Pilar

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Statement : 

#ECAstaff (Edinburgh College of Art, the University of Edinbugh) is a project that was developed as part of the annual #100DaysProjectScotland2020 in which I have been participating in for the last 3 years.  I have taken each year as an opportunity to improve my drawing skills and gain constancy and consistency in my work.

My mission was drawing 100 portraits by creating quirky illustrations where I could display all of them together in a consistent style and design. The idea of drawing Edinburgh College of Art staff came from the situation we went through at the university during the pandemic. It challenged and changed the lives of lecturers and other staff in many ways, and it was a chance to bring the community together in a fun and different way. 

The work not only helped improve my drawing skills, but also management and organisation by coordinating and planning information and photos that 100 people sent me over the course of 100 days via emails andsocial media channels.It was also a great opportunity to meet staff I didn’t know before, and build my network.The project received a great response. The people enjoyed seeing the drawings with photos of their colleagues’ illustrations, staff that they had never met before, as well as getting an opportunity to get recognition for their creative practices.

Quotes

Some quotes from participants about my project below:
”Pilar, I adore these. They are beautifully done”

Chris Mould
Illustrator
“Your project has been great , and shows what a great team is at Edinburgh College of Art”

Alex Hall
Technician Photography department
“I was delighted and honored to be part of this project, and I very much enjoyed seeing the different characters every day. Pilar has a real gift for finding the essence of her sitters; the simplicity of her line is deceptive.. don’t miss the hidden subtlety and acute perception”

Vivian French
British writer of picture books, fiction and non-fiction, poetry and plays.
”I’ve really enjoyed all the familiar faces appearing in your feed. Your project is brilliant, thanks so much for including me.”

Jennifer Gray
Programme Director of UG and PG Jewellery and Silversmithing
“Pilar created a very nice project which is not only visually stunning but also connect people within ECA in a friendly and fun way. This is very valuable especially now when we are missing our face to face interactions”

Mirka Janeckova
Teaching Fellow in Jewellery
“I have LOVED seeing all my great colleagues appearing over the past few months. It was such an inspired idea and you have made it so amazing…. CONGRATULATIONS”

Lindy Richardson
TPG Programme Director Textiles

Orla 100 days
This illustration BackTogether represents the Edinburgh College of Art staff who are still working from home due to Covid-19 and that are back together "digitally" with this illustration.
Work Credit: 
Pilar Garcia de Leaniz and to 100 ECA staff who collaborated in this project.
Work Credit: 
Pilar Garcia de Leaniz and 100 ECA staff who collaborated sending their photos and bios.
Bio: 

I am a Spanish illustrator based in Edinburgh, Scotland. I completed an MA in illustration at Edinburgh College of art in 2017. Currently, I am a tutor in Textiles and Illustration at ECA. I studied Advertising and Marketing in a business school in Spain. As well, I completed an MA in illustration at Edinburgh College of Art 4 years ago and I have been working there as tutor in the illustration department since then and became Textiles Teaching Fellow recently where I teach CAD and business practices to the students.Last year, I illustrated and wrote my first book called Calmalandia, it is a self-help book about women and wellbeing and it was published by the Anaya Group (OberonLibros) in Spain.As a freelance, I have more than 13 years’ experience working as a web designer, graphic designer, illustrator and design tutor. I have a wide range of clients, including large organisations, schools and universities, and I have completed bespoke individual projects for major clients, such as the NHS, Live Borders, the Council of Madrid, Real Madrid FC, the University of St Andrews.

United Kingdom UK
london
Singapore
Singapore
Germany
Berlin
Spain
Barcelona
Italy
Milan

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