Pasta is one dish often served in my home as it’s easy to make and there are many options (gnocchi and angel hair pasta are two favorites). I want to visit Italy someday, as I heard the food there is amazing! The closest I get these days is the Italy Pavilion at Epcot (which coincidentally also has great food and desserts – hello, tiramisu and espresso from Tutto Italia!). I recently saw some new merchandise at the pavilion that captures the essence of Italian travel posters of the 1950s and 60s. This awesome artwork was created by long time Disney Design Group artist Brian Blackmore. I spoke with Roger Dressen, product developer for World Showcase, about the items.
“This past year, we have been finding ways to incorporate Disney characters enjoying iconic things from each World Showcase pavilion,” said Roger. “Brian did a great job combining a romantic travel poster style with something many people can relate – food.”
I’ve known Brian for many years. I still have a drawing he made of Donald Duck on one of my Disney Ambassador business cards from 11 years ago. That is probably the reason why I’m drawn to his image of Donald looking to enjoy some delicious treats. Brian explained how he created the artwork.
“I made a few pencil sketches first,” continued Brian. “I then worked with an artist named Dan Salgo to have the images rendered digitally. The rendered art is what was used on the merchandise. The images were so popular with the development team that I was asked to make a few original paintings using the art. They will be a nice size when I’m finished, measuring about four-feet by two-feet. Look for them coming to the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival this year.”
The digital artwork was applied to a variety of items including spoon rests, petite prints, coffee mugs, aprons, magnets and more. Roger told me that the most popular item is a beverage coaster set which contains all four images.
Ciao!
