Angie Daley has a Disney-inspired vision. She sees her work hanging in Art of Disney stores all over the world.  Getting there won’t be easy.

In the beginning, she was surrounded by non-believers. The Mouse was far away and very hard to reach. Still, she continued working toward two long-shots … making a living as an artist AND, the even tougher job of finding a place as a Disney artist.

“Being from Canada and having no Disney connections, I felt like I was invisible. I just kept reaching out to Disney Artists and Disney Fans, asking for help and advice. That opened a door to a world of new Disney friends and family. They took the time to point me in the right direction, to help a stranger, and make room in their lives when I needed it the most.”

“One of the first sites I joined was PassPorter. It’s like Facebook, but is more like a home where I can be a Disney Lover and meet people from all over that feel the same way. They are all proud to include Disney in their everyday life. It is a place where I know no one was rolling their eyes at me or shrugging it off as a silly obsession.”

That’s because most PassPorters are dealing with their own Disney obsession! Angie joined a small group PassPorter blog project. The blog’s mission was to use online supports to stay motivated and inspire others to create. A daily Disney-inspired topic post would guide discussion related to a goal or a dream. The interests of the group members were varied. (Click_here_for_full_blog_project). Some people wanted to lose weight, some wanted to decorate a room, and Angie wanted to develop her Disney-related art.

Surrounded by believers, Angie’s blog goal was To fill my “castle” with 12 pieces of Disney art for motivation, inspiration and future goals. Of course, ”Pieces of art”, often mean FULL ROOMS of art on walls and ceilings for Angie, which you’ll see below.  All the pieces that Angie created for her goal can be found at http://www.passporterboards.com/forums/members/a.daley-albums-angie%27s+goal+paintings.html

Believers on the blog and beyond kept her focused in spite of many distractions. She reluctantly closed “Angie’s Attic”, her small art gallery in Ontario, Canada, when sales didn’t cover costs. She earned money as a cleaning woman and as a teacher’s aide, even though she’d rather be painting. Her five-year-old daughter Alice (named after Alice in Wonderland, of course) was diagnosed with Autism.

Angie has bitten into her share of poisoned apples, but instead of falling asleep, she channels difficulties into inspiration for her edgy (and sometimes dark) interpretations of traditional Disney characters and situations.

“It seemed that every day, something forced me to make artwork a second priority. It had to wait AGAIN. My Alice was number one priority, and with her special needs, the brush had to be put down what seemed like a thousand times a day. Still, she kept me inspired. The harder I worked, the more Disney I could bring to her life.” Here are a few examples of how Angie shared her art with her daughter by painting her room.

When Angie gets bored, she paints over her original work to create a new room:

… and again

She even paints rooms for friends.

“Part time jobs, medical appointments, being a stay at home mom … I just had to make sure my to-do list for the day included some time to paint because even one hour a day meant that I was that much closer to my goal.”

Angie’s work is quirky with unlikely combinations, like villains meditating in yoga poses.

“I like to consider the other side of the story in my paintings. There’s the good, the bad, the fairy tale endings, but what about the point of view from the darker side? I also imagine that the characters have feelings, humor, hobbies, and weaknesses. I try to paint from their side of the story and see what the character might have to say.”

Angie’s art has developed so quickly that one can only imagine where she is headed!

Check back later for more ART HERE

On 5/5/2010, 7 days before the blog project ended, Angie posted her thoughts in this guest blog entry at the link below:

Angie’s_Guest_Blog

When the blog ended, Angie’s story went on. She especially enjoys creating art for Autism related causes.

A collection of Angie’s Autism-related art can be found at_this_link.  

Regular updates on Angie’s art can be found at www.angiedaley.wordpress.com

So, the creating did not end with the blog and neither did the relationships! Subscribe to this blog so you don’t miss Part Two of this Disney Dreamer’s story. Angie’s journey takes us from Disney Dreams to Disney World, Disneyland, D23, then DreamWorks … and beyond!