Halloween Pathways
Posted on May 4th, 2017
Halloween Pathways, 7″x5″ watercolor on Arches Cover black paper
Deep charcoal supports and subdues the bright Halloween orange in this latest Pathways painting.
The image suggests bold autumn trees, lit by the last orange rays of sunlight slanting towards them. Or is it a bright potion bubbling over the sides of an iron cauldron? Perhaps you see the stripes on some deadly orange monster instead.
The simple-seeming monochrome hides a depth of color and detail that will give you hours of peaceful contemplation while you sit and sip cider and think of Halloweens to come.
Halloween Pathways, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the the way the charcoal blackness of the paper draws the orange into itself, lending a base of deep gloom to the holiday brightness of it. Below, the painting is tucked into a frame, just waiting to haunt your home.
Halloween Pathways, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Floating Gallery, Series and Books
Tags: black paper, for sale, halloween, interference, orange, pathways, watercolor
Dream Well
Posted on May 3rd, 2017
Dream Well, 5″x5″ watercolor and brush pen on Arches Cover buff paper
May is here! I hope you had a good April, the cats and I missed seeing you terribly while I was convalescing.
Dusky lavender swirls like liquid, bounded by broken lines like a dream of an object, soft and subtle and strange.
Dip into the dream well and see what you pull up from its depths. The shallowness is only an illusion; the well of dreams goes down forever, full of endless possibilities and impossible futures.
This lovely mixed media piece is quite small at only five inches square, the soft buff of the paper making it perfect to warm up a space that needs a little imagination.
Dream Well, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the stuttering strokes of pen filling in the borders where the brush stuttered first, making waves in the soft, warm violet well. Below, this tiny artwork is resting peacefully in a frame, perfect for a small meditation nook, or even just your desk at work.
Dream Well, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Floating Gallery
Tags: for sale, pen and ink, primatek, watercolor, zen circle
30 Day Marker Challenge, part 4
Posted on May 2nd, 2017
The amazing Sadynax gave herself a 30-day Marker Challenge last month, and I decided to do it for April to help get back in the swing of art after my surgery.
I managed to make art nearly every day this month (once I doubled up and skipped a day), and I can definitely see how I got back into using my materials as the month went on. I also got more energy to put into the finished pieces as my stamina returned, so hooray for healing!
Day 25: Draw liquid.
Day 26: Use your favorite colors.
Day 27: Choose 3 colors blindly, again!
Day 28: Use only markers that end in the number 7.
Day 29: Use cheap markers.
Day 30: Redo a challenge you were dissatisfied with and compare the two pieces.
Categories: Completed Commissions, Daily Art, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Moleskines, People, Figures and Faces, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of
Tags: 30 day marker challenge, bookmark, copic marker, gel pen, pen and ink, pencil, pokemon, sharpie marker, stars, tarot, tea
30 Day Marker Challenge, part 3
Posted on April 25th, 2017
The amazing Sadynax gave herself a 30-day Marker Challenge last month, and I decided to do it for April to help get back in the swing of art after my surgery. Three weeks and counting I’ve managed some daily art, hooray!
I’m giving my wonderful Patreon supporters some bonuses at the $5+ sketch levels this month, so it’s a good time to become a patron!
Day 18: Use colored paper.
Day 19: Draw stone or crystal.
Day 20: Draw fur.
Day 21: Draw water.
Day 22: Draw fire.
Day 23: Draw cold atmosphere.
Day 24: Draw warm atmosphere.
Categories: Card Design, Completed Commissions, Daily Art, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, People, Figures and Faces, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Tentacles, Things I'm a Fan Of, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: 30 day marker challenge, cat, cats, coffee, copic marker, desert, gel pen, jellyfish, pen and ink, pencil, pokemon, tea
Random Recipe: Cardamom Milk
Posted on April 20th, 2017
I found a great place to buy green cardamom, and then went hunting for this recipe, which makes a wonderful, warm bedtime treat.
- 2 cups milk
- 8 cardamom pods, cracked open
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2-3 cloves*
- 6-8 slices of candied ginger*
*Optional — if you do use candied ginger, you might want to reduce the honey a bit to keep it from being too sweet. I know it seems like a lot of spices, but since you don’t boil them, it takes more to get the same flavor as in tea.
In a small saucepan, heat everything but the vanilla, stirring constantly. Once the milk is steaming hot but not boiling, remove from heat, add vanilla, and cover. Let steep for 5 minutes, then strain out the spices and serve.
I usually add the ginger back to the cup before serving, yum.
Categories: Things I'm a Fan Of, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: copic marker, nfs, pen and ink, recipe
30 Day Marker Challenge, part 2
Posted on April 18th, 2017
The amazing Sadynax gave herself a 30-day Marker Challenge last month, and I decided to do it for April to help get back in the swing of art after my surgery.
I’m giving my wonderful Patreon supporters some bonuses at the $5+ sketch levels this month, so it’s a good time to become a patron!
Day 11: Redo one of your old copic works.
Day 12: Shade white cloth without using any grey markers.
Day 13: Color ombre.
Day 14: Use at least 10 colors.
Day 15: No lineart.
Day 16: Draw something metallic.
Day 17: Make space/cosmos.
Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Completed Commissions, Daily Art, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, People, Figures and Faces, Pretty Words, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Tentacles, Things I'm a Fan Of
Tags: 30 day marker challenge, addams family, arthur, cocktail, copic marker, food, inception, pen and ink, pencil, purrito, quartermaster, tentacles, word art
30 Day Marker Challenge, part 1
Posted on April 11th, 2017
The amazing Sadynax gave herself a 30-day Marker Challenge last month, and I decided to do it for April to help get back in the swing of art after my surgery. Each day had its own weird quirks, and I think I already know which one I’m gonna redo for day 30, haha.
I’m giving my wonderful Patreon supporters some bonuses at the $5+ sketch levels this month, so it’s a good time to become a patron!
Day 1: Use only one color.
Day 2: Choose 3 colors blindly.
Day 3: Use only gray tones (Copics C, N, W)
Day 4: Use complementary colors
Day 5: Use only the markers’ wide tip end.
Day 6: Use only one color family.
Day 6: Use only markers that end with 3.
Day 8: Choose 2 colors blindly.
Day 9: Use only 00, 000, & 0000 markers.
Day 10: Color skin without using any E, R, or YR markers.
Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Completed Commissions, Daily Art, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Nudes and Other Sexy Things, People, Figures and Faces, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Whimsical and Strange, Zombies, Skulls, and Other Morbid Things
Tags: 30 day marker challenge, book, cat, copic marker, food, mermaid, pen and ink, pencil
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