Home Sweet Yurt
Posted on January 15th, 2015
Home Sweet Yurt, commission for Jess by Amy Crook
I think Jess can explain this commission way better than I ever could, so allow me to put it in her words:
Have you ever had a friend who just totally gets you, right down to your very core, and she still doesn’t run away screaming? That’s my friend, A. Her friendship came into my life during a time of major changes and chaos, and having that friendship has really helped me stay grounded; she’s able to help me grow as a person while still totally accepting me, no questions asked, for the person I am right now.
I knew Amy had a lot of experience with fanatical fangirl expressions in art form, because I’ve long been a fan of her Etsy shop. I wanted to get a custom illustration for my best friend that would represent our friendship in a way that was both awesome and full of nerdy fun. I asked Amy to draw Spock to represent me (knowing she was already quite experienced in that area), and I hoped she wouldn’t turn me down when I asked her to put Spock next to Ironhide, who’s a Transformer (A is a big fan). And, on top of that, I wanted them to be making a quilt together (because, of course they’d be making quilts together! Right?!?).
Of course, I should have known, Amy was totally up to the challenge! This illustration is perfect; it’s everything I wanted, and THEN some. It’s so whimsical and fun while being a true representation of two fandoms that my best friend and I are really into, and it’s the perfect tribute to our friendship.
I gave it to her for Christmas, and she totally loved it! Her inner spark just glowed at the way Amy was able to translate our friendship onto paper, proving once again that a picture is definitely worth a thousand words (and then some)! It was the perfect thing to symbolize the past year of growing our friendship in ways neither of us imagined, and it’s a gift she will treasure forever.
In case you’re wondering, if you’ve got even just a faint idea of a cool piece of art you’d like to see come to life, Amy’s your girl. She was able to firm up the details and really polish the rough idea I had in my head to turn it into something that is going to be a treasured piece of art in my best friend’s collection. It was so easy to work with her on this project, and her talents did NOT disappoint.
Every fangirl dreams of having an an artist who gets it, to bring our fantasies to life with markers & paints. Amy is that artist; she’s one of us.
-Jess C.
https://instagram.com/p/xSeERTKu7A/
If you’re reading this as an email and can’t see the Instagram above (it seems to get broken going through Mailchimp, click here to see the full post!
Categories: Completed Commissions, People, Figures and Faces, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of
Tags: all rights reserved, commission, copic marker, get your own, nfs, pen and ink, sold, spock, star trek, transformers
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A Baker’s Dozen: My Favorite Art of 2014
Posted on January 13th, 2015
I know the time for all those “best of, most of” posts has mostly passed, but it’s the 13th and I couldn’t resist the chance to share with you my favorites* of 2014, month by month. Some of them have sold and some haven’t, and at least one of them is displayed in my studio, but they were all the art I was most proud of from this year.
*I’m only choosing paintings and not comics for this, because reasons.
Read the rest of this entry »
Categories: Words Words Words
Tags: favorites, info, words
Better is Better
Posted on January 8th, 2015
Better is Better by Amy Crook
“Better is Better,” is one of the philosophies that got me through 2014, as well as its corollary, “Enough is Enough.”
Any improvement, no matter how small, is still better. Even if it’s not perfect, it can be enough.
You are enough.
This globe-like circle is surrounded by those words, cradled in the idea of appreciating our own milestones and achievements. The colors show up best in the main scan, bright blues and subtle greens, earth and water indistinct and yet evoking the feeling of a living world.
Better is Better, 5″x5″ watercolor on watercolor paper.
Better is Better, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the brush-drawn calligraphy and a bit of the lovely, watery world. Below, it’s tucked into a frame just the size for an everyday reminder.
Better is Better, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Floating Gallery, Words Words Words
Tags: better, calligraphy, circle, for sale, watercolor
Windswept
Posted on January 7th, 2015
Windswept by Amy Crook
We’ve been having strong winds all this past week, so I find this painting very appropriate indeed! The sky is darkening for a storm, swirls of storm-heavy blue-green clouds in the sky hovering above the windblown trees below.
My street is lined with mostly normal-sized trees, but there’s this one huge one that I can always see blowing just like this on windy days that stands up above the rest, and helped to inspire me. I think my favorite part are the little leaves caught up in the wind, being swept away on an adventure.
I’m not sure I ever quite captured the color of this sky in any of the photos this time, or the subtle, delicious spirals hiding up in the cloud bank.
Windswept, 8″x4″ watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper.
Windswept, detail, by Amy Crook
In this detail you can see a bit of the painterly trees with their escaping leaves, and a little of the curling, swirling sky above. Below, the painting is tucked in a temporary frame, waiting to find its forever home.
Windswept, detail, by Amy Crook
Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Series and Books
Tags: horizons, nfs, sold, tree, watercolor
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Patterns of Flow
Posted on January 6th, 2015
Patterns of Flow by Amy Crook
This delicately monochrome abstract watercolor is full of tiny textural details that come together to form a larger flow, like a map of a river’s course.
The colors range from deep purple to pale periwinkle, with a matte softness to the lighter areas that helps distinguish them from the shine of the darker ones. There’s little splashes outside of the uneven, painterly border, which add a touch of whimsy. The color is represented most accurately in the framed photo.
This painting is very meditative, something you can use to calm your mind for a few minutes when it’s racing too much to get into flow with your own work or art.
Patterns of Flow, 8″x8″ Japanese watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper.
Patterns of Flow, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see a close-up of the soft, chalky surface of the painting and the mesmerizing details hiding in the color. Below, you can see the piece in a frame, just waiting to bring some beauty to your wall.
Patterns of Flow, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Floating Gallery
Tags: for sale, japanese watercolor, purple, violet, watercolor
Threes
Posted on January 5th, 2015
Threes by Amy Crook
Three trees. Three flying birds. Three elements – trees, birds, sky. Three threes give this painting its title, a little bit of simple magic. I think perhaps I heard that Schoolhouse Rock song a few too many times as a kid.
I really love this sunset with its pinks, golds, oranges, and reds all glowing with the light of a sun just below the horizon.
Threes, 6″x4″ pen & ink and watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper.
Threes, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see a close-up of the third tree and my sneaky little two that made it into a painting mostly of threes. Below, you can see it in its small frame, just the size for a desk or tiny bit of wall that needs some color and beauty.
Threes, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Series and Books
Tags: crow, horizons, nfs, pen and ink, sold, sunset, tree, watercolor
Plant This Acorn
Posted on January 3rd, 2015
Plant This Acorn by Amy Crook
Speaking of adventures and inspiration, this piece was inspired by The Hobbit movies, especially the newest one, though the quote is my own.
I would plant this acorn in your name, but I’d rather grow old with you.
I went for simplicity in this painting, layering glazes in shades of brown, gold, and a little red in the leaf, a little green in the body of the acorn. The writing is a version of my own handwriting. It is meant to evoke both nature and sentiment, a connection to the earth and trees but most of all a connection to a loved one.
Plant This Acorn, 4″x6″ pen & ink and watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper.
Plant This Acorn, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the acorn with its little touches of green in the brown, against the red-brown of the oak leaf. Below, I’ve slipped the piece into a warm wooden frame, all ready for its new home.
Plant This Acorn, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Card Design, Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Series and Books, Words Words Words
Tags: acorn, calligraphy, etsy, hobbit, leaf, nfs, oak, pen and ink, sold, watercolor
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