Beeline

"One of the most striking memories I have of Africa is an image of elephants. While I was there, I got very close to some huge elephants, literally to where they filled my vision. It got to the point that elephants became something of a backdrop in my memories. I find the beauty of an elephant to be in its size and personality, not its color, so this images worked very well in pencil. "I also saw a lot of different species of bee eaters that left quite an impression on me, especially in comparison to the larger animals. Bee eaters are medium-sized, slim birds of brilliant plumage and are very graceful fliers. I thought it would be terrific fun to put there totally different African animals together. The gracefulness of these white-throated bee eaters is juxtaposed with the massive size of the elephant . . . light, delicate birds against a sea of wrinkles."