The Art and Flair of Mary Blair

by John Canemaker, Mary Blair, Wendy Lefkon (Editor)

For more than a dozen years, an unassuming, quiet-spoken woman dominated Disney design. The stylishness and vibrant color of Disney films in the early 1940s through mid-1950s came primarily from artist Mary Blair. In her prime, she was an amazingly prolific American artist who enlivened and influenced the not-so-small worlds of film, print, theme parks, architectural decor, and advertising. At its core, her art represented joyful creativity and communicated pure pleasure to the viewer. Her exuberant fantasies brimmed with beauty, charm, and wit, melding a child's fresh eye with adult experience. Blair's personal flair comprised the imagery that flowed effortlessly and continually for more than a half a century from her brush. Emulated by many, she remains inimitable: a dazzling sorceress of design and color.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Biography, History, Reference, Film, Design

128 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2003

About the author

John Canemaker (born 1943) is an Academy Award-winning independent animator, animation historian, teacher, lecturer, and author perhaps best known for his many books about the Disney studio, including Walt Disney's Nine Old Men and the Art of Animation.In 1980, he began teaching and developing the animation program at New York University, Tisch School of the Arts', Kanbar Institute of Film and Television Department. Since 1988 he has directed the program and is currently a tenured full professor. From 2001-2002 he was Acting Chair of the NYU Undergraduate Film and Television Department. In 2006, his film The Moon and the Son: An Imagined Conversation, a 28-minute animated piece about Canemaker's relationship with his father, won the Academy Award for best animated short. In 2007 the same piece picked up an Emmy award for its graphic and artistic design.


His first book, The Animated Raggedy Ann and Andy, detailing the making of an animated feature based on Johnny Gruelle’s storybook characters, was published in 1977. Eight more books followed: Treasures of Disney Animation Art (1982),Winsor McCay: His Life and Art (1987), Felix: The Twisted Tale of the World’s Most Famous Cat (1991), Tex Avery: The MGM Years (1996), Before the Animation Begins: The Art and Lives of Disney Inspirational Sketch Artists (1996), Paper Dreams: The Art and Artists of Disney Storyboards (1999), Walt Disney’s Nine Old Men and the Art of Animation (2001), The Art and Flair of Mary Blair (2003), and a revised and updated edition of Winsor McCay (2005).

Reviews

[Neil R. Coulter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mary Blair’s art exemplifies the bold colors and graphic flourishes that I love about the midcentury modern look—a combination of pop commercial appeal and a dreamlike atmosphere on a flat, almost nondimensional plane. I’m particularly a fan of the concept art she did at Disney, for Cinderella (what that movie could have been like if Walt had used her concepts more fully!), Peter Pan, and (especially) Alice in Wonderland. Those pieces are some of my favorite movie art ever, and it’s great to see them brought together in this book.

The Art and Flair of Mary Blair contains a nice selection of Blair’s art, presented chronologically, with written content to guide the reader through each phase of her life. It’s good, but for some reason (I can’t say why, exactly) I feel like this should be a heftier tome: larger format, better paper and printing, bigger selection of works. I’d like to see a more deluxe book of Blair’s work, and I would love to see an exhibit of original pieces someday.

Boo to author John Canemaker for his negativity toward Eyvind Earle: “But while Earle’s work is as high style as Blair’s, it lacks humor, whimsy, and any trace of warmth. It is interesting to speculate what Mary Blair might have brought to Sleeping Beauty” (72). Oh, come on. Earle’s work on Sleeping Beauty is unbeatable. No need to create a comparison just to put down one artist whose work isn’t the focus of this book.

[Jazz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mary Blair's art is full of mood and tension, whimsy and joy. It is a shame Blair's name is not synonymous with Disney because her designs are what made the Disney Golden Age iconic. It is doubly a shame that Walt Disney put up with animators changing Blair's designs more than he would have liked until she had moved on to other projects. This book showcases many pieces of Blair's art including self-portraits, commercial advertising, Disney commissions, and concept designs for an unproduced Duke Ellington musical Cole Black and the Seven Dwarfs (can anyone still make this happen?).

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great exploration of Blair's work. I really enjoyed seeing all the color keys and concept art, especially the Cinderella pieces as they made me realize how much of her coloring does show up in the final film.

Would have liked a little more biographical info throughout, but overall this was well done.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been meaning to buy this book for a long time, and I guess that long wait is what put a dampener on this book for me. Don't get me wrong, it's about Mary Blair so I'd be excited to read it if it was the blandest book in existence; which it wasn't. It was just missing...something. I was expecting a sort of work focused biography, which this is not. The style of writing is not my favorite, fairly straight forward and factual, quite opinionated at times and got quite repetitive in the way he continuously complimented Blair & Disney over and over again, but also ending almost every project she worked on with "this was not the way Mary had intended it". All up though, I learned quite a lot and got to see some or her works that I have not come across before, also the behind scenes photos, especially at the beginning were a treat. If you're a Blair fan or enthusiast, I'd highly recommend this read, but probably don't expect a warm feeling Mary Blair bible with a wider range of her works as I seemed to when I started it.
I'd give it a 3.5 stars if i could!

[Jillian Howell · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting and quick casual read, divulging the life and art of often under-appreciated and under-recognized Disney concept artist Mary Blair. The beautiful pages display numerous pieces of art and critique them in eye-opening language. The text is honest - even depressingly so - about Mary's lack of recognition & sad demise. I am given a new appreciation for her art - in the three dimension at Small World and the Contemporary, as well as a great fashion collection by Pin-Up Girl Clothing, "The Magic of Mary Blair."

[Tisha (IG: Bluestocking629) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is perfect for anybody that enjoys art, loves Disney and/or likes biographies.

While Mary's art is not necessarily the type of art I would flock to in an art museum I still thoroughly enjoyed looking at her creations (it is mostly Disney after all!) and reading the background that one along with each one.

[Kaci Pelias · Rating 4 out of 5]

i’m absolutely oBSESSED with mary blair and her work!!! this was a rlly beautiful mix of storytelling/history/illustrations/artistic analysis!!!! makes me want to look at her work forever and also read more books abt her!!! someone pls make a mary blair biopic

[sioraide · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was so excited to read this, and I loved poring over the pictures, but so many of them are formatted so small… I also expected more of her big 3 Disney films, would love to see the prolific “tiny paintings” that John Canemaker kept mentioning.

It’s also more like a quick chronology than a proper book. Still 4 stars for an inspiring overview ⭐️

[Viola · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mary Blair è probabilmente la più influente artista degli anni 40-50 in America, ma di cui (quasi) nessuno conosce il nome.
La sua produzione pittorica ha portato innovazione nello storytelling, nell’uso del colore, nella pittura, nella caratterizzazione dei personaggi e nella definizione degli ambienti, per citarne alcune.

Mary Blair era in grado di trarre ispirazione dalle pubblicità di alta moda, come da quelle di prodotti alimentari, passando per i quadri dei grandi maestri, dalla natura e dalla gente, fino ai libri più improbabili, come “il libro per realizzare le trapunte”

Sfortunatamente, Walt Disney non è stato in grado di sfruttare appieno la produzione di Blair. Ma il suo lascito è ancora oggi fonte di ispirazione per molti disegnatori di Disney e Pixar.

Questo libro dà un’idea dei punti principali della vita artistica (e privata) di Mary Blair. Ma quando lo finisci, ti lascia con la fame di saperne di più.

[Kirsten · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mary Blair is the epitome of 1950s Disney for me. From her early work on Saludos Amigos all the way through the three feature films she worked on (Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, and Peter Pan, respectively) she paved the way for Disney's attention to colour, shape, and texture, and was hugely influential in the way design is approached.

I was hoping this book would go into more detail about where she got her influence, how she created, and what her vision was for her art, but it was more of a vague, top-down approach as opposed to supremely insightful. Don't get me wrong - still very interesting to read, but didn't reveal anything to me that I couldn't have gotten from Wikipedia in a quick glance. Oh well, at least I have another pretty book for my collection now!

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew that Mary Blair's illustrative work in books shaped my views on art in my childhood, but I was an adult for quite a while before I realized that it was her work that I admired so much in a few of Disney's movies.

This absolutely gorgeous book is an introduction to who Mary Blair was as a person -- not a biography. The writer glossed over aspects of her personal life to bring out a love-letter to Blair's artwork. Page after page is filled with full-color reproductions of her staggeringly beautiful work.

If you want a biography of Mary Blair, this is not the book for you. If you want to get lost in her lush artwork, this is definitely the book for you.

[Andy Montero · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mary Blair was one of the most prolific and influential artists Walt Disney ever hired. Twice. Her freelance advertising art was right at home in the Mid-Century Modern world of the 1950s-60s, but it was her work for Disney: Cinderella, Alice In Wonderland, Peter Pan, and her ultimate triumph, It’s A Small World, that cemented Blair’s place in the annals of American modern art. John Canemaker’s tribute to Mary Blair is a wonderful book, simple in his telling of her story and rich in her beautiful art.

[seemoya · Rating 5 out of 5]

No wonder that it's Mary that we love!

I wish the photographs of this dear lady were enlarged rather than the tiny pictures inserted at the top of each page, and I disagree with John Canemaker's assessment of Eyvind Earle's Sleeping Beauty designs lacking any warmth, but overall an informative and insightful read. And the artwork of course is just splendid. Now I'd really like a full length biography of Mary.

[Sally Van Horn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I adore Mary Blair and really enjoyed reading this and sitting with her paintings. I just wanted more! More examples of her work, more about her schooling and time at Disney and all the rest. I can't get over her brilliant imagination, thrilling use of vibrant color, and how whimsical her paintings are. She's such a huge inspiration to me as an artist and love having this on my shelf.

[Tabitha · Rating 4 out of 5]

wow... what an inspiring lady.

[Joshua Altmanshofer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish I could have a whole library of books like this one for all my favorite Disney artists. I'm thankful for this one.

[Jaime Guzman · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a fan of Disney animation I recognized the art work of Mary Blair but really didn't know much about her.
This book delves into the life of
Mary Blair along with her strong working relationship with Walt Disney. Her colorful and unique paintings were highly influential in Disney animation during the 40s and 50s. If you ever experienced "It's A Small World" ride at Disneyland in Anaheim, CA then you have experienced the art and style of Mary Blair.
What I enjoyed about the book is that some of Blair's beautiful art pieces along with a brief biography that highlights her accomplishments and touch upon a bit of the dark side of her life.
What I didn't enjoy about the book is that it is short. It's 128 pages but 100 of those pages cover her art and bio and the rest of the 28 pages are footnotes, etc.
Although I did get find out a piece of Disney history that involved a very influential artist I didn't feel that I got a bang for my buck especially since the book is at a cost of $45.
If you art a Disney fan I think this would be good book to checkout from the library and not necessarily a book to have in your personal library.
I am curious about John Canemaker's earlier book on the same subject "Magic Color Flair: The World of Mary Blair".

[☠︎︎ A.K. ☠︎︎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5 ✩

I picked this book up on a whim, and I'm so glad that it crossed my path. Like many of us, I was raised on Disney, and I've always had a great love for the behind-the-scenes and production of Disney films, parks, etc. In particular, I've had a long-time love for Mary Blair's artistic style and influence.

This is by no means a complete biography, but it serves as a suitable cliff notes - what information was featured has only made me more curious about the life and career of Blair. Canemaker has compiled a succinct yet informative look into Blair's work with Disney, conveying why her designs were effective and moving in layman's terms, accessible for those that may not understand the nuances of art (me).

Of course, the highlights are Blair's gorgeous artwork, as this book offers a look at many concepts, designs, etc. that I haven't yet seen. And once again, what was featured makes me want to dive further into her artistic portfolio.

R.E.A.D.S. SCORE
R: 8/10
E: 9/10
A: 9/10
D: 8/10
S: 8/10
Total: 8.40/10.00

[Ellisnoblebooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Walt Disney sarà stato anche un uomo dei suoi tempi per quanto riguarda certe convinzioni personali, eppure quando scoprì che il talento si annidava anche in alcune donne, diede loro la possibilità di brillare nel proprio studio. Mary Blair è una di queste: la sua attenzione per i colori sgargianti, gli accostamenti particolari, la capacità di raccontare una storia e di comunicare delle emozioni mediante questi la portarono ad essere una delle responsabili del successo dei film della Silver Age, la prima grande rinascita dello studio dopo la seconda guerra mondiale, ovvero 'Cenerentola', 'Alice nel paese delle meraviglie' e 'Peter Pan'. Questa biografia non solo mostra molti dei suoi lavori, ma consegna un ritratto affettuoso, da parte di coloro che l'hanno conosciuta, di una donna pacata ma determinata a inseguire la sua passione. Se amate l'arte e la Disney, comprate questo libro e non ve ne pentirete!

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A stunning collection of Blair’s most famous and interesting art works. I was surprised to learn that she was classically trained and really wanted to do a more serious form of art. I am glad that Disney used her influence, but I do wish some of these movies she did sketches for had seen more of her influence.

I loved the sketches from Cinderella, the “lost” murals from DL Tomorrowland (what a travesty they’ve been covered up!), and all the different Small World iterations (that New Guinea drawing is in the Polynesian! I had no idea!)

I also enjoyed the work outside Disney-the little shorts that she did, and some mock ups that never happened. Her colors are bright and cheerful and this reaffirmed my love of her style.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Responsible for the color and design direction of three of my favorite Disney animations, Mary Blair's journey from fine watercolorist to animator to muralist is laid out in spectacular full-page images. There's a reason I watched and re-watched Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, and Peter Pan as a child, and it has nothing to do with the actual story; Blair's vivid colors and striking shapes energize every scene.

Though the writing was disappointingly sparse, I appreciated the writer's articulation of the disconnect I've always sensed between the character animation and the overall design of my favorite Disney cartoons.

[Corinne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had heard of Mary Blair but beyond It's a Small World I didn't know any of her other works. I had wanted to read a book about her after visiting The Walt Disney Family Museum (they had quite a few in their gift shop), but this was the book that was available from my local library. It was not too in-depth, but a quick read with the highlights of her life story and artwork.

[Skye Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Mary Blair. Her style is so inspiring. Full of color, life, great composition.... just incredible. Studying this book and learning more about her life is really important to me as an artist. She is one of the greats! My hope is that someday with enough hard work I can be maybe a sliver of what she was. Loved this book.

[Jm · Rating 5 out of 5]

I saw this show at the Disney Family Museum in SF and was blown away by the colour and story telling of Mary Blair's art. While the pictures in the book do not have the same intensity as the originals, it is a thoughtful representation of the exhibit and provides biographical background information on the life of this amazing woman, artist, and Imagineer.

[Shawna Fender · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've loved Mary Blair's Disney artwork for a very long time; especially the work she did for Peter Pan and Cinderella. It was super interesting to learn more about her life and the other work that she did before, during, and after Disney. I would love to just have an artbook of her artwork to look through since her artwork is so inspiring. ^_^

[Katie Richards · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW. As an art educator I’m embarrassed to say I didn’t know who she was, but after this book I am officially OBSESSED. Her use of color, shape, and whimsy is incredible. And kuddos to Walt Disney for seeing her talent and using her concepts.

[Joellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Mary Blair. This will be a book that I will be pulling off of the shelf again in the future.

[Tess Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great illustrated bio-- I love animation & strong female pioneers of the field so it was a no-brainer. Perfect for like minded individuals!

[Theelmo26 · Rating 4 out of 5]

incredible is understood what the author wants to convey is a very complete book more than anything in its gramartical structure

[Zambrano · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bestseller by the most popular postwar writer for children of all ages.