TestSpace Exhibition & Retail Space

I was contacted early last week about having some work in a local exhibition with some space to have products for sale too by TestSpace Leeds

"From 4th-12th June Test Space will be taking over Crash Records basement space and 42 New Briggate hosting a series of rapid exhibitions, live music showcases, workshops, film screenings, arts markets and retail opportunities" (borrowed from TestSpaceleeds.com) You can find out more about TestSpaceLeeds here on their website, here on their blog and follow them on twitter too.

[all images can be clicked to take you to TestSpace's Flickr account]

Exit

I attended the presentations and networking event EXIT at the university to listen to companies talk about how to get a career/job and how to sign up to recruitment agencies to help with money in the mean time. I found it quite inspirational as it gave me ideas about what I could do for cash working part time, while also working part time on setting up as self employed. There was a wide range of people at the event, both presenting and in the networking section of the evening. As I had context work to finish I couldn't stay long at the event but signed up for the email alerts about future events and I will definitely be getting in contact with business link as soon as possible to arrange a session to figure out what I need to do first and how I go about doing it in relation to setting up as self employed.

Artist Statement

Artist Statement

(Used when applying to galleries for my products to be stocked there)

Jonathan is a papercut artist and graphic designer working in Leeds, UK. Using nothing but paper, a scalpel and inspiration he creates typographic and illustrative designs that focus on both details and simplicity. He is also a full time student in his final year studying a BA HONS in Graphic Design and is due to complete his course within a few months.

Jonathan has a wide range of inspirations that include nature (in particular the repetitive patterns that naturally occur in plants and trees), man made patterns, stories, shapes, paper and its variable uses, fairytales and typography. Graphic design also has a huge influence on his art work as can be seen by the professional finish of his products and the care and attention given to the concepts and ideas behind them.

Having has gained wide exposure on the Internet selling his paper cuts on the website Etsy, under the name mrYen, and contributing to their blog, he has also had his work featured by Etsy several times in their online articles. Through Etsy, he also welcomes commissions and sells to people all over the world, which led to his involvement of the project “Lost Things” which was collaboration between himself and Angela Kohler (an L.A based producer). Jonathan was asked by Kohler to create paper cut designs for a short stop-motion film based on an Alice in Wonderland theme. The short film included an appearance from Alison Sudol from “A Fine Frenzy” who not only stars in the film, but also wrote a piece of music specifically for it and it was produced by Angela Kohler and Ithlye Grifiths, who have recently created adverts for Amazon.com

Jonathan’s paper cut artwork has been featured on many websites and design blogs including, Apartment Therapy, Poppytalk, My love for you is a stampede of horses, Juxtapoz, Domestic Sluttery and DigitalArts Online. His papercut Alice in Wonderland Book cover designs have also been recently featured in the April issue of DigitalArts magazine. He is also a contributing artist to “The New Twenties”, which is a collaborative book to be published by IdN magazine and Society6 and is due out in spring/summer 2010.

His paper cuts are currently for sale at Welcome Home Gallery in Glasgow, Snug Gallery in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire, in an online shop named AllThings Original.com and in his own etsy shop at
www.mrYen.etsy.com with negotiations in place to have work stocked in the online shop named uponafold.com which is based in Australia.

Digital Portfolio - ISSUU

I have upload a few examples of my work as a portfolio to ISSUU which I could also use as a link when emailing people my portfolio.

Website Update

I have recently updated my website with images from all recently completed university projects, you can visit my website by clicking the image below:

New Full Range of mrYen stationery

the newly branded mrYen stationery has arrived -

Letterhead/Invoice
Business card
compliment slip/receipt
notepad

Brand Change

I have had a re-brand of my personal logo and applied it to a whole new range of mrYen stationery. I have designed a letterhead, business card, compliment slip and an A5 notepad, which I have sent to print and will update with photos of the printed material once it comes back form the printers. I have also used the below logo and text for my website splash page, all blog headers, twitter avatar, and shop header.

New Stockist

I have recently been asked to stock mrYen products with All Things Original.com which you can see here and have been asked for a range of my products from my shop. They have also had some amazing press about products from designers who sell with them, in great magazines!
I will update with more information once they have all been made and sent to be stocked.

New York!

I was recently contacted by a production company in New York who manage the producers that created the short animation I was a part of (which you can see here) and they have asked me if it would be possible for me to create a set of three alphabets (of an existing alphabet) for a job they are bidding for, which I believe is for an American T.V advert. They are wanting to create a stop motion advert and I was recommended to them to cut the typography out by hand as they liked my work before and felt it would be appropriate for the advert they are bidding for!

I should find out by the end of this week I think, then it will all have to be created very quickly, so I can get it shipped off to New York!

New Stockist

I have recently secured another stockist of mrYen products at North Lincolnshire Visual Arts Centre shop which you can see here. I have been asked to create a range of products from my shop including some papercut postcards alongside some original papercut pieces. I will update with more information once they have all been made and sent to be stocked.

Simplicity in Design

I have recently been reading the book 'Simplicity' by Edward De Bono. It talks about simplicity in general, simplicity in design and leading a simple life. I have picked out the following quotes that I feel have some meaning in relation to my design practice and what I feel is important to my work. There are some principles and ideas below that I would like to apply to my new brief while designing imagery for my range of stationery.

"There is often a much simpler way of doing things – if you make the effort to look for it. Simplicity does not just happen." (Page 2)

"Simplicity is easy to use but can be hard to design. You need some creativity." (Page 4)

"There is always the possibility that there is a simpler way to do something. Even if that is not always the case it is always worth investigating some thinking time and creative effort in trying to find a simpler approach." (Page 20)

"In order to make something simple you have to know your subject very well indeed." (Page 72)

"If you are unwilling to be satisfied with the complex you will spend more thinking time trying to make things simpler." (Page 88)

"Although a good idea may be focused in one direction, it must also take all other factors into account." (Page 110)

"It is essential to work with the middle level of concepts. Concepts that are too broad lead nowhere. Concepts that are too narrow lead only down that narrow path." (Page 148)