Peter Ellenshaw (California / England, Ireland, 1913 - 2007) coastal scene. Oil on canvas. Signed and dated '64 lower right. Sight size: 15 x 29 inches. A graduate of the Royal Academy of Arts in England, Peter Ellenshaw was brought to California by Walter Disney in 1947 to work on Disney Productions. In 1960, Ellenshaw did a matte painting of Rome for Stanley Kubrick's movie, Spartacus, while continuing to work full time for Disney studios. Peter contributed to the popular television show 'Disneyland' with work on Davy Crockett and Zorro, as well as classic Disney features including Darby O'Gill and The Little People, Mary Poppins and The Love Bug. For Mary Poppins Peter won an Oscar for Best Special Visual Effects. He has also been nominated for an Academy Award an additional three times; for his production design work on Bedknobs and Broomsticks and The Island at the Top of the World as well as for his effects work on The Black Hole. In 1970, Peter and his wife, Bobbie, moved to the Ring of Kerry in Ireland, and it was there that Ellenshaw created 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 Ellenshaw 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 1993, Peter Ellenshaw was officially designated a 'Disney Legend' at the Walt Disney Studios in a ceremony presided over by CEO Michael Eisner and Roy E. Disney.