Archive for the ‘Flowers, Trees and Landscapes’ Category

Autumn Dusk

Thursday, October 6th, 2016

Autumn Dusk by Amy Crook

Autumn Dusk, 6″x4″ gansai watercolor and Primatek watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper

Another soft, dusky Horizons painting small enough to fit on a bookshelf, desk, or surprising bit of wall.

There’s a gentle rain falling in the gloomy sky behind these delicately branching trees. Three brave birds fly through it, getting to their nighttime roosts before full dark.

Where could these fit in your home, keeping a bit of autumn for you all year?

Autumn Dusk, detail, by Amy Crook

Autumn Dusk, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the minuscule detail of lacy, spooky branches. Below, this small piece is tucked into a tiny frame, ready to add a bit of autumn to some little nook or cranny in your home.

Autumn Dusk, framed art by Amy Crook

Autumn Dusk, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Series and Books
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Painted Ladies 2

Monday, October 3rd, 2016

Painted Ladies 2 by Amy Crook

Painted Ladies 2, 10″x8″ gansai watercolor on Arches cover black paper

It’s inevitable, living near San Francisco as I do, that I would revisit the Painted Ladies theme.

This time a soft, seafoam green permeates the beautiful Victorian row houses, each with a unique facade that nonetheless echoes its neighbors. The clouds above look like cotton puffs, fluffily floating along among the shining stars in the velvety black sky.

This paper is unique because it gets its color from a chemical process, so the black is lightfast. Though of course it’s never a good idea to put artwork in a sunny spot, it’s good to know it won’t become grey over the years.

Painted Ladies 2, detail, by Amy Crook

Painted Ladies 2, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see a close-up of a few of the charming faces on the painted ladies. Below, they’re tucked into a simple frame, just waiting to add charm and elegance to your home.

Painted Ladies, framed art by Amy Crook

Painted Ladies, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Series and Books
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Night, All

Thursday, September 8th, 2016

Night, All, sunset painting by Amy Crook

Night, All, 7″x5″ watercolor on watercolor paper

Sunsets and sunrises hold a lot of fascination, the liminal spaces of dusk and dawn where light bleeds and changes, washing the world in reds and golds, turning the crisp shapes of day into the soft silhouettes of night.

This sunset sky is a soft fade from fiery orange into the deep blue of dusk, vivid color making a beautiful backdrop to a very mundane view. Birds on a wire, trees in full summer form, and the roofs of houses echo the views where so many of us live.

There’s a beautiful juxtaposition in the layers of civilization and nature, light and shadow, oranges and blues.

Night, All, detail, by Amy Crook

Night, All, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the tiny birds settling in on their wires for the night. Below, the painting is tucked into its temporary frame, a window out into an imaginary world.

Night, All, framed art by Amy Crook

Night, All, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Series and Books
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Yellow Flower

Sunday, September 4th, 2016

Yellow Flower, abstract art by Amy Crook

Yellow Flower, 5″x5″ pen & ink and watercolor on bristol

Tiny, intricate pen-and-ink details combined with a cheerful, loose-painted yellow halo of petals make this small art the perfect thing to brighten up your space.

The middle is painted in a rusty ochre over the black ink, with the petals bursting forth like light from the solidity of the center section.

One patron described it as a Golden Snitch, with its combination of warm yellows, complex inner motifs, and airy-light outer wings.

Yellow Flower, detail, by Amy Crook

Yellow Flower, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see a close-up of the middle section, tiny circles nestled together and washed over with rusty ochre. Below, you can see this piece in a frame, a burst of light out of the warm center.

Yellow Flower, framed art by Amy Crook

Yellow Flower, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes
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Firefly Moon

Friday, August 5th, 2016

Firefly Moon, watercolor by Amy Crook

Firefly Moon, 6″x4″ interference watercolor and Japanese watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper

Fireflies flash and hide in this misty, delicately textured night scene. The sky is full of soft clouds and the subtle shine of stars behind them, the bright moon glowing against the fog.

The beautiful green shines when the light hits it, but nearly vanishes when it’s in shadow, just the way real fireflies only sometimes glow with their mysterious phosphorescence.

Did you used to chase them on lazy summer nights, trying to hold the stars in the palm of your hand?

Firefly Moon, detail, by Amy Crook

Firefly Moon, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the green shine catch the light and glow against the misty sky behind it. Below, this tiny beauty is waiting in a frame so you can keep those summer memories always close at hand.

Firefly Moon, framed art by Amy Crook

Firefly Moon, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Series and Books, Whimsical and Strange
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Spring Dusk

Thursday, August 4th, 2016

Spring Dusk, original art by Amy Crook

Spring Dusk, 6″x6″ pen & ink and Japanese watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper

Bright orange butterflies dance through the spring like living blossoms, going past a tree just starting to bud. New leaves shine bright green against the violet of falling dusk, and the last vestiges of sunset glow golden at the horizon.

Winter trees, autumn trees, and now a lovely spring tree helps to round out the seasons in my Horizons series.

Which season is your favorite?

Spring Dusk, detail, by Amy Crook

Spring Dusk, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the new leaf green against the black branches and violet dusk, with a single butterfly fluttering into the frame. Below, the tree stands proud in its frame, ready to bring a touch of spring to any room.

Spring Dusk, framed art by Amy Crook

Spring Dusk, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Series and Books
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Never to Be Told

Friday, July 8th, 2016

Never to Be Told by Amy Crook

Never to Be Told, 6″x6″ pen & ink and watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper

The dull orange glow coming off this rusted, smoking ruin is a lovely, warm color that somehow still embodies the apocalyptic feel of it. It’s a color you only see in the sky when things have not gone according to plan.

The crows circling above the city are the final harbingers of doom, that sign that civilization has left and there’s nothing left but whatever the crows can pick over.

It sounds like the start of a fascinating story, doesn’t it?

Never to Be Told, detail, by Amy Crook

Never to Be Told, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see a single bird circling above the ruins, blackened beams and smoke-smudged skies. Below, this mournful scene is framed for posterity, waiting to spark new tales and inspire post-apocalyptic ideas.

Never to Be Told, framed art by Amy Crook

Never to Be Told, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Series and Books
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