Posts Tagged ‘growth’

Growth 14

Wednesday, July 14th, 2021

abstract art with pen and ink and a very faint watercolor rainbow

Growth 14, 5″x7″ pen & ink and watercolor on paper

The sheen of rainbow colors in this Growth painting is extremely subtle and hard to see. The paper is phenomenally textured, thick and bumpy and imperfect in the best of ways. It was wonderful for making a wobbly, squashed, off-kilter circle to spin out into the tiny circles of growth, and to support the light brush of color in the middle.

The mixture of delicate pen strokes and thick, rough paper makes this piece unique, though it still follows the themes of outreach, growth, and expansion. In the middle there’s the quiet pride and confidence one needs to be able to put themselves out there, bumps and all.

Growth 14, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can really see the imperfections in the paper and the circle both, the wobbly little circles floating off into bumpy space. You can really see how faint the rainbow is in that photo as well. Below, the painting is in a frame, shining with pride.

Growth 14, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Floating Gallery, Series and Books
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Growth 13

Friday, November 8th, 2019

an abstract watercolor in oranges and golds by Amy Crook

Growth 13, 8″x8″ watercolor on paper

A bright and cheerful change of pace brings us the almost-too-saturated colors of this newest Growth painting.

It owes a lot of its aesthetic to another series, Concentric, but the final image still follows the reaching-out visual language of its quieter predecessors. There’s a sense of light, of motion through space that only a few of its fellow pieces reflect.

The warmth suggests combustion, sparks from a fire, from a meteorite falling and burning on its way to earth. And yet, there’s something solid about the droplets raining down and radiating away from it, so perhaps it will leave an impression after all.

Growth 13, detail, by Amy Crook

Growth 13, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the shine and texture of the golden beads of paint floating atop the orange glow. Below, this bright painting is framed in black to set off its gorgeous colors.

Growth 13, framed art by Amy Crook

Growth 13, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Floating Gallery, Series and Books
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Growth 12

Sunday, July 7th, 2019

Growth 12 by Amy Crook, abstract circles in an earthy green

Growth 12, 6″x6″ watercolor on paper

From tiny, dark seeds to translucent floating bubbles, the Growth here is easy to see. Whether it’s a planet sending life out into the void, or a tiny organism sending eggs into the ocean, there’s a feeling of possibility, of moving toward a hopeful future.

The zoisite paint — made from a lovely greenish-grey mineral — is the perfect minimal palette for earth and life. The granules clump like moss or algae when they’re allowed to float in water, adding chaotic texture to the very deliberate details sprouting up all around it.

Growth 12, detail, by Amy Crook

Growth 12, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the subtle granulations and slowly growing and moving away from their fertile ground. Below, the frame puts boundaries on the growth but it appears to go on forever.

Growth 12, framed art by Amy Crook

Growth 12, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Floating Gallery, Series and Books
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Growth 11

Tuesday, August 7th, 2018

Growth 11 by Amy Crook, abstract art in green and metallic on black paper

Growth 11, 5″x5″ watercolor on Arches cover black paper

Another Gallery, another Growth.

The theme continues to develop, the feeling of macroscopic or microscopic increasing with this eleventh addition to the series.

A bright green central circle is surrounded, edged and even intruded upon, by metallic dots that stand out from the page. Everything has texture and weight, a presence that makes it fascinating to move in the light, to run fingers over.

There are three layers of gold under the dots, from a deep gold near the center through nearly silver.

What do you need to support your growth?

Growth 11, detail, by Amy Crook

Growth 11, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the little pearls of green and gold up close and personal. Below, the piece is in its tiny frame, already trying to outgrow its confines.

Growth 11, framed art by Amy Crook

Growth 11, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Floating Gallery, Series and Books
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Growth 10

Thursday, March 8th, 2018

Growth 10, abstract art by Amy Crook

Growth 10, 6″x6″ pen & ink and watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper

This is the first time in the Growth series that we’ve got actual growing things instead of mere seeds. The central core is a warm, inviting mix of earthy browns, and there are even green sprouts curling outward toward the universe, anchored by the rich red roots.

Have you put down roots, or are you still floating in the void, hoping to find something to nurture your growth?

Growth 10, detail, by Amy Crook

Growth 10, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the red-brown roots and green sprouts, as well as the earth-brown seeds and the rich mix of watercolor that make up our growing world. Below, the painting is in its frame, and already trying to outgrow it!

Growth 10, framed art by Amy Crook

Growth 10, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Series and Books
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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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Growth 8

Thursday, March 2nd, 2017

Growth 8, abstract art by Amy Crook

Growth 8, 5″x5″ watercolor on Arches cover buff paper

Photos don’t really do this understated painting justice. Its meditative qualities combine with a decorative feel from the bright gold border, and the depth and texture of the bronzite in the central circle.

Liminality and exploration work together in the Growth series, the core of the piece always showing some fundamental change as it sends itself outward into the surrounding space.

Growth and change are a part of every life, and art can be a beautiful, subtle reminder to welcome it.

Growth 8, detail, by Amy Crook

Growth 8, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the glimmer of real bronzite mineral next to the bright shine of golden watercolor. Below, a black frame brings out the warmth of this beautiful abstract painting.

Growth 8, framed art by Amy Crook

Growth 8, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Floating Gallery, Series and Books
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