Archive for the ‘Daily Art’ Category

By Starlight

Thursday, January 5th, 2012

By Starlight, abstract art by Amy Crook

By Starlight by Amy Crook

Another piece inspired by the iconic blue-gold-white of Van Gogh’s Starry Night, there’s a different textural feel to this one on every level, despite being similar in many ways to Midnight Blue. The paper is thicker and of a much softer texture, the salt pools are saturated with bright yellow paint but the spirals are still visible, and the ‘starlight’ is sharp-edged and fragmented instead of a soft glowing circle.

I really just like the feel of it, the swoop of bright stars across the deep blue sky, each one surrounded by its own halo of color.

By Starlight, 5.25″x5″ watercolor and salt on paper.

By Starlight, detail 1, by Amy Crook

By Starlight, detail 1, by Amy Crook

There hasn’t been a proper sunny day for photographing these salt pieces in a while, at least not one that’s warm enough to open the back door for the extra light that always makes them shine. Still, you can see the far pool catching a bit of light, as well as the rich texture the paint makes on the paper.

By Starlight, detail 2, by Amy Crook

By Starlight, detail 2, by Amy Crook

Here you can see the tiny bit of spreading the salt did on the paper this time, not full snowflakes like some of the pieces I’ve done with this paper, but softened, creeping edges trying to expand beyond the water droplets’ original boundaries.

If you’re interested in this piece and would like to talk, you can comment here or email me, my inbox is always open.

Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Daily Art, Things I'm a Fan Of
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Weeble Buddha

Wednesday, January 4th, 2012

Weeble Buddha Rubs His Own Belly for Luck by Amy Crook

Weeble Buddha Rubs His Own Belly for Luck by Amy Crook

This jolly little brush-pen Buddha is rubbing his own belly, that’s how lucky he feels! He’d invite you to rub with him, but he’s afraid you’d get fingerprints on your monitor.

Categories: Daily Art, People, Figures and Faces
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Tentacle Spiral 1

Tuesday, January 3rd, 2012

Tentacle Spiral 1 by Amy Crook

Tentacle Spiral 1 by Amy Crook

I was mucking about with washes, and I thought I’d do something a little different with this pale, almost flesh-toned wash I did on one of my last blank handmade postcards from India. The lunar black paint made exquisite textures as it granulated and pooled in the surface of the card, giving the tentacles a half-real feeling.

I like this effect with the tentacles spiralling in from all sides, so I’ve optimistically called this #1 in the hopes that I manage a series out of it.

Tentacle Spiral 1, 6″x4″ watercolor on handmade postcard.

I took a close-up of one of the spirals so you can really see the texture.

Tentacle Spiral 1, detail, by Amy Crook

Tentacle Spiral 1, detail, by Amy Crook

Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Daily Art, Series and Books, Tentacles
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Autumn Breeze

Monday, January 2nd, 2012

Autumn Breeze, abstract art by Amy Crook

Autumn Breeze by Amy Crook

I wanted to revisit the autumnal color palette of Autumn Winds, so I created this piece with different materials. The paper is a thick, soft cream-coloured printing paper, and the little spirals use quinacridone burnt orange paint instead of the less lightfast pen ink, though the pigment doesn’t infuse as well into the salt. Instead of tea there’s all watercolor paints for the rest, breezy spirals gathered around each salt pool like strange seeds tossed on a light fall breeze.

Autumn Breeze, 8″x6″ watercolor and salt on Arches cover white paper.

Below you can see how the salt crystals spread a little into the textured paper without going too far outside their original pool. The actual color of the piece is somewhere in between the two images, more saturated than the scan but less so than the detail photo.

Autumn Breeze, detail, by Amy Crook

Autumn Breeze, detail, by Amy Crook

Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Daily Art
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Cthulhu with a Kitten doodle

Friday, December 30th, 2011

Cthulhu with a Kitten sketch by Amy Crook

Cthulhu with a Kitten sketch by Amy Crook

Another little Coloring Book doodle! Cthulhu is quite dubious that he’s not supposed to eat the kitten, but I’m sure he’ll come around.

Happy New Year!

Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Daily Art, Series and Books, Tentacles
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Ninja at Night

Thursday, December 29th, 2011

Ninja at Night by Amy Crook

Ninja at Night by Amy Crook

Another gift painting, this one by request, sort of, from the person who bought me the Japanese watercolor set for my birthday. After seeing the raised, opaque way it dried on my two Radial Symmetry paintings, he mentioned that he’d like to see how black-on-black would look, and thus, a ninja crept into being.

Ninja at Night, 5″x5″ watercolor on paper, not for sale.

Categories: Daily Art, People, Figures and Faces
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Tentacle Deeps 23

Tuesday, December 27th, 2011

Tentacle Deeps 23 watercolor by Amy Crook

Tentacle Deeps 23 by Amy Crook

It’s the ghost of tentacles past! Or possibly tentacles future. Who can tell.

There’s a subtle blue-violet tint to the background on this piece that comes through where the white paint picked up the background color.

Tentacle Deeps 23, 8″x8″ watercolor on paper.

fnord

Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Daily Art, Series and Books, Tentacles, Things I'm a Fan Of
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