Sailor Moon
Sailor Moon
Coraline
Liana Hee
Audrey Kawasaki
Sweet Bestiary
Brittney Lee
Audrey Hepburn
Introduction
I was six years old in 1995 when a feature presentation played the 35th anniversary VHS cassette set of My Fair Lady on The Sound of Music tape. Time stood still when I saw Audrey as Eliza Dolittle dressed in a silvery dress on top of the staircase, presenting herself as a fine lady to Professor Higgens—for me, she looked like a princess. I pointed at the screen and said, “I want that mommy!” A couple weeks later, she presented me with a black plastic bag, and inside was the pinnacle of my childhood. Most would say that a trip to Disney was a fond memory, but my mom got me something better; she got me Audrey Hepburn.
We were poor, but thankfully, my mother wouldn’t compromise on cable television. I was able to catch Audrey Hepburn’s catalog on Turner Classic Movies (TCM) and was able to watch Roman Holiday, Sabrina, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, Charade, Two for the Road, Love in the Afternoon, and How to Steal a Million. We bought posters, DVDs, and loots related to Audrey until one day my mother surprised me with An Elegant Spirit. It was a piece of heaven to me; I devoured and memorized every page, even the photo captions. I kept that book really close to my heart.
Audrey Hepburn’s sons Sean Hepburn Ferrer and Luca Dotti collaborated with Christie’s to catalog over 500 items in 2007 and 2008. It was a dream to collect anything that once belonged Audrey, so it was painful that I didn’t win anything from the auction. However, I was able to acquire items from people who won multiple lots. My collection expanded to her letters, signatures, clippings, and magazines. I never dreamed to have this kind of collection, throughout my entire life, Audrey Hepburn is a very special figure in my life.
From childhood to adulthood, she was a constant inspiration and comfort to me. To chase the blues away, I just put on whatever Audrey movie that I feel would lighten my mood. Her words and actions have made many changes in my life. One of them I have to credit her for is helping me find the love of life, her interviews regarding Robert Wolders changed my perception of what to seek in a relationship; Audrey and Robert found commonality in their Dutch heritage, love for their Jack Russel pack, simple living, and most importantly, being themselves without holding back. Audrey said that if she met Robert in her younger days, she wouldn’t have appreciated him as much.
There are many examples of the positive influence Audrey had in my life, but I had to admit that decorum is not one of them. I am, very much, a brash New Yorker who walks with a sulked face – happy in the inside, grumpy on the out!
My List
TOP FIVE FILMS
#1. Two for the Road - Imperfect romance with some curse words thrown in and Audrey channeling her best retro 70s style.
#2. How to Steal a Million
#3. Breakfast at Tiffany's
#4. Sabrina
#5.My Fair Lady
BEST BOOKS
Cigarette Brands: Wills’ Gold Flake Cigarettes in the 50s, Kent in her later years
China: White or Off-White
Holiday: Christmas
Lucky Number: 55
Public Figures: Gandhi, Dalai Lama
Places: La Paisible, Shopping Malls
Cinderella Cel
Cinderella, Original Production Cel
♪ No matter how your heart is grieving
If you keep on believing
The dream that you wish will come true ♪
In seconds of my impressions upon this production cel, the hairs stood up from my arms, and my heart rate beat at the speed of a mouse’s. Cinderella is a rare title character; very few selections of her will show up in the market, while there is a healthy amount of Briar Rose, Ariel, and sometimes Snow White—only Cinderella will show up a few times, and almost none for a couple of years.
Supervising Animators of Cinderella
Eric Larson
Marc Davis
The two supervising animators of Cinderella were Eric Larson and Marc Davis. Laron is the first to supervise the title character; he imagines her as sweet and bashful. Later, Davis joins Larson as one of the leads, and both have conflicting perceptions of Cinderella’s qualities. Davis preferred an intelligent, witty, and strong leading lady. The combined views made Cinderella a woman of kindness but no pushover. She will free mice from traps, but she will give Lucifer a good whooping if he causes trouble for her. She gets bullied by her stepfamily, yet finds humor in it all.
One of the many scenes that Larson is responsible for was the morning sequence where Cinderella sings “A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes." This very cel came from the scene where Cinderella ties her hair with a blue ribbon presented by her bird friends, donning handmade headscarves that she made for them.
Sources:
https://www.waltdisney.org/blog/going-back-fairy-tale-five-animators-cinderella
https://50mostinfluentialdisneyanimators.wordpress.com/2011/10/07/9-eric-larson/
Madam Mim Cel
The Sword in the Stone, Original Production Cel
♪ I can be beautiful, lovely and fair
Silvery voice, long purple hair ♪
Walt Disney assigned Frank Thomas and Milt Kahl as supervising animators for Madam Mim. However, Kahl’s assistant, Floyd Norman, confirmed that Kahl completed most of the animation on Merlin and Mim. The supervising duo had a great time drawing Madam Mim, and theater audiences found her to be the most delightful highlight of the film.
Supervising Animators of Madam Mim
Frank Thomas
Milt Kahl
Assistant Animator
Floyd Norman
While Thomas oversaw a lot of scenes of Madam Mim as herself, Kahl supervised Madam Mim as a beauty. Floyd Norman recalled doing the clean-up of that sequence: “In a final bit of animated fun, the less than attractive Madame Mim transforms herself into a sexy babe. It was no accident that the 'sexy Mim’ bore a remarkable resemblance to a tall, leggy redhead who worked upstairs in the layout department on the second floor”. The layout artist Sylvia Roemer was revealed as the model inspiration, while the voice acting was provided by Martha Wentworth.
Sources:
https://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/in-his-own-words-floyd-norman-on-disneys-the-sword-in-the-stone/
https://50mostinfluentialdisneyanimators.wordpress.com/2011/10/07/9-eric-larson/
https://feelinganimatedblog.wordpress.com/2017/08/31/film-review-the-sword-in-the-stone-1963/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpNszUMPUl8
Sleeping Beauty Layout
Sleeping Beauty, Original Layout
You poor, simple fools
Thinking you could defeat me! Me!
The mistress of all evil!
Well, here's your precious princess!
Sleeping Beauty is vastly different from its earlier princess predecessors; the style was medieval gothic, and the slapstick was toned down to match the classical tones. There was an unsettling eeriness when Maleficent lured Aurora to the high tower for her doom, all while her fairy guardians warned her not to touch anything.
Layout Artist
McLaren Stewart with Walt Disney
This is an original production layout drawing by McLaren Stewart. He used blue, green, and red pencils on this animation sheet measuring 12.5” by 30.” He was assigned to scene 36 of sequence 14. There were written instructions on the corner of the layout detailing how the camera would zoom in and then back for the dramatic effect.
McLaren Stewart was an art director for Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio, Fantasia’s Right of Spring segment, Bambi, and Mary Poppin’s animation sequence. His incredible skill as a layout artist was credited in Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, Lady and the Tramp, and showcased here, Sleeping Beauty.
Sources:
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0829622/
Fantasia's Centaurette
Fantasia, Original Production Drawing
Fantasia is a masterpiece, a film that absorbed all the groundbreaking animation techniques that ever developed in that time, which include three-strip technicolor, a multiplane camera with seven levels, and a sophisticated standard of storytelling. The centaurettes are my favorite mystical creatures from The Pastoral Symphony segment, where the cherubs prepare the centaurettes to meet their equally colorful male counterparts. The idea of all the centaurettes being drawn with breasts presented a problem with the Hays Office, where they enforced the Motion Picture Production Code, which led some of the centaurettes to wear floral garlands.
Supervising Animator
Fred Moore
Ollie Johnston, one of Disney’s Nine Old Men, recalled that despite Disney wanting Fred to take on more director assignments, he was more comfortable animating than taking on a leadership role. “Supervising animators was a responsibility Fred couldn’t accept,” explained Ollie Johnston. “He just kept leaving earlier and drinking more and horsing around more, and next thing you know, he got divorced. He had to be disciplined. If he’d been left animating, he might have lasted longer.”
The lot came with a pair of centaurette conceptual drawings attributed to animator Fred Moore. The draft is closer to Moore’s style than the selected outcome, but the finish is still ever more beautiful. The right corner of the animation sheet is numbered “222.”
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fantasia(1940film)
https://50mostinfluentialdisneyanimators.wordpress.com/2011/11/12/4-fred-moore/
Fantasia's Centaurette
Fantasia, Original Production Drawing
Fantasia is a masterpiece, a film that absorbed all the groundbreaking animation techniques that ever developed in that time, which include three-strip technicolor, a multiplane camera with seven levels, and a sophisticated standard of storytelling. The centaurettes are my favorite mystical creatures from The Pastoral Symphony segment, where the cherubs prepare the centaurettes to meet their equally colorful male counterparts. The idea of all the centaurettes being drawn with breasts presented a problem with the Hays Office, where they enforced the Motion Picture Production Code, which led some of the centaurettes to wear floral garlands.
Supervising Animator
Fred Moore
Ollie Johnston, one of Disney’s Nine Old Men, recalled that despite Disney wanting Fred to take on more director assignments, he was more comfortable animating than taking on a leadership role. “Supervising animators was a responsibility Fred couldn’t accept,” explained Ollie Johnston. “He just kept leaving earlier and drinking more and horsing around more, and next thing you know, he got divorced. He had to be disciplined. If he’d been left animating, he might have lasted longer.”
The lot came with a pair of centaurette conceptual drawings attributed to animator Fred Moore. The draft is closer to Moore’s style than the selected outcome, but the finish is still ever more beautiful. The right corner of the animation sheet is numbered “H 248.”
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fantasia(1940film)
https://50mostinfluentialdisneyanimators.wordpress.com/2011/11/12/4-fred-moore/
Coraline
Coraline, Original Color Test Maquette
♪ Suli au len
Le di le fanilé jenti
Amen zun don
Antwo daltan
Felice li mue ♪
Coraline is the first film by LAIKA, an American stop-motion animation studio directed by Henry Selick. The film is based on an original children’s novella by Neil Gaiman, a fantasy horror tale of a young girl named Coraline Jones. After moving into a pink house that was converted into apartments, she discovers a little door that leads to a duplicated version of her home, except everyone has buttons for eyes.
Sculptor
Kent Melton
Marc Davis, one of Disney’s Nine Old Men, would sculpt Snow White out of clay to see all the perspectives and angles of the character. Since then, Walt Disney has produced several sculptures of each character to give to animators to study. Animators know that these must be returned by the end of the production; some stayed as decorations, and others would disappear near the end of the film. LAIKA hired Kent Melton as a sculpture artist for Coraline. He uses a material called polymer clay. “You can bake at a low temperature to protect it after it’s finished,” Kent explained. His legendary work includes Aladdin, The Lion King, Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Hercules, Mulan, The Prince of Egypt, Tarzan, and The Incredibles.
The provenance is directly from the LAIKA Archives.
Sources:
https://www.417mag.com/issues/january-2015/getting-to-know-kent-melton/
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1913604/
Pocahontas
Pocahontas, Original Meeko Maquette
After the roaring success of Beauty and the Beast, the Pocahontas project was pushed to recreate its predecessor’s record-breaking glory. Some of the animators transferred from The Lion King, believing it would be the second coming of Beauty and the Beast. Though it didn’t share the same reception, it was still a box office success, and “Colors of the Wind” scored the highest musical prize from the Academy Awards, Golden Globe, and Grammy Awards.
Character Sculptor
Kent Melton
Kent Melton is a legendary sculpture artist; his credits include Hanna Barbera, Walt Disney, Don Bluth, DreamWorks, and LAIKA. His humble beginnings are not only interesting but also awe-inspiring. Melton was frustrated by the lack of toys in his favorite Saturday morning cartoons; for fun and amusement, he sculpted them. He brought his creations with him to a Beatles music convention in Chicago. A Disney employee, Don Dougherty, saw them and advised, “If you can sculpt cartoons like that, you can make money in Los Angeles.” Kent took it seriously, left his job, and moved his family to Los Angeles. When he arrived, Don did not respond to his calls. The moving company contract was about to expire, and Kent and his family were about to return home until a renter begged for someone to take the house. The Meltons ended up staying.
Don and Kent reconnected, but he had already left Disney and started working for Hanna-Barbera. Feeling guilty, Don introduced Kent to Joe Barbera, who looked through his portfolio and said, “We have a lot of guys who can draw, but we’ve never had a sculptor.” Don was hired and started working on The Flintstones and The Jetsons. Years later, Disney hired him to work on Aladdin, The Lion King, Pocahontas, and more.
The supervisor animator for Meeko is Nik Ranieri. In an episode of The Tiara Talk Show, he mentioned how daunting it was to be in charge of Meeko and how he was “scared to death” to create a character without a guide or dialogue. He admired animator Duncan Marjoribanks, who is the supervisor animator for Aladdin’s Abu. Ranieri recalled, “I saw it as impossible. So, when I got Meeko, I thought, how am I going to handle this character? It’s pantomime, and it made me grow as an animator to actually take on that challenge.” Pocahontas is more mature than any Renaissance-era film, much to the credit of Ranieri and other animators for creating many great gags and bringing lightheartedness that balanced the tone of the story.
Nik Ranieri had a team he supervised in the creation of Meeko; each assistant animator had a character model sculpted by Kent Melton. One of his assistant animators is David T. Nethery, whose credits include Who Framed Roger Rabbit, The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, The Lion King, and, alas, Pocahontas. He used this very maquette as a tool throughout the film; when the producer allowed the animators to take home their character maquettes, Nethery had his supervisor, Nik Ranieri, sign his. I am honored to be a caretaker of this incredible treasure that Nethery has held on to since the film's production.
Sources:
https://www.417mag.com/issues/january-2015/getting-to-know-kent-melton/
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1913604/
https://youtu.be/DPHiA4Dfnmk?si=WXwXCGj-bsSrXWP-
Pocahontas, Original Used Lyric Sheet
Pocahontas, Original Used Lyric Sheet
♪ And you'll never hear the wolf cry to the blue corn moon
For whether we are white or copper-skinned
We need to sing with all the voices of the mountain
Need to paint with all the colours of the wind ♪♪ You can own the earth and still
All you'll own is earth until
You can paint with all the colours of the wind ♪
“Colors of the Wind” is a pop ballad by composer Alan Menken and lyricist Stephen Schwartz for Walt Disney’s animated feature film, Pocahontas. Judy Kuhn is the singing voice of the title character; she was trained as an “operatic soprano” at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music. It was critically acclaimed by critics and the audience alike, and the song peaked at number 4 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
Composer & Lyricist
Alan Menken
Stephen Schwartz
The list of accolades this song received are:
Academy Awards – Best Original Musical or Comedy ScoreAcademy Awards – Best Original SongAnnie Awards – Best Achievement in MusicGolden Globe Awards – Best Original Song – Motion PictureGrammy Awards – Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or for Television
This is the very lyric sheet used during the recording of “Colors of the Wind,” sung by Judy Kuhn. The lyrics are highlighted in yellow and stapled to the board, with the singer’s name written on the left corner. The time, date, and other miscellaneous notes were written on the back.
• Judy Kuhn’s Lyric Sheet• Tuesday Sept 21, 1993• 10 – 1pm• Todd-AO Scoring Stage• Final Version
The film’s director, Mike Gabriel, held on to this used lyric sheet for nearly twenty years. He decided to let go of some of his collection, and now it's part of the Enchanted Hour collection.
Sailor Moon, Original Production Cel
Sailor Moon, Original Production Cel
♪ Turning around and around
まわれ まわれ
On the moon’s merry go round
月のメリーゴーランド
Twirling in my silken glass dress
すずし気な カラスのドレス ひるがえして
I will always watch over you
いつだって 見守っているわ
Moon Moon Princess
ムーン・ムーン・プリンセス ♪
In my early elementary school years, my mother recorded a couple of episodes of Sailor Moon from the first season on VHS. I never miss watching the ending credits of Princess Serenity dancing to the song Moon Princess as her silhouette dances in front of a framed window. It represented childhood nostalgia and happiness.
In the early 2010s, two galleries declined my offer to buy their cels from the Moon Princess ending credit. One offered an explanation, “I’m sorry, I can’t part with it since it’s the only one that I have from this sequence. It’s very rare.”
A decade later, I started to collect Sailor Moon again. I stopped obsessing over my wishlist and just enjoyed the hunt. Suddenly, this very cel came up for auction, it’s a very close cel-mate to Luna Art’s. Believe me when I say that I kept refreshing the page every 15 minutes for 7 days straight. This is for little Cecile. Fortunately, I was the only bidder. After winning, I let out a sigh and said, “お帰りなさい。”
Sources:
https://missdream.org/sailor-moon-lyrics/princess-moon/
Sailor Moon, Original Production Cel
Sailor Moon, Original Production Cel
Ami Mizuno, or Sailor Mercury, ties with Usagi as my favorite character from the series; though she does capture stereotypical Mary Sue traits, she is distinctive in a way that she is sincerely empathetic and bombastically humorous, as shown in the episode special, Ami’s First Love.
The cel is shown in 1:09.
Books are often associated with Ami; she has a thirst for excelling and expanding her incredible mind. The Sailor Moon R opening credit features Ami holding a book, and an original production cel of this sequence appeared on auction. For a while, no one was interested in it. Every time I look at it, it evokes real joy, since I love the character so dearly. Barely any competition, I submitted my bid and won.
Betty White's Personally Owned Earrings
Betty White's Personally Owned Earrings
"Can you imagine? The people’s choice at 93. I mean that’s ridiculous!"
Julien’s Auctions announced that the “Property from the Life and Career of Betty White” will take place on September 23rd, 24th, and 25th, 2022, with over 1,500 lots featuring Betty White’s personally owned scripts, figurines, furniture, artwork, heirlooms, and awards from her homes in Brentwood and Carmel, California.
The passing of beloved Betty White was a devastating loss to the film and television industry; she was one of the very few stars that was kinder and more radiant than her on-screen personas and then some. The quintessential sunshine of Tinseltown.
I went through the catalog of pieces that did not list when or where she wore them. With thorough research, I found gold in Lot 421 and managed to win without much competition.
Julien’s listed this lot simply as "a pair of silver-tone simulated pearl and diamond ear clips." However, the information that Betty White wore the large pearl clips at the 2015 People’s Choice Awards held at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles on January 7th was missing. The glittery jacket she wore on the same day had fetched a solid number because it was identified in the description.
Betty White accepted the Favorite TV Icon award with Chris Evans escorting her to the stage. With wit and warmth, you can tell from the audience that they loved her immensely and dearly. And so do we. Rest in peace, friend!
Sources:
https://www.justjared.com/2015/01/07/betty-white-marvels-at-winning-favorite-tv-icon-at-93-video/#!
Lana Del Rey, Signed & Played Guitar
Lana Del Rey, Signed & Played Guitar
♪ Let me put on a show for you daddy
Let me put on a show
Let me put on a show for you tiger
Let me put on a show ♪
On March 3rd, 2023, Lana celebrated her brother Charlie Grant’s birthday with family and friends at Dan Tana’s in Los Angeles. She signed a guitar with a black Sharpie pen and performed "Yayo" for an intimate crowd of her brother, her father, and friends. Somehow, Lana can pull you into her poetic lyrics and drown you in her raw vulnerability.
“Yayo” must have been a particular B-side to Lana. It was distributed on a few stages of her releases, such as her EP demo titled No Kung Fu in 2007, re-recording on her first EP Kill Kill in 2008, and the same recording was on her first album, Lana Del Ray A.K.A. Lizzy Grant, in 2010. The track was re-done and released for the final time on her third EP release, titled Paradise, in 2012. The lyrics were solely written by Lana and first produced by Dan Heath. He recalled when they worked together on the track, "Noir trailer park escape to bright futures, on a stranger's motorcycle... I had Lizzy/Lana play the guitar on this because she has such a unique and simple approach to how she plays, on only two strings at a time. It's very distinctive. She didn't like to play guitar because it messed up her nails."
Lana once vaguely (and understandably) said the song was about a good friend of hers when she was living in New Jersey. A couple of years later, she revealed that the song was about her previous boyfriend, Rob Dubuss, and the feelings that transpired in the lyrics were about their time together. The relationship did not last long, and they remained good friends. Tragically, he passed away on December 30th, 2011, from a heroin overdose. Her fifth studio album, Lust for Life, dedicated its fourteenth track, "Heroin,” to Dubuss.
Sources:
https://lanadelrey.fandom.com/wiki/Yayo_(song)
https://twitter.com/DecodingLDR/status/1511361297312534537
https://lanadelrey.fandom.com/wiki/2023/March
Britney Spears, Worn Crown
Britney Spears, Worn Crown
♪ You want a hot body? You want a Bugatti?
You want a Maserati? You better work, bitch
You want a Lamborghini? Sip martinis?
Look hot in a bikini? You better work, bitch ♪
In 2013, a costume jewelry designer coordinated with Britney's team on the loan of his sample pieces, and they ended up using his pink crown for the Las Vegas residency shoot, with one photo placed on a table and another with the crown on top of her head.
The photos from this shoot were used to promote the Las Vegas residency and the single cover of "Work B**ch!"
When the seller reached an agreement, I personally flew out to California to complete the transaction. An honor to own a piece of pop culture history.
Sources:
Photographed by Randee St Nicholas.
No copyright infringement intended. Photograph is used for educational purposes only.
Rihanna, Worn Cuffs
Rihanna, Worn Cuffs for British Vogue
♪ I come flutterin' in from Neverland
Time could never stop me, no, no, no, no, I know you try to
I come riding in on a pale white horse
Sending out ice to less fortunate, I do advise you ♪
Rihanna commands the cover of the March 2023 issue of British Vogue, her first cover with partner ASAP Rocky and her son RZA. In one of the spreads where ASAP Rocky caressed her from behind, she wore four cuffs made by Ben-Amun, a costume jewelry company.
Edward Enninful has been the editor-in-chief of British Vogue since 2017. For this photoshoot, he styled the entirety of Rihanna’s outfits and handpicked the Ben-Amun cuffs for her to wear, which are two Moroccan Coin Cuffs and two Byzantine Cuffs. When the samples were returned to Ben-Amun, the company's art director (a dear friend of mine) informed me of their availability for purchase, except that one cuff was already sold and only three remained. Of course, I immediately bought them.
Sources:
Photographed by Inez and Vinoodh.
No copyright infringement intended. Photograph is used for educational purposes only.
TWICE Sana Signed Polaroid
TWICE Sana Signed Polaroid
TWICE is a 9-member girl band from South Korea. Five are Korean, three are Japanese, and one is Taiwanese. The girls participated in a reality contest show called “Sixteen,” where trainees competed with one another for a spot in a girl group named TWICE. Nayeon was the first confirmed member, and the sequence goes as follows: Jeongyeon, Dahyun, Mina, Sana, Chaeyoung, and Jihyo. JYP (CEO of JYP Entertainment) added Tzuyu as she was an audience favorite. Momo was eliminated earlier on the show, but she was brought back because her powerful dancing skills complete the lineup.
This was my TWICE signed polaroid collection in September of 2021. All sold.
I didn’t make a sales post but people messaged me if I was willing to part with my Polaroid collection. Slowly, I sold my entire Polaroid collection; I thought I was done with Polaroid collecting until one stopped me dead in its tracks. It was a Dicon Polaroid. It was the same Polaroid Sana held from the Dicon x Twice Unboxing on February 20th, 2020.
The members (Dahyun, Nayeon, and Sana) did a DICON livestream unboxing.
Nayeon directed Sana in how to pose and snapped this very Polaroid.
Dahyun decorated the Polaroid with a heart and rabbit sticker. She also wrote a cute doodle, “Cute Sana Unnie.”
Sana signed it and posed with it.
Rihanna, Worn Cuffs
Zendaya, Worn Choker for Vogue
"I'm Zendaya and welcome to Beauty."
In the spring of 2017, I coordinated with Condé Nast on pearl and crystal samples for their July issue, which was later used for a video editorial of their cover girl, Zendaya, modeling the different decades of fashion and beauty. She wore three pieces from the samples: a pearl and crystal choker necklace and two butterfly crystal earrings.
The designer Isaac Manevitz was so proud that he showed everyone the Vogue video at the Tranoï Tradeshow in Paris, now part of the Enchanted Hour collection.
Sources:
https://www.vogue.com/video/watch/zendaya-vogue-cover-fashion-by-decades-transformation-video
Shirane Yutanpo (白根ゆたんぽ) Original Art
"Works of modern artists, films, music and scenery of towns…
All of them are really usual things but I get ideas and inspirations from daily life."
Shirane Yutanpo (白根ゆたんぽ) is a renowned and respected artist born in 1968 in Saitana, Japan. Educated at Kuwasawa Design School in Tokyo, he collaborated on collective shows and has had more than 60 solo exhibitions since 1993. Yutanpo’s contemporary work of delicate lines of youthful women is often featured in advertisements, magazines, clothing companies, beverage cans, and more. His high-profile clients include BEAMS and LOTTE, the iconic Neon Genesis Evangelion, and SANRIO. He currently resides in Tokyo.
Shirane Yutanpo in his “SLIDE” — A SOLO EXHIBITION © Belowground.HK
Yutanpo’s pieces often sell out in minutes in his native country. He had a solo exhibition in New York titled "Pretty As Usual" and I picked up a piece featuring five beautiful redheads in yellow blouses.3TONE Girls (Vermilion & Yellow), 2023
500 x 700mm, acrylic on paper
Sources:
https://www.shift.jp.org/en/archives/2003/06/yutanpo_shirane.html
https://www.tokyoartbeat.com/en/events/-/2009%2F79D5
https://belowground.hk/slide-a-solo-exhibition-by-yutanpo-shirane/
Updates
June 21st, 2024
I have been busy, busy, busy. At the moment, I am more frugal and selective with what I want in my collection; I will not add a big, new piece anytime soon. I’m starting to add more variety to my site, so the contents are divided into four categories: Animation, Hollywood, Music, and Animation Art.Three new items are added to the collection:
Betty White’s Personally Owned Earrings in the Hollywood section.
Zendaya’s Vogue used-necklace for a shoot in the Hollywood section.
TWICE’s Sana Signed Polaroid in the Music section.
May 15th, 2024
Today’s update would not feature animation, but monumental used jewelry for Vogue editorials and a singular piece by a famous Japanese illustrator. The necklace and bracelets were designed by Ben-Amun, a costume jewelry company that was worn by Cate Blanchett, Lady Gaga, First Lady Jackie O, Sarah Jessica Parker, Dita Von Teese, Alicia Keys, Sandra Bullock, Misty Copeland, Anne Hathaway, Kate Moss, Helen Mirren, and Olivia Palermo. The pieces were loaned to Vogue and British Vogue, respectively, and were worn by Zendaya and Rihanna. I am beyond grateful and blessed, truly.The inventory includes an original art piece by Yutanpo Shirane, whose work graces all across Japan.
Rihanna, British Vogue
Zendaya, Vogue July 2017
Shirane Yutanpo (白根ゆたんぽ) Original Art
April 4th, 2024
These are interesting musical additions to the collection. Both artists have a history of working with the Walt Disney company, how they were acquired is a wonderful story itself that I can’t wait to share.
Lana Del Rey’s Signed & Played Guitar.Britney Spears Worn Crown.
January 31st, 2024
It is the new year, and here is a huge update:
Cinderella, an original production celluloid. I have seen many, but this is by far the most beautiful one to me.Maquettes are very rare and highly sought-after. I have two in my collection at the moment.I once owned a Madam Mim cel as a beauty and regrettably sold it. Another one has popped up for sale, and it was better than the one I once owned. I am thrilled to finally have her again!A lyric sheet was used by Judy Kuhn for the recording of “Colors of the Wind” from Pocahontas.
I hope you enjoy the current update. More to come soon, cheers!
August 18th, 2023
I decided to remove my Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe collection for the time being. I really treasure these pieces, so I am keeping it on the down low for now.
June 2nd, 2023
It is the new year, and another collection site is born.The name of this site is Enchanted Hour, and it features a selection of film, music, and animation.
About
Name: Celia
Nationality: American
Education: Bachelor of Arts
Hobbies: Cooking, Collecting, and Drawing
Colors: Shades of Pink
Favorite Peeps: Fatma, Rina
During the innocence of my childhood, I dreamed of being a traditional animator one day. Though my career has taken a different path, I can still remember how Disney films profoundly affected me as a person from infancy to adulthood. As a toddler, I would pretend to be a dog and make my mom put on a necklace on me as Darling collared Lady. Still in early elementary school, I would constantly play my mother’s copy of Fantasia in laserdisc format, marveling at the fairies as each movement matches the music, how the cupid’s played matchmaking for the centaurs, and the transition from the horror of Chernabog to the light and heaven of Ave Maria. I will never forget the beauty of the monks traveling with their lights; it was breathtaking. After researching film props in the animation aspect, such as original production celluloid, drawings, storyboards, concept arts, and maquettes, I slowly and surely added a few to my collection.
My other interest is classic Hollywood in film, television, and cultural icons like Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe. I also take after my mother in admiring female pop icons; hers were Madonna and Jennifer Lopez, while my list features Britney Spears and Lana Del Rey. I love all things feminine, and it’s strongly demonstrated in what I collect. It is a wonderful hobby, and I am happy to share it with other like-minded enthusiasts.
The Disney List
Top Animated Films
Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs
Fantasia
Sleeping Beauty
FULL LENGTH FEATURE: Snow White & the Seven Dwarfs, Fantasia, Cinderella, Peter Pan, Sleeping Beauty, The Sword in the Stone, Robin Hood, The Rescuers, The Little Mermaid, Hercules, Moana, Encanto
LIVE ACTION FEATURE: Mary Poppins, Who Framed Roger Rabbit
PIXAR FEATURE: The Incredibles, Ratatouille, WALL-E, Up, Inside Out, Coco, Elemental
Top Shorts or Segments
The Goddess of Spring
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
The Truth About Mother Goose
SILLY SYMPHONIES: King Neptune, The Wise Little Hen, Peculiar Penguins, The Goddess of Spring, The Cookie Carnival, Who Killed Cock Robin?, Moth and the Flame, Wynken, Blynken and Nod
PACKAGED FILM SHORTS: Casey at the Bat, Mickey and the Beanstalk, Once Upon a Wintertime, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
MICKEY MOUSE SHORTS: Thru the Mirror, Mickey’s Rival, Hawaiian Holiday, Mickey’s Trailer, The Fifty Nineties
OTHER SHORTS: Reason and Emotion, Chicken Little, Lambert the Sheepish Lion, The Little House, Casey Bats Again, Jack and Old Mac, The Truth About Mother Goose, A Cowboy Needs a Horse
Top Characters
Briar Rose / Aurora
Jessica Rabbit
Elsa
MAIN: Snow White, Cinderella, Alice, Ichabod Crane, Briar Rose/Aurora, Robin Hood, Hercules, Elsa, Moana
SUPPORTING: Wendy Darling, John Darling, Katrina van Tassel, Prince Phillip, Maid Marian, Jessica Rabbit, Megara
VILLAIN: The Evil Queen, Maleficent, Cruella de Vil, Prince Han
GROUPS: Fairies and Centaurettes from Fantasia, Birds from Cinderella, Mermaids from Peter Pan
ANIMALS: Dinah, Curious Oysters, Lady, Miss Bianca
Other Favorites
AUDREY HEPBURN FILM
Breakfast at Tiffany's, How to Steal a Million, Two for the RoadMARILYN MONROE FILM
Niagara, Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Some Like It HotACTOR/ACTRESS
Julie Andrews, Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Anya Taylor-JoyPERFORMANCE
Vivien Leigh in Gone with the Wind
Nicole Kidman in To Die For
Philip Seymour Hoffman in CapoteFILM
Vanilla Sky
The Glass Slipper
The Sound of Music
Le Fabuleux Destin d'Amélie Poulain
(500) Days of Summer
Chocolat
GreaseALFRED HITCHCOCK
Rebecca, Dial M for Murder, Rear Window, Marnie90s FILM
Ever After
Never Been Kissed
Romy & Michele's High School Reunion
The Virgin Suicides
Mermaids
You've Got Mail
My Best Friend's Wedding
Mrs. Doubtfire
The Truman Show
The Sandlot
Heavyweights
Matilda
Fight Club
The MatrixTELEVISION
From Scratch, Black Mirror, Long Vacation (JP)SITCOM
Boy Meets World, The Golden Girls, The NannyANIMATED FILM
The Secret of NIMH, Porco RossoCARTOON
Hey Arnold!, Batman: TAS, Adventure TimeSOUNDTRACK
Dirty Dancing, FlashdanceMUSICIAN
Lana Del Rey
Vanessa Paradis
The Bee Gees
Def Leppard
Fleetwood Mac
Madonna
Mariah Carey
Namie AmuroALBUM
True Blue by Madonna
Nevermind by Nirvana
Butterfly by Mariah Carey
Bitter & Sweet by BENI
Ultraviolence by Lana Del Rey
Fantôme by Utada HikaruSONG
Foolish Beat by Debbie Gibson
Torn by Natalie Imbruglia
Iris by The Goo Goo Dolls
Everything You Want by Vertical HorizonBOOK
Love with a Chance of Drowning by Torre DeRocheFOOD
Shanghainese Soup Dumplings, Japanese BBQDESSERT
Friendly's Orange Creme Ice Cream BarsDRINK
Fuji Apple Juice by Red JacketTEA
Green, ChrysanthemumHOLIDAY
Christmas, Lunar New YearDECADE
The 90sSEASON
Spring, FallFLOWER
Peach and Yellow RosesVACATION
Greece
Questions & Answers
Q: When did you begin collecting Hollywood memorabilia and animation art?
A: Collecting animation art began in 2009, and a year later I ventured into different areas of entertainment, such as film, television, comics, and trading cards.Q: Any advice for novice animation art collectors?
A: I recommend learning to distinguish between “original production” and “limited edition” art, especially when it is numbered. Limited-edition pieces are not used during the production of the film, but that does not diminish its value; they are great, affordable options. Secondly, if you were to send payment to a seller, please do not pay with wire transfer or use PayPal Friends and Family unless you are certain that the seller is trustworthy.Q: Which is your favorite production art from your Disney collection?
A: I have seen a nice variety of Cinderella cels throughout the decade, but the current one from my collection has a beautiful expression. The Madam Mim piece in her beauty form is one of my most prized pieces.Q: Who are the female drawings on your layout?
A: The drawings are from the Fantasia model sheets of the centaurettes.Q: Is this your entire inventory?
A: No, I do have more pieces, but I will be adding them slowly.Q: Where can I reach out to you?
A: The website is designed as a private gallery, but you can reach out to me via email.
About Art
Here is a brief overview of animation art, primarily Walt Disney, and how the studio defined production pieces.
Backgrounds
Production Background: A painted background that was used in the film. The background was used and recorded for the film. It is exactly what you see on the screen.Preliminary Background: A painted background that was not used in the film. It was made during the creation of the film but did not make the cut.Key Master Set-Up: The set-up is composed of the production cel or cels with their matching production backgrounds. The cel and background appear at the same time in the final film.Master Set-Up: The set-up is composed of the production cel or cels with their production background. However, it does not appear together at the same time.
Celluloid
Production Cel: A clear sheet made of acetate or nitrate. These transparent sheets are hand-painted and then placed on the production background to be photographed.Courvoisier: In the early 1930s, the Courvoisier Galleries created their own cel set-ups that were composed of a production cel that was trimmed and applied with glue to a unique background: watercolors, polka dots, and wood veneer. The final set-up was framed in a mat with a label authenticating that “This is an original painting on celluloid, actually used in the Walt Disney Production.” The set-ups ended in the early 1940s.Disneyland Cel Set-Up: Like the Courvoisier cel set-up, Disney trimmed the production cel sheet and set it in a mat over a print background. There would be a red-and-gold 2.5” x 4” Disneyland label on the back of the mat. These were distributed to Disneyland shops from the 1950s to the early 1970s.Model Cel: A transparent cel of a character that is hand-painted with accurate colors. Sometimes the test colors show differently on the final design.
Drawings
Key: Production drawing by the supervising animator, the drawing would have a small chart on the corner indicating the time and speed of the movement.Rough: Production drawings by an animator are used to establish position and style, often drawn in a relaxed style.Production Drawings: Either a production drawing or a clean-up drawing, these are created by referencing the rough drawings. The clean-ups are used to create production cels.Layout: Comprehensive production drawings of the background would also indicate camera movements and where the characters would be placed.Model Sheets: Original drawings depict characters in various positions and angles. These would be copied and distributed to animators.
Conceptuals
Concept Art: The concept piece is an early development of the film. The artist would design a visual representation of a character, landscape, item, or a composition of anything else.Storyboard: Small panels depicting a scene with relaxed illustrations showcasing character development, dialogue, and overall redefining the storyline.
Maquettes
Maquette: Often, the final design of a character is molded and sculpted for the animators to use to see all the various angles. The production of maquettes was limited due to the exact number of animators.