Archive for the ‘Whimsical and Strange’ Category
Crows Fabric
Monday, December 10th, 2012
Crows fabric design by Amy Crook
I decided at some point that it would be neat to have some polka-dot crows fabric in my Scribble Goth line, and I finally got around to doodling up some crows with a fountain pen, and then turning them into a pattern. The basic four birds can be seen above, and below there’s the two fabric designs. They’re not for sale yet (I have to buy a $5 test swatch of each before they can be), so if you’re interested in having some crows of your own, just let me know!
I think my favorite part is how 3 of them are looking right, but one crow is like “no, the interesting stuff is over here.”
Categories: Daily Art, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: crow, fabric, nfs, pen and ink, scribble goth
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Fairytale Sky 5
Friday, December 7th, 2012
Fairytale Sky 5 by Amy Crook
Friday’s always a good day for fairytales, don’t you think? Fairytale Sky 5 makes me think of those times when the clouds are just starting to break up and the moon is peeking through, wreathed in mysterious mists.
I used water to add lighter places to the blue-black background, then swirled clouds in interference violet, that look silver from one angle and vivid purple the next. The moon, too, is limned with silver, adding shine to this bit of deep night.
Fairytale Sky 5, 8″x8″ watercolor on paper, nfs (sold).
Fairytale Sky 5, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the light shining off the silver moon and violet clouds on a background of velvety midnight blue. Below, you can see the piece in a frame, just waiting for the right wall. You can even see Pod lurking in the background, waiting for me to stop all my foolish picture-taking and pet him.
Fairytale Sky 5, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Daily Art, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Series and Books, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: fairytale sky, iridescent, japanese watercolor, moon, nfs, sold, watercolor
R is for Retro
Thursday, December 6th, 2012
R is for Retro, calligraphic illumination by Amy Crook
Do you know a Renee or Robert who loves retro design? This R has a bit of sparkle, a bit of old-school charm, and a lot of pink and teal. The grey R is outlined in black and silver, and the red border and designs are also done in shiny glitter. I’m almost done with my alphabet, too, so if you’ve been waiting on T or V, they’ll be up soon!
R is for Retro, 5″x5″ Japanese watercolor and glitter gel pen on paper.
R is for Retro, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the shine of glitter on both borders, highlighting the rich, opaque pink and teal. Below, the R is hanging out with a few sneak peeks to spell STAR.
S, T, A & R, calligraphic illuminations 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, pink, purple, red, silver, teal
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
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