Archive for the ‘Sea Creatures and Other Animals’ Category
Jellyfish Bloom
Monday, October 6th, 2014
Jellyfish Bloom by Amy Crook
I went to Monterey Bay Aquarium recently, where they have two different exhibits full of jellyfish. I love the way the jellies just float serenely along, totally oblivious to the tug of gravity, going up or down or whichever way suits them at the moment. Their tentacles trail along behind like the tails of comets, following with the same slow, careless air.
The splash of sunlight at the top of this painting made me want to give them a bit of a gold sheen, so I used the palest gold paint I have (doesn’t everyone have 7 shades of gold paint?). There’s a tiny bit of salt hiding in this painting, and the background is shining and iridescent, giving everything an ethereal, underwater glow.
Jellyfish Bloom, 7″x5″ salt, metallic watercolor, and iridescent watercolor on paper.
Jellyfish Bloom, detail, by Amy Crook
It’s annoyingly difficult to photograph shiny things, because the white of the paper ends up looking grey by comparison, but you can get a little hint of the iridescent sheen that hides in the turquoise waters with the shiny gold jellies in the photo above. Below, the piece in a frame, looking rather more green from the bright sunlight.
Jellyfish Boom, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Floating Gallery, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Series and Books, Tentacles
Tags: iridescent watercolor, jellyfish, metallic, metallic watercolor, more cowbell, nfs, salt, sold, underwater
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Seven More
Wednesday, September 17th, 2014
Seven More by Amy Crook
The wonderful patron who owns Seven for a Secret wanted a similar painting to send as a gift for someone who needed cheering. I painted a lighter, bluer sky with greener, more summery trees for him. The whole painting has a much more cheery sort of sky than the original, with my new favorite flock of crows flying in the distance. I’m really starting to get the hang of the tiny crows, I think, which is why I’ve been painting bats and geese instead. Perhaps October’s trees will get some crows to go with them.
I have reports that it’s been well-received and the recipient was much cheered by it, so hooray.
Seven More, 8″x4″ watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper.
Categories: Completed Commissions, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Sea Creatures and Other Animals
Tags: commission, crow, horizons, nfs, sold, tree, watercolor
Flying V
Friday, September 5th, 2014
Flying V by Amy Crook
You can tell I really miss fall, because this is the second painting this month with the lovely dead trees. This time it’s a V of geese flying in the distance, taking the last breath of summer south with them so winter can finally come.
Last month, two patrons were interested in Sleep Until the Sun Goes Down, and the one who didn’t buy it told me she’d have preferred geese. Fortunately, I have that power, and now she’s happily bought her own spooky trees.
Flying V, 8″x4″ pen & ink and watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper.
Flying V, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the geese making their way across the sky in their even formation. Below, you can see them in a frame, hanging out with my iPhone so you can see how tiny they really are.
Flying V, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Series and Books
Tags: geese, horizons, nfs, pen and ink, sold, tree, watercolor
Stormriders
Tuesday, September 2nd, 2014
Stormriders by Amy Crook
Three small crows brave the stormy skies, suspended between the upward-reaching branches of the tree and the downward-reaching fork of lightning. The clouds are limned in violet light all around the silver bolt, adding an extra touch of mystery.
Stormriders, 6″x4″ pen & ink, watercolor, and metallic and interference watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper.
Stormriders, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the way the light shines off the silver and interference violet paints in the lightning and clouds. Below, you can see the piece in a frame. It’s small, but it’s fierce!
Stormriders, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Series and Books
Tags: clouds, crow, horizons, interference, lightning, metallic watercolor, nfs, pen and ink, purple, sold, spirals, storm, tree, watercolor
Sleep Until the Sun Goes Down
Monday, August 4th, 2014
Sleep Until the Sun Goes Down by Amy Crook
I’ve painted lots of skies full of crows, but today I decided to go a different way with my dark Halloween heart and paint bats. Because bats!
There’s a tiny hint of nighttime violet in the upper left, but it’s being chased away by the sunrise glowing at bottom of the painting, where seven winter-barren trees peek up into the frame. There’s 13 flying bats (of course) and 3 already sleeping in the lightning-split tree they call their home.
Sleep Until the Sun Goes Down, 8″x4″ pen & ink and watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper.
Sleep Until the Sun Goes Down, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the bats coming in for a landing, and the three sleepers at the very top of the tree. Below, you can see the piece in a temporary frame, just waiting for the right wall to hold it.
Sleep Until the Sun Goes Down, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Things I'm a Fan Of, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: baaaaaaaats, bats, horizons, nfs, pen and ink, sold, tree, watercolor
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Crows in the Gloaming
Friday, June 27th, 2014
Crows in the Gloaming, watercolor by Amy Crook
I’m deeply dissatisfied with Photoshop’s inability to show the soft, mysterious violets in this, instead turning it magenta and blue and every color but the ones you get in the real thing. The crows themselves are a dusky, matte black that really pops, the three phases of flight gliding past the clouds in the purple twilight.
I’m really happy with how these crows look, almost completely in silhouette with just a little bit of soft detail on the far wings of the outer two, with the one in the center a dark blot on the sky.
It probably says something about me that I like dark blots on the sky.
Crows in the Gloaming, 8″x4″ watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper.
Crows in the Gloaming, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the upper left crow, with just a little granulated light shining off the feathers here and there. Below, you can see the piece in a temporary frame, with the closest color to the real thing. But still not right, dammit.
Crows in the Gloaming, framed art by Amy Crook
Crows in the Gloaming will be available for purchase in July’s Floating Gallery. You can get a chance to snag it early if you’re on my list.
Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Series and Books
Tags: crow, for sale, purple, watercolor
Two Fish
Saturday, June 7th, 2014
Two Fish, watercolor by Amy Crook
Two fish, different, but still swimming together in the vibrant purple depths. The bottom fish flashes between purple and blue, and the top fish has gold-to-green duochrome paint on one half, and gold-to-orange on the other.
To me, this painting is about support. The bottom fish is always there, just on the edge of awareness, ready to rise up when he’s needed.
Two Fish, 4″x8″ Japanese watercolor and duochrome watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper.
Two Fish, detail, by Amy Crook
You can really see the blue, gold, and orange catching the sunlight above, turning the purple water to a muted, matte background for the fishes’ brilliance. Below, the fish are swimming in a temporary frame, bright in the middle of darkness.
Two Fish, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Floating Gallery, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: duochrome, fish, for sale, japanese watercolor
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