Mary Blair was born in Oklahoma in 1911. When Blair was old enough, she would eventually go on a scholarship to the Chouinard Arts Institute (in Los Angeles). This was due to her unique artistic talent. Blair is most well known for being a concept artist for the Walt Disney Company from 1940-1960. Her influence of bright colors in her work came from a visit to South America. This is something that Walt Disney would be very impressed by. He also liked that her work was a very contemporary design. Her husband Lee, who also worked for the Disney Company, was also on the same trip doing research for Saludos Amigos (1942) and The Three Caballeros (1944). 

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Mary was busy in the 1950s, working on projects like Cinderella (1950), Alice In Wonderland (1951), and Peter Pan (1953). After she was finished with those projects, Blair decided to focus on her own personal work.  She also found success in doing freelance Graphic Design work. Some of her projects included working on artwork and illustrations for Little Golden Books. 

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After a time away from the Disney company, she was approached by Walt Disney to create some artwork designs for the World's Fair in 1964. Her most famous pieces were made for the attraction It's a Small World. This ride became so popular that it eventually moved to Disneyland. Following the years after this, Blair became more involved with some of the exhibits and artwork within the Disney Parks. She created murals for the Contemporary Resort Hotel at Disney World.

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Blair would, unfortunately, pass away in 1978. Her legacy lives on through her work. Overall, what makes her style so unique is that her artwork is very minimal. She captures emotion through her use of bright colors. This is also an art style that you won't forget. Although her pieces are more abstract they are still very brilliant in capturing the story. 

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