Sue Danielson, Abundance, 2019, collage, 18 x 15 x 1 in, Framed. Paper size 14" x 11".

Seattle's watershed runs from the peaks of the Cascade Mountains through old- and new-growth forests, subdivisions, towns, and cities. It flows through culverts, tunnels, rivers, and creeks before reaching reservoirs, lakes, or Puget Sound. Over many years, Sue Danielson has developed an intimate connection to this watershed by tracing its waterways on foot, following its shifting "veins" through the landscape.

Her experiences in these environments serve as the foundation for her abstract paintings, collages, and installations. While walking the watershed, she often holds paradoxical emotions; grief for the forest under pressure from entropy, climate change, and development, alongside awe at its persistence, complexity, and abundance. The presence of wildlife within these systems remains a continual source of wonder.

Working from memory and emotional response, Danielson translates these experiences into layered compositions of chromatic lines, shapes, and patterns that reflect the dense stratification of growth and the shifting perceptions of space shaped by wind and light. Her process incorporates aerial perspectives and draws from, then departs from, traditional mapping as a visual framework.