Life sized Gourd Baby Elephant

Buy a print and contribute to next year's gourd creation!

It's been a long ride to complete my big baby. She started from the humble beginnings with 23 gourds and has evolved to the wonder she has become. It's been 103 hours and nearly $500 for her to come into being...but it's been worth it. I learned so much from the processes, and I tested skills I wasn't sure I had! But I didn't think about what I couldn't do, I just did it. My baby is now at the North Carolina zoo, where she's been donated to their annual benefit auction. She'll be auctioned in September. I'll get video of her being auctioned off, I hope she brings a lot to the zoo!

Here's her final stats:
30 inches tall
19 inches wide
40.5 inches long
weighs 38 pounds
103 hours of work

Supply list:
23 large gourds
2 expanding foam cans
3 large dowel rods for internal support
epoxy glue
liquid nails
quick grab glue
6 rolls of masking tape
100 sheets of blank newsprint
39 pounds of air drying clay
glass taxidermy eyes
wireform mesh for ears
5 bottles of superglue
2 full bottles of paint (black and white)
Brown, red, and yellow paint
1,000 cut horse hairs (brown and black)
1 full can of matte sealer and partial gloss

Phase 1:
Phase 2:
Phase 3:
Phase 4 was painting and 5 is application of hair.

Compilation photos will be uploaded soon.

Thank you everyone for commenting, viewing, and supporting this long process. I WILL be making another large gourd sculpture next year to donate to the zoo. Please consider donating next year for the project. I couldn't do it without you!

Cara

And a DD, THANK YOU SO MUCH!