As a rising star in the art world, Tim Rogerson casts his artwork with an evident energy and passion. Inspired by Modern artists, from the Impressionist works of Degas to the Cubist paintings of Picasso, the North Carolina native has embarked on an artistic journey that has taken him from Degas to Disney to darling of the industry.
Born in Orlando, FL, Mr. Rogerson moved with his family to North Carolina at the age of four. His father, who at the time, was employed by Walt Disney World as Show Director in charge of managing the parades and performances in the Magic Kingdom, made every day a magical adventure for the future artist. “My father taught me how to draw Mickey as soon as I could hold a pencil and I’ve wanted to be a Disney artist ever since.” says the artist.
Mr. Rogerson was accepted into the prestigious Ringling College of Art & Design in Sarasota, Florida. Early in his studies, Mr. Rogerson gained the reputation as an upcoming artist and influence in his own right. He studied the old masters approach to oil painting while at the same time, explored the expressive paintings of the modern masters. Bringing both approaches together of traditional and modern painting would earn him his spot in the Best of Ringling exhibitions in 2003 and 2004 which is the highest honor for a student.
After graduating from Ringling College of Art & Design in 2004 with a BFA, Mr. Rogerson began his career as a Character artist at Disney. He was the last artist to be hired and trained by Disney Legend, Ralph Kent, who was one of Mickey Mouse’s official handlers, also known as “The Keeper of the Mouse”. Rogerson says, “One of the best times of my life was getting to learn the Disney way of drawing from Ralph at the studio, even when he made me draw 1000 circles on my first day. It was a dream come true to work with an artist who worked with Walt.”
With the help of Collectors Editions, exclusive publisher of Disney Fine Art, Mr. Rogerson has been taking the art world by storm becoming one of the top collected Disney Fine Artists of today with his works selling in galleries all over the world. His modern twist to classic Disney characters has won critical acclaim by the trade and his peers. His art style, Contemporary Cubism, is a combination of all the masters from Picasso to Warhol to Basquiat. “My paintings are like a jigsaw puzzle with each piece being its own artistic movement”, says the artist. “One puzzle piece might be a row of vertical lines inspired by Lichtenstein next to another puzzle piece of impressionistic brushstrokes inspired by Monet. It’s a playground of styles and influences that all come together to capture these colorful characters we all love so dear.”
Mr. Rogerson’s first official title would come at 23 years old as the youngest artist ever named Official Artist of the Winter Olympics in 2006 alongside world renowned artists Peter Max and Alfred Gockel. In 2009, Mr. Rogerson was named Official Artist of Disney’s first ever D23 Expo where he created his most ambitious work, “In The Company of Legends,” which now hangs in the Disney archives as an original piece of Disney history. Mr. Rogerson has also been the Official Artist of Epcot’s International Food & Wine Festival, Disneyland’s 60th Anniversary, and Mickey’s 90th Celebration. For Mr. Rogerson, one of his highest honors came last year when he worked with Oprah Winfrey to paint her portrait as Mrs. Which from the film “A Wrinkle in Time.”
Disney and Sunglass Hut are currently filming a behind the scenes look from inside Mr. Rogerson’s studio as he paints the next exclusive work of art for the upcoming D23 Expo in 2019.
