Free print offer

Your chance to win a signed Andrew Ellis print.On 1st December we will put the names of everyone who is on the website’s online mailing list, into a draw. One name will be pulled out and that lucky person will be sent a print. Go online to www.andrewellispaintings.com/newsletter.php and add your details to the mailing list.

The winner will be able to choose one of the following prints, "genghis" or "gyr and sharp tail grouse"- see pictures below. Both of these are popular images which would make a great christmas present for yourself or someone else.

Andrew Ellis Limited on facebook

We've now added a page on facebook for Andrew Ellis limited, so it gives you another way to keep up to date with special offers, and new giclees/ greetings cards being added to the online shop. Three photo albums have been set up on the page so far and these will also be added to over time.To get updates you will need to register for a free facebook account, search for Andrew Ellis limited, then click on the link to "become a fan". If you'd rather not recieve updates, just go and look at the page when it's convenient to you, and carry on reading this blog.

Website special offer

Just to let you know, from now until the end of November( unless stock runs out sooner) we're running a special offer on the website. Buy 2 packs of greetings cards and we'll send you a 3rd pack free! Each pack contains 4 cards, one of each of the following designs: sparrowhawk and blackbird, white gyr and willow ptarmigan, peregrine and red legged partridge, and goshawk and pheasant. They are all stunning images and each pack retails at just £6.50 (uk/ europe) including postage. So with this great value offer you'll be getting 12 cards for just £13.Hurry as when the cards run out no more will be produced.

collared doves

My latest piece is of two collared doves preening. I purposely kept the piece very simple , and without a background as such so that all the focus was on the birds. The inspiration for this piece came from photographs I took locally, early in the morning, it was a very tranquil time of day and I wanted to portray feeling in the finished painting.

Red deer stag

I’ve just finished 2 paintings of red deer stags. The first was a commission piece in which I portrayed a majestic looking deer in the Highlands of Scotland during the summer months when their coats are redder. The second piece, (pictured above) is set in winter when the coat becomes much coarser. With both these pieces I wanted to focus on the whole animal , not just the antlers which is so often the case in paintings of deer.

The puffins of Skomer

A couple of people have said to me you’ve not put much on the blog lately. It’s true, I keep meaning to update it then get tied up in other stuff… usually work! So I guess if I’m not on here very often you can take that as a good sign that I’m busy, hopefully busy painting , and not just faffing around as my wife calls it- obviously I’m not just faffing I’m mentally preparing myself.
Anyway so what have I been up to .

Well at the beginning of the summer, you may remember, I took a day trip to Skomer with friend and fellow falconer Vicky. Skomer is a nature reserve island just off the Pembrokshire coast. It’s a fantastic place to view many types of seabird, but I particularly wanted to see the puffins. It was a long day, but well worth it in terms of reference gathering, and also having the opportunity to observe these fascinating creatures.
On the day I took a lot of photos and did some pencil sketches (see earlier post )which I worked on when I got back to the studio, trying out different compositions until I came up with something I was happy with. It’s always difficult to narrow it down and pick one painting to do from a trip like that, I’ve got plenty of material to work with and I’m sure I will come back to it some time in the future and create another painting from it. Here's teh finished painting from the day.

If you’d like to find out more about skomer and it’s wildlife here’s some useful links
http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/southwest/nature/thingstodo/walks/pages/skomer3.shtml
http://www.skomer.co.uk/index.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skomer

The launch of the premier collection

I'm really pleased to announce that the first of the new premier collection is now on the website.The premier collection will be a range of high quality canvas giclees, that are hand varnished and numbered like our other giclees. These however will be even more highly sought after as only 25 of each image will be produced- making them real collector's pieces.

The first image i have chosen to launch is a powerful cheetah piece, entitled "The chase is on" . It's very difficult trying to select which images to put into print, but many people have expressed an interest in this piece, and I was keen to choose an image with which I could help to raise funds to support the vital work done by the cheetah conservation fund http://www.cheetah.org/, who develop research, conservation and education programmes and are based in Namibia. I am very fortunate to have travelled to different parts of the world to see the amazing creatures that I love to paint, first-hand. The reality is though that unless we support charities such as ccf, our children may not have such opportunies, so please help by buying this giclee as 15% of the profits from the sales will go directly to ccf. Thank-you.