Ruel is one of the most talented artists I have ever met, and I consider myself lucky to of had the privilege of his tutelage. He has spent the past couple of years working on Star Wars (the video games and movie I believe) for Disney Interactive.
Anyways, seeing as how I am an Animator with a Bachelor's of Science in Media Arts & Animation, and being that Van Eaton Galleries is one of the world's premier Animation Art Dealers, I couldn't help but to browse their catalogs for nostalgic purposes.
I was on vacation at the time and wasn't actually planning on buying any artwork; however, once I was there flipping through original works by Chuck Jones, Disney's Nine Old Men, Hanna Barbera, etc. etc, I just could not leave the gallery without my very own piece of Animation History for my private art collection.
That being said, I ended up purchasing two original Yogi Bear keyframes/ poses, as well as this Silly Symphony's Little Hiawatha compilation sheet of Action Sketches/ key poses.
Little Hiawatha has always had a soft spot in my heart as this was one of the first animations I remember having watched as a child back when Disney Channel used to actually play archival animations and films (if you are old enough to remember this).
Little Hiawatha is a 10-20 minute film from the Silly Symphony collection. It is about a Native American Child who is hunting a baby bear through what appears to be the forests of the Pacific Northwest. As "grizzly" as this sounds, it is filled with hilarious antics and exemplifies the 12 principles of animation at every second.
Below is the full length version of the Cartoon I found on Youtube. If you are not familiar with the Silly Symphony collection this is a great introduction to the series.
Feel free to comment and share your thoughts about Little Hiawatha. I hope you enjoy this animation as much as I do :) Also, If you are ever in Los Angeles, I highly recommend visiting the gallery. The staff is knowledgeable and friendly and there are always new galleries of contemporary artwork as well. This sheet of Action Sketches is something I truly treasure and brings a smile to my face every time I see it hanging on my walls.