New World Notes

Second Life Images Inspired by Our Fight Against COVID-19, Found As I Myself Recovered from the Virus

My RL view as I write this post, and of my "troll" tree

Cajsa Lilliehook covers the best in virtual world screenshot art and digital painting

Before I share my latest round of Second Life photos inspired by the Coronavirus pandemic, I should start with a personal update, after my doctor diagnosed me as likely having the virus: 

I believe that I have recovered from COVID-19. Nearly all my symptoms are gone. The big difference for me is that I feel good, not like something run through a wringer a few times. There is this irony brought about by the lack of Coronavirus tests: When you are sick, you must presume you have it. When you get better, you must presume you did not.

So now I have a cold. Really! Life has a sick sense of humor.  

Now, on to Venicio Armin’s photostream, which is full of beautiful images, mostly lush and gorgeous landscapes. But recently, he did a series of photos in response to the pandemic: 

Cajsa's SL Flickr Pick: Behold the Unbridled Badassery of Razor Cure

Cajsa Lilliehook covers the best in virtual world screenshot art and digital painting

Razor Cure’s photostream is one of the most exciting on Flickr, one Hamlet described as unrelenting badassery a while back. This picture is so cool. Posing his avatar on the pointing finger, it’s exciting and fresh. 

Here’s the thing. Razor Cure’s stream is not a single story, every picture is a new story:

Kimika Ying Creates Second Life Photos Inspired by Tweets & Real Life

Cajsa Lilliehook covers the best in virtual world screenshot art and digital painting

Kimika Ying’s “Curiosity Rover” adds a touch of sarcasm with a photo of the Mars Rover on Explorer Island. It appears she was inspired by a tweet from SarcasticRover, a twitter account that says stuff like:  “Suddenly spending the rest of eternity on a lifeless planet devoid of any human contact while wandering an endless wasteland doesn’t seem so bad." It is one of the pictures in her Pandemic album.

Another Twitter-inspired pic below:

Cajsa's Choices: Anton, Fantastic Second Life Flickr Photographer

Cajsa Lilliehook covers the best in virtual world screenshot art and digital painting

Anton’s photostream is full of life and romance. This picture is so striking, shooting straight into the sunlight. This untitled picture is a great example of the rule of thirds. The horizon begins one-third from the bottom, the tree is one-third from the left. 

Anton’s pictures get a bit more romantic in the next pics.

Cajsa's Choices: Powerful Coronavirus-Themed Second Life Images -- That I Found After My Doctor Said I Myself Likely Have Coronavirus

Cajsa Lilliehook covers the best in virtual world screenshot art and digital painting

Mich Michabo’s “One Can Try” captures the anxiety and uncertainty many of us are feeling in this new world of sheltering in place, staying at home, social distancing, and self-isolation. She created a series about COVID-19. 

It really hit home for me when I discovered I myself have been exposed. It suddenly put this cold that I have been dealing with in a new light. My doctor thinks I am likely to have it, but I won’t get a test as I am not sick enough. Seeing her series made me stop in my tracks. That is what art is about. 

Take a look at Mich’s other photos about experiencing the pandemic:

Cajsa's SL Flickr Artist Pick of the Day: Kimmy Ridley

Cajsa Lilliehook covers the best in virtual world screenshot art and digital painting

Kimmy Ridley’s picture is certainly timely and on point. It was inevitable that COVID-19 would penetrate the art world of Second Life as it has the world of arts in our first lives. This reminds me that with the many postponements and cancellations, the performing arts creatives are hard hit, particularly those who are not the highly-paid household names. Most are paid on contract meaning they do not qualify for unemployment and if their gig is postponed instead of cancelled, they don’t even get the cancellation fee. So keep your creative friends in mind and ask if they need help. I love the reminder to wash your hands. 

More of Kimmy’s sound advice below.

Cajsa's SL Flickr Photographer Choice of the Day: Ashy Chan

Cajsa Lilliehook covers the best in virtual world screenshot art and digital painting

Ashy Chan’s photostream is filled with slice-of-life photos with her and her friends. I like this one. Lately, so many people have taken to turning their photos sideways, more in hopes of being chosen as a group header than because of any aesthetic need. This is how it should be done. I should never have to turn my head to appreciate the photo. Here I can see the outfits, I need not turn my head at all. This is a fun photo, casual outfits and a casual snap. 

There’s more relaxed and charming style below the fold.

Cajsa's SL Choice: Zib Scaggs Combines High Fashion & Avant-Garde Style

Cajsa Lilliehook covers the best in virtual world screenshot art and digital painting

Zib Scaggs is a long-time favorite of mine because she really goes there in styling high fashion and avant-garde looks. “Lorea” illustrates many of the hallmarks of her photos. The outfit is very stylized with outré adornments like the spiky green accessories that are her own creations. She is one of the few creators who credits the other creators’ items in her display photos. There are some who might include a style card if you purchase from them, but she puts the credits right in her Flickr descriptions. 

Coming up, a photo that portrays Der Blaue Reiter as fashion:

Cajsa’s Daily Flickr Pick: Second Life Artist Syn Beresford

Cajsa Lilliehook covers the best in virtual world screenshot art and digital painting

Syn Beresford’s “BARMIE” is one of those pictures that don’t make sense at first glance, but then you look more closely and are glad you stopped to figure it out. As I scrolled down, I mistook this for a tree with ravens and some critters crawling around, maybe a spider. So I stopped, looked closer, saw the lips and then the whole of it and was enchanted in a creepy sort of way. But that is a hallmark of Syn Beresford’s work. It will be beautiful, but she often will add an element of the macabre to make it just slightly weird in the sense of Lovecraft’s weird.

Terr Jedda Makes Second Life Look Like Pre-Raphaelite Paintings

Cajsa Lilliehook covers the best in virtual world screenshot art and digital painting

Terr Jedda has this picture on her Flickr with a different orientation but this one from her blog is better for the column. I love the pastoral quality of the picture. There is a pre-Raphaelite quality. It is not just the light, it is the woman and the sheep. And then the sheep is eating her hair. I love that. My cat sits behind me and eats my hair like that. It cracks me up.