Celebrating a big milestone with art + new perks
🎉 It's Here! 🎉
To celebrate both my love of space and upcoming transition into a career in movement arts, I’m excited to try something new: all patrons pledging at the Daybreak Drinks tier as of June 7 will get a print of a new artwork I’m creating called Constellation Relaxation! This artwork will be an illustrated guide to accessible stretches, inspired by constellations. As a Daybreak Drinks supporter, you’ll also get to nominate and vote on which constellations you’d like to see on your print! There's also additional added perks-- read on to hear about my new series, Armchair Astronaut!
You Can Draw?!
Did you know I almost became a professional comic book artist? These days, most people who know about my art practice know me for movement arts, or if we go a little further back, they might have experienced some of my data-driven sound installations– but one of my first loves was visual art, and specifically, comic books. Me being an astronomer and circus artist makes a lot more sense if you also know that when I was 13, I wanted to be a marine biologist and comic book artist! Bits and pieces of that have come true, most notably that a few years ago I got to collaborate with some marine biologists on how gray whale strandings are correlated with solar activity.
But back when I was still in grad school, I drew comics. At the time, Tokyopop (a distributor of manga and anime) was publishing original English-language comics, seeking new creators with their “Rising Stars of Manga” competition. One of my entries, The Big Bad (which you can read on my website) made the top 20 finalists, and I ended up working with an editor at Tokyopop on the development of a new series. The project never got off the ground, which was probably a blessing, because I truly don’t know how I thought I was going to finish a PhD in astronomy while also being employed full time as a comic book artist.
These days, I don’t draw nearly as often– comics are a particularly time-consuming form of storytelling, so while I miss creating them, I can often find meaningful artistic expression in other ways. However, I thought this new chapter of my life and career would be a perfect time to return to my roots, while also giving back to the folks supporting my work!
You'll Get More Than Just Art
Just because I'm so stoked to be doing astronomy on my own terms, I'm also adding some extra fun: patrons pledging at the Daybreak Drinks level by June 7 will not only get to collaborate on and receive a Constellation Relaxation print, they'll also get access to Armchair Astronaut, a new monthly series! Armchair Astronaut is a monthly voyage to cool places in the universe, composed of curated images, writing on all the cool things about that place, even sounds when possible! Daybreak Drinks patrons will also get to nominate their favorite destinations for Armchair Astronaut-- so you can not only enjoy the sights, but steer the ship.
I hope you'll join me in celebrating this milestone!