Posts Tagged ‘interference’

Jellyfish Bloom 2

Saturday, March 2nd, 2019

Jellyfish Bloom 2 by Amy Crook, a strange watercolor painting of transparent jellyfish against a turquoise ocean

Jellyfish Bloom 2, 6″x4″ white ink and watercolor on paper

The jellyfish are blooming again!

Near-transparent against the turquoise sea, they float below and only catch the light when it suits them. Their bodies are made of a shimmering interference blue that nearly vanishes, while the opaque white ink of the ribs and details keeps them visible even when the sunshine is fleeting.

This painting is beautiful in person, a tiny box of jewels to adorn your life in pale blues and enameled whites.

Jellyfish Bloom 2, detail, by Amy Crook

Jellyfish Bloom 2, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the sun glinting off the near-invisible shine of the jellyfish, turning the matte white ink into shadow. Below, you can see these tiny jellies in their own frame, like a tank of lovely pets that never need to be fed.

Jellyfish Bloom 2, framed art by Amy Crook

Jellyfish Bloom 2, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Floating Gallery, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Series and Books, Whimsical and Strange
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Concentric 2

Wednesday, October 10th, 2018

Concentric 2 by Amy Crook, abstract art in pale grey and vanishing violet

Concentric 2, 7″x5″ ink and watercolor on paper

Pale, pale, and bright spots of gold.

The soft grey ink wash provides a swirling backdrop to concentric rings of near-invisible violet, the designs only showing up when the light hits them just so. A bright, warm gold is scattered among the rest, like sunshine throwing physical droplets into a cool, rainy puddle.

Frame this little painting and put it on your desk, and you can always have a bit of secret shine to take a break and meditate on the hidden beauties of the world.

Concentric 2, detail, by Amy Crook

Concentric 2, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the art up close, turned to catch the light and reveal bright golds and hidden violets. Below, the art is tucked in a frame, just waiting to come live on your desk.

Concentric 2, framed art by Amy Crook

Concentric 2, framed art by Amy Crook

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

Sunday, October 7th, 2018

Striking Out by Amy Crook, a watercolor painting of shimmering purple lightning against dark, roiling violet thunderclouds

Striking Out, 10″x8″ watercolor on watercolor paper

‘Striking out’ is a phrase with many connotations, from violence to adventure to failure.

It seemed fitting for this brooding violet storm with its lightning that lands three times and flashes twice more, the paint translucent white from one angle and vibrantly purple in the light.

Even the clouds hold some secret sparkle in their depths, the promise of rain or perhaps a portent of yet more sparks waiting to emerge.

Striking Out, detail, by Amy Crook

Striking Out, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, sunshine limns the lightning in shimmering purple. Below, the storm is safely contained in a frame, waiting to strike out for its new home.

Striking Out, framed art by Amy Crook

Striking Out, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes
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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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Always Punch Nazis

Saturday, August 4th, 2018

Always Punch Nazis by Amy Crook, abstract art with metallic silver, red, and blue on black paper

Always Punch Nazis, 7″x5″ watercolor on Arches cover black paper

The Marvel Cinematic Universe has finally wormed its way into your artist’s brain, and this is the first abstract of 3 to honor the early movies.

Captain America throws his shield in beautiful arcs, dim lights shining off it as he attacks Nazis and their HYDRA offshoots alike. This painting is meant to represent the swoosh of the shield flying past — or into — someone’s face.

A blur of motion and just a hint of patriotic color.

Happy 100th Birthday, Captain Rogers! #AlwaysPunchNazis

Always Punch Nazis, detail, by Amy Crook

Always Punch Nazis, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see up close the sparkling sense of violent motion in red, white, and blue. Below, you can see the painting in a frame, trying to contain the Captain’s determination.

Always Punch Nazis, framed art by Amy Crook

Always Punch Nazis, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of
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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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This Does Not Define You

Saturday, March 3rd, 2018

This Does Not Define You, a Moana-themed watercolor by Amy Crook

This Does Not Define You, 8″x10″ watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper

They have stolen the heart from inside you
But this does not define you

Sometimes a movie just has a perfect moment that you want to capture — in this case the climactic scene of Moana. The girl and the goddess have a moment of understanding – whatever is done to you, you can still define yourself: you know who you are. It’s a sentiment that should be and sadly isn’t universal in our victim-blaming society, sigh.

Who do you know that needs this reminder?

This Does Not Define You, detail, by Amy Crook

This Does Not Define You, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the way the interference green shines out against the turquoise and white, with just a touch of purple to define ‘you’ differently. Below, the painting is in a frame, catching the light.

This Does Not Define You, framed art by Amy Crook

This Does Not Define You, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Floating Gallery, Pretty Words, Things I'm a Fan Of
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