Posts Tagged ‘black paper’

Misty Moon

Monday, October 1st, 2012

Misty Moon, watercolor by Amy Crook

Misty Moon, watercolor by Amy Crook

This piece is of course related to the Fairytale Sky series, but something about the way the moon was surrounded by a halo of silver demanded a different name. The clouds are looser, too, lots of extra curls and and brushstrokes escaping the main spirals. I got to use some nifty new paint on them, a duochrome aqua that changes from bluer to greener depending on the angle and the light.

The whole painting is small enough to tuck into a corner of your desk and give you a bit of mystery whenever you want it.

Misty Moon, 6″x4″ watercolor on paper, nfs (sold).

Misty Moon, detail 1, by Amy Crook

Misty Moon, detail 1, by Amy Crook

Above and below you can see the art from different angles, with the mist showing up sky blue or aqua green depending on how the light hits.

Misty Moon, detail 2, by Amy Crook

Misty Moon, detail 2, by Amy Crook

And below you can see it in its frame, all ready to make its way to your desk, bedside table or bookshelf.

Misty Moon, framed art by Amy Crook

Misty Moon, framed art by Amy Crook
(iPhone included for scale)

Categories: Daily Art, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: , , , , , , ,
2 Comments »


The Stars Are Right 4

Friday, September 21st, 2012

The Stars Are Right 4 by Amy Crook

The Stars Are Right 4 by Amy Crook

A baleful yellow planted like a great eye stares out from the cold depths of space, sending golden chanting out into the void in a mysterious ancient language. The surrounding stars are a shimmery green, adding to the surreal feeling of the piece. This piece would a nice touch of eerie Lovecraftian horror to any office or home. Well, for certain values of nice, anyway.

The Stars Are Right 4, 10″x8″ Japanese watercolor and glitter gel pen on Arches cover black paper.

The Stars Are Right 4, detail, by Amy Crook

The Stars Are Right 4, detail, by Amy Crook

Above you can see the shiny gold glitter “lettering” and iridescent green starnext to the eye-like yellow planet. Below, I’ve put it in a frame and let it loom over my comparatively wee iPhone for your visual reference.

The Stars Are Right 4, framed art by Amy Crook

The Stars Are Right 4, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Daily Art, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of
Tags: , , , , , , , ,


Vampire Moon

Monday, September 17th, 2012

Vampire Moon by Amy Crook

Vampire Moon by Amy Crook
(Halloween is on its way, hooray, hooray!)

Skulls and candy and spooky things are starting to appear all over the US, and it put me in a Halloween mood. I’d been meaning to see if I could control the shadowy patterns on my moons better, so this was an excellent way to experiment. The fanged skull on the ghostly white full moon is accompanied by a reddish, iridescent mist curling through a night sky strangely devoid of stars.

Spooky!

Vampire Moon, 5″x5″ Japanese watercolor on Arches cover black paper.

Vampire Moon, detail, by Amy Crook

Vampire Moon, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the iridescent red paint shimmering against the matte black paper, with the moon lurking in the background. Below, I’m all ready for Halloween with my Godiva Bear and the framed art.

Vampire Moon, framed art by Amy Crook

Vampire Moon, framed art by Amy Crook
(bear and iPhone not included)

Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Daily Art, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Zombies, Skulls, and Other Morbid Things
Tags: , , , , , , , ,


Brass Gates to Midnight

Friday, September 7th, 2012

Brass Gates to Midnight, watercolor by Amy Crook

Brass Gates to Midnight, watercolor by Amy Crook

Swirls of brass run through the range from the brown of oxidization to the bright gold of fresh polish on this half of a pair of gates, the other open and swung out of sight, inviting us through to the sliver of midnight forest we can see behind it. Astute eyes will pick out the shapes of starlit evergreens in the darker black, along with the little secret hanging out amidst the curls of brass. This one is, to me, as much of a fairytale as Monday’s art, an invitation into the lands of imagination that’s always open.

Brass Gates to Midnight, 5″x5″ Japanese watercolor on Arches cover black paper.

Brass Gates to Midnight, detail, by Amy Crook

Brass Gates to Midnight, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, the gold paint shines in the sunlight, and the silver stars glow up above. If you click on the image to see it larger, you can even get a good view of the little green-haired fairy lad chilling amongst the curls of brass. Below, it’s hanging out on a wall with my collection of duckies, and a ruler since my iPhone wasn’t feeling tall enough for the task.

Brass Gates to Midnight, framed art by Amy Crook

Brass Gates to Midnight, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Daily Art, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: , , , , , ,
1 Comment »


Fairytale Sky 2

Monday, September 3rd, 2012

Fairytale Sky 2 by Amy Crook

Fairytale Sky 2 by Amy Crook

I liked the larger Fairytale Sky from a couple of weeks ago so much that I decided to try a smaller version with a slightly different focus. This one’s got clouds made of mysterious iridescent blue, with stars in silver and purple, and the moon itself done in a mix of silver and white with the dark side painted in in a slightly deeper black than the paper. I really like how the whole thing came out, dreamy and welcoming with just a hint of otherworldly mystery and shine.

Fairytale Sky, 6″x4″ iridescent watercolor on Arches cover black paper, nfs.

Fairytale Sky, framed art by Amy Crook

Fairytale Sky, framed art by Amy Crook

Above you can see the art piece with my phone, even smaller than my usual and fitting neatly into its frame like a tiny window peeking out onto the night sky of some fairytale.

Categories: Daily Art, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: , , , , ,
3 Comments »


Cassiopeia

Monday, August 27th, 2012

Cassiopeia by Amy Crook

Cassiopeia by Amy Crook

I have been thinking I might want to do some more ordered skies, rather than just the random dots I usually paint, but to be honest when I look up at the stars I mostly see… random dots. Thanks to the power of Google, however, I’ve brought you Cassiopeia done up like a prog rock album cover from the ’70s complete with groovy, glittery calligraphy. Fortunately, I know someone who loves the colors, the constellation and prog rock, so they know what they’re getting for Christmas.

The perks of hanging out with an artist, right?

Cassiopeia, 5″x5″ mixed media on paper, nfs.

Cassiopeia, detail, by Amy Crook

Cassiopeia, detail, by Amy Crook

There’s actually a fine layer of sparkly salt crystals mixed in with the iridescent red paint and the whiter glow of the moon on this, which you can only see in the sun from certain angles. This whole piece blends minimalism with bling in a way that amuses me greatly, so I’m glad it’s going to someone that’s already making grabbyhands at it.

Categories: Daily Art, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes
Tags: , , , , , , , ,


Fairytale Sky

Monday, August 20th, 2012

Fairytale Sky watercolor by Amy Crook

Fairytale Sky watercolor by Amy Crook

This piece exists in the intersection of realism and whimsy. It started with a white crescent moon that fades mysteriously to its dark side with a pitted, rocky texture. Then the cheerful periwinkle clouds spiral through the field of silver stars that shine out in the dark black of the paper. It’s an image that brings to mind the magic of bedtime stories and fairy tales, even the ones with happy endings.

Fairytale Sky, 10″x8″ Japanese watercolor on Arches cover black paper, nfs (sold).

Fairytale Sky, detail, by Amy Crook

Fairytale Sky, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the silver stars catching the light against the paper – Arches makes this soft black paper for printmaking, but I like it because the black is chemical rather than dyed, so it never fades from its original velvety charcoal color. Below, you can see how this painting might look on your desk, well, if you’ve got the kind of desk I do, anyway. It’s bigger than a lot of my skies, so it would also work well on a bedroom wall or above someone’s bed to help assure sweet dreams.

Fairytale Sky, framed art by Amy Crook

Fairytale Sky, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Daily Art, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: , , , , , , ,
1 Comment »


« Or Head Back That Way Drip divider More Art This Way »