Dave Woodman

About 10 years ago I was hired by the ACADEMY OF MOTION PICTURES to create an image that appears on my website at www.davewoodmanart.com  (select: ACADEMY AWARDS INTERNET PRESENTATION)

I'm familiar with Disney as I am a veteran Disney animator.  I worked on THE LITTLE MERMAID, BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, ALADDIN, THE PRINCE AND THE PAUPER (with Mickey Mouse) & 101 DALMATIANS TV series.

The man that hired me remembered my work when some of his friends (Brad Lachman Productions www.tv.com/brad-lachman ) got an assignment to have 2 caricature portraits of Carol for the "Voice of Disney".  This is an interview with Carol that was to have been shown before the new ONCE UPON A MATTRESS.

Lachman Productions worked with Carol's people, and then reported to me.  If I can make that clearer...  I was told what they wanted and given reference pictures to work from.  I turned in drawings of each request. When the drawings were okayed, I colored them by computer.  The first idea I had for the color versions was to have the background covered with peas. This was not going to work well, so I decided to go with the "royal" color, purple.  

Carol was interviewed by the once head of Disney, Michael Eisner. These 2 paintings of her hung behind them during the interview.  They are from 4 to 6 feet tall.  The interview was filmed around November 24 2004.  I retain the rights to the paintings and hope they will be used for more than the interview.  I encourage anyone with merchandising ideas to contact me. Originally she was to be presented with framed copies of each after the interview, but that idea was dropped long before I started the caricature portraits.

I really am grateful to have had this assignment.  Carol Burnett is incredible!  I took special care to be sure I got the colors of her Broadway costume right.  After all, there are people who know.  She probably remembers it exactly, herself.  She wore big, furry slippers in a later TV production.  I left them out because they would have been too distracting. The costume is what she wore for the first television special of this play. The Museum of Television and Radio couldn't give me a copy of a photo for reference.  They were kind enough to describe the costume to me over the phone.  In my humble opinion, I don't think any other illustrator would have put as much love and care in to these portraits as I did.  I asked for the colors of the top mattresses to be described to me as well.  Carol Burnett gets only the best I have to offer!

I was able to give Ms. Burnett a print of this painting of her as Stella Toddler at one of her birthday parties.  (I'm sorry, I don't remember which birthday it was for her........ 29th?)

When I wanted to create the Mother Marcus painting, I wrote to Bob Mackie to see if he had any photo reference.  At that time, I could not find character pictures from THE CAROL BURNETT SNOW anywhere except for in his DRESSING FOR GLAMOUR book.  He was nice enough to have these Polaroid's taken and sent to me. 

Very best wishes, and keep up the beautiful website,

Dave Woodman
(more Carol Burnett at: http://www.davewoodmanart.com)