Thursday, January 30, 2014

Day 30 of 30 in 30 Painting Challenge: Animals: "Elephant Paintings"

Original 8x10 Pastel Painting For Sale - "Elephant Paintings" : $50.00+ $6.95 Shipping and  Handling
Hello Everyone!

It's January 30th, 2014 and Day 30 of the January Leslie Saeta 30 Paintings in 30 Days Painting Challenge, and you know what that means . . . Yup! It's the last and final Day of Leslie Saeta's January, 2014 Painting Challenge! Yaaaaaaaaaay! Hoooooooraaaaay! And Yipppppppeeeee! I did it! 30 entire paintings in 30 days! But I have to be honest with you, although it's been a lot of fun, it's also been so difficult! I'm amazed that I was able to find the time to create 30 Paintings!: In between the laundy, the dishes, cleaning my little girls bedrooms, helping my little girls with their homework, cooking, and still having family time, I still managed to find some time to paint! Amazing! Balancing family life with my art life has been the most difficult part of the challenge. There just never seemed to be enough time. But whew! The challenge is finally over and I can finally take a break, relax, and enjoy my family! Yay!

Today's painting is titled "Elephant Paintings." This painting was inspired by an email sent to me by a fellow artist named Joan Princing who purchased one of my paintings. In the email she sent me, she expressed how much she loved the painting when it arrived, and also why she loved it so much. The painting that she purchased was of a baby and mother elephant whose trunks interlocked, both holding a leaf in between them. She explained that when her daughter was younger, the two of them would often go to the zoo. During one of their visits Joan purchased a t-shirt which featured an elephant's painting (that is, a t-shirt painted by an elephant). When Joan got home from the zoo with her daughter, she affixed that particular t-shirt to a peice of cardboard and framed it as art. The painting that she purchased from me, "Baby and Mother Elephant", now hangs beside that particular elephant's painting.

When I read Joan's story I was fascinated by it in many ways. I wondered "Wow! An elephant painting? That is amazing! I would love to see it!" So I went online and ran a search on it,and pulled up images, video clips and articles about and of elephants painting. And I saw elephants painting flowers, and trees . . . And some elephants in the photos I saw, actually even painted elephants!--That is, paintings of themselves! So cool!

But how do they do it? Well according to the articles that I read, elephants don't actually know what they are painting. They just take cues from their trainers who stand closely and nearby to the elephant, pulling on his ear. If the trainer wants the elephant to paint up, the trainer gently tugs the elephants ear upward, if down, then downward, if left, then leftward . . . you get the idea, right? Also the trainer assists in changing and cleaning the brushes. The elephant has no part in it. So that's the mystery solved. But elephants are still amazing!

If you look closely in today's painting, you can see the trainer, tugging on the little elephants ear, as the elephant takes direction from his trainer, which type of stroke to make next. Pretty cool 'eh?

Well, my friends, that's all for now from SamDoum Art! Thanks so much to all of you who continue to visit my blog! I really appreciate it! Take care and God bless!

'Til later fellow art lovers!
-SamDoum

A Look Back on the 30 Day Painting Challenge: Animals

4 comments:

  1. Oh My Gosh, Samara! This is absolutely a wonderful painting to end with for the 30 in 30 challenge. I love how you took the visual of an elephant painting and googled to find more info on this subject!! This painting definitely tells a story! A beautiful one at that. Now I am totally convinced that this would be awesome as one of the illustrations for a children's story about elephants painting!!!! There is so much you could do with this one subject!!! And this particular painting definitely belongs in a book!!
    Congratulations on completing 30 Beautiful Animal Paintings!!! Bravo! Something to be very proud of that is for sure!!!!
    Now.... take a well deserved break!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks so much Joan! You have so many wonderful ideas! I just finished writing a book about animals, all b/c of you and all thanks to you! I will self publish it, and I hope that it will be available for purchase on Amazon in about a month. I also wrote another children's book, but it's kind of a surprise. When I finish with both, I'm going to mail them to you as a thank-you gift! :)

      Delete
  2. Your paintings are so adorable--great job!!! The story about the elephant painting is so interesting and makes your painting even more special!!! Congrats on completing the 30 Day Challenge!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Judy! Congrats on completing another 30 in 30 yourself! I've really enjoyed your snowmen. Have you began to think about what your theme will be for the next 30 in 30? Can't wait to see what you do next time.

      Delete

Hey. Thanks for commenting! We really appreciate it!

Sincerely,
The folks at SamDoumArt.com