Archive for the ‘Whimsical and Strange’ Category
Cuppa Exuberance
Saturday, April 4th, 2015
Cuppa Exuberance by Amy Crook
I love tea, and I love teacups in all their strange and varied glory. There’s a design for everyone out there, and I decided to take my hand at drawing a few.
The first in a series, this cheerful cup of spring is leaping in its exuberance for life. From sky blue to gentle green, the lovely purple of crocuses and the soft yellow bumblebee, this cup celebrates the changing of the seasons.
I hand-painted metallic gold over certain details, including the word “exuberance” on the teabag tag, just like a real china cup might have.
You can bring a sense of celebration into your life every day with this Cuppa Exuberance.
Cuppa Exuberance, 7″x5″ pen & ink and watercolor on paper.
Cuppa Exuberance, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the shine of golden paint on the lovely purple tea tag, and the soft grey ink I used to for the linework on this pastel cuppa. Below, you can see it tucked into a frame, its enthusiasm gently contained.
Cuppa Exuberance, framed at by Amy Crook
Categories: Floating Gallery, Series and Books, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: cuppa, metallic watercolor, nfs, pen and ink, sold, tea, watercolor
The Sun Has Fallen for the Moon
Thursday, April 2nd, 2015
The Sun Has Fallen for the Moon by Amy Crook
This painting is inspired by a line in a Teddy Geiger song, “The sun had fallen for the moon.” I brought it into the present tense to go with the sun’s adoring eyes, and the moon’s sweet blush. The sky is quite pale, the very end of sunset on a day without too many clouds, night just starting to lower its curtain and snuff out the glow of day.
The wobbly white brush calligraphy along the dark horizon adds to the sweetness of the scene, making it feel even more like a fairy tale. The sense of magic and romance fits well with the soft colors of the sky, blues and purples, oranges and golds.
Bring this little start of a story into your life, and spend as long as you like figuring out how their tale ends. The sun has fallen for the moon… but what happens next?
The Sun Has Fallen for the Moon, 6″x6″ watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper.
The Sun Has Fallen for the Moon, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the moon’s shining face, her soft features and the most delicate of blue blushes on her round cheeks. Below, the piece is in a temporary frame, but I think would look best with a custom mat to set off the colors.
The Sun Has Fallen for the Moon, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, People, Figures and Faces, Things I'm a Fan Of, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: moon, nfs, sold, sunset, watercolor
Cuppa Confidence
Wednesday, March 25th, 2015
Cuppa Confidence, commission by Amy Crook for Jo Van Every
Another commission for the delightful Jo Van Every! This time it was for her website, where we were trying to find a good visual metaphor for one of her services. I suggested the cup of tea, something calming and confidence-boosting, and added in the “confidence” on the tag in Photoshop later.
After a recent client meeting I realized that one of the things I do for people is help them feel more confident before a big thing. This particular client got short-listed for a job. We had a session before her interview. She hung up feeling more confident about what she could bring to that job, how to communicate that in the interview, who else she could go to for support, and how to ask them confidently. It may be a cliche but a picture is worth a 1000 words, so I talked to Amy about how to capture that outcome in an image and we came up with the Cuppa Confidence. Because tea makes everything better.
-Jo Van Every
I was so inspired by this idea that I’ve started a little series of watercolors around this theme, and you’ll see Exuberance in this April’s Floating Gallery very soon.
Cuppa Confidence, 7″x5″ pen & ink and watercolor on paper.
Categories: Completed Commissions, Things I'm a Fan Of, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: all rights reserved, cartoon, commission, cuppa, jo vanevery, nfs, pen and ink, tea, watercolor
Raptor
Monday, March 23rd, 2015
Raptor, commission by Amy Crook for Jo Van Every
Jo’s commissioned a lot of things from me over the past couple of years, and this was one of the simplest, though it took some thought before setting brush to paper. She’d found this lovely image of a raptor diving out of its nest on a cliff that we both loved, and I wanted that feeling of the leap without burdening the image with too much detail.
This is what Jo has to say about it:
I recently restarted a yoga practice. Doing sun arms seems to summon an image of me as a raptor taking off from a cliff edge. Which is a wonderful feeling of freedom. I decided to commission Amy to paint it so I can have a reminder on the wall above my computer even when both hands are busy doing something else.
-Jo Van Every
Raptor, 7″x5″ brush and ink on paper.
Categories: Completed Commissions, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: all rights reserved, bird, brush and ink, commission, jo vanevery, nfs, not that kind of raptor, sold
You’re Not Planning to Wear This, Are You?
Monday, March 2nd, 2015
You’re Not Planning to Wear This, Are You? by Amy Crook
This dark-eyed beauty is just making sure that you weren’t going to actually try to wear the garment she’s laying on. Or, if you were, that it has the requisite quantity of cat hair on it.
This loose watercolor captures the regal essence of a cat determined to be queen of the world without regard for what the staff thinks. The soft tortoiseshell coloring contrasts beautifully with the turquoise garment, and there’s a touch of pale blue in the background that’s hard to see in reproductions.
You’re Not Planning to Wear This, Are You?, 6″x4″ watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper.
You’re Not Planning to Wear This, Are You?, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the loose brushstrokes and intense, black-lined green eyes of this gorgeous creature. Below, she’s chilling in a frame, pleased to be displayed as she deserves.
You’re Not Planning to Wear This, Are You?, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Floating Gallery, Things I'm a Fan Of, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: cat, for sale, watercolor
Self-Portrait of the Artist as a Villain, with Cats
Monday, February 16th, 2015
Self-Portrait of the Artist as a Villain, with Cats, by Amy Crook
It’s been so long since I dyed my hair or drew a weeble, I decided it was time for a new self-portrait. I drew myself in the style of my Sherlock and Doctor Who fan art comics, so now I, too, can be a fancy stick figure. I’ve also updated the site to match my awesome purple villain chair, I hope you enjoy the cool violets that have replaced my beloved bloody reds.
Pod is sitting in my lap, with Belladonna up top, and the three of us have identical unimpressed expressions, which amuses me greatly. The ‘NO’ t-shirt isn’t actually in my collection, but it’s one of my favorite words. It’s useful in so many situations!
Categories: People, Figures and Faces, Series and Books, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: cats, copic marker, nfs, pen and ink, purple, self portrait
Dreamlands 2
Wednesday, February 4th, 2015
Dreamlands 2 by Amy Crook
I’ve gone in a different, much more Seussian direction in my second Dreamlands painting. Bright colors and strange, off-kilter shapes give this painting a whimsy that feels like it’s straight out of a child’s dream of the big city.
There’s a tree full of apartments, a house made of houses, and a shining beacon atop a cross between a cactus and the Gherkin building. I can’t decide what I like best, the cheerful yellow windows, the shimmering stars above, or the overall feeling of warmth and welcome.
When I look at this painting, I think of Gonzo singing, “I’ve never been there, but I know the way. I’m going to go back there someday.”
Dreamlands 2, 7″X5″ Japanese and metallic watercolor on Arches cover black paper.
Dreamlands 2, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see some of the buildings up close, including the tower of houses and the looming dome behind it. Below, you can see the piece in a frame, just waiting to bring its strange, whimsical dreams into your life.
Dreamlands 2, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Series and Books, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: city, Dr. Seuss, dreamlands, for sale, japanese watercolor, metallic, moon
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