Looking Up

Postcard Front (above) and Back (below)

Hello Darlings,

I hope you had a fabulous week. I started creating this post on Monday while sitting at the airport waiting for my delayed flight. It has taken me this long to complete what I started lol. 'Looking Up' is not only a literal description of the image I'm sharing with you but also totally reflective of my current mood. After last week's major disappointment I'm so happy to reveal that there will be a big turn of events. Although I want to wait to share the details with you after it occurs I will say that I'm absolutely elated and forever grateful to be included in a very special occasion. My life as of late has just been flooded with so many twists and turns, unpredictable events, major highs and lows, that I'm forced to just flow with it.

Speaking of highs and lows, this particular work of art was produced for my business postcard assignment in Joe Denaro's class. It was almost my demise because there were so many little elements that needed to be tweaked and perfected. I'm not sure that even now it is exactly finished. I definitely felt the pressure of producing for an art director on this piece. In the end I'm so grateful for all the criticism because it opened my eyes that much more to elements of composition, shapes, and color palettes. I realize that I never do stop learning and that my best will get better the more I'm pushed, the more I push myself. The sky really is the limit. Isn't that quite fitting for this postcard as the girl turns her head up to the clear blue sky?

I wish you well and miss you all!! I really can't wait to share the exciting news with you.

Much love,

Meag xx

Pretty Little Things

Finally back to my blog, my source of inspiration, and all things positive. Right now I can smell Spring freshness pouring in through my window and it makes me so happy. This week was an especially rough one, not just for myself but for my fellow classmates as well. While I can't get into the specifics, I will say that we jointly experienced a major disappointment. There is nothing more heartbreaking than seeing your peers, your little family, having to go through a letdown. But it reminds me that I'm apart of something, something very special, and that in itself makes me feel so lucky. I've had three 12 hour days back to back, meanwhile my sketches from school are pilling up so high, screaming to be featured here on Travel Write Draw.

So I've made this post an extra supersize celebration of beautiful girls, looking so elegant, and exuding all the sentiments this warm weather brings. I drew from Dayna, Shauna, and Tomo over the last few weeks and somehow the illustrations I did of them turned out to be so soft and refined. I have less than one month to go before I will be vacationing in Los Angeles. That also means I have less than one month to complete all my work for the upcoming Fashion Illustration AAS show. Strangely I feel really at peace with everything. I'm more settled in New York than I've possibly ever been and have applied to stay for a least another year and six months. I also know that no matter where I go, I still have all of you. Enjoy lovely readers.

Lots of love,

Meag xx

The Dripping Dress

Good Evening Loves,

How has your week been? For those of you who follow me on twitter you may recognize this first illustration as one I shared with you during my Wednesday morning class. We were drawing from JC the model and I was so utterly inspired. She was wearing this incredible blonde bob wig and 50's style off-the-shoulder dress that was to die for. I took the opportunity to release a lot of emotions and just let the ink drip where it wanted to. It reminded me so much of my fine art years back in high school where I would literally throw the paint on the canvas. Sometimes I feel like my art strongly borders on the line of fine art and illustration because I don't feel satisfied unless I've worked a sufficient number of hours on a drawing.

I can't thank-you enough for your input on my Magnolia Bakery bag. Although I wasn't able to change too many things as per the request of my professor, I did take a lot of what you said into consideration. The truth is, every artist needs a fresh eye, clean perspective, otherwise you stop seeing what it is you're producing. It's hard to step back and be your own critic. Sometimes it's hard to be anything but your own critic but that's a whole other topic lol. Have a great Friday everyone and enjoy!!

Lots of love,

Meag xx

My Interview with CANSON Brazil

http://canson.com.br/interno-.html

Works Featured in the Interview

Sweet Tooth Part II

My Final Design: Magnolia Bakery Shopping Bag Front

Photos from the West Village Shop

Sweet Tooth

My Design: Magnolia Bakery Shopping Bag Front

Bag Layout Above

Current: Magnolia Bakery Shopping Bag Front

Hello My Friends,

How has your week been? I'm so happy to be back on my blog!! I feel this big weight lifted off my shoulders now that I have some pretty major projects underway (one of which I'm about to share with you). I mentioned before somewhere on here that my fashion illustration block is preparing for our final graduation show in May. Basically we have double the amount of assignments we usually do and between the 25 students in our section they select the very best work to display. Needless to say we are all feeling the pressure. I feel increasingly torn between wanting to give school my all but also venturing into my post-graduate professional life. I can remember this transition very well from my McGill days, but this time it means so much more.

Our first major assignment for Marcos Oksenhendler was to re-design a shopping bag of our choice. I absolutely loved the project concept because I think it's an incredible way to illustrate (no pun intended) how our major can be applied to the real world. I chose to re-design Magnolia Bakery's shopping bag. Any New Yorker has tried at least one of these famous baked goodies (Miss Carrie Bradshaw and co.) and I happen to be a neighbor of the West Village shop. I walked in casually one day, asked for their shopping bag, and began the reinvention. The current bag design is a little underwhelming to say the least. That gave me so much room to play. I wanted to design something Easter oriented with plenty of color and here it is.

I can't thank-you enough for all your support!! I've received some really kind emails in the last while from some incredible people around the world and I'm just bursting with excitement. I know I just said this all in my video but you can never be too appreciative. Anyways, I have so much planned for Travel Write Draw and can't wait for you to be apart of it.

Lots of love,

Meag xx

Draw Me In: Gucci SS11!!

Jenny in Rio wearing Gucci SS11

Photo Style.com

And the winner of 'Draw Me In' is: Jennifer Devenny from The Adventures of Super Healthy Girl and my most beautiful, dearest friend!! I was so elated to pull Jenny's name from the hat which you can see in the video above. Jenny and I have known each other since the tender age of 18. We met our very first year at McGill University in Montreal, Canada and instantly became inseparable (so inseparable I moved her next door to me in residence :P). Sometimes you can't quite explain the chemistry between two friends. We are almost like ying and yang. What I do know is that I couldn't imagine my life without her and I cherish everyday that we get to spend together here in New York. You wouldn't believe it but this is the first time I've ever properly drawn her.

Jenny chose this incredibly sexy and chic Gucci SS11 look. I was dying to put her in an equally lust worthy location. I've had Brazil on my mind for the past couple of weeks and Jenny has wanted to work in South America almost as long as I've known her. I thought Rio de Janeiro, Brazil would be the perfect location for her. Moreover, since I've had the great privilege of watching Jenny grow into the incredible woman she is today, I wanted the illustration to reflect that. Jenny almost always smiles from ear to ear in photos, so I decided to draw her more subtly with a quiet confidence. They say a picture is worth a thousand words. I really hope this drawing conveys my absolute adoration for Miss. Devenny. Fingers crossed that she likes it :)

Thank-you again to everyone who submitted for the contest!! I REALLY wish I could have drawn all of you. I'm overjoyed by the reception on this blog. You all make me better.

Lots of love,

Meag xx

Back to Front

Tomo with Prada Fur SS11

Hello Darlings,

Once again I feel that I've been away from you all for far too long. I promise it is with very good reason. Presently there are so many wonderful opportunities coming my way and I'm embracing every single one. That translates to very little blog time, and even less me time. Good news alert, it's finally the weekend (yay) and I have a collection of my loose warm-up illustrations to share with you. Nothing particularly new, more just a continued pursuit of loosening up in my life drawings. I find it so comical actually that I go from the extreme of minimalism in my 7 minute sketches, to 12 hour realistic rendering in my finished pieces. I feel like an artistic contradiction.

This week I was able to paint my favorite model and dearest friend Tomo. If you've been following my blog since the beginning you might remember this piece I did with her titled 'Tomo Goes to Paris'. Tomo is so contemporary in her style and has such a flare for life. She's the kind of girl that makes you feel like you can't draw fast enough just to capture all her amazing outfits and awesome poses. Of course just my luck, I arrived 10 minutes late to class this week, which meant I got stuck with a sawhorse that kept getting the back view of her. This is why today's post is decidedly titled 'Back to Front'. I sort of love how the back views turned out. A little mystery is always welcome.

Lots of love,

Meag xx