Blog « Antemortem Arts | Art & Writing by Amy Crook

Bear and Alphie

Posted on August 17th, 2017

Bear and Alphie, pet portraits by Amy Crook

Bear and Alphie, 7″x5″ pen & ink and Copic marker on paper

Bear is a big, old dog and the third puppy to get his portrait done for Courtney! And to finish up  the quartet we have her own cat, Alphie. We decided to draw him as a happy murder baby, despite being asleep in nearly all the photos she sent me. You can practically see his butt wiggle!

Doing caricatures of pets is an interesting exercise! I exaggerated Alphie’s ears and Bear’s big head, and made the body rounder for the kitty, but smaller for the big puppy.

Tails both have the requisite amount of floof, however.

My commissions queue is jam-packed right now, but if you’re interested in reserving a spot drop me a line!

Categories: Completed Commissions, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Series and Books
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Indigo and Ciara

Posted on August 15th, 2017

Indigo and Ciara, pet portraits by Amy Crook

Indigo and Ciara, 7″x5″ pen & ink and Copic marker on paper

These two adorable puppies are part of my recent foray into pet portraiture!

Indigo and Ciara are buddies, and so they got paired up on the same page. They’re each drawn to fit inside a 3″x3″ square, just like the chibis from earlier, only this time it’s cute doggos instead of people!

Courtney sent me several pictures of each of them, and then we chatted about what poses to put everyone in. She’s especially fond of Ciara’s cocked head, and Indigo’s cute little puppy grin.

They’re good dogs, Brent.

Categories: Completed Commissions, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Series and Books
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Sunshower

Posted on August 8th, 2017

Sunshower, art by Amy Crook in the Horizons series

Sunshower, 12″x6″ watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper

The sunshower below the clouds in this painting is so subtle that my scanner couldn’t pick up on it, and so you get an iPhone photo so you can understand the title!

I went away from crows and opted for a flock of sparrows flying through the blue sky, staying up above the small sprinkling of sunlit rain. The tree in this one has clearly had a hard life, but is soldiering on, waiting for proper warm spring sunshine and another chance to grow.

What’s your favorite weather?

Sunshower, detail, by Amy Crook

Sunshower, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the tiny sparrows and the subtle glow of sunshine and rain under the clouds. Below, the painting is tucked into a frame, just waiting to light up your life.

Sunshower, framed art by Amy Crook

Sunshower, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Series and Books
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World on Fire

Posted on August 7th, 2017

World on Fire by Amy Crook

World on Fire, 8″x4″ watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper

The implied full title of this is Sometimes I Just Want to Set the World on Fire, but I decided to go with a slightly less nihilist version for the finished piece.

The sky glows gold, while orange and red rise up from the smoldering ruins, a fog of smoke wreathing broken towers and burnt-out towns. Who knows what apocalypse visited this place, whether it’s a scene from a distant future or a less-distant one, well, some of us will find out eventually.

It’s a little Mad Max, a little Fallout, and a little beautiful even in its desolation.

World on Fire, detail, by Amy Crook

World on Fire, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see a close-up of the half-destroyed linked towers and the tiny birds of prey flocking around them. Below, the painting is in a temporary frame, waiting for you to give it a permanent home.

World on Fire, framed art by Amy Crook

World on Fire, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Series and Books, Zombies, Skulls, and Other Morbid Things
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Exploring

Posted on August 5th, 2017

Exploring by Amy Crook

Exploring, 6″x6″ pen & ink and watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper

Through the fantastic foliage, the tiger stalks its prey. Or that’s what this adventurous tabby cat is imagining. Colored-ink lines give a cartoonish appearance that’s meant to evoke a Disneyish feel (though Disney is usually a bit more coy about cat butt).

If you’ve ever met a cat, you know this is a very common view, however, and soon enough it becomes commonplace. The real question isn’t about the end of the cat facing us, but where the other end is headed off to and what it will find it its explorations.

Exploring, detail, by Amy Crook

Exploring, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the lovely details of ink lines and watercolor shading on the foreground foliage. Below, the kitty is in a frame, to be viewed as though through a cat door as it heads out on its adventure.

Exploring, framed art by Amy Crook

Exploring, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Whimsical and Strange
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The Lovely Tree

Posted on August 4th, 2017

The Lovely Tree, watercolor painting by Amy Crook

The Lovely Tree, 4″x8″ watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper

Beautiful baby-blue blossoms adorn this tree, in contrast to the baby-pink glow of the sunset in the background. Hints of falling petals dot the sky, and barely-seen branches peek through the flowers here and there.

Pulling inspiration from the colors of the trans pride flag, this tree stands tall and proud in support of all the trans people in and out of the military, brave enough to live their truth despite the many obstacles.

The Lovely Tree, detail, by Amy Crook

The Lovely Tree, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the loose, natural details of watercolor overlapping like flower petals, and below the piece is in a temporary frame, waiting to be planted in its permanent home.

The Lovely Tree, framed art by Amy Crook

The Lovely Tree, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Things I'm a Fan Of
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Formations 2

Posted on August 3rd, 2017

Formations 2, abstract art by Amy Crook

Formations 2, 6″x4″ Primatek and metallic watercolor on Arches cover buff paper

Unlike the peaceful blue and pale gold of the first Formations, this one has a lovely earthy red made from Minnesota pipestone, and a rich red-gold to match. The paper itself is a warm buff color that adds a third dimension to a very simple palette.

The complex shapes are reminiscent of riverbeds, borders, and other such phenomena both natural and manmade. This one makes me think of a map of some science fictional Mars, where life has found a way to exist even there.

Formations 2, detail, by Amy Crook

Formations 2, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the glint of gold shining against the paper and paint, bright in the afternoon sun. Below, the painting is tilted toward shadow in its frame, mysterious and distant as another planet.

Formations 2, framed art by Amy Crook

Formations 2, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Series and Books
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