Paint for Wildlife™: Jewels of Newport Bay Community Edition Painting
by Wildlife Jewels®
Original linework of Newport Bay species by Wildlife Jewels® Founder & Artist Azi S., featuring a hand-painted Ridgway’s Rail centerpiece by the artist, surrounded by species painted by participants at Earth Day the Bay Community Event — bringing the Bay’s biodiversity to life through shared creativity
About the Artwork
This collaborative masterpiece celebrates the vibrant wildlife of Upper Newport Bay, one of Southern California’s most important estuaries. Drawn in the signature Wildlife Jewels® style, the piece unites species that thrive in this coastal ecosystem — transforming art into a call to protect them.
Artwork Title: Wildlife Jewels® Paint for Wildlife™: Jewels of Newport Bay – Community Edition
Artist: Original linework & Ridgway’s Rail centerpiece painted by Azi S., with additional species painted by community participants.
The Painting Process
Linework Creation – Each species was hand-drawn by Founder & Artist Azi S., capturing distinctive details and personality.
Centerpiece Painting – The endangered Ridgway’s Rail at the heart of the artwork was hand-painted by the artist, highlighting its importance to the Bay’s ecosystem.
Community Collaboration – During our Paint for Wildlife activity at the Newport Bay Conservancy’s Earth Day at the Bay Event, participants brought the surrounding wildlife to life with vibrant colors.
Final Details – The completed piece becomes both an educational tool and a work of art, inspiring action to protect Newport Bay.
Meet Our Jewels of Newport Bay Featured Wildlife in the Painting
Their remarkable presence in one of Southern California’s most important estuaries, their vital role in sustaining this rich coastal ecosystem, and the urgent need to protect them from human-caused threats have touched our hearts and sparked a deep sense of wonder. Through the arts and creativity, we honor these species — from great roadrunners and mallard ducks to yellow-crowned night herons, Allen’s hummingbirds, monarch butterflies, and the endangered Ridgway’s rail — sharing their beauty, the challenges they face, and the call to protect them.
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Sunstone The Ridgway’s Rail
A rare jewel of the estuary, nesting among tidal marsh grasses and calling across the wetlands — the endangered Ridgway’s Rail stands as a guardian of Newport Bay’s vibrant ecosystem, celebrated for its beauty and rarity.
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Opal the Greater Roadrunner
A swift jewel of the coastal sage and baylands, dashing through open trails and wetlands — a skilled forager and vibrant emblem of Newport Bay’s wild heart.
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Moissanite the Yellow-Crowned Night Heron
A striking jewel of the wetlands, with moonlit eyes and patient grace — mastering the art of stillness before striking with precision in Newport Bay’s marshes.
Jewels of Newport Bay Programs
Through vibrant art, hands-on creations, and inspired design, our Jewels of Newport Bay™ programs shine a light on the treasures of the estuary — from Allen’s hummingbirds and monarch butterflies to night herons, great roadrunners, and the endangered Ridgway’s Rail — weaving together coastal wonder and a call to protect its magical wildlife and vital habitat.
Paint for Wildlife™: Jewels of Newport Bay Series
A signature Wildlife Jewels® art and education program where conservation comes to life on a grand canvas. This special edition features a curated collection of Newport Bay species — from vibrant Allen’s hummingbirds to graceful monarch butterflies, striking night herons, great roadrunners, and the endangered Ridgway’s Rail — each playing a vital role in the health of this rich estuarine ecosystem.
Drawn in our Founder’s distinctive Wildlife Jewels® style, the large canvas becomes a living tribute to these extraordinary animals, uniting them in a shared story of beauty, resilience, and the urgent need for protection. Alongside the art, we share their stories, roles in the ecosystem, and the threats they face — inspiring creativity, understanding, and action.
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Paint for Wildlife Jewels of Newport Bay Founder’s Edition
Original works drawn and painted by Wildlife Jewels® Founder Artist Azi S. in the signature Wildlife Jewels® fine art style — a vibrant tribute to the remarkable wildlife of Newport Bay that inspire our conservation mission.
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Paint for Wildlife Jewels of Newport Bay Community Edition
Original linework of Newport Bay species by Wildlife Jewels® Founder Artist Azi S., painted by participants at community events and workshops — bringing the Bay’s biodiversity to life through shared creativity.
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Paint for Wildlife Jewels of Newport Bay School Edition
Drawn and painted by students during school workshops or wildlife curriculum activities — encouraging young artists to explore the wonders of Upper Newport Bay wildlife and the importance of protecting them.
Wildlife Jewels® Collections: Jewels of Newport Bay Capsule
From vibrant fine art for exhibitions and education to limited-edition fashion, décor, and accessories, each piece celebrates the enchanting wildlife — most of which have been personally observed and photographed by Wildlife Jewels® Founder Artist Azi S. at the Upper Newport Bay. Painted and designed in her distinctive style, these creations honor Allen’s hummingbirds, monarch butterflies, night herons, great roadrunners, the endangered Ridgway’s Rail, and other coastal treasures — sharing their beauty and raising awareness of the urgent need to protect them.
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Sunstone The Ridgway’s Rail Capsule Collection
The Wildlife Jewels® Sunstone collection celebrates the beauty and rarity of the endangered Ridgway’s Rail, brought to life through an original painting by Wildlife Jewels® Founder Artist Azi S. in our signature fine art style. This capsule includes fine art décor, fashion pieces, accessories, and educational treasures—each exclusively designed by our Founder for Wildlife Jewels®.
Native to Upper Newport Bay, the Ridgway’s Rail is a secretive marsh bird known for its warm cinnamon tones and distinctive call. It builds floating nests from cordgrass that rise and fall with the tides—an ingenious adaptation to its wetland home.
Each Sunstone piece comes with an educational card sharing the rail’s story, its critical role in the estuary’s ecosystem, the threats it faces, and the urgent call to restore and protect the wetlands it depends on.
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Opal the Greater Roadrunner Capsule Collection
Stay Tuned! Coming Soon!
Wildlife Jewels® Color & Discover: Jewels of Newport Bay
Explore the vibrant wonders of Upper Newport Bay through our Jewels of Newport Bay™ collection—where some of Southern California’s most extraordinary wildlife comes to life on the page. From dazzling Allen’s hummingbirds to graceful monarch butterflies, striking night herons, great roadrunners, and the endangered Ridgway’s Rail, each mini edition invites children to color, learn, and be inspired to help protect these magical inhabitants of this vital coastal estuary.
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Mini coloring books and activity sheets that introduce the wildlife of Upper Newport Bay, their role in the estuary’s rich ecosystem, and why protecting them matters.
Learn from Wildlife® Webinars: Jewels of Newport Bay
Virtual talks for all ages, exploring the wonders of Upper Newport Bay.
Join us online to discover one of Southern California’s most important estuaries and its extraordinary wildlife — from dazzling Allen’s hummingbirds and graceful monarch butterflies to striking night herons, great roadrunners, and the endangered Ridgway’s Rail. Through engaging webinars and pre-recorded videos, you’ll learn how these species shape the bay’s vibrant ecosystem, the human-caused threats they face, and the innovative solutions that can help protect them. Perfect for curious minds of all ages.
Learn from Wildlife®: Schools Edition – Jewels of Newport Bay
Bring the vibrant wildlife of Upper Newport Bay into your classroom through dynamic, curriculum-friendly sessions that blend science, storytelling, and hands-on art. Students will discover the lives of species such as Allen’s hummingbirds, monarch butterflies, night herons, great roadrunners, and the endangered Ridgway’s Rail, learning about their vital roles in the estuary’s ecosystem. Together, we’ll create inspired student-drawn and -painted artwork that celebrates their beauty while reinforcing the importance of protecting them and their habitat.
Growing up by Newport Bay, I’ve felt a lasting connection with the extraordinary wildlife that lives and thrives here — from Ridgway’s Rails and Allen’s hummingbirds to monarch butterflies, night herons, snowy egrets, great egrets, bobcats, coyotes, mallard ducks, brown pelicans, and countless shorebirds.
Yet these local treasures face escalating human-caused threats: habitat destruction, pollution, collisions with cars and bikes, and entanglement in fishing gear. We cannot stand by.
Through Wildlife Jewels’ Jewels of Newport Bay™, we strive not only to celebrate this wildlife, but to call for its protection. Every piece we create and every program we share is part of a greater mission — to turn admiration into action and ensure Newport Bay’s precious wildlife thrives for generations to come.
— Azi Sharif, PhD
Founder & Executive Director, Wildlife Jewels®
💎 From Our Founder — A Wildlife Jewels® Call to Protect Our Local Precious Jewels
Wildlife Jewels Events
Join us for inspiring events that bring wildlife conservation to life through art, science, and community action. From hands-on workshops and interactive webinars to art showcases, fashion shows, presentations, and community programs, each event is designed to educate, inspire, and empower you to protect wildlife and their habitats.
Protect Wildlife, Create Lasting Change
Your tax-deductible gift powers rescue efforts, conservation programs, and education to protect wildlife and their habitats.