Jolly Holiday is a water-color painting that illustrates a moment from the Disney film, Mary Poppins. Mary is stern but kind, and is a good-hearted woman who brings inimitable experiences to those she encounters. Through the aspects of color, texture, lighting and geometrics, this illustration conveys these moments. In the film, Mary Poppins is described as "practically perfect in every way", as seen in the painting.  By analyzing Jolly Holiday's elements of design, one can interpret its exemplary display of perfection. 

When viewing the painting, its most notable aspect is its richness in color. The man's outfit in this picture immediately draws the attention of the viewer. The many vibrant watercolors that make up his suit reflect the mood in that moment. As the most integrated color in the man's clothing, orange symbolizes his liveliness, enthusiasm, and happiness. When paired with red to express his passion, and with yellow to intertwine his cheerfulness, the illustrator brings together these traits to convey joyfulness. Each of these colors also symbolize energy. Though a sun is not visible in the painting, its presence is revealed through the image's luminance, and the color orange symbolizes sunshine and energy. Sunshine and blue skies are aligned with clarity and a sense of well-being, impressing that these two people are in a state of perfection and happiness. 

The woman's attitude and emotions are expressed through the colors red and pink. The red stitching in her dress complements her red corset, necktie, and lipstick, and combines with the light shade of pink throughout her figure to represent love and romance. Being one of the only shared colors between the man and woman, red signifies the love these characters have for each other. Through their big smiles and the rosiness in their cheeks, the illustrator makes it clear that they enjoy each other's company. Because love is seen as a staple in a successful life, the illustrator uses the man and woman's relationship to further display their purity. Additionally, love is seen through their faith in each other displayed by the color blue in her eyes and his bowtie. But this is not the only representation of the man's trustworthiness; it is also seen by the lady's confidence in linking arms with him. This unity between two characters bridges the aforementioned colors and symbols in the same way they are brought together by the man's two white buttons. The only parts of the woman's body that are not covered in white are her legs. The contrasting color of her black leggings simply signifies elegance. Therefore, her lack of color and his overabundance of color demonstrate balance, contributing to their perfection and purity. Another idea that contributed to the idea of purity is wealth, which is a standard of perfection.

By looking at the props that were given to the man and woman by the illustrator, you find details that make their perfection even more clear. In the 1960's, props such as fancy hats were typically associated with wealth. The walking cane carried by the man is not for assistance; it is used as an accessory to his hat to exemplify wealth and status. Relatable to men's accessories, the parasol carried by the lady is also a fashion essential used to convey wealth. The parasol "signified the maintenance of a standard of beauty" and "served to advertise the wealth of the individual" (Miller, par. 1). In this picture, however, it works like the woman's dress to conserve her purity. Furthermore, the lady's outfit is predominantly white, indicating her purity and perfection. In addition, her white gloves, though also fashionable, symbolize that she has a pure touch. Additionally, this illustration alludes to God, the epitome of perfection, whose Heaven is represented by the blue in the sky and who is perfect. Along the path, His creations are a peaceful green and a crisp brown. Some are a deep, rich blue, which contain knowledge and power. As they skip past these beautiful creations, the man and woman leave a visible trail of wisdom with their golden footprints, and an understanding of perfection with their observers.

Although color and icons are principal sources of meaning in this painting, other elements of design which enhance its interpretation are lines and texture. By observing the texture of a character's figure and clothing, you are able to interpret more about their personality. When you look at the woman's dress, it appears soft and fluffy, portraying her as a delicate and sympathetic lady. Next to her, the man's snug, form-fitting suit allows you to see him as bona fide and professional. In general, this particular painting has a soft texture, distinguishable in a few ways: instead of outlining the shape of the tree's branches and leaves, the illustrator used a paint brush which left a repetition of lines from its bristles, with no clearly defined border. These lines are groomed in their respective groupings, and appear soft by resembling brushed hair and the soft touch of a paint brush. Additionally, there are no sharp points in the painting; each edge of every shape is rounded off. However, the lines and shapes throughout the painting give us playful designs and make it clear that this particular painting does not encapsulate a real moment. Regardless, these textural elements give the observer a gentle feeling and reflect the pleasant mood of the moment captured in the painting. This pleasant moment is enhanced by the presence of light and brightness in the painting. 

By bringing together the aspects of light, shadow, and contrast, it becomes clear that there is a source of illumination out of the frame of the painting. Because the right side of the painting is lighter in color than the left, and small shadows appear to the left-rear of the man and woman, it means the sun is present to the right of the frame. And the brightness of the sun-colored clothes worn by the man suggest that the sun is reflected by him. The light is able to establish a harsh sense of texture by brightening the colors in the man's suit, and a soft sense of texture in the woman's dress by enhancing its whiteness. This painting is used to instill the idea of what the perfect moment would be, and use minor details in the characters' faces to make them more relatable to the average person. 

These visual elements are individually useful for analysis. However, by contrasting lines and using color, texture, and lighting complementarily, they become more effective as components of interpretation. This painting uses a combination of bright, rich watercolors, and symbolism through lighting and abstractism to display a moment of complete perfection to its observers. As you continue to use visual elements as components of each other, you are able to discover a deeper meaning in visual texts. Through analysis, Jolly Holiday's expression of purity and perfection become clear.

