Posts Tagged ‘nfs’
Phosphorescence
Tuesday, June 14th, 2022
Phosphorescence, 12″x24″ mixed media on paper
In the same vein as Time is Escaping, this larger-scale painting uses shimmering, textured paint to create a feeling of water and movement.
The spiral structure suggests a deep whirlpool or concentric waves, with something brightly phosphorescent bursting out, escaping with its darker-hued cousins. Despite the feeling of depth, the paint in the center is thickly layered in textural swashes, though some peeks of the first layer, an iridescent fluorite green wash, still show through.
The palette of black, purple, blue, and green is reminiscent of a peacock feather, as is the sheen of sparkle that covers the entire painting.
Phosphorescence, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see sunlight picking up the flecks of tourmaline in the black, and the varying shades of purple floating atop the central vortex. Below, the same purples drift down into the shimmering metallic greens at the bottom of the painting.
Phosphorescence, detail, by Amy Crook
Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Floating Gallery, Series and Books
Tags: interference, iridescent, nfs, primatek, soft body acrylic, sold, vortices, watercolor
You Are Far From Done
Friday, April 8th, 2022
You Are Far From Done, 10″x8″ watercolor on paper
Gorgeous shades of purple swirl into a black hole in the middle, where even the light of the stars and the shine of the paint vanishes. It very much feels like a view of space where stars bright and dim glimmer and sparkle out of a swirl of color.
The text at the bottom says, “you are far from done…” and that’s a sentiment I think a lot of us need in this difficult time. Prices rise and rise while wages stagnate, ugliness blooms while it seems like beauty is constantly under attack, but I’m here to tell you: there’s more for all of us.
We just have to find it together.
You Are Far From Done, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the words in their ruddy dark ink, and the scattering of stars both near and far twinkling up from the purple sky. Below, the art has been framed, but you can rescue it from the slammer if you want to make it yours! It’s slightly larger than its stated size, and I’d recommend framing it inside a mat or floated on some nice black museum board for maximum awesomeness.
You Are Far From Done, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Floating Gallery, Series and Books
Tags: aglow, interference, nfs, primatek, purple, sold, watercolor, word art
Time is Escaping
Monday, April 4th, 2022
Time is Escaping, 12″x24″ mixed media on paper
This piece has been through a number of transformations, starting with a very pink wash of rhodonite and ending with a spattering of metallic watercolor. There’s both mineral and synthetic pigments, watercolor and acrylic paints, and a variety of techniques in this big, beautiful work of art.
Larger than my usual (two feet tall — Trotsky for scale!), this painting would add shine and color to any space. It’s a gorgeous statement piece, a mix of intense blues and purples softened by sparkle and shine, and the pearly sheen of genuine black tourmaline.
Time is Escaping, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see a close-up of all the gorgeous texture in the central spiral. Below, you can see the swirls and dots of the lower portion of the painting, as lit by actual spring sun!
Time is Escaping, detail, by Amy Crook
Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Floating Gallery
Tags: iridescent, metallic, nfs, primatek, soft body acrylic, sold, vortices, watercolor
Concentric 11
Saturday, April 2nd, 2022
Concentric 11, 5″x5″ watercolor on black paper by Amy Crook
The soft black Arches paper, originally created for printmaking, makes a gorgeous charcoal surface to use with metallic watercolor.
Blue and gold spirals made a soft layer on which to build the concentric shapes, which stick to the palette and come in many shades of blue, gold, and silver. There’s even a few that mix the blue and gold to make soft greens, and one that fades into warm coppery golds from a nearly-silver center.
This shining painting is just the right size to bring some beauty to a little corner of of your desk, a tiny hidden bit of wall, or to nestle among some books on a shelf.
Concentric 11, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can really see the colors of the dot pattern as they flow one into another, and the hints of spirals hiding beneath the bursts of metallic shine. Below, this small painting is in a temporary frame, just waiting to come live on your desk and give you some good good dopamine throughout the day.
Concentric 11, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Floating Gallery, Series and Books
Tags: black paper, concentric, duochrome, iridescent, metallic, more cowbell, nfs, sold, watercolor
Concentric 12
Wednesday, August 4th, 2021
Concentric 12, 8″x8″ watercolor on paper
Looking into the white-yellow-orange glare of this highly saturated painting, I was compelled to add some lens flare in an oceanic blue iridescent paint. It’s less chaotic than the usual bursts of Concentric color, but has the same feeling of circles around circles that gives the series its name.
I used a smoother watercolor paper on this one so that all the texture is from the paint itself, brush strokes adding depth to the white-hot glow of the center.
Concentric 12, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the brush-stroke face to the white-hot center, and the sparkle of concentric dots forming an offset lens flare shape. Below, the painting is framed and waiting to be shipped off to its new owner.
Concentric 12, framed art by Amy Crook
It’s new! It’s orange.
Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Floating Gallery, Series and Books
Tags: concentric, duochrome, nfs, orange, sold, watercolor
The Sight of the Stars
Thursday, July 22nd, 2021
The Sight of the Stars, 8″x10″ mixed media on metallic paper
Metallic photo paper makes a fascinating substrate, you can’t ever lift color once it’s put down. Instead, all the texture here is physical, soft body acrylic that rises above the paper in bumps and ridges formed by the brush strokes. On top of that a scattering of iridescent watercolor stars adds to the shine that already comes through the semi-translucent paint.
“The sight of the stars makes me dream.”
-Vincent Van Gogh
Sometimes I start an Aglow painting with words in mind, and sometimes I create the image and find words that go with it. I think this was the latter, but time is meaningless here in 2021 so who knows.
The Sight of the Stars, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see a close-up of the textured paint and shiny paper catching the golden light overhead. Below, the painting is in a frame, waiting to be shipped off to its new home!
The Sight of the Stars, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Floating Gallery, Pretty Words, Series and Books
Tags: acrylic, aglow, blue, inkjet print, metallic paper, more cowbell, nfs, purple, soft body acrylic, sold, van gogh
Waning
Monday, July 19th, 2021
Waning, 5″x7″ mixed media on paper
This misprint had an alignment issue that made it all sky and no earth. I couldn’t resist painting in the very end of twilight in rich blue and fading violet. The moon is a special iridescent paint that looks white at some angles and lavender at others. The tree has some intriguing physical texture, painting over with soft-body acrylic paint, and its details were extended into a network of lacy growth.
There’s a few little birds in the sky as well, hidden mostly behind the mist of tiny dots that might be fireflies or snowflakes or even a light rain reflecting moonlight at the viewer.
Every part of this artwork got a touch of new life, from the waning gibbous moon to the color-washed streaks in the sky.
Waning, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the way the paint shines, the moon going purple and the tree’s texture picking up the golden sunlight. Below, this piece is in a frame and happily showing itself off for you.
Waning, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Series and Books
Tags: acrylic, blue, crow, horizions, inkjet print, interference, mixed media, moon, more cowbell, nfs, primatek, purple, sold, tree, watercolor
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