Today, out of sheer desperation to visit somewhere that wasn’t snow and reindeer, I visited Backdrop City, an area comprised of backdrops, free to use, with a 4 hour return on rezzed objects…

… there are a lot of backdrops here. As someone who owns quite a large collection of them, myself, I was surprised I hadn’t seen any of them before! And none of the ones I have are here. Not sure what that means, but it’s interesting… I guess it shows there are a lot of them out there…

… there’s a good variety of interior and exterior backdrops…

… and with the ability to rez props, I’m sure anyone could make some pretty cool images here, without having to own land to rez backdrops on…

… there were several other avi’s using the amenities while I was here…

… although one of them clearly had no comprehension of the concept that when another avi is standing in front of a backdrop, they probably would prefer you not to wander around between them and the backdrop… but, hey, we’ve all met that avi, haven’t we…

… considering I came here out of desperation, and with almost no expectation, I was pleasantly surprised. I think it’s lovely that people create these type of free, public facilities…

… this was, by far, the biggest backdrop… wrapped around the sim.

For my first exploration in 2021, I visited Tempura Island. Near the landing area is a gorgeous, autumnal forest that filled my heart with the joy of being alive, and able to experience this kind of beauty…

… this is a very beautiful place, a particularly lush, baroque type of beauty…

… there is a palace that manages to be both classical, and slightly brutalist, with vaguely nouveau embellishment…

… it has gorgeous, intimate spaces, lavishly decorated in nouveau/deco style…

… and stunning, huge spaces, in a kind of byzantine/baroque style…

… it’s all very beautiful…

… filled with light that embellishes all the golden tones…

… really magnificent…

… breathtakingly so.

I visited the Lost Unicorn Gallery, this morning. As it was March when I last visited, all the work was new. As always, the standard of work here was extremely high…

… I particularly loved this one, would even have bought it, had it been for sale…

… all the work here is fantasy art, but really good work, not the usual, cliched ‘fantasy’ art you usually see in SL…

… there’s lots of wonderful imagery here…

… not all soft-edged fantasy, either… this one has, for me, a bit of a ‘The Dark is Rising’ feel…

… and this one makes me think of Sir Frederick Leighton’s absolutely gorgeous ‘Flaming June’…

… I don’t think I’ve ever visited an SL gallery that has so much work that I like…

… it’s just as well none of it is for sale, or I’d blow far too many Lindens here!

This morning, I got up, and stumbled sleepily downstairs, to wish my animal family a lovely xmas day. My little, manic kitty-in-a-balloon, my lazy pink bunnies, and my always somnolent sphinx cat. We had all agreed not to give gifts, so there were none to open, just the warm glow of our love for each other. Later I would wish the bunnies in my yard the same…

… I put on something more practical, and went to spend a happy few hours changing the exhibit in my gallery…

… the current exhibit is called ‘Time and Stone’…

… consisting of some of the images I took on my recent visit to ‘Endless 58-58N‘…

… I have always been fascinated by standing stones, they call to my soul, somehow…

… I installed some in the gallery, because they are so beautiful…

… I really enjoyed my xmas morning, and I hope you enjoyed yours, too (:

I visited the Ribong Gallery Artspace, today…

… there is some lovely work here…

… most of it wonderfully large…

… in fact, what strikes me most about this space…

… is the scale…

… I was particularly taken by this work…

… it is very large…

… yet beautifully displayed…

… I’m normally not that attracted to abstract sculpture…

… but I think this is stunning. It makes me think of the work of the incredible artist Moebius (Jean Giraud). I find this work gives off an aura of peace and tranquility, but also, hope.