Written by Today, I’m running behind a bit, as we had friends over early this evening and I hadn’t sketched anything yet. I asked them to forgive me a few short minutes while I scrawled a quick little two color doodlewash to celebrate Elephant Appreciation Day. It’s lovely to have friends who know you well enough that they don’t even bat an eye or question something as ridiculous as that. We then had a bit of pizza and I’m now back at the computer for a moment to make a post before heading to bed. I rather love elephants, and think they’re incredibly awesome animals. So, I’m happy that they get their own day to be celebrated and appreciated. Today was a bit of an animal toss up, as it’s also World Rhino Day as well as International Rabbit Day, but since elephants are the world’s largest land mammal I figured they deserved their place in the sun. Actually their trunk alone can weigh over 400 pounds, so that’s rather impressive. Just like an artist, preferring one hand over another, elephants are right-tusked or left-tusked, favoring one tusk over the other, causing it to become shorter over time. Thankfully, this doesn’t happen with our hands.
And though elephants have the largest brain in the animal kingdom, it’s still not quite as large as humans when compared to overall body weight. But they still have a highly developed brain and are rather smart. As a kid I adored them most of all the animals, because their sheer size made them practically epic. It was amazing to see one at the zoo, especially when I was much smaller and they seemed ever larger. Way back when, before it was deemed inappropriate to do so, I was able to take a ride on an elephant with my mother. She still talks about how unexpectedly bumpy and precarious the ride was, though I was too young to remember it properly. What I remember instead was the smell of the elephant. A rather harsh and earthy smell that burned my nostrils a bit. I far preferred simply viewing them from the ground so I could see them properly. Once, I was certain that one of them caught my eye and we were having a silent conversation. This was probably not the case, but my imagination, then and now, was always on overdrive.
I learned as a kid that elephants actually have terribly poor digestion that runs at only half efficiency. This fact was only interesting to a kid because it means that they fart a lot, releasing an extraordinary amount of methane throughout the day. Not a particularly wonderful fact to remember, but that’s just how kids think. What’s more important about elephants is that they are highly affectionate and caring creatures. If a baby is in trouble or complaining a bit about something, the entire family will rush to its rescue and touch or caress it to make it feel better. That, as an adult, is the fact that makes me smile most and love these creatures so much. Despite our superior brains, we’re not the only animals on the planet who can experience the beautiful effects of love and caring. This pure instinct is one of the best possible traits that any living being can hope to possess. So, it’s with much love and respect that I take a moment to raise a glass to this thoughtful creature as I humbly (and quickly!) celebrate Elephant Appreciation Day.
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About the DoodlewashDa Vinci Paint Co.: Vermilion, and Indigo. Lamy Al-Star Safari Fountain Pen with sepia ink in an A5 Hahnemühle Watercolour Book. Want to purchase a print of this doodlewash? Click here! |
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Your elephants are amazing (and don’t look a bit rushed!). While it true that elephants are loving and caring to other elephants , they rather like throwing snot at humans if you don’t feed them fast enough.
Thanks so much, Sandra! 😃💕hehe! In that way, elephants are a bit like Phineas! 😉 lol
Lovely elephant sketch! They are caring animals that are able to work cooperatively. Humans have much to learn from them.
Thanks so much, Sharon! 😃💕 Yeah, I think humans could learn a lot from animals in general! hehe
Big elephant fan. I spent a year tuning in every day to a live cam of an African watering hole. Any day that I was lucky enough to see the elephants come to drink and splash around was a good day indeed!
Oh wow! That sounds like a perfectly awesome thing to tune in to! Nice! 😃💕
Nice doodlewash…Last year we went to an Elephant camp near a lake in Shimoga (Shimoga is 300 kms away from Bangalore and is a tourist place famous for its waterfall : Jog falls) and saw the elephants were given a bath by their trainers. The tourists were also allowed to participate in the activity for a small fee. The elephants were very calm and were enjoying the bathing activity…
Dubare elephant camp is good fun too
Thanks, Anita! 😃💕 That sounds like a truly unique experience! I’ve never had to opportunity to view elephants like that!
Ahhhh elephants, my favorite animal (next to my cat of course). My grandmother had a ceramic/porcelain elephant collection. I would spend hours looking at and counting them. Your rendition is wonderful. I don’t believe it was a quick draw mcgraw! :p
Thanks so much! 😃💕 Glad you liked this one! And I promise never to tell your cat about your elephant love. They can be such jealous creatures! hehe 😉
Your elephants are wonderful! Love the emotion in this doodlewash! What is not to love about an elephant.
Thanks so much, Mary! 😃💕 Yeah, I think elephants are just the coolest!
I love the facts you share and the paintings with their distinct personalities. I had no idea that elephants’ trunks weighed 400 hundred pounds…Wow, even Jimmy Durante’s schnozzola (sp) didn’t come close to that. This is my week to learn more about elephants. Your fact about the weight of the trunk goes hand in hand (or in this case trunk to trunk) with a fact I learned from a National Geographic video.t An elephant’s trunk has 40, 000 muscles in it. In comparison a human’s whole body only has 650.
Charlie says, “Despite our superior brains, we’re not the only animals on the planet who can experience the beautiful effects of love and caring. This pure instinct is one of the best possible traits that any living being can hope to possess.” (my pick of the day. : )
Aww thanks, Sarah! Glad you enjoyed this post! 😃💕 It was a quick one! hehe… but I love elephants so I was already brimming with trivia. They are truly incredible creatures! And thanks for pulling your favorite quotes… I’m thinking of adding a quotes section to my upcoming book! 😉
I love elephants. They are so cute.
Yeah, I think elephants are definitely one of my favorite creatures! 😃💕
This Doodlewash of an elephant mama and her baby is wonderful because you’ve painted a gigantic animal with great delicacy, showing her humanity. I’ve always been enchanted by their eyes, relatively small for such a massive creature, but filled with passion as it observes the world – and remembers every part of it that’s really important – where the water is and where the trees, who are all the other elephants and how to protect the babies, respect for the bulls and compassion for the dying elderly members. We humans could learn a lot from elephants. As for animal emissions – yeah, I raised two sons – half their conversations are fart jokes. Your painting captures the essence of these wonderful animals.
hehe… yeah, boys will be boys after all! 😉 I’m glad you liked this one, Sharon! 😃💕 It was a fast little sketch, but sometimes those turn out even better. I agree… elephants have a lot to teach us about humanity.
Thats lovely! I have also sketched an elephant in September. Would like to share it with you.
Thanks so much, Joel! 😃💕 And that’s awesome you sketched one! Have you logged into Doodlewash with Facebook? https://doodlewash.com/community/ – Then share away! I’d love to see it!
Thank you. Just shared.