Concentric 12
Posted on August 4th, 2021
Concentric 12, 8″x8″ watercolor on paper
Looking into the white-yellow-orange glare of this highly saturated painting, I was compelled to add some lens flare in an oceanic blue iridescent paint. It’s less chaotic than the usual bursts of Concentric color, but has the same feeling of circles around circles that gives the series its name.
I used a smoother watercolor paper on this one so that all the texture is from the paint itself, brush strokes adding depth to the white-hot glow of the center.
Concentric 12, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the brush-stroke face to the white-hot center, and the sparkle of concentric dots forming an offset lens flare shape. Below, the painting is framed and waiting to be shipped off to its new owner.
Concentric 12, framed art by Amy Crook
It’s new! It’s orange.
Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Floating Gallery, Series and Books
Tags: concentric, duochrome, nfs, orange, sold, watercolor
May 2021 Patreon Sketch Cards
Posted on July 28th, 2021
Another day, another bunch of Patreon sketch cards! I got some nifty black mixed media ones in, and tried that out with my shiny paints for the cocktails on the bottom left. I try to have fun with my sketches whenever I can, y’know?
From the top left:
- Amber’s April showers/May flowers
- a summer bat for The Other Amy
- Nott the Brave for Eric
- Wally the Nonbinary Welsh Walrus for Booskerdu
- Cocktails for Jefferson
- Kim’s new job ft. books
- and 40s music for Roxanne B, with my personal favorite song from the era, “Swingin’ on a Star.”
Carry some moonbeams off in a jar, darlings!
Categories: Completed Commissions, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, People, Figures and Faces, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: bat, black paper, book, copic marker, duochrome, ink wash, iridescent watercolor, pen and ink, walrus, watercolor, yupo
The Sight of the Stars
Posted on July 22nd, 2021
The Sight of the Stars, 8″x10″ mixed media on metallic paper
Metallic photo paper makes a fascinating substrate, you can’t ever lift color once it’s put down. Instead, all the texture here is physical, soft body acrylic that rises above the paper in bumps and ridges formed by the brush strokes. On top of that a scattering of iridescent watercolor stars adds to the shine that already comes through the semi-translucent paint.
“The sight of the stars makes me dream.”
-Vincent Van Gogh
Sometimes I start an Aglow painting with words in mind, and sometimes I create the image and find words that go with it. I think this was the latter, but time is meaningless here in 2021 so who knows.
The Sight of the Stars, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see a close-up of the textured paint and shiny paper catching the golden light overhead. Below, the painting is in a frame, waiting to be shipped off to its new home!
The Sight of the Stars, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Floating Gallery, Pretty Words, Series and Books
Tags: acrylic, aglow, blue, inkjet print, metallic paper, more cowbell, nfs, purple, soft body acrylic, sold, van gogh
Resonate
Posted on July 20th, 2021
Resonate, 6″x4″ watercolor and tea on paper
This piece sprang from a long-lost art challenge: I took the 2 teabags out of my giant mug of tea and put them on the page to create random shapes. I left them out for a few hours, then tossed the tea and let the paper dry thoroughly, by which I mean didn’t work on it again for a couple of months.
This abstract has a feeling that makes me think of the drip of tea back into the cup, of the shape made by a splash of milk, of the way sounds or ideas reverberate in your head.
What resonates with you?
Resonate, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the mix of bronzite and gold and the subtle ways they sparkle against the soft, tea-stained paper. Below, this small painting sits in a frame, ready to help you resonate.
Resonate, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Floating Gallery, Pretty Words
Tags: brown, for sale, gold, metallic, tea, watercolor
Waning
Posted on July 19th, 2021
Waning, 5″x7″ mixed media on paper
This misprint had an alignment issue that made it all sky and no earth. I couldn’t resist painting in the very end of twilight in rich blue and fading violet. The moon is a special iridescent paint that looks white at some angles and lavender at others. The tree has some intriguing physical texture, painting over with soft-body acrylic paint, and its details were extended into a network of lacy growth.
There’s a few little birds in the sky as well, hidden mostly behind the mist of tiny dots that might be fireflies or snowflakes or even a light rain reflecting moonlight at the viewer.
Every part of this artwork got a touch of new life, from the waning gibbous moon to the color-washed streaks in the sky.
Waning, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the way the paint shines, the moon going purple and the tree’s texture picking up the golden sunlight. Below, this piece is in a frame and happily showing itself off for you.
Waning, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Series and Books
Tags: acrylic, blue, crow, inkjet print, interference, mixed media, moon, more cowbell, nfs, primatek, purple, sold, tree, watercolor
Concentric 10
Posted on July 18th, 2021
Concentric 10, 6″x4″ watercolor on paper
This last half-year has had a lot of taking one thing and making it into another. A purple-washed background waiting to become art got the words “be kind” added in soft, subtle periwinkle. After another delay, bursts of shining dots finally blossomed into another addition to my Concentric series.
This tiny artwork has soothing shades of blue and purple and lovely lavender, hints of green and gold waiting to shine at the right angles.
This series is very meditative to paint, following my inner promptings to start a burst here, and then one there in that color, building up from the first dot to the last.
Concentric 10, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the three shades of color bursts, green-gold, dark purple, and ocean blue. Below, this small painting is framed and waiting to bring delight to some small nook or larger display of art.
Concentric 10, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Floating Gallery, Pretty Words, Series and Books
Tags: concentric, duochrome, iridescent, nfs, purple, sold, watercolor, word art
Wyrm
Posted on July 17th, 2021
Wyrm, 7″x5″ watercolor on paper
A wyrm is a type of dragon with no legs or wings, basically a giant snake that’s still gonna eat you for breakfast. This one is essentially the result of doodling, playing with shapes formed in a loose wash of paint, building up shadows and lifting highlights until the dragon emerged from the swirling mist.
There’s sparkle throughout but especially in the fog, and my favorite shape features heavily. Spirals in the fog, in the scales, in horns that lay flat against its neck.
Sinuous and menacing, this wyrm looks hangry and you look like a snack.
Wyrm, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see some of the pearlescent shimmer, and a close-up of our wyrm’s baleful eye. Below, he’s in a frame, awaiting his next snack.
Wyrm, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Floating Gallery, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Series and Books
Tags: dragon, for sale, green, pearlescent, watercolor
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