Mary Blair (October 21, 1911 – July 26, 1978), born Mary Robinson, was an American artist best remembered today for work done for The Walt Disney Company. Events 1512 - Martin Luther joins the theological faculty of the University of Wittenberg. Year 1911 ( MCMXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Events 657 - Battle of Siffin. 811 - Battle of Pliska; Byzantine Emperor Nicephorus Year 1978 ( MCMLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar) Blair produced striking concept art for such films as Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan. Concept art is a form of Illustration where the main goal is to convey a visual representation of a design idea and/or mood for use in Movies, Video games Alice in Wonderland is a 1951 Animated feature film produced by Walt Disney and originally premiered in London England on July 26 Peter Pan is an animated feature film produced by Walt Disney based on the play Peter Pan or The Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up by Her style also lives on through the character designs for the Disney attraction It's a Small World, as well as an enormous mosaic inside Disney's Contemporary Resort. It's a Small World (formatted “it's a small world” by The Walt Disney Company) is an attraction at several Walt Disney theme parks Disneyland Art History Mosaics of the 4th century BC are found in the Macedonian palace-city of Aegae, and they enriched the floors of Hellenistic Disney's Contemporary Resort is a resort hotel located at the Walt Disney World Resort. Several of her illustrated children's books from the 1950s have never been out of print, such as I Can Fly by Ruth Krauss. Ruth Krauss (b July 25, 1901, Baltimore Maryland; d July 10, 1993, Westport Connecticut) was an author of children's Blair was honored as a Disney Legend in 1991. Established in 1987, the Disney Legends program recognizes men and women who have made an extraordinary and integral contribution to The Walt Disney Company. Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar.
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Early life
Born October 21, 1911 in McAlester, Oklahoma, Mary Browne Robinson moved to Texas while still a small child, and later to California when she was about 7. Events 1512 - Martin Luther joins the theological faculty of the University of Wittenberg. Year 1911 ( MCMXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Oklahoma ( is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State. California ( is a US state on the West Coast of the United States, along the Pacific Ocean. Having graduated from San Jose State College, Mary won a scholarship to the renowned Chouinard Art Institute in Los Angeles, where teachers included Pruett Carter, Morgan Russell and Lawrence Murphy. San José State University, commonly shortened to San José State and SJSU, is the founding campus of what became the California State University system The Chouinard Art Institute was a professional Art school founded in 1921 in Los Angeles California, by Nelbert Murphy Chouinard (1879-1969 Morgan Russell ( January 25, 1886 - May 29, 1953) was a US abstract painter. Lawrence Murphy ( 1831 - October 20, 1878) was a businessman of the Old West, and a main instigator of the Lincoln County War. In 1934, she married another artist, Lee Everett Blair (October 1, 1911–April 19, 1995). Year 1934 ( MCMXXXIV) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full 1934 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 331 BC - Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of Gaugamela. Year 1911 ( MCMXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Events 1012 - Martyrdom of Alphege in Greenwich London. 1529 - At the Second Diet of Speyer Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 She was the sister-in-law of animator Preston Blair (1918–1994). A sister-in-law is one's brother's wife or one's spouse's sister An animator is an Artist who creates multiple images called frames and Key frames that form an illusion of movement called Animation when rapidly displayed Preston Blair (1918&ndash1994 was an American Character animator, most noted for his work at Walt Disney Productions and the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Career
Both Blairs soon began to work in the animation industry, joining the Ub Iwerks studio. The bouncing ball animation (below consists of these 6 frames Ub Iwerks, ASC ( Ubbe Ert Iwwerks) ( 24 March 1901 &ndash 7 July 1971) was a two-time Academy Award winning Lee went on to work at the Harman-Ising studios before ultimately joining the Walt Disney studio where he was joined by his wife in 1940. Hugh Harman ( August 31, 1903 &ndash November 25, 1982) and Rudolf "Rudy" Ising ( August 7, 1903 &ndash Walter Elias Disney (December 5 1901 – December 15 1966 was a multiple Academy Award -winning American Film producer, director, Screenwriter Year 1940 ( MCMXL) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full 1940 calendar of the Gregorian calendar.
After leaving the studio for a brief time in 1941, Mary traveled to various South American countries with Walt and Lillian Disney and other artists on a research tour as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's Good Neighbor policy. Year 1941 ( MCMXLI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (the link will display 1941 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Lillian Marie Bounds ( February 15, 1899 – December 16, 1997) was the wife of Walt Disney from 1925 until his death in 1966 The "Good Neighbor" policy was the Foreign policy of the administration of United States president Franklin D During those trips, Mary and Lee worked on concept art for the animated feature films Saludos Amigos and The Three Caballeros with Mary credited as art supervisor on those films. The bouncing ball animation (below consists of these 6 frames Saludos Amigos ( Alô Amigos in Portuguese is a 1942 animated film produced by Walt Disney and released by RKO Radio Pictures. The Three Caballeros is a 1944 Animated feature film produced by Walt Disney and distributed by RKO Radio Pictures.
She also worked on Make Mine Music, credited as art supervisor, Song of the South, credited for background & color, Melody Time, credited for color & styling, So Dear to My Heart and The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad. Make Mine Music is an animated feature produced by Walt Disney and released to theatres by RKO Radio Pictures on August 15 1946 Song of the South is a feature film produced by Walt Disney, released on November 12, 1946, by RKO Radio Pictures and based on the Melody Time (first released on May 27, 1948) is an Animated feature produced by Walt Disney and released to theatres by So Dear to My Heart is a Feature film produced by Walt Disney, released in Chicago on November 29 1948 and released The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr Toad is an Animated feature produced by Walt Disney and released to theaters on October 5, 1949
The early 1950s were a busy time for the Disney studio, with an animated feature released nearly every year. The 1950s Decade refers to the years of 1950 to 1959 inclusive Walt Disney Animation Studios (as Walt Disney Feature Animation is a key element of The Walt Disney Company, and the oldest existing Animation studio in the world The bouncing ball animation (below consists of these 6 frames Mary Blair was credited with color styling on Cinderella (1950), Alice in Wonderland (1951) and Peter Pan (1953) and the artistic influence of her concept art is strongly felt in those films as well as several animated shorts she designed during that period. Cinderella ( French: Cendrillon, Slovak: Popoluška, German: Aschenputtel, Spanish: Cenicienta Year 1950 ( MCML) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1865 is a novel written by English author Charles Lutwidge Dodgson better known under the Pseudonym Lewis Year 1951 ( MCMLI) was a Common year starting on Monday. Events of 1951 January Peter Pan is a fictional character created by Scottish novelist and playwright J Year 1953 ( MCMLIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Concept art is a form of Illustration where the main goal is to convey a visual representation of a design idea and/or mood for use in Movies, Video games Short subject is a format description originally coined in the North American Film industry in the early period of cinema.
After the completion of Peter Pan, Mary resigned from Disney and worked as a freelance graphic designer and illustrator, creating advertising campaigns for companies such as Nabisco, Pepsodent, Maxwell House, Beatrice Foods and others. A freelancer, freelance worker, or freelance is a person who pursues a profession without a long-term commitment to any one employer A graphic designer (also known as a graphic artist and communication designer) is a professional within the Graphic design and Graphic arts industry For the vector -based drawing program by Adobe Systems, see Adobe Illustrator. Advertising is a form of Communication that typically attempts to persuade potential Customers to Purchase or to consume more of a particular Brand Nabisco (originally known as Na tional Bis cuit Co mpany is a brand of Cookies and Snacks including brands such as Chips Ahoy! Pepsodent is a brand of Toothpaste with a Wintergreen flavor It was formerly owned by Unilever (but since 2003 by Church and Dwight in USA Maxwell House is a brand of Coffee manufactured by a like-named division of Kraft Foods. The Beatrice Foods Company was a major American food processing company and household name She also illustrated several Golden Books for publisher Simon & Schuster, some of which have never gone out of print, and designed Christmas and Easter sets for Radio City Music Hall. Little Golden Books is a popular series of Children's books. The first 12 titles were published October 1, 1942: Three Little Kittens Simon & Schuster Inc, a division of CBS Corporation, is a Publisher founded in New York in 1924 by Richard L Easter ( Greek: Πάσχα Pascha or Pasxa) is the most important religious feast in the Christian Liturgical year. Radio City Music Hall is an entertainment venue located in New York City 's Rockefeller Center.
At the request of Walt Disney, who highly regarded her innate sense of color styling, Mary began work on the attraction It's a Small World, originally a Pepsi-Cola sponsored pavilion benefiting UNICEF at the 1964 New York World's Fair which moved to Disneyland after the Fair closed and was later replicated at the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World as well as Tokyo Disneyland and Disneyland Paris. Walter Elias Disney (December 5 1901 – December 15 1966 was a multiple Academy Award -winning American Film producer, director, Screenwriter It's a Small World (formatted “it's a small world” by The Walt Disney Company) is an attraction at several Walt Disney theme parks Disneyland Pepsi-Cola is a carbonated beverage that is produced and manufactured by PepsiCo. The United Nations Children's Fund (or UNICEF) was created by the United Nations General Assembly on December 11, 1946 The 1964/1965 New York World's Fair was the third major World's Fair to be held in New York City This article is about the Theme park at Walt Disney World Resort. Walt Disney World Resort is the most visited and largest recreational resort in the world containing four Theme parks two Water parks twenty-three themed hotels is a 115 acre (466535 m² Theme park at the Tokyo Disney Resort located in Urayasu, Chiba, Japan, near Tokyo. Disneyland Resort Paris' is a Holiday and Recreation Resort in Marne-la-Vallée, a New town in the eastern suburbs of Paris (The attraction will also be part of the scheduled expansion of Hong Kong Disneyland). Hong Kong Disneyland ( is the first Theme park inside the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort and is owned and managed by the Hong Kong International Theme Parks
In 1967, Mary created mural art for the Tomorrowland Promenade. A mural is a Painting on a wall ceiling or other large permanent surface Tomorrowland is one of the many "themed lands" at the many theme parks owned or licensed by The Walt Disney Company around the world Two similar tile murals flanked the entrance corridor. The one over Adventure Thru Inner Space was covered over during subsequent renovations of that Disneyland area in 1987 with the opening of Star Tours and the other remained until 1998 when the Circle-Vision 360° was replaced with Rocket Rods and a new mural to convey the new theme of the area. Synopsis The attraction was designed to simulate shrinking to a size smaller than an atom (the " Inner space " Year 1987 ( MCMLXXXVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link displays 1987 Gregorian calendar) Star Tours is a Simulator ride located in several Disney theme parks including Disneyland in California, Disney's Hollywood Studios Year 1998 ( MCMXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar) Circle-Vision 360° is a film technique refined by The Walt Disney Company, that uses nine cameras for nine huge screens arranged in a circle Rocket Rods was an attraction in Tomorrowland at Disneyland in Anaheim California. In 1968, she also was credited as color designer on the film version of How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying. How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying is a musical with music and lyrics by Frank Loesser and book by Abe Burrows, Jack
Her design of a ninety-foot high mural remains a focal point of the Disney's Contemporary Resort hotel at Walt Disney World, which was completed for the resort's opening in 1971. Disney's Contemporary Resort is a resort hotel located at the Walt Disney World Resort. Walt Disney World Resort is the most visited and largest recreational resort in the world containing four Theme parks two Water parks twenty-three themed hotels Year 1971 ( MCMLXXI) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full calendar of the 1971 Gregorian calendar.
Mary Blair died of a cerebral hemorrhage on July 26, 1978. A cerebral hemorrhage (or intracerebral hemorrhage, ICH) is a subtype of Intracranial hemorrhage that occurs within the Brain tissue itself Events 657 - Battle of Siffin. 811 - Battle of Pliska; Byzantine Emperor Nicephorus Year 1978 ( MCMLXXVIII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1978 Gregorian calendar)
While the fine art she created outside of her association with Disney and her work as an illustrator is not widely known or appreciated, her bold and groundbreaking color design still serves as an inspiration to contemporary designers and animators. An animator is an Artist who creates multiple images called frames and Key frames that form an illusion of movement called Animation when rapidly displayed
Awards
In 1991, Mary was recognized with a posthumous Disney Legend award. Year 1991 ( MCMXCI) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar. Established in 1987, the Disney Legends program recognizes men and women who have made an extraordinary and integral contribution to The Walt Disney Company. Also posthumously, she received the Winsor McCay award from ASIFA-Hollywood in 1996. Winsor McCay ( September 26 1867 (? – July 26 1934) was an American Cartoonist and Animator. ASIFA-Hollywood, a non-profit organization in Los Angeles, California, USA, which is a branch member of the Association Internationale du Film d'Animation Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar)
References
- Disney Legends: Mary Blair
- The Art and Flair of Mary Blair: An Appreciation (ISBN 0-7868-5391-3)
External links
- Photograph of Mary Blair at the Disney Studio, c.1941
- A Meadow Gold ice cream TV commercial (designed by Mary Blair in the style of her "I Can Fly" book illustrations) is available for viewing at fredcline.blogspot.com.
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