Nude Studies by Scottius Polke at Exposure Art Gallery

PJ Trenton is pleased to welcome the most talented and artistic otter on the grid to Exposure Art Gallery (http://slurl.com/secondlife/Tabula%20rasa/142/39/27) for an exhibit of nude studies in pastel and ink. The otterly incredible Scottius Polke opens his exhibit at Exposure on Wednesday, September 2, 2009 from 7 to 8 pm slt.

Join us for a fabulous opening event with Radio Riel's own Gabrielle Riel as she brings us some of the best grooves for shaking your pixels!

Scottius brings you a collection of beautifully rendered nude studies, several of which have never been seen in Second Life before.

We look forward to seeing you at the opening of this amazing exhibit.

Quest for the Golden Prim Podcast

Welcome to a behind the scenes look at The Quest for the Golden Prim! Join Gabrielle Riel, as she discovers the mysteries of the making of the web comic, through interviews with the creators, writers, producers and cast of The Quest for the Golden Prim. The time for secrets...is at an end!

In the first episode, Gabrielle Riel speaks with Saffia Widdershins and PJ Trenton about some of the inspirations that created The Quest!

The podcast is available by visiting the Golden Prim blog at http://goldenprim.blogspot.com/2009/08/quest-for-golden-prim-podcast-episode-1.html.

Grand Opening of the Au Cafe and Gallery (August 29)

What is the Au Cafe?
The cafe is a place where Alchemy unplugged displays their bizarreness. Whether it is an hour long practice session full of philosophy and madness, or low prim furniture they have created or extraordinary creations that their associates have produced, it's all there, at the Au Cafe (http://slurl.com/secondlife/Vindoskygger/238/40/26).

I am honoured to have been asked to exhibit new Second Life photographic works at Au. I hope you will be able to drop by and see these brand new works which are available for sale.

Events schedule:
11 AM: Au live @ the cafe (there is no better way to kick off a grand opening than with the live music of Alchemy unplugged: aka: Au - Natil has one of the best voices in SL! You just HAVE to have a listen!)
12pm : DJ Lynda @ the cafe (She's hot, she's stylish and she has plenty of good tunes to make you dance)
1pm : DJ Penny @ the cafe (sixties psychedelic, punk, celtic rock and a DJ with mega intelligence... and a quirky sense of humour)
2:30 pm : Au live @ the cafe w/Natil and Daren lookalikes contest with 2700 lindens in prizes (Au madness - what the hell was I thinking?)
3:30 pm : DJ Paulina @ the gallery (Eighties, dance, classic rock - she's half-sweet and half-acid and always READY TO RUMBLE!)
5pm : Au Live @ the gallery (Au smoothness - yaaaaaaaaa)
6pm : DJ Lynda @ the gallery (Groove/Jazz/soul/rock/electro)

Throughout the day : amateur art contest. Submit one piece to either Lynda Ultsch or Natil Flanagan. SL or RL photography, photoshop, paintings, sculptures (low-prim). Prize : 1000 Lindens, plus a wall to expose and sell your creations in the gallery for two months.

Natil's trivia, between 12pm and 2:30pm, where she will hand out various prizes from our sponsors.

Khet tournament, Au blade of your choice to the winner (compliments of Kanto Edges). (if you don't know Khet, it's a board game, very strategic, and rather easy to learn. A board is up in the gallery lobby for those who want to practise. -needs two players-)

Oh! Don't forget to take a stroll through the seasons at the Sound Tree... there are more free gifts there than you can shake a stick at... er, or a branch for that matter.

Voting in the Caledon Rose Growing Competition Now Open

As you may have seen, The Primgraph is sponsoring The Caledon Rose-Growing Competition. To celebrate the launch of our summer issue, we are holding the competition on the grounds of The Primgraph Press in Caledon Glengarry (http://slurl.com/secondlife/Caledon%20Glengarry/53/143/124)

This competition (we hope the first of an annual event) is being staged in order to find the best roses in the Steamlands and beyond - and we have some superb entrants!

There are two categories:

• Single Roses (no more than 35 prims per rose)
• Rosebushes (no more than 15 prims per bush)

The roses in competition are on display in the courtyard at The Primgraph Press in Caledon Glengarry - four rose bushes and six individual roses.

Now it is your turn! There are voting boards above the either side of the gate. To vote for your favourite rose on display, click on the name of the entrant. The PINK board is for the single rose competition; the BLUE board is for the rosebush competition.

Voting is now open, and will conclude at 2pm on Saturday 29th August!

Vacuum by Kimba Sideways

So I present below the second of Miss Kimba's poems that I read at our recent open poetry night in Avalon Town.

Vacuum
by Kimba Sideways

I woke into a dream, woke up screaming
I was blinded by an ultra-violet beaming
I'm in a cold sweat, shivers running down my spine
I got soaking wet by constant decline

I was haunted by a monster ape
with its constantly changing shape
there was millions of them big and small
leaving no way to escape at all

I'm in a space without room
I'm running down a vacuum
there ain't no easy way out
of the enclosing continuum

I can't speak my mind - there are freaks within me
who are shouting with double intensity
I go to bed, I get attacked
by the friends and foes I never met yet,

yet a true confession is the fear of the fearless
the replacement of the dream of the dreamless
I 'm in a cold sweat, shivers down my spine
I am running faster all the time

I was sitting on a raft made of deadwood
that immediately sank just like lead would
I got a feeling inside that gave me an outside chill
the fish like chew on my spongy mesophyll

this is a true confession of a passionate one
this is the fear of the dreamless
it's the replacement of what has hardly begun
it's the dream of the fearless

Artathon Artworks Opening ~ August 30, 2009 @ 2pm SLT

Two of Second Life's most recognizable and creative artists invite you to the opening of Artathon Artworks in the Avalon Art District (http://slurl.com/secondlife/Ars%20Lunga/15/172/28) on Sunday, August 30th at 2 pm! Artathon is the result of an incredible philanthropic adventure conceived by Filthy Fluno and Winter Nightfire for the Second Life Community Convention (SLCC) in San Francisco earlier this month.

These two amazing, fun and provocative artists took SLCC by storm...armed with paints, pastels and assorted canvases to capture the essence of the convention...in art! Sponsored by Avalon Art District and CounterpART Gallery, the pair created a wide-range of abstract art inspired by the event. The works were auctioned off at the end of the convention; raising $1,000 US for the non-profit organization Virtual Ability!

Virtual Ability works to help people with assistive hardware like voice recognition, special styluses and specialized typing determine the best way to access their virtual environment. They provide community members with support and encouragement, training, virtual field trips and more. You can learn more about Virtual Ability at www.virtualability.org.

Please join us in Avalon on the 30th and meet this two fabulous and generous artists and see the amazing works created at the convention!

Days...a poem by Kimba Sideways

I was honoured to be asked by my good friend Kimba Sideways to read two poems which she wrote at our last open poetry night in Avalon. Once a month we all gather at the Speaker's Circle in Avalon to listen to each other read poetry. They could be original compositions, personal favourites by better kn0wn poets or ones that we just feel are fitting either based on the audience or the theme when we have them. Below, I present one of Kimba's poems which I read to the gathered audience...

Days
by Kimba Sideways

It took me hours just to get it right
but only seconds to disappear
I got the feeling I am shouting out as loud as I can
but the silence is all I hear
it is like salt upon my wounded skin
that'll burn me up from inside
it is a fight I could never ever possibly win
like the spark taking on the night

I got my eyes open wide at night
it is darkness I am wrapped in
I simply can't turn from my inner frights
it is my body I am trapped in
I was amused about what's on my mind
implications precisely defined
now I'm confused about the turning in me
'caus the turning in me
was a joke of the killing kind

...days....
seem to roll like big waves
now there are standing so still,
I fell under a crazy spell

I got to turn wise before I turn old
I gotta get me a coat before I get a cold
I'm acting funny while I'm out on a limb
now it doesn't seem to matter what I've been told
I had nine lives but I wasted eight
a loss at a heavy rate
No, I can't get out of stormy seas
so am I or am I not the maker of my destiny

high hopes at a high time
It is an urge that makes me want to break a line
sunlight's getting bleaker
shadows getting longer
I'm getting weaker
not stronger
but still there's something that is holding me back
while my head keeps pushing to get rid of that
I'm getting nervous as time's getting tight
I toss and turn I can't sleep at night

...days....
up and down like big waves
into a beautiful embrace
deep within I'm in a crazy spin....

Latin Music Night @ Exposure (August 26 from 7 to 8 pm SLT)

I cordially invite you to join us at Exposure Art Gallery for the closing of my joint show with Tricia Aferdita. Tricia and I have created an exhibit featuring my real life photographs and her fabulous renditions of those photographs in paint!

We are excited to welcome Miss Gabrielle Riel of Radio Riel to host our event and to play the best salsa, mambo, bossa nova and other latin music for your listening and dancing enjoyment.

Join us for a fun-filled hour of music and camaraderie in the best Avalon tradition.

Join us at Exposure (http://slurl.com/secondlife/Tabula%20rasa/135/20/27) on Wednesday, August 26th from 7 to 8 pm slt.

Just because I can...

...is the best answer I can give you for this little design project. Plenty to do, so it isn't that. Sometimes I am just overcome with the need to do something completely mindless...well maybe not mindless...how about frivolous.

But design is fun! So I design.

Plurk...come join the insanity and have yerself a dancin' banana!

*eyebrow* on the grid

The grid sure can offer up some rich fodder for self-amusement...and being the sharing kind, I've decided to share some of the more interesting moments with you the good reader. So for my first *eyebrow on the grid*, I offer you a two for one special!

Babble On 5
I don't know about you, but I find stores in Second Life to be very interesting places to bear witness to the virtual interaction of others. Most of the best *eyebrow* moments visit you simply by being within that magic 19m.

Today's episode is all about the babbler...those little pieces of virtual technology designed and utilized with the best of intentions, but I fear fall far short of facilitating conversation between people who speak different languages. I have no doubt that they help to a certain extent, but not when you, your babbler and your friend already speak the same language!

So I stand in this particular store where a fellow walks by with friend in tow...chattering away in open chat in perfectly good English...soon to be followed by a careful (and exact) translation INTO English by his babbler. I couldn't resist wondering out loud exactly what was being translated, all the while pleased to have TWO lines of text run up my screen for every statement issued.

My dear fellow...I'm sure that valuable attachment point could be used for something much more valuable then your English-to-English babbler...say...oh...I don't know...an evil titler? Ironically I have the perfect one to give you when it offers up the chance...

What's in a Name?
Apparently the sickly smell of rotting and decaying flesh. What's that smell, I wondered, as I continued to shop in the aforementioned store. I glance left...I glance right...I look forward...I look bac...MOTHER OF GOD...you picked Necrophilian for a first name? Niiiiice.

Me thinks you might have limited your options right from Orientation Island. You sir...FAIL!

A rose is a rose...or is it?

Primgraph Magazine is proud to announce their sponsorship of The Caledon Rose-Growing Competition!

To celebrate the launch of our summer issue, we are holding the competition in the grounds of The Primgraph Press in Caledon Glengarry.

This competition (we hope the first of an annual event) is being staged in order to find the best roses in the Steamlands and beyond! In other words, it is open to ALL merchants, residents and rose growers everywhere.

Complete details are available on the Primgraph Aetheric Log.

Shirtless for Breast Cancer

One of the great things about Second Life, at least for me, is the tremendous number of wonderful people I get to meet from all across the grid. I am particularly fortunate that my work with Prim Perfect and The Primgraph have not only led me to some of the most interesting places in the metaverse, but to also meet so many people in their element. Many whom I am proud to call friends.

This is particularly true in the various steampunk, Victorian and historical locales where I have found the most incredible places with a real sense of community.

As a result, I was proud to participate in last year's Shirtless for Breast Cancer fundraising project initiated by the Consulate of Europa Wulfenbach. I was tasked with designing a Thinc book featuring breast cancer awareness information, along with topless photographs of avatars in support of the non-profit organization breastcancer.org. The book, along with a male and female calendars raised over $22,000L for this organization.

Breastcancer.org is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing the most reliable, complete, and up-to-date information about breast cancer. All medical information on the organization's web site and in their printed materials is carefully reviewed by a Professional Advisory Board consisting of over 60 practicing medical professionals from around the world.

October is recognized as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month in the US, and this year it is celebrating its 25th anniversary. A new set of calendars and book are now in the planning stages. A call for volunteers has been sent and I am so pleased that my good friends in Avalon jumped to the call when I advised them of the project. They have gotten right into the spirit and submitted tastefully topless photographs of their avatars to the project.

Both male and female volunteers are needed, so why not take this opportunity to get creative and support a great cause! I invite you to contact Frau Annechen Lowey in-world if you have any questions. Below is the call for volunteers as distributed by the Consulate. I encourage you to capture an image that defines what means the most to you in real life and in Second Life...my shot is above. If you require assistance with capturing your image, please do not hesitate to contact me.

The shots not selected for the calendars will be included in the 2010 book, and your inclusion in either depends on the submission fitting the technical requirements:

1) Submissions should be 2048 x 2048 square FULL PERMISSIONS PNGs. These may be e-mailed to consulate.lackey@gmail.com

2) Please keep the composition TASTEFUL - Art, not smut, please.

3) No Minors. Diminutive adults, fine - but we wish to stay legal with this. Legal-age avatars only for values of the American legal system (18 years old or older), no exceptions, not even for time travellers.

4) Submissions are to be sent to Annechen Lowey BEFORE 1800 SLT on 1 September 2009.

LATE Submissions will not be considered.

Now that's shirtless!

The latest big thing on Second Life? Must be the Giant Odalisque...talk about going shirtless! So this sculpture is now appearing at the Black Swan (http://slurl.com/secondlife/Black%20Swan/220/108/2006).

A bit of mystery surrounding this work...the realism of which borders on kinda edge of kinda freaky. A closer inspection says that the creator was someone called 3D Soup...but owned by RightAsRain Rimbaud of Rezzable fame.

55 prims and for only $15,000L it can be yours to drop in the middle of your livingroom.

Vintage Second Life Postcards

I have always loved linen postcards.Those wonderful textured postcards with high contrast, vibrant colours and romantic imagery...like the National Printing Office in Washington, DC or the Federal Courthouse in Cleveland, Ohio...*swoon*!

As I began work photography for The Primgraph No. 7, I was struck by an interesting idea. It came from seeing a proposed article to be written by Miss Ceejay Writer, entitled One Woman's Experience: A Holiday at the Victoria Seaside. I thought how neat it would be to have vintage postcards to accompany the article!

Granted, linen postcards were in their heyday from approximately 1930 to 1945. However, I was still struck by both their obvious vintage feel AND the underlying thought that images from Second Life would be a very interesting subjects to be given this type of treatment. The high contrast gives them their true vintage feel...numbers and titles added for extra "authenticity."

So what began as a few creations for inclusion in The Primgraph has turned into a growing collection of virtual linen postcards. For some of my postcard creations, I invite you to view my vintage postcard set on Flickr.

Gracie Kendal at Exposure Art Gallery...

I am extremely excited to have the incredibly talented artist Gracie Kendal showing in the art loft at Exposure Art Gallery. Those who know Gracie will attest to her creativity, her wonderful personality and her joie de vivre! Incredibly talented to boot!

"As an artist, I have become fascinated with emerging online social environments, specifically the Web 2.0 virtual reality world of Second Life. Within Second Life I created a virtual representation of myself in order to connect with other artists, art enthusiasts and creative people from around the world", says Gracie.

I invite you to come and immerse yourself in the exciting and vibrant art of Gracie at Exposure!

Find out more about Gracie and see about acquiring some of her work in real life! Visit her web site at http://www.kristineschomaker.net.

Exposure Art Gallery is located in the heart of the thriving arts community of Avalon on the Tabula Rasa sim (http://slurl.com/secondlife/Tabula%20rasa/135/20/27).

For more information about Avalon, please visit the community ning at http://avalontown.ning.com/.

Prim Perfect 19 on news stands...

August has also seen the release of issue 19 of Prim Perfect magazine. We visited the fabulous region of Hosoi for this month`s feature articles.

Hosoi (http://slurl.com/secondlife/Japan%20Kanto/93/176/31) is comprised of four sims which include an Edo-period Japanese village. The sweeping vistas and attention to detail make the region one my highest recommendations for a serious exploration. Some of the most beautiful images I have yet captured in world are from Hosoi...look for them on Flickr (and in issue 19) over the next little while.

This issue marks two very important points in my affiliation with Prim Perfect...one is the opportunity to have my work featured on the cover and the second was the article which I worked on with Miss Viv Trafalgar...The Way of Hosoi.

While the writing of an article is typically a solitary exercise; generally with little direct interaction between the author and the photographer...this article was a little different. Viv and I walked the sim together, following the paths of Hosoi...I capturing images as Viv composed. All the while, we discussed what we were seeing and experiencing. It was a very interesting and rewarding experience and I send out my sincere thanks to Viv for asking me to join her in the creation of this article.

We both hope you enjoy reading it as much as we did pulling it together.

The full issue is available online at http://en.calameo.com/read/00000423498fa545f9454.

Open Poetry Night in Avalon

Join us at the Speaker's Circle in Avalon Town for our regular, monthly open poetry night. All are welcome to come and listen or to read themselves.

Have a favourite poet/poem...written something yourself you would like to share? Our open poetry nights are a relaxed and convivial place listen and share.

The event is from 7 to 8 pm SLT tonight!

Speaker's Circle is located in the heart of the thriving arts community of Avalon. Join us at http://slurl.com/secondlife/Ars%20Lunga/54/106/2.

For more information about Avalon, visit our ning at http://avalontown.ning.com/

We hope to see you there!

Dared to Drabble

So I partly blame the resurrection of the blog on those of you out there that keep encouraging me to write something...you know who you are!

So having waxed and polished the blog and started with a few posts...I was challenged! The gauntlet of verbosity was thrown at my feet by none other than Miss Ceejay Writer! She recommended a very interesting and challenging exercise to flex those little grey cells...a drabble!

According to Miss Writer, a drabble is a story in exactly 100 words...no more...no less. She added that she writes them often. She will ask a person to give her three words...the challenge being to incorporate them into the drabble as part of a coherent and readable 100 word story.

Wicked woman that she is...three words slid out of the thrown gauntlet! So you want to be a writer Mr. Trenton? Give me a drabble with the words "naked" "jell-o" and "taint"! "Oh...and it has to be PG-rated...snicker" I gasped...wishing I hadn't earlier joked around about taint! What a cruel task master you are for my first drabble!!! Or are you?

I present PJ Trenton's first drabble...

The last thing he remembered before everything went black was a sense of serene calm. Granted, it had been hectic for so long, that he was starting to worry it would always be thus. It didn’t seem possible that anything could taint this feeling, but a slippery road and a tree had other things to say about it.

Why did he push it so? They would have waited. But not anymore he thought; lying naked, save for the hospital gown. A missed opportunity! Lesson learned, he thought as he contemplated the little green cubes of Jell-O…all that awaited him now.

*Bows and silently pads off*

Cue the National Geographic theme...

Mister Trenton finally finds himself on location after many months of planning this photographic expedition to the Dark Continent. Trenton is ready to explore and document the beauty and the danger that is the deepest parts of the jungle!

But this trip could never be undertaken without the proper planning...acquiring the proper clothing and equipment. Mister Trenton is prepared for anything in this stylish and practical Arthur Conan Doyle Safari Suit from the talented designer Viv Trafalgar of Viv Trafalgar Outfitters.

Planning your next safari? Don't even consider going without the proper gear. Visit Viv Trafalgar Outfitters to pick up this most important part of your wardrobe...also available for the ladies! Visit them in-world at Port Babbage (slurl).

The Quest Continues...

Crotty is unaccounted for and the Wing Commander fears the worst...where could he be? Find out in the next exciting installment of The Quest for the Golden Prim in issue 7 of The Primgraph...now available at http://en.calameo.com/read/00000423407faa11b4d8e.

Missed the opening episode from last issue? Have no fear, it is also available at http://calameo.com/books/000004234d292ec0f0202.

Visit the official Quest for the Golden Prim site at http://goldenprim.blogspot.com/.

Primgraph No. 7 Released

As summer rolls on, it is with great excitement that I advise you of the release of the latest issue of Primgraph Magazine. Issue No. 7 finds us by the Victorian seaside in Caledon. So grab your copy, your bathing costume and venture forth to the seaside for a leisurely read!

I am particularly excited about this issue for a number of reasons. I find myself in the enviable position as a contributor to this fine publication. I am tickled with the cover image they selected that nicely melds the essence of steampunk and Victoriana. Caledon was a beautiful sim to explore and I invite you to share what I experienced through my photography.

I am very pleased with the antique postcards that I created to accompany the fabulous article by Miss Ceejay Writer. When I saw the running list for the issue and specifically Ceejay's article entitled A Holiday at the Victorian Seaside...I was immediately struck with the idea of antique postcards...of which I have a fair number in real life. Those who follow my Flickr photostream will see that I have recently become quite smitten with antique postcards from the virtual world.

Issue 7 is available online in pdf format at Calameo. You can access it by visiting http://www.calameo.com/read/00000423407faa11b4d8e

The issue also features the second installment of The Quest for the Golden Prim! The Quest is a web-based comic shot entirely in Second Life. The story is being written by Miss Saffia Widdershins, Frau Annechen Lowey and Miss Viv Trafalgar, and runs as a continuing serial in each issue of The Primgraph. Armed with the script, I head off with our intrepid actors and actresses and attempt to bring the story to life. It is a tremendous amount of fun and a wonderful challenge that I am savouring with each shoot. I complete the work for each episode by laying it out.

My thanks to all involved in its production and in particular the patience of all of the people who give so much of their time to be part of the story.

Pokes at his blog...

...and thinks he feels a faint pulse. Perhaps it can be saved...resuscitated...poked...prodded and cajoled back to life.

As you can see, it has been a VERY long time since Virtually PJ has seen any activity. Not because PJ has been virtually inactive...far from it! I'm without doubt busier now then I have ever been in Second Life.

Over this long period of time I have been fortunate to meet so many new, interesting and creative people. I have also been lucky enough to find myself involved with a number of very interesting and well respected publications, namely Prim Perfect magazine, and The Primgraph.

There is just so much that I have come across...so many interesting things out there that MUST be shared. So here I am..back...I think! Let's see how this goes shall we?

PJ