Posts Tagged ‘horizons’

District of the Small Gods

Tuesday, June 7th, 2022

District of the Small Gods, 7″x5″ watercolor on paper

This thickly textured paper is porous and absorbent, but brushed tend to skip over the deep valleys in the page and leave fascinating voids in the wash.

A cat-shaped temple holds center court in this strange alien district, with other small gods represented by their own odd architectures. Is the building made of pointy things a god of war or merely one of pointy things? Does the the shape on top of the spire represent a blind eye, or an all-seeing one?

What small gods do you think reside here, waiting for their small offerings?

District of the Small Gods, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see thee way the light glows over and through the Temple of the Cat. Below, the art is properly encased in a frame, ready to bring strange delight to a shelf or wall.

District of the Small Gods, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Series and Books, Whimsical and Strange
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Evermore

Thursday, April 7th, 2022

Evermore, 7″x5″ watercolor on yupo

Yupo is a nifty paper-like substrate made of polypropylene resin that doesn’t absorb water at all. This tough little sheet is semi-transparent, so you can see my tablecloth through the sunset if you look closely!

Clouds spiral upward from gold to orange to pink, while the sun sits red at the edge of the horizon, ready to slip away for the night. The tree still has a lot of growing to do, but it’s getting there, and this raven is perfectly happy to hang out and wait for spring.

The ink and paint made fascinating textures on the yupo as they dried, and you can see where I left a little impression of myself in the sun.

Evermore, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the swirls of paint and he way the pen and ink cut right through them to mark its own path on the translucent paper — and you can also se the swirls of my tablecloth showing through! Below, the painting is in a simple frame, though it might be better served by a clear acrylic frame when it finds its way home.

Evermore, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Series and Books
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Fire Season

Wednesday, November 6th, 2019

an ink painting of stark ruins poking up against an orange sky, wreathed in smoke, by Amy Crook

Fire Season, 6″x4″ ink on paper

It’s fire season here in California, and it’s been a month for ruins all around.

The beautiful golden-peach glow of the smoldering sky is hard to capture on a monitor, but the inks give a magnificently clear color in person. The charcoal grey of ink wash swoops in fluid lines to suggest some kind of burnt-out ruins, close or distant, large or small.

Birds circle above and around, giving them a sense of scale — unless it’s the birds themselves that are distant.

Fire Season, detail, by Amy Crook

Fire Season, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the shadow of a bird, the soft texture of paper and glow of the sky, and the stark jut of burnt ruins wreathed in their own smoky residue. Below, this dramatic scene is contained safely in a frame, just waiting to grace your wall.

Fire Season, framed art by Amy Crook

Fire Season, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Series and Books
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Halloween Trees 3

Wednesday, September 4th, 2019

Halloween Trees 3 by Amy Crook, a watercolor of bare trees and flying crows against an orange sunset

Halloween Trees 3, 6″x4″ watercolor on paper

Halloween is starting to be everywhere, and I added some clinging leaves to this month’s ode to autumn. A soft wash of gold and orange gives a rich background to the skeletal trees and swooping flock of birds.

This warm palette brings to mind pumpkin spice and apple cider, crisp leaves and cawing crows, whispered winds and cheap candy, at least for me. Not to mention all the amazing goth housewares that I can find in stores this time of year and use year round!

What’s your favorite part of Halloween season?

Halloween Trees 3, detail, by Amy Crook

Halloween Trees 3, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the twisty branches bleeding into the fiery sky, a few leaves just hanging on and a single crow flying in the background. Below, the painting is resting in a small frame, waiting for its time.

Halloween Trees 3, framed art by Amy Crook

Halloween Trees 3, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Series and Books
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Overcast

Tuesday, September 3rd, 2019

Overcast by Amy Crook, an imaginary city skyline below a vast cloudy sky

Overcast, 8″x8″ watercolor on paper

A soft, subtle glow of sunshine just along the horizon warms up the gloom of this overcast sky. The city below seems almost familiar until you look closer and see buildings that no human architect has yet designed. Also, there’s a cat.

A random photo on Warren Ellis’ blog sent me down this visual rabbit hole. The idea of the last vestiges of light glowing up through the oncoming storm was a compelling one that seemed to work better for me as a cityscape than in nature.

Where do you need a little glimpse of impending, refreshing rain?

Overcast, detail, by Amy Crook

Overcast, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see a small section of the buildings up close and in detail, including a sneaky bird hanging out in the updrafts. Below, the piece is framed and ready to add some moody urbanity to your space.

Overcast, framed art by Amy Crook

Overcast, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Series and Books
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Sunset Haze

Monday, July 8th, 2019

Sunset Haze by Amy Crook, a watercolor painting of trees and a flight of birds silhouetted against the sun

Sunset Haze, 7″x5″ watercolor on paper

It wouldn’t be me if there wasn’t some kind of horizons painting with a fading sunset, flying birds, and silhouetted trees.

I went for a different sort of tree this time, though I couldn’t tell you what kind, and some sea birds for variety as well. The sun is a red haze just vanishing below the horizon, ruddy against the warm buff color of the paper itself.

A tiny bit of exotic warmth for those days the AC is turned to 11 and one is missing the summers of old.

Sunset Haze, detail, by Amy Crook

Sunset Haze, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see some smudgy foliage and tiny birds against the buff-orange sunset sky. Below, the painting is in a frame, like a window into some other, more tropical reality.

Sunset Haze, framed art by Amy Crook

Sunset Haze, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Series and Books
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Murder at Sunset 2

Wednesday, May 8th, 2019

Murder at Sunset 2 by Amy Crook, a watercolor of brown winter trees in front of an orange sunset with five flying crows

Murder at Sunset 2, 6″x4″ watercolor on paper

It’s only a little murder — five crows swoop in almost like snapshots of a single bird, arcing down to make their home in the biggest of this grove of trees. The rich orange sunset behind them glows through a stack of fluffy clouds, lighting everything up in rich autumn colors.

Where would you nestle this tiny painting, to bring a bit of brightness into your daily life? It’s about the size of a postcard, perfect to tuck into a bookshelf, sit on busy desk, or decorate a stray bit of wall.

Murder at Sunset 2, detail, by Amy Crook

Murder at Sunset 2, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see three of the tiny crows making their way across the bright sky. Below, this tiny frame is holding a lot of detail for such a small artwork.

Murder at Sunset 2, framed art by Amy Crook

Murder at Sunset 2, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Series and Books
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