By Leigh

Last chance to submit your stories, photos, artworks, poems, reflections, memes, articles and more to this peer-reviewed globally circulated journal! If you are Gen Z, or if you work, play, live with, or design products, services, or experiences for Gen Z - we want to hear your story! The Gen Z experience is multi-faceted and diverse and we want to give voice to every nuanced part of it!
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Click https://shadesofnoir.org.uk/gen-z/ for submission guidelines, key questions and provocations to consider.
Relevant existing works can be submitted.
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Deadline 11:59pm, 6 Jan 2023
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PS: Shades of Noir's Terms of Reference journals are designed to provide a supplementary frame of reference for voices often ignored or silenced in published spaces.
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The original is in Wales but limited prints are currently in DC til 20 Oct 22

(13) We Bring the Light by

"A joyful collaboration between my 6-year old and me." - Stacey Leigh Ross

The 'Same Difference' exhibition is currently on display at HOMME, 2000 L ST, NW until October 20th.

DM or email [email protected] to schedule appointments for viewing.

My art in DC 😁 til 20 Oct 22

(11) Here Come the Girls by

"The lush sauciness of Caribbean women communing in sisterhood, embracing our uniqueness, sparking our magic and supporting each other." - Stacey Leigh Ross

The 'Same Difference' exhibition is currently on display at HOMME, 2000 L ST, NW until October 20th.

DM or email [email protected] to schedule appointments for viewing.

Still on in DC. Last week to catch it!

(14) Reef Cut Out by

"A mixed media collage showing the bleached reef hidden below the water at a beach resort. This is a comment on the impact of tourism and pollution on the natural environment in the Caribbean. Local fishermen and reef guides are often caught between putting food on the table and protecting their homeland." - Stacey Leigh Ross

The 'Same Difference' exhibition is currently on display at HOMME, 2000 L ST, NW until October 20th.

DM or email [email protected] to schedule appointments for viewing.

Doh lapse DC!
De ting start tonight!
Trinbagonian art in yuh backyard with music and jam. Don't miss out!

We're hitting the road again in a few days!

On Friday October 7th we've got an opening night reception and ‘Trini’ jam session , showcasing the artwork of 14 Trinidadian artists.

On Saturday October 8th there's a free daytime personal branding workshop for creatives, facilitated by Kevon Gareth Foderingham].

While Saturday evening will feature a book reading from Foderingham and DMV based, US author .s.draytonbooks , who is of part-Trini heritage, followed by the screening of Sorf Hair, Tabanca and Grace and Saleem from Trinidadian filmmakers , and respectively.

The weekend closes out on Sunday October 9th with a Caribbean fashion pop-up sale featuring designs from Trinidadian designers , Kevon Gareth Foderingham], , and and .bags from St Lucia.

By Leigh art is coning to DC!
Thank you so much for the opportunity Kevon Gareth Foderingham and EAST YARD ❤️

Next up!

Our East Yard Exhibits Abroad initiative heads to Washington D.C.

From October 7th -20th, 2022, will play host to “Same Difference."

Curated by Kevon Gareth Foderingham and Amir Browder, “Same Difference” is an exhibition of work from Trinidadian visual artists that centers on the human condition and the essentials of human existence that supports the belief that though separated by definitions and categories, we remain on the same journey of the human experience and not limited by the categories we find ourselves placed in. It should all be the "same difference."

Artists:

.zillion

Kevon Gareth Foderingham]
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.bylatoya






🎨: Featured artwork on flyer - "Borders of Prosperity" by Jamie J. Philbert

Visit www.eastyard.org/same-difference to learn more!

Finally, finally behind an easel again. *happy sigh* New piece in the works!
Plus a little bonus canvas started... had to do something with the excess paint 🎨
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What an experience! Yep, that's me presenting "The Legacy Lives On, The Mas Lives On" with Professor Janice Fournillier for the 9th International Conference on Carnival Arts & Culture We looked at how our mas-making ancestors legacies can live on through all of us inside and outside of Carnival. Stay tuned for more pics and highlights!

It's the 2nd talk from North Herts. African & Caribbean Community LTD. and I can't wait to explore how storytelling spans the from the African continent to the Caribbean and USA, everybody knows Anansi... or do we? Join me Thursday night (it's free!) as I interview the brilliant Dr Emily Zobel Marshall, an expert in our tales of tricksters and their importance across Black cultures.
Tickets at http://bit.ly/3rCofbg
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I've been running a Drawing Class for students at London College of Communication almost every Wednesday and it's been awesome experimenting together, playing with drawing styles, exploring different drawing materials and all the ways we can stay inspired when we hit creative blocks.
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Image: - connect 2 random magazine cutouts. Playing with ideas for in and .
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You know, I wouldn't mind sporting a dress with this pattern.
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Well hello sketchbook! With the teaching, the PhD, the family, the business, the house... it's been a while. I won't leave it so long again.
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Well it's been a while, hasn't it?
So much to tell and no time to tell it!
But hear dis -

Guess who will be hosting Michael McMillan for an amazing Black History & Culture Talk?

Join us on Thursday to hear more and ask your own questions about the West Indian Front Room & Caribbean People in Britain. This is a North Herts. African & Caribbean Community LTD. event.

Tickets are free and available on Eventbrite - http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-frontroom-of-black-caribbean-people-in-britain-tickets-273964925467
See you on Thursday?
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Picture 1:
We Jammin Still (sketchbook art)
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Picture 2:
Event poster
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Just finished my first funding application! If I succeed, I'll have the funding for my first collaborative compassion artwork!!! Wooooooeeeeee! 🤞🏾
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Pictured: Untitled Mixed-media experiment, work-in-progress.
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Thank you so much to my mini army that helped me show my students more narratives, more possibilities, and more paths to healing our world with creativity ❤. It was an honour and a pleasure to host Lucy Panesar, Fiona Compton-Photographer and Kevon Gareth Foderingham in my last lecture for Design Management & Change (part of BA Design Management) at So much gorgeous energy yesterday! I'm still high!
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Pictured:
RAGE, part of the FEEL series
(partial inage of a painting-in-progress)
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So thrilled to have my WindFall RushOut painting in the 'I Matter' exhibition, now on at Peterborough Museum til 28th November 2021. Curated by , this exhibition is a necessary statement in our current world and I'm so proud to be exhibiting alongside such amazing talent. Come check us out!
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until only and
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[Image 1: close up of black and white textured painting showing people whose lives were destroyed by the Windrush scandal.
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Image 2: exhibition poster showing a stylized face and the show dates
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Image 3: press coverage in Royston Crow of the exhibition and 's participation in it]

Just so, just so
She drop off the face of the Earth
Where she went boy?

I hear she was teaching plenty
– exciting but busy!

I hear she move house
– True story. Studio still in flux!

I hear she present her research at an academic staff conference
– 3 days after the move!!!

I hear she doing a
– It start!

I hear she starting a new business
– offering executive programmes with of (IG). Tell yuh more later…

I hear she take a media timeout
– essential for mental health!

But like she come back…
Yes, because I have a story to tell.
Yuh listening?

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BIG SEXY (CloseUp)
Original SOLD
Available on TeePublic
https://bit.ly/BLonTPub
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your

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY JAMAICA!⁠
As stunning as the island it calls home, the Doctor Bird is the national bird of Jamaica. It's so special it only lives in Jamaica and is known by several aliases including swallow-tail or scissor-tail, which is only fitting for a bird that appears in a James Bond book!⁠ This bird is the perfect symbol for Jamaica's rise and flight since it gained independence. We Caribbean nations may be young but we're amazing, and Jamaica is a true gem among us.⁠
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DOCTOR BIRD
197 x 146 mm / 7.8 x 5.8 in⁠
Part of a Jamaica painting pair⁠
*Now on Etsy*⁠
bit.ly/JamaicaADF
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This lovely 'classic' is being featured in "I Matter" an online art exhibition curated by for Babylon Arts here - https://www.babylonarts.org.uk/gallery/online-exhibition.htm

What an honour to be included among this talented collection of creative voices claiming their worth, and the worthiness of many who are so often under-represented.

...and so the slow trickle of Stacey/byLeigh news continues... thank you for your patience and continued interest everyone! I appreciate you all ❤

So much is going on that my social media has fallen by the wayside, sorry guys. I'm currently showing work at Royston Arts Society 's online exhibition Click here: http://www.rasexhibitions.roystonarts.org.uk/ ) along with my lovely daughter! It's a super wide range of art with something for everyone. Check it out!

Meanwhile, I'll try to get the social media moving again but no promises. I'm making some big moves and I need to prioritise those for the moment so I have fabulous news to share later on. I promise to update you as soon as possible! Stay creative ❤

Don’t forget our online exhibition runs until the 17th June at www.roystonarts.org.uk. New paintings are added as paintings are sold.

I don't know about the local celebrity bit but I'm well pleased to be partnering with MelanList who raise the profile of Black businesses internationally! You so need to check them out!

We are honored to introduce our newest Business Partner By Leigh!

Imagined and produced by Artist Extraordinaire, Educator, Social Change Initiator, and Trini Island Gyal, Stacey Leigh Ross shares her talent over various mediums seeking to connect and affect the viewer.

More than a local celebrity in Royston, UK, Stacey has been accepted into the doctorate program at the University of London and actively lives her passion. Her voice through art is deliberate and comforting as she tells her visual stories. We celebrate and uplift you, Stacey!

Ever heard of life story art? Stop and think about your most meaningful memory or what brings the most beauty in your life. Stacey creates art based on her client's experiences and transfixes the moment in artistic expression. Bring an everlasting sentiment to life with a one of a kind, commissioned piece. Just one facet of her expertise, contact Stacey to learn more about how she can help you tell your story.

New to art collecting? Head over to www.byleigh.com and grab your first (or fifth!) piece that sparks conversation and elevates your space. Follow Stacey at to get gorgeous imagery that nudges your consciousness to thought.

As always, after you've made your purchase, join the Jamaa at www.Melanlist.com to practice financial activism with intention. Cash prizes, scholarships, crowdfunding, and more - we pay you back when you ! Take advantage of the around you as we continue to build - together in Black Business!

MelanList is international! We out here!

Banana Tree
I went to St Lucia in my 20s. It was a romantic getaway with my boyfriend at the time (Dad swore he was "The 1"). Anyway, I'm a geek through and through so I wanted to explore history, explore the island AND relax with cocktails in a luxury hotel. Let me tell you, St Lucia is one of the most gorgeous places I have ever been! On one tour we found ourselves standing on a mountain ridge looking down at an expansive valley full of verdant green banana trees laden with fruit. The wealth of the land was epic. People joke about banana republics but the UK consumes over 5 bn bananas annually! (2018 stats) No wonder bananas are one of St Lucia’s most lucrative exports. Beautiful St Lucia is the reason I always look for Fair Trade bananas and hope that a fair portion of the money I pay will get back to the wonderfully warm St Lucian people.
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BANANA TREE⁠
197 x 146 mm / 7.8 x 5.8 in⁠
Part of a St Lucia Painting pair⁠ - SOLD
*Only GREETINGS CARDS still on Etsy*⁠
bit.ly/BLonEtsy
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AHHH FRUSTRATION!⁠
£50 Unframed Original Oil Pastel on Paper⁠
328 x 493 mm / 13 x 19 inches
https://bit.ly/FrustrationF

The short story:
Living in the UK? ADD YOUR VOICE
REJECT THE RACE REPORT
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfrDvAHqXfArUqBYP7_4dfQGql5s7pAYVkfCc6Sj2KFgc1TmQ/viewform
DEADLINE TODAY!
It takes 2 seconds.

The long story:
I try real hard to not let the $hit bring me down.
I try to focus on making things better.
I know myself enough to know I can't dig deep into every injustice story if I want to keep my energy high to pull us towards something better.
There are amazing artists highlighting injustice, as it should be.
Art is the mirror that shows you who you are.
I want to be one of the amazing artists who say, now that you see the $hit, here's what we can do together to fix it, to be better.
BUT
Sometimes, dread. Hmmf. I does really want to say "fyah bun all ah dem so and so mudda..." ahem. You get the picture.
Today I'm saying REJECT THE RACE REPORT.
REJECT government sanctioned gas-lighting.
I once heard Dr David Gillborn (look him up) explain how marginalised people who uphold the narrative of the dominant group get fast tracked to 'success' and upheld as paragons of "pulling yourself up by your bootstraps". And I get that sometimes people ain't wake up yet, they don't know yet. But if you get called to do an official government inquiry and report, you can't use that excuse. Do your kiss-me-ass homework! Steups. So go sign your name and
I'll be back when I calm de [email protected]$^ down - lest I be an

Drawing up
Stretching out
Reaching wide
I grow.
Connect
Blossom
Sway
Stand
Strong
and know
That in these leaves and branches
I love
I belong
I create
I cultivate
Communities
With you
So
We love
We belong
We create
We cultivate
This community that sustains us
As we sustain it.
- by Leigh

COMMUNITY TREE
from the PLANT LIFE series
Original SOLD!
Merch on TeePublic
Link in Bio or bit.ly/TREEonTP





[image: sepia line drawing of a leafy tree against a soft yellow background]

Compassion is…
I see your pain,
It resonates.
I stay.
I don’t look away.
I wish I could take your pain away.
In fact,
Let me help you.
- by Leigh
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COMPASSION FLOWER
from the PLANT LIFE series
Original SOLD!
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[image: black line drawing of a wide flower with many layers of petals in an almost henna tattoo style against an peachy orange background]

When I turn away from your suffering
I pretend
If I don’t see
I won’t know
If I don’t know
I won’t feel
If I don’t feel
I won’t feel bad
When I do nothing
And walk away.
Trouble is
Walking away hurts
Me
and you.
Witnessing your pain
Feeling it
Acting to alleviate it,
There lies our healing
Together.
- by Leigh
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PAIN of THORNS
from the PLANT LIFE series
Original SOLD!
Merch on TeePublic
bit.ly/THORNSonTP
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[image: black line drawing of a spiky thistle like plant with round orange buds against a yellow orange background]

Ancestors.
Legacy.
Stories.
History.
Big words that keep getting bigger
Have me rooting ‘round my Stacey cellar
Pull-in
Emotional labour
Mental rigour
Physical stature
Spiritual adventure.
I
Tell
You…
When I
Grasp the roots of my soul
Understand
What makes me whole
Absorb
The knowledge of my many people
Recognise
The power that runs
From these roots
To my veins
Nobody
And I mean nobody
Can stop the burst of life
That will erupt from this rich earth
To shake the ground
To touch the sky
To live with the land
To support so much life.
When I
Grasp the roots of my soul
We
All
Win.
- by Leigh

ROOT ROUND
from the PLANT LIFE series
Merch available on
bit.ly/PlantLifeB



[image: black line drawing of spreading reaching roots with round blue bulbs against a brown background]