African Art

When we went to Africa, we assumed that we would buy a print of some kind to hang in the house.  Or maybe a few wood carvings of animals and such.  Although there were plenty of both to be found, nothing really did it for us, so we were content to take pictures and figured we would frame a couple.

I was a little disappointed but since we were in the middle of downsizing the house for the Denver move, I kept it all in perspective.  The last thing we needed was more stuff.

On our last full day there, we went to an animal preserve and rode elephants.  The entire experience was designed to make the audience bond with and learn to appreciate the animals.  First, they bring the elephants out and give you time to pet them and talk to them.

If you have never touched an elephant before, then imagine petting a tire.  You know how tires have those little rubber spikes all over them, when they are new?  Elephant trunks are like that, too.  They are incredibly tough but also sensitive; they have thousands of muscles and nerves in their trunks to help them eat leaves and bark.  It is a weird sensation, to feel something so tough and know you need to be so gentle.

Next up, going for a ride.

Riding an elephant is an interesting thing.  It is a core exercise, first of all.  Also, elephants eat almost constantly, so they venture off the "trail" and grab tree branches often.  It is so cute to ride along, with leaves blocking part of your view, while you listen to crunching and smacking.

To complete the elephant experience, the riders got to give their elephant treats at the end.  I don't know the name for them, but they look like wine corks and are a mixture of hay and molasses.  Designed to satisfy a big sweet tooth!

So what does this have to do with art?  Well, the guides explained that part of their effort to raise money for the herd is to create and sell as many custom gifts as they can.  One idea they came up with was to have the elephants step into paint, then step onto a sheet of paper, creating a unique footprint.  As soon as I saw this, I knew this was what we were looking for.

When we got settled here, I took our print to a frame shop and just got the final product back a few days ago.

It is an original, novel way for us to remember the trip, and "our" elephant, Coco.  Not a bad decoration, either!