iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Dayanna Knight @dayannaknight.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Yes, dire as it sounds. It probably would have been worse but I'd been working with many of the kids since they were in kindergarten. Their parents know me, their cousins and siblings have pretty much all had me as their teacher at some point.

010

Dayanna Knight @dayannaknight.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Very. I've found that discussing the fact can sometimes exclude me from what little community of specialists I do still have access to. It is what it is. I just finished dinner after a day with a third grade class of mostly hooligans in their full moon inspired feelings.

110

Dayanna Knight @dayannaknight.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

It is. I'm doing work involving that a bit because I'd eventually like to be known as more than just medieval studies' silly coloring book person. Its difficult moving forward on that quickly without research access or funds though.

110

Dayanna Knight @dayannaknight.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Discussion centered on coloring books tends to be innocuous enough I can get a lot of very real work done for those not often celebrated here locally. I was doing it with the VCB outreach locally too until it became too dangerous for me as a woman alone to do because the US is a dumpster fire.

110

Dayanna Knight @dayannaknight.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

At the end of the day, though, all of it comes down to creating the opportunity for discussion. My California work, particularly my Stockton work, is more often specifically that. My city has a very bad reputation for long established reasons. Its kids want to learn about it, everyone wants it safe.

110

Dayanna Knight @dayannaknight.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

That will look different for everyone. Personally, I hate the sound of my own voice after Immigration Tribunals but I can recreate visions of the past from artifacts, maps, and site reports so I lean in there.

110

Dayanna Knight @dayannaknight.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Cheers! In a lot of ways I have to grow my audience since I teach littles regularly. It turns out that the public also tends to appreciate the work that results. I hope everyone thinks so. I think ultimately the trick is to get the public to feel about your project.

210

Dayanna Knight @dayannaknight.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Thanks to my work publishing The Viking Coloring Book with @acmrs.bsky.social I've managed to find a local TV presenter with a strong art history background. I suspect I'm an outlier on suggestions though. I've not yet been a sole illustrator for someone else so my process hasn't changed much.

010

Dayanna Knight @dayannaknight.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

For instance, at the moment I'm drafting up zines about coloring book making for the SHA annual next year. The public are loving that because they get to see the skills in use and feel they have more of a direct impact on local history documentation. I also lean in on related merchandise creation.

210

Dayanna Knight @dayannaknight.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

My medieval work tends to be promoted along the lines of what everyone else is suggesting. My California work tends to go more with a TV spot, a social media campaign where initiation of discussion with a wider public is done via art process, and tabled events where I continue the art process.

111

Dayanna Knight @dayannaknight.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

SOLD! The Tarantula Guitar found its home at the Columbia Fine Arts Show earlier this month. #woodburning #tarantula #guitar

A woman with short brown hair and glasses stands in front of a guitar in an art gallery. On the guitar back a design of a California Black Tarantula has been burned in.

020

Dayanna Knight @dayannaknight.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

They also paid for my fancy paints. My first set was only the 24 color set and I made them last years. Years of regular use even. Except for the sky blue and white gold- those I had to replace. The 100 set came in a pretty present of a box too.

Color swatches from a 100 color Kuretake Gansai Tambi set.

020

Dayanna Knight @dayannaknight.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Delivered my commission for Central Valley Community Foundation as of 2 hours ago and am now having a well earned lunch. Largest scene yet. Many thanks to my funding bodies.

Painting of Larry Itliong talking to a group of striking farm workers in a grape vineyard. Across the front of the scene are overturned grape boxes stating "Delano Grapes" in purple. In the hands of some workers are yellow papers.

110

Dayanna Knight @dayannaknight.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

In the mean time grant pay and the best set of paints I've ever played with suffices.

000

Dayanna Knight @dayannaknight.bsky.social · 09/09/2026

Art research days are the best. This morning I'll bike over to the museum for reference material on the Delano Grape Strike. Then the rest of the day should be motif sketching and board prepping. Brilliant. The day I get to do this kind of thing for others on the regular will be a great day.

100

Dayanna Knight @dayannaknight.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

Fun fact: when I did it during grad school I was paid well to do so. I also hand wrote student exam essays. The most impressive was the international law student who said hello to me, paced for an hour silently, and then proceeded to lay down 4 hours of essays for 2 questions [15 pages].

001

Dayanna Knight @dayannaknight.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

I've been a paid note taker for a variety of differential learning needs.

110

Dayanna Knight @dayannaknight.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Thank you! I paint but I also make historic themed coloring books.

Two paddlewheel ships power towards the viewer. On the left is the Delta Queen. On the right is the Port of Stockton.

030

Dayanna Knight @dayannaknight.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

She was able to help everyone learn neuroanatomy with the help of a coloring book. I try to take the same informed visual approach with my own coloring book design. I view it as this- portraying medieval identity in a respectful and informed way is just as beautiful and complicated as neuroanatomy

000

Dayanna Knight @dayannaknight.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

I realize I've recently added new followers- 👋 I'm Dayanna. I'm an archaeological illustrator, substitute primary school teacher, and coloring book creator. I make coloring books for a lot of reasons. Very high up on the list is that I had Dr Marianne Diamond as a teacher once upon a time.

120

Dayanna Knight @dayannaknight.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

As I just got called to cover TK [the really littles] tomorrow and know I will be tired by the end of work I am posting Day 3, Sanguine, of #SciArtSeptember now. A painted print of Plate 50, ship under sail, from my first successful crowdfund and published coloring book, The Viking Coloring Book.

A Viking longship under full red sail is coming towards the viewer. The water is very blue and the waves have white tops.

191

Dayanna Knight @dayannaknight.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Today's #SciArtSeptember post prompt is violet. Another style I am trying to practice on since I'm trying to focus on smaller works. #sciart #amethyst

A painting of an amethyst that shows sparkle a bit more.

1101

Dayanna Knight @dayannaknight.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

We already have 2 in Stockton- one I know of has already raised local Delta water temps by 4 degrees. There was a public meeting of the city council held at 1pm yesterday because more are planned. Stockton's government has been doing a great job of avoiding the issue as well. Meetings were at 6pm.

000

Dayanna Knight @dayannaknight.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

An artifact detail to both test the new Kuretake set and for #SciArtSeptember. Most of my scenes are landscapes or architectural so I'm trying to practice on some smaller focused works. My mom had a string of malachite beads when I was little so I've recreated those for today's prompt. #sciart

A watercolor painting of malachite beads. A red signature stamp is in the lower right hand corner.

1161

Dayanna Knight @dayannaknight.bsky.social · 01/09/2026

Update: swatched and filmed. I'll be editing after I finish this cup of tea.

000

Dayanna Knight @dayannaknight.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

Yes, I did in fact need all 100 colors in this set. I will swatch them later on my Patreon/ YouTube. I love how its packaged. My household hasn't been able to afford birthday or holiday gifts for a few years now. So its nice to get an art present, even if I bought it to create a commission piece.

A pretty wooden box containing a 100 color set of Gansai Tambi paints from Kuretake. The box is decorated with painted flowers and has a beautiful ribbon tying the box layers together.

100

Dayanna Knight @dayannaknight.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

I might be able to do this one. My fancy paints and new brushes are supposed to be on the FedEx truck for delivery already. *Shout out to my grant including a supplies stipend. The last time I was able to invest in my working supplies like this it was when my funds came from Kickstarter.

110

Dayanna Knight @dayannaknight.bsky.social · 23/08/2026

Grant money landed and I've ordered my archival boards and 100 pan set of Kuretake. Come on delivery truck. This commission is due in a month. Anyone I know used aluminum mounted art boards from Legion? It would be good to know if there are quirks to using them.

000

Dayanna Knight @dayannaknight.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

I have more that are mostly from anthropology classes. These are the ones that sit with the rest of my medieval library. I was also took the grad seminar for Old Norse at Cal , but the copies were more Fornrit or verb based. Unless John was in a mood to translate some recipes for a mental break.

000

Dayanna Knight @dayannaknight.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

I see your Roman reader. Behold my 2002 History 155A reader from Europe in the Early Middle Ages, 2003 Scandinavian C-160 Scandinavian Myth and Early Religion, and Scandinavian 123 Viking and Medieval Scandinavian readers from my time at UC Berkeley.

100

Dayanna Knight @dayannaknight.bsky.social · 21/08/2026

Or from my home area. Since I'm an independent scholar and work in primary education* even the local academics consistently do it, when I can get them to respond to an email in the first place. *its what's available to me as far as work here

001

Dayanna Knight @dayannaknight.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Oh yes. The only real issue on my end consistently with the parents locally is that they are young. Young for several generations, which has its own host of causes and impacts. The one I focus on because I might be able to impact it is reconnecting locations, the public, and their stories.

010

Dayanna Knight @dayannaknight.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Dude- the tea I can spill about what kids y'all in higher education are about to be getting as freshmen.

100

Dayanna Knight @dayannaknight.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

The hustling kids tend to also be the ones who have a hard time with no, which can be dangerous as they also tend to be up to their eyeballs in bullying their classmates by February.

000

Dayanna Knight @dayannaknight.bsky.social · 19/08/2026

Ask me again in a month or so. Their younger siblings spill a lot of tea in elementary. Local to me its probably the same kiddos that get apple watches in 2nd grade. Those tend to be 1 of 3 things- rich parents, a hustling kid with divorced parents, or an extended family group being worked by a kid.

220

Dayanna Knight @dayannaknight.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

Maybe try out some Duralar? Added bonus of being able to paint on both sides.

100

Dayanna Knight @dayannaknight.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

If its not a useful link I'll ask some of the farm families around here. There's a guy more in the Delta Islands that is both a historic collector and from a very long time dairy family. I have his card but its one of those who knows how long it takes him to check an email.

000

Dayanna Knight @dayannaknight.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Not excavation unfortunately but the California Dairy Industry History Collection begins in 1856. They might have something that can help.

110

Dayanna Knight @dayannaknight.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Its really nice. I tend to go up for hiking since I'm on the Delta and have several local options to use my kayak on. This time of year its more towards the Bay or down the coast if we go somewhere to just go.

010

Dayanna Knight @dayannaknight.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

I grew up and returned to Stockton. My dad was a mechanic so I spent a lot of time on Hwy 4 helping with jobs, junking out cars, going to Columbia to the park there, etc. Anyways, that's an artsy area you're in. I can't remember when the farmer's markets are that way but a lot will have art tables

110

Dayanna Knight @dayannaknight.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

I've been many times. Walking in a fully snowy meadow there is one of my earliest memories I can tie to a place. Last time I was there it was for an interview and just happened to be raining.

110

Dayanna Knight @dayannaknight.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

Big Trees is one of my favorite parks. It was heavily raining when I was there though.

210

Dayanna Knight @dayannaknight.bsky.social · 11/08/2026

I know its a joke but I've actually been told this in all seriousness by the local groups that gatekeep me out of paid work here. I am so tired y'all.

020

Dayanna Knight @dayannaknight.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

The stout livestock that wore these shoes, the Fresno land scrapers, and other equipment they once pulled were all replaced when Holt Brothers perfected what would become known all over the world as the Caterpillar tractor.

001

Dayanna Knight @dayannaknight.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

For those who didn't catch the tule shoe discussion I've had previously on Bluesky here are some quick points. Tule shoes made building the levee system of the Central Valley possible. The one shown was originally excavated in Yuba. Based on hoof shape this one was for a mule.

101

Dayanna Knight @dayannaknight.bsky.social · 03/08/2026

I managed to finished two of these paintings on site during the Oakdale morning market. The third- the horse- I finished Sunday morning. All three then went on display at my pop-up at the historic Fox Theater a few hours later.

Three paintings sit on a white table top. From the left is a vaquero's saddle. In the center is a rearing chestnut colored horse with a golden sheen on the coat in front of the bleachers at the Oakdale Rodeo Grounds. The painting on the right is of a tune shoe.

100

Dayanna Knight @dayannaknight.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

You're welcome! Maybe this one will help too. Nothing like a reference collection to help one figure out bony element shapes. vzap.iri.isu.edu/ViewPage.asp...

vzap.iri.isu.edu

VZAP Home

010

Dayanna Knight @dayannaknight.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

Zooarchaeological contacts can y'all please assist? @umbertoalbarella.bsky.social or @animalarchaeology.com are both more familiar with the non-human quick references available these days than I am.

010

Dayanna Knight @dayannaknight.bsky.social · 31/07/2026

Depends on the species from my experience. I use a comparative anatomy since I began with humans rather than animals. Feher's Cyclopedia Anatomicae is great for the domesticates as an artist as it includes similar posing and soft tissue. If its avian Dale Serjaentson's Birds is on Internet Archive.

210