's art garden (Abbacadabra) is a soothing place of gentle beauty and mystery. I have stumbled upon it many weeks ago and have been planning to film for a long time now.

Needless to say, it has taken me more time than anticipated to get to this machinima, but my attachment to the place only grew over time. I love the peaceful, almost hypnotic feel of Abbaca's work and the "other world" essence of it. It has enough traits to make you believe you are in a regular earthly garden (small paths, a building, etc.), with the added magic of moving sculptures. Her work reminds me of a 3D mix between the Electric Sheep screen saver (no connection to the SL company) and this.

I also just found out that Abbaca is a musician in real life! She has recently launched her new Ambient/New Age/Electronic CD and is giving away a free track at her listening studio in the garden. You can listen to it in the video below; I have used it as soundtrack for my exploration of the Abbacadabra garden. If you like Enigma, you'll love Dreammaiden. :)

I hope I managed to capture some of the charm of the place:

Click To Play

A movie of Abbacadabra, Abba Aoi's living art garden in Second Life, with music from Dreammaiden.

Contest 27: METAL

2007-04-30T00:01:00.000-07:00

Once more the Photography Studio rolls out a contest. Theme: METAL

Cash prizes.

THEME
The contest themes are always loose - any interpretation is good. The theme is METAL. Do ANYTHING you want. Is it music? Shiny? Rusty? A monster robot? Teeth? Piercings? Mental with a missing enn? Metal flake carpaint? Surprise me.

I swear - ONE DAY I'll get back to using the backdrops the way I started these contests in 2004 - but not yet!

DATES
Enter by: 26 May 2007 at 5:30.
Exhibition: 29 May - 28 June 2007 at the Photography Studio upstairs gallery.

++++++++++++++++++++++++
We will have an awards ceremony - time TBA.
++++++++++++++++++++++++

TO ENTER
Enter 3 textures of Second Life screenshots. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<----------
Textures can be no bigger than 512x512 - rectangular photos saved as 512x512 regain their proportions once they are put on a prim.

Title entries with your name + title <---= so I don't lose it in my inventory
Send them to Osprey Therian with MOD permission and COPY permission.
Give me an IM so I know to look for them.

Don't send them in a notecard - I say this as I look at textures every day but I rarely look at notecards. If I don't get your heads-up the entry gets buried under the billion spam notecards I get per week. I hate it when things get lost - the only entries to've been lost thus far were in notecards.

Open Source Museum of Open Source Art - Opening April 24th

2007-04-23T00:42:00.000-07:00

The note below arrived to me via Deborah Maertens. The OSMOSA initiative is part of Brown University's presence in Second Life. :)

"We're excited to announce the opening of OSMOSA, the Open Source Museum of Open Source Art. OSMOSA aims to open up the process of art making and curating. By "open source," we mean that OSMOSA is in the public domain: visitors can add, modify, and remove art from the museum. In addition, the OSMOSA building is also open source, in that anyone can modify, add to, or delete parts of the structure.

We'd like to invite you to attend the OSMOSA opening reception on Tuesday, April 24th, at 5PM SLT/8PM EST. Please feel free to contribute art before or after the opening. In order to have rights to the space, you'll need to join the OSMOSA group. Membership in the group, of course, is open. If you find any restrictions on the site, please let us know - we're still working out the kinks!

We'd like to thank Kenny Hubble, Soupcan Tomsen, and the Loyalist College Team for generously building a wonderful structure for OSMOSA.

Cheers! Deborah Abramson, Kiera Feldman, and Davis Jung ("Deborah Maertens," "Koco Furse," and "Jinsaedavis Jun," respectively)"

Hope to see you all there :)

-Thea

Dreams Community Fair, from now until April 28th

2007-04-20T21:28:00.000-07:00

Although this isn't an art venue per se, I think many of you might enjoy the events and organizations (resident-run and non-profits) present at the Dreams Island fair.

This grand event happens ever year and it's put together by the wonderful The Sojourner, well-known mentor and founder of the stroke-support group Shockproof. Right now, more than 30 organizations from real-life and SL-born are participating in the fun of the fair. Come take a look around, get some cool freebies, attend meetings, and learn about the various active communities in SL!

While there, I ran into Tayzia, who is also becoming an integral member of Dreams and has helped pull together some of the art groups present here. Great seeing you again, Tay, and great job, as usual :)

Art ....in a World Made of Art.

2007-04-19T22:07:00.000-07:00

Hey Art Lovers!

Come visit the Island of Service (55,225,24) and take in the full sim exhibit of amazing sculpture created by STELLA COSTELLO! This is the third exhibition in a series of full sim installations that will run through 2007. This Exhibit will be on display for a couple of weeks and will be featured on Sunday, April 22nd at 4pm slt.

Stella's amazing array of sculptures are sure to please your senses(go ahead, taste and smell them too), and heighten your imagination as you browse the exhibit. One such piece you will see is pictured here and is titled "Primolution". Stella created this amazing piece using a very healthy 253 prims.

In order to visit the Island of Service, you will need to go to search, look for nmc under groups and then join the nmc guests group, it is free to join.

This series is a public service production of nmc campus.
NMC's SL Artist Showcase, Service (57, 224, 24)

Art at the aho-NMC campus

2007-04-19T21:56:00.000-07:00

Three very different visual artists have been assembled this month at the aho museum the NMC Campus. Come and experience for yourself their individualist work. The event will be held on Saturday 21st April 4pm SL Time - make a note on your calendar now please !

Cubist Scarborough - Yorkshire - UK. He self proclaims himself to be an Inventor, Educator, Programmer, Designer, & Artist. His work here features 3D portraits that follow you when you move around the art space. Which is slightly UN nerving but done with such style it captivates.

Douglas Story - Wisconsin USA comments “My technique involves the scientific approach of jamming the lens into the flower and tripping the shutter. Oh, alright….a little more than that. I use a good tripod, a camera with a LCD screen that swivels (good for unusual camera positions,) and sometimes diffusers or reflectors – but the light is all natural. The images you see have not been altered with Photoshop; that’s the picture as it came right out of the camera “.

Nebulosus Severine - USA. Neb’s twin divided art space with a static TV presence; evocative with elements of the daily mundane.

In order to view this exhibit, you will need to search for nmc in groups and join the nmc guests group. Aho Museum-NMC Campus (65, 128, 26)

Vudu Sauvage @ Lauks Nest

2007-04-18T23:00:00.001-07:00

Enjoy sculpture in an open-air setting - but hurry as I am not sure how long Vudu will keep these sculptures here. The variety and whimsicality make this a memorable show, which is perfectly placed in Laukosargus's former home.

The Photography Studio of Grignano

2007-04-07T18:17:00.000-07:00

The Photography Studio of Grignano
is having a new photo contest.

Themed Photography Contest: FLIGHT

Cash prizes.

THEME
The contest themes are always loose - any interpretation is good. The theme is FLIGHT. Do ANYTHING you want. Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Is it able to leap tall buildings in a single bound? Run away! Run away! Airport ‘76. I don’t know - there are lots of possibilities. Give it your best shot.

I swear - ONE DAY I’ll get back to using the backdrops the way I started these contests in 2004 - but not yet!

DATES
Enter by: 28 April 2007 at 5:30.
Exhibition: 30 April - mid-May 2007 at the Photography Studio upstairs gallery.

++++++++++++++++++++++++
We will have an awards ceremony - time TBA.
++++++++++++++++++++++++

TO ENTER
Enter 3 textures of Second Life screenshots.
Textures can be no bigger than 512×512 - rectangular photos saved as 512×512 regain their proportions once they are put on a prim.

Title entries with your name + title <—= so I don’t lose it in my inventory Send them to Osprey Therian with MOD permission and COPY permission. Give me an IM so I know to look for them.

Don’t send them in a notecard - I say this as I look at textures every day but I rarely look at notecards. If I don’t get your heads-up the entry gets buried under the billion spam notecards I get per week. I hate it when things get lost - the only entries to’ve been lost thus far were in notecards.

The Photography Studio is located in The Brownstone East, Grignano
Grignano is a pg sim. <–=

2007-04-01T12:56:00.000-07:00

The first no-stress collaborative effort was a lot of fun - you can see the resulting movie at the Cowell Amphitheatre in Cowell or HERE. I made a machinima of everyone watching the machinim, which is HERE.

From the notecard:

It's time for Movie Night, the Sequel!
==============
WHEN/WHERE
==============
NEXT MOVIE NIGHT IS IN LATE SPRING
Cowell Amphitheatre at 2pm on Saturday, 19 May 2007.􀀁

==============
WHAT
==============
This is an experimental collaboration that is intended to be fun and entail a minimum of stress. Here's how it works:
Each person sends a 10-20 second snippet of SL machinima to machinimanight@gmail.com by about the 15 May 2007.

Salazar Jack* will retrieve the snippets and through the magic of reverse-sawing-a-snippet-in-half will join them together into one weird random movie. Then we'll watch the movie at Cowell Amphitheatre at 2pm on Saturday, 19 May 2007.

*a doctor of snippology

Any questions ask Osprey Therian (pc) or Salazar Jack (Mac) - we are learning, too.
==============
You can use any editing program but try to keep to about 1mb, 320x240, 30 fps after processing.
This is an experiment, so we will doubtless have some problems, but no worries. It adds to the fun!
If you can't stick to the rules don't worry - my rules might be loony.

I processed one using these settings:
MPEG-4 Files
24 bits, 320 x 240, 30 fps
Frame-based
MPEG-4 SP Video: 720 Kbps
48000 Hz, 16 Bit, Stereo
MPEG AAC Audio: 128 Kbps

MP4 is a good format to use if you can.

==============
HOW TO
==============
If you haven't made any machinima do this:

Get the FREE Fraps from fraps.com
You can set the FPS on the movie tab. 30 works well.
You can record 1/2 or full size - setting on the movie tab.
You can record sound or not.
Set where you want the movie to be saved.
Set a key to use to start recording.
I always record in a 640x480 window but you don't have to.

Start SL.
Start Fraps and see the yellow numbers that indicate it's running.
Suppress the UI by using control-alt-1
Record and see the numbers turn red.
Stop recording.
Get your UI back by using control-alt-1
Run off to see what you did :D
==============
Fraps records uncompressed video, which is big.
Now you need to resize it and format it so it can be used.

You can use any editing program but try to keep to about 1mb, 320x240, 30 fps after processing.
An mp4 would be best, but you can do it other ways if you have to. If it doesn't work we'll tell you.
This is an experiment, so we will doubtless have some problems, but no worries. It adds to the fun!
==============
WINDOWS MOVIE MAKER
==============
If you have XP you have Windows Movie Maker.
You can open the Fraps footage into it, trim it as you wish,
then save to your computer.

I processed one using these settings:
Video for broadband (512 kbps)
WMV
320x240
4:3
30 fps
It's not an mp4 but email it and I'll change it to an mp4 and give it to Salazar.
==============
Salazar's Mac instructions are on the notecard.

Reiteration

2007-03-19T12:33:00.000-07:00

Just to reiterate as people might not see my comment two posts below:
The Fox Atomic entry "I Heart Mutants" was a team effort by Enjah Mysterio, Ida Keen, Theodore Polonsky, and me, Os. Without the work and input of everyone on the team there would've been no machinima.

The Photography Studio of Grignano

2007-03-19T00:38:00.000-07:00

Contest 25: LIGHT
For details click the poster in the window of the Photography Studio.

Machinima Night - Collaborative Machinima Project

2007-03-18T01:52:00.000-07:00

Granted, this is old news, but it seems most of us are great about setting up amazing events and then doing little to follow up on them/sharing with the world what we have accomplished.

So, with the risk of being a broken record, I'd like to bring up here the overall result and brilliant editing work of Salazar Jack to the Movie Night machinima contest from January of this year. The movie many of us gathered to see is posted here (and below) with all credits due at the end.
Thanks for all your help, Salazar!

Click To Play

This is, to my knowledge, the first ever collaborative machinima project. I typically don't brag about "first ever" events, but Osprey in particular is known to head many of these first ever efforts, and I hope this gets remembered somewhere. :)

The movie night is a great beginning for these types of projects and it's quite amazing to see what people find fascinating and worth exploring through movies in SL.

That being said, along the lines of machinima and photography, a big hand to Osprey and Ida Amida for their prizes in the Fox Atomic competition. :) For those of you who don't know, Ida keeps a great travel journal of SL. I love reading it and exploring more of SL through her eyes, especially since I don't have that much time to spend inworld lately :)

"Eye to Eye"

2007-03-11T14:57:00.000-07:00

A Presentation of 3 artists & their very individualistic work , exhibiting via 3 contrasting mediums --> Brian Hitchcock, Filthy Fluno & Poid Mahovlich

Date : Saturday 17th March
Place : AHO Museum - Part of the NMC Campus
Time :4:30 SL Time

Come meet the artists in person and see their work.

NMC Campus, NMC Campus (65, 128, 26)
You need to join the NMC Guests group before to can access this event so you have two options - by visiting http://www.nmc.org/sl/join/ and signing up as an NMC Guest or via SL search for the group NMC Guest and select join. There is no fee to join.

For more info please check out
http://www.nmc.org/campus/Main_Page

Art....in a world of Art

2007-03-10T11:42:00.000-08:00

Hey Art lovers!

Be sure to visit the Island of Service (55,225,24) and take in the full sim exhibit of amazing sculpture created by Stormy Roentgen. This is the second exhibition in a series of full sim installations that will run through 2007. Stormy's sculpture can be viewed now through the 24th of March.

Stormy's often emotion inspired artwork will engage your mind as you wander throughout the exhibit.

On Friday the 23rd of March at 5 pm slt, please visit the exhibit once again and meet this amazing artist to express your appreciation of her work.

In order to visit the Island of Service, you will need to go to search, look for nmc under groups and then join the nmc guests group, it is free to join.

This series is a public service production of nmc campus.

2007-02-18T10:49:00.000-08:00

The Photography Studio in Grignano's current contest is called ROADTRIP. For details get a notecard from the poster in the studio window or IM Osprey Therian.

2007-02-17T11:12:00.001-08:00

MOVIE NIGHT
is today.

2pm @ the Cowell Amphitheatre.

For details click the link.