Today, I am sketching out ideas for my Second Life residency which commences on Sunday.  So far, I have rough plans for four distinct areas: a welcome/entrance space; a gallery of images; a 'lab' exploring my experiments to date and how they can be further developed in the space; and finally an exhibition/installation space where I hope to recreate (or re-imagine) the installation which I am developing in real life.

Today the first test samples arrived of the four scents that I am currently considering using within my installation.  I really like the plastic cubes as they are colourful and light, although a little larger than I thought they would be, and the scents themselves are a little fainter than the ones on the paper test strips that I received before.  I'm not going to list the scents here as they may change (and also to prevent spoiling the surprise)!

Once I have heard the first samples of the composition which will form a large part of the installation, and start to work on accompanying imagery and the colours which best suit the work, I will decide which (if any) of these cubes will make it into the final installation.

Today, I have been considering my options for the scent element of the installation which I am currently developing.  I have two options of scenting a large area - using a device to pump scents into the space, or using a portable method which the audience can carry around.

Below are a range of the scents which form the basis of the first day of testing - some of which are commercially produced, and some which I have put together myself.

I am currently undertaking some background reading and making notes ahead of my new (and ambitious, as I haven't done anything like this for a while - and certainly not on this scale) project in Second Life as part of my LEA (Linden Endowment Fund) core sim grant.  I get access to the space on the 1st October so will be posting images of my progress over the coming weeks.

While on holiday in Cumbria, I observed a lot of striking shapes and patterns at Carlisle Castle.  I chose to add colours which would enhance and highlight these forms.

A couple of weeks ago, I experimented with taking photographs through a kaleidoscope.  The colours and patterns were really striking, and mirror the work I was doing with coloured circles previously.

Yesterday, I took some photographs while directing my phone's viewfinder through a stack of clear, coloured, plastic shapes.  I really like the patterns that were created, especially within the greens and blue sections.