Modern Day Marie

Elle Fanning as my Modern Day Marie

The other day while scouring Bookmarc on Bleeker St. for inspiration, I stumbled upon Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette DVD. I watched the movie not long ago for the first time and was absolutely captivated by the beauty of this film. Every image felt like it was dusted with powdered sugar. Kirsten Dunst looked so immaculate with her porcelain skin, white hair, wardrobe of pale blue and pink ribbons, ornate shoes, hats, and feathers. Oh and how do I even begin describing the specially created deserts by Laduree?!

I snapped a quick photo of the film cover to remind myself of the encounter and started thinking of a new series for my blog. Since I love painting deserts so much, and adore anything ornate and detailed, I decided that I would do a collection of work based on a modernized Marie Antoinette. I want to paint her treasures, little capsule moments of her charmed life. When it came to choosing a fresh face muse I immediately thought of Elle Fanning. I fell in love with her features after seeing Coppola's Somewhere just recently.

So here is my Modern Day Marie, hair made of sugary Laduree confections. She's young, charming, and oh so sweet. But this portrait is really just the beginning.

Much love,

Meag xx

Living Laduree

Ispahan

Les Religieuses - Violette

Millefeuille Fraise

Hello Darlings,

I've continued to follow my heart and paint more and more delectable deserts. I'm not entirely sure why I'm so driven and inspired by food items these days but they are such a pleasure to paint. I've titled this post 'Living Laduree' because for those of you who are familiar with the Parisian patisserie, you know that Laduree is synonymous with luxury. In other words the theme here is 'Living Luxury'. So many people have asked me what my preoccupation with food is and I would have to say that for me it's just another extension of a fashionable lifestyle.

I was asked recently for a feature what my relationship with fashion is. As far as I'm concerned fashion isn't just what you wear, it's a way of life. The next time you're sitting in a chic little cafe, look around and observe the customers next to you. Where and what we are seen eating is as important as what you're seen wearing. It's another reflection of who you are, your taste, your cultural flair. So maybe in a way I've answered my own question here, why I'm so drawn to painting food these days. A mouthwatering mille-feuille is as much a statement as a great pair of Manolos.

Lots of love,

Meag xx

Start With What You Love...

Hello My Loves,

Happy Saturday to you all!! I have absolutely no idea where to even begin with this post. Let's just say I've been thinking about what I've wanted to write for a longtime. Here I am a few weeks into my post-graduate life, sorting through all my thoughts, worries, fears, over what's to come. It's almost as if life came to a screeching halt and decided to plague me with a perpetual question mark dangling over my head. What does an illustrator do when they are no longer in the comfort of school? How do I stay motivated? WHERE DO I EVEN BEGIN?

I've followed so many illustration blogs this past year since becoming a blogger myself, and I could never understand their need for inspiration. As far as I was concerned, inspiration was ample, time was not. But now that I'm out of school with all the time in the world to paint, I really don't even know where to start. What am I supposed to paint? More importantly, how am I supposed to paint it? Do I paint loosely like my warm-up gestures or do I paint how I love to with lots of attention to detail and layers? It's all so complicated I could stop before I begin.

Shapeshifter

The older I get, the more I feel how I've been shaped and shifted by the people I've met, the more I realize that I could never go back, could never occupy the same space I once did. But when I think of who meant the most, who marked me most irreversibly, I only think of you - Meagan Morrison

Hello Lovelies,

Happy Sunday to you all. You have no idea just how much I've missed you and our conversations. Today's post incorporates some of my final class sketches from fourth semester. I had wanted to post them earlier but felt, much like I did with Petal Pushers, that these works needed just a little something extra. Susan's stances in these illustrations made me think of shape and opposition, how an object can force us to stand differently, shift our weight. I guess between the images themselves and my excitement over summer, fruit got tossed in the mix :)

The word Shapeshifter kept playing over in my head when thinking about this post. I like how the figures seemed shaped and shifted by the lime slices and blackberries. But most of all, I love that in life we are shaped and shifted by the world around us. Now that I've officially graduated I can't help but look back on everything that has lead me to where I am today. I'm reminded of my 20th birthday gift in which someone very special bought me books on moving to New York as if they knew all along that this is where I was meant to be.

Shapeshifting might only apply to having the ability to change your physical form at will. But I think I'm being shape-shifted every step of the way by the people I meet who touch me dearly.

Lots of love,

Meag xx

Postcard from Los Angeles

Accessory Illustrations: Stylized & Flats

MIU MIU Autumn 2011 Stylized and Flat (referenced your blog)

H&M Ring Stylized and Flat

Nicholas Kirkwood Autumn/Winter 2011 Stylized and Flat

Dragonfly Shoes Brush & Ink Stylized

Giuseppe Zanotti Fall 2010 rendered in Adobe Illustrator

My Vogue Cover Design rendered in Adobe Illustrator

Commissioned Piece with Stylized Accessories

Fashion Quote with Stylized Accessories

Petal Pushers

And sometimes I find myself wondering how I got to this place, how if I had been any different, any less aware, I may have missed where I was supposed to be - Meagan Morrison

Good Evening My Darlings,

Finally I'm able to return to you. Thank-you so much for your patience, support, kind words of encouragement, and all the lovely tweets I've received these past few weeks. Selfishly I've been savoring every last minute of being a student. More than anything I've just turned a bit inwards, become very quiet, in order to prepare for the next move. I thought for sometime about what my next post would be and I really wanted to do something different. I knew my class drawings from the past few weeks had a certain delicate quality to them and I wanted to mirror that with a theme. The truth is I've been feeling a little fragile lately with all the changes I'm undergoing.

It suddenly made sense to title this post Petal Pushers, and to incorporate the tiny petals of Tomo's dress into the background of each piece. I related to the petals, their elegant demeanor, and yet complete vulnerability to life and time. I feel this chapter of my life coming to a close. I know these petals must fall, a new season awaits, and I will grow to be even brighter, even stronger. I really can't help but wonder about the universe, about how everything really does fall into place. I can remember sometime over the winter break exchanging thoughts with you all about fate and destiny. Too many things have happened to me since January to not believe in destiny. Most importantly I believe in myself, believe in my vision, and know the rest will follow.

I wish you well my loves and hope that Spring is greeting you with plenty of inspiration.

All my love,
Meag xx

My Illustrations at W Hotel New York - Times Square Part II

All In The Frame

Bebe and I in front of Bebe illustrated

Tomo and I in front of Tomo illustrated

Me and my illustration