Mary Blair's Unique Flair: The Girl Who Became One of the Disney Legends

Mary Blair's Unique Flair: The Girl Who Became One of the Disney Legends
Written by Amy Novesky
Illustrated by Brittney Lee
Disney Press, 2019. Picture Book Biography.

An artist from childhood, Mary Blair found her joy in creating beautiful art on blank white pages. Blair's story is a hopeful one. It's a tale of staying true to one's desire to be an artist; an occupation difficult to achieve when one is born into a low-income family without the means to foster artistic practice. Although Blair's family couldn't afford art lessons and studios, they did their best to provide Blair with the supplies necessary to grow her talents. What is perhaps most wonderful about Mary Blair's story is how her tenure with Disney and her trip to South America created a legacy of using color in innovative and exciting ways. She made a true lasting impression on the world of animation, and was the mind behind many beloved Disney classics.

To properly reflect Mary Blair's use of color in the films she worked on at Disney, Brittney Lee conjures fanciful images using paper cutting as a technique. Clearly inspired by the specific titles that Blair helped animate, the pictures have hints of Cinderella, Peter Pan, and Alice in Wonderland. Blair's story is already impressive, but the lovingly crafted illustrations bring the legacy of her art to life.

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