The Sweetest Shoe

Front of Card

Inside of Card

Postcard from London

They Say it's Your Birthday

It's official!! Today I'm turning 25, and better yet, I'm celebrating it on the very first day of fall. What an incredible ride it's been. I feel so very fortunate and blessed to have led the life I have for the last 24 years. If you were to ask me 10 years ago where I would be at 25, I would have said living in New York. I probably also would have said, working as the Editor in Chief of Vogue magazine, but at least I achieved one of the two. In all seriousness, I did not expect to feel this emotional reaching my quarter century. Turning 25 somehow made me weigh in on all the expectations I ever had for myself and how I've measured up. The truth is, I thought I would have done a lot more by now.

That said, I'm sitting here writing this for my blog that I devoted to my true treasures of life, and it makes me realize that I'm every bit on my way. If we get too caught up in our own pressures and negative criticisms we miss out on the endless amount of good in each of our lives. To my friends and loved ones, thank-you so much for your continued support and belief in me. You keep me motivated and inspired everyday. Speaking of inspiration, the above work of art was produced in devotion of my birth season, so I hope you enjoy. Now it's time for me to go out and savour my day, in the city I fell in love with 11 years ago. I couldn't imagine a better way to treat myself on my birthday.

All my love,

Meagan

She's so Two-Faced!!

The very first project John Jay assigned had us interpret ourselves and our alter-egos in gouache. This proved to be incredibly entertaining. For the first time ever I thought about myself in terms of being a caricature. For the self-portrait I had to include the Meagan Morrison essentials. The retro glasses, pink lipstick, and oversized faux-fur coat sort of epitomize my style. My alter-ego, however, was my opportunity to play dress-up and push all the boundaries I've ever wanted. I even dressed myself in Dolce & Gabbana Fall 2010 ( a girl can dream lol!!). The attitude is definitely bang on. For those of you who know me, you've probably encountered her once or twice. Don't worry though, the match was only for dramatic affect.

Take Me to the Flea Market

Take me to the flea market, so I can find some things. Old shoes, and feathers too, whatever the jester brings. Enjoy!!

Crazy Face

Crazy face, why are you so crazy? Because the best art is never ever planned. Enjoy!!

Postcard from Abu Dhabi

Luncheon on the...Moroccan Oasis

Edouard Manet caused an absolute scandal when his painting Le Dejeuner sur L'Herbe (The Luncheon on the Grass) was first exhibited at the Salon des Refuses in 1863. Prior to this work, most nudes were only ever depicted in classical interiors. His raw juxtaposition of the female nude, against the clothed men in their suits, had the French public's panties in a twist. Today we are so inundated with outright sexuality that it's almost comical to imagine this painting ever causing controversy. That said, my incredible professor at FIT, John Jay had us revamp the notorious work this past spring. I was definitely seeking a little shock value myself.

Dreaming of my future trip to the Arabian Gulf, I sought out pictures of the Saharan Desert for inspiration. I knew I wanted to put a fashion spin on the appearance as well. With the most incredible references from Vogue, and books on Moroccan life and culture, I set forth on recreating this painting. Somewhere along the way I had a breakthrough with gouache paint lol. You will never know just how tricky it is unless you try. After several weeks of preparation, and one sleepless marathon, I managed to finish this painting on time. It was also used by the FIT Illustration Department in the pursuit of more government funding. I hope whoever saw it had a sense of humor :)

Postcard from Dubai

To Photoshop With Love

Last year I took my first photoshop class ever. Prior to that I harbored a pretty intense fear and distaste for computers. This entry is a mini love letter to Adobe Photoshop and my wonderful professor William Low at FIT who single handedly coached me through my aversions. Without which I would never have produced the works found in this post. I also probably would not have created this blog. I still have a long way to go in the pursuit of mastery but at least I no longer feel nauseated at the thought of CS5.

Postcard from Istanbul

Travel Write Draw

On the eve of my 25^th birthday I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the obligatory question “what do I want to do with my life?” I started compiling a list of the things I love to do, could never see my life without, and the three words that resonated with me most were travel, write, and draw. For years now friends have been asking me to share my travel photos on the web, write a column, or paint for them. I can’t think of a better way to integrate my greatest loves than creating a blog devoted to all three.

I’m a firm believer that we manifest our own destinies. We owe it to ourselves, even if only in private, to answer the question of what we want to do with our lives honestly. When I ignore all the pressures and criticisms in my head, I can see clearly what I long to do. Travel Write Draw isn’t just a blog, but a way of life. For me it’s a step towards building a life that I always dreamed I would have. So that my friends is what this blog is about; my true loves. I hope to inspire you, enlighten you, and maybe help you find what you love along the way.

Meagan Morrison