LIVE Fashion Illustrating with Lexicon of Style

Hello My Darlings,

I hope you've had a wonderful week thus far. SO much is changing in my world at the moment and I can't WAIT to reveal the big news with all of you. In the meantime, I'm thrilled to finally share the collaboration I did with my dear friend, the uber talented scarf designer and blogger Alexandra Dieck of Lexicon of Style!! Alex and I met this past Spring while taking that incredibly inspiring Blogging for Fashion Business class at FIT. We had an instant connection, as we are both super passionate entrepreneurs. Shortly thereafter we discovered that not only did we both live in the West Village, but we were also featured in the same Glamour Magazine New York Fashion Week Video from this past February 2014!! Clearly we were destined to become friends...continue reading after the jump!!

We thought it would be great to combine both of our passions one afternoon, whereby I would illustrate Alex in her element of personal style blogging, while showcasing her beautiful scarf designs. Needless to say, the afternoon was an aaaaamazing success. Nothing beats live illustrating...correction, nothing beats live illustrating super gorgeous and stylish fashion blogger/models standing in the streets of New York City (yeahhhhhh loves it!!!!). So if you yourself are an illustrator with a desire to illustrate fashion figures from life, connect, connect, connect with your lovely friends who also share a passion for fashion that would be willing to pose for you one afternoon. It will get you prepped for your moments illustrating live from the runway of Mercedes Benz Fashion Week naturally (yes?!, YES!!).

So get out there, start connecting, collaborating, and drawing, and don't forget to share with me the results. More to come.

Much love,
Meag xx

Photos by Lordale B

Take Me to Hong Kong : MOSCHINO Resort 2015

Hi My Little Love Bugs, 

Happy Sunday evening to you all! I hope you had a refreshing two days off in the sun. I spent the weekend working on commissions and soul cycling my body back into shape. Seriously, I kick started my Saturday with a 45 min session in SOHO at 8:30 AM (in the dark, candles lit, music blaring, instructor headbanging) and biked the remainder of the day through Central Park. I cannot contain my smile when I hop on a bike in New York City. Equal parts terrifying and liberating, it feels so good to be enjoying exercise in the sun. By the time I returned home, I was starting to paint this piece by 10 PM Saturday evening. I'm seriously getting old, no late night NYC dance session for me as of late.

Anyway, I really wanted to paint this gif as part of a continued MOSCHINO series I started with the post Fast Fashion. Since bringing Jeremy Scott onboard as the label's new Creative Director, there isn't a star in the world who isn't rocking at least one piece of this brand's gear on tour (hello Miley, Yonce, Katy Perry, RiRi etc). When I clicked through the designer's Resort 2015 collection on Style.com, I somehow identified with the all-attitude, gangsta blonde, modelling the looks. She seemed to be screaming Drake lyrics through her smouldering schmize (smiling-eyes, thanks Tyra Banks) which is what I attempt to do in New York every damn day. No new friends, no new friends, no new friends, no no new...what?! Just go with it.

So I decided to travel vicariously through this MOSCHINO lookbook model and illustrate her in Hong Kong (I'm putting my intentions out into the universe, as I deeply hope to travel throughout Asia this Fall). I loved the juxtaposition of her 90's New Kids oversized t-shirt against the city light show of Hong Kong. And there you have it...Take Me to Hong Kong. Now can someone from Jeremy Scott's team please send me a trunk of his incredibly genius pop culture clothing?! Thanks!! I have much more to share on here this week my darlings so stay tuned, but for now SLEEEEEEPPPP.

Much love,
Meag xx

Top 5 Things I've Learned While Living in New York

Hello My Loves,

How have you been?! I hope you're all feeling refreshed from your weekend. I for one am over the moon while writing this post because this weekend marks my 5 year anniversary of living in the Empire State, New York City!!!! This is truly a joyous occasion. I feel like I'm honestly celebrating my birthday. For those of you who have followed my journey on this blog the past four years, you know that I'm a Canadian citizen, and that life as a legal alien living in NYC has been anything but a cakewalk. That said, my heart could honestly burst when I think of all the wonderful experiences I have had while fighting for my dream here in the Big Apple. I feel so incredibly fortunate everyday that I have had the opportunity to pursue my greatest passion, fashion illustration, in the city that never sleeps.

Moving to New York undoubtedly changed the course of my life forever. It marked my decision to leave behind comfort and convention for the potential of a life filled with passion, purpose, and creativity. It was proof to myself that I believed in something greater, that I had a burning fire deep down within me that believed I could live the life I so badly dreamed of. This post, however, is really for all of you lovely and loyal Travel Write Draw readers. So many of you write me beautiful emails asking questions about my career as an illustrator and what it's like to live in New York. Well here are my answers out in the open for all of you; a comprehensive Top 5 of what I've learned, and what you can expect as a creative in arguably the greatest city on the planet.

1. Dream big, start small, expect nothing: When I first applied to attend FIT while still living in Toronto, I had a million ideas of what my life would look like when I moved to New York. I expected to be embraced wholeheartedly by the glamourous world of fashion the minute I moved here. I thought I would be given the key to the industry on a silver platter. I imagined I would have my own company straight out of my associates in illustration, making my own illustrated accessories, coffee table books, and absolutely killing it financially. Needless to say I had BIG dreams and even BIGGER expectations and that often led to HUGE disappointment. 

I'm not suggesting you don't dream because that is vital to getting here and surviving when the road gets tough. Rather I suggest you be reasonable with yourself. Unless you have an obscene amount of family money, chances are you will not be killing it as an artist in New York when you first start out. You have to build your empire starting from the ground up, not from the top of the castle down. No opportunity I've had here has come without me working my ass off to make it happen. I have had to work full-time to support myself and stay in the country and only now, 5 years later, does that have the possibility of changing.

 
    
2. Sometimes you get lucky but mostly you just work hard: This could also just as easily be titled "living your dream is actually not a dream just a lot of hard work" lol. As I mentioned above, every opportunity I have had in this city is a result of working harder than I ever imagined I was capable of. I have pushed through so many bloody obstacles in this city it is a running joke with my family and friends that someone must have put a curse on me along the way. 

But thinking like this gets you nowhere. You just have to embrace your circumstances and rely on no one other than yourself to make shit happen. And I really mean this. Magic might very well exist in the world but it isn't anything we have control over, SO if you want things to happen in your career then focus on what you can control: working hard!! Work hard and people will respect you. Work hard and you will respect yourself. Work hard and your dream won't be a dream, it will be your reality. 

3. Compromise is key: New York is a city of compromise. It is nearly impossible to have it all unless you are making a half a million a year or have a trust fund. NYC really forces you to think about what you value most and build your life around those top priorities. For me, having easy access to the best restaurants, shops, subway stations, art galleries, the Hudson River, and my full-time job all took precedence over the size of my apartment. 

Those values are slowly starting to change as I'm getting older and long for my own personal space and room to create my artwork. Just keep your reason for being in the city at the forefront always. You may have to live further away from Manhattan to afford being here but who cares if it means you get to live within access of all this city has to offer.



4. Believe in Yourself: this may be the most important life lesson I have ever learned in life never mind living in New York. This city is absolutely every bit as crazy as you expect it to be. If you want to be the best version of yourself, go against the best, you have to remember to not lose site of who you really are along the way. Sometimes it can be so discouraging when you realize just how competitive New York (i.e. the world) really is. This is especially the case when you come from small towns and are often the big fish in a small pond. 

But life isn't meant to be lived in a bubble and truthfully the saying "if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere" happens to still be VERY true in the fashion industry. Paris, London, and Milan may be stunning fashion capitals but when you make it in London you still have to make it in New York to matter in fashion. That is just the way it is and if people tell you otherwise they are only fooling themselves and attempting to fool you too.    

5. Anything is possible but ultimately it's up to you: This goes hand in hand with my post from not long ago, Don't Wait for Opportunities, Create Them! No one became an overnight success by sitting in front of the TV morning and night and not working towards their dream. And now with social media being as prevalent as it is, if you do not have web presence, you don't exist. I hate to be so blunt in this post and honestly I wish that half of what I was writing wasn't true. 

I wish I didn't have to be so plugged into social media all the time to keep my career going. I am actually much more of an introvert than I might come across. But if you want to be in the game, you have to put your sneakers on and get running otherwise no one is going to see how brilliantly talented you really are. Put yourself out there even if it scares you, actually, especially BECAUSE it scares you. If you aren't struggling in some capacity, you probably aren't growing either, and sunshine you were meant to grow BIG!!

I hope this post was helpful to all of you who have ever wondered what it is like to live in New York as a creative. There is no mystic, it is your choice, so if you want it make it happen!! Here's to another 5 years of this blog and our journey together as a Travel Write Draw family. Love to you all and be sure to have a glass of champagne in our honor wherever you are in the world today.

Much love,
Meag xx

How To Design An Illustrated Scarf

Hello My TWD Darlings,

I hope you all had a fantastic weekend and great start to your week! I for one had a pretty stellar weekend involving an uber fun filled roadtrip to Toronto for a dear friend's wedding on Saturday (more on that to come!!). I'm finally bouncing back from the whirlwind of nearly 24 hrs spent in a car in 2.5 days lol. Regardless, today I'm riding high on life because I discovered that the illustrated scarf I designed for Collection 18 has finally become available to buy on NORDSTROM EEEeeeee!! Yes I'm totally squealing over this.

I VERY rarely show any of the work I do for my employer here. But I thought it could be really interesting for you, my sweet Travel Write Draw inner circle, to show the behind the scenes of making the scarf and also break down a comprehensive (and very much abbreviated) how to that you can use when considering designing a scarf yourself. SO it starts a little something like this.

STEP 1: Decide on your theme! When we were considering our trends almost a year ago now we were seeing lots of evidence of flamingos everywhere from fashion accessories to home goods. It became clear that this wasn't a trend to be ignored. So we agreed to move forward with an engineered scarf design involving a flamingo and I got straight to work on pulling references to draw from.


STEP 2: Illustrate your motifs! Once I gathered the very best the web had to offer on flamingos I whipped out the finest watercolor paper and got to work. I painted and painted, and then I painted some more, until I got just the right angle of the flamingo to work with in photoshop. I scanned the best illustrations, cleaned them and moved onto...

STEP 3: Playing with compositions! With my scanned flamingos I started placing them into a file in the dimensions of the scarf I wanted to create - in this case 26" x 80". I illustrated a few geometric shapes to create a print for the background of the scarf. This was the really experimental stage where I created roughly 40 different layouts to be considered for one final scarf design.

STEP 4: Pitch the colors! We decided unanimously to use the scarf where the flamingos head and body draped around your neck when wearing as a true wrap. But this wasn't the end of it. I printed the scarf life size and started pitching the pantone colors so the maker would know how to get as exact as possible. This also allowed for limiting the number of screens it took to print the design.

STEP 5: Send to maker! Once the pitch sheet was filled out with all the colors and their positions on the scarf, I burned the final design to a disc, folded the life size printout, and threw the design sheet in an envelope to be sent to our makers. Within weeks we received our first sample which was probably my most rewarding day ever at Collection 18!!

STEP 6: Sell to buyer! Once you have your sample, you're ready to sell! In our case, the sample goes in the showroom in time for August market to be viewed by all the retail buyers. For you at home receiving a sample means you can confirm that it is accurate and also photograph for your online store. I'm beyond thrilled that of all the retailers to walk through our showroom last Summer, NORDSTROM was the one who purchased my design!!

And now you can view it on shop.nordstrom.com here:

Did you find this post helpful? Are there projects that I've worked on that you would like to see more how to's or behind the scenes on? If so let me know in the comment section below.

Much love,
Meag xx

Finding My "It" Girl

Good Evening My Darlings,

It feels like forever since I last sat down and connected with all of you here on Travel Write Draw. Truthfully I've been having a really rough time lately, as in lots of crying, breakdown fits, and rocky emotional roller-coaster rides. I'm about to make some MAJOR moves here in New York and quite frankly I'm scared shitless. I've been doing what most overly anxious OCD people are prone to doing - running around asking everyone for advice and seeking answers, while feeling totally unsure and uncertain about making a major decision. And all the advice getting can really throw you for a loop. In my quest to get some real answers on how to create real quality content on my blog, I consulted with a blog "expert" and walked away feeling completely sideswiped to the point that I didn't feel like I could write on my blog anymore (hence why I disappeared for over two weeks).

I WAS PARALYZED...I was told that my content wasn't good enough, that my traffic was dismal, and that I needed to write an E-Book?! I felt like everything I had ever learned about social media, being authentic, and being myself was completely WRONG. Honestly I'm still reeling from the experience. BUT with every hard lesson comes a wave of self-affirmation. How can anyone FAIL at being THEMSELVES?! Seriously?! How can you go wrong expressing yourself, speaking from your heart, and connecting with people from every corner of the world?! Frankly the fact that I've managed to connect with anyone through the internet in a meaningful way feels like a huge WIN to me.

Furthermore, last night I attended a brilliant personal branding class through The Lovely It Girl, a personal brand consulting boutique, where the founder Michela Aramini challenged all of us to identify our inner "It Girl". Suddenly all the reasons I love life and feel passionate about being a fashion illustrator came flooding back to me. I was reminded that my "It", my unique intrinsic value, is the only voice I really need to listen to.

So my loves, I'm on the quest to find and re-define my inner "It". Just like the ever stunning and talented Candice Lake I illustrated above, I want to exude all the light and warmth of the world from the inside out. I want to live in my "It" and I want you all to come with me. What does being your "It" self mean to you?! Who are you at your very best?! I'm thanking Michela Aramini BIG time for beginning the new movement and suggest all you amazing readers join in.

SO much love,
Meag xx

BE YOUR OWN IDOL

This past year has been a year of major transformative growth. Whether knowingly or not, I managed to attract people into my life who have changed me irreversibly. I'm sitting here in my bedroom/studio right now, half awake from the wear and tear of today, knowing there is much to be said and expressed in this post. I'm fighting with the little energy I have left today to give to the most important thing in my life, my dream (aka my blog, my illustrations, my love of travel, and my connections with all of you). This severely skewed equation of how my time is divided daily, as a result of a demanding full-time job, is perhaps the reason I'm writing this evening at all. Something is wrong with the way I'm living and today and each day forward I need to be my own idol.

I came across this particular quote whilst reading the ever honest and admirable Sophia Amoruso's #GIRLBOSS. She writes "I don't want you to look up, #GIRLBOSS, because all that looking up can keep you down. The energy you'll expend focusing on someone else's life is better spent working on your own. Just be your own idol." And when I read this it hit like a barreling freight train unhinged. I can't count the number of precious minutes, hours, days that I have wasted in my life worrying about what the hell everyone else around me is doing. I have been plagued with the disease of dissatisfaction my whole life. Nothing was or is ever good enough. Starting today, that all changes. What I have come to realize in my young 28 years is that it absolutely DOES NOT matter where you come from, good or bad, because it is up to you to determine where you go from here.

There is simply no more time to waste worrying about my circumstances anymore. This is my journey. I own every part of it and if I want things to be different then the change of course can only be led by me. I don't know any other fashion illustrator out there who has branded themselves a traveling fashion illustrator. But just because the category doesn't exist yet, does not mean my brand isn't valid. I realize that in order to live a life of fulfilment I have to be a pioneer, I have to be my own idol. I can't look to illustrators of the past or even my colleagues today. My journey can only be paved by me. Have any of you ever faced a moment in your life where you realized that you had to be your own idol? If so when or how did it happen? My Spring Awakening continues and I would love nothing more than to continue sharing it here with all of you.

Much love,
Meag xx

ANIA.B

Hello My Lovelies!! 

How has your week been?! It's after midnight in New York but I'm dying to get my new post up on the blog as it has already been another seven days since I last updated here. The great news is that the wonderful collaborations and commissions keep coming in, but that allows infinitely less time to connect with all of you amazing and inspiring individuals on here. I'm trying to negotiate with the universe to make the days longer but there seems to be some pushback...

Anywho, I'm thrilled to share with you this fashion illustration gif I did of my friend and fabulous model/blogger Ania of Ania.B. Her pose is so dynamic in front of this stunning James Wyper mural in Calgary, Canada. I have been following Ania's blog for the past four years now so when I saw her post this photo on Instagram the other day, my heart practically leapt from my chest. It was a 'no ifs, ands, or buts' kind of illustration inspiration. It was mine to draw, so I did, and boy did it feel good!!

Much more to come on the blog so stay tuned my loves, but for now it is time for the ZZZzzzzzz. My eyes are closing as I type this. See all you beautiful people soon!!

Much love,
Meag xx

The Style Line: West Village With Meagan Morrison

Happy Thursday My Lovelies!!

I hope you've all had a great week so far. I can't believe seven days have passed since I last posted on my blog, but I assure you it is with good reason. I am SO thrilled to share with you my feature with the beautiful website thestyleline.com!! This past Saturday I spent the afternoon with the site's founder, Rachel Schwartzmann, and for the first time opened the door to my bedroom/studio to be photographed and showcased online. I also took her to my most coveted spots in the West Village, my neighborhood of four years now. I had an absolute blast hanging with Rachel and our hair and make-up artist Desiree and highly suggest you head over to this gorgeous site NOW.

Much love,
Meag xx


Photo by Rachel Schwartzmann

Colors of Brazil Collaboration with UGallery.com!!

I AM IPANEMA by Meagan Morrison

TIJUCA by Meagan Morrison

FAVELA FEVER by Meagan Morrison

VIVA BRAZIL MY DARLINGS!!

FIFA World Cup Brazil 2014 has FINALLY arrived and with it comes the launch of my Colors of Brazil collaboration with online art gallery UGallery.com!! I have been working with the UGallery team behind the scenes for the past four weeks to curate a collection of art, available to purchase on their site, that felt like the colors of Brazil I experienced back in March. To add an extra special layer to the partnership, I illustrated three brand spanking NEW custom pieces to sit and sell alongside the curation that drew inspiration from my journey to the heart of Rio.

The first piece titled I Am Ipanema references an aerial view of Ipanema Beach, from the bright umbrellas to the jade colored waters. The illustration titled Tijuca is painted in honor of the hand-planted rainforest that hugs the winding road to Corcovado and Cristo Redentror. The final illustration, Favela Fever draws inspiration from the gorgeously colored and cascading urban homes in the hills of Rio. For those of you who know me personally and or follow my Instagram account @TravelWriteDraw you know how deeply moved I was by my travels through Brazil.

This collaboration offered the perfect opportunity to commemorate my memories there and continue building new ones too. To read more on my curation Colors of Brazil and my favorite parts of Rio de Janeiro, peep my interview with the UGallery blog team here and click the image below to see what all the fuss is about!!

#INSTALOVES

Good Evening My Darlings,

I hope you've all had a great start to your weekend!! I am up to my eyeballs in projects at the moment and just coming up for air to post some new works on the blog (more on the new projects later ;). I titled this post #INSTALOVES in reference to both the speed and nature in which I illustrated these pieces. I have been collecting amazing street style tears for the past 6 weeks and challenging myself to illustrate one a night in under 20 mins each.

As part of my artistic Spring Awakening, I'm no longer scared to paint straight to paper without first labouring a pencil sketch and perfecting every brush stroke. The imperfections in these works are what make them feel alive. I get such a rush when I can capture a fast fashion moment in a single seating and then share it immediately with the world through my @travelwritedraw Instagram. Below catch a closer look at these quick sketched street style stars.

Watch this space for some serious collabos and new illustrations this week!!

Much love,
Meag xx

Arizona Muse

Poppy Delevingne

Sam and Cailli Beckerman
Annie Georgia Greenberg of Refinery 29

Postcard from Buenos Aires

Hello Darlings, finally I finished my postcard from beautiful Buenos Aires after much deliberation. She embodies both the feminine and masculine sensuality of tango and wears the vibrant La Boca neighborhood on her shirt. This is a mixed media illustration with colored paper, acrylic paint, and ink. She exemplifies not only my growth as an illustrator but also just how greatly I was marked by my trip to Argentina. The memories stay with me daily as does the cultural joie de vivre.

Greg and I arrived at our apartment in Palermo Hollywood, BA on Wednesday March 19th, 2014 and immediately fell in love with the charm of the city.

We wander(lusted) through the shops of Palermo Soho en route to the tranquil Jardin Japones.

With luck in our back pockets, we found our way to the steps of Malba (Museum of Latina American Art of Buenos Aires) just in time for Mario Testino's exhibition In Your Face.

Painted faces glistened from the dimly lit gallery walls.

Later we were greeted by angels at La Recoleta Cemetry.

One can't help but get lost in the labyrinth of Recoleta.

The next day we set our sights on the painted houses of La Boca and its bohemian inhabitants. 

La Boca dresses their trees in gorgeous knitted sweaters...

while I dressed to join the graffiti covered walls!

Greg and Mona Lisa looked North to San Telmo.

When we arrived we were met with the warmest and most forgiving sunset.

Exploring San Telmo was like discovering treasures from a past world.

Every street corner looked like the grandest theatrical backdrop.

I collected all my inspiration every step of the way!

We finished our night soaking up the heat of tango at Cafe Tortoni.

When we woke we headed to the Ecological Reserve to ride bikes along the beautiful boardwalk.

I felt so free riding my yellow bicyclette!

We stumbled upon the Fortabat Art Collection at Puerto Madero after a lunch of Argentinian wine and cheese. 

Later we scoured the bookshelves of El Ateneo the largest bookstore in South America!

On our last day we strolled hand in hand through the streets of Palermo, absorbing all that we could to return to New York.

I stood in the sunshine reminding myself to never forget what I felt in Buenos Aires.

Travel Write Draw Etsy Shop Now Open!!

Good Evening My Lovelies,

I hope you are all having a great start to your week. I'm so excited to share with you that I have finally, after many, many years, opened my first ever Etsy Shop YAY!! I can't believe I did it. I narrowed the selection to 8 of my most well known and received illustrations to start, but I intend to add a new print to the bunch every week or so to keep the selection fresh. Each 8.5" x 11" print comes with an 11" x 14" acid free beveled mat and foamcore backing and is shipped with love. I'm beyond excited for my amazing readers to have my fashion illustration prints in their homes!! I would love to get your feedback on the shop, any prints you want to see added, or any suggestions so head on over here:

WWW.ETSY.COM/SHOP/TRAVELWRITEDRAW

Much love,

Meag xx

Hot Child In The City

Good Evening My Loves, 

It's almost Memorial Day weekend here in NYC and the city is buzzing with eager vacationers. A year ago today I was steaming my Greek goddess dresses to roll into my carry on luggage onwards to Athens, Greece. Under any other circumstances, typically I would be throwing my dirty laundry into a luggage right now, preparing to head home to Toronto. But this year is different. I'm doing the inverse. I'm planning my very own Manhattan stay-cation, because secretly the city is far more tolerable without half of its occupants!

Also, a little less secretly, I have been working like a maniac from morning to night these past few weeks on new illustrations, collaborations, commissions, connections and I'm quite simply EXHAUSTED! When it comes to the young entrepreneur life, you name it, I'm doing it. I don't think I've worked this hard...ever! So a stay-cation might seem a little lacklustre to most but I actually can't think of anything better than just staying put and channeling the inimitable city cool of Aussie bombshell Zanita (illustrated above).

What I hope more than anything is that all this hard work pays off, that the bags under my eyes were a very small price to pay for the reward. I know they say that in life you need balance, but how does anyone ever get ahead taking things in stride? Maybe the joke is on me. I guess you can only ever just live for you, the way you want to, for the things you dream of. I'm excited to share what is coming down the pipeline with you all and just hope that there is still so much more to come. Until then, it's time to give these swollen eyes a rest!

Much love,
Meag xx

Spring Awakening

Christopher Kane SS14 

I'm 28 years old and for the greater part of my life I have been a crippling perfectionist. I have felt, from the time I was 7 years old, like a walking contradiction. There I was, a natural born artist with a love of expressing myself through paint, but was often too anxious about my work being perfect that it would paralyze me from creating. I never felt like my lines or my drawings were good enough. And as an adult I carried that through with me. I always felt like someone could paint my ideas better than I could until one day, very recently, that changed.

Sometimes, be it fate or chance, you meet people who change the course of your life forever. Almost a year ago I met a boy, another designer in his own right, and fell in love. I'm not one to advocate that love heals all because I think that your life, your happiness, is ultimately up to you. But sometimes you meet someone who holds a mirror to you and shows you what you are capable of, and no other scenario can do that quite like love can. Love is transformative. Love, and I mean real love, forces you to grow, to confront yourself, who you were until you met that person, and who you want to be as a result.

For those of you who have been following my career and my blog for the past several years, and even those of you who recently started the journey with me through my Instagram, you may have noticed that I paint nearly everyday now. I paint without reservation. I paint without inhibition. I paint straight to paper because I'm no longer scared of the flaws. I no longer believe someone could paint my thoughts better than I could because there is only one me as there is only one version of you. I am experiencing my Spring Awakening and have one person to thank, you know who you are.

Now that the weather is warming, try taking sometime to yourself to quiet the noise and hear your own voice. Listen for the fire burning for what you love most in life, deep down, your passion, and follow it. You will get lost only to be found. I promise.

Much love,
Meag xx

Frieze Art Fair New York 2014

Good Evening My Darlings!!

I hope you've all had an amazing start to your week. I am beyond exhausted right now, and just finished battling with HTML in blogger.com (#$%&!!), so it's about time for bed. BUT, I have been dying to share my Frieze Art Fair 2014 roundup with you all from this past Sunday, so here it comes!!

Are any of you unfamiliar with Frieze (also known as #selfie headquarters)? Well basically it is a BIG international contemporary art fair, that started back in 2012, and showcases around 190 of the top galleries worldwide. It is an exciting spectacle, like the equivalent of NYFW at Lincoln Center to the art world. People go to see and be seen, and I'm starting to believe that the art thrives on this behaviour; we the attendees are apart of the artistic commentary. That said, it is truly an adventure; one that involves a ferry ride to Randall's Island, and is worth exploring, at least for the sake of your Instagram ;p.


This year felt a little like Coachella, with Joe Jonas bopping around, and millennial girls standing in front of reflective art pieces taking portraits with their iPhones while gallerists rolled their eyes. But I guess that was the same last year too. I think the biggest difference for me was the lack of the truly outlandish (i.e. Jeff Koon's Balloon Dog). The art in general seemed a little more relatable but the clothes still remained performance based. The Illustration I drew above was referenced from STYLE.COM's collection of Frieze street style photography. I couldn't help but notice that art was imitating life here, or vice versa, with her Celine SS14 brushstroke skirt and surreal Chanel perfume bottle crossbody bag.

I took in a lot of inspiration from the illustrations and paint handling I saw and I'm hoping to test some techniques in my coming work. Have a look at my Frieze Frame scrapbook and let me know your thoughts. Does anyone else notice that the line between art and fashion is becoming increasingly blurred? You won't hear me complaining - that is my lifelong dream :).

Much love,
Meag xx