Kea
Posted on June 16th, 2016
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
Tags: japanese watercolor, kea, nfs, watercolor
Palimpsest
Posted on June 14th, 2016
Palimpsest: something reused or altered but still bearing traces of its earlier form,
7″x5″ pen & ink and Sharpie marker on recycled artwork
This week’s word art is a request from Kim, one of my lovely Patreon supporters. As soon as I saw her request, I actually went and washed an old piece of art I wasn’t happy with, getting most of the paint off but leaving the ghostly blue world behind. Paper doesn’t recycle quite as well as parchment, but there wasn’t too much blurring with the strong Sharpie marker, though you can see some in the green vines on the upper left there.
If you’d like to see your own favourite word reinterpreted, consider becoming a patron! For a mere $5 you could get your request fulfilled.
Categories: Completed Commissions, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Pretty Words, Series and Books
Tags: calligraphy, kim, more cowbell, nfs, patreon, sharpie marker, sold, word art, word art weds
Cloud Skimming 2
Posted on June 8th, 2016
Cloud Skimming 2, 6″x6″ Primatek and duochrome watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper
Believe it or not, the beautiful blue-to-gold shimmering paint in these clouds is the same one that provides the gorgeous green in Marble Pathways. The angle and quality of light combines with the paint below to give it a range of beautiful shining colors.
The three crows skim the clouds above and below with their dark wings, stirring the pale mist with their black feathers. The sun glows in the sky behind them, bringing violet dusk as it leaves in a fiery display of light.
Cloud Skimming 2, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the gold-to-blue color shift in the shimmering clouds. Below, those same shining spirals have almost vanished as the frame is angled away from the sun.
Cloud Skimming 2, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Series and Books
Tags: crow, duochrome, nfs, primatek, sold, spirals, watercolor
Latibulize
Posted on June 7th, 2016
Latibulize: to retire into a hiding-place or retreat,
pen & ink and Copic marker on paper – $25
A good word for a day when the world is too much, and all you want to do is hide under a blankie (book optional).
And just for fun, here it is with the hiding-space color-reversed to make a nice cosy cave.
Latibulize, word art by Amy Crook
Categories: Pretty Words, Series and Books, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: copic marker, pen and ink, word art, word art weds
Mineral City
Posted on June 6th, 2016
Mineral City, 8″x4″ Primatek watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper
This deep green City exists in the liminal space between the orange sky and the golden glow along the horizon. The contrast of earthy warm orange and deep teal is one we see a lot in movies these days, presented in its simplest form.
This would make a fascinating tattoo, wrapping a green city around a bicep or ankle, with buildings that move and flex and sway with the movements of the wearer.
Where in your life do you need a city of strange, organic buildings against the warm glow of a new day?
Mineral City, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the delicate brushwork and fantastic shapes that make up this strange city. Below, the city is in a temporary frame, waiting to find its perfect niche.
Mineral City, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Series and Books
Tags: city, for sale, horizons, primatek, watercolor
Marble Pathways
Posted on June 5th, 2016
Marble Pathways, 8″x8″ Primatek and duochrome watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper
This painting reminds me of the very first Pathways painting, with its sparse lines framing the white page. The beautiful black tourmaline mineral pigment provides a pearly grey base for the sparkling paint atop it, like veins of malachite in creamy white marble.
A piece that rewards repeated viewings, this abstract contains layered detail in the subtle interactions of paint, paper, and light.
Marble Pathways, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the green sparkle and hints of pearly grey beneath it as the pathways shine in the sunlight. Below, a black frame gives just the right accent to this beautiful abstract art.
Marble Pathways, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Floating Gallery, Series and Books
Tags: black tourmaline, duochrome, for sale, pathways, primatek, watercolor
Cuppa Warmth
Posted on June 4th, 2016
Cuppa Warmth, 7″x5″ watercolor on paper
You may not be in the mood for anything else hot, but this cup of warmth looks cosy and inviting enough to change your mind! The round ceramic looks like a fluffy marshmallow full of cocoa, just waiting for the perfect warm sip on a cold day.
This newest addition to the Cuppa series is a bit out of season, but calls to mind crisp winter afternoons and the feeling of coming inside after an exhilarating romp in the snow. And isn’t that a feeling we could all use a bit more of this June?
Cuppa Warmth, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see a close-up of the delicate toasted-marshmallow color and the cheerful tag. Below, the cuppa is tucked in a frame, just waiting for the seasons to turn.
Cuppa Warmth, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Floating Gallery, Series and Books, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: cuppa, nfs, sold, watercolor
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