Chiang Mai - Mae Sa Elephant Camp - Art Painted by Elephants!

Located a 20-30 minute drive outside of Chiang Mai, the Mae Sa Elephant Camp is perhaps most known for its elephant artists. So I visited to see the elephants paint as part of the regular show. There were five elephant artists, including the baby. Each elephant had its own easel, paint brush, bucket of paint, and human wrangler, whose role it was to dip the brush into the paints after the elephant artist had finished a stroke.

Here's the elephant closest to me.

Elephant artist is so talented

she can paint

an elephant!

"For sale 3,000 Baht" which is about $100 US

There were several other paintings, most for sale.

"For sale 2,000 Baht" which is about $67 US

blue, orange, olive,
green: colors squiggle-wiggle:
entwine...mesh...unwind

(the following was not for sale)

this bush grows too wild,
overblown reds and two-toned
greens rising like snakes

"For sale 2,000 Baht" which is about $67 US

stemming from one source,
flowers rise while leaves float
like green butterflies

And while the wranglers were organizing these paintings,

the baby elephant continued to paint, long after the adult elephants had finished.

The painting was totally worth the wait.

"for sale 6,000 Baht" which is about $200 US

rust orange forest
blossoms against burnt mountains,
against sun-kissed sky

Next Stop: Riding an Elephant