» The Princess And The Frog

Walt Disney said it all began with a mouse, and in the newest Disney movie classic you might sat it all begins with a frog. The Princess and the Frog has been brought to life with hand-drawn animation techniques, the first ever to be set in the enchanted city of New Orleans. In my painting I wanted to suggest the look of traditional animation yet maintain the sense of painterly mood that my work is known for. I lavished detail into the bayou flowers glowing with hidden fireflies, as well as the curving live oak draped with lacey Spanish moss.

The characters of the movie swirl about the composition, inviting us to ponder the part each plays in the story. We see the large mansion of Big Daddy, resplendent with an evening’s party on the bayou. The old riverboat churns its way into the bay as a flight of fireflies flickers overhead, and Ray, te senior statesmen of the fireflies, ponders the vista.

In an example of the blended time frame for which my Disney paintings are known, we see Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen being observed by the frogs who are Tiana and Naveen in a different form. In the billowing smoke of the riverboat we see a hint of Facilier, the evil voodoo master, while below Mama Odie stands guard in her swampy home. Lewis, the trumpet playing alligator, reminds us that New Orleans is at heart a musical city, and the riverboat guests behind him wave greeting to one and all. If you look carefully, you can spot other characters from the movie hidden around the composition, as well as a few unexpected “Disney visitors” from earlier classics.

As with all my Disney paintings, The Princess and the Frog presents a narrative panorama – a combination of elements from the movie that attempts to present the entire story in one image.  This is the first painting in my Disney Discoveries Collection – each one a tribute to a newly released movie destined to become a classic of animation.

As the first piece in the series, The Princess and the Frog will no doubt experience an enthusiastic welcome by Disney and Kinkade fans worldwide. At its core, The Princess and the Frog painting, like the movie itself, portrays a romantic love story. And who can resist a love story?

Movie Synopsis

“The Princess and the Frog” is an original story set in New Orleans during the Jazz Age (“1920s”). It tells the story of Tiana, a young enterprising African-American woman who, inspired by her mother, Eudora, (a gifted seamstress), and her father James, (her inspiration), has big dreams of one day opening her own restaurant. Despite her determination, skill and talent, a number of overwhelming obstacles are making her dream seem increasingly impossible.

When the gregarious but irresponsible jazz-loving Prince Naveen arrives from the far-off land of Maldonia looking to woo Charlotte La Bouff, (the Prince-obsessed daughter of “Big Daddy” La Bouff, the richest man in Louisiana), a series of events are set in motion which ultimately spin both Tiana and the Prince’s lives completely out of control. Through the evil machinations of Dr. Facilier, a sinister Voodoo fortuneteller, both the Prince and Tiana are transformed into frogs and become lost in the Louisiana bayou!

In their quest to regain their human form, this unlikely couple are forced to work together and, with the help of Ray, a lovesick Cajun firefly, Louis, a jazz-playing alligator, and Mama Odie, a two-hundred-year-old Voodoo Priestess, they overcome their differences, bring out the best in each other, and ultimately fall in love.

But it’s a love that will be severely tested and in a stirring climax, (that starts in the middle of Mardi Gras), Tiana comes to discover that dreams really do come true, (though not always in the way we expect), the love finds a way and that everything that’s most important is what lies under the skin.

This American fairy tale musical introduces Disney’s first African-American Princess and features songs by Academy Award® winning composer Randy Newman in the milieus of jazz, blues, zydeco and gospel.

Key Points

• The princess and the Frog is the first release in Thom’s new Disney Discoveries Collection.
• Thom has included 7 N’s in The Princess and the Frog as tribute to his wife Nanette. Look for the Mickeys – they’re hidden but there! Can you find snow White and Cinderella?