Archive for the ‘Flowers, Trees and Landscapes’ Category

Sycamore Sunset

Friday, June 3rd, 2016

Sycamore Sunset by Amy Crook

Sycamore Sunset, 6″x4″ pen & ink and Primatek watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper

This Horizons painting has an intense sky full of fast-moving clouds backlit by the glow of the setting sun. The deciduous trees echo the maples and sycamores of my childhood, leaves bare for now but promising new green when spring arrives.

As with the first painting, this one feels a little out of season, but sometimes we long for the weather that makes our heart sing. In this case, you can dream of crisp autumn days with the crunch of leaves underfoot instead of the first hot breath of summer still bearing the pollen of spring.

Sycamore Sunset, detail, by Amy Crook

Sycamore Sunset, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the intense gold of sun shining through the earthy orange clouds, with just a touch of lace-like branches peeking into the frame. Below, the painting is in its own frame, a small beauty ready to fit on your desk, in a nook, or on a shelf.

Sycamore Sunset, framed art by Amy Crook

Sycamore Sunset, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Series and Books
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May Patreon sketches & a bit of word art

Tuesday, May 31st, 2016

This past Wednesday was a bit of a madhouse, and this next one might be worse. My roommate of 9 years is moving out, and someone new is moving in! I’m very grateful to have found someone so fast (as is my old roomie, who got to squeak out with less than a month’s notice), but it’s going to be a lot of changes. The first of which is a small raise in my rent, sigh!

Do consider supporting my art on Patreon and optionally getting sketches of your own, assuming that my art is something enjoy and support!

Inception quote word art by Amy Crook

Don’t be afraid to dream a little bigger, darling.

In lieu of doing my own word art live on Periscope, I did this little quote from Inception while watching someone else’s Periscope. Perisception, or something.

Knitting sketch for CC

Knitting sketch for CC

This is sort of a study for a larger piece of art. It’s interesting trying to google people knitting, because in half the photos you can tell it’s just a model holding the needles attractively instead of actually knitting.

there is no explanation for this

“Gollum with the good hair” for Jeff’s bizarre prompt

Gollum is saying, “Precious is back from the tasty orange munchie mans… And some new hair!” I have basically no excuse for this one, but it’s definitely Jeff’s fault.

sketchy spring cuppa for Kim

“A cup of tea for Spring” for Kim

So let’s conclude with a lovely little cup of wildflowers, a bright breath of spring after the foreverness of winter this year.

Have a lovely short holiday week, for those of you who got Monday off!

Categories: Completed Commissions, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, People, Figures and Faces, Pretty Words, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of
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City Shadow

Thursday, May 5th, 2016

City Shadow by Amy Crook

City Shadow, 8″x4″ Primatek watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper

Is it mirage, illusion, or reality?

A skyline rises up along the horizon, barely solid. The sky rains down in monochrome all around it, creating the feel of a city of mist and shadow.

Perhaps it’s like San Francisco, fog obscuring the borders, making it seem to float in between realities until you get there and find it mostly mundane. Or perhaps it’s like one of the fabled cities of faerie, that vanish when the moon sets, leaving the traveller stranded.

City Shadow, detail, by Amy Crook

City Shadow, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the beautifully textured rain over the shapes of the city. Below, the painting is tucked into a frame, just waiting to appear mysteriously on your wall.

City Shadow, framed art by Amy Crook

City Shadow, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Series and Books
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Weeping Willows

Monday, May 2nd, 2016

Weeping Willows watercolor by Amy Crook

Weeping Willows, 8″x4″ watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper

Are you weeping because it’s Monday? Me, too! Ah, well, the weekends can’t last forever.

Rain breaks up the blue of the sky, rivulets of white that weigh down the weeping willow trees below. The vault of the sky above presses downward, drawing the eye to the ground and the faded, ghostly figure walking among the branches.

The bare trees give a wintry feel to the scene, as does the cool turquoise blue of the sky, just barely desaturated by the gloom of the rainstorm.

Where in your life could you use a small reminder of the beauty in the death of the year?

Weeping Willows, detail, by Amy Crook

Weeping Willows, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the ghostly figure moving through the winter willows. Below, the art has been tucked into a temporary frame to dream of finding its permanent home with you.

Weeping Willows, framed art by Amy Crook

Weeping Willows, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, People, Figures and Faces, Series and Books
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City Lights

Friday, April 8th, 2016

City Lights by Amy Crook

City Lights, 8″x4″ Japanese watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper

Stormclouds shroud the city in darkness, distance and fog obscuring the buildings farther away. On the close horizon, cheerful yellow blobs of light beckon the viewer to their warm interiors.

Three colors of lovely Japanese Gansai watercolors make up this simple palette, a blue-black, a violet-black, and of course the welcoming yellow which also glows over the skyline in a display of light pollution.

The buildings this time are mostly simple, traditional skyscrapers in different configurations, with a few interesting variations lurking among the lights.

City Lights, detail, by Amy Crook

City Lights, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the little glowing blobs of light defining one skyscraper from another. Below, the painting is in a temporary frame, waiting to be packaged up and sent to its forever home.

City Lights, framed art by Amy Crook

City Lights, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Series and Books
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Windblown

Wednesday, April 6th, 2016

Windblown by Amy Crook

Windblown, 8″x4″ watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper

Brilliant oranges, pinks, and golds paint the sky as the red sun sinks below the horizon. A lone figure stands next to the tree, both of them tousled by the unseen winds. A raven heads for them both, graceful despite the headwind.

What’s the story here? You could hang this up in your home and contemplate the possible tales as you go about your day, each glimpse sparking a new line of thought.

Windblown, detail, by Amy Crook

Windblown, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see a close-up of our big black bird, flying headlong into the wind. Below, the whole windblown tableau is waiting in a temporary frame to find its permanent home.

Windblown, framed art by Amy Crook

Windblown, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, People, Figures and Faces, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Series and Books
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There’s a Little Black Spot on the Sun Today

Monday, April 4th, 2016

There’s a Little Black Spot on the Sun Today by Amy Crook

There’s a Little Black Spot on the Sun Today,
6″x6″ ink and Primatek watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper

As you can see, mineral paints were a theme for this month! Fall in love with granulation all over again, the magical texture you get with certain pigments, watery paint, and rough paper.

A ruined city lurks below the apocalyptic sky, tendrils of smoke rising from the burnt-out buildings. There’s a little black spot on the sun, which glows a sullen red and drips something like light.

(It’s my soul up there.)

I’d apologize for the earworm, but I’m not sorry.
It’s the same old thing as yesterday, really.

There's a Little Black Spot on the Sun Today, detail, by Amy Crook

There’s a Little Black Spot on the Sun Today, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the dripping circle of the red sun and its odd black spot against the beautiful texture of grey-blue sky. Below, this little post-apocalyptic wasteland is tucked into a frame, a gorgeous reminder of a future that never was.

There's a Little Black Spot on the Sun Today, framed art by Amy Crook

There’s a Little Black Spot on the Sun Today, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Series and Books, Zombies, Skulls, and Other Morbid Things
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