Posts Tagged ‘bird’

Chickadee

Tuesday, September 15th, 2020

Chickadee, 6″x6″ watercolor on paper

I’ve finally managed to mail my Mom her Mother’s Day gift this year, belated of course because time is meaningless in 2020, so now you can all see what she got!

She loves paintings of birds, and so I decided to do something fun for me with this orb-shaped, fluffed-up little winter chickadee. It’s got a lot of very pale, subtle shades, from the winter blue sky to the cream underbelly, but my old scanner did its best.

This little borb is a bit cranky about something, perhaps the cold — it’s certainly puffed up enough to keep warm!

Categories: Floating Gallery, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Whimsical and Strange
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Both Alike in Dignity

Sunday, March 8th, 2020

a watercolor painting of a dove in a branch, a flying crow, and a stormy sky behind them both, by Amy Crook

Both Alike in Dignity, 5″x7″ watercolor on paper

Two birds, both alike in dignity…

This is one of those “more cowbell” pieces that used to be something else, and now is something better. It’s the same storm as above, perhaps, but lower to the ground, closer to home. Leaves and the first drops of rain are suspended in the moment, with the carefree crow below while the dove above is already safe in its nest.

Which one are you, the one out playing in the rain, or the enjoying the weather from home where it’s warm and dry?

Both Alike in Dignity, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the crow silhouetted against the stormy sky, determined to get home despite the winds and clouds. Below, the painting is framed and waiting to find shelter in its new home.

Both Alike in Dignity, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Sea Creatures and Other Animals
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Harvest Moon 6

Tuesday, August 14th, 2018

Harvest Moon 6 by Amy Crook, 3 sandhill cranes in silhouette against a golden full moon

Harvest Moon 6, 5″x5″ watercolor on Arches cover black paper

Three sandhill cranes are flying across this minuscule moon, golden-yellow and full like a proper autumn moon should be.

After June’s Harvest Moon painting, a patron suggested I try another on black paper instead of white. It’s a very different process, and the results have a darker, more solid quality.

The stars have a little shine to them, a hint of gold to add sparkle. The cranes have a little complexity in their color, both from the Payne’s grey and the way the thick, opaque Japanese paints mix into the top layer.

Harvest Moon 6, detail, by Amy Crook

Harvest Moon 6, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see a close-up of the cranes and the textural surface of the moon. Below, the painting is in a frame, waiting to fly to its new home.

Harvest Moon 6, framed art by Amy Crook

Harvest Moon 6, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Series and Books
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Harvest Moon 5

Thursday, June 7th, 2018

Harvest Moon 5 by Amy Crook, a watercolor painting of three herons flying in silhouette against a golden full moon

Harvest Moon 5, 8″x8″ watercolor on Arches watercolor paper

Today’s beautiful golden moon silhouettes three great blue herons against its warm glow.

The stars have a little sparkle to them, but the sky is a flat, swirling velvety grey nestling them like little droplets of molten gold.

Any moon that’s close to the horizon will look orange, but those autumnal full moons that presage the season of crunchy leaves and spooky ghosts have a special sort of mystique to them. You never know what you’ll see, whether it’s a bird or a bat, a swirl of fallen leaves — or a ghost.

Harvest Moon 5, detail, by Amy Crook

Harvest Moon 5, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see one of the cranes in closer detail, a dark blot of feathers and grace against the bright moon. Below, the moon is captured in a frame, just waiting to become a part of your sky.

Harvest Moon 5, framed art by Amy Crook

Harvest Moon 5, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Series and Books
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Grove

Wednesday, June 6th, 2018

Grove by Amy Crook, a waterclor painting of five dormant trees against a sunset with three birds flying

Grove, 6″x4″ watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper

Now that spring is sprung and summer is on its way, it’s back to longing thoughts of autumn and winter, and trees bare of their leaves (and their evil, evil pollen).

The sky is painted with gold and red, pink and orange, and the trees have a depth to them that invites the eye to trace out branching pathways like handmade lace against the peachy clouds.

What’s on your horizon?

Grove, detail, by Amy Crook

Grove, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the soft oranges of the sky and the interlacing branches of these dormant trees. Below, they’re in a small frame, perfect for adding a bit of beauty to a tiny space.

Grove, framed art by Amy Crook

Grove, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Series and Books
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Me Three

Wednesday, March 7th, 2018

Me Three, watercolor horizon by Amy Crook

Me Three, 8″x4″ watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper

A horizon at the edge of day and night. Twisted skeletons of winter trees. Birds flying in the background.

It’s a bit on the nose to call this typical example of my oeuvre “Me Three,” but sometimes the titles pick you.

The sky is a beautiful clear blue shading to the gold of sunrise, and the clouds float above with a mix of golden light and purple shadows. Trees full of character show just a touch of texture in the gleam of morning. A trio of long-necked birds make their way through the morning air.

Me Three, detail, by Amy Crook

Me Three, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the twisty trees, wispy clouds, and flappy birds. Below, the painting is tucked into a frame, just waiting to find its home with you.

Me Three, framed art by Amy Crook

Me Three, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Series and Books
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Sunshower

Tuesday, August 8th, 2017

Sunshower, art by Amy Crook in the Horizons series

Sunshower, 12″x6″ watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper

The sunshower below the clouds in this painting is so subtle that my scanner couldn’t pick up on it, and so you get an iPhone photo so you can understand the title!

I went away from crows and opted for a flock of sparrows flying through the blue sky, staying up above the small sprinkling of sunlit rain. The tree in this one has clearly had a hard life, but is soldiering on, waiting for proper warm spring sunshine and another chance to grow.

What’s your favorite weather?

Sunshower, detail, by Amy Crook

Sunshower, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the tiny sparrows and the subtle glow of sunshine and rain under the clouds. Below, the painting is tucked into a frame, just waiting to light up your life.

Sunshower, framed art by Amy Crook

Sunshower, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Series and Books
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