Blog « Antemortem Arts | Art & Writing by Amy Crook

Green Angel

Posted on July 8th, 2010

Green Angel by Amy Crook

Green Angel, 10″x8″ oil painting on canvas, 11.5″x9.5″ framed

This is yet another painting done off a model, from a photo this time of him lounging in bed. I wanted to imagine an angel with butterfly wings, not a tiny fairy but a full man-sized creature, fallen to earth to partake of the pleasures only to be found here. His wings are tattered from his fall but, I hope, still functional, still able to carry him up above if not all the way back from whence he came.

This small oil painting is on stretched canvas and framed in an antiqued silver wooden frame. I have it hanging by the light in my bedroom where I see it as I enter and exit, flicking the switch off and on.

Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Daily Art, Nudes and Other Sexy Things, People, Figures and Faces, Whimsical and Strange
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Weeble Wednesday: Princess Priscila

Posted on July 7th, 2010

Princess Priscila by Amy Crook

Princess Priscila by Amy Crook

Belated and busy here, so have a Weeble for Wednesday — this is my friend Priscila, who asked for a fairy princess costume, complete with tiara and magic wand. We based it off Belle from Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, but went pink for a bit of personal flair. You can just barely see the properly princessy glass slippers under the hem, too!

Categories: Daily Art, People, Figures and Faces, Series and Books, Whimsical and Strange
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Blood From a Stone

Posted on July 6th, 2010

Blood From a Stone by Amy Crook

Blood From a Stone, 4″x6″ monoprint on 8″x10″ watercolor paper

The origin of this monoprint’s title is a bit odd — it’s not really named because of the magenta “veins” in the blue marble, but because the 3 pure inks used here (blue, yellow and magenta) are the colors you need to mix to get a really good, realistic blood red. I suppose it says a lot about me that I spent a lot of time figuring out how to mix the perfect shade of blood, but everyone needs a hobby, right?

Painted to resemble natural stone with inclusions of magenta veins and a few small flecks of yellow “gold,” this piece has always had a rather soothing quality to me despite the morbid name.

Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Daily Art, Zombies, Skulls, and Other Morbid Things
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WIP: Molten Sun

Posted on July 5th, 2010

Molten Sun, WIP detail, by Amy Crook

Molten Sun, work in progress detail, by Amy Crook

After finishing Molten Sky, I hung it up in my apartment to dry, and slowly got an idea for ways to make the single idea into a series. This is the second one, also 24″ square. For a long time it looked like it had a bite out of it and made me crave Oreos, but now I’ve finally got the metallic copper, bronze and gold filled in the “bite.” I’m not quite sure how I’m going to finish it off, but for now it’s drying in the same spot the other one occupied, where I can look up and see it and contemplate.

Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Daily Art, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of, Works In Progress
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Pencil Monster #2

Posted on July 4th, 2010

Pencil Monster #2 by Amy Crook

Pencil Monster #2 by Amy Crook

Here’s the second of my little monsters inspired by the amazing pencil sculptures of Jennifer Maestre. This one makes me think of what might happen if one of Lovecraft’s Moon Beasts got an angora sweater, which is disturbing on a whole different level. Perhaps instead the toothy worm-creature gains mobility by hosting the fuzzy-legged symbiote on its back.

Happy Independence Day, indeed!

Categories: Daily Art, Zombies, Skulls, and Other Morbid Things
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Pencil Monster #1

Posted on July 3rd, 2010

Pencil Monster 1 by Amy Crook

Pencil Monster 1 by Amy Crook

I’m concluding the week of monsters with a pair of sketches (#2 will go up tomorrow) inspired by the amazing pencil sculptures of Jennifer Maestre. This one was specifically inspired by the piece “Chimera,” not an exact match but a little doodled monster of similar lineage. I think it came out with a distinctly Lovecraftian feel, especially once the mouth became an eye and the eyelashes became tentacles. It’s another piece out of my tiny bedside sketchbook, so the original is only a few inches high.

Categories: Daily Art, Zombies, Skulls, and Other Morbid Things
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Meet Wendy’s Monster, Ruby

Posted on July 2nd, 2010

Wendy's Monster, Ruby, by Amy Crook

Wendy's Monster, Ruby, by Amy Crook

As an offshoot of my Be a Cartoon service, I offered 3 spots to people who wanted me to draw their Monsters — those internal naysayers who do their best to keep us safe through discouragement, disparaging and criticism.

When Wendy Cholbi (tech mermaid!) emailed me about her Monster, she wanted to see one that she’d already met, Ruby, her Inner Bodyguard. Wendy explains:

I first got to know her (well, I’ve known her all my life, but in that shadowy background kind of way) at last summer’s Writer’s Retreat with Jen Louden — Jen had us do an exercise where we interviewed our Inner Critic, and who should pop up but this totally badass lizard-mama, basically telling me to back the fuck off. Once she realized I was honestly curious, she let me in how important her job (personal security for me, of course) is. It’s been really awesome getting to know her, and when Havi’s Monster Coloring Book came out, I knew Ruby deserved her very own page.

Ruby’s a big Butch Biker Bitch whose bruise-purple skin represents Wendy’s tender inner self, which Ruby tries to protect by keeping everything away. She’s like the over-enthusiastic bodyguard that puts the pizza boy in a headlock when he tries to hand you a pen for the credit card receipt — she means well, but she’s left poor Wendy kind of lonely in this exclusive club of which she’s guarding the door, because no one is allowed in. So she has a bit of the ballbuster-with-a-heart-of-molten-gold (only she’d NEVER admit to having a heart of ANY kind. Who needs a heart when a heart can be broken?).

I have one Monster left out of the set, I should probably go prod a certain someone to approve her inks so I can get coloring. If you want to be a cartoon yourself, it’s only $79 — I have 3 people in my queue right now, but I’m always happy to make room for more!

Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Completed Commissions, Daily Art, Whimsical and Strange
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