One of our most popular posts (still!) is ‘Mykonos: Gone in SL’.

While not naturist, I would say that it certainly was naturist friendly, a blind eye turned, as it would be in RL Greece, to a bit of sim-edge skinny dipping 🙂

It was a marvellous sim because the whitewashed buildings against a blue sky made for the most wonderful photographic light, just as it would do in RL.

So I’m delighted to report that there’s not one but three Greek styled sims (kind of modelled on ‘Ancient Greece’ to some extent, but with air beds floating on a crystal clear blue Aegean to suggest that there’s some sense of modernity in the sim).

You can find them here, here and here.

You’ll also find a report on them at Uccello Poultry’s blog. For those of you who are interested, Uccello also tries to do a Topless Tuesday posting most weeks (scroll down her pages for that).

Harry, who took the photos at the Bohol sim (the first of the three I’ve offered) gets very excited by sims such as these, due in main to the light quality. Note that the sims aren’t naturist, but I wouldn’t anticipate too many issues with you being nude there if you’re discreet. 🙂

Models: Judy & Alan

Ella

I’ve begun packing for what will be my last trip out to Spain this year. I think I’ve largely exhausted the ‘Postcards from Spain’ series, so I won’t be doing that this time around (although if I see something of particular interest I can blog, of course I will do that, reflecting RL naturism in SLN).

I’ll be interested to see if hair’s resurgence in RL naturism continues, as it seemed to be making a comeback when we were out there in June.

That’s hair in all of its constituent forms. One the head, in the pubic region, under arms.

Whether that was just the nature of the holidaymakers at the time, I’m not sure, but it was certainly more visible, as if a wheel had turned and naturists were once again embracing it after several years of razor tyranny. I’ll certainly be keeping you posted as to its state of play when I get there in a couple of weeks time.

We aren’t talking 1970s jungle here, you understand, there’s still a bit of topiary going on, but it’s not the vast, arid pubic deserts of before.

And it’s not just the ladies who have semi-retired or fully retired the razors. The guys, too, seemed to be re-embracing chest hair and, in noticeable numbers, beards. Hipster beards seem to be this year’s thing, naturist or not, and there were more than a fair share of them on display in naturist circles in June and, once I’d begun noticing them, even up and down our High Street. There certainly were a number of naturists -some I even know by name- sporting trendy facial hair three months ago, and I’m anxious to see if the trend continues, both above and below the navel, given that there’s a different naturist demographic in September as there is in June (September’s when the ‘silver birds’ -middle aged naturists- return to Spain, the oppressive heat, the crowded beaches, the families of holidaymakers, have all departed).

So it’s good to see that Spellbound is offering a ‘monster beard’ that accurately reflects current High Street fashion codes. It’s priced at L$300, and certainly adds a finishing touch to anyone who wishes to sport that ‘hipster’ look, regardless of whether they’re naturist or not. But mark my words, these beards do appear to be part of the naturist fashion code right now!

Ella

Model: Alan. Photos : Diane

Let me point you at Canary Beck’s web presence.

Canary has been doing wonderful, wonderful things in SL for ages, but if you’re new to SL, or new to SLN, or a long-term reader of SLN or player of SL, then it’s worth reminding you of this colossus of the pixellated world.

For example, Canary acts in and directs theatrical performance in SL, most notably performances of Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’ and Milton’s ‘Paradise Lost’. The latter is particularly interesting to us as it features nudity and deals with the discovery of sexuality, being based on ‘the fall from Eden’ and Adam & Eve sharing that apple.

But as with everything Canary does, it’s done with style and grace and with a professionalism that equals any real life theatrical production. It doesn’t become less artistic in pixellated form. You could argue that it adds another dimension to the activity of theatre going.

Photograph © The Basilique Performing Arts Theatre Company. Adam & Eve dancing in a performance of ‘Paradise Lost’

Indeed, Paradise Lost has proven to be so popular that it is back for a second season (ongoing between the beginning of August and the end of October).

You can check out The Basilique web site (the Basilique being the theatre which houses the productions) for ticket availability. Yes, you need to buy a ticket! Why? I’m guessing there needs to be some sort of limit to prevent a sim being laggy, and let’s face it, it’s such an ‘immersive’ (Canary’s own description) experience that there needs to be some sort of way in which to recoup costs (I imagine that there are costs involved in production). And, rather excitingly for me, it’s the act -as in real life- of making a commitment to go and see a performance, paying for it, planning your evening around that event. And it’s artistic endeavour, monetised in SL. Why shouldn’t those who put in their time and effort (just as with clothes, hair and skin designers) get paid for their work?

Originally, SLN publisher Howie Lamilton’s vision for his SL was to bring a ‘unique to SL’ music into SL and sell it exclusively in world, and build up a roster of like-minded artists who could produce their own work exclusively for SL. hence his ‘Second Life New Media Publishing Group’. His vision wasn’t for SLN at all, but a publication that highlighted SL’s artists’ work. A page on in world art production, for example. And had it grown legs, certainly features on the likes of Canary Beck’s work. For one reason or another that didn’t materialise and SLN was realised, partly because Howie is a RL naturist, partly because it was still a ‘naturist magazine’, ergo ‘an artistic outlet’ that partially fulfilled the role. Look at some of Harry & Diana’s photos for the magazine. While some are merely illustrative, others are highly artistic in their delivery, and it’s obvious that just because the subjects are pixels, the artistic thought going into them isn’t less than that if they were real life nude models.

And they aren’t alone. Many SL blogs feature terrific photography. The writing on many blogs is top notch. We are, in SL, a very artistic bunch, it would appear.

If you get the chance, try to catch a performance of the second season. And at least chase down the links to see what the almost limitless possibilities of SL arts production can look like.

Ella