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An imaginative color stylist and designer, Mary Blair helped introduce modern art to Walt Disney and his Studio, and, for nearly 30 years, he touted her inspirational work for his films and theme parks alike. Animator Marc Davis, who put Mary's exciting use of color on par with Matisse, recalled, “She brought modern art to Walt in a way that no one else did. He was so excited about her work.” Animator Frank Thomas added: “Mary was the first artist I knew of to have different shades of red next to each other. You just didn't do that! But Mary made it work.”

Walt connected with Mary's fresh, childlike art style. As Disney Imagineering artist Rolly Crump once told animation historian John Canemaker, “The way she painted—in a lot of ways she was still a little girl. Walt was like that… You could see he could relate to children — she was the same way.”

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