Pachyderm Paintings for Sale.
Most Colorado Springs residents are unaware that we have a renowned artist living in our midst. Her work has been showcased in galleries, the Colorado Springs Airport, and the City Council chamber; purchased by patrons of all backgrounds; and publicized in several places.
Who is this artist? Her name is Lucky, and she is an African elephant residing at Cheyenne Mountain Zoo!
Along with Lucky's canvas painting, she also does individual signature trunk prints. Kimba, her constant companion, imprints her footprint onto watercolor paper with the help of her Zookeepers.
Born in 1980, Lucky has called Cheyenne Mountain Zoo home since 1981 after being orphaned in Kruger National Park, South Africa. She shares her residence with her best friend, Kimba, another female African elephant. The two have been together for 25 years.
One of the many things Lucky's zookeepers have done to keep this highly intelligent animal mentally stimulated and challenged is to teach her to paint as an "enrichment" activity. Enrichment is a term used to describe various activities that increase the animals' physical and mental activity levels and stimulate natural behaviors.
A quick study, Lucky took to this new activity in a matter of weeks. Despite her large size, she is quite attentive to detail as she applies paint to the canvas using her favorite paintbrush. (Elephants have over 100,000 muscles in their trunks, providing them great strength, dexterity and coordination.) Her medium is water-based tempera paint and, given a choice, Lucky prefers working in pinks and purples. Every painting is signed by the artist.
Lucky often makes vocalizations that sound like a loud purr while she's painting. This is a contented noise, which gives every indication that she enjoys expressing her creative side. However, unpredictable and temperamental as she is, Lucky has been known to stop in the middle of a painting session if people are talking while she's working.
Order
Call 719.633.9925, ext. 168, or e-mail info@cmzoo.org. Please indicate the name or number of the painting or print you want to purchase. Prices shown do not include shipping and handling.
Prices
Please call 719-633-9925, ext. 111 for current availability and picing.
All proceeds from sales of Lucky's paintings and trunk prints go toward the care and feeding of all the animals at the Zoo.
