Ray Ellis Biography

Ray Ells was born in Philadelphia in 1921. He attended the Philadelphia Museum School of Arts for three years before entering the service during World War II. Mr. Ellis moved to Northern New Jersey and followed a successful business career running his own advertising agency for some twenty years. Although he continued to paint during these years, he did not leave business and start painting full time until 1969.

The quality of his work has brought Mr. Ellis many honors. He has become a member of the American Watercolor Society, the Salmugundi Club, the Philadelphia Watercolor Club, Society of Illustrators, Artists’ Fellowship, the National Arts Club, Essex Watercolor Society, he is a past President of the New Jersey Watercolor society, and he received the Salmugundi Club’s Medal of Honor for lifetime achievement. 

Ray Ellis’ art has graced the pages of a number of fine art books. In the 1980’s he collaborated with Walter Cronkite on books about American coastlines: South By Southeast, North By Northeast, and Westwind. He has published a number of other volumes of his paintings: Savannah and the Lowcountry, Martha’s Vineyard An Affectionate Memoir, Coastal Images of America, Fishing the Vineyard,  Lowcountry, and By the Light of the Moon. He also collaborated with Ben Wright on The Spirit of Golf and with John DeGarmo on The Road to Ballybunion.

Throughout his career, Mr. Ellis has exhibited extensively, regionally, nationally, and abroad. This has resulted in numerous awards for excellence, including the Grumbacher Award. In addition his works have been exhibited in U. S. Embassies in Geneva, Vienna, Brussells and London and are in the permanent collections of the White House, museums in the United States, and private collections worldwide.