Posts Tagged ‘primatek’
Both Alike in Dignity
Sunday, March 8th, 2020
Both Alike in Dignity, 5″x7″ watercolor on paper
Two birds, both alike in dignity…
This is one of those “more cowbell” pieces that used to be something else, and now is something better. It’s the same storm as above, perhaps, but lower to the ground, closer to home. Leaves and the first drops of rain are suspended in the moment, with the carefree crow below while the dove above is already safe in its nest.
Which one are you, the one out playing in the rain, or the enjoying the weather from home where it’s warm and dry?
Both Alike in Dignity, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the crow silhouetted against the stormy sky, determined to get home despite the winds and clouds. Below, the painting is framed and waiting to find shelter in its new home.
Both Alike in Dignity, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Sea Creatures and Other Animals
Tags: bird, crow, more cowbell, nfs, primatek, sold, tree, watercolor
Three Crows 2
Friday, March 6th, 2020
Three Crows 2, 6″x4″ watercolor on paper
Sometimes original, amazing titles come to me, and sometimes you get Three Crows 2.
The art that goes with the uninspired title, however, has a gorgeous sky full of hidden shimmer in the sunset-painted clouds. The tree twists out into the middle ground with gorgeously shaded branches, and the three crows have just enough spook and shimmer to them to stand out beautifully against both. Their eyes are painted with a dot of one of my favorite weird paints that shimmers from red to green like a scarab.
Where do you need a little bit of spookiness in your spring?
Three Crows 2, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see two of the crows flying past the shimmering clouds, their eyes reflecting unknown secrets. Below, this deceptively small painting is waiting in its frame to be whisked away to a new environment, with new secrets to be learned.
Three Crows 2, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Series and Books
Tags: crow, duochrome, nfs, primatek, sold, sunset, tree, watercolor
The Skies of Unknown Kadath
Thursday, March 5th, 2020
The Skies of Unknown Kadath, 6″x8″ watercolor on black paper
In this month’s lone abstract painting, shiny paints layer over black paper to get this dreamlike effect.
“The Dream-Quest of Unknown Kadath” is a novella by horror writer HP Lovecraft, best known for creating Cthulhu and also being hugely bigoted (even for 100 years ago). It’s a fascinating trip into dreams and obsession and madness, like so many of his works, and the painting’s title is a nod to the surreal descriptions that keep his work in our collective memory.
There’s a lot hiding in this painting, full of pigments that shine at different angles, in different colors, that peek through the less-glittery mineral paints and stand out against the black background.
The Skies of Unknown Kadath, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see some of the shining paints at a close up and oblique angle, the pigments catching sunlight and showing the layers of texture and detail. Below, it’s in a temporary frame, just waiting for the right dreamer.
The Skies of Unknown Kadath, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Floating Gallery
Tags: black paper, duochrome, interference, iridescent, metallic, nfs, primatek, sold, watercolor
Overcast
Tuesday, September 3rd, 2019
Overcast, 8″x8″ watercolor on paper
A soft, subtle glow of sunshine just along the horizon warms up the gloom of this overcast sky. The city below seems almost familiar until you look closer and see buildings that no human architect has yet designed. Also, there’s a cat.
A random photo on Warren Ellis’ blog sent me down this visual rabbit hole. The idea of the last vestiges of light glowing up through the oncoming storm was a compelling one that seemed to work better for me as a cityscape than in nature.
Where do you need a little glimpse of impending, refreshing rain?
Overcast, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see a small section of the buildings up close and in detail, including a sneaky bird hanging out in the updrafts. Below, the piece is framed and ready to add some moody urbanity to your space.
Overcast, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Series and Books
Tags: city, horizons, nfs, primatek, sold, watercolor
Concentric 6
Thursday, July 11th, 2019
Concentric 6, 6″x4″ watercolor on paper
Irresistibly textured dots adorn this odd Concentric abstract, the paint a strange beast that shimmers from deep red to metallic green in the light. Made to imitate the oil-slick colors of a scarab, the colors shift from dried blood to old bronze in a manner befitting the gloomy violet-grey fog it’s floating against.
The depths of the purple have their own little sparkle in the brightest sunlight from the amethyst ground up into it, because if one is going to go goth, one might as well go all the way.
Concentric 6, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the iridescent paint catch the light and even a hint of sparkle in the amethyst. Below, the painting is hiding in a frame, waiting for its chance to shine.
Concentric 6, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Floating Gallery, Series and Books
Tags: concentric, duochrome, for sale, primatek, watercolor
Growth 12
Sunday, July 7th, 2019
Growth 12, 6″x6″ watercolor on paper
From tiny, dark seeds to translucent floating bubbles, the Growth here is easy to see. Whether it’s a planet sending life out into the void, or a tiny organism sending eggs into the ocean, there’s a feeling of possibility, of moving toward a hopeful future.
The zoisite paint — made from a lovely greenish-grey mineral — is the perfect minimal palette for earth and life. The granules clump like moss or algae when they’re allowed to float in water, adding chaotic texture to the very deliberate details sprouting up all around it.
Growth 12, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the subtle granulations and slowly growing and moving away from their fertile ground. Below, the frame puts boundaries on the growth but it appears to go on forever.
Growth 12, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Floating Gallery, Series and Books
Tags: for sale, growth, primatek, watercolor
Be Curious
Wednesday, July 3rd, 2019
Be Curious, 8″x8″ watercolor on paper
I’m always on the lookout for short, interesting quotes to add to an Aglow painting. Sometimes the quote comes first, and sometimes the painting happens and the words wander in later, after some thought and possibly googling.
In this case, the shifting blue glows of pixies or stars or will-o-the-wisps floating up through the painting brought me to a very simple thought: be curious.
The perfect sentiment for a painting that invites exploration, with its odd details, here-and-gone glow, and a shining message in pink-purple-blue at the edge of a whirlwind of blue.
Be Curious, detail, by Amy Crook
Above, you can see the shine of iridescent paint on top of the soft, complex matte of natural mineral paint. Below, the painting sits in its frame, inviting one closer, inviting curiosity.
Be Curious, framed art by Amy Crook
Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Floating Gallery, Series and Books
Tags: aglow, duochrome, interference, nfs, primatek, sold, watercolor
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