Happy Accident

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Belching forth from the glorified backwater village of Portland, OR, Happy Accident’s work explores the exponential pace of overwhelming absurdity in our world. Found objects, large scale puppets and sputtering lights bring you face to face with the cuddly nightmare that is everyday life.

Happy Accident is a collaboration between artists liz Howls and Drew Simpson.

liz HOWLS is a versatile artist whose talents span puppetry, visual arts, animation, illustration, and beyond. Whether crafting intricate paper cuts, designing puppets, or creating immersive installations, liz is a master of blending mediums to bring her visions to life.

Known for her unique approach to puppetry, liz’s work is a poetic fusion of the traditional and the surreal. Her performances are a mix of childlike wonder and dark, fantastical elements that keep audiences captivated long after the curtain falls. In recent years, liz has shifted toward the avant-garde, infusing puppetry with unsettling sounds and imagery that challenge the viewer.

Driven by a love for collaboration, new challenges, and the stories that emerge from travel, liz continues to push creative boundaries—creating work that is as imaginative as it is impactful.

Drew Simpson is a musician, writer, performer, builder, jazz carpenter and visual artist. He is also a pretty good cook when the mood is right. A lifelong fascination with energy, physics, and light has led Drew to experiment with electricity and light sculpting.

In 2024, Drew teamed up with partner/puppeteer/visionary liz HOWLS forming the absurdist performance group known as Happy Accident.