Disney sent me these three newly released images from Walt Disney Animation Studios’ The Ballad of Nessie an animated short appearing exclusively with the upcoming Winnie the Pooh theatrical release, which opens in theaters July 15, 2011.

I love this artwork, especially the landscape image with the plaid motif. The story is set in the “bonny blue highlands” of Scotland, “The Ballad of Nessie” is a whimsical and colorful tall tale about the friendly Loch Ness monster, Nessie, and how she and her best friend MacQuack the rubber duck came to live in the moor they now call home. Setting the adventure into motion is a greedy land developer named MacFroogle, who decides to build a mini-golf empire on top of Nessie’s home.

Directed by the Emmy Award-winning team of Stevie Wermers-Skelton and Kevin Deters (Prep & Landing and the 2007 Goofy short How to Hook Up Your Home Theater), The Ballad of Nessie is animated in classic Disney hand-drawn style.

Written by Wermers-Skelton, Deters and Regina Conroy, the film is produced by Dorothy McKim and Tamara Boutcher, and features a musical score by Oscar-winning composer Michael Giacchino (Ratatouille, Up).