A COLLECTION OF WORKS BY PRESTON, LEE, AND MARY BLAIR SHOWCASES THE TALENT THAT HELPED THIS FAMILY OF DISNEY ARTISTS LEAVE A LASTING IMPACT ON THE WORLD OF ANIMATION
By Isaac Garza | July 16, 2025
In the history of Disney art, there is no family like the Blairs. When the Blair brothers – Preston (1908-1995) and Lee (1911-1993) – were awarded scholarships for the Chouinard Art Institute in Los Angeles, they embarked on a journey that would lead them and Lee’s future wife, Mary (1911-1978), to leave a colossal mark on Walt Disney Studios. With Preston animating for momentous films like Pinocchio, Bambi and the Fantasia segment “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice”; Lee providing storyboards for Fantasia’s “Dance of the Hours” and “The Pastoral Symphony”; and Mary famously bringing her color and styling mastery to Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan, it’s easy to see why this family’s craftsmanship remains so influential today.
To honor the artistic careers of these luminaries of the animation world, Heritage is offering an exceptional collection of artwork by the Blairs during its August 7-11 The Art of Disney Signature® Auction. Among the treasures are rare original works by the trio of artists, including more than 70 Mary Blair lots.
Mary Blair created this concept painting of Cinderella visiting her parents’ grave for an unused scene in the 1950 Disney classic.
One of the crown jewels of the collection is a rare concept painting Mary created for an unused scene in Cinderella. This beautiful image by Walt Disney’s favorite artist shows a detailed picture of Cinderella with a veil on her head, mourning her parents at their grave. The painting offers a clear image of the titular character’s love for her late parents and further details the circumstances that led her to stay with Lady Tremaine and her daughters.
Remembered for her powerful use of lush color and grand shapes, Mary’s artwork gained its distinctive whimsical elegance after she and Lee partook in Walt Disney’s iconic 1941 Goodwill Tour of South America. A pivotal moment in her career, this trip inspired Mary to infuse her work with a liveliness that permeated into films like Saludos Amigos and The Three Caballeros and in Disney attractions like her famous designs for It’s a Small World.
Mary Blair brings a group of Mexican dancers to life in her distinct and colorful style in this original signed watercolor concept painting for 1944’s ‘The Three Caballeros.’
The timelessness of Mary’s works was famously demonstrated in the 2014 exhibition at the Walt Disney Family Museum, Magic, Color, Flair: The World of Mary Blair, a showcase of her art for animated films and Disney parks that proved her work still resonates with modern audiences. For more evidence that her charm is here to stay, look no further than the museum’s current exhibition, Mary Blair: Mid-Century Magic, on view through September 7.
In 1938, two years before Mary landed at Walt Disney Studios, her husband, Lee, joined the company as a color supervisor. But in addition to his work for Disney, Lee was one of the key artists who helped develop the California Style of watercolor painting. His outstanding artistic capabilities are on full display in the stunning watercolors featured in this auction, including a masterful rural scene depicting a woman greeting a man and dog in the countryside. This delightful selection of his work makes clear why Lee became president of the prestigious California Water Color Society in 1935.
Heritage’s August 7-11 The Art of Disney Signature® Auction features several watercolor paintings by Lee Blair, including this quiet country scene.
An original 1940s gouache painting by Disney animator Preston Blair
Lee’s brother, Preston, also shares the stage. After attending art school, Preston intended to work as a fine artist, but difficult times during the Great Depression led him to learn to animate. He became known for his work on Fantasia, Pinocchio, Bambi and a variety of shorts at Disney, as well as his animation of Red Hot Riding Hood at MGM and his invaluable instructional books on animation that he released starting in 1948. The works featured in this auction, including a romantic scene of a couple sharing a kiss in front of a glowing cityscape, display his well-roundedness as an artist, proving that, besides his ability to portray movement, he had a magnificent eye for capturing splendid still images.
Together, these works highlight the important role the family played in establishing Walt Disney’s monumental status in animation and serve as a testament to the Blairs’ distinguished artisanship.
