Blog « Antemortem Arts | Art & Writing by Amy Crook

Me Three

Posted on March 7th, 2018

Me Three, watercolor horizon by Amy Crook

Me Three, 8″x4″ watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper

A horizon at the edge of day and night. Twisted skeletons of winter trees. Birds flying in the background.

It’s a bit on the nose to call this typical example of my oeuvre “Me Three,” but sometimes the titles pick you.

The sky is a beautiful clear blue shading to the gold of sunrise, and the clouds float above with a mix of golden light and purple shadows. Trees full of character show just a touch of texture in the gleam of morning. A trio of long-necked birds make their way through the morning air.

Me Three, detail, by Amy Crook

Me Three, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the twisty trees, wispy clouds, and flappy birds. Below, the painting is tucked into a frame, just waiting to find its home with you.

Me Three, framed art by Amy Crook

Me Three, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Series and Books
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Vanishing Into Seafoam

Posted on March 6th, 2018

Vanishing Into Seafoam by Amy Crook

Vanishing Into Seafoam, 6″x6″ watercolor on artist panel

A mysterious woman joins with the tide, dissolving into seafoam until all that’s left is the golden crown of flowers. Her long, dark hair makes a veil that matches the curving waves, while her pale face echoes the moon above, and her dress matches the whitecaps around her.

The scene is painted on a textured artists panel about 3/8″ thick, with a hanging-ready niche in the back if you don’t want to frame it.

One has to wonder, looking at her pink mouth amongst the midnight blue, whether she’s a ghost, a siren, or merely a woman scorned.

Vanishing Into Seafoam, detail, by Amy Crook

Vanishing Into Seafoam, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the mysterious figure in her golden crown of flowers up close. Below, the piece is all ready for hanging sans frame, so it’s just waiting on you to take it home.

Vanishing Into Seafoam, art by Amy Crook

Vanishing Into Seafoam, art by Amy Crook

Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, People, Figures and Faces, Whimsical and Strange
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Cracks in the System

Posted on March 5th, 2018

Cracks in the System, abstract art by Amy Crook

Cracks in the System, 5″x7″ pen & and watercolor on paper

Who and what falls through the cracks in the system, especially now that it seems like everything’s falling apart?

This piece is inspired by a friend’s cracked phone screen and the light that shines through anyway, the places where bits had dropped completely away, and the very strange sensation of running your fingers over the broken glass. It’s got seven little pops of bright gold to catch the light, to give a little hope that even when the system is cracked, some things still work.

Cracks in the System, detail, by Amy Crook

Cracks in the System, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see two of the shining gold spaces and some of the fine linework up close. Below, the piece is in a frame, fortunately sans cracked glass.

Cracks in the System, framed art by Amy Crook

Cracks in the System, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Floating Gallery, Things I'm a Fan Of
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This Does Not Define You

Posted on March 3rd, 2018

This Does Not Define You, a Moana-themed watercolor by Amy Crook

This Does Not Define You, 8″x10″ watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper

They have stolen the heart from inside you
But this does not define you

Sometimes a movie just has a perfect moment that you want to capture — in this case the climactic scene of Moana. The girl and the goddess have a moment of understanding – whatever is done to you, you can still define yourself: you know who you are. It’s a sentiment that should be and sadly isn’t universal in our victim-blaming society, sigh.

Who do you know that needs this reminder?

This Does Not Define You, detail, by Amy Crook

This Does Not Define You, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the way the interference green shines out against the turquoise and white, with just a touch of purple to define ‘you’ differently. Below, the painting is in a frame, catching the light.

This Does Not Define You, framed art by Amy Crook

This Does Not Define You, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Floating Gallery, Pretty Words, Things I'm a Fan Of
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The Skull Inside of Us

Posted on March 2nd, 2018

The Skull Inside of Us, original watercolor by Amy Crook

The Skull Inside of Us, 6″x6″ watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper

There’s a skull inside all of us, waiting for its chance to get out. A skeleton of finger bones, ribs, kneecaps and vertebrae, tiny wrist bones and huge thigh bones hiding buried in the reality of us. We’re bound together by meat and nerves and souls, but underneath the surface, our skulls are always smiling.

This small painting packs a lot of punch with its iconic imagery and painterly execution. A wealth of color lives in the greys, purples and blues and golden browns mingling together to create eerie shadows.

The Skull Inside of Us, detail, by Amy Crook

The Skull Inside of Us, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the image dissolve into abstraction when it’s up close, colors separating and shapes blurring into spookiness. Below, the piece is in a black frame, making it feel more like a scrying-glass look at the future.

The Skull Inside of Us, framed art by Amy Crook

The Skull Inside of Us, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Floating Gallery, Zombies, Skulls, and Other Morbid Things
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Shiny Umbreon

Posted on February 27th, 2018

Shiny Umbreon, Pokemon fan art by Amy Crook

Shiny Umbreon, 5″x7″ pen & ink and Copic marker on paper

Shiny Umbreon is, I have to admit, a favorite of mine. This catdog Pokemon is one of a bunch of related things that evolve from Eevee, and basically they’re all great but the goth one is the best, the end.

If you’d like to get in the queue for a commission of your own, send me an email! The wait list is the only way to get one right now, for what I hope are obvious reasons after two weeks of commission posts.

Categories: Card Design, Completed Commissions, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of, Whimsical and Strange
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Summer Day Inception

Posted on February 22nd, 2018

Summer Day Inception, a Grease parody of Inception with chibis, by Amy Crook

Summer Day Inception, 7″x5″ pen & ink and Copic marker on paper

And so we continue the “you had to be there” week of FANbruary with this Inception/Grease mashup. Eames cleans up nicely for the Sandra Dee role, while Arthur greases down just as excellently. Look at the shine on that hair!

Categories: Completed Commissions, People, Figures and Faces, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of
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