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| Alvin,
John
Creating
the promise of a great experience" is
how John Alvin describes his role
as the preeminent designer and illustrator
of cinema art in the entertainment
industry today. In a business where
you are only as good as your last
job, Alvin is prolific. He has designed
and illustrated some of the world's
most widely recognizable movie art. |
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| Bluth,
Toby
Toby
Bluth happens to be one
of those shining gems
of talent that to this
day draws inspiration
from the life and work
of Walt Disney. Starting
with Snow White and the
Seven Dwarfs then continuing
with Pinocchio, Fantasia,
Dumbo and Bambi, the first
five feature length films
to come out of Walt Disney
Studios, according to
Bluth, are the five gems
in the crown of animation's
royal history. Bluth is passionate about his craft. A multifaceted artist, Toby's creative endeavors do not end at the tip of his brush. He is an accomplished writer, director, designer and a veteran of the American musical stage, having performed and or directed in nearly one hundred musicals, both on Broadway and beyond. Most recently he served as Art Director for The Walt Disney Studios production of The Three Musketeers, having already served in that position for the animated feature film The Tigger Movie. Back to top |
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| Carlton,
Trevor
Monte Trevor Carlton was
born in 1972 in Olympia,
Washington State. Although
he took up painting in high
school, the first artistic
passion that Trevor embraced
was acting. He decided to
forgo an art scholarship
in favor of attending a
dramatic arts scholarship
at Skagit Valley College. |
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| Coleman,
James
James Coleman found his artistic niche at Walt Disney Studios as a background animation specialist for 22 years. Winnie the Pooh, The Little Mermaid, and Beauty and the Beast came to life with his background images gracing the screen. James Coleman’s name is synonymous with tropical rainforests, rich deep woods, and silent deserts. Eventually Coleman left the motion picture industry and turned his talent to canvas full time. Today he continues to illuminate the art world with his vibrant colors, gentle moods, and exquisite detail. His artwork is represented by some of the most prominent galleries in North America, the Orient, and the Hawaiian Islands.Back to top |
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| Duerrstein,
Dick
Dick Duerrstein's experience at Disney working on a wide variety of projects has given Dick a world-class sense of design.His artwork has adorned everything from record album covers and clothing to fine collectible items such as cel portfolios, art glass and furniture.Some of his published works include a series of three children's books that he illustrated, and a fine art serigraph series of Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and Donald Duck.Dick began perfecting his current style of painting over fifteen years ago.Finding inspiration in the work of contemporary artists such as Keith Haring, Andy Warhol and David Hockney, he has imbued his paintings of cartoon characters with new life. Duerrstein's work can be found in the Walt Disney Studio corporate offices, Burbank, California; The Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. and St. Jude's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee and private collections worldwide.Currently his work is seen in "The Art of Mickey Mouse" exhibition traveling through Japan. Back to top |
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| Buchanan-Benson,
Tricia
Tricia
graduated from Loyola Marymount
College with a degree in Film, since
at the time there was no degree
for animation. Private seminars
were the only way to hone the craft.
At such a seminar Tricia was discovered.
She was asked to "Test" for
the Simpson's and Futurama. A Test
is where the director gives the
potential animator a scene to layout.
She tested for the Simpson's first
and as she was testing for Futurama
she got the call from the Simpson's
asking her to join their team. No
longer being able to concentrate
she could not finish the test. She
thanked them and walked out to celebrate.
She has never looked back. |
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| Ellenshaw,
Harrison
Many sons growing up in the shadow of a famous father feel that they want to carve their own paths in life. That was me, says Harrison Ellenshaw, son of Disney Legend and master painter Peter Ellenshaw, who won an Oscar for his visual effects work on "Mary Poppins and was nominated a total of five times for the Academy Award. I had grown up fascinated by my father's painting." Harrison says. He would sometimes give me canvas and paints. I have photographs of me painting when I was a small boy. My father's life was painting, even during meals he would bring the canvases he was working on into the kitchen and sit and eat and look, criticizing his own work. My mother was not always pleased that this was how the family spent mealtime, but she understood his passion. But I found both this passion and his incredible talent intimidating. I was convinced I could never live up to any of it. Then, Harrison got a phenomenal break. Fate smiled on me, as it had for my father, he says humbly. I got a chance to do some work on Star Wars. At this point, a tale of two Ellenshaws becomes the tale of two separate Ellenshaws, as this is where Harrison begins to really strike out on his own, away from his father's legacy. His work on Star Wars was so well received that he was asked to return to work on The Empire Strikes Back. By this time, having clearly carved a niche for himself, Harrison had no problem working with his father on Disney's The Black Hole in 1979. Harrison then went solo again to add his unforgettable touch to Tron, one of the most unique and visually stunning films ever, now a cult classic. After work on "Captain Eo," "Superman IV," "Ghost" and other films, a memorable year for Harrison was 1989, when he worked on Dick Tracy. The matte paintings were visually the star of that film, he recalls. And by then I was doing some fine art painting on my own. But it was around that time when I was working on this incredibly colorful film that an exhibition of Fauve artists came to the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Fauve, which in French means wild beasts, was a name given to a group of up and coming rebel French artists in the 1900s, who included among their ranks Henri Matisse and Andre Derain. The Fauve painters took a traditional art form and began using forms and colors which were not found in nature, painting familiar objects with startlingly wrong colors, in an attempt to liberate color. Back to top |
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| Ellenshaw,
Peter
After
serving his country as an RAF pilot
in World War II, Ellenshaw returned
to work for Mr. Day at the studios.
After a brief yearlong stint at MGM,
Ellenshaw left in 1947 upon receiving
a call to work for Walt Disney Studios
on the film, Treasure Island. As it
turned out, his partnership with Disney
would last over thirty years and earn
him five Oscar nominations. For his
work on "Mary
Poppins" in which he recreated
scenes of Edwardian London in 102 different
mattes, he won an Academy Award. Walt
Disney became Ellenshaw's mentor and
friend, spurring him on continually
to perfect his craft and push the creative
envelope. Walt was the dominant figure
in my life for all those years," he
wrote years later. He talked to me as
a father would. I cherished our relationship.
However, after Walt Disney passed away
in 1968, making movies wasn't the same
anymore. After Walt was gone, things
were different, he wrote in his autobiography.
I ceased to be as interested in film
making. |
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| Garmash,
M & I
Mr. and
Mrs. Garmash are considered two of
the finest Romantic Impressionists
of our day. Their incredible talent
is only matched by their love and
career stories. In similar fashion
to the determination of his artwork,
Mr. Garmash courted his future wife,
after seeing her for but a moment,
by painting her image all over her
hometown while she slept. She immediately
recognized the passion with which
this man cared so dearly and married
him shortly thereafter. |
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| Garibaldi,
David
It
was not until high school, after walking
away from a life of graffiti in the
streets, that the performance artist,
David Garibaldi, turned his hip-hop
influences in a more positive direction.
Now, only a few short years later,
his message of "Living one's
life as a platform," has touched
the hearts and minds of the hundreds
of thousands of people he has performed
in front of. His show energetically
mixes a six foot canvas, performance
art and motivational speaker with
a little rock star thrown in for good
measure. |
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| Hernandez,
Manuel
Manuel's
meticulous attention to detail is
the hallmark to his paintings. Traditionally
trained, Manuel Hernandez, a Southern
California native was originally inspired
and influenced by the contemporary
illustrative works of J.C. Leyendecker,
Dean Cornwell and Norman Rockwell.
Having studied and apprenticed as
an illustrator, Manuel Hernandez developed
his skills with pen and brush to a
level of mastery that would come to
satisfy even the most discerning eye
of some of the more critical Disney
art traditionalists. |
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| Kupka,
Mike
The art of illustration is multifaceted and requires extensive training as well as artistic ability. It is only natural for a great illustrator to be able to switch their style with little effort, growing an incredible portfolio and several types of artwork that demand attention. This is apparent when you see the work of Mike Kupka. Whether painting well-known rock stars like Ozzy Osbourne, or adding new depths to the classic horror characters of Frankenstein and Dracula, to his amazing depictions of the Disney Villain's. His affinity for the darker characters in life has developed into quite a scary portfolio. Even at the young age of 32, Michael's artwork captures more than a likeness of the characters he paints, his work creates old world flair. Bringing together all the ingredients necessary to make a painting work, which is why he attracts the eye. With the soft lines and rustic palate, The villains he depicts have always shown a greater range of emotions whether Captain Hook's eyes are boaring into you sizing you up or Cruella dreaming about the newest batch of puppies for her next fur coat. One thing is for sure you know that the characters he renders are so glad to be bad. Back to top |
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Gonzalez, Rodel When asked about his latest works for the Disney Fine Art portfolio, Rodel Gonzalez has said, "Having the opportunity to create Disney paintings is such a treat because Disney was definitely part of my childhood. I remember watching my first Disney films "Bambi" and "Snow White" and ever since I've been mesmerized by the succeeding Disney movies I've seen. I believe a painting is a mirror of the painter's understanding of an insight he has. The Disney paintings each involved such a strong concept that every brushstroke was a joyful anticipation of the finished product. The energy was very strong therefore my intentions were sure and refined. I would say that there was a lot of grace present on every painting. Back to top |
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| Kungl,
Mike
Soon into
his new career, Kungl never suspected
that success on one coast would lead
to recognition on another. Within
just two years the California artist
was selected to create the official
artwork for Miami Beach's 25th annual
Art Deco Weekend. |
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| Lefcort,
Allison
Allison
has shown her work in fine galleries
around the country, in places as diverse
as SOHO, Maui, Kennebunkport, and
Key West. Her portraits have hung
side by side with such esteemed artist
as Peter Max and Romero Britto. Her
paintings have been purchased and
shipped around the world to places
like Monte Carlo, Singapore, Germany,
Hong Kong, Tokyo, Bangkok, Luxembourg,
Jerusalem, Paris and London. |
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| Noah
Growing
up in Orange County exposed Noah to
one of his greatest artistic influences. "I
spent my days as a child wandering
Main St. in Disneyland enjoying the
magical world Walt Disney created," explains
Noah. " I have been blessed with
the unique opportunity to create art
that helps carry on the legacy and
heritage of Walt Disney's dream. My
goal is to continue to impact the
lives of both young and old with the
magic I have been so fortunate to
take part in." |
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| Reis,
Stephen
Stephen Reis was born in Los Angeles, California in 1974 and raised in nearby Santa Barbara. The Artist within emerged around age three, and as a young child he would spend countless hours drawing the worlds conjured up in his imagination. Upon graduating from college, Stephen had turned his attention to animation, which in many ways combined his loves of drawing and cinema. In late 1996, he joined the animation crew for Fox's long-standing hit series "The Simpsons". The work environment on the show provided him with a second education as well as a paycheck, as he learned more about drawing and storytelling than ever before. Six years later, Stephen is now an Assistant Director on "The Simpsons". He has also returned to Loyola Marymont as an instructor, teaching animation and film for the last four years. His work for The Disney Program with Collector's Editions bears many cinematic influences, a style born from the silver screen and poured onto canvas. Back to top |
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| Rowe,
John
John received his training at Art Center College of Design and began his career as an illustrator. His paintings have appeared on movie posters, books, billboards, magazines and advertisements throughout the country and around the world. Seeking an additional outlet for his creative vision, John began his Horse Series, bringing together equine beauty and power with emotions of the human spirit. When the publishers of Walter Farley's The Black Stallion saw John's work, they were inspired to re-issue this classic series, commissioning 24 new paintings by John for the covers. John has maintained a successful painting career for nearly 20 years. His studio is in La Canada California, where he lived with his wife and two children. He received his art training at Art Center College of Design, and has worked with clients throughout the United States and around the world. Back to top |
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| Rogerson,
Tim
While studying at the Ringling School, Mr. Rogerson gained the reputation as an upcoming artist and influence in his own right. His unique style was recognized when he was awarded the 2003 Best Painter Award from Ringling, followed by 2003 and 2004 Best of Ringling Award. One of his recognized works was an emotionally powerful portrait of Mr. Lincoln. Since graduating from Ringling in 2004, Mr. Rogerson has contributed his artistic abilities to Disney and SS Designs in Florida. Currently, Mr. Rogerson is taking the art world by storm with his whimsical imagery for Disney Fine Art and this summer's launch of Tim Rogerson's Cosmopolitan POP: A Series of Paintings About Everyday Life and the Games People Play; a series of collections of works that showcase the lighterside of life. "I want my paintings to celebrate life and stay fresh... I try to stay away from the basic routine and technique because my joy for painting comes from the challenge of creating something entirely new," says the artist about Cosmopolitan POP. In preview, this series has already won critical acclaim by the trade and his peers. As my personal style is emerging and I break down the composition into simple shapes, with each shape having its own palette it's a jigsaw puzzle of color to form an image, says Mr. Rogerson. Back to top |
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| Salvati,
Jim
Working
in oil paint, Salvati uses panel and
sometimes mounted paper preferring
the option of layering paint to create
a lot of texture, as he feels that
an uneven surface adds to the emotion
of the story. "My paintings are
extremely thick and layered and oil
allows me the time I need to play
with the color," he says. |
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| Silvers,
William
In
1990 William Silvers moved to Cleveland,
Ohio and worked for an illustration
studio before co-founding Live Wire
Studios, a full service art studio.
In 1995, after 6 years as Vice President
and Creative Director of Live Wire
Studios, William was offered a position
with Walt Disney feature Animation
as a Background artist. William painted
backgrounds for the movies Mulan,
Tarzan, Lilo & Stitch,
and Brother Bear. In 2004 William
worked as a matte painter for Industrial
Light and Magic on Day After Tomorrow
and Star Wars Episode III. After ILM
William art directed NCAA Football
06 & 07 for EA Games. |
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| Warren,
Jim
Jim Warren
is one of the most creative and prolific
artists of our time. When questioned by an acquaintance recently concerning what aspect of his work gave him the most pleasure, Jim replied, "the letters and emails I get from people around the world who say they have been touched in some way by my paintings. The fact that my art can create an effect like that for some people, and act as a positive influence in their lives, means a great deal to me." Back to top |
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| Vought,
Allyson
Allyson's
love of Disney's Fantasia, and the
rich history of the Disney Studio
was the inspiration for her first
sculptures. Allyson began creating
bronzes of her sculpts that were offered
as limited editions through the Disneyana
convention and Walt Disney World. From tiny 2"X 2" tiles, to full wall sized creations, Allyson's tiles are a tribute to the fantastic history of the animated character with a touch of the glorious California past. Back to top |
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