Shop – Abstract and Just Plain Weird « Antemortem Arts

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Galaxies

Thursday, May 17th, 2012

Galaxies, abstract art by Amy Crook, $424

From some angles the background of this piece looks as black as the space between galaxies, or at least as black as the paper it’s painted on. Shift it just a little though, and a liberal dusting of silver stars sparkles up in the blackness, making the whole piece shimmer. The iridescent green paint, opaque blue and glittering salt form mysterious shapes floating in the black, broken spirals and strange pools of color.

I was just playing when I made the spirals, wanting some different shapes and enjoying the bigger page, which was more forgiving of the lack of precision from the salt water solution. It sat around for a few weeks after it dried while I decided what to do with it, and in the end I decided a subtle dusting of silver paint would best set off the shapes. I ended up brushing most of the silver particles back off the page, which makes the whole effect much more subtly supporting instead of overwhelming.

Galaxies, 10″x8″ salt and watercolor on paper, $424 framed, with free shipping.

Galaxies, detail 1, by Amy Crook

Above you can see the golden afternoon light reflecting off the salt and paint in this particular spiral formation. Below, the strange little frost that formed where the water flowed off the edge and then soaked into the corner of the paper.

Galaxies, detail 2, by Amy Crook

And of course I’ve taken a photo with frame, desk and iPhone, to give you an idea of how big it is in real life.

Galaxies, framed art by Amy Crook, $424

Tags: black paper, blue, for sale, iridescent, salt, silver, watercolor
Posted in Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Daily Art, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Shop - Abstract and Just Plain Weird | No Comments »

Blue Planet 4

Friday, May 4th, 2012

Blue Planet 4, watercolor by Amy Crook, $222

Here we are at the end of both our week and the series, and you can see now the interesting secret of this particular mix of paints. Rather than floating to the top edges, the iridescent green paint sinks to the bottom and then the ultramarine settles in on top of it in a rather unsteady marriage. The blue is denser in the middle because it settles there as the day goes on, not because the green is on top. With this paper more than the black, the iridescent paint prevented the salt from bonding to the paper itself so the crystals just formed on top, and a little bit of rubbing pulled away both the salt and the blue paint it was adhered to, leaving us with a fascinating crackled surface at the center.

Like all the salt pieces, this one’s the most interesting if you pick it up and play with it in the sunlight. The blue paint is really very matte and opaque, so the cracks where the green shines through are especially interesting.

Blue Planet 4, salt and watercolor on paper, $222 framed, with free shipping.

Blue Planet 4, detail, by Amy Crook

Above you can see all the rich, subtle variations in color, from the edge-in fade to the sharp crackles where the salt and paint flaked away in the center. Below, the piece is safely tucked into its frame, so the remaining salt, well, remains.

Blue Planet 4, framed art by Amy Crook, $222

If you’d like to talk about a payment plan for this piece — or even the whole series — you can email me and I’ll happily work something out.

Tags: blue, blue planet, for sale, green, iridescent, planet, salt, watercolor
Posted in Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Daily Art, Series and Books, Shop - Abstract and Just Plain Weird | 1 Comment »

Blue Planet 2

Thursday, May 3rd, 2012

Blue Planet 2, watercolor by Amy Crook

Of all the Blue Planets, this one is a bit like the control in the group. I didn’t have the issues I did with the first one because I very sneakily put the paper on a small plate, so all its edges were raise and the big pool stayed pooled in the center. I didn’t make tentacles, or use a different paper (that’s tomorrow’s). It’s just a simple abstract idea of a blue-green planet floating serenely in the star-studded blackness.

I really like how each of the stars is its own tiny echo of the planet, with salt at the edges, then the green and finally blue in the center. The whole thing feels both familiar and alien at once, and the salt gives it a bit of twinkling light of its own, if only by reflection.

Blue Planet 2, 5″x5″ salt and watercolor on paper, $222 framed, with free shipping.

Blue Planet 2, detail, by Amy Crook

Above you can see the big, square crystals that formed all through the planet’s surface, as well as the darker edge crystals and the soft transition from green to blue. Below, you can see it happily tucked into its frame and reflecting onto the shiny iPhone hanging out to show size.

Blue Planet 2, framed art by Amy Crook

Tags: black paper, blue, blue planet, for sale, green, iridescent, planet, salt, watercolor
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Blue Planet 3

Tuesday, May 1st, 2012

Blue Planet 3, watercolor by Amy Crook, $222

I know this is only the second day of posting and the third piece in the series, but Tentacle Tuesday is a tradition by now! After I watched the first two Blue Planets form, I wondered if it would be possible to make the green at the edges slither tentacle-like toward the center.

It turns out it was, but they’re very subtle, so I ended up going in later to add the outer tentacles, making this one a color-inverse of Tentacle Planet with the blue-green planet and black paper. The iridescent tentacles inside the planet’s blue surface show more at certain angles, but the salt crystals on top obscure the images a little, making it more of a secret for those who pick up the frame and look closely.

Blue Planet 3, 5″x5″ salt and watercolor on paper, $222 framed, with free shipping.

Blue Planet 3, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can just see the subtle transition of a tentacle inside where it meets up with one of the outer tentacles. Below, the piece sits happily in its frame, just waiting to invade its new home… with tentacles, of course.

Blue Planet 3, framed art by Amy Crook, $222

If you’re interested in this piece (or any of the others), you should really email me. The tentacles want you to.

Blue Planet 1

Monday, April 30th, 2012

Blue Planet 1, watercolor by Amy Crook, $222

This week I’m posting a series of 4 similar paintings, though slightly out of order out of respect for Tentacle Tuesday. I was revisiting some of my more scifi-themed work to decide what if anything I wanted to put in the art show at BayCon this year, and I decided that it had been too long since I painted one of my planets. I added some iridescent green paint in with my remaining mixture of salt and French Ultramarine and got to work.

I’ve numbered them in the order they were painted, this one first. As you can see, the salt crystals are tiny and fine, and the shape runs off the edge of the paper, which is totally what the salt water did. I think it looks a bit like a comet, or some shadowy binary planet, floating in space.

Blue Planet 1, 5″x5″ watercolor and salt on paper, $222 framed, with free shipping.

Blue Planet 1, detail, by Amy Crook

Above you can see the tiny sparkle of salt crystals, the subtle shimmer of the green paint and the sheen of opaque, matte blue that rests between the two. The paint and salt settle out on their own, once I apply the solution and some patience, giving me something unique each time. Below, of course, is the painting tucked into its frame, hanging out with my iPhone for size reference.

Blue Planet 1, framed art by Amy Crook, $222

If you’d like to talk about my planets with me (heh), especially about payment plans, feel free to email me.

Nebula 2

Monday, April 23rd, 2012

Nebula 2, abstract art by Amy Crook, $333

This piece really reminds me of a special effect on some old scifi show, a slice of space showing through the opaque curtain of some foggy white nebula. The salt sparkles on the dark blue background, and the iridescent green peeks through in the lighter patches to give it an otherworldly feel.

Nebula 2, 7″x5″ salt and watercolor on paper, $333 framed, with free shipping.

Nebula 2, detail, by Amy Crook

Above you can really see the way the interference green peeks through the salt, only to be subsumed by the midnight blue in the deeper part of the salt pool. Below, you can see it safely tucked into a frame and ready to come live with you.

Nebula 2, framed art by Amy Crook, $333

Tags: blue, for sale, green, interference, salt, watercolor
Posted in Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Daily Art, Series and Books, Shop - Abstract and Just Plain Weird | No Comments »

Spiral Lakes

Thursday, April 19th, 2012

Spiral Lakes, abstract art by Amy Crook, $269

This piece is like the inverse of Spiral Islands, with the rich French Ultramarine mixed straight into the salt-saturated solution. To me it looks like a series of thermal lakes that have burst and melted through a thick layer of ice, crusted around the edges and looking down into the deep blue of the ocean, with little floes of ice still floating, sparkling on the surface.

I admit I considered painting in the white the way I did with Islands, but this arctic image came to me so I let well enough alone this time.

Spiral Lakes, 5″x7″ salt and watercolor on paper, $269 framed, with free shipping.

Spiral Lakes, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see a close-up of one of the spirals. I really like the way the paint pulls away from the edges of the pool so the color is richer in the middle and fades toward the salt crystals. Below, you can see the lakes in their frame, which you could tuck into a bookshelf or decorate a wall somewhere with a bit of gorgeous blue and unexpected sparkle.