Posts Tagged ‘brush and ink’

Whimsical Doldrums

Thursday, August 2nd, 2018

Whimsical Doldrums by Amy Crook, panorama of a bichromatic fantasy city under curlicue rainclouds, ink and watercolor on paper

Whimsical Doldrums, 18″x6″ ink and watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper

This particular city skyline has a very specific sort of aesthetic, grim yet filled with delight. From the curlicue clouds to the building that’s a cat, there’s whimsy to go along with the gloom.

The painting is a true panorama, covering a swathe of buildings huddled close against the rain, their outlines loose and details smudged with rainfall.

Where would this whimsical oddity fit into your life?

Whimsical Doldrums, detail, by Amy Crook

Whimsical Doldrums, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see a close-up of some of the buildings in all their grimly delightful glory. Below, this panoramic piece spans the whole writing desk, even without a frame to contain it.

Whimsical Doldrums by Amy Crook

Whimsical Doldrums by Amy Crook

Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Series and Books, Whimsical and Strange
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Deep Ultraviolet

Friday, April 6th, 2018

watercolor painting of tentacles, baby octopuses, and jellyfish on a deep violet backgroudn by Amy Crook

Deep Ultraviolet, 12″x6″ watercolor and white ink on Fluid watercolor paper

In the violet depths of some mysterious sea, light filters down to find shining octopuses, waving tentacle fronds, and frolicking jellyfish.

Ultraviolet is the Pantone color of the year, and somehow the word seemed to fit this mix of vivid purples and shining metallics. There’s a sense of more going on than the eye can see, life just around the corner of vision.

What lies deep in these oceans?

Deep Ultraviolet, detail, by Amy Crook

Deep Ultraviolet, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the iridescent blue and duochrome mauve highlights on the floating jellies. Below, this art is in a temporary frame, waiting to bring its gorgeous mystery into your beautiful home.

Deep Ultraviolet, framed art by Amy Crook

Deep Ultraviolet, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Tentacles, Whimsical and Strange
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Vestiges

Tuesday, April 3rd, 2018

Vestiges, a watercolor painting in bright blues and turquoise of alien underwater ruins, by Amy Crook

Vestiges, 8″x4″ watercolor and white ink on Fluid watercolor paper

A vivid ultramarine blue ocean, with hints of purple and turquoise both. This ocean is alien and strange, with the many-eyed whale floating along in the background, and the shattered remains of some long-lost civilization in the fore.

Whatever was once here, the vestiges that were left have their own kind of beauty.

Vestiges, detail, by Amy Crook

Vestiges, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the cracked dome up close, with our whale peeking in as it glides by in the distance. Below, the painting is in a temporary frame, waiting to adorn your home with its peculiar beauty.

Vestiges, framed art by Amy Crook

Vestiges, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Series and Books
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Santa Cat

Friday, December 8th, 2017

Santa Cat, ink art by Amy Crook

Santa Cat, 7″x5″ ink on paper

Happy Holidays!

Santa Cat knows exactly what to do during the busy holiday season — sleep.

Rendered in gold-infused grey and red ink, and a softer grey, it takes just a few lines to suggest the shape of a sleeping cat that’s gotten into the Christmas decorations.

This would make a gorgeous holiday decoration, full of whimsy and peace, to bring out year after year.

Santa Cat, detail, by Amy Crook

Santa Cat, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see where there’s a teeny tiny bit of sparkle hiding in the ink. Below, you can enjoy the kitty napping away in its frame, pretending not to acknowledge the pun in the title. Ahem.

Santa Cat, framed art by Amy Crook

Santa Cat, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Card Design, Floating Gallery, Sea Creatures and Other Animals
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To Have Ambition

Wednesday, December 6th, 2017

To Have Ambition, word art by Amy Crook

To Have Ambition, 7″x5″ ink and pencil on paper

Who would have thought that cheesy ’80s pop music would spawn further art? The Gang of Four song I Love a Man in a Uniform has always held this little gem that, on some tired days, feels like my life motto.

To have ambition is my ambition

This word art piece uses beautiful sparkling inks and has elaborate decorations in varying stages of doneness to represent the unfulfilled ambitions — from fully realized illumunation around the capital to the barely-sketched design beneath the final word, process becomes product.

To Have Ambition, detail, by Amy Crook

To Have Ambition, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the shiny embedded in pretty much all of the ink used in this piece. Below, you can see how it looks in a frame, a gorgeous example of artistic hopefulness.

To Have Ambition, framed art by Amy Crook

To Have Ambition, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Floating Gallery, Pretty Words, Things I'm a Fan Of
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Growth 9

Wednesday, November 8th, 2017

Growth 9, abstract art by Amy Crook

Growth 9, 5″x7″ ink on paper

One person who saw this said, “This looks like my soul before coffee.”

Sometimes you’ve got darkness swirling inside with the golden good bits, and you just need to send those little pieces of yourself out into the world to try to find more lightness.

This Growth painting is for everyone who has a hard time with wanting to remain invisible, even when they also want to reach out and connect.

Growth 9, detail, by Amy Crook

Growth 9, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the subtle gradations of color and shadow, the play of light in the golden-flecked center. Below, this piece is contained in a frame, trying to outgrow the confines of its page.

Growth 9, framed art by Amy Crook

Growth 9, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Floating Gallery, Series and Books
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The Autumn of Ashes

Monday, November 6th, 2017

The Autumn of Ashes, ink art by Amy Crook

The Autumn of Ashes, 8″x4″ ink on Fluid watercolor paper

A ghostly apparition, white fog, and a leaf-crowned tree.

A bright pop of color slowly embraced by the fog, warm red-brown bark supporting the green and gold foliage of early fall. A cool grey figure that might be a spirit or might just be hidden by the mist.

What stories can you write for this image?

This is the perfect painting for someone with a head full of fairy tales who just needs a starting point to get their fingers moving.

The Autumn of Ashes, detail, by Amy Crook

The Autumn of Ashes, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the way the tree fades into the fog, and the tiny bit of mysterious shimmer hiding in the red-brown bark. Below, the piece floats in a frame, full of subtle detail the scanner can’t capture.

The Autumn of Ashes, framed art by Amy Crook

The Autumn of Ashes, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, People, Figures and Faces, Zombies, Skulls, and Other Morbid Things
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