Monday, October 8, 2012

What Inspires You?

What Inspires You?
As an artist and illustrator,
I see many things each day
 that I find hard to tear my eyes from.


They can be objects or places or poses
that repeatedly call to me and
never fail to make an impression.
When one of these things calls to me,
I always make a mental (and often physical) note.
That note is also often accompanied by a quick photo
and the information is stashed away for
inspiration for a future illustration.
When I sit down in my studio to start sketching,
those inspirational images pop into my mind and
find their way into my paintbrush ...

{photo from the studio of illustrator SANDY M}

Below are just a few of the things that
 never fail to inspire me ...
and I'd love to hear what inspires you!

I'm always inspired by bellmen,
fancy hotels and tuxedo-clad waiters ...
and when I paint them into scenes,
I feel as if I'm there ...






... beautiful storefronts and golden light
make my heart beat faster ...


... as does swirling, glittering couture
and creating glamorous fashion illustrations ...





... in fact, I'm inspired by all of the details that make up a look ...




You know I'm inspired by glamorous places
and you have probably noticed
that those places are often
New York and Paris ...




I could go on forever,
but these are just a drop in the bucket
of things that inspire me.
So, what inspires you everyday?
Maybe some of the same things?

In closing, remember my recent illustration
for the new bestseller, SPARKLE,
by Cara Alwill Leyba?

Well, that SPARKLE Girl illustration
is making a second appearance (she's such a busy girl!)
on author Cara's upcoming new site ...
"Cara Sparkles" and here's a sneak preview ...


Congratulations to Cara
for the success of the book!
To purchase Sparkle
(paperback or Kindle version)
go here.

Have a wonderful week everyone!


The second image was taken in the studio of SANDY M.
The sparkle girl illustration is by illustrator SANDY M.
Image of the upcoming "Cara Sparkles" site
courtesy of Cara Alwill Leyba.
All other photos and their sources
can be found on the Pinterest boads of
Sandy@OohLaFrouFrou

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh Sandy....you're so delightful!!! That is so incredible that your stunning illustration is on her book...it probably led to her success!!!

What inspires me? gardens, Nature, rich, warm wood, enticing aromas, a hearth glowing.... smiles...beautiful smiles!
xo

Joann in CO

The Snowdrop Project said...

Hi Sandy,
A beautiful post for a dull Monday morning here in London.
Super glamorous!!
I love your illustrations too. Will definitely check out Sparkle.
Hope you have a lovely week,
Liz x

Sam said...

Your illustrations are always so beautiful. Thanks for these lovely images of inspiration...just what i needed to start my week.

Sandy at Ooh La Frou Frou said...

Joann, thank you and I LOVE your list of inspirational things. I love the outdoors too .. there's something about watching the sun filtering through the trees in the woods that makes me feel extremely happy!

Liz, The Snowdrop Project, thank you so much for the compliments and I'm sure you'll love Sparkle, Cara's VERY inspirational and funny too!

Sam, awww, thanks so very much, sweets. It's hard NOT to be inspired by the beauty found on Pinterest these days!

A Very Sweet Blog said...

Sandy, I really enjoyed the list of things that inspire you. I can often tell from your pins on pinterest and instagram what you find beautiful. I have a long list too! HAHAHAHA I'll just state a few. Illustrations such as yours always make me happy. I've always adored illustrators and their work. I think it's so dreamy! Beautiful places such as London and Paris are exquisite to me. I love anything SWEET (if you didn't notice) LOL Beautiful pastries, cakes, candy and shops excite me. I love beautiful interior design and have a fascination for chandeliers. Those are just some things I enjoy :) I'm so happy for Cara! I ordered two books that came over the weekend and will be doing my giveaway in the next couple of weeks. Have a great week Sandy.
http://www.averysweetblog.com/

Angelica Ng said...

I'm inspired by absolutely everything around me. There's no set place where things come to me...it just does randomly.

By the way, where are those runway pictures from? I'm dying to know which collection those are from...

http://red-soledfashionista.blogspot.com/

Unknown said...

Dear Sandy, always love your sparkly inspiration--it just makes my Mondays a little happier to stop by and bask in the glitter and luxury! Hope you're having a wonderful Monday!
xoxo Mary Jo

Unknown said...

Fabulous post Sandy...I'm inspired by glamorous places and detail, detail...the Ralph Lauren storefront makes my heart beat faster too ;-)
I adore your illustration!
Catherine
xx

Rowena @ rolala loves said...

Sandy, it's really interesting to know what inspires your artistic eye. Thank you for sharing them with us. I'm inspired by NYC - the architecture, the shops, the seasons, the people and just the energy of the city. I feel very lucky to be able to find something new and inspiring here almost every day.

Hope you're having a lovely week!
IRowena @ rolala loves

Rowena @ rolala loves said...

Your illustration looks stunning on Cara's new site!

FASHION TALES said...

I loved viewing what inspires you, it's always a treat to see other's influence. I am too inspired by many elements. -xx Have a great week dear. /Madison

Fashion-isha said...

I clicked fabulous because this post is just that...FABULOUS! I love glamour and feel like just a touch everyday elevates life from mundane to enjoyable. And coming here is always so glamorous..thanks!!
xo
Sharon

blackcatbaby said...

Sandy,
I SO love how visual you are...I appreciate it so much. I am of the smaller percentage of folk who are more audio (seriously I took a test and everything, lol) I am inspired by music. I will play the same song over and over when I write (which is why I include lyrics at the end of each blog) And often times I will do the same when I'm editing as a producer of tv/web shows.
I am also inspired by your illustrations, and your talent.
God bless,
Lauren
http://blackcatbaby-imjustsayin.blogspot.com/

miss b said...

Lovely to read about what inspires you. I find it's often the little things, the details which inspire - something which literally takes your breath away. You certainly have an eye for beautiful things and I love the image of the shoe through the sheer fabric.
http://missbbobochic.blogspot.co.uk/

High Heeled Life said...

Your illustrations bring to life a world of magic and are a bright spot in a dull autumn day!! hugs, HHL