Podcasts, Disney+, Books, and More: Take a Deeper Dive into the World of Disney Art

Get inspired by DFW animators & artists, creativity-inspiring places, and our top picks of podcasts, books and Disney+ programs

Like the entire team at the AMA, Director of Exhibitions & Registrar Kendall Quirk prepares for an upcoming art exhibition at the Arlington Museum of Art by immersing herself in the world of the art and the artist(s). For Disney Art from Private Collections, she devoured a library of books, podcasts, programs and more, and discovered some magical people and places along the way.

Here are her top picks for you to discover, too!

Local artists

Allison Belliveau-Proulx

Throughout her successful career working as a background artist for Walt Disney Feature Animation and Hanna Barbera in Burbank, California, Allison Belliveau-Proulx had the opportunity to work on a number of feature-length films and animation projects, including Fantasia 2000 (1999), The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996) and Pocahontas (1995).

Now, Allison has turned her talent to the canvas full time and currently resides near Dallas, TX. She recently completed her MFA at Texas Woman’s University majoring in painting and minoring in sculpture. For more information, visit Ro2 Art gallery in Dallas, TX, where she is represented.

Brazen Animation

HQ’ed in Richardson, TX, Brazen Animation has seemingly done it all. From Space Jam 2 to Tom & Jerry in La La Land and clients ranging from McDonalds to the Dallas Mavericks, you’ve got to check out their YouTube channel chock full of client projects as well as their own original work.

Christopher Rabb

Smash Original So Fantastic Empire by Christopher Rabb, acrylic on canvas 60″x40,” 2013

Earlier this year, the AMA hosted Oblivious Sensation, our first exhibition of works by San Antonio-based artist Christopher Rabb. Like we do, Christopher believes that “painting is like telling a story. Still, instead of using words, I have chosen to use images from movies, books, and comics. In doing so, I have abstracted the original narratives by removing the pictures from their original context.”

We think you’ll clearly see influences of animation in Christopher’s work, like “Smash Original So Fantastic Empire.” Visit his website for more POWerful examples.

José Luis González

José Luis González is an award-winning cartoonist, an accomplished playwright and screenwriter, and (in his words) “a not-too-shabby filmmaker” based out of Austin, TX. According to his website, his current project is his first animated feature The History of Magic.

Here’s a sample of his filmmaking, an animated short which was accepted into both the 2014 Lone Star Film Festival and 2014 Marfa Film Festival:

Benjamin Wagley

Benjamin Wagley has worked as a professional animator since 2005, and has been credited on projects such as Borderlands, Borderlands 2, Aliens: Colonial Marines, and Duke Nukem Forever. He’s the owner/CEO of Nijobe Softworks, which produces quality products in support of those wishing to enter the video game industry. He is also a Senior Lecturer of Art and Art History at the University of Texas at Arlington.

Join Benjamin Wagley for a talk, A Study in Motion. What makes Animation… Good? at the AMA on July 21. Click here for details.

So much more to discover

Disney+

Sketchbook
Disney’s First Feature: The Making of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
The Real Fairy Godmother
Beyond Beauty: The Untold Story Behind the Making of Beauty and the Beast
Picture Perfect: The Making of Sleeping Beauty
Pride of the Lion King
The Story of the Animated Drawing
Frank and Ollie

Podcasts

Drawn: The Story of Animation
Animation Happy Hour
D23 Inside Disney
Once Upon A Time

Books

The Illusion of Life: Disney Animation by Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston
Nine Old Men by Andreas Deja
The Walt Disney Studios: A Lot to Remember
Ink & Paint: The Women of Walt Disney’s Animation
Paper Dreams: The Art and Artists of Disney Storyboards

Creative inspiration in and around Arlington