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AT-HOMEARTPROJECT:WhimsicalCastleCreationINSTRUCTIONS

  INSPIRATIONARTIST: MaryBlair (1911-1978) MaryBlairwasanAmericanartist,animator,anddesigner. She joinedtheWalt DisneyStudiosin 1940 and workedonandofffortheDisneyCompanyformost ofhercareer.BlairwasoneofWaltDisney’sfavoriteartists;hepersonally respondedtoheruseofcolor,naïvegraphics,andthestorytellingaspectinher pictures. Shesawtheworldinafresh,newwayandbroughtachildlike cheerfulness totheworksofprint,themeparksandmovies.Blair’suseofflat graphiccolorandstyleusingcomplimentarycolorsanddifferentshadesinher artgreatlyinfluencedsuchDisneypostwarproductionsas MakeMine Music, MelodyTime, SoDeartoMyHeart, TheAdventuresofIchabodandMr. Toad, Cinderella, AliceinWonderland,and PeterPan.    DuringabreakfromDisney,Maryfoundasuccessfulcareerasafreelancegraphicdesignerandillustrator.AmongherworksweretheillustrationsforseveralLittleGoldenBooks,someofwhich,including ICanFly,arestillinprinttoday.  In1963 Walt Disneyasked Marytoassistinthedesignofthe It’s a Small World attractionforthe1964-65NewYorkWorld’sFair,asasalutetothechildrenoftheworld. Theresult wasanattractionthatispurelyMaryBlairinits whimsical styleandconcept. In1966,thebelovedattractiondebutedatDisneylandinAnaheim,California.  Funfact: Insidethe"It'sa Small World"attraction,thereisalittleblondedollstandingontheEiffelTower.Thatdollisdedicatedto the artistwhoinspiredtheattraction'soveralllook,MaryBlair.Gazingatherredballoon,theMaryBlairdollhasshortcroppedhair,blueeyesandisdressedinayellowponchoandboots,asBlairwasknownforherquirkypersonalfashions. 

DancingWomen,1940 Cinderella,1950 It’saSmallWorld,1964 

ConceptArt DisneyOriginalConceptPainting

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MATERIALSNEEDEDFROMHOME: • ColoredPaper (forthebackground)  • WhitePaper• Scissors   • GlueStickorGlueBottle • ColoredPencils,MarkersorCrayons 

ARTPROJECTDESCRIPTION:ParticipantswillcreateafancifulcastleabstractworkofartinspiredbyMaryBlairsIt’saSmallWorldconceptart.InMaryBlair’sstyle,artistswillconsidertheiruseofcolor,geometricshapesandpatterningwhileinvestigatinghowtocreateintentionalemotionintheirdesign. PROMPTQUESTIONS:Whenlookingat Mary’sBlair’s It’saSmallWorld(onpage1):

1. Whatdetailsdoyounotice? Whatcolorsandshapesdoyousee?2. Whatcapturesandholdsyourattentioninthisstyleofart?  3. Howdoesitmakeyoufeel?Whyisthat?

ARTMAKINGPROCESS: Step1:ImagineyouarestandinginfrontoftheIt’sa Small World attraction atDisneyland (seephotobelowifyouwouldlike).Whatdoesitlooklike?Whatdoyouhear?How doesitmakeyoufeel?ConsiderifyouweredesigningawhimsicalcastleinMaryBlairsartstyle,whatwoulditlooklike?Whatcolorsandshapeswouldyouuse?Whatfeelingyouwouldwantviewerstohave?Howwouldyouachievethat? Step2: Beginwithyourwhitepaperandscissors and cut outshapesthatyouwanttorepresenttheseparate buildingsections of yourcastle.Thinkofyourcastleas distinct rectangles,squares,andanyothershapesyoulike.Consider specificdetailslikearchways,bridges,domes,skinnylines,andtowers.Howdotheshapesanddetailsreflecttheoverallfeelingyouintendyourdesigntohave?Asyoucutoutyourshapes,placethemonyourcoloredpieceofpaper, likeapuzzle, buildingyourcastleonepieceatatime (FIG.1).ItisOKifyourdesignchangesasyoucreate.Step3: Whenyouarehappywithyourbuildingcomposition,orlayout,useyourgluestickorgluetosecureyourwhiteshapesinplaceonyourcoloredpaper,makingsurethe cornersand edgesofeachpieceareglueddownwell.Considerleavingalittle spacebetweeneachshape,sosomebackgroundcolorshowsthrough(FIG.2).  Step4: Oncetheglueisdry,useyourcoloredpencils(oranycoloringtoolsyouhaveonhand)toadddesigndetailstothesectionsofyourbuilding;hearts,semi-circles,triangles,diamonds,geometricshapesetc.Whenaddingthesedetails,thinkaboutpatterningandhowtocontrolthebalanceofcolorthroughoutyourdesign.Considerdrawingelementsofyourbuildingonthecoloredbackgroundpaperaswell(FIG.3).Whenyouarepleasedwiththelayoutanddetailsofyourcastlecomposition,yourartworkiscomplete! POSTPROMPTQUESTIONS:

1. Whatdoyoulikebestaboutyour castlecreation?  

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2. What doyouthinkotherswillfeelwhen theylookatyourworkofart?3. Whatdidyoulearnfromcreatingthisworkofart?

EXAMPLES:

FIG.3FIG.1 FIG.2

PHOTOEXAMPLE:It’saSmallWorldDisneylandAttraction

SOURCES:https://www.hilbertmuseum.com/mary-blair https://ohmy.disney.com/insider/2016/06/11/mary-blair-history/ https://d23.com/walt-disney-legend/mary-blair/