Blog « Antemortem Arts | Art & Writing by Amy Crook

Hanging Small Art

Posted on June 30th, 2016

6 paintings by Amy Crook

6 paintings arranged in a complementary grouping

If you’re ever looking at small pieces of original art, or small art prints, and wondering what one does with such a tiny thing when one has a giant wall to fill, here’s one suggestion! Get a bunch of similar-but-not-exactly-the-same frames. Get a bunch of art that complements each other or contrasts interestingly. Finally, mess around with the arrangement on the floor before you hang it.

You can put a lot of one person’s work in a single space that way, or a little bit of a lot of artists. You can keep to a color scheme or go with whatever you love. You can have simple black or white frames, or beautiful ornate gold ones like a Victorian parlor. Go with whatever you love, but don’t let small beauties go unloved because they don’t fill the spot above your mantel!

And in case you were wondering about the accidental inspiration for last month’s lovely palette of greys and peaches and warm earthy tones, it was another small beauty: Belladonna.

Inspirational Belladonna

Inspirational Belladonna

Categories: Words Words Words
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Slyboots

Posted on June 28th, 2016

Slyboots, word art by Amy Crook

Slyboots: an engagingly sly or mischievous person,
7″x5″ brush pen & ink on paper

Slyboots is one of those words that just needed a cat. I also have several fandom ideas for it, so we might see it again at another point in the year — maybe November can be a Greatest Hits month where I do different versions of words I’ve already done while the rest of my brain is busy with NaNoWriMo.

Do you have a slyboots in your life?

Categories: Pretty Words, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Series and Books
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Many Happy Returns 2

Posted on June 25th, 2016

Many Happy Returns, Doctor Who parody fan art by Amy Crook

Many Happy Returns 2, 5″x7″ pen & ink and Copic marker on paper

Don’t you think wishing birthday people “many happy returns of the day,” seems like a very timey-wimey thing to do? This Eleventh Doctor birthday card even has a TARDIS-themed cupcake and a very cool party hat. Pick one up for your favorite Doctor Who fan today!

Doctor Who birthday card by Amy Crook on Etsy

Doctor Who birthday card by Amy Crook on Etsy

Categories: Card Design, People, Figures and Faces, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of
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Goldilocks

Posted on June 23rd, 2016

Goldilocks, watercolor by Amy Crook

Goldilocks, 8″x10″ watercolor on watercolor paper

The collector that bought Mercy House thought it had a Three Bears feel to it, and asked for a Goldilocks commission to go with it. It has the same feeling of abstract greenery, but shot through this time with light instead of darkness, the gold of the girl’s hair bouncing around her in sunlight among the leaves as she strolls through the forest. Everything has a soft, surreal feeling to it, suitable to this classic fairy tale.

Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Completed Commissions, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, People, Figures and Faces, Whimsical and Strange
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Ambivalence

Posted on June 21st, 2016

Ambivalence, Doctor Who word art by Amy Crook

Ambivalence: mixed feelings,
7″x5″ brush pen, pen & ink, and Copic marker on paper

Another Patreon sketch, today we have some mixed feelings about bow ties. Are they really cool? Eleven isn’t so certain, but his confidence will perk up again soon, I have no doubt. Perhaps the TARDIS will reassure him once it arrives on the scene.

If you’d like a chance to request your own fancy word art, come support me on Patreon!

Categories: Completed Commissions, People, Figures and Faces, Pretty Words, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of
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qt3.14s

Posted on June 18th, 2016

qt3.14s, James Bond and Q parody art by Amy Crook

qt3.14s, 5″x7″ pen & ink and Copic marker on paper

Tan, blonde Bond and pale, curly-haired Q are celebrating their love with puns, the little cutie pies. This simple, bold chibi style brings maximum adorableness to this pair!

You can send someone else your love and support with this grin-inducing greeting card, too.

You're my qt3.14 greeting card by Amy Crook on Etsy

You’re my qt3.14 greeting card by Amy Crook on Etsy

Categories: Card Design, People, Figures and Faces, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of
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Kea

Posted on June 16th, 2016

Kea, watercolor by Amy Crook

Kea, 5″x5″ Japanese watercolor on Arches cover white paper

Kea are a type of parrot native to New Zealand, and they’re mischievous little jerkfaces. There’s a great video of them online basically destroying a police car, digging all the sealant out of the crevices around the windows and doors and causing all kinds of trouble. So, of course, I had to paint one! This was a (belated) birthday gift for my NZ friend, Caroline, who assures me that their reputation as jerks is well-deserved.

They have mossy grey-green plumage on the outside that makes excellent camouflage, but under their wings and tails there’s this gorgeous gold and orange with the darker green barring that’s just amazing.

Categories: Sea Creatures and Other Animals
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