The African elephant has been an inspiration since the first one was sighted by human eyes.  Before that, unless it was another elephant the sighting most likely engendered fear.  It does that well in the eyes of humans, too.  We have the elevated capacity to wonder and admire beauty.  The African elephant (Loxodonta africana) definitely inspires.

The Swahili word Sankalai is the word more often used to define the male (bull) African elephant.  I thought this word appropriate for this eLithograph© since it is the embued emotion I felt – and have found others feel when seeing this image – when first seeing an African elephant in real life.  Native African peoples know far better than I the impressive figure and elephant impresses, but one does not need to see an elephant ‘in-the-bush’ to be moved.

Read the short story, “Sankalai” on the Akilologos blog.  This story was written in the Akilologos style, with the ~1000 word short-story being inspired by the image.

Sankalai

• SIZE Image: 12.7″x16.2″ | Paper: 20″x16″
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In the fading light of a peaceful afternoon’s fishing, Captain Roger LaPenter, with poling staff in hand, watches the ‘flats’ for signs of feeding fish.

Dressed in his customary ‘guide gear’ – shorts, short-sleeve flats-shirt, baseball cap and sporting his signature, flowing white fu-goatee, he scans the water looking every bit the part of the consummate flats fishing guide. And this is very true. However, it is NOT where most would believe: that being off Florida or elsewhere in the warm, sapphire blue waters of the Caribbean.

The waters on which Capt LaPenter plies the majority of his days-on-the-water, are those in the northern water world of upper Wisconsin; specifically the water flats of Chequamegon Bay, Lake Michigan, out of Ashland, Wisconsin.

Capt LaPenter, through his guide business Anglers All Wisconsin does guide in many parts of the world, his primary ‘business’ is conducted in the Chequamegon Bay ‘office park’. If you’re interested in fishing in his country, then contact him. You will have a memorable experience, even if the fish are less than cooperative.

Capt. Roger LaPenter, AnglersAllWisconsin.com, sets atop the sighting platform as he negotiates the 'Wisconsin Flats' of the nothern Wisconsin Chequamegon Bay country