Expressions of the Mind

The feather pen from my mail art exhibit has a new life in the USC Gallery. On the right art by a tiny fox Pieni.

The gallery is on the top floor at USC Texture Tomb in Paradise Landing.

Aeon Art by Leather Aeon

Phoenix Unbound, by Kyler Collas

Temba's Gallery

The voting for official gallery logo is on the floor below the gallery.

Expressions of the Mind, USC Gallery, is a new free space for SL artists to showcase their work. Curated by Kyler Collas, the gallery features many different types of art. The only requirement is that sculptures are not too scripted or primmy. This is a great opportunity to share your vision at a popular location open for everyone. The artists can sell their art if they wish. There are still spaces available, make sure to take a look and contact Kyler Collas inworld for further information.

For artists and audiences alike, the gallery is free, but donations are welcomed to benefit the Make a Wish Foundation. For this purpose, there are going to be several donation kiosks around the space. By voting for your favorite logo you will be able to donate 1-4 lindens to the charity as well. Voting will be open for a couple more days. All donations go straight to the charity.

Penny for your thoughts

The Arcade Gacha Events organizes quarterly events with unique gacha prizes from well known SL designers in a fantastic setting. The Arcade build, custom created by Loz Hyde of Meshworx, looks absolutely breathtaking. When the current event started 15th of this month, the sim kept getting full. Today it was easier to get in and to look around. The event ends October 15th, so you still have plenty of time to go. (You might also want to take part in the photo contest held by Adorkable poses). The variation is excellent. In addition to fashion items, you can find home decor gems and playful gadgets. Prices are looking pretty fair, too. Visit the Arcade.

Hold on to your hat

 Zombie wandering about greeting visitors.

Scared to Death! Haunted house at Stacey is a really cool ride with a lot to see. You sit in a pumpkin (can share with a friend) and go through different scenes inspired by classic horror movies.  I especially loved the scene in the last photo. Did not want to spoil too much for you with pictures though, go take a look for yourself. Hold on to your hat, and your head. Muhahahaha.

Invention/Reinvention

Today I attended a private viewing at the new Avalon Arts Initiative gallery in Tabula Rasa. This opening exhibit named Invention/Reinvention features work by talented SL artists Jessica Belmer, Isla Gealach, and Rikku Yalin.

First of all the building is really beautiful and works well for the purpose. Winter Nightfire won a competition to design the gallery and has done a great job. I can see many different types of exhibits working here.

Scattered around the gallery, Rikku Yalin's robots greet you with an unarming look and the feel of quality design. She is a sim designer, and it shows in the automata. She clearly has a good grasp of  what works in the virtual. The robots work for many kinds of spaces, not just galleries. To me they have a melancholy look to them, which gives them an added level of meaning. Rikku is known for showcasing her work at the LEA sandbox.

Jessica Belmer's dark and beautiful imagery evokes not only the work of the German Surrealist Hans Bellmer, as suggested in the blog post by Rowan Derryth, but the world of stories, mysteries, a life in the imaginary. Originally showcasing only in Flickr, Belmer definitely fits the bill of a promising artistic talent, the kind Avalon Arts Initiative was created to support.

Isla Gealach of Cheeky Pea is a well known designer of home decor and furniture. Her works of art echo the high quality of her commercial work but have a more ethereal feel to them.

Curated by Rowan Derryth, who also owns her own gallery RoHaus and writes for Prim perfect, this exhibit, to me, holds a lot of gravitas. I would love to keep these works of art around. They are the sort of quality that lasts.

Bella

Got a couple of cool hunt items I wanted to share. The Time Traveler Hat is by Mad Hattery for Steam 7 hunt. The hair is from D!va: Mai, Onyx, group gift 10000+. My friend Starlight of House of Starlight made the outfit for the upcoming Happy Halloween Hunt starting in October. It includes: several skin options, teeth, jewellery, two outfits, boots, sneakers, shape and several pairs of eyes! Keep up to date with what Starlight is doing by following her Flickr account. I used the Charmy 1 pose by Label Motion (Blog - Flickr). Background textures: Daisys Designs: 40 Grunge Wall & Wallpaper Textures: 16, [K.O.] Ragged Wood Parquet #5, Ixl Noel: Cider Walls: Slate Wall V2.

And if you want it too, then there's nothing left to do - Lets start a band

OD Designs has instruments with poses for anyone willing to rock out. I know I look ultra cool doing the male poses, lol. I really liked the store, it is just like going to music stores rl and looking at people pretending they can play. Also what do you buy for someone, who seems to have everything? My answer was a really cool guitar.

Outfit details:

Shoes: BBC: Yuyu, flat shoes, gatcha
Pants: Peqe: Blossom / Peruvian
Rings: Insanya: Zed Is Dead Baby, black
Top: MGS: Mini tops, gray, mesh
Lashes: Mynerva: Milena, fitted eyelashes, group gift with preview
Eyes: Barones MG: Blueblood
Hair: D!va: Marie, Type B, Onyx
Jewellery: Eluzion: Gabina earrings, Maki mouth pearls

Three Laws of Robotic Fun

This place is really cool and needs some praise. Robot Sanitorium in Whimsy Kaboom (general), is packed with fun.

Don't mind the rebel propaganda. Look around and feel right at home. We will keep you safe.

Build your understanding of robot life. Are they not adorable?

The gift shop is stacked with.. maybe not safe.. but important.. items.

Ok so some of the residents have been causing trouble, but they are just a little over heated.

See, completely safe! Look a little closer.

Come join the friendly folks at the Sanitorium. Hey you there, put down that protest sign!

Art in the virtual

My own artistic spider senses are tingling with inspiration knowing the new artists in residence for the LEA fullsim 6month grant season have now been picked. Some of the names I could recognize, take a look if you find any that you know. I notice some are known for their work in SL business, as well as the art scene. I had a really good experience with the LEA grant last season. My own exhibit did not work out as I planned it to, but I got to know sim management and see, how ideas in SL work in big space. I wish everyone the best of luck for the new season, it is going to be amazing. Remember to keep an eye out for the openings of these sims.

Speaking of openings, LEA full sim art series for September, Cinema! is promising to be a glamorous look back into the history of movie going, as well as a chance to see a lot of interesting SL machinima played on big screen.

And last chance to see a really cool exhibit by Bryn Oh: Anna's Many Murders. It is closing September 28th, so you need to be quick to catch it. Bryn Oh wrote an interesting description of the basis of her idea for this exhibit. Click the link on Bryn's name and follow her blog. It is the best source of information on art in SL I have found so far. She is featured on Virtual Environments Daily.

Oh and read about the LEA Art Sandbox in Ziki's blog. If you want to rezz your art for people to see and have no place to exhibit it atm, this is your place.

Oh night, oh night

You walk with fire in your eyes 
And never will I forget you. 
You carved your place in time,
and our hearts, - you have them, too. 

 It's never easy to express
all the loss and sadness felt.
You had a blessed voice in you
only to special people dealt. 

Miss you Meli.

 Poem by Alana Pyara

Sting with Cheb Mami (Algerian Arabic)

Desert Rose

Hadaee mada tawila 
Wa ana nahos ana wahala ghzalti 
Wa ana nahos ana wahala ghzalti 
Wa ana nahos ana wahala ghzalti

Oh night oh night

It has been a long time
And I am looking for myself and my loved one
And I am looking for myself and my loved one
And I am looking for myself and my loved one

I dream of rain
I dream of gardens in the desert sand
I wake in vain
I dream of love as time runs through my hand
I dream of fire

Those dreams are tied to a horse that will never tire
And in the flames
Her shadows play in the shape of a man's desire

This desert rose
Each of her veils, a secret promise
This desert flower
No sweet perfume ever tortured me more than this

And as she turns
This way she moves in the logic of all my dreams
This fire burns
I realize that nothing's as it seems

I dream of rain
I dream of gardens in the desert sand
I wake in vain I dream of love as time runs through my hand
I dream of rain
I lift my gaze to empty skies above
I close my eyes

This rare perfume is the sweet intoxication of her love

Aman aman aman 
Omry feek antia 
Ma ghair antia 
Ma ghair antia 

Aman aman aman

My life is for you
And no one other than you
And no one other than you
I dream of rain
I dream of gardens in the desert sand
I wake in vain
I dream of love as time runs through my hand

Sweet desert rose
Each of her veils, a secret promise
This desert flower
No sweet perfume ever tortured me more than this
 Sweet desert rose
This memory of Eden haunts us all

This desert flower
This rare perfume, is the sweet intoxication of the fall

Ya lili ah ya leel

Oh night oh night

Algerian Desert. Edited by Alana. Original from here.