Artist breathes life into paintings; Animals keep a watchful eye on visitors.

Byline: Ellie Oleson

AUBURN - Dawn Leland's paintings, embroidery and wood carvings reflect an appreciation for the natural world as seen through the eyes of someone who has experienced the lows of losing her father at a young age and the highs of winning the lottery.

In her paintings, she captures the beauty and grace of animals, from the prowling lions she saw during several trips to Africa to the lazy contentment of a domestic cat satisfied with its well-trained owner.

Ms. Leland, 52, lives with her three rescued cats, Abby, Simon Shadow and Bailey, and works at her 71 Rockland Road home. She is originally from Wayland, where she was the youngest of four children of Pauline and Lester Leland.

"My dad struggled with work. He was a Fuller Brush salesman and then sold RCA TVs. His job was sales, but his passion was painting. My mom was more talented, but he had the passion," Ms. Leland said.

When she was 8 years old, her father died.

"He'd had skin cancer that spread to his lungs. He was only 37. It ended his struggle with life," Ms. Leland said.

Her mother's struggle had just begun. She was left with four children and no driver's license and had never worked.

"When my mother's mom died a few months later, my mom had a nervous breakdown," Ms. Leland said.

The four children stayed with their grandfather while their mother was treated at Westboro State Hospital.

"After one month, she got herself out of there. I'm so proud of her. I guess it must have been bad. We took her to see (the movie) `One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest.' Bad idea. She freaked and cried. I guess that's what it was like back then," Ms. Leland said.

Her mother came home and got a job at a Holiday Inn. Years later, she sold her small house on the shore of Lake Cochituate and moved into elderly housing in Rockport, where she lives today.

"My mom's great. I visit her as often as I can. We've taken art classes together," Ms. Leland said.

Her brother, Blake, a poet, is an English teacher at the Georgia Institute of Technology, and her sister, Leslie, is a mail carrier in Hopkinton, where she raises huskies.

"Leslie had wolves for a while. They were beautiful," Ms. Leland said.

Her brother, Kent, father of Ms. Leland's only niece, died at age 53. "He had a rough life. He's my angel in the energy of the universe," Ms. Leland said.

As a Reiki practitioner, Ms. Leland is very familiar with the "energy of the universe" and its power to heal.

Ms. Leland, who works for Kaz Inc. of Westboro, was with The TJX Cos. Inc. home office in Framingham for 25 years, until 2006.

She was there on Sept. 11, 2001, when seven buyers she knew from TJX died in the first plane to hit the twin towers in New York City.

She painted seven white doves in memory of the seven women who died that day. The painting, titled "As They Look Upon Us," hangs in Tower T as part of TJX's 9-11 memorial.

"It was awful. One was a new mother. One was engaged. I wanted to do such a good job for them. I painted the doves and added in flowers that people had lain at their memorial," Ms. Leland said.

In 2004, her life and her paintings went in a different direction when she won $175,000 in the Mega Millions lottery.

"I bought a ticket to Kenya," she said.

While there, she met and traveled with actress Tippi Hedren and fell in love with the wild beauty, animals and people of that country. She made a particularly close connection with Fred and Agnes Onyango Musumba. Ms. Leland helped them open a sewing shop they named "Dawn Land Collections" in honor of their friend and supporter.

"I send them money as often as I can. They have two children. They lost their other child, Valentine, before they had the money to put the baby in the hospital," Ms. Leland said.

She also supports a Kenyan girl named Wamuyu through ChildFund International.

Ms. Leland is still playing the lottery and has hope that her next big win will fund an artist's shop, where she can work full time. She loves painting, but is also talented at wood carving and embroidery.

"Embroidery taught me about color. You can't just mix up colors with thread the way you can with paint. Paint was a revelation for me," Ms. Leland said.

"I guess I inherited the passion from my father and the ability from my mother. I'm living my dad's dream."

Her paintings are available in The Purple Peacock Shop at Southwick's Zoo in Mendon and at her home. They are also on display at The Villa Restaurant in Wayland. She is also a commission artist, creating original paintings of pets and landscapes to order. At least 10 percent of every sale goes to an African charity or animal preserve.

Ms. Leland is also an art teacher, offering private and group lessons. For more information, visit www.dawnleland.com.

ART: PHOTOS

CUTLINE: (1) A dog's playful side is captured in Dawn Leland's portrait. (2) A bobcat in winter (3) Tiger (4) Artist Dawn Leland has traveled to Africa, and several of her paintings, such as this portrait of lions, feature the wildlife she saw there.

PHOTOG: ELLIE OLESON PHOTOS