Posts Tagged ‘for sale’

A Murder of Crows 2

Friday, October 5th, 2012

A Murder of Crows 2 by Amy Crook

A Murder of Crows 2 by Amy Crook

This piece is visually and thematically related to A Murder of Crows, but this time instead of swirling around calligraphy these pen-and-ink crows are coming to rest on some power lines. They were inspired by the convocation of crows that’s often outside my window, including the loud fellow who woke me up this morning by scolding my cat, who just chittered excitedly right back.

I had a tiny frame I got from who knows where that I wanted to make something just to fit, and this murder of seven crows seemed like the perfect flock for the small space.

A Murder of Crows 2, 3.5″x5″ pen & ink and watercolor on watercolor paper.

A Murder of Crows 2, detail, by Amy Crook

A Murder of Crows 2, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, there’s a little detail of one of the crows, who was scribbled in with a fountain pen and then smoothed out with a paintbrush and water to give him a soft, almost glowing quality. Below, you can see the piece in the frame that inspired it, nearly as small as my iPhone.

A Murder of Crows 2, framed art by Amy Crook

A Murder of Crows 2, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Daily Art, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Series and Books
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K is for Greek Key

Thursday, October 4th, 2012

K is for Greek Key, calligraphic illumination by Amy Crook

K is for Greek Key, calligraphic illumination by Amy Crook

It’s a bit cheating to use the Greek Key pattern for K, but it was the option that appealed to me the most. It’s hard to do kerning with only one letter, after all!

I ended up designing my own Greek Key in Illustrator, printing it, and using my lightbox to copy it in blue glitter gel pen onto the K. All the tools of the modern age are getting put to use as I explore the historic art of calligraphic illumination.

K is for Greek Key, 5″x5″ pen & ink, Japanese watercolor, and glitter gel pen on paper.

K is for Greek Key, detail, by Amy Crook

K is for Greek Key, detail, by Amy Crook

Between the color and the glitter, I had a really hard time photographing this piece. The Key pattern blends into the soft blue background to the camera, but of course your eye immediately catches the light. Below, you can see it in a frame, spelling out the word I said when I realized I didn’t have a framed photo for it.

K is for Greek Key, framed art by Amy Crook

K is for Greek Key, framed art by Amy Crook
(with A is for Arabesque and C is for Counter)

Categories: Daily Art, Illuminated Alphabet, Series and Books, Whimsical and Strange
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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
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Tentacle Deeps 42

Tuesday, September 18th, 2012

Tentacle Deeps 42, painting by Amy Crook

Tentacle Deeps 42, painting by Amy Crook

The stars are clearly right, because we’ve arrived at the answer! For #42 I tried another new thing this week, or really a very old thing in a new way. I broke out my acrylic paints for the background, and then drew tentacles on top with Sharpie oil paint marker. Since it’s on a gallery-wrapped canvas, the image slips around the edges, as you can see where the tentacles sneak off the left edge there.

Tentacle Deeps 42, 12″x12″ acrylic paint and Sharpie oil paint marker on gallery-wrapped canvas.

Tentacle Deeps 42, detail, by Amy Crook

Tentacle Deeps 42, detail, by Amy Crook

Above you can see the way the tentacles shine with a different sort of gloss than the background, at least when exposed to the sun and an Instagram filter.

Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Series and Books, Tentacles
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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
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I is for Impressionism

Thursday, September 13th, 2012

I is for Impressionism, calligraphic illumination by Amy Crook

I is for Impressionism, calligraphic illumination by Amy Crook

This one was an interesting challenge, because it’s definitely outside of my usual painting style. The first go was determined to stay firmly at the ass point, but this one came together once I gave it a little more love. I think the bright shine of silver on it is what really makes the piece.

I is for Impressionism, 5″x5″ Japanese watercolor and glitter gel pen on paper.

I is for Impressionism, detail, by Amy Crook

I is for Impressionism, detail, by Amy Crook

Above you can see the silver highlights shining on the page. Below, you can see it in a frame on a bookshelf saying, “HI!” with last week’s H.

H is for Heraldry & I is for Impressionism, framed art by Amy Crook

H is for Heraldry & I is for Impressionism, framed art by Amy Crook

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

Tuesday, September 4th, 2012

Octopus' Gift cartoon by Amy Crook

Octopus’ Gift cartoon by Amy Crook

This happy little cephalopod is positively pleased to bring back Tentacle Tuesday for you! He’s got a little gift for you, though you might have to wait to find out what’s inside. Right now his box is actually white — the red was added with Photoshop. I keep thinking I should color him properly, perhaps blue with a nice warm golden ribbon.

He’s going to go on his own little greeting card at Etsy, too, and maybe even some gift tags.

Octopus’ Gift, 5″ x7″ pen & ink and Copic marker on paper.

Categories: Daily Art, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Tentacles
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