Why are elephants so wrinkled?

This dynamic duo are up next on my drawing board. 

After combing through hundreds and hundreds of photos from my Africa trip, I mashed these two elephants together. Lorelai, the mom is actually from Amboseli National Park and her baby Rory is from Samburu but in my small drawing they have always been mom and baby! 

Not sure if I will add any birds to this one as I want the emphasis to be on Rory's turned head, looking back at the viewer. 

I am hoping to have it done in time for the TAG Gallery Open California Exhibit in August, which means it needs to be completed by mid June. Not sure if I will be able to make it but I am going to give it my best shot!

(They take too long to iron!)

a baby titan

 after a very early and lengthy morning of checking into our hotel in Nairobi, we jumped back into our white vans and headed off to the elephant orphanage. 

standing behind a roped off red clay area, mint green robed care takers placed baby bottles the size of which you've never seen before every few foot along the rope.

materializing from behind some vegetation to our left, approximately 20 baby elephants came charging down the path to get their bottles of delicious creamy milk. the crowd was entertained by these tiny pachyderms greedily feeding from the bottles held firmly by their care takers until the last drop was polished off! then the antics started...tug o' war with trunks, goosing, a few fights and a lively game of soccer ensued. i can't tell you how awestruck and overjoyed i was! never had i seen a sight like this before!

so this new drawing in progress is of one of these sweeter than honey baby elephants, who i came to love more than any other animal on our adventurous safari in kenya. funny, i really thought the cats would be my favorites!