I always look forward to summer evenings, when my mom and I visit the art galleries in Edgartown. I appreciate all forms of art, but my favorite is always the Ray Ellis's seaside watercolors. Located in downtown Edgartown, North Water Gallery devotes an entire area to Ellis's work. Last year, my mom and I made plans to attend an event with Ray Ellis. Unfortunately, other plans got in the way and we didn't make it. I was recently saddened to hear that Ray Ellis passed away a month after the event.
Ray Ellis was born in Pennsylvania and attended the Philidelphia Museum of Art. After serving in the Coast Guard during World War II, he worked in advertising and painted on the side. From 1969 on, he was a full time artist. Living in Hilton Head, South Carolina, Savannah, Georgia, and then finally Martha's Vineyard. Ellis started his own printing business in Savannah, Georgia that served as his headquarters. In addition to selling and printing his art, he collaborated with Walter Cronkite to create a series of books showing the coast of the United States: South by Southeast, North by Northeast, and Westwind. Ellis was also commissioned to create the White House Christmas Card for 1998, 1999, 2000, and 2001.
South
by Southeast, North by Northeast, and Westwind - See more at:
http://mvgazette.com/news/2013/10/07/renowned-artist-ray-ellis-dies-92?k=vg53d00a6e04073&r=1#sthash.ToooCxT9.dpuf
South
by Southeast, North by Northeast, and Westwind - See more at:
http://mvgazette.com/news/2013/10/07/renowned-artist-ray-ellis-dies-92?k=vg53d00a6e04073&r=1#sthash.ToooCxT9.dpuf
South
by Southeast, North by Northeast, and Westwind - See more at:
http://mvgazette.com/news/2013/10/07/renowned-artist-ray-ellis-dies-92?k=vg53d00a6e04073&r=1#sthash.ToooCxT9.dpuf
South
by Southeast, North by Northeast, and Westwind - See more at:
http://mvgazette.com/news/2013/10/07/renowned-artist-ray-ellis-dies-92?k=vg53d00a6e04073&r=1#sthash.ToooCxT9.dpuf
Many years ago, I remember my mom telling me to look at Ray Ellis's clouds for painting technique. To this day I am still in awe of the way he captures the lightness of a cloud. In addition to his spectacular clouds, I also love how he magnificently paints an object without fully painting it. For example, the people on his boats are merely two or three brushstrokes, suggesting the form of a person. Even at the age of ninety-two, Ray Ellis was capturing the seascape at it's finest. Here are a few of my favorite Ray Ellis paintings.
Images and info on Ray Ellis via www.rayellis.com
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