Posts Tagged ‘primatek’

Growth 12

Sunday, July 7th, 2019

Growth 12 by Amy Crook, abstract circles in an earthy green

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

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

Growth 12, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Floating Gallery, Series and Books
Tags: , , , ,


Be Curious

Wednesday, July 3rd, 2019

Be Curious by Amy Crook, an abstract watercolor of blue and white with the words be curious in iridescent purple

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

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

Be Curious, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Floating Gallery, Series and Books
Tags: , , , , , ,


Adventure Awaits

Tuesday, July 2nd, 2019

Adventure Awaits by Amy Crook, an abstract painting with maplike markings

Adventure Awaits, 6″x6″ pen & ink and watercolor on paper

It’s another map to imaginary lands!

This one’s both more complex and less abstract than its predecessors. There are rivers and lakes and a lovely big bay, mountains and forests and some mysterious hills, and a whole winding mess of roads and cities as well.

I’m not sure where this is, but it’s ripe for an adventure.

Where would you start your journey?

Adventure Awaits, detail, by Amy Crook

Adventure Awaits, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see a close-up of a little town near a lake, and the roads going from river to lake to bay. Below, the map has been framed, a souvenir for a journey no one’s yet taken.

Adventure Awaits, framed art by Amy Crook

Adventure Awaits, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Floating Gallery, Series and Books
Tags: , , , , ,


Eight for a Wish

Thursday, May 16th, 2019

Eight for a Wish by Amy Crook, a gloomy watercolor of a bare tree, eight crows, and a grumpy ghost

Eight for a Wish, 6″x6″ Primatek watercolor on paper

The Counting Crows series continues!

Although the original rhyme is about magpies, there’s only murders hanging about outside my windows, so crows are what you get.

Seven charming fellows are flying in, with an eighth ahead of them already swooping along, banked to skim close to the thick trunk of this twisting tree. The ghost this time is looking more annoyed than anything; perhaps it’s not a fan of birds.

Although one of my patrons has already claimed this for their collection, you can still admire its creepy fog, spooky tree, and the gentle motion of eight pairs of wings.

Eight for a Wish, detail, by Amy Crook

Eight for a Wish, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the ghost’s very grumpy expression and the soft flutter of many wings. Below, it’s haunting this frame before it flies off to its new home.

Eight for a Wish, framed art by Amy Crook

Eight for a Wish, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, People, Figures and Faces, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Series and Books, Zombies, Skulls, and Other Morbid Things
Tags: , , , , , , ,


Let Me Dance

Saturday, May 4th, 2019

Let Me Dance by Amy Crook, a blue and purple abstract watercolor with a quote

Let Me Dance, 12″x12″ watercolor on paper

Aglow is a series of abstracts with a sense of light to them, each containing a quote of some kind.

Sometimes the quote comes first, but more often the palette arrives on a whim, the painting proceeds into swirling, swooping color, and then words are the last piece of the puzzle.

This one called for a quote from a Robert Plant & Jimmy Page song, “give me peace of mind and let me dance.”

Let Me Dance, detail, by Amy Crook

Let Me Dance, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see a close-up of the hand-painted lettering in all its spiky glory. Below, you can see it waiting in a frame, ready to be sent off to live on someone’s wall.

Let Me Dance, framed art by Amy Crook

Let Me Dance, framed art by Amy Crook

PS – May the Fourth be with you!

…and also with you.

Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Floating Gallery, Series and Books
Tags: , , , ,


Moon Landing

Thursday, May 2nd, 2019

Moon Landing by Amy Crook, watercolor painting of a crow landing on a bare branch under a daylight moon

Moon Landing, 9″x12″ Primatek watercolor on paper

This started with a palette and a sky, and the tree grew in complexity and reached out just asking for a bird to alight on its outstretched branch. There’s a dim daytime moon just barely visible in the upper left corner, inspiring the punny name.

This painting has a really delightful, eerie quality with its soft sky and stark tree. The black bird has a beautiful organic quality to the motion of its feathers, and the reach of its feet. It looks like the branch is beckoning it in for a landing, for good or ill.

Moon Landing, Detail, by Amy Crook

Moon Landing, Detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the crow up close in all its gloomy glory. Below, this painting is in a frame, showing off its size by being almost as tall as the writing desk’s cubbies.

Moon Landing, framed art by Amy Crook

Moon Landing, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Floating Gallery, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Sea Creatures and Other Animals
Tags: , , , , ,


Concentric 3

Tuesday, March 12th, 2019

Concentric 3 by Amy Crook, an abstract painting of bursts of shiny color against a deep amethyst background

Concentric 3, 8″x8″ watercolor on paper

Another Concentric abstract this time, one that holds some of the meditative quality of its creation.

This one sparkles in every layer, from the tiny chips of amethyst in the background depths, to the mix of shimmery special effects paints used in the foreground. The final effect is like fireworks against a violet, star-speckled sky, brightening the room with their shine.

Concentric 3, detail, by Amy Crook

Concentric 3, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see a small section of the firework-like bursts of concentric rings. Below, the painting sits in a frame, resting before its trip to its new home.

Concentric 3, framed art by Amy Crook

Concentric 3, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Floating Gallery, Series and Books
Tags: , , , , , , , ,


« Or Head Back That Way Drip divider More Art This Way »