Posts Tagged ‘japanese watercolor’

GPS

Thursday, September 3rd, 2020

GPS, 6″x4″ watercolor on black paper

If you’re not looking for murder, perhaps some direction will do.

This is a GPS satellite, painted for a calendar cover to represent both technology and direction needed in 2021. The sunrise is just glinting over the curve of the earth in the background, a reminder that the sun continues to rise, and the atmosphere that we breathe is the thinnest of layers between us and the void.

It’s painted in metallic and opaque watercolors on black paper, so the sky is an even, velvety charcoal studded with distant stars.

GPS, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the gold of dawn just starting to glint over the Earth’s horizon. Below, the whole of space is laid out in a frame, just waiting to go to its forever home.

GPS, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Series and Books
Tags: black paper, commission, for sale, gouache, japanese watercolor, metallic, space, watercolor

The Most Venomous Feminist

Tuesday, September 10th, 2019

The Most Venomous Feminist, 5″x7″ watercolor on Arches cover black paper

The title for Black Widow’s abstract comes from an Ice T song, “Big Gun,” which in turn is from Tank Girl. Badass superheroes all around!

The background on this one has some very subtle texture and sparkle to it, much like the weave of Natasha’s uniform. The iconic logo has been splattered in with a rather bloody red, a little messy but still the unmistakeable warning of the red hourglass.

This piece would make an excellent statement that your favorite Avenger takes no crap from anyone, and neither do you.

The Most Venomous Feminist, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the slightly glossy blood red in all is layered, drippy glory. Below, the painting is in a frame, ready to creep into its new home.

The Most Venomous Feminist, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Floating Gallery, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of, Zombies, Skulls, and Other Morbid Things
Tags: black widow, japanese watercolor, mcu, mcu abstracts, nfs, sold, watercolor

A Shot Away From You

Monday, September 2nd, 2019

A Shot Away From You, 5″x7″ watercolor on Arches cover black paper

The Avengers are a huge cultural phenomenon right now, and that first movie is one of my favorites. I decided to round out my original set of MCU abstracts by adding in the missing members of the OG crew. The title is from a Franz Ferdinand song, fittingly.

Hawkeye doesn’t get a lot of love in the movies, but his current comics run is pretty much amazing. Clint Barton is a genius with the bow, and a human disaster the rest of the time but somehow you can’t help but love him anyway.

The color scheme is based a little more on his comics run, but the bullseye is right on target for any version of Hawkeye.

After all, he never misses.

A Shot Away From You, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the swirling rings of violet highlighted by purple. Below, it’s sitting in a frame, waiting to go to its new home to live happily ever after.

A Shot Away From You, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Floating Gallery, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of
Tags: black paper, hawkeye, interference, japanese watercolor, mcu, mcu abstracts, nfs, sold, watercolor

Marvel

Tuesday, July 16th, 2019

Marvel, 8″x10″ watercolor on paper

After the success of Thirteen, a lovely patron suggested that Captain Marvel’s uniform might do well with the same treatment, and I couldn’t help but agree.

Dark red and navy blue hide under the soft pattering rain of brighter colors, giving depth to the fields of rich color. Bright metallic golds layer over softer burnt orange in a familiar pattern, a bit less abstract than the Doctor’s sweater but still with that feeling of calling up an idea as much as a character or film.

What do you marvel at, my darling readers?

Marvel, detail, by Amy Crook

Aboe, you can see the shimmering two-tone gold and the richly textured mix of watercolors. below, the painting is in a frame for the moment, waiting to fly to its new home.

Marvel, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Floating Gallery, Things I'm a Fan Of
Tags: captain marvel, japanese watercolor, mcu, metallic, nfs, sold, watercolor

Thirteen

Thursday, March 14th, 2019

Thirteen, 8″x10″ watercolor on paper

One of my patrons suggested that something related to the new Doctor Who, specifically the 13th Doctor’s sweater, would make a fun abstract in the same style as the trio styled after Marvel characters from last year. They then claimed it when the preview went up on Patreon, so clearly it was a good suggestion.

Bright TARDIS blue offsets the not-quite-rainbow stripes, color bubbling up through the image in drops and drips and drabs.

Which Doctor’s your favorite?

Thirteen, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the stripes on the sweater, with all its texture and swirls of color. Below, the painting is in its frame, waiting for its new owner to retrieve it.

Thirteen, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Floating Gallery, Things I'm a Fan Of
Tags: doctor who, japanese watercolor, nfs, sold, thirteenth doctor, watercolor

I Won’t Be Your Winter

Thursday, August 16th, 2018

I Won’t Be Your Winter, 5″x7″ watercolor on Arches cover black paper

Bucky Barnes has one of the most tragic backstories in a whole universe full of them. A very goth approach to his painting seemed in order.

Metal runs like rain along lines that echo the plates in the Winter Solider’s arm. Graffiti of a red star bleeds down the page, the image splotched like a splatter of blood.

The title is from another song, this one from an unrelated movie soundtrack, that seemed to fit. The next line is, “I won’t be anyone’s excuse to cry.”

It felt very fitting for a man who finally got away from HYDRA and the people who wanted to use him for destruction.

I Won’t Be Your Winter, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see a closeup of the “grafitti” star on the background that echoes the silver plates in the Winter Soldier’s arm. Below, the painting waits behind glass to be given its final mission.

I Won’t Be Your Winter, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Floating Gallery, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of
Tags: black paper, japanese watercolor, mcu, mcu abstracts, metallic, nfs, pathways, sold, watercolor

Harvest Moon 6

Tuesday, August 14th, 2018

Harvest Moon 6, 5″x5″ watercolor on Arches cover black paper

Three sandhill cranes are flying across this minuscule moon, golden-yellow and full like a proper autumn moon should be.

After June’s Harvest Moon painting, a patron suggested I try another on black paper instead of white. It’s a very different process, and the results have a darker, more solid quality.

The stars have a little shine to them, a hint of gold to add sparkle. The cranes have a little complexity in their color, both from the Payne’s grey and the way the thick, opaque Japanese paints mix into the top layer.