Archive for the ‘Flowers, Trees and Landscapes’ Category
Sunset Silhouette
Thursday, December 4th, 2014
Sunset Silhouette by Amy Crook
The branches on this tree are fine as lace, a complicated fractal of interlocking shapes with three birds silhouetted inside. A red-gold sunset paints the sky behind, giving drama to this small work of art.
The sky is very loose and painterly, while the tree and birds are stark black in contrast.
This painting is shot of brightness as we approach the darkest time of the year, wintry with the bare branches and yet full of the colors of spring.
Sunset Silhouette, 6″x4″ pen & ink and watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper.
Sunset Silhouette, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can really see the lace-fine details in the branches, and the three birds chilling out in the few open spots. Below, the piece is tucked into a frame so you can admire its compactness.
Sunset Silhouette, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Series and Books
Tags: crow, horizons, nfs, orange, pen and ink, sold, tree, watercolor
Murder at Sunset
Friday, November 7th, 2014
Murder at Sunset by Amy Crook
A single tree hosts a murder of crows as the sun sinks below the horizon, painting the clouds in glorious golds, oranges, and reds. This latest installment in my Horizons series has a charming simplicity with the single, crooked tree, but a lovely complexity of layered clouds hiding behind it.
Murder at Sunset, 8″x4″ pen & ink and watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper.
Murder at Sunset, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the seven crows coming to roost for their murder, whether in collusion or merely coincidence. Below, I’ve put the painting in a temporary frame, though I think this one would benefit from a mat cut to size for its final resting place.
Murder at Sunset, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Series and Books
Tags: crows, horizons, murder of crows, nfs, pen and ink, sold, sunset, tree, watercolor
Winter Lane
Wednesday, November 5th, 2014
Winter Lane by Amy Crook
I turned my trees on their side (pun intended) and did a vertical one this time, with those upward-sweeping branches tangling up in your vision as they reach for the sky above. You can practically feel the winter crispness of the day, and just spot a pair of crows (two for joy, two for luck) hiding in the branches.
Winter Lane, 4″x8″ pen & ink and watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper.
Winter Lane, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the purple in the shadows, the golden glow along the horizon, and the texture hiding in the silhouetted trees. Below, you can see the piece in a temporary frame, waiting for its new forever home.
Winter Lane, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Sea Creatures and Other Animals
Tags: crows, nfs, pen and ink, sold, tree, watercolor
Halloween Trees
Friday, October 10th, 2014
Halloween Trees by Amy Crook
I suppose I should think of something to call this series of paintings so I can make a tag for it, with the spooky winter trees against the various skies. These trees are so finely detailed it’s almost like lace against the brilliant orange sunset sky. I have to deliberately work against my desire to make things very regular and symmetrical, to put in broken branches and bare spots just like real trees.
Five black crows fly off into the sunset, riding the cool autumn winds. Everything about this piece feels like October, from the orange and black color scheme to the bare trees and exiting birds.
Next time, I’ll have to sneak in some extra bats, though.
Halloween Trees, 8″x4″ pen & ink and watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper.
Halloween Trees, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, I’ve zoomed in on the fine lacework of branches, and a few crows flying into the intensely orange sunset. Below, you can see the piece in a temporary frame, waiting to go to its new home.
Halloween Trees, 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
Tags: crow, halloween trees, horizons, nfs, orange, pen and ink, sold, tree, watercolor
Splash 3
Thursday, October 9th, 2014
Splash 3, abstract watercolor by Amy Crook
At first you see mostly shades of green, like a splash of sea water backlit by bright sunshine. Then you move, and the green turns to gold and blue and deeper, stranger greens. The layers and overlappings take on new significance, building complex color on top of one another in the seemingly monochrome expanse.
This is a perfect painting for someone who loves water, the ocean, and the light, and who wants to keep a little of each as a part of all of their days.
Splash 3, 7″x5″ duochrome watercolor on paper.
Splash 3, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the blues and golds and greens blending and layering in this beautiful painting. Below, it’s tucked into a frame, the greens practically glowing in the afternoon sun.
Splash 3, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Series and Books
Tags: duochrome, for sale, iridescent, splash, watercolor
Cloud Sea
Wednesday, October 8th, 2014
Cloud Sea, abstract watercolor by Amy Crook
Clouds skitter across a night sky, moonlight washing them with cool silver and grey. Below, waves stir up the dark water, clouds caught in reflection and distorted into strange new shapes. White foam flecks the sea and silvery clouds float, tinted midnight blue and deepest purple, and strange shapes seem to rise up out of the depths.
Two separate people described the layering effect here as the reflection of moonlit clouds on rough water, foam and form mixing to make a beautifully abstract visual delight. For once, there’s no actual metallic or iridescent shine in the paint, just the sense of glowing and glittering given by the way the paint floats on the page.
Cloud Sea, 7″x5″ Japanese watercolor on paper.
Cloud Sea, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see a detail of one of my favorite parts of the painting. Below, it’s framed like a glimpse through glass at some intriguing seascape.
Cloud Sea, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes
Tags: clouds, for sale, japanese watercolor, watercolor
Fairytale Sky 9
Tuesday, October 7th, 2014
Fairytale Sky 9 by Amy Crook
A lovely, shadowed full moon hangs in a sky full of stars, but the real shine is from the mysterious spiraling clouds. They gleam subtly in blues and purples, stately shapes with just a hint of soft brushwork about the edges. This addition to the Fairytale Sky series is very reminiscent of the first, but refined by the iterations in between.
Sometimes I think it’s good to treat life like you’re in your very own fairytale. Do good deeds when you can, and you’ll find them returned when you least expect it. Don’t cause harm through inattention or ignorance. And always wear good walking shoes.
Fairytale Sky 9, 7″x5″ Japanese watercolor and duochrome watercolor on Arches cover black paper.
Fairytale Sky 9, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the subtle shimmer of the paint together with the soft shine of the stars and the bright gleam of the moon. Below, I’ve put this sky in a frame, like a window to another world, one full of magic and fairytale logic.
Fairytale Sky 9, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Series and Books, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: black paper, duochrome, fairytale sky, for sale, moon, periwinkle, spirals, watercolor
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