44" width, 36" height

This is the second elephant painting of the lifecycle series. It represents the life phase of the mother. This stage described as: ripeness, fertility, fulfillment, stability, and power. This is a time in a women’s life where she surrenders, and gives herself to her children and loved ones. The painting displays an Indian elephant, decorated and painted due to the Indian history and cultural tradition. “The inner vitality of Indian culture which has been the result of intimate connection between nature and human inspiration. That is why; Indian religion, art and literature are rooted in the natural environment. Ganesa the elephant god is the best example of the oneness of nature and the human factor as reflected in the realm of art and literature ” (Gupta, S.1983). Within India’s predominate religion of Hinduism, they symbolically worship the elephant and it’s admirable qualities. The qualities of Obedience, and their ability to not make a reoccurring mistake. They are also very calm and nurturing beings, and represents qualities of a good disciple in the Hindu culture. The big ears of an elephant are symbolic of how one should listen more than speak. The ears of my painting expand to the entire width of the composition to imply this idea. When she needs to accomplish a certain task, physical pain, tiredness, hunger and thirst are no obstacles and elephants have very little fear and posses many ideals of strength. It is the most respected animal of the Indian culture, “The elephant is the most loved of our animal kin. It is a byword for strength and for wisdom. Many are the stories about its intelligence and helpfulness. The gentleness of the elephant has endeared it to children in all countries” (Gandhi, 1982).  

This idea, displays the key characteristics of an ideal stage of motherhood, and what I believe as the most important stage of the female cycle. The series of elephants derives from this central idea, in that the Indian culture’s teaching and practices of intimate connection between nature and human inspiration. She is the center of the series. Elephants serve as beings of nature, and also a practical philosophy toward a practice in moral sensibility. Their sense of life is kinetic, as expressive beings, kind, strong and transparent. Human’s ability to feel and be this stage of life inflicts my elephant correlation to the fundamental aspect of my series. With expressive under paintings and intricately detailed henna designs, this elephant art painting is reprinted on canvas and painted on top adding to the layers to the original painting as an infinate message.