NEW RELEASE
“Snow White Discovers the Cottage”
Sizes: 12x16; 18x27; 24x36; 28x42
The first image in my “Timeless Disney Moments Collection” will recreate that pivotal moment in the film when Snow White stumbles upon the seven Dwarfs’ cottage in the forest. My goal in this image is to imaginatively expand upon what is actually depicted in the feature itself. I have tried to step into the world created by the film and “wander around” in my imagination, searching for new vistas. For the Snow White image I went back to the early design work for the film and discovered many great concept sketches of the cottage and the surrounding landscape that are largely unknown today - one of which I've shown here. For example, there was originally a waterfall envisioned near the cottage, so I included a dramatic cascade in my painting. One or two scenes reference the Prince’s castle in the distance – for my composition I have included a reveal of the castle at the right of the composition. I also couldn’t help throwing in animal details. These range from squirrels and rabbits to the gentle deer that help guide Snow White to the safe haven of the cottage. A wise tortoise observes the scene from the banks of the stream, and a curious squirrel sits atop a tree stump.
I hope your experience of my “Snow White Discovers the Cottage” equals the exhilaration and pure joy I had creating it. Look for Snow White, and the launch of my “Timeless Disney Moments Collection” in galleries by the beginning of August. What other images would you like to see in this collection?
Thoughts from the Artist
Years ago, a fifty cent purchase changed my life. As a seven year old boy I purchased a matinee ticket and stared in wide-eyed wonder at the magical world of Walt Disney’s classic film Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. I was especially charmed with the whimsical woodland cottage that housed the seven dwarfs — it was as though my fascination with cottages suddenly was awakened! It wasn’t until I traveled to England and the rest of Europe in my early twenties that I discovered that such dwellings actually exist in the real world. For me, the charms of the old world are akin to the fairy tale magic I first discovered in the early Disney features. With this in mind, you can imagine my delight when Disney recently opened their archives to me as I prepared for my first-ever series of images inspired by classic Disney moments.
In my current work, Snow White’s world is alive with color. The Prince’s castle where Snow White will eventually discover happiness looms majestically in the distance, while a foaming waterfall and fanciful animals remind us that Snow White is at peace with all of nature. I studied the work of early American illustrators to recreate the fairy tale look of the tree trunks, forest stones and woodland pathways. Of course, I also included my iconic colorful flowers which festoon the scene with hopeful reminders of spring.
I hope that Snow White Discovers the Cottage will be a fairy tale come true for Disney and Kinkade collectors everywhere.
Note on piece and subject matter
1. Snow White Discovers the Cottage is the first image in a new series entitled, Timeless Disney Moments.
2. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, based on the European fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm, originally premiered in 1937 and is the first feature-length animated film with optical sound in movie history. It's also the first Walt Disney Animated Classic.
3. Thom has hidden a total of seven N’s in Snow White Discovers the Cottage, as a tribute to his wife Nanette. And, to honor this new collection of Disney favorites, there are also seven Mickey silhouettes hidden in the image. Why seven? One for each Dwarf!
4. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs became a major box-office success. For a time, it was the highest-grossing film in American cinema history. Adjusted for inflation and subsequent releases, the film still registers one of the top ten American film moneymakers of all time. The film received a standing ovation at its premiere from a star-studded audience that included such celebrities as Charlie Chaplin and Shirley Temple, among many others.
5. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs has been ranked by the American Film Institute as the greatest animated film of all time!
6. Thom worked on this masterpiece, Snow White Discovers the Cottage, for two and a half months, spending hundreds of hours to create a timeless fairytale image. This first image in the series honors two of Thom’s greatest ideals — home and family — and the spiritual sense of the destiny that we all possess — returning home. Snow White has just found her true family and safety, and is at peace with nature. Thom has also included a tortoise in the image as a symbol of wisdom.
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