Pollyanna’s Elephantastic Elephant!
As a long-standing patron of The Born Free Foundation Pollyanna is proud to have designed and decorated an Elephant for the Elephantastic trail, which will be taking Horsham by storm this summer! (ongoing until the 31st August.) The trail features life size decorated baby elephants in and around the village of Horsham in Surrey, raising for money charities including the Born Free Foundation, and their new appeal to fund and build Europe’s first elephant sanctuary.
Several artists and celebrities, including Pollyanna, have also painted smaller elephants which will be auctioned at a special event in the Autumn. She can be seen above presenting her elephant to Will Travers, President of the charity. Pollyanna used her creative flair to design an exceptionally elegant elephant, using a subtle white and gold palette. The design combines traditional, Indian-inspired patterns created with gold leaf, with hand-painted bird motifs and wildlife scenes.
Pollyanna said: “Although we often associate Born Free with lions, I know that one of the biggest motivations for Virginia and Bill in establishing this incredible organisation was the story of Pole Pole the elephant, so I was especially pleased to have the opportunity to create an elephant for the Elephantastic event.
“I decided to keep my elephant very pale and elegant and just use white and gold. My starting point was a beautiful poem by Richard Bonfield, Born Free’s Poet in Residence, which I inscribed on my elephant’s back. I added a mixture of painted and decoupaged embellishments in gold and then painted stylised birds flying around the elephants’ back and legs – inspired by the cattle egrets and other birds which can often be seen flying around herds of wild elephants. The birds represent freedom, and also celebrate the interconnectedness of all of nature – they are helped to thrive by the continuing survival of wild elephants.”
Amanda Holden Vic Reeves, Peter Andre, and Freddy Flintoff are among the other celebrities who have created elephants for the forthcoming auction event.