Why I Paint Elephants — A Story That Began at Home

There are things we grow up with that quietly become part of who we are.

We don’t question them.

We don’t analyse them.

They simply live with us… until one day we realize they’ve shaped us.

In my case, elephants were always there.

Not in books. Not in documentaries.

At home.

My mother has loved elephants for as long as I can remember.

Not casually. Not occasionally.

Deeply.

She has a room dedicated entirely to them.

"The Elephant Room."

Every piece she owns holds meaning. Some are gifts, some she found herself,

but all of them were chosen with intention.

And right outside her home, there stands a life-sized baby elephant sculpture

made of solid wood.

It’s one of those things that stays with you.

It is because of my father that I paint Don Quixote.

And it is because of my mother that I paint elephants.

This piece is one of the few I created especially for her.

It wasn’t meant for a shop.

It wasn’t meant to be shared.

It was simply something I felt I needed to create… for her.

When I paint elephants, I don’t think about their size or their strength.

I think about what they carry.

Memory.

Connection.

Presence.

There is something about them that feels deeply familiar.

The way they stay close to one another.

The way they remember.

The way they feel.

And maybe that’s why my mother was always drawn to them.

Because they are not just powerful.

They are gentle.

This piece carries that same spirit.

It is not loud, but it is full.

It does not demand attention, but it stays with you.

Every line, every color, every movement came from a place that feels both personal and shared at the same time.

Over time, I began to understand something.

The things we grow up surrounded by…become part of the language we create with.

A Piece That Now Lives Beyond Our Home

What began as something made just for her…

is now something I am choosing to share.

This piece is now available as prints.

On mugs, tote bags, posters, and more.

If it speaks to you, you can find it in the shop, or reach out through the contact page if you would like it printed on something specific.

Because for me, art has never been just about creating.

It is about sharing pieces of a life.

And this one…

began with my mother.