Valentine's Day Game At Club Cutlass

By Bixyl Shuftan

For those looking for something fun to do, Shockwave Yareach has something for this time of year. For this Valentine's Day season, he has a new game out, the "Big Box O' Candy." He announced the game in Sunweaver chat.

There is now a pair of vendors to the Valentine's Game.  One is in the Club Cutlass, and the other at the train stop on the ground.  

Anyone can play -- in or out of the group.  Game is free to play.

There are 12 candies hidden in Sunweaver Bay.  As you touch them, a chocolate appears in the box you carry.  Find all 12 and give it to your loved one, and they
will get a special prize.  (And hopefully so will you.)  

To play the game, head to one of the vendors carrying it, a large rotating heart candy that changes color over a pyramid. As Shockwave mentioned, one is in Club Cutlass at Sunweaver Bay (114/117/757), located next to the wall near the movie poster. The other is at the Sunweaver Bay train stop at the end of the main railway line. Just touch it to receive both the instructions and the box of chocolates. Just "add" the box for it to appear in your arm (you may need to adjust the box if it appears too deep into your avie).

After that, you look around for twelve candy hearts scattered around the Sunweaver Bay sim. They look like the rotating heart over the game vendor, but smaller and are a single color. Obviously some are easier to find than others. Some are more or less out in the open. They're either at ground level or on a hill. None are underwater, Shockwave musing, "They dissolved when we tried that." Some are in public buildings, but none are in a private home. Each time you touch one, another chocolate appears in your box.

Shockwave says if you find all twelve, the person you give the box to will get a prize, "Find all dozen and then detach the candy box.  You can now give it to your sweety. And since some of you have several sweethearts, it is set copy as well as transfer so that you can give out as many as you like. When your love rezes the candy box, if all 12 candys have been found, she will get a special prize.  And hopefully you will get a special reward from your honey for all the hard work you did - you don't have to tell her that you had fun." While you can give away an unfinished box, no prize will be given.

Going about the sim myself, after about half an hour I myself found ten of the twelve candies. How many can you find? Play the game and find out.

Once again, to play the game, head to Sunweaver Bay (114/117/757)

Bixyl Shuftan

SLEA Alternative Worlds

 
By Gemma Cleanslate
    

My friend Slatan Dryke of Virtual Ability often runs mystery tours on Fridays and I try to attend once in a while to see what region or activity he is highlighting, I managed to make it last Friday and was so glad I did, As you know the new SLEA opened January 1, 2021 and had its grand opening Saturday, January 22 and 23. He chose to take all the attendees over to Region 3. Once we arrived he turned us loose to explore on our own.

What a charming experience. Melodie Melodie Heart - Riegler (MarieMadeleine3) and Barry Richez (Dreams) have created an Alternative World.

Their inspiration ,  “We intend to raise awareness of climate justice and sustainability through art. Preserve our planet, recycle, control pollution, rethink what is taken for granted. Seek a compromise between eco-logic and eco-nomics.We intend to preserve our planet, recycle, control pollution, rethink what is taken for granted.We seek a compromise between eco-logic and eco-nomics.” To express this the entire installation is full of origami and other paper cutting art pieces.  The interactive sites are fun and playful but full of meaning on saving the planet. I found the sky lovely and soothing while taking a ride in the balloons in the air. The pipe organ is fun to play and sends music notes across the sky.

There is a set of washing machines set up to cleanse the planet, each one a different piece  of the planet from nature to emotions and ideals ending with one asking “ what would you wash?” 

At one point I got caught by a magnet in a shopping cart and was drawn in . It took me ages to get away until iskye suggested I stand,  (laughter). That did it and I escaped.

Everyone in the group had fun with the interactive pieces. Lady Claire was fascinated with a cute bridge to an  animal island that kept forming and collapsing with a touch. We all enjoyed the visit and had  memories to think about as we left. 

Melodie came along at that moment and we all told her how much we enjoyed the experience. There is much more to see in Region 3.

 Enter into the center landing area and pick up the hud or  enter the portal and accept the experience  to guide you to some of the regions already finished  and I peeked at a few that  under construction that look so interesting and am going back for more. I recommend checking out the ground level which contains so many interesting spots to check out . 

Choose Region 3 teleport to get to Alternative Worlds. http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/SLEA7/30/35/55

Gemma Cleanslate

Aneli Abeyante And Maison d’ Aneli

 
By Kayly Iali

Originally from Cote d’Azur, France and now in Strasbourg, Aneli Abeyante is an artist and a gallery owner in Second Life. As an artist she paints in either acrylic or oils to create different textures on canvas. Her love for geometry and mathematics can be seen in her works. With scripts she brings together structures and shapes in a harmonious form and rhythm. Some of her works can be seen at the VeGeTaL PLaNeT (http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Oreo/39/38/522). It’s worth making the trip there to see her works in person. The symmetric forms and structures, rectangles, circles ... becomes dynamic when an asymmetrical element is added to them. It is hypnotical and meditative to view.

Aneli has been exhibiting in Second Life for many years. She first exhibited at Pirats, a large multi-levels gallery that held many exhibits for new and existing artists at the time. There she met many artists such as nessuno Myoo, GiovannaCerise, Solkide Auer, Cherry Manga, JadeYu Fhangto name a few. She has also exhibited at Asmita Duranjaya’s InterstellArt.

Aneli’s first gallery, Aneli’s Gallery, began on her homestead. She originally exhibited her own works but soon started to invite other artists to exhibit. A move to a different sim evolved her gallery to exhibit only other artists other than her own. She finds new artists by exploring different galleries but also through her connections at other galleries where she had once exhibited. Her current gallery is now named La Maison d’ Aneli at Virtual Holland (http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Virtual%20Holland/27/48/21).

The purpose of Maison d’Aneli is to expose all forms of art created in real life and in Second Life.  She feels that art is essential for the world to progress. Her gallery becomes the way to exhibits all these forms –traditional and digital arts and to provide a wider viewing audience for international artists that real life galleries cannot provide. In real life galleries, real life artists often find it hard to get in and also expensive at times. Thus, Maisond’Aneli is a common ground for all artists around the world meet and exchange ideas to make the world a better place.

At Maison d’ Aneli, Aneltakes great care on how the artists are exhibited.Sometimes she would ask artists to create a piece specifically for her gallery.Her current exhibit consists of nine artists of an array of many mediums: Kuervo, GlitterPrincess Destiny, Nicolex Moonwall, Zia Branner, Talixa, Neobookie, Sasha Arivalhagan, Shoshisn Shilova and Francoise Waroux. Each artist has their own skybox where the visitors can teleport easily from the ground floor.The artist is then having the freedom to set the mood of their exhibits. The exhibits are thought provoking.

Website: https://www.facebook.com/aneliabeyante

Kayly Iali

The Firecracker Arcade Updates It's Games

By Bixyl Shuftan

Last year as part of Montecito Bay's renovation, among the new buildings was a video arcade. The games were provided by Mateo Firecaster, and there were a lot of them. There was one not so small problem though. The majority of them relied on Flash to play, a program that would no longer be supported after the end up the year. So Mateo has been updating them.

In late December, the following games no longer needed Flash:

Killer Instinct, Puzzle Bobble, Sonic the Hedgehog 3 & Knuckles, Splatterhouse 2, Street Fighter II Turbo, Super Ghouls'n Ghosts, Super Mario All-Stars + Super Mario World, Super Mario Kart, Super Mario World 2, Yoshi's Island, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III - The Manhattan Project, Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV - Turtles in Time

More recently, it was announced a second set of games were ready to play:

Kong Classic, Altered Beast, Sonic The Hedgehog, Dr. Mario, Moonwalker, Castlevania Bloodlines Special Edition, Double Dragon, Streets of Rage, Sonic The Hedgehog 2, Jurassic Park Rampage Edition, Metal Gear MSX, F-Zero, Breath Of Fire, Sailor Moon R, Metroid, StarTropics, SimCity, Kid Icarus, Super Tetris 3, Super Street Fighter II: The New Challenger, Final Fight 3, Thunder Force IV, Ms. Pac-Man, EarthBound, Tetris, Mega Man X, The Lion King, Dragon Quest IV, The Revenge of Shinobi, ToeJam & Earl, Jurassic Park, and Dragon Ball Z Hyper Dimension.

As mentioned before, many of these games weren't in real-life arcades but in home console systems or from 21st century app gaming. Sim-City is really a strategy game that one could save some progress on their cartridges, but that's not an option here yet.

Mateo also had some instructions on how to play the games.  

How the arcade games work: A̲r̲c̲a̲d̲e̲s̲ ̲n̲o̲t̲ ̲w̲o̲r̲k̲?̲

Our arcades works without Flash Player, games are now playable perfectly without lag, but you have to update your viewer to the newest EPP release.


H̲o̲w̲ ̲t̲o̲ ̲p̲l̲a̲y̲:̲

Right click the cabinet and select "Sit Arcad", your camera will automatically focus on the screen.
A menu at the right top of your screen will open, you can choose your gender bento animation, adjust the pose or close the menu.

C̲o̲n̲t̲r̲o̲l̲s̲ ̲S̲e̲t̲t̲i̲n̲g̲s̲:̲

By default, keyboard controls are "z, x, c, a ,s d", RETURN and ← ↑ → ↓
You can customize your own controls by click the gamepad icon at the bottom left of the cabinet screen.


M̲u̲t̲e̲ ̲s̲o̲u̲n̲d̲:̲

Click the music note icon at the bottom left of cabinet screen.


R̲e̲s̲t̲a̲r̲t̲ ̲t̲h̲e̲ ̲g̲a̲m̲e̲:̲

Click the arrows in a circle icon at the bottom left of cabinet screen.


H̲o̲w̲ ̲t̲o̲ ̲s̲t̲o̲p̲ ̲t̲h̲e̲ ̲a̲r̲c̲a̲d̲e̲ ̲c̲a̲b̲i̲n̲e̲t̲s̲?̲

You only have to turn off your media player of your viewer.

 Have fun playing the games you spent hours on in your younger years, or want to take a crack at the classics.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Montecito%20Bay/39/29/23

Bixyl Shuftan

Interview With Xirana Oximoxi

 
By Kayly Iali

Xirana Oximoxi (Nuria Vives)is a mixed media artist though trained in classical realism, she explores all mediums; constantly learning new ways to express herself in different ways. She is one of many real life artists who brings her art into second life. Her work is exhibited in various venues in major galleries throughout Second Life. Exhibited are series of Xirana’s portraits, children’s books, and mixed media works that were produced.

Xirana works from photos as well as on location...it depends on the subject matter. With landscapes she would start sketching outside, then take a photo and finish the work in the studio. With abstracts, she allows the painting inspire her.

Xirana is inspired by the old masters, Munch, Pollock, Soutine, Picasso and especially Goya as well as Monet and Turner. Her greatest influence would be her grandfather who also was a painter and a photographer but had died when she was very young. Also, Xirana gets help from going to exhibits and reading art books.In Second Life her favorite artists are actually 3D artists such as Meilo Minotaur, Mistero Hifeng, and Rose Borchovski.

Xirana started to exhibit in Second Life just for fun by renting a small gallery. Then as she found herself exhibiting in more galleries it became a way to create more art. Some galleries have a policy to change exhibits every three months more or less.So,in Xirana’s own words, “... so, it was kind of a way to think, what can I exhibit next! (smile).... and it is a way to share what you do ... sometimes more people will visit your exhibit here than in real life.” She had found the pressure to change exhibits affected her real life art, too.Some of the galleries that are exhibiting Xirana’s art are The Galleries, La Maison D’Aneli, InterstellART and Artists United Gallery.More collections of her works can be found at Time Lost Art.

One of Xirana’s projects in Second Life as well as in real life are her children's books; she writes and illustrates them. A friend suggested that some of her drawings would be perfect for children's books. She researched in public domain for stories but ended up writing her own. A course in illustrated children’s book was a great help in getting started in writing and illustrating children’s books.

Aimed toward ages 5 to 7 years old, Xirana’s first story was about a little mouse and his adventures. One of the adventures was Minu exploring a river but accidentally falls in. To rescue himself he grabs a chair as it flowed down the river. Minu encounters an old man who takes Minu in to live with him.

Xirana has since then written 10 other stories including a family of hippos and a girl named Amanda. Xirana describes Amanda as a curious character, open to learn and willing to help friends. She had written and illustrated five other stories relating to her adventures.

In Second Life Xirana’s children’s books are in exhibit at The Galleries and her gallery in Jubata. At The Galleries, Georgiana (180, 109, 48), a 3D setup of her book “The Heroes in Face Masks” can be viewed. Delightful paper sculptures and collages of animals and little children dancing on papered ground. At her gallery at Jubata (131, 245, 99), there is a slideshow of “Amanda and the Ladybug.”

Xirana’s children books are available on Amazon (link) and her own website, http://mynicebooks.com (in which a donation can be made for a free downloadable book). Lots of her books are in some educational platforms in schools.

Xirana’s advice to new artists who wants to exhibit in Second Life is “My advice is that here all is possible...No worries about galleries, to create your own is very easy...”

To see more of Xirana Oximoxi’s art visit her website at http://nuriavives.com/. Xirana sells her works in her Etsy shop at https://www.etsy.com/shop/NuriaVivesArt. In real life Xirana’s artworks can be found in Spain and France. Also noted is her fundraiser, “A Pencil for Ghana” at her blog (link).

Kayly Iali

Interview with Judilynn India

by Kayly Iali

Judilynn India is an abstract artist in real life who brings her works into Second Life for exhibits. I have known Judilynn for many years and come to be one of the many admirers and collectors of her works. We recently sat and had a little chat about her artist life here in real-life and in Second Life.

(Kayly) What kind of artist are you? and what medium do you work in? How would you describe your art?

(Judilynn) I am an abstract painter working in acrylic and mixed media.  Mixed media for me includes paint, ink, and pixels. I like painting intuitively, but also include graphic elements at times. I was trained as a graphic artist and fell in love with painting later in life.

(Kayly) What is your process? Do you work from photos? Do you work from life? How do you approach your art?

 

(Judilynn) I generally begin with paint on canvas, starting with texture and color blends. I love layering for effects of depth and shadow. The painting may remain as is on canvas, or I'll take it into a computer program and further work the imagery to add other elements of grunge, etc. I don't generally do illustration, but when I do, it's somewhat surreal. I almost always work from my imagination. Occasionally, I may use a photo source for an idea.

(Kayly) So,your inspiration is from within?

(Judilynn) Absolutely

(Kayly) But you are probably responding to situations around you, subconsciously.

(Judilynn) I believe my mood and general state of mind determine what appears before me on the canvas. I work intuitively.

(Kayly) Did you have any formal training in art? If so, what university? If not did you take workshops or learned from books?

(Judilynn) My artistic training began as a child. Though I was involved in art programs during grade school, I began my formal training as a commercial art student in high school. I went on to study Graphic Design at Tyler School of Art at Temple University in Pennsylvania.  Through the years, I learned how to paint in oils and other media and decided I enjoyed painting. I've been doing so since the early 2000s. With the advent of YouTube, it's been fun watching other artists demonstrate their techniques. I've picked up ideas here and there. As a bookaholic, I've acquired a good library over the years. :)Lately, I've begun to explore cold wax and oil.

(Kayly) I also work in cold wax and oils. But for my still life paintings, it allows for more abstraction in my representational work...we have to exchange ideas later about cold wax and oils.

(Judilynn) Yes, I've seen how realists apply the cold wax to give more definition and texture to their work.

(Kayly) What is your earliest experience with art that you remembered that mark your path into becoming an artist? Who influenced you to be an artist? A family member, a teacher?

(Judilynn) I believe I came into the world with a pencil in my hand (laugh). My earliest memory was waking up one morning, stealing a crayon from my sister's desk and drawing on the wall next to my bed. I was three years old. My mother was a bit "intrigued" with my work, so she got a roll of butcher's paper and taped lengths of it on the wall. She'd replace it as I filled the sheet.  In kindergarten, instead of playing with the other girls, I would go to the easel the teacher had set up for us and I'd paint.  I recall once painting a purple flower and alarming my teacher when I painted the background in black. I had to explain to her that it was a flower at night (laugh) .My teacher would tell the class that 'Judi's going to be an artist when she grows up.'  That's when I first learned there was a word for what I loved to do. Drawing and sometimes painting, was my general pastime. My mother always encouraged me. She was also talented, but did art as a hobby. My father was an oil painter and commercial artist.

(Kayly) What artists in real life and SL have affected you?

(Judilynn) My earliest artist crush was Norman Rockwell. I'm not sure where I first saw his works, but my mother knew this and bought me a book of his artwork for Christmas one year. It was amazing. I also fell in love with Vincent van Gogh's work. The texture, color, expression-just amazing. Later in life, I would come to admire the work of Carol Nelson (https://www.carolnelsonfineart.com) and Gerda Lipski (https://www.gerdalipski.com) for their use of acrylic texture and color. Since coming to SL, I've taken note of artists like, Elin Egoyan and you.(I was flattered)

(Kayly) Whatis your reason to exhibit in Second Life? and what has your experience been like? Any positive or negative. And has exhibiting in SL affected your real-life art?

(Judilynn) I have also been a computer geek since the 80s and first learned of virtual reality in the late 80s. When I read about SL in an online news article and about how a Boston artist brought his work into SL, I knew I had to jump in. I was elated to find a place online where I could actually exhibit art and connect with other artists and art lovers in real time.  There have been ups and downs, but mostly, my experience here has been good. I came to SL with 12 pieces to show and soon started getting invitations to join group exhibits and solo shows. SL has actually kept me painting and developing my techniques.

(Kayly) Have you gotten commissions for real-life purchases from people in SL?

(Judilynn) I've only had a few people in Second Life actually make print purchases from my real life website at www.judilynnart.com. Real life purchases and commissions have come from people who have seen my work online or had conversations with me. I think my SL followers find it easier to collect in Second Life. It's financially easier to put together a virtual home gallery.

(Kayly) Do you have your own galleries? Do you exhibit in other galleries? What art related projects do you usually do in Secons Life?

(Judilynn) I have three of my own galleries in Second Life: Center Ground, Avalon town and Chelsea. My other resident installations are at various galleries throughout SL. I had the opportunity to build a sim sized installation for Linden Endowment for the Arts in 2018.  That was my first shot at a 3D build.  Most recently, I created an interactive installation at BURN2, this year's virtual Burning Man Festival. It was an amazing experience. I'm hoping to do more 3D work in the future.I've also been involved with exhibitions for Doctors Without Borders and Creations Gallery, fundraising for Parkinson’s.

(Kayly) What advice would you give to artists who is interested in exhibiting in SL?

(Judilynn) For artists who would consider showing their work in SL, I would suggest wasting no time setting up a small gallery of your work in rented shop with good traffic. I would look for areas that cater to artists (like Hotel Chelsea Manhattan NYC). Join all the art groups that you can, and introduce yourself to other artists and gallery owners for suggestions and advice. Find a mentor if possible. I'm always happy to help.

(Kayly) Any links to purchase your real-life works? website? And what main gallery would you like to direct your visitors to view your works?

(Judilynn) My website for art prints is www.judilynnart.com.  I can also be contacted through that site regarding canvas originals. The website will be updated soon to include more canvas art.  My main gallery, and one that is updated with newest work is the Center Ground Gallery of Art, Han Loso (226/30/72)

I should also add visit Judilynn’s Avalon Gallery, Tabula rasa (111/44/25).

Kayly Iali

Burn2 Exhibits And Other Builds

 
By Gemma Cleanslate

That is the inside sensor of the Temple where you can leave your messages and thoughts which will be read aloud at the Temple Burn. I remembered my good second life friends that were lost .

As I roam the playa I see so many wonderful installations. Each stage is unique for the various performers and DJs who come daily to perform. You already saw the DJ stage in all its glory .

Here is a spectacular experience by Ilia Sojourner.  Of her build she says, “My build represents some of those other worlds, all very different, spinning through the void. Each has its own orbit, its own pattern, its own story that we may never know. And the glowing-eyed stone heads, silently observing: are they an alien civilization? Are they gods? Are they us? That’s up to you to decide.

At the center is our own little universe, the center of everything we think we know. Step inside the big blue bubble and meditate on it all, walk through one of the stone heads, or click one of the glowing red spheres and spin and dance through the void along with the spinning worlds.”
visit at http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Burn2%20Cosmic%20Bob/56/248/24

Andrea Jones has created  a place to contemplate the religions of the multiverse. Enter each temple and learn about the major religions . They are lovely examples. Make your way all around the plot  for more. There are places to relax and eat too. 

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Burn2%20Quantum/42/45/24

Some of the builds are huge and extravagant but some are small and what you would expect to find in the desert and on the playa in real life as camps.Foot bath at the end of the day!

 

Remember the MAN burns on Saturday twice , 12:00 noon and 6:00 pm SL time and the Temple burns Sunday at 12:00 noon and 6:00 pm SL time. Dancing for 2 hours before the burns. Enjoy!!

Gemma Cleanslate