Posts Tagged ‘horizons’

Rising Spirit

Monday, April 2nd, 2018

Rising Spirit, a large watercolor of a ghostly building against a sunrise of pink clouds by Amy Crook

Rising Spirit, 24″x12″ watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper

It’s so big!

Rising Spirit defies the scanner, being two feet in width (over half a meter for you sensible measurers) and one foot high. This one’s for everyone who asked for something larger, suitable for your mantel or above the bed.

For all its sizable ambitions, it’s soft and inviting, with a rosy spread of clouds and the ghost of past prominence rising up with the sun to celebrate the day.

The building itself is a much gentler turquoise than the images want to portray, though still greener than the arching dome of blue sky.

Rising Spirit, detail, by Amy Crook

Rising Spirit, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the ghostly architecture up close, piercing through the clouds and haloed with sunlight. Below, the piece on my little writing desk for size reference — it’s a bit larger than the usual!

Rising Spirit, watercolor by Amy Crook

Rising Spirit, watercolor by Amy Crook

Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Series and Books
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Me Three

Wednesday, March 7th, 2018

Me Three, watercolor horizon by Amy Crook

Me Three, 8″x4″ watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper

A horizon at the edge of day and night. Twisted skeletons of winter trees. Birds flying in the background.

It’s a bit on the nose to call this typical example of my oeuvre “Me Three,” but sometimes the titles pick you.

The sky is a beautiful clear blue shading to the gold of sunrise, and the clouds float above with a mix of golden light and purple shadows. Trees full of character show just a touch of texture in the gleam of morning. A trio of long-necked birds make their way through the morning air.

Me Three, detail, by Amy Crook

Me Three, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the twisty trees, wispy clouds, and flappy birds. Below, the painting is tucked into a frame, just waiting to find its home with you.

Me Three, framed art by Amy Crook

Me Three, framed art by Amy Crook

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

Monday, February 5th, 2018

Shining Apocalypse, watercolor ruins by Amy Crook

Shining Apocalypse, 8″x4″ watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper

Mood: The end of the world, but sparkly.

This painting is full of warm colors and sparkling mineral paints, despite the ghostly city half-destroyed against a burning sky. Carrion birds dot the sky above, circling for their dinner. The buildings have a loose, alien quality to make you wonder just where this city was, and who once lived among its now-abandoned streets.

Shining Apocalypse, detail, by Amy Crook

Shining Apocalypse, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the secret sparkle hiding in the simple palette. Below, you can see the painting framed and ready to let your imagination roam the landscape.

Shining Apocalypse, framed art by Amy Crook

Shining Apocalypse, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Series and Books, Zombies, Skulls, and Other Morbid Things
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Willow

Tuesday, September 5th, 2017

Willow by Amy Crook

Willow, 12″x9″ watercolor on Strathmore watercolor paper

Labor Day is over, so here’s some art to start your week!

The last rosy blush of sunset gives way to bands of color in the clear sky. A hint of wind blows the branches of a willow and carries two ravens in their flight.

If you’re the sort to count corvids, two is for joy!

Willow, detail, by Amy Crook

Willow, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the subtle fade of color through the sky, and the detailed silhouette of the ravens. The framed photo below shows the colors best, and demonstrates the larger size and really highlights the way the tree breaks the borders of the sky, adding a surrealist tinge.

Willow, framed art by Amy Crook

Willow, framed art by Amy Crook

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

Tuesday, August 8th, 2017

Sunshower, art by Amy Crook in the Horizons series

Sunshower, 12″x6″ watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper

The sunshower below the clouds in this painting is so subtle that my scanner couldn’t pick up on it, and so you get an iPhone photo so you can understand the title!

I went away from crows and opted for a flock of sparrows flying through the blue sky, staying up above the small sprinkling of sunlit rain. The tree in this one has clearly had a hard life, but is soldiering on, waiting for proper warm spring sunshine and another chance to grow.

What’s your favorite weather?

Sunshower, detail, by Amy Crook

Sunshower, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the tiny sparrows and the subtle glow of sunshine and rain under the clouds. Below, the painting is tucked into a frame, just waiting to light up your life.

Sunshower, framed art by Amy Crook

Sunshower, framed art by Amy Crook

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

Monday, August 7th, 2017

World on Fire by Amy Crook

World on Fire, 8″x4″ watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper

The implied full title of this is Sometimes I Just Want to Set the World on Fire, but I decided to go with a slightly less nihilist version for the finished piece.

The sky glows gold, while orange and red rise up from the smoldering ruins, a fog of smoke wreathing broken towers and burnt-out towns. Who knows what apocalypse visited this place, whether it’s a scene from a distant future or a less-distant one, well, some of us will find out eventually.

It’s a little Mad Max, a little Fallout, and a little beautiful even in its desolation.

World on Fire, detail, by Amy Crook

World on Fire, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see a close-up of the half-destroyed linked towers and the tiny birds of prey flocking around them. Below, the painting is in a temporary frame, waiting for you to give it a permanent home.

World on Fire, framed art by Amy Crook

World on Fire, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Series and Books, Zombies, Skulls, and Other Morbid Things
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Cloud City

Friday, July 7th, 2017

Cloud City by Amy Crook

Cloud City, 8″x4″ watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper

Rough-textured clouds and rough-sketched buildings make up a surprisingly sublime scene in this newest city.

Clouds dot the landscape, even making a fog from which the city emerges, a mist around which the buildings cluster. The time of day provides the palette, the golden glow of a sun just gone and violet dusk falling down from above, with a brilliant turquoise in between to hold the fluffy white.

What do you see in the sky?

Cloud City, detail, by Amy Crook

Cloud City, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the beautiful shifts of turquoise and purple, blue and a touch of gold, and of course the fluffy clouds at their whitest. Below, you can see it in a temporary frame, just waiting to float into your home.

Cloud City, framed art by Amy Crook

Cloud City, framed art by Amy Crook

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