My First Oil Painting – Elephants at Sunset

There’s something magical about sunsets — the warmth, the colours, the calm. Life can often feel a little chaotic, but when I paint, I search for peace. My Elephant Sunset was my very first oil painting, created with paints I received from my grandad, and it captures everything I love about vibrant colour, wildlife, and those golden moments at the end of the day.

Why Elephants?

Elephants have always fascinated me. They’re powerful, gentle, and deeply family-oriented — qualities I connect with. I wanted my first oil painting to focus on them, not just as animals, but as symbols of strength and calm. This artwork became my way of celebrating those traits, and turning them into something you can hang on the wall.

Drawn to Sunsets

.I’ve always been drawn to sunsets for their warmth and vibrancy. No two sunsets are the same, and they always seem to bring a sense of stillness, even on hectic days. That peaceful, glowing atmosphere was exactly what I wanted to capture in this piece. For me, Elephant Sunset is about finding moments of calm in a colourful, busy world.

Receiving Paints Of My Grandad

One of the reasons this piece is so special to me is because I created it with oil paints I inherited from my grandad. Picking up his paints felt like continuing something meaningful, and it gave the process a deeper connection. Every brushstroke reminded me of him, and it felt like a way to honour his creativity while exploring my own.

My First Oil Painting

Before this, I mainly worked in acrylics and coloured pencils. Oils were a new challenge, but they opened up so many possibilities. I loved how the colours blended into one another — creating that glowing sunset sky behind the elephants — and how rich the tones became. Using my grandad’s paints made the whole experience even more personal and memorable.

What It Means to Me

The Elephant Sunset isn’t just my first oil painting — it’s a reminder that even when life feels chaotic, there’s always space for peace. For me, that peace is found in wildlife, in sunsets, and in the simple act of creating art.

The Elephant Sunset fine art print is available in my shop — a colourful, peaceful artwork to bring warmth into your home.

👉 [Shop the Elephant Sunset Print here] https://www.louellenart.co.uk/shop/p/product-1-ydar7-e8mlb-r2y28-7epa7