Posts Tagged ‘japanese watercolor’
Painted Ladies 2
Monday, October 3rd, 2016
Painted Ladies 2, 10″x8″ gansai watercolor on Arches cover black paper
It’s inevitable, living near San Francisco as I do, that I would revisit the Painted Ladies theme.
This time a soft, seafoam green permeates the beautiful Victorian row houses, each with a unique facade that nonetheless echoes its neighbors. The clouds above look like cotton puffs, fluffily floating along among the shining stars in the velvety black sky.
This paper is unique because it gets its color from a chemical process, so the black is lightfast. Though of course it’s never a good idea to put artwork in a sunny spot, it’s good to know it won’t become grey over the years.
Painted Ladies 2, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see a close-up of a few of the charming faces on the painted ladies. Below, they’re tucked into a simple frame, just waiting to add charm and elegance to your home.
Painted Ladies, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Series and Books
Tags: black paper, city, for sale, green, horizons, japanese watercolor, painted ladies, row houses, stars, watercolor
Growth 5
Saturday, September 3rd, 2016
Growth 5, 5″x5″ pen & ink and watercolor on watercolor paper
It’s a celebration of purple this month! The inner circle moves from deep violet to black etched over with the sheen of purple ink. The outer edges mix the intricate circles grouped together like fish eggs with the splash of brightly-mixed ink, purple bleeding into pink.
Like all of my Growth paintings, there is a suggestion of sending parts of the central self out into the aether, of reaching into the void despite the obstacles and finding something beautiful in it.
Where in life do you need a little bit of growth?
Growth 5, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see how the purple ink separated into almost luminous pinks, reds, and violets, but there are some little circles left intact to hint at the structures that once were. Below, the art is in a small frame, waiting to bring unexpected beauty to a neglected corner of your home.
Growth 5, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Floating Gallery, Series and Books
Tags: for sale, growth, japanese watercolor, pen and ink, purple, watercolor
Firefly Moon
Friday, August 5th, 2016
Firefly Moon, 6″x4″ interference watercolor and Japanese watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper
Fireflies flash and hide in this misty, delicately textured night scene. The sky is full of soft clouds and the subtle shine of stars behind them, the bright moon glowing against the fog.
The beautiful green shines when the light hits it, but nearly vanishes when it’s in shadow, just the way real fireflies only sometimes glow with their mysterious phosphorescence.
Did you used to chase them on lazy summer nights, trying to hold the stars in the palm of your hand?
Firefly Moon, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the green shine catch the light and glow against the misty sky behind it. Below, this tiny beauty is waiting in a frame so you can keep those summer memories always close at hand.
Firefly Moon, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Series and Books, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: fireflies, interference, japanese watercolor, moon, nfs, sold, watercolor
Spring Dusk
Thursday, August 4th, 2016
Spring Dusk, 6″x6″ pen & ink and Japanese watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper
Bright orange butterflies dance through the spring like living blossoms, going past a tree just starting to bud. New leaves shine bright green against the violet of falling dusk, and the last vestiges of sunset glow golden at the horizon.
Winter trees, autumn trees, and now a lovely spring tree helps to round out the seasons in my Horizons series.
Which season is your favorite?
Spring Dusk, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the new leaf green against the black branches and violet dusk, with a single butterfly fluttering into the frame. Below, the tree stands proud in its frame, ready to bring a touch of spring to any room.
Spring Dusk, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Series and Books
Tags: horizons, japanese watercolor, nfs, pen and ink, sold, tree, watercolor
Dragonfly Airship
Thursday, July 7th, 2016
Dragonfly Airship, 7″x5″ Japanese watercolor and pen & ink on paper
This is the first of the end-of-gallery Airship series that really gelled in a beautiful, detailed way. The gorgeously patterned dragonfly wings work with the body of the ship. The windows on the body imply a fascinating sense of scale. The ornamentation hovers somewhere between the whimsy of steampunk and the sleekness of retro-futurism, with the flower-petal propeller adding the final touch of whimsy.
This painting is perfect for sparking the imagination, sending your mind on short flights of fancy to keep your day floating along peacefully.
Dragonfly Airship, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see a detail of the painted pattern, evoking without copying a firefly’s delicate wings. Below, the art is sitting in a frame, just waiting to fly off to its new home.
Dragonfly Airship, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Floating Gallery, Series and Books, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: airship, japanese watercolor, nfs, pen and ink, sold, watercolor
Kea
Thursday, June 16th, 2016
Kea, 5″x5″ Japanese watercolor on Arches cover white paper
Kea are a type of parrot native to New Zealand, and they’re mischievous little jerkfaces. There’s a great video of them online basically destroying a police car, digging all the sealant out of the crevices around the windows and doors and causing all kinds of trouble. So, of course, I had to paint one! This was a (belated) birthday gift for my NZ friend, Caroline, who assures me that their reputation as jerks is well-deserved.
They have mossy grey-green plumage on the outside that makes excellent camouflage, but under their wings and tails there’s this gorgeous gold and orange with the darker green barring that’s just amazing.
Categories: Sea Creatures and Other Animals
Tags: japanese watercolor, kea, nfs, watercolor
Tenebrific
Tuesday, April 19th, 2016
Tenebrific: causing gloom or darkness,
5″x7″ pen & ink and watercolor on paper
One of my lovely Patreon patrons asked for this word as her art prompt this month, and so I used it for last Wednesday’s word art.
In anime, when misfortune has come to a character they draw blue lines from their hairline down their face to show it, and this lovely lovely violet-black Japanese watercolor echoes that by drawing down the gloom in long lines. The figure below is in the blue-black from the same palette, ghostly and gloomy, carrying its own darkness within.
If you want art made just for you, you can support me on Patreon — request your own sketches for as little as $5 a month!
Categories: Pretty Words, Series and Books
Tags: japanese watercolor, nfs, pen and ink, sold, watercolor, word art, word art weds
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