Ray Ellis: the picture perfect life
By Duncan Pickard - August 2, 2007
He remembers his father telling him how difficult it was to earn a living as a painter. It was in 1935, The Great Depression, and his father encouraged him to stick to making pen and ink illustrations for newspaper advertisements because he could find more work doing them than he would as a painter. Fortunately, Ray Ellis was more determined and creative than he was practical.
Ray Ellis relaxes in his studio, and shares memories. Photo by Nis Kildegaard
"I think [my father] is up there somewhere, unable to believe what has happened to my career," Mr. Ellis says as he relaxes in his large and sunny family-room style studio above the garage at his Edgartown home. "It takes a long time sometimes, but you have to keep driving."
One of the country's most successful representational painters, the award-winning artist specializes in oils and watercolors of America's seascapes and landscapes. Mr. Ellis has painted on seven continents, and has paintings in the permanent collections of the White House and in museums and American embassies around the world. He was invited to create the White House Christmas cards for the Clintons in 1997 and 1998, and commissioned by the White House Historical Association to create paintings for the Bicentennial Year 2000 White House calendar.
"I'm at the point now that I don't have to apologize for anything," says the affable Ellis with a smile, "and I no longer have to hope for some break."
More than a dozen books of his paintings have been published. They include those done in collaboration with notables like Walter Cronkite ("South by Southeast," "North By Northeast," and "Westwind," published in the 1980s by Oxmoor House), oceanographer Robert Ballard ("Coastal Images of America," Abbeville Press, 1998), and golf analyst Ben Wright ("The Spirit of Golf," Longstreet Press, 1992 ).
"Moonlit Walk," an oil by Ray Ellis.
Mr. Ellis's latest book, "By the Light of the Moon, Paintings by Ray Ellis," is scheduled for release in September. A collection of his paintings of moonlit scenes, the book was conceived by Mr. Ellis. "I never realized how many paintings I'd done with the moon in them," he says. "Everybody likes moonlight. To me, it's very romantic." He laughs. "You can't trust me on a moonlight walk" With typical Ellis flair, the book will include a note from his acquaintance, Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin.
As he has for the past 40 years, Mr. Ellis, 86, still paints every morning. "I just started this painting, 'Moonlight on the Marsh,' two days ago," he says, sitting in front of the half-completed canvas on his large wooden easel. "I've painted so many marshes I can do it from memory."
His galleries, Ray Ellis Gallery and Compass Prints, Inc., both in Savannah, Georgia, report that his pace remains consistent: about 90 new paintings a year. "I don't think there are too many 86-year-olds who are doing that," he says proudly. "But it keeps me young."
And he remains inspired. "This is a true fact: I have enough backlog of sketches and photographs, and enough imagination that I'll never paint all the paintings I want to paint," he says. "Every time I start a painting I say to myself, 'This may be my best painting of all time.' Then I apply that to my brush." He chuckles, and says, "Of course, it doesn't always happen that way."
While his approach has remained consistent over the years, he adds, "But it has matured. When I look at my old paintings, I appreciate the technique, although now I might do a few things differently." He pauses. "But if I second-guessed all the paintings I do, I wouldn't paint anything.
"When I first started painting, I had a family to support, and I think my paintings showed it because I was spending a lot of time on them. I didn't want them to be mediocre, but to be something outstanding. Now, even though I don't have to support a family with my paintings, I still try just as hard."
Ellis maintains a remarkable joie de vivre that expresses itself in his animated and exuberant manner. He and his wife, Teddie, enjoy traveling, playing golf, and being part of the Island's summer activities. He can regularly be found at the Harbor View Hotel, a favorite spot where he meets about 10 of his friends (the self-named 'Bad Boys' Club') for lunch or a game of Liar's Poker.
"The life of an artist is generally pretty lonely. You're alone at least six hours a day, so I do enjoy socializing," says Ellis, stating a fact more than making a confession.
His attachment to the Island community also translates to community causes. Ellis is a generous supporter of various Island charities. For the past 20 years or more, he has donated prints to local organizations for auction, including Martha's Vineyard Preservation Trust and The Striped Bass and Bluefish Derby. His annual Derby posters have raised an estimated $200,000 in scholarship money for local high school graduates.
"Some people say to me: 'You don't have to prove yourself anymore,' but I think just the opposite," he says. "I have always had goals, and I keep extending them as I go along. Now my main objective is to be sure I'm well remembered after I'm gone, which means I now try to be in as many permanent collections as I can."
In a reflective moment he admits, "I just want to prove that I haven't lost my touch. Every time I approach a painting I think what's the public going to think of this? Will they think I'm slipping?"
Then, sounding more typically buoyant, he flashes a smile and says, "I think some of the most famous artists ever did their best work in their later years. It's all practice, practice, practice. I've painted 5,000 or 6,000 paintings. That's pretty good practice."
Duncan Pickard is an editorial intern at The Times.
