Happy accidents

Making order out of chaos, and a sale on originals.

July 10, 2024 • this newsletter will self-destruct in 6 minutes

A painting of the third integrated launch of the SpaceX Starship and Falcon Super Heavy rocket on March 14, 2024. The rocket is seen in orbit, floating above the earth. A thick opaque splash of rose-colored calligraphy ink covers the top right quarter of the piece and radiates out towards the lower left, where it was accidentally spilled across the piece, the desk, an innocent piece of bubbly chalcedony seam, and the artist’s iPad.

Hello again! I figured I’d lead with the accident, get that out of the way. One might ask why I snapped this photo instead of, say, mopping up the ink immediately?! All I can say to that is, I was so shocked by it happening that all I could think at the time was, “well I guess I’d better document this.” (Thankfully the desk, my iPad, and the nice seam of chalcedony that reminds me of barnacles all survived.)

My only real regret here is that I didn’t just let the paper dry as-is, as the splatter effect is rather spectacular. Instead, I mopped it up as best I could, which led to this:

A painting of the third integrated launch of the SpaceX Starship and Falcon Super Heavy rocket on March 14, 2024. The rocket is seen in orbit, floating above the earth. A thick opaque splash of rose-colored calligraphy ink covering the top right quarter of the piece and radiating towards the lower left has been mopped up, leaving pink stains across the painting, the artist tape, and the desk.

At this point I took a break and cried, texted my husband and besties, and sent the first photo. Nate’s immediate reply was “FINISH IT!”, and art-bestie Adam responded similarly, so after sitting with my feelings for a bit, I decided to do as they suggested.1 

First step, change up what I was going to do with the frame (silver, not an option...)

A painting of the third integrated launch of the SpaceX Starship and Falcon Super Heavy rocket on March 14, 2024. The rocket is seen in orbit, floating above the earth. A thick opaque splash of rose-colored calligraphy ink covering the top right quarter of the piece and radiating towards the lower left has been mopped up, leaving pink stains across the painting, the artist tape, and the desk. Thick black outlines have been filled in, partially covering the spill.

Then I added an intentional splash of a preferable color ink to the mauve-stained sky. It definitely took the piece in a different direction, but now that it’s finished, I’m glad it happened. It’s a lot more interesting now, plus it has a great story. (The offending ink got thrown in the trash, by the way.)

A painting of the third integrated launch of the SpaceX Starship and Falcon Super Heavy rocket on March 14, 2024. The rocket is seen in orbit, floating above the earth. The vastness of space is rendered in dark textured blue, with a shimmering holographic quarter-disk representing the sun in the top right corner. A thick black outline separates the two. Blues and warmer colors form layers of cloud and ocean. A starburst-like texture covers the top right quarter of the piece and radiates out towards the lower left, where dusty rose ink was accidentally spilled across the piece, then covered by other inks and paints. A thick black outline borders the piece, with a shallow black arc cutting across it horizontally and serving as the atmospheric horizon.

I don’t usually title pieces until they’re finished, but the day of the incident, when Nate suggested “call it Loose Lids” and I cheekily replied “yeah, loose lids stain ships”—well, the decision made itself. This piece is available, and ON SALE!

JULY SALE - 25% OFF ALL ORIGINALS

25% off all originals through 7/31/24

Old and new, including many pieces never offered for sale before, framed and unframed, it’s all up for grabs. More than making more space on my walls for new pieces, I’d really like to see some of these paintings out in the world, being enjoyed by others. If it’s framed and you’d rather have it unframed, send me a message or reply to this email, we can work something out. If you don’t see it in the shop, reach out! (Anything’s negotiable.)

It’s my pleasure and honor to present space and landscape art to you all, and every sale is so very appreciated. Thank you for your consideration!

— Danielle, melting in the current southern Oregon heat-wave.

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