Upper image: drawing for page 17 of I Am Going by Mo Willems, 2010.
Lower image: Production drawing of Donald Duck from film ‘Modern Inventions’, by Jack Hannah, 1937
Owned by Paul Sattler, Professor of Art, and Jen Sattler        

When I look at work that is published, printed, or produced into an animated feature, it can be so easy to forget about the person with a pencil in his or her hand – especially with a time-based form like a cartoon. And so, with all three of these, what attracts me is the nature of the line. They’re all very different, but their lines have such intense beauty about them. Sometimes they are so whimsical and swift, and sometimes, like the Mo Willems or the Donald, they are based on a geometry that is literally fleshed out: the circle turns into a head, the head into a face, the face into an expression, and yet you are still very aware of that original geometry. And then add an incredible amount of virtuosity -  there’s seemingly no labor involved.

I bought all three of these for (my wife) Jen. and I love finding them because they represent all of the things I grew up loving – children’s book illustrations, cartoons, comics and animation. And now Jen illustrates her own books and has joined that world. The fact that one of us paints in oils and the other is involved in the world of humor and children and storytelling means that life is certainly richer but also has a lighter step with a bit of whimsy and playfulness.
Paul Sattler, 2012