Pablo Picasso worked through a blue period. Claude Monet had a thing for lilies. For Ryan Lombardi, it's all about floppy ears and one honker of a nose. That's cool -- we all go through our phases.

But why Babar? Lombardi has no clue. Then again, he never knew why as a toddler he would spend hours sketching with crayons. He didn't question why his Holliston High School art teachers gave him permission to draw whatever came to him. (His classmates were assigned potted plants.) Looking back now, Ryan understands the reason he would come home from school and draw everything from toilets to a bottle of cologne. He realizes that maybe those teachers knew something about him that he didn't know about himself - he was born with a gift. Ryan's art grows as freely as the hair curling down to his shoulders.

Yeah, he's scooped up a few art awards, and sure, he holds a respectable job as a graphic designer. But the real Ryan is the guy you'll catch freestyle-painting a mural at a skateboard jam with Project SF, an international artist group performing guerilla-style art. Ryan the artist is the dude you'll spot scouring the streets for old street signs - the perfect canvas for, say, a pachyderm.

Which brings us back to Ryan's new rage - elephants. To Buddhists, they're a symbol of patience and wisdom. To the Chinese, they represent strength and power. Ryan just thinks they rock. We think he might be answering to a higher call - the power of expression - whether he knows it or not.

Roll over Ryan's picture to learn more.