Calendar Girls

Hi Lovelies ...
how has your week been so far?
I've been so hard at work on the calendar illustrations
that October is just flying by!
Silly, silly me ...
I hadn't planned on creating a 2014 calendar,
and then in autumn came and I thought, 

"I can do it ... I have time."
Usually, before undertaking such a project,
ideas would simmer from the beginning of the year
and calendar work would begin by March.
So ... you can imagine the magic happening
in the studio right now!
But happening, it is!
I'm working hard to get it ready and available
hopefully by the
end of November!

If you follow me on Instagram,
you probably have seen a couple of illustration sneak peeks.
In thinking of what I'd like the calendar theme to be,
I imagined that it would be fun to
create a year where each month
we step into a dream ...
the dream of living a glamorous life in the city,
where we'd drop into exciting places on a daily basis,
as if money were no object ...
where couture clothes were the norm
(imaging slipping into Valentino, Dior, Elie Saab daily)
and glamour happened around every turn.

via Photography/Cinemagraph by the fabulous Jamie Beck and Kevin Burg

So, I am dreaming up a year's worth of girls
that are living an "Eloise-all-grown-up" kind of life.
Some months we may see a girl that lives in the city
and in other months, we may dream along with another
as she orders room service in one of the city's
fabulous hotels ...
I thought that stepping through a townhouse door
with an address of 2014 on the cover
and entering dreamland for a year
certainly would be fun.
Stay tuned!

It's been an awful lot of fun virtually
"shopping"
for the designer pieces that the calendar girls will wear
in each of the months ...

via Photography/Cinemagraph by the fab Jamie Beck and Kevin Burg

Following are a couple of the outfits you just may see on the calendar ...
elegant designer beauties especially for days where something other than
a long evening gown is called for ...

For instance, what gorgeous Dior skirt
do you think has been "shopped" and "bought"

for one of the calendar girls
 to sip champagne in at the Plaza Champagne Bar ...


... hint: it was chosen because it's pretty lavender flowers on the skirt ...
they so matched the purple glow
cast down and reflected off the crystal champagne flutes
 from the aubergine Rose Club chandeliers above ...

... and here it is ...

... and to go with the skirt, I'm sure she felt like a princess
when she slipped her feet into these ...

... and for February, another calendar girl is trying hard to decide what to wear
for that very special Valentine's date ...
hmmm ... how about this one ....
we see her suddenly sparkling as she tries on this gorgeous Elie Saab,
(that I "shopped" for right off the 2014 runway) ...


... and to go with that beautiful dress,
what could  be better than a pair of
Valentino Rock Stud heels  ...


Too much fun ...
I could get used to shopping like this!

Have a wonderful week, everyone
I'd love to stay and chat but I have lots of illustrating to do!
Till next time!


OOH LA FROU FROU
is the blog of illustrator
SANDY M

For custom illustration inquiries
leave Sandy a note here.


Photo credits:
The two incredible cinemagraphs are linked above below each photo
and are the beautiful work of Jamie Beck and Kevin Burg.
Plaza Hotel NYC Champagne Bar with purple light reflected via
Champagne Bar photo with green chairs courtesy Plaza Hotel NYC
Dior, Elie Saab and Valentino fashions and shoes above
can be found on Pinterest.

ILLUSTRATION STYLE

ILLUSTRATION STYLE

WATERCOLOR FASHION ILLUSTRATION

ELIE SAAB HAUTE COUTURE
Fall/Winter 2012-2013 

Welcome to the very first Wednesday post on
Ooh La Frou Frou!
If you missed Monday's announcement post,
there will now be THREE weekly posts,
Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Yay!

I mentioned last week that since I have several illustration styles,
I thought it would be fun to occasionally have a
post series called "Illustration Style"
and introduce you to one of the new illustrations
created in one of my styles.

Do you know what I love?:
I LOVE WATERCOLOR.
It's the medium that I usually use for my fashion illustrations.
It's fluid and dreamy.
In a fantasy world, I could just splash around in it!

You know what else is fluid and dreamy?
Not to mention very sparkly?
Elie Saab Haute Couture.
It's easy to imagine wafting along a runway
in a sparkling Elie Saab gown,
the feel of the fabric swirling and moving against our legs
as the flash of photographers' cameras follow our every move ...


I created the above illustration of
backstage with Elie Saab
to use as a watercolor portfolio sample on the
new upcoming website.
Can you almost feel the glitter?
Elie Saab himself is barely visible
at the head of the line of the models that are
dressed in his magic.

Watercolor was used in these fashion illustrations of mine, as well:

I have a serious style of fashion illustrations,
as in the fashion illustrations above,
and I also have a very whimsical style,
as in the Summer Girl illustration below.
I love both moods of illustration ...
 and I wouldn't want to choose just one version ...
variety is such a good thing,
don't you think?

Thanks so much for joining me
for a little Wednesday illustration fun, everybody ...
be sure to drop by on Friday
when I'll send you off into the weekend
with a little glittery inspiration
pulled from my Pinterest world ...
such an appropriate send-off for a weekend,

don't you think?



OOH LA FROU FROU
is the blog of illustrator SANDY M.
For a custom illustration
just drop a line here.