The Haunted House

By Lord Lisle

The creations and buildings of Yolanda Hirvi are as usual wonderful and well developed, but this time she surpassed herself with the Haunted House, situated in the Finland Edu cluster of Sims
Edufinland IV (94, 37, 471)
No description this time, I want you to find out yourself if you dare……beware it IS rather dark!


Side view of the Haunted House. Just visible is the ubiquitous house ghost. No, she does not bite, just ignore her...


Miauw, the Haunted House stray cat is watching any movement at the front door...


Ohhh dear, what has happened in the kitchen....., there is blood everywhere...


Beware when entering the hall, a pile of skuls may fall upon you!

Talented creators of SL (11): Ainee Kohime’s Sagrada Familia Cathedral and ‘The Chocolate Ghost’

By Lord Lisle

You may well ask: '..what has a Spanish cathedral to do with a ghost?''..... Well, read on dear follower of the Metaversal Blog and discover the remarkable talents of Ainee.

Travelling through Barcelona during a business trip several years ago, I was alerted to Gaudi’s amazing Sagrada Familia Cathedral, the vast spires of which dominate the city. Unfortunately I had not the time to have a closer look at the place, and never had the chance to come back.

Whilst taking snapshots of Trasgo Beaumont in his sculpting workshop some time ago (see one of my previous entries in this Blog) I noticed familiar looking buildings in the background. Having a closer look after the snapshot session I discovered to my astonishment an accurate Second Life recreation of the Sagrada Familia Cathedral. (Hermetic Palaces/79/94/42)

Gaudi’s cathedral as seen from a distance with a Casa Gaudi Villa and Gaudi’s Tower of Romance in the foreground. The Temple Expiatori de la Sagrada Família (official Catalan name: Templo Expiatorio de la Sagrada Familia; "Expiatory Temple of the Holy Family"), often simply called the Sagrada Família, is a massive, privately-funded Roman Catholic church that has been under construction in Barcelona, since 1882 and is not expected to be completed until at least 2026.

It did not took me long to find Ainee Kohime, the owner of the sim and creator of the cathedral. She guided me through the huge place and revealed interesting details such as Gaudi's Tomb in the Crypt, the Library, the Ballroom, the Park Guell dragons, and the seating inside the spires. Apart from this masterpiece, she has created numerous Gaudi inspired buildings, but also amazing thatched cottages and baroque villas, low-prim pavilions and palaces. Her most recent works in SL are a recreation of the Versailles Opera House, and of the Petit Trianon, on display in her island with many other treasures.

The Cathedral as seen from the South-East ((Nativity Façade) entrance

The majestic North (the Passion façade) entrance


The North-West (Glory façade) entrance, showing 8 of the 12 spires

A view from the West at roof level.

Another view from the West, the arrow pointing to the completely dwarfed out Avi of yours truly, having found a splendid position for taking snapshots. This shot indicate the huge size of the Cathedral.

Inside the Cathedral, just look at the amazing details of the columns and vaulting

View of the lower levels of the Cathedral

After exploring Ainee’s replica of the Sagrada Familia in Second Life, I have a slight feeling that when I eventually see the original place in RL I *might* be a bit disappointed: in SL I do not have the endure the constant excessive traffic noise, the building activities, building cranes blocking the view, and the inaccessibility of many of the locations, as I can travel freely around the spires in the balloon provided by Ainee. How amazing this Second Life can be…

Ainee laughs in agreement, and recalls how when she visited this cathedral, a winding trail of tourists wandered through the construction site. She stepped back suddenly to admire the vaulting, and a workman’s helmet fell 300 metres from the spire, smashing onto the exact spot where she had just been standing (fortunately, the workman was not inside it)! She declares that she must have been pushed by an Angel.
“As I was working in SL on the cathedral,” explains Ainee, “for three months I dreamed of it every night. As the drawings and plans were destroyed in the Spanish Civil war, it is very hard to discover what Gaudi’s intentions for the unfinished sections were. One useful drawing was found in his pocket after he was killed by a tram. But in my dreams, Gaudi seemed to show me what his vision of the completed structure would be: I finished one section as I thought he would have done it. To my astonishment, a few days later a new tourist photo of that section, completed that week, appeared on the web – and it was exactly as I had designed it! I felt I was communing with Gaudi’s spirit. Gaudi would have loved the medium of SL, and have spent his time torturing prims and twisting toruses… I especially enjoyed recreating in prims the new sculpture which has recently been added to the porticos, simple and graceful after Gaudi’s sketchy outlines. My favourite section? It must be the Tortoise which supports the door pillar in the Annunciation façade.”
Ainee acknowledges her sources: “Without Ariel Erlanger’s wonderful sculpted vaulting, and the very adaptable ‘Vengeance’ megaprims, this design would have been impossible, so I am a convert to the wonders of the megaprim in SL. The vast fountains by Klyks Klees were just as Gaudi had intended, but I bet there is not enough water in a Barcelona summer to power them in Real Life!”
Ainee adds that she is indebted to her Patron Mintz Tomorrow for his support and encouragement: “He is my dream client: he said I could use 3000 prims and the spire tips had to reach the clouds: other than that, he left me alone to work on the Cathedral! After almost two years of specialising in low-prim Architecture and Antique furnishings, this was a fabulously indulgent treat to make! I shall sadly have to demolish the Cathedral on my island soon, to make room for my next project, but Mintz has vowed to preserve his copy as an SL Masterpiece!”

-Ainee’s island is Hermetic Palaces/118/119/26 and

- Mintz’s Sagrada Familia is Meloloona/321/101/22

The Chocolate Ghost

Ainee is gifted writer in Real Life and writes as 'Julia Hawkes-Moore'; her novel 'Dancing in Circles' (Honno) can be ordered from Amazon. Her story ‘The Chocolate Ghost’ has been published (and translated into Czech) in several RL books and anthologies.

At the time of writing ‘The Chocolate Ghost’ has been transcripted into a SL THiNC Press book. The book can be read (yes, even a complementary copy can be taken if you wish) in the real Chocolate Ghost shop created in Second Life (Hermetic Palaces/21/215/25)

The Second Life Chocolate Ghost shop ….The chocolate girls decided that they should buy a shop. They had very little money, so they had to hunt around the market town of Saffron Walden for a long time before they found somewhere cheap and pretty enough to suit their purpose. In a narrow cobbled street just off the market square they found a tall, narrow house squeezed in between two strict Georgian red-brick ones. It was all tottery with carved oak beams, and glittering diamondy window-panes….

Inside the Second Life Chocolate Ghost shop ….the mysteries of jujubes, lozenges, liquorice laces and aniseed balls were there to be explored. Tigernuts, Spanish tobacco, bulls' eyes and sherbet suckers were bought by the pound, whilst jamboree bags and all their hidden surprises proved so popular….

The JD MTF 'Heron' is not a toy...

By Lord Lisle

Very recently I aquired my first Sea-Plane, often referred to as Flying Boat, supplied by the Mechanical Toy Factory (MTF), SOL Solution Island 181/23/319

(A flying boat is a specialized form of aircraft that is designed to take off from and land on water, using its fuselage as a floating hull. Such aircraft are often stabilized on water by under wing floats -Wikipedia-)

Although sea-planes can be obtained at many other places in Second Life, my choice of the JD MTF Heron was based on previous experience with creations by Jenne and Mandy such as the JD MTF "Celerus" Steamboat, the Personal Copter and of course my much treasured Jenney Mandy'dson 1915 ed. sidecar equipped motorcycle from the early 20th century.

HUD of the Heron, showing full functional instruments: Banline indicator, Altimeter, Airspeed indicator, region display, compass, pitch warning indicator and function button with parachute dispenser, camera view and sound button

Important features of the remarkable JD MTF Heron are the carrying of up to three passengers (in the usual comfy MTF seats hehe) exceptional sculpts and details in an early 20th century style.
It is no wonder that during the few initial flights I was approached via my IM by several people informing where I had acquired this plane.
The craft has only 27 prims, copy permission, 8 menu driven colour schemes plus a high quality HUD (which has a unique banline indicator giving visual and sound warnings) and much more.
Needless to say that the Heron has good flying capacities, not very fast, but what would you expect from a flying boat?
I must congratulate Jenne Dibou (primworks/textures) and Mandy Marseille (scripts/sounds) of the Mechanical Toy Factory on another fine item in their long line of remarkable and always unique creations.

The MTF Heron taking off at sunset from the waters of the West side of Blake Sea for a photographic reconnaissance flight

Gathering more speed before getting airborne

Reaching Second Life cruise level at about 200 meter

Cruising over the Coast of Blake Sea through the evening clouds

Returned and moored after the evening flight, dwarfed out by the huge tri-engine Short Calcutta 1928 Flying Boat owned by Michel Linden. No, that plane cannot fly; it’s just a 170+ prim floating display. (To be seen at Ferry Terminal and Welcome Area, Barbarossa/177/31/21/)

The Cirrus glider

By Lord Lisle

Since I picked up flying in Second Life I have flown quite a number of planes and flying contraptions, not only differing in appearance, but (more importantly) in their scripting. Very often a well build plane with fine textures, is horrible to fly, instable and the cause of a crash.
Very recently whilst boating in Blake Sea I came to the pier and adjacent workshop/store of Driff Beardmore (Roatan/130/60/21) where I noticed a demo of an interesting looking glider. Although I have a glider in my inventory, this particular plane is almost impossible to keep in the air due to poorly defined control layout, so I was suspicious that this plane might have the same deficiency.
After rezzing the demo, to my surprise the glider behaved exactly as I would like, smooth and stable, and being able to fly at a low speed (as a glider should do) it gives ample time to look around without constantly adjusting your controls. Given the fact that it has a standard camera mode, guest mode, locator beacon and copy/mod permission I bought one after I had flown back the demo model.

Taking off at St. Martin airstrip for a long flight over Blake Sea

For just 150 L$ this plane is a real bargain: looking at the details and perfect scripting this plane is to my opinion a labour of love of the constructor.
To illustrate its stability, yesterday I took off at St. Martin Airstrip (St Martin/68/181/21) (a narrow strip running along a sandbar) and flew via Blake Sea deep into Nautilus at least through 30 sims without a single crash. Of course I might have been lucky that particular day….

Soaring over the West part of Blake Sea

Talented creators of SL (10) Follow up: Trasgo Beaumont, the Sculptor or 3-D art Master

By Lord Lisle

When I happen to meet Trasgo again last week he surprised me in that he had taken up another form of art and was cheerfully chiselling away in his sculpture workshop. Like terraforming, SL sculpting is a different trade which apparently takes time and patience to master. Needless to tell you that Trasgo’s sculptures are well worth looking at and many copies of his works can be found in the gardens and homes of discerning owners.

Trasgo Beaumont at work in his sculptor workshop in Ainee's Hermetic Palaces (121, 154, 25) (at the landing point, head North for about 30 meters to reach his place)

Although Trasgo kept on working, putting the finishing strokes to his latest sculpture, he had no objection in answering some questions which had come up to me the other day I met him creating the painting with Yolanda Hirvi:

LL The appearance of your avi is stunning, just what we would expect from a Master of Arts…… Did you create this yourself?
Thank you very much (..and here Trasgo smiles broadly, carefully twisting his moustache pointing upward...) I maintained this appearance since a very long period: after wandering around as a newbie I experimented with skins, eyes and yes, my moustache and eventually created my own appearance which I never changed afterwards. I must point out that I had made this appearance (including moustache) before I decided to become an artist, it was probably my fate that I choose this before I knew what my SL future was going to be. And after all, could I really take another occupation with this look?

LL What painting do you consider as the most successful you have made?
This question is difficult to answer... I have a special affection to my 'Return of Spring' based in the work of Bouguereau, a portrait of Malone Sands, suggested by her and who I am very thankfully for it. For its special nature, I have fond memories of the group works: for example the painting with the Old Versailles Court, The Stairs of the Ambassador. This is my most extensive work made in three parts to enable it to be exhibit at the right resolution with the size that was commissioned of twenty meters wide. But I have made so many other portraits and works that I cannot forget, oh you put me in an awkward position if you make me choose - smile - and…could I ever forget my Dolce Far Niente - one of my RL favourite’s compositions from Godward - which I made for Yolanda Hirvi as you know. Ohh is very difficult! – smiles again -

Trasgo Beaumont sculpted work is on display in the garden section (the large glass room) in the Metaversal Arts main shop Cherish (161, 88, 60)

LL With a RL residence in Spain, you have the opportunity to view and admire many originals of famous paintings and other forms of art, including fascinating buildings. Did this influence indirectly the choice of becoming a Second Life artist?
Nobody escapes to the influence of the place of birth, where one grew up and lives and where you can directly enjoy this marvellous heritage. Churches, buildings and streets in the historical centre (where my house is) of the city where I live, Cádiz, remind you any time to this period.
SL offers us the opportunity to revive the best of these creative periods. My aim was to revive the experience and the look for the beauty of an old master of art.
Many people in SL share this view, this perfect feel of beauty, although through different ways - from customizing avatars, building, terraforming, creating furniture or scripted items and so on..: I like to be a kind of mirror (with an old style glass…) that could reflect all this beauty through my portraits!

LL: what is the basic difference between creating a building and a sculpture in Second Life?
Sculpting in SL has two sides I think - the technique, which depends on the software that you use, generally this is not easy to work with because although even if you know some 3-D software, you must adapt to the SL limits.

Making good sculptures is a real challenge and you never finish learning. Although applicable to any creation in SL, the main point is to keep your prims as less as possible; we know of some really very good sculptors - but you need almost the contents of prims of an entire sim to rezz one of their creations!
On the other side, and no less important, is the creation itself - what you design and expect of it, but before anything you must keep the main rule: make all the parts separately and join these in the right pose or shape ... This is not easy, but the satisfaction when you see that your RL sketch has 3-D form and you can 'touch' it ... is something amazing.

Loggia of the Muses Houlihan (47, 137, 72) is Trasgo’s country seat where most of his sculpture work can be admired

The next entry in this Blog, (a second follow-up), brings us to the world of fashion: Trasgo Beaumont, the Fashionable Dress Designer or Lord Lisle’s new dandy outfit

Talented creators of SL (10): Trasgo Beaumont, the painter, or a birthday present for Yolanda

By Lord Lisle

Not so very long ago Yolanda Hirvi celebrated her RL birthday (no, I am not revealing her age...), therefore Darleez DeCuir and I were desparately looking for a suitable present to memorate this occasion. Finally we came to the ultimate present: an oil painting of her avi, set in an existing old masterpainting of her own choice. There is only one Master of Art in SL who is brilliant in this work: the celebrated Trasgo Beaumont Esq. As we know that the schedule of many SL artists is usually filled, that they are picky in customers, their choice of outfit and accepting a commission only when they are fully happy with their customer, we took the chance and went to his studio in Languedoc Coeur.

In the reception room of Trasgo Beaumont's studio. Replica's of many of his previous commissions are collected here; more are on the upper floor galleries

We were lucky and happen to meet Mr Beaumont which was cleaning brushes in his workshop. Eventually he agreed in a commission of a painting based on Dolce Far Niente (Sweet Nothings) by John William Godward. Fortunately this painting had not been chosen earlier by a customer as the artist consequently refuses to do the same painting twice. A few days later Yolanda went to the sitting for this painting; Lord Lisle was allowed to take a few snapshots of this occasion. And, dear reader of the Metaversal Blog, when you ask me whether Yolanda enjoyed the painting? I can only say: By Jove she did!

The first sitting for the painting. Master of Arts Trasgo Beaumont is making preparations and Yolanda is taking her position as model

Yolanda Hirvi posing in the studio of Trasgo Beaumont, whilst the Master is concentrated in his new work

At this stage most of the work has been done and Mr Beaumont is carefully inspecting his latest creation

Finished! Trasgo Beaumont and his model Yolanda Hirvi in a relaxed mood after the work is completed

This is the final result of Trasgo Beaumont's work, the original can be inspected on the South wall of the Metaversal Arts Office and Theatre

When the painting was delivered and Trasgo and I celebrated the highly successful painting with a glass of Wallop in a local pub I took the liberty in asking to reveal us more of his SL career

LL: You are doing a wonderful job with you paintings, can you tell us please: are you an artist in ‘The Other World’ (as my friend Mykyl Nordwind would put it)?
Trasgo: Thank you for the kind words, but my RL occupation is rather dull compared to my SL activities. I am a marginal sketcher in RL, I like draw and play with colours, but nothing seriously

LL: But are you in one way connected to paintings, or an admirer of all sorts of arts?
Trasgo: Oh, by all means, I do love arts and in particular paintings and sculpture. My taste and interests are very broad and I like different styles and artists. I think that it is important to taste some of the artist’s soul he has put in his work; I do not really care about the technique, life of the artist, his family and so on. I often compare a painting with a good wine: you do not want to know about the harvest, chateau and colour as long as you really enjoy it.
Further more, my work in SL gives me an opportunity to learn more of the work of great painters, hitherto unknown to me. And due to the special commissions of my customers it enhance my passion in arts

LL: It was noticed that you take commissions for new paintings, but as a real Master of Arts you have set certain limits to the donor RL painting. Can you elucidate this?
Trasgo: I try to make exclusive work in SL - I think that like the real paintings is no good to repeat the same donor painting again and again and eventually ending up with hundred portraits based upon the same work but with different faces, all made by me. And like the real paintings, I prefer that only one copy exist, therefore only very exceptionally I produce a portrait with full perms. So my main rule is not make a work twice - based in the same RL painting - granted the exclusivity and originally of my works. My customers could be sure that they are the only owners of the true version in SL from that or this RL painting.
In my more recent works I'm trying to include more of SL, making in this way more original compositions. Based on poses or inspired by RL paintings, but using SL elements, furniture, clothes, landscapes... I want to put in my works more of SL, I think that all this beauty created by the whole of SL designers deserve to be immortalized too, and why not in my paintings?

LL When you decided to enter Second Life, did it took you long to become an artist? Most of us had a hard and steep learning time before even could make up their mind what to do…
Well, I started my life in SL, like many of us, sheer of curiosity in a world without apparent rules. I was amazed of the wide range of possibilities for creating almost anything as far as you can imagine, considering your time and patience to learn. After a few months aimlessly wandering around I got an idea that I might be able to create portraits, based on real life paintings. I made two portraits: one of myself and a second one from an unknown model. Both paintings, along with a portable easel which I created and worn as an attachment, were shown in selected places. Very soon I met people who were interested and I received my first commission for a portrait.

- .-. .- ... --. --- -... . .- ..- -- --- -. -

To be followed by:

Trasgo Beaumont, the sculptor

Talented Creators of SL (9) : Never You Mind Harleywan Haggwood

by Yolanda Hirvi

Harleywan Haggwood is a young builder and designer who has created his dream in Second Life. His store/home/playground Never You Mind -island is a wonderful example of passion for building in SL. It has not made for making money or for fame in SL . It has made because of it just had to come out..out of Harleywan's imagination. Landscaping is not easy, but Harleywood's island looks perfect to me. Even though he claims it is still in progress. I tried to catch it's feel in the sim with snapshots, but with my skills it just cannot be done. You just have to go and see it for your self. It is rustic, rural, worn out, but very romantic. Along the rustic buildings he has created not-so-usual vehicles like a ridable kite, balloons and sailable bath tubs. He has also made rambling robots and old toys. Sounds like fun? I had a change to spend a morning with Harleywood talking about him and his work in SL.

Y: How did you come to SL and how did you end up to become a builder and a store owner?
H: I was first introduced to Sl about a year and a half ago by my friends SkyeRider Varriale, TatianaDokuchic Varriale and Marin Mielziner. It took me a while to actually come in world and after a few weeks I discovered that i was getting hooked.
My building skills have all been self taught with little pushes in the right direction by friends. I like learning that way and practically everything I've made has been a big, big trial and error thing. After some initial truly horrendous attempts and making some simple things, I got hold of a couple of full perm objects and pulled them apart to see how they were contructed and how things fit together, and things sort of just took off from there. I always test out stuff I make on my friends Tat, Bebe, Zac and Skye and rely on them for feed back, criticism and suggestions ( some of which I completely ignore), but I really do value all of their opinions. Skye and Tatiana are seasoned and extraordinary builders, and even though the look of my rustic things and my building style are completely different to what they both make, they are always more than happy to tell me what they think ,good or bad and I appreciate the honesty.....though I sometimes might not agree :).

I love old rustic stuff, whether it be Country, Steampunk, Urban or just plain used looking :)... and if it has a tinge of humour about it...even better. I opened my 'Never You Mind' world on a 4096 plot roughly about 8 months ago. First off it was just so I could have a go at making things. Its moved around a little bit as I've required more space, and I'm more than happy with the place it is now on a homestead sim that I rent.

Y:What do you like the best in Second Life?
H: Thats a hard question. there really isnt any one thing i like best in Second Life. I love building stuff, but I also like meeting new people and discovering new things. I guess if I had to narrow it down it would be... oh hell I dont know , I guess i like everything...except griefers!

Y: People like interactive stuff. Also I find them fun. I bought your kite. I think it is very brilliant idea, and I have had fun time flying with it. Making those does require some scripting skills.
H: Thanks! I like making stuff that does stuff. :) The kite turned out pretty good I think.... and it drove me up the wall for a few hours trying to get the flight script to work properly. The kite actually statred out as an idea just to have a kite you could attach and carry around that moved in the wind... and it got a bit out of control. I thought wouldnt it be funny if you actually flew it...like really flew it :). Most of the scripts that I use in my stuff are scripts that I have bought and then edited to suit my needs, and I have absolutely no programming skills whatsoever except for little titbits i pick up from here and there. Scripting really does my head in, but very slowly I've been learning the language with mixed... sometimes hilarious... but mostly just bang my head against the keyboard results.

Y: 'Never You Mind' is very carefully landscaped. It seems to be more than just a store to you. Does 'Never You Mind' exist in any form in RL?
H: Ive wanted to own my own island for ages and when someone offered me too much money for my old mainland I decided i may as well look for one. This is all from my imagination. I did grow up on a farm in Australia though, so i supose theres a lot of influence from there. It is my home away from real life home, as well as my store ... and its also my playground.

Y: Who are your 'idols' as creators in Second Life?
H:Wow there are so many! Everyday I find a new place that blows me away with creativity and imagination that makes up peoples objects, clothes and worlds. It would be unfair to mention any one or two people because there are just way too many and the list just keeps on growing every day.

Y: If there will be other virtual worlds competing Second Life that have own economy, would you be interested expanding to the other worlds? Or leave SL ?
H: No! Not at all Im having way too much fun here at the moment.

Our time is up with Harleywan and he has to dash to RL work. I stay to wander around for awhile. I wonder what his next realease will be...Darn, I forgot to ask..

Nerver You Mind :
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Never%20You%20Mind/117/101/23