Archive for the ‘Whimsical and Strange’ Category
Firefly Moon
Friday, August 5th, 2016
Firefly Moon, 6″x4″ interference watercolor and Japanese watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper
Fireflies flash and hide in this misty, delicately textured night scene. The sky is full of soft clouds and the subtle shine of stars behind them, the bright moon glowing against the fog.
The beautiful green shines when the light hits it, but nearly vanishes when it’s in shadow, just the way real fireflies only sometimes glow with their mysterious phosphorescence.
Did you used to chase them on lazy summer nights, trying to hold the stars in the palm of your hand?
Firefly Moon, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the green shine catch the light and glow against the misty sky behind it. Below, this tiny beauty is waiting in a frame so you can keep those summer memories always close at hand.
Firefly Moon, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Series and Books, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: fireflies, interference, japanese watercolor, moon, nfs, sold, watercolor
Arthur and Eames sticker designs
Thursday, July 14th, 2016
Arthur & Eames stickers by Amy Crook
Tumblr is celebrating the 6th anniversary of Inception, and they held an all-day chat dedicated to getting people to finish their works in progress. The lovely person running it asked me to design some stickers for those who participated, so I made Arthur for anyone who came to write at all, and Eames for those who finished & posted something.
I didn’t have a ton of time, and these stickers are actually only 1.5″ high, so I went for a quick, colorful chibi design to give us the essence of these two lovely characters without getting all fussy about the details.
Happy Inceptiversary!
Categories: People, Figures and Faces, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: arthur, chibi, copic marker, eames, inception, inceptiversary, pen and ink
Dragonfly Airship
Thursday, July 7th, 2016
Dragonfly Airship, 7″x5″ Japanese watercolor and pen & ink on paper
This is the first of the end-of-gallery Airship series that really gelled in a beautiful, detailed way. The gorgeously patterned dragonfly wings work with the body of the ship. The windows on the body imply a fascinating sense of scale. The ornamentation hovers somewhere between the whimsy of steampunk and the sleekness of retro-futurism, with the flower-petal propeller adding the final touch of whimsy.
This painting is perfect for sparking the imagination, sending your mind on short flights of fancy to keep your day floating along peacefully.
Dragonfly Airship, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see a detail of the painted pattern, evoking without copying a firefly’s delicate wings. Below, the art is sitting in a frame, just waiting to fly off to its new home.
Dragonfly Airship, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Floating Gallery, Series and Books, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: airship, japanese watercolor, nfs, pen and ink, sold, watercolor
Tea Shelf
Sunday, July 3rd, 2016
Tea Shelf, 8″x4″ pencil and watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper
Cup, cup, cat, cup, cup, tin.
Whimsy and tea, what more could you want? This delightful little watercolor shows a shelf of goodies, from a beautiful celadon teacup and saucer to a cheerfully antisocial mug. The gloved “hands” that hold up the shelf add to the delight, especially with a wee mouse sleeping happily in one of them. The sleeping-cat figurine might be my favorite part.
What’s yours?
Tea Shelf, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the mug that I really do need to get made, and the adorable sly grey kitty figurine next to it. Below, the piece is in its temporary frame, showing off before it gets whisked away to its new home.
Tea Shelf, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Floating Gallery, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: nfs, sold, tea, watercolor
Birthday Books
Saturday, July 2nd, 2016
Birthday Books, 5″x7″ Primatek watercolor and brush & ink on paper
For a dose of whimsy and delight, this charming little brush and ink painting is colored with rich, earthy watercolors, giving the feel of old library books and really good gifts.
The best birthdays come with books.
Now that’s a sentiment I can get behind. Art is another excellent choice, of course.
What’s your favorite gift to give or get?
Birthday Books, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the loose whimsy of the brush-and-ink illustration and the earthy watercolors. Below, the whimsy is contained in a frame, ready to grace your favorite bookshelf.
Birthday Books, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Card Design, Floating Gallery, Series and Books, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: birthday, books, brush pen, for sale, primatek, watercolor
Goldilocks
Thursday, June 23rd, 2016
Goldilocks, 8″x10″ watercolor on watercolor paper
The collector that bought Mercy House thought it had a Three Bears feel to it, and asked for a Goldilocks commission to go with it. It has the same feeling of abstract greenery, but shot through this time with light instead of darkness, the gold of the girl’s hair bouncing around her in sunlight among the leaves as she strolls through the forest. Everything has a soft, surreal feeling to it, suitable to this classic fairy tale.
Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Completed Commissions, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, People, Figures and Faces, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: commission, goldilocks, nfs, sold, watercolor
Latibulize
Tuesday, June 7th, 2016
Latibulize: to retire into a hiding-place or retreat,
pen & ink and Copic marker on paper – $25
A good word for a day when the world is too much, and all you want to do is hide under a blankie (book optional).
And just for fun, here it is with the hiding-space color-reversed to make a nice cosy cave.
Latibulize, word art by Amy Crook
Categories: Pretty Words, Series and Books, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: copic marker, pen and ink, word art, word art weds
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