About the artist
From 1931 onwards, Clifford and Rosemary Ellis became artistic partners as an already married couple. Throughout the 1930s, they created posters for notable organizations such as London Transport, the Empire Marketing Board, and Shell-Mex and BP Ltd. Their designs stood out for their vibrant utilization of colour and form, seamlessly blending imagery and text into cohesive and meaningful compositions. It's worth noting the posters' distinctive feature for the era - the authentic portrayal of birds and animals within naturalistic settings. Their poster success led to opportunities as book jacket designers. Today, they are well known for their artwork on the covers of Collins' New Naturalist books. Following World War II, Clifford Ellis assumed the role of a master at Bath Academy, a pivotal figure in relocating the school to Corsham Court. By the late 1960s, the academy had educated more than 600 art instructors. Corsham's close proximity to artistic communities in Cornwall facilitated connections with talented and inspiring artist-teachers.
