My first bronze African elephant sculpture, Follow Me, depicting the tender bond between mother and baby, is now sold out. But if you missed out don’t worry. I’ve been hard at work on a new African elephant sculpture in bronze. This time I’ve chosen the African bull elephant as my subject. Giant of the Plains is ready to be sent to the foundry for casting and is available for pre-order now.

Elephants famously live in matriarchal families. When the males come of age, they must leave and make their way alone in the world. Not only must they fend for themselves in the fierce and hostile environment of the African plains, they must also compete for dominance and the opportunity to mate.

It would be easy, then, to dismiss the African bull elephant as an aggressive, anti-social loner, reliant entirely on his size and strength for survival. In fact, many males continue to move from family to family for up to ten years after leaving their birth family.

Although male elephants do not form the same close bonds as females, they tend to form loose groupings with other family members or other males of a similar age. Young males will gather to spar and play fight, testing their strength and learning the skills and tactics they will need to survive as mature adults. In areas where humans pose a threat, males often group together as they instinctively seek safety in numbers.

OPEN FOR PRE-ORDER. Photos show the clay sculpture before casting. An example of the completed bronze finish is shown here.

Just as in the tightly knit matriarchal groups, male elephants form dominance hierarchies. This can be easily observed at watering holes, where the older males can be seen supervising access to water. Younger males will submit to their superiors and each will take his turn in the pecking order.

Be in no doubt, however, that a mature male elephant is an intimidating sight. Even from the (relative) safety of a four-wheel drive vehicle, a close encounter with an adult male is a truly awe-inspiring experience.

My latest bronze animal sculpture, Giant of the Plains, seeks to capture the grandeur of the African bull elephant asserting his dominance in all his magnificent glory. As always with sculpture, it’s the presence in the room that I find so enthralling. I’m very excited about this new piece. It will make for a spectacular centre piece in any room.

Released in a limited edition of just 12 pieces, Giant of the Plains 40x20x15cm in a hand finished traditional bronze patina is available now for pre-order, with the first deliveries expected in November 2020 (approximately 14 weeks). The price is £8250, including VAT at 20% and secure UK mainland delivery. International shipping by arrangement. Interest is already high and we expect demand for this edition to be high. Contact me now to reserve your piece.