Elephants in Kemptown
Inspired by a trip to Thailand and a re-kindling of my affection for these large beasts, elephants, I had a desire to save them from extinction, I made a series of paintings of elephants painted in acrylic on paper and wooden trays. The paintings were loose, brush-stroked and naive in style and the elephant subjects were quirky and character-full.
The exhibition was held at the Brighton Framing Gallery throughout the month of May 2017 and ran concurrent with an exhibition on an online website. The paintings were sold in a blind auction to raise money for the charity Tusk, which aims to protect elephants in the wild. Eighteen of the twenty elephants sold.The total raised for Tusk from the sale of the elephants was £834.50 with elephants going to New Zealand, Australia, Cornwall, London and around Brighton.
Wild
Not tamed
Not caught
Not captured and chained
Not penned
Nor bred and ridden.
Not pets
Nor decorated
Nor dressed in jewels
Nor made to climb alps
Nor bear burdens horrendous.
Not hunted
Nor tusk taken
Not made souvenir
Nor icon.
Not taken as remedy
Nor fake cure
Nor chiselled ivory
Nor bone
Nor let to die
Unprotected on desert plain
Leave this creature
Alive
Wild
Free to roam.
ELEPHANT.
Above: The Elephants being painted in my studio
Below:The Elephants on exhibiton at the Brighton Framing Gallery
Above & Below: Some of the Elephants in the show
Above: With the only elephant that didn't sell and the cheques ready to post to Tusk
Comments:
...thank you so much for painting a very special elephant. The time that I bought the elephant I was going through moving house so my mum looked after him for me. I now have him on my wall now settled in my new house. He is such a joy to look at. I wanted to let you know he has brought me much happiness. Thank you so much.
Charlotte H, Brighton