I Hear the Rain
Posted on July 2nd, 2015
I Hear the Rain by Amy Crook
I wembled about this painting a long time — this amazing, dramatic sky sat on my art table for weeks before I drew in the tree, and then weeks more while I waffled about what else it needed.
Finally, I gave in to my gothy heart and drew this gorgeous graveyard, the mysterious silhouettes blending beautifully with the descending torrent of rain.
The painting gets its title from the Violent Femmes song “I Hear the Rain,” which is about being buried in a shallow grave and hearing the rain pound on the earth above you. It seemed apropos.
I Hear the Rain, 8″x4″ pen & ink and watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper.
I Hear the Rain, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the way the gorgeously layered rain crashes down through the silhouetted graveyard. Below, the piece is in a temporary frame, just waiting to find a new home.
I Hear the Rain, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Zombies, Skulls, and Other Morbid Things
Tags: blue, graveyard, horizons, nfs, pen and ink, rain, sold, tree, watercolor
It’s a new novel!
Posted on June 24th, 2015
I wrote another novel! I guess that shouldn’t seem so amazing after the third time, but it really still does, to me. It’s available on Amazon as either a Kindle ebook, or a real, physical book.
Unboxed is a gay romance with a magical realism twist. Immerse yourself in a whole new world with two kinds of magic: the box and key system that matches up soulmates, and the single, small magical talent that every person’s born with. The shenanigans involve both kinds of magic and our previously boring heroes being dragged into the plot quite without their consent.
I designed an elegantly simple cover this time around with subtle woodgrain to gorgeous golden filigree. You know I love the spirals.
You can go buy the whole thing on Amazon, or read a little sample here.
Categories: Words Words Words
Tags: unboxed
Random Recipe: Earl Grey Vodka
Posted on June 22nd, 2015
It’s Earl Grey vodka! Yum, yum.
In case it wasn’t obvious, I’m in love with Earl Grey tea. I usually have upwards of half a dozen different kinds of Earl Grey in my cupboards, from vanilla to floral to straight-up bergamot. Captain Picard has a special place in my heart for his love of the beverage, as does James Bond’s newest Q.
Earl Grey vodka
- 1 bottle of decent vodka*
- 7 bags of Republic of Tea’s Earl Greyer tea, or whatever Earl Grey you like best
Put the teabags into the vodka. Wait overnight, at least 12 hours. Remove teabags. That’s pretty much it!
I found literally dozens of different recipes for this, and so I ended up randomly choosing a method and going for it. I did, of course, choose the laziest version.
By itself, I found the vodka way too harsh for my tastes, which is true of basically all flavored vodkas. It’s beautifully scented of both tea and bergamot, but the vodka and tannins made it too rough on the palate for me, so, I put it in cocktails!
Tea Times Two
- 1 part Earl Grey vodka
- 1 part Zen green tea liqueur
- 1/2 part half & half
Since all of my ingredients were cold (including my glass), I just mixed them up and went with it. Otherwise, I’d serve it on the rocks since it’s basically a modified White Russian. The sweetness of the Zen and cream took away the harshness from the vodka and delivered a gorgeous, fragrant tea flavor that I will definitely enjoy again.
Quartermaster
- 1 part Earl Grey vodka
- 1 part Nolet Silver gin
- 1 part sweet vermouth
- dash of lemon bitters
- 2 cherries
I love the idea of martinis, but I don’t actually like the dryness of the usual vermouth. I love sweet alcohol, and the Nolet gin is sweet and very floral, with a delightful rose overtone that follows the juniper when drinking it straight. The lemon bitters help keep the bergamot from drowning in roses, and the cherries are there strictly to allow me to enjoy eating them later.
It’s a nice marriage between a Vesper and my usual “semi-perfect” martini, which is just gin and sweet vermouth with perhaps a dash of bitters.
White Londoner
- 1 part Earl Grey vodka
- 1 part simple syrup or vanilla syrup
- 1 part half and half
Serve this one over ice for a London Fog twist on a White Russian. It’s a lovely sipping drink for those evenings curled up with the cats.
What are you going to make with Earl Grey?
*I used some Crystal Head that was a gift from a friend who knows me far too well. I have named him Dorian. He came with two of the adorable crystal skull shot glasses. It was love at first sight.
PS – If you’re not on my list, you might want to fix that! Bookmark sale starts tomorrow.
Categories: Words Words Words
Tags: cocktail, recipe, tea
Hanged Man
Posted on June 17th, 2015
Hanged Man, a Sherlock parody comic by Amy Crook
Sherlock needed some data about upside-down men, so he chose to trap his subject rather than asking.
Sherlock: It’s for an experiment.
John: SHERLOCK!
Sherlock: I knew you’d never agree, so I set this up to get the data. The case depends on these results!
Sherlock seems to think that “it’s an experiment” excuses all sorts of reprehensible behavior.
This little comic is also a parody of the Hanged Man card in the tarot deck, though John’s legs are backwards from the traditional layout, and of course there is not usually an irritating detective measuring toes. I did keep in the usual primary colors, but swapped them around, giving John a red shirt instead of trousers, and putting the yellow shirt onto Sherlock instead.
Also, John has bee socks. Because reasons. (Bee reasons.)
You can send someone this delightfully weird comic on a card and make their day a little stranger, just buy one in my Etsy shop.
Hanged Man, 5″x7″ pen & ink and Copic marker on paper.
Hanged Man, a Sherlock parody card by Amy Crook on Etsy
Categories: Card Design, People, Figures and Faces, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of
Tags: copic marker, etsy, hanged man, john watson, pen and ink, sherlock, sherlock bbc, sherlock holmes, sold, tarot, watson
Bilberry
Posted on June 15th, 2015
Bilberry, parody fan art for The Hobbit by Amy Crook
I imagine that whoever Bilbo was walking past thought they were paying him a compliment when they told him he looked just like a bilberry. Unfortunately, Bilbo disagreed despite the fact that he’s dressed in blue and purple with his lovely red waistcoat, just like the inside of a ripe bilberry (a relative of the blueberry).
This grumpy hobbit already has a new home, but you can get a card with which to amuse your friends at my Etsy shop.
Bilberry, 5″x7″ pen & ink and Copic marker on paper.
Bilbo the Bilberry blank greeting card by Amy Crook at Etsy
Categories: Card Design, People, Figures and Faces, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of
Tags: bilbo baggins, copic marker, etsy, hobbit, nfs, pen and ink, sold
Giveaway at Geeky Girls Knit
Posted on June 11th, 2015
The wonderful ladies over at the Geeky Girls Knit podcast are going to review some of my keen Etsy swag, and then give away a pile of goodies including cards, bookmarks, and even some stickers! There’s details on how to enter over on their blog — you do have to have a Ravelry account but even I have one, even though it’s boring.*
Head on over and give them a listen — if you’re a geek and a knitter, they’re a delight.
*Though if anyone wants to knit me that skull cable sweater in my favourites…
Categories: Words Words Words
Tags: giveaway
Storm/City
Posted on June 8th, 2015
Storm/City by Amy Crook
A dark storm moves in the shadows of this loosely-painted city, sparkling with contained electricity.
J. Herbin’s lovely anniversary ink, Stormy Grey, gives some really gorgeous depth with its gold highlights and dark, layered greys.
I mostly stuck to more traditional city buildings this time around, brush and ink creating the suggestions of windows and towers against the pale page of the sky. I did include the Gherkin building from London, because it’s just really fun to paint. I put it in a lot of my cities!
Storm/City, 6″x4″ J. Herbin ink on Fluid watercolor paper.
Storm/City, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the gold catching the light against the dark grey of stormclouds in the shadows. Below, the piece is tucked into a tiny frame, a tempest in a teapot.
Storm/City, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Series and Books
Tags: brush and ink, city, for sale, gold, j herbin ink, storm, zen
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