Behind The Painting: Elephants Everywhere

There are few animals I find as fun to draw as elephants. Their infinitely flexible trunks are excellent for holding parasols, sharing a thought bubble or a squirt of water. Their flappy ears and massive bodies are perfect billboards for bright colors, patterns or even a fancy howda or hat. A fez is my go to hat. I don’t know why. I’ll have to delve into that fixation in another post. For now, let’s get back to elephants.

A painting of a tiger and an elephant sharing tea

Teatime for Tiger & Elephant currently available at Good Day Cary, 214 East Chatham Street, Cary NC.

As a kid I was very fond of the fictional elephants, the Who hearing Horton and Babar and his fabulous family. I loved Babar’s natty wardrobe and was fascinated by how the elderly elephant, Cornelius, was depicted with a wiggly outline. It was probably one of my first moments in which I recognized how graphic elements can be used to describe qualities of an object or character without resorting to words.

Illustration of an elderly statesman elephant from Babar's world.

Cornelius, Prime Minister of Celesville, from Babar

Elephants got their start around 80 millions years ago in Africa. One of my favorite elephant ancestors is the ridiculous looking Moeritherium from around 40 million years ago. It is sort of an extra long-bodied hippo with the head of an unhappy tapir. I saw a skeleton reconstruction in the British museum and I thought for sure they were using ribs from more than one Moeritherium; the body appeared so ridiculously long. It wasn’t a very large animal, about the height of a large pig today. Like all prehistoric life, we don’t know exactly what our pal Moeritherium looked like. I find the reconstructions of this animals pretty hilarious - I can't believe I haven't drawn this guy.

Drawing of what a moeritherium might have looked like with a human for scale.

Moeritherium with human for scale

Surprised Moeritherium interpretation

A reconstruction of a moeritherium with a rather ratty face

A rather ratty-faced Moeritherium

With such cartoonish ancestors, and still appearing pretty cartoony today, it is no wonder elephants barged into my doodles and pictures. In the real world they are impressive and exciting animals with complicated social structure within their group; but also capable of sustaining life-long relationships with humans too. They made enormous impacts on the art of the peoples that lived with them and inspired cultures far from their ranges.

A fantastic elephant mask from Babanki culture

Beaded headresses representing elephants worn by people of the Bamileki culture

Bamileke beaded elephant masks

Portrait of the Elephant 'Alam Guman, attributed to Bichitr ca 1640

Decorated Indian elephant

Elephants lend themselves to both decoration and visual streamlining by artists from all over. They continue to inspire me with their history, behavior and possibilities. My own fascination with elephants goes on and on....