Original Disney Bambi Animation Artwork?

[KevinM]

I purchased this painting at the thrift store yesterday and have researched the origin of the Painting, Artist and Frame Shop without success.

The painting seems to be an original done in pencil then painted with what looks like acrylic paint on mat board. The painting is initialed in pencil "BH" on the lower front and on the back the name "Brenda Haywood" and number "#1106" was written by the artist or someone else. On the frames back panel that hold the painting, mat and glass into the frame are the initials "SB" written in pencil at the bottom of the back panel.

There is pencil sketching visible on the birds belly areas and on Bambi's tail where it looks like the painter forgot to paint the back part of the tail section white. There is no number in that area or any other area where it might indicate this was a paint by numbers painting. There is also some small pencil sketching visible in other areas. I've searched for this image everywhere including searches with paint by numbers with the search keywords and found nothing. But who knows, there are hundreds of thousands of Bambi images out there.

The painting is about 9 3/4 inches wide and 14 3/4 inches tall and the frame and mat are about 16 inches wide and 20 inches tall.

The painting is attached to a mat board at the top with tape that has information about the frame shop that framed the painting. On the tape it has the the frame shop owners name, address and an old phone number "Kenmore 6-4669" which would indicate the framing was done at least around 50 years or more ago I think (See image below - I removed the mat and painting from the frame to take pictures).

I'm having trouble finding out which Bambi Movie this was from since it was first released in 1942 and re-released in 1947, 1957, 1966, 1975, 1982, and 1988. I'm also wondering if this could be part of a Disney storyboard or serigraph process/series that was hand painted or was done by someone who just did nice artwork and copied it freestyle by hand and painted it on there own.

Anyone have any ideas about the origin, time period, which movie, the artist or anything?

Thanks,
Kevin

[KC]

Could be wrong, but it just doesn't look the "quality" of a Disney original.  However, many artists worked at Disneyland (usually had marked paper) and many duplicated the works because it brought happiness to many and brought in $$$.   

Here's the credits for 1942 Bambi http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0034492/fullcredits#cast
Here's another one http://movies.yahoo.com/movie/1802837507/cast

Now, you notice on the second one there are no females listed.  Women were not allowed to be animators/artist...but they had a full crew of women that did the touch ups and completed scenes = just were never credited.  However, they worked/lived in California!  This says Boston.

[KevinM]

Thanks for the reply KC. You're probably right. I know this one is a long shot and I was already aware of the animator situation at Disney during that period of time but sometimes you never know what may turn up..

Some other links of interest...

Studio's first woman animator, receiving screen credit on the 1942 classic "Bambi."
http://disney.go.com/disneyinsider/history/legends/retta-scott

The Mystery of the Female Disney Animator
http://www.mouseplanet.com/8166/The_Mystery_of_the_Female_Disney_Animator

There was some activity with the movie just a few hours drive from Boston...
"The background of the film was inspired by the Eastern woodlands. One of the earliest and best-known artists for the Disney studio, Maurice "Jake" Day, spent several weeks in the Vermont and Maine forests, sketching and photographing deer, fawns, and the surrounding wilderness areas."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bambi

[KC]

KevinM, it was a well-known fact that Disney would go after anyone who violated their copyrights....so I don't B Haywood would do that and sell them if she worked for Disney.  This shows it is item #1106?! 

Ink and Paint "ladies" did their work on clear celluloid.  There is a slight possibility that she could have worked...but so many names/interviews have come out of that time period it seems hers would have cropped up.  I especially have enjoyed the stories that History Detectives have done on found sketches from the old movies...but they were pen and watercolors.

[KevinM]

Thanks KC, I agree with you about the copyright issue and wondered a little about that myself. Yes, on the back is the name Brenda Haywood and #1106. I was wondering what the item number was actually referring to.

I think there is more to this sketch/painting but can't find enough facts about it. There are just some things about it that don't come together yet. I too like History Detectives.

[mart]

OK so its been a long time since I was a kid but,,I I don`t think it was from Bambi !!  Strange but I remember those animals and did not see Bambi as a kid !!  The ones that come to mind are Cinderella or Sleeping Beauty but don`t know why !!  Or even Snow White !! Female character had a black or dark colored skirt with an apron and was in later scenes !!  Will look later !!
That rabbit looks the same as one in Snow White !!