Original 1939 WALT DISNEY production background w.c. Donald Duck's Beach Picnic

Description

INTRO
The first cartoon featuring Donald Duck's friend Pluto is the
1939 release "Donald Duck's Beach Picnic" sometimes called "Beach Picnic."
Here's a link to a version of the original cartoon. It's the 12th Donald Duck film.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOuD8O0xBcA
Central to the storyline is a wrecked boat hull partly buried in
the sand. Pluto gets stuck in a hole in the hull. This wrecked boat hull is
seen at various places in the cartoon. One starts at around 1:00 to 1:05 in the
video above.
THE ITEM WE ARE SELLING
You are acquiring an original watercolor painting, a production background of three important scenes featuring Pluto in this cartoon.
Painted by Disney artist and animator and many decades later, Pixar
artist Arthur Fitzpatrick (1919-2015) and signed and dated 1938 with various interesting
markings on the verso. Fitzpatrick was the designer of a futuristic 1940 Packard automobile as a very young man, and also designed two U.S. postage stamps.
The painting is about 8 x 10-1/2 inches. Signed and dated at lower right in
dark pencil or perhaps very fine watercolor brush. It's matted in an old mat
that's about 14-1/2 x 17 inches.
Condition: There's a closed tear about 1-3/4 inches long at the extreme lower left,
and another of 3/4 inches at upper right, the second of these evidently
was torn before or during the production as it's been whited out in opaque
watercolor for photo reproduction, presumably in the filming process. There are
traces of darkening glue visible at the right margin, appearing to be
where the original was attached to its mat and the mat has slipped.
There's also white masking paint covering a line underneath the signature, thus
making it illegible.
Based on color showing where the mat has slipped, there appears to be very little
lightening of the paint. The palette is definitely the 1930s characteristic browns
yellows greens, also seen in the cartoon.
VERSO
Near the middle of the backing board is the inscription "To Mike with
love from (Ho-ho) Great Grandpa Fitz and Donald Duck's Beach Picnic. 1985." Boldly
written in fountain pen.
At the top is an approval note in pencil, partly obscured by masking tape, but
stating "O.K. by Mique Nelson / Production M24 / Scenes 23 - 46 - 44A"
Mique Nelson was a Disney artist and art director in the late 1930s. Here's a
link to his bio.
https://disneylegends.blogspot.com/2018/03/mique-nelson-my-190th-pick-to-be-named.html
At the far right is another approval note in pencil, this one states"
"O.K. by Mique Nelson / Production #24 / Scenes 24 - 46 - 44 / Final O.K. T. J. [appears to be C]."
We have no idea who T.J.C is.
There are traces of old tape and other markings on the back.
This piece would very definitely benefit from professional conservation. However it would
also be possible to mat out the damaged areas and make a very presentable piece of
early Disney Studios history.
NOTE
Shipping in the U.S. only and will be by registered mail.
ABOUT THE ARTIST (from Wikipedia)
Arthur "Art" M. Fitzpatrick (1919–2015) was an American art director widely known for his
automotive art and advertising illustrations. Fitz", as he was often called, was noted for
his work was on the Pontiac "wide-track" campaign from 1959-1972, working with Van Kaufman.
Fitzpatrick had several careers over eight decades, including automobile designing,
art director and stamp designer. Near the end of his career, he designed two series of
automobile stamps for the U.S. Postal Service, released in 2005 and 2008.
Early years
In 1936, Fitzpatrick enrolled at the Detroit Society of Arts and Crafts (now the College for
Creative Studies). At that time, he was 18 years old and worked at Chrysler at night to pay
his way.[1] John Tjaarda, the head stylist at the Briggs Body Company, hired him as an
apprentice designer, where he worked on various projects for Chrysler, Packard and Lincoln.
Fitzpatrick is credited with designing the 1940 Packard 180 sedan.
He moved to California with his parents in 1938 and took a job with Howard "Dutch" Darrin,
where Fitzpatrick developed designs for Darrin-modified Packards.[2]
Fitzpatrick served in the Naval Aviation Training and the Naval Office of Research and
Invention during World War II, then landed a contract to illustrate Mercury's postwar ads
before he left the Navy. After World War II, Mercury signed Fitzpatrick to create
advertising images. While at Mercury, Fitzpatrick began working with Van Kaufman, a former
Disney animator, whose specialized in figurative and scenic drawing.
In 1953, General Motors hired Fitzpatrick and Kaufman to serve as the Buick division's
advertising artists. They moved to Pontiac in 1959 to produce the artwork for the Pontiac
"wide-track" campaign, which concluded in 1972. "Wide-track" was the longest, and arguably
the most successful, ad campaign in American automobile industry history. In 1972, Fitzpatrick
and Kaufman moved to General Motors' European subsidiary, Opel, where they produced advertising artwork for several years.
Later years
Fitzpatrick continued to produce signed and numbered prints and artist proofs of his work,
eventually adapting to digital illustration techniques. He consulted with Pixar Animation Studios
on the development of feature movie Cars.[3]
Fitzpatrick continued to lecture widely and appeared at venues such as the Center For Creative
Studies and the Gilmore Car Museum in Michigan. He gave his last presentation at the
Automobile Driving Museum in El Segundo, California in October 2015.
Fitzpatrick drew two series of top-selling commemorative stamps for the U.S. Postal Service
titled "America on the Move" which were released in 2005 and 2008. The first series celebrated
1950s sporty cars, such as the Chevrolet Corvette, Ford Thunderbird and Kaiser Darrin. The second set, "tail fins and chrome," featured such cars as the 1959 Cadillac Eldorado, Chrysler 300C and Lincoln Premiere.
Awards and honors
Fitzpatrick was the recipient of numerous automotive and advertising industry awards and honors. Fitzpatrick received the first national Andy Award (the advertising industry's equivalent
of the Oscar) in 1964 by the Advertising Club of New York City.[5]
In 2012, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Art Center College of Design
in Pasadena, where he had served as a guest lecturer since 1965. Fitzpatrick was an honorary
member of the Classic Car Club of America (CCCA) and the Automotive Fine Art Society (AFAS). In Fitzpatrick's honor, the AFAS presents an award annually at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.
ABOUT FITZPATRICK'S WORK AT DISNEY
Although the above mentions Fitzpatrick's work with former Disney animator Van Kaufman, it is clear that Fitzpatrick was working himself on Disney projects between 1938 and the early
1940s.
He is mentioned below as a producer on the 1941 Pluto's Playmate cartoon.
https://www.intanibase.com/shorts.aspx?shortID=314#page=general_info
He is listed also as an animator on Bone Trouble (1940).
So the untold story of Art/Arthur Fitzpatrick has lots to reveal.