RICHARD ELLIS
April 2, 1938 – May 21, 2024
Farewell with gratitude for the beauty he put into this world — Richard Ellis brought us all the oceans of the world with his art.
While his paintings were marvelous and I studied them for hours, one of my favorites of his work is the life sized model of a blue whale in the Museum of Natural History in NYC. Such a pleasure to be with that work of art, and a delight to lead folks to see it for the first time. They did have to keep their eyes closed and trust me, and then I would position them underneath the whale. The resulting response was always pure awe.The NY Times obituary today had this quote from Ellis from a 2012 interview: “If people understood the life, the importance, the habits of these creatures — whether sharks or whales or manatees — they would acquire a reverence.” Thank you, sir, for all of it. Suzanne Clothier
I still have that issue and the image always stuck with me. I was in my teens when I subscribed and I loved the Audubon magazine. I think this was the heyday of the magazine with Les Line at the helm. Steve would know.
I remember Ellis and his work. He was in the mag fairly often. I didn’t know he was gone. Sorry to hear it.
Update June 7, 2024
In Memory of Richard Ellis, Influential Artist and Author by Darren Naish
Update June 7.2024
In Memory of Richard Ellis, Influential Artist and Author by Darren Naish
He was a good’un and will be missed.He had a sense of humor, sometimes rare in specialized artists. Les knew him.Les knew EVERYONE I cant IMAGINE the msgaxzine world we had in the 60’s (or today) without thinking of his eating not one but TWO oysterburgers nt5he crowded street before his office, as he points out the virtues of the S & Wesson 44 (It is ‘small ”and “graceful” ” and “little” beside the single action Ruger. Yeah, right, but graceful and l “‘Lttle’ arent thefirt adjectives thst cv9ome to mind seeing hiis new office photo of him in aArica with pistol and ho–.an unusual chidce for an envro editoR, to saqy the least.and most visitors were iot amused, as we were,
At bthe time he was stil under 300 pounds.)