Red Ghosts
Posted on July 4th, 2016
Red Ghosts, 6″x6″ Primatek and interference watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper
Happy 4th of July! Looking at this today, I wonder if I shouldn’t have named it after fireworks instead.
The mysterious red-violet depths of the background in this beautiful abstract make the perfect grounding for the ghostly shapes that float atop them.
The interference red switches from white to shining red depending on the angle of the light, throwing off little ghosts of color and letting the looming shapes behind show through.
This is one of those paintings that will catch your eye at odd moments and show you a new detail every time you look at it. Perfect for adding a touch of beauty to your space.
Red Ghosts, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the beautiful interference red catching the light, as well as the gentle sparkle of genuine amethyst and garnet paint in the complex background layers. Below, the ghosts have gone white with their faces turned away from the sun in this simple frame.
Red Ghosts, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Floating Gallery, Series and Books
Tags: for sale, interference, pathways, primatek, purple, red, watercolor
Tea Shelf
Posted on July 3rd, 2016
Tea Shelf, 8″x4″ pencil and watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper
Cup, cup, cat, cup, cup, tin.
Whimsy and tea, what more could you want? This delightful little watercolor shows a shelf of goodies, from a beautiful celadon teacup and saucer to a cheerfully antisocial mug. The gloved “hands” that hold up the shelf add to the delight, especially with a wee mouse sleeping happily in one of them. The sleeping-cat figurine might be my favorite part.
What’s yours?
Tea Shelf, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the mug that I really do need to get made, and the adorable sly grey kitty figurine next to it. Below, the piece is in its temporary frame, showing off before it gets whisked away to its new home.
Tea Shelf, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Floating Gallery, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: nfs, sold, tea, watercolor
Birthday Books
Posted on July 2nd, 2016
Birthday Books, 5″x7″ Primatek watercolor and brush & ink on paper
For a dose of whimsy and delight, this charming little brush and ink painting is colored with rich, earthy watercolors, giving the feel of old library books and really good gifts.
The best birthdays come with books.
Now that’s a sentiment I can get behind. Art is another excellent choice, of course.
What’s your favorite gift to give or get?
Birthday Books, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the loose whimsy of the brush-and-ink illustration and the earthy watercolors. Below, the whimsy is contained in a frame, ready to grace your favorite bookshelf.
Birthday Books, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Card Design, Floating Gallery, Series and Books, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: birthday, books, brush pen, for sale, primatek, watercolor
Hanging Small Art
Posted on June 30th, 2016
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
Categories: Words Words Words
Tags: belladonna, info
Slyboots
Posted on June 28th, 2016
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
Tags: brush and ink, brush pen, cat, pen and ink, word art, word art weds
Many Happy Returns 2
Posted on June 25th, 2016
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
Categories: Card Design, People, Figures and Faces, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of
Tags: birthday, copic marker, doctor who, eleventh doctor, etsy, for sale, pen and ink
Goldilocks
Posted on June 23rd, 2016
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
Tags: commission, goldilocks, nfs, sold, watercolor
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