“Friendship Under One Golden Sun” by Jeremiah Ketner
The barriers that divide us are broken down in “Friendship Under One Golden Sun” by Jeremiah Ketner, a tribute to the iconic “it’s a small world” attraction. Ketner takes Mary Blair’s style and adapts it to his own, with a unique color scheme that both calls Blair to mind, but is quite different than anything she produced. It’s a visual mash-up, combining multiple regions and elements from the attraction into one piece, based on the Sherman Brothers lyric “There is just one moon and one golden sun.” While the attraction actually features multiple suns, styled for each region, this piece calls to mine the finale of the attraction, represented in glorious Technicolor instead of white and gold. “Friendship Under One Golden Sun” by Jeremiah Ketner is available as a ready-to-frame lithograph for $39.99.
“The Happiest Cruise” by Jerrod Maruyama
Jerrod Maruyama provides a different take on “it’s a small world” with “The Happiest Cruise.” It takes the facade of the Disneyland classic and has characters from the attraction appearing in multiple turrets, like the clock parade amplified. “The Happiest Cruise” by Jerrod Maruyama is available on canvas for $295.
“Royal Reflection” by Rodel Gonzalez
Rodel Gonzalez, who also painted the Seven Dwarfs in “Homeward Bound,” beautifully captures the majesty of Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom at twilight. The lights have just recently turned on and the park is about to come alive in a different way. Fireworks are just around the corner, as families gather to celebrate the fun they shared that day. There’s a twinge of sadness, knowing that as the evening ware’s on, your time in this magic kingdom is coming to an end. But the gate will open again anytime your heart desires to return. This painting perfectly captures that kiss goodnight, a perfect souvenir from a Walt Disney World vacation. “Royal Reflection” by Rodel Gonzalez is available on canvas for $149.95.
“Beast and Belle Forever” by James Coleman
Timelines at Disney Parks sometimes get blurred and a perfect example is the way they handle characters from Beauty and the Beast. Visit the Enchanted Forest, where you can dine in Beast’s Castle, and this becomes very apparent. Gaston still roams around the village, but Belle and Beast are devotedly in love with one another, but the curse isn’t yet broken. James Coleman’s “Beast and Belle Forever” calls that same contradiction in timeline to mind, where the pair have apparently danced all night and taken the party outside with all of the enchanted objects (poor Maurice). It brings back all the feelings of the classic film, while contradicting the story at the same time like a trip to Magic Kingdom. “Beast and Belle Forever” by James Coleman is available on canvas for $149.95.
“Family Blossoms” by Michelle St. Laurent
In Lilo & Stitch, Stitch finds deep meaning in the story of “The Ugly Duckling” and feels like a lost swan himself. In this piece by Michelle St. Laurent, viewers can feel Stitch’s loneliness and curiosity as he watches a happy family of ducks coming down the steps, one of them trailing behind. In terms of style, this is a bit of a mashup as the ducklings in Lilo & Stitch are modeled after the Silly Symphony adaptation of the Hans Christian Anderson classic from 1939. “Family Blossoms” by Michelle St. Laurent is available on canvas for $149.95.
“Disney Dogs” by Tim Rogerson
Pawrents will fall in love with “Disney Dogs” by Tim Rogerson. The entire piece flows out of Pluto’s dog house, where his gal FiFi (Minnie’s dog) rides his back. All of the iconic Disney dogs surround them, including characters from Lady and the Tramp, Cinderella, Peter Pan, 101 Dalmatians, Oliver & Company, The Little Mermaid, Lilo & Stitch, and Bolt. Goofy is in one corner looking as confused as ever, the only anthropomorphic dog in the bunch. This charming collection of Disney pooches celebrates most of the animated dogs from the 1920’s through the 2010’s. “Disney Dogs” by Tim Rogerson is available as a limited edition framed piece for $795.
“Drawn to the Shore” by Heather Theurer
This gallery ends with four pieces by heather Theurer, who portrays Disney fairytale characters as they would be in real life. “Drawn to the Shore” finds a realistic Ariel sitting on a rock in the middle of a rolling sea, staring longingly at a world that isn’t meant to be her own. She’s having a pleasant daydream about life on land and she stares off towards the horizon, my favorite piece in the collection. “Drawn to the Shore” by Heather Theurer is available on canvas for $149.95.
“Dig a Little Deeper” by Heather Theurer
Theurer’s collection continues with “Dig a Little Deeper,” which finds Tiana looking pensive next to her father’s gumbo pot with a plate of “man catchin'” beignets next to it. By her attire and the lily pad wallpaper, I would assume that she has already achieved her restaurant dreams and is now thinking back on all it took to get there. The dream that started with her father, a dream she worked so hard to save money for, and one that grew and evolved during her adventure with Naveen, who turned out to be her true love and made her a real American princess. “Dig a Little Deeper” by Heather Theurer is available on canvas for $149.95.
“I See the Light” by Heather Theurer
Rapunzel has finally made it to the floating stars in “I See the Light” by Heather Theurer. The look on her face as she sends up a floating lantern reveals a whimsical delight in taking part in this celebration of her birthday, while also coming to the realization that her priorities have now shifted to the handsome rogue who made all of this possible. Rapunzel is the perfect princess for art lovers, as she herself is an artist. She is depicted here in a style that calls to mind the neoclassical style that would have been in popularity at the time the story was originally written. “I See the Light” by Heather Theurer is available on canvas for $149.95.
“The Insatiable Mr. Toad” by Heather Theurer
This gallery began with a portrait of Scrooge McDuck and ends with a portrait of another eccentric wealthy animal, J. Thaddeus Toad from Disney’s The Adventures of Ichabod & Mr. Toad, as well as the classic Disneyland attraction, Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. He looks much more toadlike in this realistic painting by Heather Theurer, and his different colored eyes suggest that motor mania is just settling in. If McDuck’s portrait is fit for his mansion, this one would look dashing anywhere in Toad Hall. And now it can be part of your home gallery as well. “The Insatiable Mr. Toad” by Heather Theurer is available on canvas for $149.95.
While it’s no substitute for the Epcot International Festival of the Arts this year, I hope this virtual gallery of Disney Fine Art has added a little touch of the festival to your day. These twenty pieces reflect my personal favorites currently available on Shop Disney, which only scratches the services of the artwork available to fans around the world. It’s probably that several of the pieces that debuted at the festival this year may be available online in the future, so be sure to check back if you have your eye on a particular work of art.