Songbird
Posted on May 20th, 2015
Songbird by Amy Crook
My mother admired Jo’s Raptor, and so I decided to paint her a songbird of her own for Mother’s Day. This brush-and-ink style is always an interesting challenge in balancing detail versus simplicity. This little guy is just waiting for his chance to break out in song to herald the long-awaited return of spring.
The original is already in its new home, but you can buy him on a blank card at Etsy.
Songbird, 7″x5″ brush and ink on paper.
Songbird greeting card by Amy Crook at Etsy
Categories: Card Design, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: bird, brush and ink, brush pen, etsy, nfs
Cyberman
Posted on May 18th, 2015
Cyberman, Doctor Who fan art by Amy Crook
It’s time for an upgrade! This guy will be happy to help you be the best version of yourself, where by best we mean Cyberman. I even made him into a birthday card, which you can buy at my Etsy shop.
If you want to be the proud owner of the original art, you’ll see it for sale in this month’s Floating Gallery.
Cyberman, 5″x7″ pen & ink and Copic marker on paper.
Cyberman birthday card by Amy Crook on Etsy
Categories: Card Design, Floating Gallery, People, Figures and Faces, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of
Tags: copic marker, cybermen, doctor who, etsy, for sale, pen and ink
4 Lord of the Rings bookmarks
Posted on May 13th, 2015
4 Lord of the Rings bookmarks by Amy Crook
As you can see from the date in the signature, I actually drew these last year for one of my darling patrons, and then apparently never shared them with you! Legolas, Gimli, Boromir and Aragorn are all ready to strike out with their hobbits (and wizard) and get the ring to Mordor. Even if Boromir is convinced one does not simply walk there.
The originals are long gone, but you can get your very own printed set on Etsy.
4 Lord of the Rings bookmarks, various sizes, pen & ink and Copic marker on watercolor paper.
4 Lord of the Rings bookmarks by Amy Crook on Etsy
Categories: Card Design, Completed Commissions, People, Figures and Faces, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of
Tags: aragorn, boromir, copic marker, etsy, gimli, legolas, lotr, nfs, pen and ink, sold
One for Sorrow 2
Posted on May 8th, 2015
One for Sorrow 2 by Amy Crook
I’m not entirely happy with the title One for Sorrow 2, but this painting definitely needed that name, prior use notwithstanding. The single baleful crow sits high in the branches of the windswept tree, its image smeared out into the fog like an apparition, as though the bird is more of a ghost than the figure below.
There is a lot of very pale detail in the trees and sky which is hard to photograph, but shows up beautifully in person and adds another layer to the sense of windswept, foggy unreality. The detail photo shows a little of the sky, but it’s hard to spot on the sun-drenched page.
The lovely, textured greys are also not entirely black, but have a mix of reddish brown bloodstone in them to give the whole piece a more organic, grounded atmosphere.
One for Sorrow 2, 6″x6″ watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper.
One for Sorrow 2, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can just barely see the texture in the fog, a hint of wind and motion and shapes looming large and distant. Below, you can see the piece in a temporary frame, just waiting to haunt your house.
One for Sorrow 2, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, People, Figures and Faces, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Series and Books, Zombies, Skulls, and Other Morbid Things
Tags: bloodstone, counting crows, crow, nfs, sold, tree, watercolor
Spring Blossoms
Posted on May 7th, 2015
Spring Blossoms by Amy Crook
Despite the lack of rain, spring is most definitely here in California, and the pollen right along with it. The one consolation is the proliferation of beautiful flowering trees, including the famous cherry blossoms.
With this series, I often paint the skies and decide on what goes on the horizon later. This time the clouds came out so fluffy and friendly that I wanted to honour the beautiful spring sky, and so I mixed up a pale, petal pink to bring a sense of warmth and hope to the bare branches.
The colors are very hard to capture when it’s all pale blue and soft pink, and no matter what I do the sky ends up much greener than in real life, so do take the images with a grain of salt. As with anything online, what you see is probably neither what I see nor what reality looks like.
Spring Blossoms, 8″x4″ pen & ink and watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper.
Spring Blossoms, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the beautiful raised droplets of paint that create the feeling of a cherry tree in full bloom, and a few of the little songbirds flitting in and out of the branches. Below, you can see the painting in a temporary frame — the odd size means it will need a mat of some kind before it goes up on the wall. This is also the photo of the three that best represents the ‘true’ colors, at least on my monitor.
Spring Blossoms, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Series and Books
Tags: horizons, nfs, pen and ink, sold, spring, tree, watercolor
Growth 4
Posted on May 6th, 2015
Growth 4 by Amy Crook
Subtle dark colours bloom into blues and greys and deep, soft violets, and the intricate detail of pen and ink is nearly lost as the paint splash bursts outward from the central circle.
This is the 4th installment in my Growth series, with a color palette that hearkens back to the first and a design that evolves visually from the third.
Five by five is quite small, and you can find frames just this size at the big craft stores, so you could tuck it into a bookshelf, put it on a desk, or make it one of a cluster of artworks on a larger wall.
Doesn’t everyone need a little Growth in their life?
Growth 4, 5″x5″ pen & ink and Japanese watercolor on watercolor paper.
Growth 4, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the hints of pen-and-ink circles, blurred by paint but still visible. Below, the painting is in a frame, all of its beautiful texture on display.
Growth 4, detail, by Amy Crook
Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Floating Gallery, Series and Books
Tags: for sale, growth, pen and ink, watercolor
Unlock Me
Posted on May 5th, 2015
Unlock Me by Amy Crook
I’ve been working hard on a new novel, Unboxed, which should be out sometime this summer. There’s a theme of keys and locks in it, and this lovely painting is part of the cover art.
Lovely hand-painted filigree in a warm rosy gold frames a mysterious keyhole, just waiting for the right key to come unlock it. There’s 3 painted gemstones held in the spirals and curls of the metal. The background is a dark brown woodgrain, the opening of this mysterious box kept safe and sound by the lock that covers it.
This painting gives a fairytale sense of mystery, inviting speculation and storytelling of your own to explain the reason for the lock, who has the key, and what hides inside.
Unlock Me, 8″x10″ Japanese and metallic watercolor on Arches cover black paper.
Unlock Me, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the painting washed with sunlight, catching on the gold and copper paint that make up the filigree design. Below, the painting sits in a frame, a fairytale just waiting to be told.
Unlock Me, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Floating Gallery, Series and Books, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: black paper, i made this, japanese watercolor, metallic, nfs, sold, unboxed
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