I’m grateful to Walt Disney

It’s funny how a lifetime of enjoying the worlds of Disney can be taken for granted until you really stop and think about it. Growing up literally a few miles away from Walt’s park, we could watch the fireworks from our backyard, and from my cousin’s house you could hear the Mark Twain whistle. We looked forward to family visits to the park, sometimes with just our immediate family, sometimes with the Indian Guides families. Either way, it was always a memorable time and it took my Dad from his busy life and forced him to be with us to just have fun together.

I was reminded last December of the day we heard on the radio that Walt Disney had passed away. I was in the barber chair, my Dad was there with a room full of boys & Dads and we all stopped what we were doing as time stood still and we just considered what this meant. I thought it would all end, Disneyland, World of Color TV show, the movies, all of it. I felt so sad, the only other time I remember feeling that way was when we heard about JFK being shot. The good news of course, was that Walt had gathered together a wonderful group of talented people and had created such an environment of creativity and direction that the company continued on, much to the credit of these people and, of course, Walt’s brother, Roy.

I can’t imagine our world without the influence of Walt Disney. If you’re not a Disney fan, that statement probably sounds ridiculous, but for those of us who appreciate and love the magic of the parks and classic Disney movies, TV and characters, it makes a lot of sense. I have loved art all of my life, drawing Disney characters as early as I can remember, oil painting has been my favorite form of art for the past 30+ years. I am thankful for the skills that enable me to re-create areas of the parks, scenes and situations that take me back to memories of times with my parents, times with my wife, and times with my kids which continue to this day. My hope is that everyone who purchases my art will also recall their own memories as they look at the art on their own walls.

My now adult kids are always onboard for a trip to Walt Disney World, and so we continue, after over 60 years to create memories all thanks to one man with a vision, who didn’t listen when everyone, including his wife told him it would not succeed. I’m grateful!