Archive for the ‘Whimsical and Strange’ Category
Fairytale Sky 3
Monday, December 3rd, 2012
Fairytale Sky 3 by Amy Crook
Having already seen Fairytale Sky 4, you might wonder what happened to 3. Well, it was a gift for a friend and it had to make it all the way to Mongolia! I chose a paint called “Duochrome Tropical Sunrise,” which switches between warm golden and bright green tones, and painted a slender crescent moon to go with the spirally clouds.
Fairytale Sky 3, 5″x5″ watercolor on paper, nfs.
Fairytale Sky 3, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the warm coppery-gold color the paint turns at a certain angles. Below, you can see what it looks like in the frame that kept it safe all the way to Ulaanbaatar.
Fairytale Sky 3, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Daily Art, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Series and Books, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: black paper, fairytale sky, iridescent, moon, nfs, watercolor
Q is for Quilling
Thursday, November 22nd, 2012
Q is for Quilling, calligraphic illumination by Amy Crook
A break from the Holmes Brothers to give thanks for getting my Q on! I finally finished this one yesterday, right under the wire, and I’ve got 4 letters left to do before I’m done. If you’re interested in one of the later letters for a holiday gift, just email me and I’ll give you a preview!
Quilling is an interesting craft for which the supplies are a bit hard to find! I ended up getting Twirled Paper by Klutz Press, which comes with a bunch of lovely colors, and a book of very useful instructions, as well as the “quill” for actually making the coils of paper. After a bit of practice and trial & error, I ended up with a lovely purple Q with a long, curly triple tail.
Q is for Quilling, 5″x5″ quilling paper, glue, Japanese watercolor, and glitter gel pen on paper.
Q is for Quilling, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see a detail of the twirly coils of paper and the sparkly green border. Below, you can see it in a frame — I’ve taken out the glass of a normal frame here, but you might consider a shadow box to protect the coils from dust, kitties and curious fingers.
Q is for Quilling, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Daily Art, Illuminated Alphabet, Series and Books, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: alphabet, calligraphy, for sale, glitter gel pen, glue, green, illumination, purple, quilling paper, watercolor
P is for Pattern and Primary
Thursday, November 15th, 2012
P is for Pattern & Primary, calligraphic illumination by Amy Crook
And now for something completely different! Comic to resume tomorrow, never fear. And remember, you can always see the whole series so far (in order from A) at the alphabet tag.
This came out a bit patriotic as well, though mostly I wanted the red-and-white harlequin background to contrast well with the bright, primary blue of the letter. Gold glitter gel pen adds the yellow for all three primary colors, and since the red is glitter pen as well, the whole thing has a lovely sparkle. Perfect for a Patricia or Peter.
P is for Pattern & Primary, 5″x5″ Japanese watercolor, pen & pink and glitter gel pen on paper.
P is for Pattern & Primary, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the sun shining off the red diamond and gold vine patterns. Below, the P is hanging out all by itself in its frame.
P is for Pattern & Primary, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Daily Art, Illuminated Alphabet, Series and Books, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: alphabet, blue, calligraphy, for sale, glitter gel pen, gold, illumination, pen and ink, red, watercolor
O is for Origami
Thursday, November 8th, 2012
O is for Origami, calligraphic illumination by Amy Crook
I believe this pattern is actually for an origami fried egg, when done with yellow paper and the colors reversed, but I wanted a big, bold shape for my O. The four corners created little points when folded back, so I actually drew the gold pattern on the entire 3″x3″ square background and then glued just the points on the back of the O down. The O floats above the background serenely, and it has to be framed with no glass in order to make room.
This was the first non-flat letter I made, though there’s a few more coming, including the ampersand (&). I’m nearly done with the series, half a dozen letters to go, so if you are curious about one we haven’t seen yet (perhaps for a holiday gift!), just drop me a line and I’ll give you a sneak preview.
O is for Origami, 5″x5″ Origami paper, watercolor and glitter gel pen on paper.
O is for Origami, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the way the origami floats on its background, letting the gold glow beneath it as it sits serenely above, the whole thing surrounded by a simple red border. Below, M is for Majuscule and Miniscule is hanging out with my O to make OM!
O is for Origami and M is for Majuscule & Miniscule, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Daily Art, Illuminated Alphabet, Series and Books, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: alphabet, calligraphy, for sale, glitter gel pen, gold, illumination, orange, origami, watercolor
Delicate Jellyfish
Friday, November 2nd, 2012
Delicate Jellyfish, watercolor by Amy Crook
This is one of those pieces it’s really impossible to get a feel for without seeing it in person, alas. All the paint on it is “duochrome,” which means the green background changes to gold, the pink turns purple and the green in the tentacles goes a totally different shade of purple when it’s tilted into the light just right, giving the piece almost an inverse feel as things that were darker become lighter and vice versa.
Delicate Jellyfish, 4″x6″ duochrome watercolor on green Crane & Co. paper.
Delicate Jellyfish, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see a little of the color-changing effect, though it’s very hard to capture on film. Below, I’m including the frame with this painting because I found the perfect complement. The frame’s made of mother-of-pearl that shimmers just like the painting without detracting from it.
Delicate Jellyfish, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Daily Art, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Tentacles, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: crane and co, duochrome, for sale, green, iridescent, jellyfish, purple, watercolor
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N is for Negative Space
Thursday, November 1st, 2012
N is for Negative Space, calligraphic illumination by Amy Crook
The texture on this one is really subtle; with the red watercolor a very dense and intense tone, the red glitter gel pen nearly vanishes unless it’s at the right angle. I really enjoy the big red shark-fin shape at the bottom, and the deceptive simplicity of this particular letter. Perfect for a Nelson or Natalie or Norbert!
N is for Negative Space, 5″x5″ watercolor stick and glitter gel pen on paper.
N is for Negative Space, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the shining glitter catching the sunlight, giving the whole image a bit of a bluish tint to it. Below, the N is hanging out with next week’s O to spell out every toddler’s favorite word – NO.
N is for Negative Space & O is for Origami, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Daily Art, Illuminated Alphabet, Series and Books, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: alphabet, calligraphy, for sale, glitter gel pen, illumination, pen and ink, red, watercolor
Fairytale Sky 4
Monday, October 29th, 2012
Fairytale Sky 4 by Amy Crook
I have to admit, this particular version of the moon and clouds is done to my very own color preferences, so it’s one of my favorites. There’s a hint of periwinkle in the curve of the huge horned moon, and the clouds are a soft, wispy mix of iridescent blue, interference purple and soft white. The silver stars are smudgy and twinkling on the black paper background, and the whole piece has the feeling of a magic in the air.
Fairytale Sky 4, 5″x5″ Japanese watercolor and duochrome watercolor on Arches cover black paper.
Fairytale Sky 4, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the interplay of blue and purple in the shimmery clouds. Below, the piece is tucked into a frame (with no glass to reduce glare for the photo), and sitting with my iPhone 4s so you get an idea of the size.
Fairytale Sky 4, framed art by Amy Crook
(iPhone not included)
Categories: Daily Art, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Series and Books, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: black paper, fairytale sky, for sale, iridescent, moon, periwinkle, watercolor
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