Saturday I spent painting from the top of a hill where I had a great view of the bay. I love the bay, and am as proprietary about it as if I owned it outright.
This was turning out to be a rather sweet little 5×7 painting, and I was looking forward to finishing it up next Saturday. I was feeling pretty proud of myself. I put it on top of my palette saver to carry to the car, picked up the palette saver as I spied a brush I’d dropped and left on the ground.
I bent over to rescue the brush.
The painting slid off box.
The painting landed face first in the dirt.
Some of this dirt will brush off, but that smudge that looks like a kiss from the universe? It’s pretty well ground into the paint, and I don’t think it’s going anywhere.
Universe: 2,999,999
Margaret: 0
Mockingbirds at midnight 
Before reading your post, I thought it was an antique painting. . . Lovely—even with its inadvertent texturizing!
Thank you Chris!
I agree – perhaps you can work it in as real texture somehow? It would be a shame to let this one go.
Thanks S.
I cleaned off most of the dirt and slopped paint at it on Saturday. I think it looked better all dirt smudged. Sometimes those accidents can be happier than intention.