On My Stand - July 2024: ”South By Southeast” by Ray Ellis
What I'm Enjoying This Month
Quick Recap: I decided to have a local artist build a book display stand for me so I could view my collection of artbooks throughout a given month: selecting one each month and then periodically turning the pages to see more of the content. This publication is a brief snapshot of what’s “on my stand” this month. See the genesis of this idea HERE. See last month’s post HERE. And to be clear: Unless otherwise identified in the text, I do NOT own any of the images you’ll see in this publication nor am I claiming any credit for having any part in producing them.
”South by Southeast” by Ray Ellis and Walter Cronkite - yes, THAT Walter Cronkite
This month, I’m veering away from my main artistic interest, photography, to highlight one of my other art books. South by Southeast was one of the earliest artbooks I purchased - while I’m not exactly sure where I bought it, I know it was at a thrift shop. Much like the work of Clyde Butcher I discussed previously, the thing that appealed to me about Ray Ellis’ paintings featured in the book, was that many of them were familiar scenes to me: waterfronts, estuaries, boats, and elements of life in the South. Ellis was a prolific painter whose works are in numerous collections in addition to being commissioned three years in a row by the White House to paint the image for the annual Christmas card
The 1983 book chronicles an epic sea voyage from Chesapeake Bay to Key West with paintings and narrative (by Cronkite) highlighting the journey.
Ellis, who passed away in 2013, had a keen eye for detail as seen below in his work titled, “Working The Gulf Stream.”
And he meticulously captures the minutiae of everyday life on the coast with scenes like “Riverman” below . .
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. . . isolated from the mainstream of modern life, are the small fishing settlements that speckle the Waterway. The fishermen’s cabins, as weathered and careworn as their inhabitants, cling with uncertainty to the their toehold on the bank.
- Walter Cronkite in “South By Southeast”
I also like how the book features Ellis’ sketches and quick drawings of his subjects - it reveals a bit of his artistic process
And, as you’ve already seen, boats are one of his favorite subjects!
There aren’t many copies of this book around, but you can find one (Hardcover, 132 pages) HERE. You can also check out more of Ray Ellis’ work HERE.
On My Stand in August will feature one of my more recent additions to my art collection - and this one isn’t a book! Stay tuned…