“Awaking Beauty: The Art of Eyvind Earle”

From May 18, 2017 to January 8, 2018, the Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco held a retrospective exhibition entitled “Awaking Beauty: The Art of Eyvind Earle.” On August 8, 2017, the museum published a companion book of the same name. I received a copy as a Christmas present.

“Awaking Beauty” is a 176-page hardcover book featuring artwork from the museum exhibit. It covers Eyvind Earle’s “early life and work,” “the Walt Disney Studios,” “commercial work,” and “late work.”

The narrative portion of the book only lightly covers Eyvind’s life, and it is braced with quotes from the artist. But, the book focuses on the artwork, so there is little text. I think the foreword, curator’s notes, and introduction equal about half of the total text. I was able to read the whole book in about an hour, which allowed plenty of time to enjoy the artwork.

My first known exposure to Eyvind’s style of art (and probably yours, too) was the art style used in Walt Disney’s “Sleeping Beauty.” But, he also worked on other projects, such as “Toot, Whistle, Plunk, & Boom,” which I had mistaken for the style of Mary Blair. Eyvind greatly admired Mary and her work. so it’s no great surprise.

My greatest surprise about the Eyvind was just how much work he did after working for the Walt Disney Studios. I was introduced to his Christmas cards, scratch board art, sculptures, and other landscape paintings. Eyvind’s late work is where he shines, and the book introduces some of his poetry, which match up with paintings of the same name.

Overall, I wasn’t disappointed one bit with Eyvind Earle’s work. In fact, I cherish it as one of my favorite books. It’s stuffed with large, vibrant prints and photos (as any art book should), and the brief details of the artist’s life adds just enough substance to compliment the artwork without turning it into a history lesson.

I hope that the museum continues to publish companion books like these with other exhibits. I may not have been able to visit the Walt Disney Family Museum to see the exhibition in person, but “Awaking Beauty” is the next best thing. And, I can admire Eyvind’s work whenever I like for as long as I like. It’s easy to dive heart-first into a single landscape painting, swim around in the vibrant colors, and be carried away by the brushstroke currents.

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