Archive for the ‘Floating Gallery’ Category
Mistwood
Thursday, June 4th, 2015
Mistwood by Amy Crook
This beautiful sheet of Twinrocker Handmade Simon’s Green paper is about 22 years old — I acquired it many years ago when I had a model named Simon, and never found the right use for it. I pulled it out specifically thinking it make an intriguing addition to my Pathways series, and I’m quite pleased with the result.
Strong green spikes rise upward, spreading out into leaves and branches, spreading further into mist and obscurity. Hints of earthy ochre lurk in the depths where surprising blues emerge through the fog. The tops of the trees disappear off the natural deckle edge of the paper, and the whole forest is bowed ever so slightly in some unseen wind.
Mistwood, 24″x18″ watercolor on Twinrocker handmade paper.
Mistwood, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see one of the areas of “mist” where the greens break up and fade out in soft layers of color. Below, you can see the dark “trees” with their rich, strong forest colors still intact.
Mistwood, detail, by Amy Crook
Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Series and Books
Tags: for sale, green, handmade paper, pathways, twinrocker, watercolor
Every Step
Wednesday, June 3rd, 2015
Every Step by Amy Crook
This painting has a secret! I got some wonderful Noodler’s Blue Ghost UV-reactive ink recently, and unlike the other Aglow paintings, this one hides its message, which reads, “every step that I ran to you.”
The painting itself ranges from the clear blue of a deep lagoon around to the rich greens of jungle plants, with the curl of white sand beach in the middle. Waves of pale paint lap inward until there’s nothing but the paper at the very center. You can’t see a hint of the invisible ink in normal light.
Don’t worry, though, I’ll ship it with a UV keylight so you can always revisit the sweet sentiment.
Every Step, 8″x8″ brush & ink and watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper.
Every Step, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see a bit of the classified, curving calligraphy lit by the UV glow. Below, the painting is in a frame, the ink truly invisible to the naked eye.
Every Step, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Floating Gallery, Series and Books
Tags: aglow, brush and ink, for sale, invisible ink, watercolor
Cat Naps
Tuesday, June 2nd, 2015
Cat Naps by Amy Crook
Cats! Lazy, languid, liquid cats. I first explored this idea in a sketchy little bookmark, but of course with only room for three poses it wasn’t nearly enough.
I took inspiration from my own ridiculous pets, Belladonna and Pod, and of course the many cats on the internet.
I have trouble choosing a favorite — what’s yours?
Cat Naps, 5″x7″ brush and ink on paper.
Cat Naps, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see a close up of the fine brush work on this sleeping kitty, rich with texture despite the minimalist design. Below, you can see the piece in a frame, just waiting to add some extra kitty zen to your life.
Cat Naps, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Floating Gallery, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: brush and ink, brush pen, cat, cats, nfs, sold, zen
Cyberman
Monday, 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
One for Sorrow 2
Friday, 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
Thursday, 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
Wednesday, 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
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