What is most striking about Sue Dickinson’s work is the prevalence of negative space. She is of the belief that less is more, and that what you leave out of a painting is as important as what you put into it. This approach is evident in this painting of a charging elephant, shown in strikingly clear detail in watercolour. The eye is drawn inevitably to the elephant, as the rest of the painting is left empty. This empty space also serves as an allusion to the vast open spaces of the South African plains.
About South African Art
The majestic elephant has been visually portrayed in a number of ways, depicting various emotions and personality traits. It represents the exotic and unfamiliar, due to its powerful build and imposing size. When visiting South Africa, many take home a souvenir or curio to remind them of their African experience. Unfortunately, many of the curio items brought back from South Africa are badly crafted and unoriginal – often not even made in South Africa. Rather than purchase one of the myriad masks, animal statuettes or street artworks on offer at local markets, take a look at the quality paintings on offer from Fine Art Portfolio and its reputable and established South African artists. Each piece is an original work of art, making your chosen piece totally unique. You will be able to cherish and enjoy your purchased memory of South Africa for many years to come..
There are a number of South African artists featured on Fine Art Portfolio who create inspired wildlife art. Here are a few examples of artists who have created breathtaking elephant art.
David Bucklow
David Bucklow has created a niche for himself in the world of South African wildlife art by creating photo-realistic images of some of the Big 5. With a keen eye for fine details, David’s depiction of this majestic elephant shows each and every facet of the elephant in a beautiful Realist style. In this acrylic painting, every aspect of the elephant is rendered clearly. From the deep folds in the elephant’s skin, down to the tiny hairs that grow along its trunk, David’s trademark details are evident. The piece gives a clear indication of not only the sheer enormity of the elephant, but its quiet grace too.
Sue Dickinson
What is most striking about Sue Dickinson’s work is the prevalence of negative space. She is of the belief that less is more, and that what you leave out of a painting is as important as what you put into it. This approach is evident in this painting of a charging elephant, shown in strikingly clear detail in watercolour. The eye is drawn inevitably to the elephant, as the rest of the painting is left empty. This empty space also serves as an allusion to the vast open spaces of the South African plains.
Sharon Tancrel
Living around animals at home on her farm, it should come as no surprise that the wildlife Sharon Tancrel portrays is both the subject matter of her paintings as well as her muse. Sharon is inspired by the gentler, tender side of the animals she paints. Although this painting depicts two enormous male elephants, they have an air of nobility and calm around them.
African Forest Elephant by artists Gillie and Marc
__________________
NAME
Mama Africa
TITLE
Love The African Forest Elephant
GENDER
Female
AGE
50
FOUND
Africa
CONSERVATION STATUS
Vulnerable
This matriarch has lived a good, long life and she still has a lot left in her! At the age of 50, she is the head of her family – responsible for their protection, leading them towards, food, water, and survival. She has been taught the skills and path that she must follow by her elders and now it is her turn.
Unfortunately, the ever-present threat of humans worries her. It seems that poachers are always close and other residents don’t want them near their homes. She’s running out of places she can go.
The African elephant is the largest land animal in the world and wanders across 37 countries in Africa. There are two subspecies, the Savanna (or bush) elephant and the Forest elephant. Forest elephants are slightly smaller and live in the forests of the Congo Basin. African elephants live in herds led by a matriarch, the biggest and oldest female who looks after her herd and leads them to water holes. Adult males tend to live alone or occasionally join an all-male group.
Elephants have the longest pregnancy of any other mammal, nearly 22 months. Not too surprisingly the baby is huge, weighing 200 pounds at birth and measures around 3 feet tall. Elephants don’t have to worry about being a single parent, they have a system called allomothering. This means that not only the mother but all the young females in the herd will look after the baby together. For the first 2 years of their life, the baby will suckle milk from its mother, a whopping 13 litres a day! Babies don’t understand the purpose of their trunk at first. They enjoy swinging it around and even suck it like a human baby would suck their thumb. At about 6-8 months old they learn to use it to eat and drink, once they reach a year old, they can do everything they need, like grasping and bathing. The females will stay with the herd forever while the males will set out on their own at around 12-14 years old.
African elephants are a keystone species meaning they are crucial for their environment. They use their tusks to dig up dry riverbeds in the dry season, digging down to the water hidden underneath and creating water holes for others. They are also important for seed dispersal, eating the seeds of different plants and dropping them all over the place in the form of their poop, perfect for regrowth! The forest elephants also make pathways through the trees for other animals as their great size can power through while happily munching on seeds.
The biggest threat to African elephants is poaching for the ivory trade. 55 elephants are killed a day to fuel the ivory industry and orphaned baby elephants don’t stand much of a chance in the wild without their mothers. Unable to care for themselves and left with psychological scars from the traumatic event, orphaned calves would usually die. Habitat loss is also a major problem. In the last 25 years, the world lost a forested area the size of South Africa. Elephants roam up to 80km a day, so this forces them into dangerous and deadly confrontations with humans when they come into these new settlements, especially when an elephant can eat an entire season of crops in one night! The angry farmers will often kill them in retaliation. Drought that has been seen over much of East Africa in the last ten years is also drying up water holes and diminishing their available food, with plants and trees no longer able to flourish in their changing environment.
HOW TO HELP
Inspired by animals that Gillie and Marc met on their travels, we invite the public to discover and interact with these beautiful creatures up close and personal – this allows audiences to connect, take photographs and share their favourite species with friends and family.
With more exposure comes more awareness and builds on the love we already have for animals around the world. With love comes a greater sense of urgency to create a change and save all endangered animals.
The sculpture will be aligned with the hashtag #LoveTheLast to raise unparalleled awareness about the sculpture’s cause across the globe.
To help protect these animals, please donate to the WWF: https://www.wwf.sg/
PARTNER
WWF is one of the world’s largest and most respected independent conservation organisations. WWF’s mission is to stop the degradation of the earth’s natural environment and to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature. As one of WWF’s international hubs, WWF-Singapore supports a global network spanning over 100 countries. We work to meet key conservation goals, such as deforestation, haze pollution, food security, sustainable finance, sustainable consumption and illegal wildlife trade.
For more information, visit https://www.wwf.sg
ABOUT GILLIE AND MARC
Gillie and Marc’s highly coveted public artworks can be found worldwide including in New York, London, Singapore, Shanghai, and Sydney. They are Archibald Prize finalists, won the Chianciano Biennale in Italy, took out the Allens People’s Choice Award in 2016 and 2018 and Kids’ Choice Award in the 2016 Sculpture by the Sea and received the Bayside Arts Festival People’s Choice Award in 2019 in Sydney.
The husband-and-wife duo are on a mission to make art for a better tomorrow. They are best known for their beloved characters, Rabbitwoman and Dogman, who tell the autobiographical tale of two opposites coming together as best friends and soul mates.
Gillie and Marc are also passionate eco-warriors and have dedicated their lives to protecting nature.
Gillie grew up with the wildlife in Zambia and Marc studied chimpanzees in Tanzania as a young man. Over time, the artists developed a deep appreciation for all living things and a desire to preserve the magnificence of the natural world.
Gillie and Marc’s mission is to save species from extinction. Through their practices, they are transforming passive audiences into passionate advocates for animal conservation, spreading awareness about endangered species and leading to change.
Their art has raised hundreds of thousands in donations for the many wildlife charities and causes they support through their project Love The Last.
Please follow @gillieandmarcart
