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Museum Exhibition
The Forest Lawn Museum show in California ran from May 1st through July 19th, 2008
Caught up in the make-believe world of animation, the creativity and whimsy of the characters and the early execution of the cartoon art all were factors in directing the professional path chosen by David Willardson.
After graduating from Los Angeles Art Center, David entered the world of entertainment art. His passion for excellence and his natural creativity opened doors, which allowed him to create internationally known images such as the “Raiders of the Lost Ark” movie logo and the classic “American Graffiti” car hop.
Willardsons’ journey continued in the fields of animation as he could create images that portrayed the essence of a story. Disney needed an artist that understood and was passionate about Disney characters. They needed an artist that could uphold the integrity of Disney’s original drawings. They needed someone who could capture the personalities and emotions of the Disney family of characters. They needed David Willardson.
Willardson was commissioned to paint the major movie posters for Disney Animation over a period of fifteen years. A small sample would include Bambi, Cinderella, Snow White, Little Mermaid, Aladdin, and The Lion King.
While painting the characters in the traditional way, Willardson also developed an energetic, stylized, dynamic, graphic painting style that is filled with color; he captures the spirit and moods of these characters, and fills the canvas with so much life that they truly come alive.
