Posts Tagged ‘nfs’

Concentric 12

Wednesday, August 4th, 2021

abstract art by Amy Crook in yellow, orange, and metallic turquoise

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
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The Sight of the Stars

Thursday, July 22nd, 2021

abstract art in the Aglow series by Amy Crook

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
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Waning

Monday, July 19th, 2021

mixed media artwork of a blue-purple twilight with a waning gibbous moon, tree, and birds

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
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Concentric 10

Sunday, July 18th, 2021

Abstract purple art with bursts of concentric rings of dots over the words 'be kind'

Concentric 10, 6″x4″ watercolor on paper

This last half-year has had a lot of taking one thing and making it into another. A purple-washed background waiting to become art got the words “be kind” added in soft, subtle periwinkle. After another delay, bursts of shining dots finally blossomed into another addition to my Concentric series.

This tiny artwork has soothing shades of blue and purple and lovely lavender, hints of green and gold waiting to shine at the right angles.

This series is very meditative to paint, following my inner promptings to start a burst here, and then one there in that color, building up from the first dot to the last.

Concentric 10, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the three shades of color bursts, green-gold, dark purple, and ocean blue. Below, this small painting is framed and waiting to bring delight to some small nook or larger display of art.

Concentric 10, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Floating Gallery, Pretty Words, Series and Books
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Artifacts of the Resolution

Wednesday, July 14th, 2021

a mixed media painting of a tree, crows, and a ghost

Artifacts of the Resolution, 5″x7″ mixed media on paper

Making prints work out is always an interesting challenge with a new program and a new printer.

Instead of recycling this low-res misprint, I used my mineral-based watercolors to paint over it. I added the cloudy russet sunset and gave the tree texture, body, and new details. All of the birds stayed at their original resolution, which gives the painting its name.

Look, I can’t be expected to resist a pun that good.

Artifacts of the Resolution, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see up close the motion-blur of the branches next to the clear pixelation on the birds, as though they’re visiting from some other, lower-resolution reality. Below, the painting is resting in a frame, waiting to be sent to someone new.

Artifacts of the Resolution, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, People, Figures and Faces, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Zombies, Skulls, and Other Morbid Things
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Concentric 9

Monday, July 12th, 2021

an abstract watercolor painting of a series of concentric circles of dots on a green background

Concentric 9, 5″x5″ watercolor on paper

A fitting start for a gallery full of abstract artwork and reclaimed images, here’s an old painting that gained a lot more cowbell.

This mostly-green painting had some sneaky color-changing shine to it already, so I doubled down on that palette and brought in some blue to go with the gold, green, and surprising pops of red. There’s just one big set of Concentric bursts that fade through the palette, and finally trail off and fade out into nothingness.

This is a painting I wish I could show you in person, since it looks different from every angle and has a lot more to offer than I can capture in photos. A very familiar complaint, sadly!

Concentric 9, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the sunlight reflecting off the green-gold and green-red paints, turning everything into new colors and showing off hidden details. Below, the painting is in a frame, ready to bring a bit of peace and beauty into your life.

Concentric 9, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Floating Gallery, Series and Books
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January 2021 Patreon Sketches

Tuesday, March 30th, 2021

5 sketch cards by Amy Crook

From top left:

  • Eric asked for Peanut m&m as an Airbender and, well. Yeah. That’s a thing I’ve drawn now.
  • Roxanne asked for this quote, which got a little shiny visual along with the word art.
  • Kim asked for winter socks, and got bats ^^v^^
  • Amy B prompted “peacock” and got an abstract. It’s shiny!
  • And Jeff asked for “missing bff” which I made both silly and sad, like I do.

This finishes off January for me, which makes me briefly all caught up on sketches! Slowly, slowly, finding a new balance.

Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Completed Commissions, People, Figures and Faces, Pretty Words, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of, Whimsical and Strange
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