Macaron Marie

Elle Fanning as my Macaroon Marie

Hello Gorgeous Ones,

How have you been? I've finally managed to complete the second portrait in my Marie Antoinette inspired series. Once again I used my most favorite young ingenue, Miss. Elle Fanning, as the face of inspiration. I found the references in the June/July issue of Teen Vogue in an editorial titled Dream Weaver. Hairstylist Didier Malige created the most whimsical braided looks on Elle for summer. In turn they acted as the perfect platform for a Laduree macaroon mountain like the one you see above. My Mom thinks it looks just like a party hat and I think that's just fine. After all, if there was one thing Marie did like it was a good party.

Lets go eat cake now...

Enjoy,

Meag xx

Flare - Blog Watch: Travel Write Draw

Check out the feature here: Blog Watch: Travel Write Draw

Hello Darlings,

I'm so ecstatic to finally share that I'm being featured on Flare.com (Canada's leading fashion magazine) in their online section titled 'Blog Watch'!! A few months ago I took notice of this column when they spotlighted the brilliant Danny Roberts of Igor & Andre. Being that I'm a Canadian illustrator living in New York, I felt compelled to tweet them in hopes that they might feature me too. Sure enough a few weeks later I was notified that they would love to. I can't thank Ryan Michael Cheung enough for this incredible opportunity. I grew up reading Flare and am beyond honored to have my artwork featured by them alongside such incredible talent. Here is the link to the feature if you would like to check it out: http://bit.ly/mbTtnh!!

All my love,

Meag xx

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.

I was lucky enough this semester to be referred to a brilliant illustrator who was looking for a student to mentor. It was and is an amazing opportunity to connect with someone outside the realm of FIT and get a fresh perspective. She advised me numerous times before graduating to start collecting images of things I love and just start to paint. To paraphrase her wisdom "start with what you love, because the most pure version of you will come through." So that's what I've done here with this little series of ice cream cones inspired by Anna Barlow's ceramics.

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