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The many creative twists and turns of a California artist Richmond (Dick) Kelsey
Many artists try different styles and mediums in the artworks they create as they look for their individual voice. But Richmond "Dick" Kelsey had to merge his artworks between his personal vision and professional career as an animator and art director throughout his life. While he mainly remained in California for most of his life, and many of his artworks focused on that area (such as the print of Noyo Estuary shown above) travel did inform and impact his art, see the cover of his book below.
EARLY YEARS AND EDUCATION
Richmond “Dick” Irwin Kelsey was born in San Diego, California on May 3, 1905. Not much is documented about his early life, but by the 1930’s he was already studying at art colleges throughout California. Kelsey would study art at Otis Art Institute in Los Angeles and later at the Santa Barbara School of the Arts, where he would become a teacher. His preferred medium during this time and with many of his later artworks was watercolor. During the decade he would also begin exhibiting his watercolors, many of which were scenes of California.
DISNEY AND WORLD WAR 2
Kelsey’s life would take on a new direction when he would join Walt Disney Studios in 1938 as Art Director for their animation studio. During these years Kelsey would work on some of the cornerstones of Disney animation: Pinocchio (1940), Fantasia (1940) where he was created with the beautiful "Rite of Spring" section, Dumbo (1941), and Bambi (1942).
Kelsey’s time with Disney would be put on pause when he, like many Americans, found himself thrust into World War 2. Kelsey would join the Marine Corps, but instead of finding himself on the frontlines, or some far off corner, Kelsey’s talents as an artist found lent themselves to a different aspect of warfare: mapmaking. While Europe, and its landscape, had been well documented over centuries; the numerous islands and atolls that are dotted around the Pacific Ocean were less so. In the time before GPS satellites, generals relied on maps to plan their operations, but any old map wouldn’t be sufficient. Each topographical aspect of an island had to be considered. This was first done by arial photograph, but photography isn’t the best idea as it can easily be interpreted wrongly by untrained eyes. This is where Kelsey and his unit came in. It fell to them to turn these images into maps that they could easily understand.
Kelsey excelled in his new role, and by the end of the war he would reach the rank of captain in the Marine Corps and command a relief mapping unit. While not on active duty, Kelsey took time to paint scenes of the South Pacific islands where he was stationed. After the war came to an end, Kelsey returned to Southern California and return to Disney Studios and take up his old position as art director.
After the war, when not working on Disney products or his own watercolors, Kelsey would take the time to provide illustration to eight books within the Golden Books series, which are picture books for children. Not artistically content with being an illustrator only, he would later write and illustrate his own book GoodEnough Gismo in 1948. In 1950 Kelsey would move on from art director at Disney studios to other roles. A major one in 1955, when he was hired to assist in the design of Disneyland. During his time with Disney along with creating his own watercolor artworks, Kelsey also created a line of Christmas Cards each year.
In 1957 Dick Kelsey would be pulled away from Disney by the Marco Engineering firm of Cornelius Vanderbilt Wood to be a lead art director to design Magic Mountain theme park at Golden, Colorado outside of Denver. Unfortunately, this theme parks life was as short as a ride on one of its coasters, Magic Mountain had closed by 1960.
But, for the most part, Kelsey would work in the background, offering his talents in working in art design, animation, and writing for a variety of projects. Kelsey would continue working at Disney until the 1970’s, with his final project being Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971).
Kelsey passed away on May 3, 1987, on his birthday, at the age of 82.
So next time you dust off a DVD from your childhood, visit Disneyland or find something on the Disney streaming service, remember Richmond Kelsey and his creative gifts.
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