SlutWalk

http://www.slutwalktoronto.com/

Slutwalk Toronto is a response to a careless and harmful comment by a police officer saying that "women wouldn't get raped if they didn't dress like sluts". This is obvious victim blaming.

Should we not be saying "Don't rape" rather than saying "Don't get raped"?

Regardless of what the victim is wearing, if they're drunk, if they walk home alone, is that an indication of them being partly to blame for being sexually assaulted? NO, it does not.

I decided I want to hold a SlutWalk in Leeds so I contacted the organisers of SlutWalk Toronto.

Email response from SlutWalk

When I came to set up the social networking I found there was already a facebook group for SlutWalk Leeds. Although the two girls that set it up had not got in contact with the founders like I had. So we're joining forces.

I have a feeling that this project will come up against a lot of negative comments, especially those who misunderstand the concept and reason for the event.

Dock Street Market

Angie and Donna of The Marvellous Tea Dance Company have asked me if I would like to run the Marvellous Afternoons at the Dock Street Market whist they are away at the festivals this summer. There may also be a birthday party that I'll run too.

I was shocked!

I've only worked with them 3 times!

It's paid and a lot of fun, so I think I'll accept their offer. Just need to check that it doesn't clash with anything else.

http://www.dockstreetmarket.com/

Craftivist Collective Train Bunting

My train bunting

More photos from the Craftivist Collective here.

Illustrator Skills

I would like to enter a few competitions, however I've had a though and I'm at a major disadvantage because I have never used Adobe Illustrator and it seems that the majority of illustrators use this software (the kind of illustrations I like anyways). 

So I'm teaching myself Illustrator. I have a graphics tablet (which I got not this Christmas but the year before and gave up trying to use as I have no patience), but I thought I'd start with the basics.

I thought I would  draw something by hand and scan it in to have a mess around with it. However, my scanner had other ideas so until I go back to college I'll be using images I found on the internet that aren't my own.

I really like the idea of having a design and being able to change it and make it different just by changing the colours. So that's what I've been doing here using 'Live trace".  

original

The first try used live trace but there were gaps in the solidness of the lines so I couldn't colour fill some letters (meaning I don't know how to draw in the gaps yet!). It seemed pretty simple and I only used live trace, colour fill bucket and the pipette options.

Very basic but it really does make a simple line drawing look so much more vibrant and professional. Plus, it took me literally 2 minutes to do. Time is a big thing to me, especially seeing as I will never be a full time illustrator and hopefully I'll be doing events management mainly. I think that illustration to me is more for fun and leisure as I don't want to ever be told what to draw.

first try

On the second try I decided to make the lines more solid by posterising the lines and making them fuller. I did this layer before going to live trace so that there would be no gaps as in the first try. This worked! I then simply filled in the colour, however this time I decided to see what the design would look like without the outline and coloured that in too in the same colour as the type. I guess the difference would depend on the colours used and the purpose of the design but it's only a mess around at the mo.

second try

So......

Now I can change the colours in a design. I now want to learn how to:

1. draw in illustrator with graphics tablet
2. work with vectors (not much idea about this, however I think it;s about scale and re-sizing without losing the image quality)
3. repeat pattern
4. learn what to do it what program i.e. illustrator to photoshop (I had to drag the Ai files into photoshop to make them into Jpegs just to put them on this blog, but maybe there are other things to do from an illustrator file in photoshop)

Press Release

Craftivists hold protest stitch-in at Leeds railway station.

At 2pm on Sunday 10th April, Leeds craftivists, will join a nationwide protest to demand a halt to rail fare increases. Currently the coalition Government plans to hike fares by 31% over the next 4 years.

Hundreds of craftivists (activists who protest using scissors, thread and fabric) will converge on railway stations across the UK for a protest picnic and stitch-in. They will be creating 4inch deep x 7inches wide fabric train coaches covered with statistics, facts, quotes and consumer views on our Government’s carbon-friendly transport policy.

The various panels will be collated into a petition-train which will be taken on a Fair Fare Railway Adventure on Saturday 16th April. It will be delivered to Philip Hammond MP (Minister for Transport) by direct action group: Climate Rush.

In Leeds railway station, Leeds craftivists group will hang bunting and lay picnic blankets. Awareness-raising leaflets will be given to customers along with jam sandwiches and cups of tea.

The previous day, Saturday 9th April will be spent making the bunting at the Papergirl Leeds exhibition space, Unit 2, Melbourne Street, Leeds.

Philip Hammond MP, Secretary of State for Transport, said:

Whether we like it or not, the ability to travel point-to-point on an individually-tailored timetable [i.e. in a car] is one of the great quality-of-life gains of the second half of the 20th century.

Laura Jordan, 25, Visual Communication student at Leeds College of Art, said:

“As the Craftivist Collective we are passionate about showing our love for local and global neighbours. These unfair fare increases will stop people using trains when we need help keeping our carbon footprints down. The increases will hit people living in poverty the most and stop them getting to their jobs and alienate them even more from society.

“Short-haul flights and cars shouldn’t be the cheapest most convenient option. Philip Hammond MP wants to hike fairs a massive 31% over the term of this Government. We’re here to demand fair fares and a sustainable alternative.”

On Saturday 16th April Craftivists with join Climate Rush on a Railway Adventure. For more information please visit: www.railwayadventure.wordpress.com

For more information and interviews please call: Laura Jordan 07912057533

New blog

I think I need a new blog/online portfolio for my work. A kind of public facing blog with my work and less personal comments. Something I can link to for information on what I do......

I think I'm going to make this blog not public - since Papergirl Leeds I've had a few people checking out this blog and I'd rather not have people viewing my fretting and workings out.

So that means yet another blog to update.....

phew!

Drawing with a sewing machine

via Janet Clare

On my list of things to do.........

personal project

yarnbombing

Summer Placement

Neil at TestSpace has said I can work with them over the summer, this includes Breeze Festival. I need to look into how I'll afford to live and my paid work/non paid work balance. He mentioned about some colleges paying up to £300 for placement support - I'll have to look into that.

Nothing is set in stone though - maybe I should get something in writing?

Need to think about planning Ladyfest Leeds - I have the go ahead from Neil for space to hold it. As well as a craftivist group. Just need to finish off Papergirl Leeds and crack on with that.

Pretty good having a go-to for my events. Just need to turn these ideas into reality.

I've decided I don't really want to get involved with Fringe:Leeds as it's more about performance art. However, there is a meeting for the creative visual arts side that I may pop down to. I'd like to see what it would entail and if I'd be interested.

I need to think about a Light Night proposal........

I need a laptop so that I can get my work done in the exhibition space and not be stuck here to do anything on the computer.

Word!

Trololololo man + cat = unbelievable awesomeness.

I'm 25 now, I should probably stop saying awesome in every sentence. Maybe I'll bring back ace or mega? Never been a fan of saying sweet or brill. I remember saying sick a lot "that's sick!"

Alas, I cannot give up awesome as there are no better words. Unless I say excellent and then do a Bill and Ted style air guitar - but what if my hands are full?

Excellent! diddlydiddlydeeeeeeee! 

What am I?

ring leader eh?

I've always had difficulty describing what I do.....

low culture also described "the papergirls" as art-crusaders. That's going on my CV. I love how everyone assumes there is this Papergirl Leeds army with loads of people when it's just little ol' me.

Marvellous Tea Dance

Awesome, I have two more shifts with The Marvellous Tea Dance Company over Easter weekend.

Woohoo!!

Cupcake Festival on 23rd April at Corn Exchange, Leeds.

Then A Marvellous Sunday Afternoon on 24th April at Hifi again.

Papergirl in Stylist Magazine

Awesome! Stylist Magazine!

even more promo.......

More blog posts for Papergirl Leeds from Luis Ouriach and Pandakimmi

Some images on Flickr from Kate B

Mentioned in relation to TestSpace by Creative Boom, Local Leeds, Leeds Confidential and Leeds Live It Love It

Mentioned in relation to other Papergirls in Design Week!!!!

My interview for Lauren Potts, which is now featured on Low Culture

I have no time to blog much lately. However, I will hopefully have time to recap before the exhibition opening on Friday as things are running on schedule. All the work is up and just the loose ends to tie up and make everything extra special.

Feeling good and looking forward to party time.

p.s. curating is HARD. It takes aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaages.

Leeds ActiveARTS: Papergirl Leeds Exhibition! 8th - 17th April at Te...

Leeds ActiveARTS: Papergirl Leeds Exhibition! 8th - 17th April at Te...: "Following on from our previous post on Papergirl Leeds, Laura has been busy collecting artwork and sorting out submissions ready for the P..."