Wildlife Jewels at AltaSea | The Art & Science of Seabirds

Photo: Wildlife Jewels at AltaSea Open House | Seabirds ©Azi

Photo: Wildlife Jewels Elegant Terns and Drones ©Azi

Photo: Wildlife Jewels Gulls and Flying Machines ©Azi

Wildlife Jewels and the Art & Science of Seabirds at AltaSea

Elegant Terns & Drones + Beautiful Western Gulls  & Fishing Gear, Airplane Wing Designs and Flying Machines inspired by Gulls and the new FashWand Wildlife Jewels Rubellite the Elegant Tern Appliqué Gown.

Had a fabulous time at the AltaSea open house showcasing exclusive Wildlife Jewels designs while helping to raise awareness about human's impact on the environment and highlighting the importance of protecting our oceans and our precious wildlife.

The featured designs and highlights:

1- Wildlife Jewels Rubellite the Elegant Tern Painting +  lace Appliqué Cotton Bobbinet tulle Gown and the bird that inspired it.

The painting takes inspiration from a precious Elegant Tern who was a victim of the tragic incident that occurred in June 2021 caused by a drone crash and forced over 3,000 Elegant Terns to abandon their eggs. Thousands of Elegant terns including chicks as young as one week old ended up on two barges in Long Beach Harbor and were spotted falling off the barges. This beautiful Elegant Tern was lucky to have been rescued and rehabilitated. The exquisite gown is composed of eco-sustainable material including elegant and luxurious English cotton bobbinet and organic cotton. The gown design takes inspiration from the natural beauty and bold colors of the Elegant Tern.

This tragic incident that killed hundreds of precious Elegant Terns shows is an example where Technology has advanced at a faster rate than laws and regulations. We must implement and enforce strict laws to restrict the use of drones around threatened wildlife species.

2- Wildlife Jewels Gray Sapphire the Gull Painting + Dress and the bird that inspired it.

Azi captured a photograph of this precious Western Gull and combined it with her Gulls Beach acrylic painting on canvas. She then painted the Gull and transformed the painting into fashion. The collection showcases this precious Gull.

About the Story:

Featuring a precious Western Gull who was found wrapped in fishing line and Saran wrap who had also swallowed a fishing hook. She was rescued, rehabilitated, and released by the Wetland & Wildlife Care Center. This Collection combines the natural beauty of the precious Gull with one of Azi's original oil paintings taking inspiration from waves of the ocean with brush strokes full of movement and life inspired by sea-life and nature.


Over 150,000 birds are injured or killed each year by fishing lines and fishing hooks. When a bird gets entangled in the fishing line, they go through a painful struggle. Birds suffer permanent damage to skin, feathers, muscles, nerves, and bones from the line as they fight to escape. Entangled birds are often entrapped and can't find food or escape from predators. Even the birds that are lucky enough to be rescued, they have a very low chance of survival. 

Gulls are superheroes! Some of the many incredible facts about Gulls:

• They can live over 30 Years.
• They are monogamous and mate for life.
• They can detect food from 3 miles away.
• Gulls learn from experience and teach each other.
• They flap their wings in a specific flying pattern, to signal that fish are available.
• They break open the shells of their prey by dropping them from high in the air to hard surfaces below.
•  They can recognize people by their faces, especially those who interact with them.
• They can tell our emotions based on our facial expressions, body language, and voices.
• They can recognize other gulls they see as friends or enemies by their calls.
• They have average flight speeds of 29-30 mph in tailwind conditions!
• They fly in an unpredictable pattern to confuse any predator that may be pursuing them!
•  Leonardo Da Vinci’s flying machine was inspired by the Albatross
•  Robots are inspired by Gulls. SmartBird can take off, Fly and land on its own.
• Scientists are looking into how Gulls wings maneuvers can be imitated to shape the smarter drones of the future.
• Gulls Inspire Improved Airplane Wing Design
• Researchers from the University of British Columbia believe mimicking the single elbow joint that allows gulls to adapt their wing shape to windy conditions could improve the design of airplane wings.
• With a single flex of its elbow joint, the gull is able to adapt its wing shape to a various array of gusty wind conditions.

Some of the major human caused Threats to Seabirds:

• Fishing gear
• Plastic
• Unleashed dogs on the beach
• Run over by motor vehicles on the beach
• Pellet Guns
• Chips, bread, cookies
• Oil Spills
• Sewage Spills

Photo: Beautiful Great Blue Herons at AltaSea ©Azi

Photo: A beautiful Western Gull at AltaSea ©Azi

About AltaSea: "AltaSea at the Port of Los Angeles is dedicated to accelerating scientific collaboration, advancing an emerging blue economy through business innovation and job creation, and inspiring the next generation, all for a more sustainable, just and equitable world." https://altasea.org/

Discover the FashWand Wildlife Jewels Collection!

"Study the science of art; Study the art of science. Learn how to see. Realize that everything connects to everything else.”

~ Leonardo da Vinci