Archive for the ‘Sea Creatures and Other Animals’ Category

Glass Fish

Thursday, March 5th, 2015

Glass Fish by Amy Crook

Glass Fish by Amy Crook

This translucent fishy is swimming in a lovely blue-green bowl, fins fanned out like tattered silk. There’s just a hint of scales along his body, and his big black eyes and grumpy mouth make him adorable as well as elegant.

His body is a rich, bright orange with hints of red and gold, but you can see the water through the transparent paint.

He’s a bit like a painting of a glass sculpture of a fish. Very meta.

Glass Fish, 7″x5″ watercolor on paper.

Glass Fish, detail, by Amy Crook

Glass Fish, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the elegant sweep of his transparent tail. Below, he’s nestled in a frame, swimming happily in the tiny space. Unlike real fish, paintings don’t need big tanks.

Glass Fish, framed art by Amy Crook

Glass Fish, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Floating Gallery, Sea Creatures and Other Animals
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Core Freedom

Monday, February 23rd, 2015

Core Freedom by Amy Crook for Jo Van Every

Core Freedom by Amy Crook for Jo Van Every

Another commission done, this one a new addition to my Horizons series. This one is entirely watercolour, even the raptor circling above in the clear blue sky. Jo had this to say about her newest acquisition:

Since moving out to a rural area and acquiring dogs, I walk through woods and fields daily. I’ve been paying attention to subtle differences in colour as the seasons change. I can identify several tree species by shape in winter. I am more aware of the subtle differences in bark colour and leaf colour, especially in spring. I also notice the change in the colour of the sky depending on season and humidity. Amy’s paintings of bare trees and crows resonate with this landscape that I observe daily. She painted another painting of autumn trees with a moodier, cloudy sky. While I liked that one, the orange leaves against a blue sky speaks to me much more clearly and Amy was happy to paint one just for me.

Core Freedom, 8″x4″ watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper.

Categories: Completed Commissions, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Series and Books
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Navy Squid

Wednesday, February 18th, 2015

Navy Squid, commissioned art by Amy Crook, all rights reserved

Navy Squid, commissioned art by Amy Crook, all rights reserved

This commission was a Christmas gift, it’s just taken me a while to get it into the schedule with all the other madness going on.

The giftee for this was formerly in the Navy, and is a fan of two of Boston’s sports teams, so we incorporated both those ideas into his cheerful blue tentacularness*. He’s either doffing or straightening his cover, which is at a bit of a jaunty angle for a proper naval serviceman. Or servicesquid.

Navy Squid, 7″x5″ pen & ink and Copic marker on paper.

*tentacularness is totally a word

Categories: Completed Commissions, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Tentacles
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Sea Turtle 2

Sunday, February 8th, 2015

Sea Turtle 2 by Amy Crook

Sea Turtle 2 by Amy Crook

A bonus post! This little turtle was the predecessor to yesterday’s art, and when I was looking on the blog to link to him, I realized I hadn’t ever given him his own post.

I really like the splooshy-bright turquoise sea he’s swimming through, which makes me think of the Caribbean, especially the way his simple 3-color palette stands out against it. He’s done in the same gold and green as the third turtle, but with white for highlights rather than the purple shadows.

Sea Turtle 2, 6″x4″ watercolor and Primatek watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper.

Sea Turtle 2, detail, by Amy Crook

Sea Turtle 2, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the details of his shell and determined little face. Below, the piece is in a tiny frame, all ready to add a splash of marine life to someone’s desk.

Sea Turtle 2, framed art by Amy Crook

Sea Turtle 2, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Floating Gallery, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Series and Books
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Sea Turtle 3

Saturday, February 7th, 2015

Sea Turtle 3 by Amy Crook

Sea Turtle 3 by Amy Crook

This sea turtle is full of attitude. Whatchoo lookin’ at? I’m just swimmin’ here.

I love how his face came out, glaring defiantly straight out of the painting, full of confidence.

He’s entirely painted in three colors and with one brush, with a fourth color (and a different brush) for the background. His colors are mostly the earthy mineral tones of Primatek paints, offset by the vivid Quinacridone gold that’s in both the sunlight and the turtle.

He’s small, but he’s fierce.

Sea Turtle 3, 6″x4″ watercolor and Primatek watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper.

Sea Turtle 3, detail, by Amy Crook

Sea Turtle 3, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see his face and the expression of giving no fucks at all. Below, you can see him in his temporary frame, before he swam off to his new home.

Sea Turtle 3, framed art by Amy Crook

Sea Turtle 3, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Floating Gallery, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Series and Books
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Commission: Paul and Balances

Wednesday, November 19th, 2014

Paul the Octopus, Balance the Force, and Gru Coins by Amy Crook for Mathlords

Paul the Octopus, Balance the Force, & Gru Coins
by Amy Crook for Mathlords

This odd little trio is for the same awesome client who got the Continuations art a while back. He wanted something to represent the way some systems worked within his larger project. We named the octopus Paul after the late Paul the Octopus who predicted the world cup results back in 2010. I asked Zack to explain them for you, and this is what he had to say:

“In a marketing illustration for an industrial automation system, our hardworking cephalapod Paul keeps the monies and goods flowing to the highly trained minions and lizard monkeys. Complex processes? No problem. Send down more worms and coins, Paul! These eager minions and rainbow-hued lizard monkeys handle it all with flair and elan. Any rumors that the system’s creator is a somewhat unstable polymath with limited social skills are greatly exaggerated and he asks that this fact not be weighted heavily in purchasing decisions during any ERP downselect process.”

-Zack Galler, Mathlords

We wanted some extra color, so the Hutt got greened up, and the Kowakian Monkey-Lizards were colored rather like Fraggles, plus of course Paul himself is a lovely mottling of ocean green and violet. Gru refused to be dressed up for mere commerce however.

Paul the Octopus, Balance the Force, and Gru Coins, all 7″x5″ pen & ink and Copic marker on paper.

To get a commission of your own, for work or for play, check out my Commissions pages!

Categories: Completed Commissions, People, Figures and Faces, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Whimsical and Strange
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Murder at Sunset

Friday, November 7th, 2014

Murder at Sunset by Amy Crook

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

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

Murder at Sunset, framed art by Amy Crook

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