Archive for the ‘Whimsical and Strange’ Category

Fairytale Sky 6

Monday, December 24th, 2012

Fairytale Sky 6 by Amy Crook

Fairytale Sky 6 by Amy Crook

This sixth Fairytale Sky painting was another Christmas gift, it seems to be a trend this year! This one’s for a good friend and patron of mine who bought the 1st and 5th paintings out of the series, so it seemed only fitting to paint one specifically for her (as she puts it) “Wall of Amy.” The swirling clouds in this one go from pink to purple depending on the angle, shimmering with a mysterious iridescence that’s just faintly echoed in the moon.

Fairytale Sky 6, 6″x4″ watercolor on paper, nfs.

Fairytale Sky 6, detail, by Amy Crook

Fairytale Sky 6, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the way the colors shimmer on the black paper, silver for the stars and pink-purple for the spiraling clouds.

Happy Christmas Eve, or at least Happy Monday. Watch out for wayward Skellingtons impersonating Sandy Claws tonight. ♥

Categories: Daily Art, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Series and Books, Whimsical and Strange
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S is for Spirals

Thursday, December 13th, 2012

S is for Spirals, calligraphic illumination by Amy Crook

S is for Spirals, calligraphic illumination by Amy Crook

I originally planned on doing Sharpie for S, but in the end the spirals won my heart. I used clean, simple shades of blue and silver for the S, perfect for a Steve or Susan that needs a bit of sparkle in their life.

S is for Spirals, 5″x5″ pen & ink, Japanese watercolor and glitter gel pen on paper.

S is for Spirals, detail, by Amy Crook

S is for Spirals, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the light shining off the silver glitter spirals. Below, you can see STAR all spelled out with my alphabet.

S, T, A & R, calligraphic illuminations by Amy Crook

S, T, A & R, calligraphic illuminations by Amy Crook

Categories: Daily Art, Illuminated Alphabet, Series and Books, Whimsical and Strange
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Crows Fabric

Monday, December 10th, 2012

Crows fabric design by Amy Crook

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.”

Scribble Goth - Crows

Scribble Goth - Albino Crows

Categories: Daily Art, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Whimsical and Strange
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Fairytale Sky 5

Friday, December 7th, 2012

Fairytale Sky 5 by Amy Crook

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

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

Fairytale Sky 5, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Daily Art, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Series and Books, Whimsical and Strange
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R is for Retro

Thursday, December 6th, 2012

R is for Retro, calligraphic illumination by Amy Crook

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

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

S, T, A & R, calligraphic illuminations by Amy Crook

Categories: Daily Art, Illuminated Alphabet, Series and Books, Whimsical and Strange
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Fairytale Sky 3

Monday, December 3rd, 2012

Fairytale Sky 3 by Amy Crook

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

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

Fairytale Sky 3, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Daily Art, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Series and Books, Whimsical and Strange
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Q is for Quilling

Thursday, November 22nd, 2012

Q is for Quilling, calligraphic illumination by Amy Crook

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

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

Q is for Quilling, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Daily Art, Illuminated Alphabet, Series and Books, Whimsical and Strange
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