Time for a history break

Post switch! Before I start my next post about pre-production I wanted to dip into the past a little bit. We can't move forward fully until we appreciate the past. So, how about a mini history lesson? Now this is a history lesson I foolishly thought would be simple. Women who have inspired me! Now I have taken inspiration from both Male and Female artists, but it was so easy to find info on the male artists. I just want to have a short post about what pushed me to say "hey I want to be a full time artist" I will focus on just one or two women at a time. So in-between my usual production posts I will also be sharing these posts on women in the arts.

Let's talk about female artist/producers that have helped to move the medium forward. With all those art blogs, books and history buffs out there I thought "hey this will be easy".

But it twas not the case. I had to do serious digging to find background info on some of these wonderful ladies. I am not a historian in anyway. Any mistakes are my own. What I found out is just the tip of the iceberg to entice you to look up more about these pioneering women.

Some women even used male names to help with discrimination. So finding info was so difficult partly because of that. Who has inspired you? From the past? Or even right now! Leave a comment, I would love to learn about them.

Today's post I start with the incomparable

Mary Blair

If we are going to talk about women in the industry that have personally changed me. Then I just  have to start with Mary Blair. I am starting with her because when I was very young she was an influence to me before I even knew her name.  I had come across one of those behind the scenes videos on T.V and it showed her concept art I believe for  It's a small world ride and I just knew I wanted to do what she did.  She is classified as an American artist, animator, and designer. I think she is so much more. I like to think of her as an "Emotional Dr." able to make you feel and  think with her art.

She was is most well know for producing art and animation for The Walt Disney Company, drawing concept art for such films as Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, Song of the South and Cinderella. Blair also created character designs for enduring attractions such as Disneyland's It's a Small World, the fiesta scene in El Rio del Tiempo in the Mexico pavilion in Epcot's World Showcase, and an enormous mosaic inside Disney's Contemporary Resort.

Last year I had the pleasure of taking the "It's a small world" ride at Disney World. I know my teenage son was bored. But I could NOT contain my excitement.

As you can see from my picture people still line up to go on this ride and experience the world through Mary Blair's eyes.

Not my picture. It's hard to take a picture in a slow moving boat!

But she was more than just a Disney artist. She later created cards for Hallmark and you may not have known that she illustrated a whole series of Little Golden books that really set the style you know and love for the series. I am often on the hunt for those books. I think they are planning a reprint. If you know where I can get these

Some of her Hallmark cards

Does this Golden Book illustrated by Mary Blair bring back memories?

Let's now learn about a less known but still important artist

Lotte Reiniger

Charlotte "Lotte" Reiniger was a German film director and the foremost pioneer of silhouette animation. Her best known films are The Adventures of Prince Achmed, from 1926—thought to be one of the oldest surviving feature-length animated films—and Papageno

Prince Achmed was just a stunning film. In my opinion if you can tell a story in silhouette and it reads properly and people can tell what is going on. That is all you need to have to elevate your story telling. She managed to tell her stories using just card and wire....all moved by hand.

A screen shot from Prince Achmed

Here is a short gif of her "Sleeping beauty" from 1954.

Let's end with the future!

The future of women in the industry. Here all the lovely ladies I work with day to day. I couldn't ask for a better group of women to lead the way. I learn something everyday from them.

(left to right) Melanie Albert, Josie Cable-Russell, Jessica Beckett, Christine Richard, Kelly Hay Hambrook)


So let your inspiration be your guide!