dawnela

@dawnela

Amateur maker, artist, beekeeper. Behind-a-desk fish and wildlife biologist missing working outside.

680 Siguiendo333 Seguidores97 Publicaciones

Bluesky

amateur

¿Es tu perfil?Reclámalo y dawnela.dirty.social es tuyo.Reclamar perfil

dawnela@dawnela· 10d

I have had this ring on my mind for months, and have been keeping an eye out for it. What was its fate? Is it still kicking around? Size 8 or 9, I think (pretty sure it was an 8).

A tray of rings on black velvet with a rattlesnake ring circled in red.

dawnela@dawnela· Jul 12

My spectacular critters from @peculiarityshop.bsky.social showed up this week, and I have worn them every day since they arrived. They are amazing, and I wish the photo showed better how sparkly the lizard is.

A large black bear pendant with inlay of mother of pearl, lapis, and something red, and a marcasite lizard ring, both displayed on a white person’s hand in the sunshine. Sadly, the photo doesn’t show just how sparkly the lizard is. And words fail to describe how spectacular the bear is. The inlay portrays indigenous spirit beings and the bail is also decorated with inlay.

dawnela@dawnela· Jul 2

Me!

A sticker by Karen Hallion of a cartoon bear with a bemused expression with the words “Of course, I choose the bear” pasted on lavender water bottle with other stickers.

dawnela@dawnela· Jun 30

Pictures really can’t capture the flash and beauty of this copper labradorite cuff I got from @peculiarityshop.bsky.social. It is much larger than I expected, and I love its dark and stormy vibe.

A spectacular labradorite copper cuff flashing blue in the sunlight on a white woman’s arm.

dawnela@dawnela· Jun 28

From the hallmarks, looks like 1957 (not dibs, but hella cool!)

British hallmarks for Chester, years 1948 through 1961

dawnela@dawnela· Jun 26

If anyone is in the market for cursed rings, or maybe rings that carry a warning for others, this is currently available at Goodwill website.

A silver ring in the shape of a gaping maw with more horrible pointed teeth than should be possible.

dawnela@dawnela· Jun 17

I got a lovely ruby bracelet from @peculiarityshop.bsky.social as an early birthday present to myself. The marcasite ring is also from them. The chrysocolla and onyx rings are their fault as well, as I have so enjoyed all the pretty stuff they show, I decided to take a jewelry fabrication class.

A white woman’s hand with a gorgeous natural ruby silver bracelet around the wrist. There is a gold band with three rubies on the ring finger, a marcasite bypass style ring on the upper part of the middle finger, a silver ring with a chrysocolla round cabachon on the index finger, and a silver ring with a large round onyx cabachon in a triangular shaped bezel on the thumb.

dawnela@dawnela· Apr 16

It has been a really long time since I painted something so large (36 inch diameter) with acrylics. It was a fun challenge. I am excited to see the other artists’ paintings when they are installed next month.

A close up of the previous painting of a marsh wren family of two adults and three nestlings. There is some light reflecting off the varnished canvas.

dawnela@dawnela· Apr 16

I just finished a painting of marsh wrens for the local ecology center to celebrate wildlife in our wetlands. The paintings by local artists will be installed along the walking path adjacent to the wetlands during May for American Wetlands Month. Acrylic on plywood. #SciArt

A painting of marsh wrens on a round plywood canvas. A male marsh wren is in the upper left corner facing right and singing his heart out. Below him is a nest with three nestlings clamoring for an insect held by the female marsh wren who is leaning down towards the nest on the right. The family of marsh wrens is among the rushes, and a background of blue sky, water and distant trees is visible through the rushes.

dawnela@dawnela· Dec 28

Absolutely delightful Roman lamps from @pottedhistory.bsky.social and @potsofhistory.bsky.social. Just the thing to bring joy and warm light on a dark, rainy winter night. I love them!

Two replicate Roman oil lamps in white clay on a blue plate with the phases of the moon in black. Both lamps are merrily burning. The larger lamp is the head of a bull with a crescent moon above it. The tiny lamp is mostly unadorned, and has a beautiful shape.

dawnela@dawnela· Dec 25

Day 24 #ArtAdventCalendar I painted a bookmark today for my husband. Watercolor on paper, 2024 Thank all of you for the art and inspiration the last 24 days. I am looking forward to sharing and seeing more art throughout 2025!

A bookmark, painted in watercolor, of a deep blue night sky, scattered with stars and a new crescent moon. There are pine covered hills silhouetted against the lighter blue horizon.

dawnela@dawnela· Dec 19

Day 18 #ArtAdventCalendar Stellar’s Jay, colored pencil and watercolor in paper, 2016 Stellar’s jays are one of my favorite birds. I love them and their sassy attitudes and how often they have fooled me with their mimicry of red-tailed hawks.

Stellar’s Jay in colored pencils on a dead pine branch with live branches to the right. The background is soft muted yellows and oranges, as the reference photo was taken at Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah.

dawnela@dawnela· Dec 18

Day 17 #ArtAdventCalendar Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah. Oil on stretched canvas, 2015.

A painting of Bryce Canyon looking east at sunrise. A pine tree with exposed roots at the edge of the canyon is in the foreground. There are dark clouds on the left, showing rain in the distance and light golden cirrus clouds across the rest of the sky. A waning crescent moon is visible in the dark blue sky to the right of the canvas. The canvas is framed in strips of stained oak.

dawnela@dawnela· Dec 14

Day 13 #ArtAdventCalendar Elephant Seal at San Simeon, California. Pencil on paper, 2022 I was watching the elephant seals near San Simeon and grabbed my sketchbook to practice. So many elephant seals lounging around—and the smell! Unforgettable.

A page from my sketchbook with a pencil drawing of a young elephant seal lounging in the sand near San Simeon, California. There are also faint, unfinished sketches in blue pencil around the page.

dawnela@dawnela· Dec 13

The drawing and the inspiration.

A picture of the rocky shoreline with my hand holding up the drawing I just did of the rocks and tide pools with the ocean in the background in a small square sketchbook. The drawing was done in Derwent Inktense pencils.

dawnela@dawnela· Dec 13

Day 12 #ArtAdventCalendar MacKerricher State Park, Fort Bragg, California. Derwent Inktense pencils on paper, 2021

Small, square sketchbook with a drawing in color of a rocky shoreline at low tide. The sky has purple clouds, the ocean is dark green, and the rocks are dark brown and colored with kelp exposed by the tide.

dawnela@dawnela· Dec 12

Day 11 #ArtAdventCalendar Utah autumn triptych. Oils on canvas circa 2014. Something I painted to hang on my walls. I love aspens and oaks.

A triptych of three canvases, one square canvas in the middle with two rectangular canvases to the sides. The painting is of three trees with most of their leaves fallen. An oak is on the left with a branch crossing to the middle canvas. The leaves are brown with golden edges. The middle canvas has an aspen with yellow leaves. The branches are entangled with an aspen in the right canvas. The background is impressionistic, with a dark, stormy sky fading into dark purple at the horizon. Below the purple are reds, oranges, yellows, and greens, like viewing a valley in full autumn splendor.

dawnela@dawnela· Dec 10

Day 10 #ArtAdventCalendar Totality of 2017 solar eclipse as viewed from the John Day River where I was camping. I painted this on a rock from the river in watercolor and gouache. Seeing the total eclipse was unexpectedly moving and so amazingly beautiful.

A river rock painted with a scene from the 2017 solar eclipse at the John Day River in Oregon. The eclipse is in totality and is reflected in the river. The sky is a deep navy blue fading into red and yellow on the horizon which is dominated by hills and tree lit by the pale light of the eclipse.

dawnela@dawnela· Dec 10

Day 9 #ArtAdventCalendar Foothill yellow-legged frog. Watercolor on paper, 2016 I painted this from a photo I took on the Middle Fork Feather River on the Plumas National Forest, California.

Foothill yellow-legged frog painted in watercolor on paper. The frog is on a white background and is casting a sharp shadow as if it is in bright sunlight.

dawnela@dawnela· Dec 8

Day 8 #ArtAdventCalendar A necklace I made with three pyrite ammonite fossils that I found on a visit to Lyme Regis in Dorset. I often wear this when I need to remind myself to take a long view of the current situation, because the fossils remind me of geologic time.

Necklace of translucent blue stone beads, cultured pearls, and fossilized pyrite ammonites with silver findings. Three pyrite ammonites from Lyme Regis, England are wrapped in silver wire with colored cultured pearls (pale pink and burgundy brown). The ammonites drop from a necklace with small, clear blue stone beads and the colored cultured pearls. The necklace clasp is sterling silver, and there is a silver chain which ends with two pearls for the clasp to close on, making the necklace length adjustable.

dawnela@dawnela· Dec 7

Day 7 #ArtAdventCalendar California poppies closed on a rainy day. An entry from my journal, March 24, 2020. Watercolor on paper. It was early in the pandemic, and I was trying to establish a nature journaling practice to help my mental health (I am still working on establishing that practice).

A page from my journal of California poppies in watercolor. The flowers are all closed tightly, because it was a rainy day. In pencil, the entry says “California poppies closed in the rain. March 24, 2020, American Canyon, CA.”

dawnela@dawnela· Dec 6

Day 6 #ArtAdventCalendar A pair of rainbow trout painted in acrylics on Chucks. I love using Converse as a canvas, and have done several pairs with different subjects for friends and family.

A pair of Converse Chuck Taylor’s tennis shoes with a rainbow trout painted in acrylics on each towards the heel of the shoe. Each trout is pointed towards the toe of the shoe. The shoes have been painted with vibrant blues, greens and some yellows to depict water.

dawnela@dawnela· Dec 5

Day 5 #ArtAdventCalendar Something different for me—a pour painting octopus. Acrylic on canvas board, 2022. I tried pour painting with acrylics and the results of three of the paintings reminded me of octopi, so I painted an octopus into each of them. This is the second of the series.

A multi-colored octopus with a yellow eye and pale blue mottling on its legs and head on a swirly orange, burgundy, and teal background created with pour painting. This is an imaginary octopus and not based on any actual species.

dawnela@dawnela· Dec 4

Day 4 #ArtAdventCalendar Lone tree on Antelope Island. Oil on canvas, 2011 Antelope Island State Park in Utah is easily accessible with epic views of the Great Salt Lake and lots of wildlife viewing, especially in the winter.

The Wasatch mountains, covered in snow and crowned in dark clouds, are reflected on an icy bay of the Great Salt Lake as viewed from Antelope Island, looking east. The bay is surrounded by warm yellow grasses sparsely covered with snow and in the center of the view is a small dark tree with no leaves. Two smaller trees are in the distance next to the water’s edge. In the foreground, frosty sagebrush and rabbitbrush with patches of snow stretch down to the grasses and around the bay.

dawnela@dawnela· Dec 3

Day 3 #ArtAdventCalendar Canyon wren, North Fork Feather River, Plumas National Forest, California. Watercolor and colored pencils on paper, 2016 Canyon wren song echoing off canyon walls while sitting next to a river really plucks my heart strings. I heard the song again painting this.

dawnela@dawnela· Dec 2

Day 2 #ArtAdventCalendar Coyote in western Utah, watercolor and colored pencils, 2016. I love exploring remote places and our federal lands. I painted this from a pic I took exploring the Pony Express route in Utah, on either USFWS or BLM-managed lands.

Coyote in foreground in bright sunshine paused midstep and looking back over its left shoulder at something in the distance. The coyote is in the foreground on a dry, light colored desert wetland bottom with no vegetation. The shoreline of the wetland is in the background with brown, yellow, and green rushes and grasses.

dawnela@dawnela· Dec 1

Day 1 #ArtAdventCalendar I worked a couple of summers surveying for breeding birds in Nevada. Coming across a nest in sagebrush always felt like finding treasure. I painted this to recapture that joy. Watercolor on paper, 2024