“Little May Elephant”
Acrylic on Canvas – May 2017

This was my first painting of the month of May and also the first painting of the St. Jude playlive fundraiser that I have chosen to be a part of this year. In order to make the painting as special as I possibly could, I wanted to incorporate a lot of elements and details that kind of spoke my heart on the subject.

The elephant is a popular St. Jude symbol that means hope. I purposefully chose to make the elephant look like a “baby” or a kid because St. Jude is a children’s research and medical hospital. The elephant has shining eyes and a bit of a smile but hasn’t been unscathed as shown by the patch on the arm, which could symbolize a surgery or a bandage such as people often have to have when they have pic lines in their arms for frequent blood tests/injections.

While this may be the most visible and extreme symbol there are a lot of other symbols in the painting. Ponds reflect our inner thoughts and feelings, dense grass how things are all interconnected. Daisies are a symbol of childhood innocence and purity. Cherry blossoms are a symbol which I personally am drawn to – that of the fragility of life and of life/death and renewal – which is also reflected in the sky which could be a sunset but I’m thinking is a sunrise. Speaking of new beginnings – the robin’s egg filled nest that the elephant is lovingly watching over.

I really wanted to make something with a lot of heart that reflected my thoughts and desires going into this month. I think this painting nailed it!

This artwork is a one of a kind piece hand painted by Stephanie Ishler of Hallyu Back. All artwork is for sale unless otherwise specified. If you are interested in purchasing this original painting, contact us here!

In addition, you can also inquire about artwork by emailing this address: contact@hallyuback.com ^^

22×28 inches /