Posts Tagged ‘sunset’

Willow

Tuesday, September 5th, 2017

Willow, 12″x9″ watercolor on Strathmore watercolor paper

Labor Day is over, so here’s some art to start your week!

The last rosy blush of sunset gives way to bands of color in the clear sky. A hint of wind blows the branches of a willow and carries two ravens in their flight.

If you’re the sort to count corvids, two is for joy!

Willow, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the subtle fade of color through the sky, and the detailed silhouette of the ravens. The framed photo below shows the colors best, and demonstrates the larger size and really highlights the way the tree breaks the borders of the sky, adding a surrealist tinge.

Willow, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Series and Books
Tags: crow, for sale, horizons, sunset, tree, watercolor

Gilded Sunset

Friday, March 3rd, 2017

Gilded Sunset, 8″x8″ watercolor on Arches watercolor paper

This stunning painting would add a bright pop of warmth to any space. Rosy metallic gold sparkles off the shadowy buildings, backed by a brilliant sunset in reds, oranges, and pinks. You have to see this one in person to really appreciate its beauty.

Limned in light, this city skyline frames the red sun perfectly, hazy clouds making the sky above seem endless as it fades from gold to red. The sun itself is a glowing red sinking toward the horizon, just about the vanish for the night. A flock of birds floats above it all, circling in the sultry sunset.

Gilded Sunset, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the beautiful metallic watercolor shining up close, the warm rose gold a perfect complement to the brilliant sunset. Below, the painting is framed and waiting for just the right wall – is it yours?

Gilded Sunset, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Series and Books
Tags: city, horizons, metallic, nfs, sold, sunset, watercolor

Pink Sunset

Monday, November 7th, 2016

Pink Sunset, 6″x4″ ink wash on Fluid watercolor paper

This magnificent pink and gold sunset uses a mix of rose and amber inks to create a glowing bank of clouds, with just a hint of red near the horizon. A softer brown brings the trees and birds into closer focus than the darker silhouettes of black in some of the other Horizons pieces.

Although the colors in this are intense, the overall effect is gorgeous rather than gaudy, like a tiny window into a world where the sun is forever painting the sky in bright, glowing hues.

Pink Sunset, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the intense pink clouds and soft, textured brown of the intricate branches. Below, the tiny art is tucked into a frame, ready to bring a bright burst of color into your life.

Pink Sunset, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Series and Books
Tags: brush and ink, crow, horizons, ink wash, nfs, sold, sunset, tree

Sycamore Sunset

Friday, June 3rd, 2016

Sycamore Sunset, 6″x4″ pen & ink and Primatek watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper

This Horizons painting has an intense sky full of fast-moving clouds backlit by the glow of the setting sun. The deciduous trees echo the maples and sycamores of my childhood, leaves bare for now but promising new green when spring arrives.

As with the first painting, this one feels a little out of season, but sometimes we long for the weather that makes our heart sing. In this case, you can dream of crisp autumn days with the crunch of leaves underfoot instead of the first hot breath of summer still bearing the pollen of spring.

Sycamore Sunset, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the intense gold of sun shining through the earthy orange clouds, with just a touch of lace-like branches peeking into the frame. Below, the painting is in its own frame, a small beauty ready to fit on your desk, in a nook, or on a shelf.

Sycamore Sunset, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Series and Books
Tags: horizons, nfs, pen and ink, primatek, sold, sunset, tree, watercolor

Windblown

Wednesday, April 6th, 2016

Windblown, 8″x4″ watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper

Brilliant oranges, pinks, and golds paint the sky as the red sun sinks below the horizon. A lone figure stands next to the tree, both of them tousled by the unseen winds. A raven heads for them both, graceful despite the headwind.

What’s the story here? You could hang this up in your home and contemplate the possible tales as you go about your day, each glimpse sparking a new line of thought.

Windblown, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see a close-up of our big black bird, flying headlong into the wind. Below, the whole windblown tableau is waiting in a temporary frame to find its permanent home.

Windblown, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, People, Figures and Faces, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Series and Books
Tags: crow, horizons, nfs, orange, sunset, tree, watercolor

The Sun Has Fallen for the Moon

Thursday, April 2nd, 2015

The Sun Has Fallen for the Moon by Amy Crook

This painting is inspired by a line in a Teddy Geiger song, “The sun had fallen for the moon.” I brought it into the present tense to go with the sun’s adoring eyes, and the moon’s sweet blush. The sky is quite pale, the very end of sunset on a day without too many clouds, night just starting to lower its curtain and snuff out the glow of day.

The wobbly white brush calligraphy along the dark horizon adds to the sweetness of the scene, making it feel even more like a fairy tale. The sense of magic and romance fits well with the soft colors of the sky, blues and purples, oranges and golds.

Bring this little start of a story into your life, and spend as long as you like figuring out how their tale ends. The sun has fallen for the moon… but what happens next?

The Sun Has Fallen for the Moon, 6″x6″ watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper.

The Sun Has Fallen for the Moon, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the moon’s shining face, her soft features and the most delicate of blue blushes on her round cheeks. Below, the piece is in a temporary frame, but I think would look best with a custom mat to set off the colors.

The Sun Has Fallen for the Moon, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, People, Figures and Faces, Things I'm a Fan Of, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: moon, nfs, sold, sunset, watercolor

Sunset Silhouette 2

Tuesday, February 3rd, 2015

Sunset Silhouette 2 by Amy Crook

I was walking home the other day and I spotted one of these trees, and I had to go google and find out what species they were. It turns out it’s actually a pruning technique so I still don’t know (I am abysmal at tree identification, seriously), but I had fun looking at photos and drawing this one.

There’s a pair of birds here, but are they friends or foes? I have a story in my head, but I like the ambiguity of it. Is the second bird coming to join the first one and hang out, or to eat him?

Either way, I’m quite fond of the way the landing bird’s wings came out, silhouetted against the pink-orange-gold of the sunset clouds, with the deep orange sun just peeking up above the horizon, reluctant to leave the earth entirely.

Sunset Silhouette 2, 6″x4″ pen & ink and watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper.

Sunset Silhouette, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the two birds up close, along with the twisty tree all dark against the light-filled sky. Below, the piece is in a frame, small and perfect to fit somewhere you need a bit of beauty.