Archive for the ‘Abstract and Just Plain Weird’ Category
Triskaidekaphobia
Tuesday, September 13th, 2011
Triskaidekaphobia by Amy Crook, $313
Unlike most of my abstract pieces, this one got its name when it was just barely begun. Thirteen green spirals adorned this odd-sized bit of sample paper, and something about the pattern just suggested its name to me. It’s even a bit ironic, since 13’s one of my lucky numbers (what? sometimes a girl’s gotta embrace the cliche).
I used the gorgeously graining Lunar Black that you’ll see in all 3 of this week’s abstract pieces to create the richly textured background, though there’s even a little bit of Bloodstone snuck in that’s nearly invisible except in strong light. The black is very matte, which sets off the subtle shine of the salt crystals beautifully.
Triskaidekaphobia, approx. 6.5″x6.5″ mixed media on paper, $313, framed, with free shipping.
Triskaidekaphobia, detail 1, by Amy Crook
Up close you can see the dense, velvety black creeping in around the clusters of sparkling salt pools.
Triskaidekaphobia, detail 2, by Amy Crook
I tucked it into an 8″x8″ frame using archival photo corners, so it’ll ship safely to you with its crystals intact.
Triskaidekaphobia, framed, by Amy Crook, $313
Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Daily Art, Things I'm a Fan Of
Tags: 13, for sale, green, lunar black, pen and ink, salt, watercolor
Confetti Rain
Monday, September 5th, 2011
Confetti Rain by Amy Crook
When I started this piece, I was experimenting to see if I could fill a whole paper with the salt-crystal rosettes the way rain on a puddle fills up the whole surface with overlapping shapes. After a while it was hard to get even a tiny rosette to form without the water running and blurring into the already-formed structures. The different shades of blue ink ended up giving it a party-confetti feel, and that with the sparkle from the salt gives the piece its name.
Confetti Rain, 5″x5″ pen and ink and salt on paper
The paper itself is a warm off-white color that’s hard to photograph — for some reason it often shows up quite red when compared to the cool blue ink and sparkling salt.
Confetti Rain, detail 1, by Amy Crook
Still, I love the way the salt catches the light and seems to glow from within, as well as the up-close view of the textures of crystal growth and rough, soft paper.
Confetti Rain, detail 2, by Amy Crook
A simple black frame will keep the salt crystals safe while the piece is in transit, and provide a contrast to the splashes of color on the page.
Confetti Rain, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Daily Art
Tags: blue, for sale, pen and ink, salt
Mud Puddle
Friday, September 2nd, 2011
Mud Puddle by Amy Crook, $444
This is one of the last of my tea experiments from a few months ago. I had the piece sitting around for weeks and weeks not really being anything, until one day I was in a crosshatching mood and suddenly I saw it as a mud puddle just needing a grassy lawn all around it. The puddle itself was made of strong black tea, and the spots of texture were big crystals of salt, some of which had a bit of watercolor left on them to add a touch of color to the tea.
Mud Puddle, 5″x5″ mixed media on paper, $444, framed, with free shipping.
I spent a couple of hours putting in the green pen-and-ink grass around the tea puddle, and I took photos with my iPhone as it progressed (though I forgot to take a before shot, oops).
Mud Puddle, work in progress, by Amy Crook
When I’m working on a piece like this, I often spin it this way and that while I’m working to get a better angle for whatever I’m doing. Then, if it’s an abstract piece, I look at it in all four directions before I decide on which way is really up and sign it.
Mud Puddle, detail, by Amy Crook
There’s a bit of subtle sparkle in the area where some of the salt sat, but the chunks remained mostly intact instead of dissolving into the tea, so there’s no crystal formations beyond the tiny ones you can see above.
The frame I’ve got it in is a little lighter than it shows in the photo, though I’m considering one even a shade lighter to go better with the delicate tea-dyed puddle.
Mud Puddle, framed, by Amy Crook, $444
Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Daily Art, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes
Tags: crosshatching, for sale, pen and ink, salt, tea, watercolor
Blood from a Stone 2
Thursday, August 25th, 2011
Blood from a Stone 2 by Amy Crook, $323
The vivid, rich fuchsia in this piece, against the backdrop of soft black-brown bloodstone watercolor, couldn’t help but remind me of my cartoon of Kristine and her awesome pink-streaked hair. Despite that, I decided to stick with the horror theme from Tuesday’s art and name it after the bloodstone paint.
Blood from a Stone 2, 7″x5″ mixed media on paper, $323, framed, with free shipping.
The vivid pink — which is as close to red as I’ve gotten so far, using dense swirls of blood-red ink — makes this piece extra special hell to photograph. I do love how the salt crystals look like candy here, though I wouldn’t advise trying to lick them.
Blood from a Stone 2, detail 1, by Amy Crook
I totally dig the little ziggurat formations that I sometimes get, though I have no idea how to create them on purpose.
Blood from a Stone 2, detail 2, by Amy Crook
It looks great in its black frame, the pink is gorgeously vivid and the soft, matte paint provides a lovely contrast.
Blood from a Stone 2, framed, by Amy Crook, $323
Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Daily Art
Tags: bloodstone, for sale, pen and ink, salt, watercolor
Autumn Winds
Wednesday, August 24th, 2011
Autumn Winds by Amy Crook, $299
I’m saving the Weeble this week for Friday, so instead you get a windy Wednesday. This piece uses tea, salt, watercolor, and pen and ink to create a whirlwind of color and shapes that reminded me of leaves tumbling around and around in a little eddy of breeze. I added in the rust-red Japanese maple leaves to add color and strengthen that impression.
Autumn Winds, 7″x5″ mixed media on paper, $299, framed, with free shipping.
Here you can see a close-up of the spot where leaf and salt pool collide; I used my brown pen and very little color leeched out into the salt, making the pools a subtle addition of texture and sparkle rather than a focal color point.
Autumn Winds, detail, by Amy Crook
This piece looks great in its brown wooden frame, the colors really go well together. It will arrive at your door framed and in upcycled gift wrap, safely packaged for transit.
Autumn Winds, framed, by Amy Crook, $299
Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Daily Art, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes
Tags: brown, for sale, leaves, orange, pen and ink, salt, tea, watercolor
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The Stars Are Right
Tuesday, August 23rd, 2011
The Stars Are Right by Amy Crook
The dark skies framing the glowing salt stars are painted in my newest art supply acquisition, paint made from actual Bloodstone. The color looks a bit more brownish to my eye, but the scanner definitely gave it a green tinge more like the actual stone looks before it’s ground up and made into paint. I have a number of the oil paints from this line (I love the Amazonite green), but this is my first foray into the watercolors, and I love the granular texture the paint gets as it dries.
The arrangement of green salt formations really reminded me of a constellation, and the color of course made me think of Cthulhu, especially with the Bloodstone watercolor to ground it, so that’s where the piece gets its name. After all, Cthulhu is merely snoozing until the stars align and new reign begins. In a strictly fictional manner, of course.
The Stars Are Right, 7″x5″ salt, pen & ink and watercolor on Arches cover white paper.
The Stars Are Right, detail, by Amy Crook
Above you can see a bit more of what the paint looks like in the sunlight, the warm brown-black setting off the cool green quite nicely. Below, I’ve got the piece in a simple black frame that protects the salt crystals and brings out the color in the bloodstone.
The Stars Are Right, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Daily Art
Tags: bloodstone, for sale, lovecraft, pen and ink, salt, watercolor
1 Comment »
On the Horizon
Monday, August 15th, 2011
On the Horizon by Amy Crook
I used two different salt techniques on this piece, first making the row of big ‘lights’ and then creating the dark watercolor wash. Then I used small flakes of salt to create the bigger lights along the horizon and the stars in the tall, endless sky. This particular paint leaves gorgeous cloud-like formations, adding a level of texture and detail that’s really hard to see all tiny. If you click on the image, you can see a larger version, I also made a computer wallpaper and two different iPhone wallpapers.
I originally started this with something else in mind, which is why there’s a very straight row of salt across the bottom, but I find I’m far happier with this than the first idea.
On the Horizon, 7″x8″ salt and watercolor on watercolor paper.
You can see some of the detail here, with just a touch of sunlight caught on the peaks of the salt crystals.
On the Horizion, detail 1, by Amy Crook
This image shows the subtle sparkle of salt along a few of the deeper pools, where some of the fine flakes dissolved and left tiny crystals just at the edges.
On the Horizion, detail 2, by Amy Crook
Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Daily Art, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes
Tags: salt, stars, watercolor
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