Thistle
Posted on November 13th, 2009
Thistle by Amy Crook
This tiny oil painting captures a moment in the blue-violet dusk. This image is the one that drove me to buy these canvases and their wee easels, the globe thistle seeming nearly white against the twilight sky, lit by the fireflies’ greenish glow.
I’ve had a really hard time capturing the subtle color with my camera, which is determined to make it bluer than it really is. Hopefully whoever buys it will find the true colors a pleasant surprise!
The edges of this little canvas are finished, the image wrapping around to the sides to add a little dimensions to this tiny bit of dusk.
Thistle, 2.75″x2.75″, oil on canvas, 5″ tall easel, sold.
Categories: Daily Art, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes
Tags: fireflies, nfs, sold, thistle
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Year of the Water Horse
Posted on November 13th, 2009
Year of the Water Horse by Amy Crook
One of the design projects I do every year is the Starcycles Calendar, a dayplanner-style appointment book with an astrological bent by Georgia Stathis. For me, the covers are always my favorite part, and something I look forward to every year. 2002 was year of the Water Horse in Chinese astrology, and at the time Georgia had a guest writer who contributed an essay to the book. We were still doing them in print with these three-panel coves that wrapped around, and so when I found this giant 18″x36″ canvas, I just knew I had to use it for that project.
When we were discussing ideas for the cover, I kept thinking of the various stories and legends of horses or unicorns born out of the foam of the ocean, and being the good sport she is, Georgia let me run with it. I first painted the sunny beach in blues and sandy browns with its white, foam-capped surf coming in, and then added the mysterious watery horses with soft pastels on top of the canvas, once it was dry.
Year of the Water Horse, 18″x36″, oil and pastel on canvas.
Above is a study I did of just the horses, and below you can see a photo of the painting before I put the horses in.
Categories: Floating Gallery
Tags: beach, horse, nfs, oil painting, sold, starcycles
Pin Heads
Posted on November 12th, 2009
3 Pin Heads by Amy Crook
I saw some decorative pin toppers to spruce up people’s pincushions a while back, and I loved the idea, but somehow none of them quite fit my personality. So, I made my own!
The first one is a rather morbid pink bunny head, decapitated just to decorate your sewing box or pincushion. He’s got black button eyes and his smart mouth’s been “sewn” shut with some black polymer clay thread, so he won’t give you any sass. He’s made of polymer clay, fully cured and varnished with some acrylic paint accents. His head’s been mounted on a heavy-gauge 2″ steel bank pin, and he’s ready to decorate your sewing kit.
Next we have a glow-in-the-dark zombie head, decapitated just to decorate your sewing box or pincushion. He’s made of polymer clay, fully cured and varnished with some acrylic paint “blood” accents. His head’s been mounted on a heavy-gauge 2″ steel bank pin, and he’s ready to haunt your sewing.
The last one is a perky purple squid, with metallic gold eyes and ten tiny tentacles. He was painted with acrylic to give him a little dimension, and then given a shiny gloss varnish to finish it. He’s hanging onto a heavy-gauge 2″ steel bank pin, and he’s ready to add his personality to your sewing.
These are all a little bit fragile, so you won’t want to actually use them sew, but the zombie or bunny would make a neat tie tack or lapel pin if you could keep the pointy end from making a pincushion out of you.
The pincushion pictured was made by the wonderful Kirashapedgirl on Etsy.
Pin Heads, polymer clay on 2″ steel bank pins, sold.
Categories: Daily Art, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Tentacles, Whimsical and Strange, Zombies, Skulls, and Other Morbid Things
Tags: bunny, nfs, sold, squid, zombie
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Princess Fish
Posted on November 12th, 2009
Princess Fish by Amy Crook
This tiny oil painting is perfect for a little niche. When I first found these wee little canvases with their accompanying easels, I was so excited to start painting right away that I painted up several backgrounds, and then let them sit for a while. While I was googling I found a photo of this colorful tropical fish, and then once she was painted, she demanded a crown to let everyone know she was the Princess of her little school of fish.
The edges of this little canvas are finished, the image wrapping around to the sides to add a little dimensions to this tiny bit of undersea paradise. The crown is painted in metallic gold, and there’s a touch of pearlescent white in the shining water and on her shimmery skin, just to add a little sparkle.
Princess Fish, 2.75″x2.75″ oil on canvas, 5″ tall easel, sold.
Categories: Daily Art, Sea Creatures and Other Animals
Tags: fish, nfs, sold, tiny painting
Work in Progress: Fallen Angel
Posted on November 11th, 2009
Fallen Angel by Amy Crook
This piece is mostly done, but then, I thought it was complete many years ago, too. Through some trick of chemistry (I have my suspicions, but there’s no real way to know now) the paint began to flake off, foreground from background in big crackling curls. After a lot of contemplation, I decided I really liked the effect on the wings, but it didn’t go well on the figure — and I like to think my figure painting skills have improved since the first round.
I tried to think of a more original title for the piece, but I always think of an angel cast out of heaven, slowly decaying in the trap he’s fallen into, piece by piece. He’s losing his divinity, but hasn’t quite fully stepped into our reality, either, lacking the warmth and depth of a person.
Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Daily Art, People, Figures and Faces, Works In Progress
Tags: angel, blue, oil painting, wip
Nugget
Posted on November 11th, 2009
Nugget by Amy Crook
I got to paint squid! His name is Nugget.
My friend Gretchen commissioned me to paint her a giant squid to go over her mantle. We agreed on a size and general design, and after many months of slowness on my part acquiring the iridescent paint (He is about 95% iridescent or pearlescent. Shiny!), working and reworking his background, and finally getting him painted in and then made to not look bad, I have… SQUID! I will say that none of the photos really capture the color well, and nothing can really make you see the shiny that it is in person. It’s subtle, but awesome.
24″x36″, oil on canvas, not for sale (commission)
For the curious, here’s a bit of his process. Note how the bottom edge of the easel matches the bottom of the painting — you can see I’m a very careful, precise sort of artist. 😉
Read the rest of this entry »
Categories: Completed Commissions, Daily Art, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Tentacles
Tags: all rights reserved, commission, nfs, squid, tentacles
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