New World Notes

Today's SL Flickr Pick: Beautifully Challenging Images by Alias Amethyst

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

Hellhound is one of those artists that I value because they force me to stretch the boundaries of my aesthetics. At first glance, Alias Amethyst is is not the sort of picture I “like.” But then what is liking? It’s such a tepid emotion. This artist wants to provoke, not to be liked. I’m guessing but I think this artist wants their pictures to be loved or hated, but nothing so passionless as liked. Is like even part of the Goth sensibility?  Of course, they wrote “I hope you like it.” So what do I know? 

Since this picture is demanding so much from me, asking me to think beyond the surface, one truly wild idea came to mind. The braces with their vulpine made me think of kintsugi, the art of repairing pottery with gold, making a pot that was broken and repaired more beautiful and valuable than a new pot. Ostensibly, braces are to remediate problems with the teeth, but these braces add those incisors, creating a kind of beauty in the repair. It’s a thought. 

For more pics that challenge my aesthetic, click here:

Delightful Second Life Photos Depict the Virtual World from a Bird's Eye View

 

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

 

Erika Xaron fooled me with this photo. My first thought on seeing it was Leonard Cohen’s “Bird on a Wire.” I found myself singing sotto voce, “Like a bird on a wire, like a drunk in a midnight choir, I have tried in my way to be free.”

 

But this is not one bird, it’s many. And they have company. Look closely, that’s no cuckoo in the nest. What is truly delightful is that she has taken pics with friends before, as in “We used to be friends” and “My Friends.”

 

 

For more wild looks at the world, click here:

 

Today's SL Flickr Pick: Picturing the Virtual World From a Unique Perspective

 

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

 

Ice Rock demonstrates that where you are shooting from is as important as what you are shooting at when taking a picture. 

 

Take  “The Lighthouse”. By shooting low, the moon seems even bigger. I love how the lighthouse light crosses into the night, dividing the picture into three separate horizontal lines, it’s amazing. He also chose Pink Floyd’s “The Great Gig in the Sky” as your soundtrack for your visit to B Sori. 

 

And here is your rowboat link to B Sori.

 

For more looking at the world from a different angle, click here:

 

We Love These Second Life Images Inspired by Photographer Herb Ritts, Filmmaker John Waters & a Hipster Norman Rockwell

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

Peuxswau’s picture may seem familiar to readers. That’s because she was inspired by one of the most famous photos taken by Herb Ritts, the Versace Veiled Dress shown in the lower left of the montage of his photos in this article about him. It’s also further down the page in a larger size. Peuxswau did a great job of offering homage without replicating him. 

For more “inspired by” pics click here:

You'll Never Believe How This Incredibly Detailed Second Life Image Was Shot

Click to expand -- all sizes on Zakk's Flickr here

 

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

 

I know I wrote about Zakk Bifrandt just a few weeks ago when I highlighted his circus pictures. But I cannot let this stunning photo go unremarked. He was inspired by Loreena McKennitt’s “Caravanserai” [to listen, click here] to create this picture in Second Life and that is what he did. 

 

For more on how he created this, and see the original raw screenshot, click on:

Today's Flickr Pick: Beautifully Sunbaked Scenes from Second Life's West

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

Cathy Macpherson’s “Like dust in the wind” is so well-done, I nearly arrowed past it thinking it was from Midjourney or something like that. Then I saw the credit, that the boot came from the store Nutmeg in Second Life. I am astonished. Going by the rest of her stream, she does love the West. 

For more Western-themed pics, click here:

This Artist Cleverly Creates Giant Cardboard Cutout Dioramas in Second Life & Shoots Completely Charming Photos in Them

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

Giovanni Gata’s photostream is one that will make you laugh at least once and smile several times. I mean, look at “Racing into Love.” The background makes me think of primary school and pictures made out of cut out construction paper and Elmer’s Glue. The simple joy of riding a bike recklessly downhill, wind in your hair, and a sense of peril to add the slightest tinge of jeopardy and heighten your senses. Nelson Street, a block from my sister’s house, aptly nicknamed the nutcracker for its steep incline and the sharp, hard bounce at the end of the hill with jeopardy provided by a cross street perilously close. It was fun because it was dangerous. This captures that joy in jeopardy that all children love. 

For more in this spirit of fun, click here:

Three Impressive & Incredibly Photographed Locations to Visit in Second Life

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

The 50 Shades of Seren is a lush photostream.  Take this untitled photo from Echo Mountain. It almost feels like a painting. I even wondered before I clicked whether it was shot in Second Life or not, but sure enough it was and Seren even provides a SLurl. [To teleport, click here]

While I am more drawn to her landscapes, all her photos are well-done and appealing. As she explains, “The most important thing is this. I capture images that make me feel something, that is what is so enjoyable about this for me. Some of my photos may not make any sense to those viewing them, but in my mind, they all have some kind of connection to a least a very little part of me.”

For more fabulous places to visit, click here:

Fashion Friday: Fantasy Roleplay Style Suggestions from a Flickr Microblogger

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

"A." is a Flickr microblogger who revels in roleplay. “A Heart Made of Yarn” is a gorgeous picture. I love the feeling of one thing on top of another on top of another. The woman’s face lies there as though in a dream. That arm covering, the staff, and the amazing background seem like something out of a fairy tale. 

• From Cerridwen's Cauldron
• Orb Slime- Variation 1 (No Spores)
• Twinkle Ivy - Tree/Columne Patch
• Twinkle Ivy - Large Patch
• Mythspire Arch Small Scales- White
• Prism Type 4- Small Scales/ Mythspire Edition
• Gorgon Lilly Set- Fatpack
• NightFire Aloe Set
• From Arkivet + /Vae Victis\ ::
• Nix Solis Staff

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Today's SL Flickr Pick: Maloe Vansant is a Long Time Favorite for Imaginative Images

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

Maloe Vansant’s photostream has been a favorite for close to fifteen years. I assumed I had written about her in the seven-plus years I have been writing this column, but what a huge oversight on my part. I have not. She is now doing a small series of pictures of women wearing veils. See here, here, here, and here. I love the richness of this pic. The sharp detail of the light and the statue. We can see the face through the veil to her vivid and striking face. I love that Maloe adds a bit of red by placing a flower on the papers. 

For more extraordinary pictures, click here: