Posts Tagged ‘murder of crows’
Blue Moon Murder
Wednesday, September 2nd, 2020
Blue Moon Murder, 8″x8″ watercolor on paper
This piece is in a category I call “more cowbell.” I took an older Blue Moon painting and put a bird on it. Or three, to be accurate.
It’s a small murder, but it checks out.
There’s a rich texture both on the paper and in the paint here, with the black sky and haloed moon both highlighting and concealing the crows. They’ve got some gorgeous blue and violet in their feathers, especially the two in the shadows, and their eyes contain a tiny glint of iridescent paint.
Doesn’t your life need a little murder?
Blue Moon Murder, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the crows, shadow on shadow, their purple-blue plumage fading into the textured black night sky. Below, they’re trapped in a frame like a view out a window that doesn’t exist.
Blue Moon Murder, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Series and Books
Tags: blue moon, crow, iridescent, more cowbell, murder of crows, nfs, sold, watercolor
Murder at Sunset 2
Wednesday, May 8th, 2019
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
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
Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Series and Books
Tags: crow, horizons, murder of crows, nfs, orange, sold, sunset, watercolor
A Murder of Crows 3
Tuesday, November 8th, 2016
A Murder of Crows 3, 6″x4″ ink wash on Fluid watercolor paper
Blues and violets and soft lavenders glow against the rich black of the tree and crows, the sky softly textured as if with a mist that’s parted to display the shining moon in all her glory.
Nine dark crows are coming to roost in the sparse winter tree, its branches ravaged by some accident of the past, lightning or storm or some other act of man or nature.
A full moon brings clarity and insight with it, shining its light into all the branching processes of your decisions and thoughts.
A Murder of Crows 3, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the blue midnight sky, glowing violet moon, and deep black of the twisty tree and gathered birds. Below, it’s in a temporary frame, just waiting to fly to its new roost.
A Murder of Crows 3, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Series and Books
Tags: brush and ink, crow, horizons, ink wash, moon, murder of crows, nfs, sold, tree
Murder at Sunset
Friday, November 7th, 2014
Murder at Sunset by Amy Crook
A single tree hosts a murder of crows as the sun sinks below the horizon, painting the clouds in glorious golds, oranges, and reds. This latest installment in my Horizons series has a charming simplicity with the single, crooked tree, but a lovely complexity of layered clouds hiding behind it.
Murder at Sunset, 8″x4″ pen & ink and watercolor on Fluid watercolor paper.
Murder at Sunset, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the seven crows coming to roost for their murder, whether in collusion or merely coincidence. Below, I’ve put the painting in a temporary frame, though I think this one would benefit from a mat cut to size for its final resting place.
Murder at Sunset, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Series and Books
Tags: crows, horizons, murder of crows, nfs, pen and ink, sold, sunset, tree, watercolor
A Murder of Crows 2
Friday, October 5th, 2012
A Murder of Crows 2 by Amy Crook
This piece is visually and thematically related to A Murder of Crows, but this time instead of swirling around calligraphy these pen-and-ink crows are coming to rest on some power lines. They were inspired by the convocation of crows that’s often outside my window, including the loud fellow who woke me up this morning by scolding my cat, who just chittered excitedly right back.
I had a tiny frame I got from who knows where that I wanted to make something just to fit, and this murder of seven crows seemed like the perfect flock for the small space.
A Murder of Crows 2, 3.5″x5″ pen & ink and watercolor on watercolor paper.
A Murder of Crows 2, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, there’s a little detail of one of the crows, who was scribbled in with a fountain pen and then smoothed out with a paintbrush and water to give him a soft, almost glowing quality. Below, you can see the piece in the frame that inspired it, nearly as small as my iPhone.
A Murder of Crows 2, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Daily Art, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Series and Books
Tags: crow, for sale, murder of crows, pen and ink, watercolor
A Murder of Crows
Thursday, September 29th, 2011
A Murder of Crows by Amy Crook
This piece uses several different techniques together but really just one pen, although I did go back in and add just a hint of color to the shadowy, sunlit crows in their flight. I’m very pleased with the overall effect, which makes me think of a cover or title page to some mystery novel or horror story. There’s even 13 crows in my murder to make it extra spooky.
A Murder of Crows, 6″x6″ pen & ink and salt on watercolor paper.
I like the way the salt is nearly invisible until the sunlight hits it, adding sparkle and color to an otherwise monochrome image.
A Murder of Crows, detail 1, by Amy Crook
The curving edges on each bird were partially created by the puddles of inky salt water, an imprecise process at best, which helps to give them a sense of being backed and blurred by strong sunlight.
A Murder of Crows, detail 2, by Amy Crook
Categories: Daily Art, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: brush and ink, calligraphy, crow, for sale, murder of crows, pen and ink, salt
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