New World Notes

Today's Flickr Pick: SaNY Brings Sassy Humor to Her Virtual Fashion Pics

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

SaNY is taking a look at the world from a different perspective in, “If you surround yourself with people who are Light, you will see everything clearer.” Especially if they have flashlights! I love the quirky humor in this picture. There’s a bit of humor in a lot of her work. She is also a brand-new blogger (started four days ago!) who, if her photostream is any indication, will focus on swimwear, lingerie, and athleisure. 

For some calendar fare, click here:

This Artist Gorgeously Evokes The Time & Place of Virtual Spaces

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

I love Existence’s photostream. His pictures are incredibly natural and realistic. It sets a mood which is augmented by his choice of music, “Small Light” by Message to Bears. This makes me think of Washington’s Long Beach in January, the very best time to visit as nearly everyone is staying inside so you can almost have the beach to yourself. Of course, it’s not ideal for swimming, but for walking. 

I asked him if he had any comments and he demurred, “It just is all about feeling, your mind is a lens and telling a story. Photography that keeps me going forward.Everyone has their own perspective, recognition, or emotion about photography pictures, which makes it unique.” 

For more a more sun-drenched picture, click here:

Master Avatar Photographer Returns to Second Life Flickr With Fantastic Romantic Images & a Dr. Who Homage

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

Anya Ohmai is back after a two-year hiatus and in this lovely self-portrait explains she is just beginning to figure out the changes that have happened in lighting and setting up images since she was tutoring others how to take shots in SL. I think she’s already leveled up.

For more from Anya, click here:

Fantastic SL Fashion Tips from Flickr Photographer Kaelyn Alecto

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

Kaelyn Alecto is an SL fashion microblogger providing the details in her Flickr description. I love this picture, particularly that she has the naturalistic sand on her skin and her carefree windblown hair. 

• Doux - Summertime hair day

• TETRA - Spicy Bikini @ Kustom9

• Izzie's - Sand covered body layer (bom)

For more casual fashion, click here:

LGBT Second Life Users Celebrate Pride With Tributes to the Freedom of Virtual World Expression & Identity

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

Pitch Wyld’s “Hey Sailor” captures the exuberance of Pride. It is an homage to the “V-J Day in Times Square” shot when World War Two was finally over. A less-famous shot of those four pictures taken that day shows the woman punching the guy in the face for just grabbing her, but that is the past. Today this image celebrates Pride, a kind of V-B Day (Victory over Bigotry) and it is consensual. He also chose perfect mood music “I Am What I Am” with Gloria Gaynor.

Describing what Pride means to him, Pitch writes: 

“I have found that being involved in Second Life has allowed me to safely explore different sides of my sexuality in such a way that I can then implement these ideas, concepts, feelings in a more meaningful way into my real life. I am given an arena that is largely non-judgmental, where I can play out different scenarios and think more deeply on who I am and how my sexuality expresses itself. Second life hits my scientific side where I can gather research in the ways that other folks engage in their sexuality. This allows me to be more knowledgeable and hopefully receptive as a loving and engaging partner.” 

For more Virtual Pride, click here:

Second Life Photographer Makes Amazing Use of EEP Environment Controls

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

This fabulous picture of Portocorvo in SL (directory listing here) is so fantastic, I knew I wanted to feature it, but the name of the person who shot the picture sounded familiar, Dandy Warhol, as though maybe I had written about him before. Trying to keep finding new people, I checked and nope, I had not. Must have been thinking about the band of the same name. Anyway, the picture is astonishing. I love the color, I love how sharp and clear it is, the complete opposite of my memory. 

The word “pellucid” was invented for this next picture, click here:

Powerful Virtual World Photos Inspired by Malcom X & Victims of Myanmar's Violent Coup

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

Whiskey Monday introduced me to Illy S’s photostream with this painfully evocative raw photo, part of a six-photo series featuring unedited photos of the same woman with the scars of a whip on her back. Musical inspirations for the series include Nina Simone’s “Isn’t it a Pity”, Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come,” and Outkast’s “Liberation.” The series’ theme is power, this picture in particular, titled after Malcolm X’s powerful quote, “The most unprotected person in America Is the Black Woman.” 

I love how Illy S. shot her pics at sunset when a little moonlight brightens the gloaming just enough. In some ways, the way the dusk hides her scars, making us try harder to make them out to recognize what they are, involve us more deeply, invests us in the picture. 

As in the Great Migration, her photos move to Brooklyn -- click here:

SL Fashion Blogger Friday: Style & Houseware Shopping Tips from Dama

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

Dama is a lovely blog from Damatjo Magic. I love her Sunny Afternoon post. The picture is lovely. She used the Rule of Thirds in placing her avatar and it gives the picture such great balance. I love her blouse with the lace on the yoke and sleeves. And who doesn’t love a truck full of flowers. She points out that the braid can be worn on the left or right. I only wish that she told us where to get the blouse.  

• Hair: Holly – Mina Hair @ Uber

For a lovely set piece she blogged, click here:

This Artist Creates & Photographs Massive Abstract Sculptures in Second Life

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

I love abstract art. Most of the art in my home is abstract or extraordinary examples of the graphic display of quantitative data. (By the way, the best work-related course I ever attended.) But yes, it is abstract art that really grabs my eye. As much as I love story-telling pictures, these explorations of shape and color always excite me the most. Suzanne Graves is not just the artist taking these pictures, she is the person who created these exciting shapes. “2017-04-14 LEA5” reminds me of those molecular model kits. I swear the one in Ninth Grade used these same colors. 

For more recent abstractions, click here:

Today's SL Flickr Pick: Virtual Cats, Lovers & an Image Inspired by Neruda

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

“The Ship” is inspired by a Pablo Neruda poem. Well, that made me like it all on its own. My high school Spanish teacher was a Neruda lover and she passed on the fandom. But look at that picture. Her use of bright light and high contrast to blow out all but the essentials, the sea grasses and boat are nearly the only visible elements. It is a bold, confident picture by someone who knows what she wants to express. 

If you think we all need more cats, click here: