Out there I`d found so many things and I was totally overdoing the styling. I tried pulling everything I found together from that day into one piece, but it never really settled.

So I stopped messing with it!!!

I got close. The surface took over, layered rust, uneven color, those ridges catching light all the way down. Damn, that color is stunning.

#whatmoredoyouneedinlife #rust #iloverustythings #orange #noticing #objects ...

Now this is my favorite image I created from Havasu Lake City BLM.

(If you missed the last two posts you may want to look back. )

It took me a long time to get here, but, I do love this image. Why- I like every bit and piece in there. The green rocks in all kinds of funky shades, the bit of bone that was fragile and powdery in my hands, the colorful bit of turquoise and orange twisted metal - and the best part- where its stamped at the bottom of the can- "Please Don`t Litter"

#noticing #noticingthings #noticingbeauty #rust #pleasedontlitter ...

Always with the rusty cans, Donna! Hell Yes! ...and bits of bone and oh those green surfaces calling to be photographed.

Once again out in Havasu Lake area, that`s where I found all these.

This is the one that couldn`t get to work that day. I think I was way more into collecting, unable to stop falling in love with those white rocks in all those unique shades. I wanted them all in but in the end, I just got a mess of pretty rocks.

#rocksareprettycool #rustybitsandpieces #stilllife #noticing ...

This was a tough one. We were out at near the Lake Havasu City area on BLM. I spent the morning collecting things. Rocks, rusty bits, an old piece of plywood.

The wind wouldn’t let anything stay put, the light kept moving on me, and I was fighting the gear most of the time.

I probably reset this scene more times than I can count. All of them SUCKED!!!
The images didn’t work.

I kept going. Until one did. Just one.... Should I post that one or the ones that didn`t work?

#artistinthewild #sometimesitdoesntwork #sunshineandsmiles ...

Check this out...

The book’s pretty beat up, especially along the edges, and the surface has that softened feel from being handled a lot. The pattern is still there though, and it catches light in a few places. Then you’ve got this tight bundle of roots sitting right in the middle, they’re all crossing over each other from the way they grew and twisted together. Worn down by California ocean waves...

The shell on top is broken, and the inside is way darker than the outside, glowing orange where it’s not worn through. The one at the bottom is lighter and thinner, like it’s been chipped away over time.

Nothing here is really intact, which is what I like about it. Everything’s been shaped by where it’s been, and you can see that in the surfaces.

#noticing #noticingnature #objects #NatureCollecting #stilllife ...

I was selected for an art competition called The People’s Artist and voting opened today.

I don’t ask for this kind of thing very often, but if my work has ever made you stop for a second or look a little closer…

I’d really appreciate your support here:

👉 https://peoplesartist.org/2026/donna-dufault

It takes about 1 minute.

This piece (and a few others) are part of what I entered, art work built from things I’ve found, arranged, and spent time with until something felt right. You can read more about it by following the link.

If you decide to click, thank you.
If you’ve just been quietly following along, that means a lot too!!! Thank you.

#thepeoplesartist #thepeoplesartist

My research showed this Fine Print: The People`s Artist competition as part of a fundraising campaign on behalf of Action Initiative Team (AIT), a 501(c)(3) charity. The grant to The Art of Elysium will come from donations generated through votes by donation during the competition. 100% of donations made through the competition will go directly to Action Initiative Team (AIT), which will subsequently grant donation funds (minus competition fees/costs and a nominal percentage (1%) retained by AIT) to the organization. AIT has been vetted by third parties like Colossal to ensure they have a satisfactory "pass-through rate," meaning a significant portion of donations reaches the end charity beneficiaries. ...

The barks in this image are all rough and breaking apart, with bits of orange color showing through where it’s worn back.

The shells are smooth, one darker and heavier, the other lighter and more worn.

Those yellow flowers try to soften everything and pull your eye down the piece.

And those stones around the edge, all shades of yellows and oranges, they keep the eye roaming for details... oh so many details... all these carefully chosen objects.

#rocks #stilllife #noticingnature #noticingthebeautyintheordinary ...

I got selected for this art competition… here’s what that actually means to me.

A friend of mine, Howell Burnell, told me about this and pushed me to enter. I almost didn’t. I wasn’t sure it was "my thing."

But I figured why not? So I filled out the profile, sent in some of my images, and somehow ...I made it in.

What I like about this one is it’s not judged behind closed doors. It’s based on people paying attention… or not.

So I guess this is me being a little more direct than I usually am...

If you’ve ever stopped on one of my images…
If the work has meant something to you in any small way…

Voting opens May 5th.

I’ll be sharing the link when it’s live, and if you want to support, please click through and vote.

Either way, I appreciate you being here and looking at the work. 🥰 That part is something that never gets taken for granted. ...