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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Into
Posted on November 9th, 2009
Into by Amy Crook
This is another monoprint, like Gate, that’s a one-of-a-kind piece. This one always reminded me of looking down into something and seeing light reflected back, or perhaps looking up out of where you are toward the brighter blue.
I like the way the brush texture was preserved by the printing process, but softened as the water-based inks soaked into the wet paper. The random elements of printing this way always appealed to me, putting paper and plate through the printing press to see what came out the other side.
Into, 3″x3″ monoprint on watercolor paper, sold.
Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Daily Art
Tags: nfs, sold
Reaching Out
Posted on November 3rd, 2009
Reaching Out by Amy Crook
I’ve always been a collector of odd bits and bobbles, and at one time I acquired a bunch of handmade postcards from India. They were lovely absorbent slightly off-sized pieces with wonderfully organic deckle edges, thick and irregular and strange. I took half a dozen into the printing studio with me and this one — the first I did — has always been my favorite of the bunch. So much so that I mailed it to my dad, who was kind enough to return it once it had completed its journey, since he had no suitable way to display it.
It’s currently tucked away in a frame and happily occupying a little niche in my apartment, where it reminds me of many good things every time I glimpse at it, including the fact that I talk to my dad a lot more now than I did back then.
Reaching Out, 4″x6″ etching and monoprint on handmade postcard, nfs.
Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Daily Art
Tags: etching, nfs
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