By: Tiera Tanner, WDW Radio Team
Before we dive into this week’s Disney Fine Artist profile, I would like to continue to extend my love and thoughts to fellow Disney artists and families affected by the LA fires. After learning more from artists in the area, particularly those in or near Altadena, there are so many Disney artists, Imagineers, and Disney employees in need. Please seek out resources to donate or spread the word to help out the Disney community that has created so much magic for us. Thank you!
As most of our favorite Disney films encourage, Disney artist Rosemary Begley attests it is never too late to pursue your dreams.
“I attended Kenyon College, majoring in Studio Art, but developed my art later in life,” she shared. “In my early forties, I pursued pastel and oil painting at local studios in Kansas City, and at the age of 56 was invited to paint for Disney. That is one reason I like to encourage guests that you are never too young or old to pursue a passion and a dream. A few years into my career with Disney, I changed mediums to acrylic paints, and found they are very freeing in different ways than oils, which I continue to use in personal art.”
The 2025 Epcot International Festival of the Arts marked Begley’s seventh year showcasing her delightful paintings. This year Begley introduced three new acrylic pieces.
Begley shared her inspiration for these new paintings as celebrating the magic of Walt Disney World.
“’Renown’ is an acrylic painting of the four Park icons, Cinderella Castle, Spaceship Earth, Tree of Life, and Tower of Terror,” she said. “[They are] all so fun to portray as an evening scene with their brilliance of colorful lights and spotlit skies overhead.”
Along with “Renown,” Begley’s other new paintings highlight two beloved attractions from the Magic Kingdom.
“The second painting entitled ‘Inspire,’ shows the Dumbo ride, and is a continuation of my theme of bubbles and clouds to represent ideas and inspiration, with an emphasis on Dumbo’s upward flight,” she explained. “My third work for this FOTA revisits Prince Charming’s Regal Carousel and is entitled ‘Spirited,’ but as an updated version of the Cinderella horse with a blue sash reminiscent of Cinderella’s dress worn by Lily James in the delightful 2015 live action movie.”
The details in “Spirited” continued themes from one of Begley’s 2024 festival pieces, “Striking,” in which Cinderella from the 2015 live action film runs down the castle stairs at midnight.
“Returning to the carousel as a subject matter was so exciting because of my love for the updated Cinderella 2015 live action movie,” she said. “I painted ‘Striking’ for FOTA ’24, of that Cinderella running down the stairs of the actual Cinderella Castle and losing her slipper, and I loved portraying her incredibly magnificent and magical blue gown, so I wanted to incorporate that material further in the carousel sash on the horse. It was after submitting the drawing that I learned the Cinderella horse had been reconditioned for the past year or two and had only just been returned to the ride.”
Featuring a regal line of white carousel horses, “Spirited” beautifully captures the movement and color of Prince Charming’s Regal Carousel located in Fantasyland of Magic Kingdom. The majestic horses align left to right, biggest to smallest, across the composition – each adorned with delicate, but vibrant detail. Repetition of shape and lines across the carousel lead the viewer’s eye around the painting creating an engaging ‘merry-go-round’ within the painting itself.
“Spirited,” along with Begley’s collection of paintings, is a celebration of Disney magic, just as the Festival of Arts was an occasion to acknowledge artists and creators of all fortes.
“The Epcot International Festival of the Arts – with the most marvelous art of talented and passionate artists – coupled with the most imaginative and memorable food and drink [and] during a wonderful time of year is truly the best art festival I’ve ever attended as a guest or participant,” Begley stated.
Stop by Begley’s artist tent at the Morocco Pavilion now through February 24. To learn more, visit begleyart.com.
