PETER ELLENSHAW

Continued

Ellenshaw elevated the boundaries of special effects and the use of matte paintings to even greater heights in Walt Disney’s live-action fantasy Darby O’Gill and the Little People (1959).

In addition to creating fanciful Irish locales (both realistic and imaginary), Ellenshaw helped perfect a split-focus technique, which helped to realistically marry the varying heights of the mortals and leprechauns. The film is made all the more amazing because all of it was shot on the backlot of the Disney Studios in California.

Other popular Disney films to receive Ellenshaw’s special attention in the 1950s included Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier (1955), Johnny Tremain (1957) and Old Yeller (1957). His Disney films of the 1960s include Pollyanna (1960), Swiss Family Robinson (1960), The Absent-Minded Professor (1961), In Search of the Castways (1962), The Gnome-Mobile (1967) and The Happiest Millionaire (1967).

In 1964, Ellenshaw won the Best Special Visual Effects Academy Award for his astounding matte work in Walt Disney’s beloved live-action musical-fantasy Mary Poppins. Not only did Ellenshaw create the beautiful vistas of Victorian London, he was also responsible for giving inspiration to the creation of the rousing rooftop dance of the chimney sweeps in the lively “Step in Time” sequence.

Ellenshaw’s imprint continued to be seen in the Disney films of the 1970s including Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971), The Island at the Top of the World (1974), Pete’s Dragon (1977) and The Black Hole (1979). Ellenshaw received an Academy Award nomination for his impressive special effects work on The Black Hole, which proved to be his last Disney film project.

In 1970, the Ellenshaws moved to the Ring of Kerry in Ireland and it was there that Ellenshaw created some of his most spectacular artwork: paintings of the rugged Irish coast and the beautiful landscapes of the Emerald Isle. His works were shown at a special exhibition at the American Embassy in Dublin. Today a number of his paintings can be seen in collections throughout Ireland including Adare Manor, Dromoland Castle, Waterville House and Ashford Castle.

Continued travels took the Ellenshaws to many spectacular locales where he expanded his subjects to include the Himalayas, Monet's garden at Giverny, the Mojave desert, San Francisco and New York cityscapes, America's Cup yachting, and famous golf courses throughout the world.

In 1979, the American Film Institute honored Ellenshaw with a retrospective exhibition of his work that was shown at the Museum of Modern Art, New York; the American Film Institute, Washington, D.C.; the Film Institute, Chicago; and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in Los Angeles. The exhibition included concept paintings, production designs and matte paintings from his 45-year career in motion pictures.

In 1993, Ellenshaw was officially designated a "Disney Legend" by The Walt Disney Company during a ceremony at The Walt Disney Studios officiated by Michael D. Eisner and Roy E. Disney. He spent his “retirement” years as a highly respected landscape artist. His original works can be found in public and private collections around the world and are highly sought after. He was the subject of many one-man exhibitions, along with being showcased in the books The Garden Within: The Art of Peter Ellenshaw (published in 1996 by Mill Pond Press, Inc.) and Ellenshaw Under Glass: Going to the Matte for Disney (published in 2003 by Camphor Tree Publishers).

In recent years Ellenshaw created original canvasses that depict his interpretive vision of imagery from such classic Disney films as Mary Poppins, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast. The artwork has been reproduced as limited edition, signed, giclee prints and is available at fine art galleries around the world.

Ellenshaw's beloved wife of 58 years, Bobbie, passed away in 2000. He is survived by his two children, Lynda Ellenshaw Thompson (an industry veteran visual effects producer), and Harrison Ellenshaw (a visual effects artist who was an Oscar® nominee for “The Black Hole," matte supervisor on “Star Wars: Episodes IV and V” and visual effects supervisor for "Tron"), as well as his two grandchildren, Michael and Hilary.

Funeral services will be private. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Direct Relief International, Santa Barbara, California.


Seascape Giclée on Canvas 16 x 30