Three Crows 2
Posted on March 6th, 2020
Three Crows 2, 6″x4″ watercolor on paper
Sometimes original, amazing titles come to me, and sometimes you get Three Crows 2.
The art that goes with the uninspired title, however, has a gorgeous sky full of hidden shimmer in the sunset-painted clouds. The tree twists out into the middle ground with gorgeously shaded branches, and the three crows have just enough spook and shimmer to them to stand out beautifully against both. Their eyes are painted with a dot of one of my favorite weird paints that shimmers from red to green like a scarab.
Where do you need a little bit of spookiness in your spring?
Three Crows 2, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see two of the crows flying past the shimmering clouds, their eyes reflecting unknown secrets. Below, this deceptively small painting is waiting in its frame to be whisked away to a new environment, with new secrets to be learned.
Three Crows 2, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Series and Books
Tags: crow, duochrome, nfs, primatek, sold, sunset, tree, watercolor
The Skies of Unknown Kadath
Posted on March 5th, 2020
The Skies of Unknown Kadath, 6″x8″ watercolor on black paper
In this month’s lone abstract painting, shiny paints layer over black paper to get this dreamlike effect.
“The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath” is a novella by horror writer HP Lovecraft, best known for creating Cthulhu and also being hugely bigoted (even for 100 years ago). It’s a fascinating trip into dreams and obsession and madness, like so many of his works, and the painting’s title is a nod to the surreal descriptions that keep his work in our collective memory.
There’s a lot hiding in this painting, full of pigments that shine at different angles, in different colors, that peek through the less-glittery mineral paints and stand out against the black background.
The Skies of Unknown Kadath, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see some of the shining paints at a close up and oblique angle, the pigments catching sunlight and showing the layers of texture and detail. Below, it’s in a temporary frame, just waiting for the right dreamer.
The Skies of Unknown Kadath, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Floating Gallery
Tags: black paper, duochrome, interference, iridescent, metallic, nfs, primatek, sold, watercolor
Sky Shenanigans
Posted on March 4th, 2020
Sky Shenanigans, 5″x5″ acrylic, inkjet ink, and metallic pigment dust on metallic photo paper
The last of three remixes of Stirring up the Sky has already been claimed.
It’s got a mix of soft-body acrylic on top of the metallic print, which adds texture and changes the whole feel of the piece. There’s some silver pigment dusted on top, and once that was dry, a second layer of the acrylic made it onto the bird, giving it the same sort of 3D textural treatment.
These are all terrible to photograph, between the shiny paper, strange paints, and blue-spectrum colors that never quite turn out right on screen. Still, as a set they were a fun use of what would otherwise have been wasted materials and effort.
Sky Shenanigans, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the way the soft body acrylic creates physical texture on the smooth page. Below, the painting is visiting a little frame as it waits to fly to its new home.
Sky Shenanigans, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Series and Books
Tags: altered skies, crow, metallic paper, metallic pigment powder, moon, more cowbell, nfs, soft body acrylic, sold
Sharpie Sky
Posted on March 3rd, 2020
Sharpie Sky, 6″x4″ inkjet ink, sharpie ink, and watercolor on metallic photo paper
In the second installment of my misprint redux, I used a big fat Sharpie to darken the sky to black like my heart. There’s a soft brushing of iridescent watercolor over the whole sky, with twinkling stars of the same blue-green to add light to the deep black.
The bird got its own treatment, scribbled shadows to deepen its silhouette, make it more solid and less of a ghost. The whole effect is quite striking, much more dramatic than its predecessor, especially when the light hits it so the ink turns matte while the moon shines.
Is this the one that needs to fly home to you?
Sharpie Sky, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the dark scribbles bringing the bird more fully into the foreground. Below, a simple black frame holds this magical sky like a window into another world.
Sharpie Sky, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Series and Books
Tags: altered skies, crow, for sale, iridescent, metallic paper, moon, more cowbell, sharpie marker, watercolor
Midnight Blue Sky
Posted on March 2nd, 2020
Midnight Blue Sky, 5″x5″ inkjet and watercolor on metallic photo paper
Thanks to weird color results and other misprint issues, these prints won’t be making it into my Etsy shop. Instead, I gave away the best ones and used the remaining three for experimentation!
This one uses metallic blue and copper watercolor to change the sky to a swirling vortex, to turn the stars into an eerie presence, and make the crow’s eye shine balefully out at the viewer.
For anyone who likes corvids and shiny things, this is a great little remix of one of my best recent works.
Midnight Blue Sky, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the copper shine of this crow’s altered eye. Below, it’s framed and waiting for the right home to fly to.
Midnight Blue Sky, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Series and Books
Tags: altered skies, crow, for sale, iridescent, metallic paper, moon, more cowbell, watercolor
Ash Ghost zine
Posted on February 10th, 2020
Happy Patreoniversary!
I’ve been on Patreon for 5 years now, amazing! I’ve managed to grow a lovely little community there of supporters and friends, and I’d like to invite you to join with a special offer*.
Ash Ghost zine
I’m going to make a limited run of these little zines for my patrons! They’re made by hand, printed right here in my living room as always and lovingly assembled and stapled just for you. The unsettling short story inside uses my Ash Ghost art series as both inspiration and illustration, including a new one created just for the cover.
Every one of these will be signed and numbered, and the edition will be exclusive to my Patreon supporters. You don’t even have to buy one — everyone who is at the $10+ level in February will get one in the mail for free!
I’m also including these lovely bookmarks, which will be available on Etsy afterward (unlike the zine).
If you’re not a patron by then, you’ll have missed your window and the zine, but there’s still a bunch of great perks even at the lowest level. Become a supporter today!
*Offer ended on Feb. 29, 2020.
Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Card Design, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, People, Figures and Faces, Series and Books, Words Words Words, Zombies, Skulls, and Other Morbid Things
Tags: ash ghost, patreon, sale post
Patreon sketches for December 2019 requests
Posted on January 30th, 2020
I’ve decided to stick with my new standard size for Patreon sketches from now on, so everyone gets a standard ACEO (artist card, edition original) aka trading card size piece of art when they make a request. Patrons also get to see exclusive photos, including cat pics, works in progress, and other such shenanigans. Plus, they get the warm feeling of contentment that they support the arts every month!
I’ve also been doing some figure sketch practice, so expect to see more actual people at some point! I’m pretty happy with how the sketches are coming out, even if I haven’t done a ton of them yet.
My commissions queue is full, so I’m working hard on clearing the decks so I can open them up again, as well as finally editing my newest book (it’s so close to done omg), and finishing up some other long-overdue projects. I don’t think it’s possible to feel caught up anymore, but I have hopes that someday I’ll have space to breathe and take on new work!
In the meantime, the January requests post is still open, if you want to join us on Patreon!
Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Completed Commissions, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Nudes and Other Sexy Things, People, Figures and Faces, Pretty Words, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: cat, consulting magic, copic marker, julian st albans, mattrick, patreon, pen and ink, space, watercolor, word art
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