Ellenshaw, Peter (1913-2007).

Moon Lite Surf by Peter Ellenshaw (1913-2007) 24" x 36", Oil/Canvas, Signed Lower Left Est.: $8,000 - $12,000 Sold by John Moran Auctioneers for $13,800 on 10/23/2007

Peter Ellenshaw was an Academy Award-winning special effects artist who worked on such films as "Mary Poppins," for which he won his Oscar.

Also a renowned sea and landscape artist, he died of age-related complications at his home in Santa Barbara. His more than 30-year association with Walt Disney Studios began in 1947 when he was hired in London to do matte paintings for Disney's first live-action film, "Treasure Island" (1950).

In 1953, he came to California to work on "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea," for which he created several matte paintings of Capt. Nemo's secret island base of Vulcania. He went on to do matte paintings and special effects for more than 30 other Disney films, including "The AbsentMinded Professor," "Pollyanna," "Swiss Family Robinson,” and "The Black Hole" and for Disney TV fare such as "Davy Crockett” and "Zorro."

"He's one of the titans of visual effects in an era before people took visual special effects for granted," film critic and historian Leonard Maltin told The Times on Wednesday. “When you see London Harbor full of tall-masted schooners in 'Treasure Island,' that's an Ellenshaw painting. When Mary Poppins sails over the rooftops of London, that's an Ellenshaw painting."

He contributed to the design of several rides at Disneyland and painted the first map of the Magic Kingdom.

Born in London in 1913, he moved to Essex during World War I, when he was 3. He later recalled seeing German zeppelins in the sky. "My mother put us under the kitchen table while they were overhead and gave us pencils and paper to draw with," he recalled in an interview. “I learned to draw airplanes; in fact, that got me interested in art."

He left school at 14 and spent six years working on cars in a garage while continuing to paint. Living in the small town of Oxbridge, near the London film studios,he became friends with renowned matte artist Walter Percy Day, who offered him a job.

From 1935 to 1941, he worked as an uncredited assistant matte artist on films including "The Thief of Bagdad" and "Major Barbara."

He served in the RAF in World War II, then worked as a matte artist on "Black Narcissus," "Stairway to Heaven," "Quo Vadis" and other films. After doing special effects and production design on the 1974 Disney film "The Island at the Top of the World," for which he shared an Oscar nomination for art direction, he and his wife moved to Ireland, where he painted for a couple of years before returning to California.

From then on, he did only occasional film work, including the 1979 Disney space adventure "The Black Hole," for which he shared an Oscar nomination for best visual effects. He also shared an Oscar nomination for art direction for the 1971 film "Bedknobs and Broomsticks."

He came out of retirement for the last time to do matte paintings for the 1990 film "Dick Tracy."

Source: Obituary, Los Angeles Times, February 15, 2007