WDAC: The Art of Peter Ellenshaw

Walt Disney Art Classics Presents the Art of Peter Ellenshaw

The gang from the Hundred Acre Wood has taken to a nearby hilltop to fly their kites high above the English countryside -- already bursting with life after the harsh winter.

Spring - Kite Flying Days Canvas Size: 24"X36" Edition Size: 250 Giclee on Canvas

The paint brush of Peter Ellenshaw brings this scene to life in "Spring -- Kite-Flying Days," one of four paintings that capture the seasons of the Hundred Acre Wood for a new six-piece portfolio of limited-edition, fine-art prints which debut from Walt Disney Art Classics this month.

 

 

 

Autumn Comes to the Wood Canvas Size: 24"X36" Edition Size: 250 Giclee on Canvas

With colors both vibrant and gentle, and a taste for the whimsical quality of the Hundred Acre Wood, Ellenshaw creates an impressionistic vision of the Wood's pastoral landscapes. Orange, red and yellow leaves float down the meandering stream in "Autumn Comes to the Wood." White snow falls all around Owl's treehouse in "Winter in the Wood." Flowers -- thousands of them in every shade and texture -- bloom along a wooded path in "Summer -- A Grand Afternoon."

Ellenshaw's talent lies in his ability to capture details both fanciful and real in his subjects. It's a gift he began employing as a matte artist for Disney films in 1950, with the studio's first all-live action picture, "Treasure Island." Ellenshaw went on to contribute to such Disney classics as "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea," "Darby O'Gill and the Little People," "Mary Poppins" and "Bedknobs and Broomsticks."

It's a gift he exhibits again later this month when his chosen setting shifts for the final two prints of the new portfolio.

Inspired by "Mary Poppins," which earned Ellenshaw an Academy Award for special effects, " 'Sweeps Dance' On the Rooftops of London" and "Flying in London Skies" provide a birds-eye view of England's most famous city. More than just a rendering of London, Ellenshaw paints landmarks like St. Paul's Cathedral in exaggerated scale to indicate the magical brand of reality at the heart of "Mary Poppins" and at the heart of his own work.