Elephant art unveiled at Sharon Center School

SHARON — Like most 8-year-olds, Wanpen likes to paint — flowers in particular.

This would be unspectacular if it were not for the fact that Wanpen is an elephant.

“Elephants really can paint, believe it or not,†Sharon Center School Librarian Judy Gafney said. “Her work is really quite magnificent.â€

Gafney and her first- and second-grade students unveiled a piece by Wanpen Thursday night at the school’s library. For Gafney and the students, it was the culmination of almost a year of fundraising.

Gafney first learned of Wanpen and other painting elephants, whose pieces are sold on the Web site elephantart.com, two years ago. The librarian, who teaches young students about various animals, including elephants, wanted to buy a painting then, but the $500 price tag was a bit too high.

“I’ve had my eye on this painting for a while,†Gafney said. “I wasn’t sure how to raise the money until someone suggested selling potholders.â€

Last year, working with volunteers from a local artisans’ guild, Gafney’s first-grade students began sewing, quilting and painting elephant-festooned potholders. Selling the potholders for $10, the class raised the $500 necessary to purchase Wanpen’s painting.

“It was such an easy project,†Gafney said. “And the money goes to a good cause.â€

The Asian Elephant Art and Conservation Project, the group selling the elephant paintings, is a nonprofit organization that is, according to its Web site, “dedicated to saving the diminishing number of Asian elephants.†Profits from artwork sales go to habitats that raise Asian elephants in captivity.

Wanpen lives in the Maesa Elephant Camp in Thailand.