Archive for the ‘Flowers, Trees and Landscapes’ Category

Ghost Trees

Thursday, January 7th, 2016

Ghost Tree by Amy Crook

Ghost Tree, 6″x4″ ink wash on Fluid watercolor paper

Everything about this ink wash is understated, soft, and ghostly. The pale sky just as the sunset fades into the gloaming. The shadowy tree like a ghost against the ink-streaked clouds. The birds flitting past like memories, barely there in the distance.

The first hints of night haunt the top of the page, washing away the color as the evening threatens to fall, dropping its curtain over those last washes of pink and violet and gold still lurking in the soft clouds.

Ghost Tree, detail, by Amy Crook

Ghost Tree, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the ghostly little ink wash birds swooping through the pale, fading daylight. Below, the tree sits in a frame, ready to haunt its new home.

Ghost Tree, framed art by Amy Crook

Ghost Tree, framed art by Amy Crook

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

Wednesday, January 6th, 2016

Domed City by Amy Crook

Domed City, 4″x6″ iridescent watercolor and ink wash on Fluid watercolor paper

Another painting with some hidden sparkle, this one’s mostly done in ink washes. The background is an amazing rich teal that none of my electronics want to pick up, and the domes sparkle with golden highlights beneath the iridescent blue dragon.

This tiny piece would add a lovely bit of scifi-fantasy allure to a desk, bookshelf, or reading nook.

Here there be dragon!

Domed City, detail, by Amy Crook

Domed City, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the shining underbelly on the dragon that floats above the domed city. Below, a tiny window into this strange world as the painting is trapped behind glass in its frame.

Domed City, framed art by Amy Crook

Domed City, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Sea Creatures and Other Animals
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Distance 2

Friday, December 4th, 2015

Distance 2 by Amy Crook

Distance 2 by Amy Crook

Misty hills ascend into the distance, where a single gold light shines out of a structure atop the farthest reaches.

The night descends in beautiful teal, just a few stars starting to peek out through the twilight.

What draws your imagination out wandering?

Distance 2, 4″x6″ ink wash on watercolor paper.

Distance 2, detail, by Amy Crook

Distance 2, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the detailed texture of ink and paper, and the tiny pinpoint of golden light beckoning you to the summit. Below, the piece is in a frame like the view out of a tall window, waiting to bring some peace to your hectic desk.

Distance, framed art by Amy Crook

Distance, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Series and Books
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Blood Moon 6

Wednesday, December 2nd, 2015

Blood Moon 6 by Amy Crook

Blood Moon 6 by Amy Crook

This ink wash is a vivid addition to my City series, which is also the 6th of my Blood Moon paintings.

The blood moon glows with a rich red-gold radiance. The sky is home to a thousand glittering golden stars in halo around it. A dark city awaits below, reflecting the glow of them both.

Built in layers, this piece was first a wash of red and gold inks, and then a globe of light in the middle of gold-dusted night, and finally became a city. Each layer is a different kind of ink, even the gold dust.

Blood Moon 6, 8″x8″ brush & ink and ink wash on Fluid watercolor paper.

Blood Moon 6, detail, by Amy Crook

Blood Moon 6, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the shimmering gold dust in the Stormy Grey ink, and the solid Deleter Manga ink that blacks it out where the buildings rise up, with the beautiful red shining through both where appropriate. Below, you can see the piece in a frame, waiting to grace your walls with its eerie beauty.

Blood Moon 6, framed art by Amy Crook

Blood Moon 6, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Series and Books, Whimsical and Strange
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Midnight Raven

Wednesday, November 4th, 2015

Midnight Raven by Amy Crook

Midnight Raven by Amy Crook

A mysterious raven sits atop a black branch, its feathers containing colors within their inky darkness. A moon silhouettes the scene, full and round and bright behind the bird. The sky is a deep midnight, dotted with silver stars.

Inktober started as a fun way to get myself playing with some new media, but it turned into a month of beautiful new art.

A group of ravens is an unkindness, but what do you call just one?

Midnight Raven, 6″x6″ pen & ink, ink wash, and metallic watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper.

Midnight Raven, detail, by Amy Crook

Midnight Raven, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the shine of gold in the ink of the raven’s feathers, and the gleam of silver in the stars. Below, the raven has taken a temporary perch in a frame.

Midnight Raven, framed art by Amy Crook

Midnight Raven, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Sea Creatures and Other Animals
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Hummingbird at Night

Sunday, October 4th, 2015

Hummingbird at Night by Amy Crook

Hummingbird at Night by Amy Crook

This time of year there’s hummingbirds all over my neighborhood, and even showing up on my social media feeds. These inspirational little tiny jewels just beg to be captured, not in a cage, but on the page.

This painting features iridescent and duochrome paints on the black paper so everything shimmers and shines the way a real hummingbird does. The duochrome paints are really something, they change color depending on the angle of the light. Despite being a night scene, this piece sparkles charmingly in sunlight.

Hummingbird at Night, 6″x4″ duochrome and iridescent watercolor on Arches cover black paper.

Hummingbird at Night, detail, by Amy Crook

Hummingbird at Night, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the sparkle in the Hummingbird’s breast and the loose brushstrokes that shape the leaves. Below, this tiny gem is nestled into a frame, waiting to brighten up your life.

Hummingbird at Night, framed art by Amy Crook

Hummingbird at Night, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Whimsical and Strange
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Halloween Trees 2

Friday, October 2nd, 2015

Halloween Trees 2 by Amy Crook

Halloween Trees 2 by Amy Crook

The original Halloween Trees is only a year old, but it feels very different from this sequel. The sky is softer and has more cloud shapes, and the trees are a less imposing brown rather than the starkly silhouetted black. Even the crows are different, coming in for a landing instead of taking off into the sunset.

The brilliant swath of pink behind the lightning-struck tree lets that whole bank of clouds really glow. The three trees each have their own character, slightly different patterns in their branches that make it clear even without leaves that they’re not the same species. If the crows are roosting in the middle one, one might wonder what lives in the lightning-struck tree on the left?

Halloween Trees 2, pen & ink, brush & ink, and watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper.

Halloween Trees 2, detail, by Amy Crook

Halloween Trees 2, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the tiny birds up close, coming in to land in the lacework of branches. Below, the piece is in a temporary frame, just waiting for its new home.

Halloween Trees 2, framed art by Amy Crook

Halloween Trees 2, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of, Whimsical and Strange
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