Archive for the ‘Abstract and Just Plain Weird’ Category
Blue Moon 4
Friday, August 24th, 2012
Blue Moon 4 by Amy Crook
This piece took forever! Twelve weeks of little spirals in the interstices of my day, fifteen minutes here and an hour there, until finally, finally it’s done.
I really liked the texture pattern on the couch in B is for Baker Street, interior, and so I thought, wouldn’t that make a cool pattern for the night sky around this mysterious blue moon? I really need to learn to think before I start spiraling sometimes, though, because the difference between that wee couch and this big piece of paper was a lot of hours. So many hours. @_@
I actually really love the result, though, and I’ve got the piece on display in my studio until someone takes it home to decorate their own life.
Blue Moon 4, 8″x8″ pen & ink and watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper.
Blue Moon 4, framed art by Amy Crook
I’ve framed this beautiful piece and hung it on the wall above my writing desk.
Why yes, that is a Jack in the Box holiday-themed antenna ball, why do you ask?
Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Daily Art, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Series and Books
Tags: all the spirals, blue moon, crosshatching, for sale, moon, pen and ink, spirals, watercolor
Glitter Sketch Bookmark
Sunday, August 19th, 2012
Glitter Sketch
Bookmark
by Amy Crook
The final bookmark for this week is a silly little doodle made while I was testing out my various colors of glitter gel pen. On the blue-to-white faded background, we’ve got gold filigree, red flame spirals, a purple half of a spiraled crescent moon, more sketchy blue filigree, and swooping green arabesques, plus of course my silver signature. The paper has one natural edge where it came out of the paper mold, called a deckle, and three cut edges to set it off.
Glitter Sketch Bookmark, 1″x6″ glitter gel pen and watercolor on paper, nfs (sold).
Glitter Sketch Bookmark, detail, by Amy Crook
Above you can see the light shining off the various colors of glitter – the green got a bit too much sunlight there. Below, the bright white of the paper takes the stage when it’s on the dark blue of this week’s book.
Glitter Sketch Bookmark, with book, by Amy Crook
Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Daily Art, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes
Tags: arabesque, bookmark, glitter gel pen, nfs, sold, spirals, watercolor
Spiral Bookmark 3
Friday, August 17th, 2012
Spiral Bookmark 3
by Amy Crook
This little bookmark uses dark, warm earth tones to in its climbing pattern of lightening spirals. The golden glow at the center of each one has a secret little scattering of subtle salt crystals that give the bookmark an interesting touch of texture. The paper itself is quite soft and thick, almost felt-like, and slightly cream-colored, and invites the fingers to touch.
Spiral Bookmark 3, 1″x5″ watercolor and salt on paper.
Spiral Bookmark 3, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the textures of paper, paint and salt interacting on this dark, subtle bookmark. Below, it’s hanging out with a book, just waiting to go to its new home.
Spiral Bookmark 3, with book, by Amy Crook, $13.13
(book and iPhone not included)
Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Daily Art
Tags: for sale, salt, spirals, watercolor
Spiral Bookmark 2
Thursday, August 16th, 2012
Spiral Bookmark 2
by Amy Crook
This series of overlapping spirals uses three shades of purple Copic marker, none of which show up as warm as the real thing. I enjoyed doodling the idle spirals, overlapping the layers to make a dizzying feast for the eyes.
Spiral Bookmark 2, 1.5″x5″ Copic marker on paper, nfs (sold).
Spiral Bookmark 2, detail, by Amy Crook
A close-up tinged with cool blue from the bright afternoon sunlight is above, and below you can see it looking even bluer with the book and my phone. Silly computer.
Spiral Bookmark 2, with book, by Amy Crook
Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Daily Art
Tags: bookmark, copic marker, nfs, spirals
Salt Bookmark 5
Wednesday, August 15th, 2012
Salt Bookmark 5
by Amy Crook
I almost tossed this oddly-shaped little wedge of paper, but instead I blunted its tip and messed about with pens to make this bookmark. It’s a bit like an optical illusion with the wobbly lines and erratic bands of green, not to mention the little floating salt bubbles flowing along some of the spokes. It’s signed on the back to keep from interrupting the pattern, which is too mesmerizing to spoil.
Salt Bookmark 5, 1.5″x5″ pen & ink and salt on paper.
Salt Bookmark 5, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see some of the teeny little salt pools straddling the wobbly radial lines. Below, the book of the week shows off the lovely, thick white watercolor paper nicely.
Salt Bookmark 5, with book, by Amy Crook
(book and iPhone not included)
Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Daily Art, Series and Books
Tags: bookmark, buy a bookmark, for sale, pen and ink, salt
Bubbling Bookmark
Monday, August 13th, 2012
Bubbling Bookmark
by Amy Crook
It’s Bookmark Week all over again! There are only two bookmarks left from the previous offerings, and one of this week’s is already spoken for — the artist is not responsible for dawdlers missing out on the one they liked and having to buy a larger, normally-priced original instead to assuage their disappointment. I’m totally okay with that, come to think of it.
There’s only one of each of these tiny originals, though obviously I sometimes do them in series within the series. Very meta.
Today’s bookmark is not part of a series, but reminds me of water boiling in a dark blue-black cast-iron cauldron. Snape would no doubt approve.
Bubbling Bookmark, 1″x5″ watercolor on paper.
Bubbling Bookmark, detail, by Amy Crook
Above is a close-up of the bubbles in all their glory, while below you can see the bookmark hanging out with a book and my iPhone for extra easy-to-parse size comparisons.
Bubbling Bookmark, with book, by Amy Crook
(book and iPhone not included)
Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Daily Art, Series and Books
Tags: bookmark, buy a bookmark, for sale, watercolor
Binary Green
Friday, July 13th, 2012
Binary Green by Amy Crook
Two green planets orbit each other in a mysterious, swirly blue-black sky. This binary system has continents dotted with sparkling salt crystals, perhaps the cities of some alien race.
I have three flower-shaped ceramic palettes of Japanese watercolors. One is earth tones, reds and oranges. One is blues, purples and a nice solid black. The last one is greens and yellows and a matte blue-black that you can see making the swirly night above. I had my water brushes out the other night with the green palette, and this piece was one of the results, along with the tentacles from Tuesday. (There’s also a pair of bookmarks no one will see until I get to 7 and declare another Bookmark Week.)
I really like the effect I’m getting with judicious use of the saturated salt solution, dripping it onto damp watercolor and making mysterious geographies as the two interact. I think I’ll take my planets to Endgame this month and give the skies a rest, so look out for that post as well.
Binary Green, 7″x5″ Japanese watercolor and salt on paper.
Binary Green, detail 1, by Amy Crook
Above you can see the sparkling salt on the upper left planet’s surface, where below we have the darker shapes glittering from the surface of the lower right planet.
Binary Green, detail 2, by Amy Crook
And finally, I’ve put it in a frame (sans glass), so you can imagine it sitting on your desk at work, giving you dreams of distant worlds during your coffee breaks.
Binary Green, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Daily Art, Series and Books
Tags: balls, for sale, green, planet, salt, watercolor
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