Posts Tagged ‘salt’

Cassiopeia

Monday, August 27th, 2012

Cassiopeia by Amy Crook

Cassiopeia by Amy Crook

I have been thinking I might want to do some more ordered skies, rather than just the random dots I usually paint, but to be honest when I look up at the stars I mostly see… random dots. Thanks to the power of Google, however, I’ve brought you Cassiopeia done up like a prog rock album cover from the ’70s complete with groovy, glittery calligraphy. Fortunately, I know someone who loves the colors, the constellation and prog rock, so they know what they’re getting for Christmas.

The perks of hanging out with an artist, right?

Cassiopeia, 5″x5″ mixed media on paper, nfs.

Cassiopeia, detail, by Amy Crook

Cassiopeia, detail, by Amy Crook

There’s actually a fine layer of sparkly salt crystals mixed in with the iridescent red paint and the whiter glow of the moon on this, which you can only see in the sun from certain angles. This whole piece blends minimalism with bling in a way that amuses me greatly, so I’m glad it’s going to someone that’s already making grabbyhands at it.

Categories: Daily Art, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes
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Spiral Bookmark 3

Friday, August 17th, 2012

Spiral Bookmark 3 by Amy Crook

Spiral Bookmark 3
by Amy Crook

This little bookmark uses dark, warm earth tones to in its climbing pattern of lightening spirals. The golden glow at the center of each one has a secret little scattering of subtle salt crystals that give the bookmark an interesting touch of texture. The paper itself is quite soft and thick, almost felt-like, and slightly cream-colored, and invites the fingers to touch.

Spiral Bookmark 3, 1″x5″ watercolor and salt on paper.

Spiral Bookmark 3, detail, by Amy Crook

Spiral Bookmark 3, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the textures of paper, paint and salt interacting on this dark, subtle bookmark. Below, it’s hanging out with a book, just waiting to go to its new home.

Spiral Bookmark 3, with book, by Amy Crook

Spiral Bookmark 3, with book, by Amy Crook, $13.13
(book and iPhone not included)

Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Daily Art
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Salt Bookmark 5

Wednesday, August 15th, 2012

Salt Bookmark 5 by Amy Crook

Salt Bookmark 5
by Amy Crook

I almost tossed this oddly-shaped little wedge of paper, but instead I blunted its tip and messed about with pens to make this bookmark. It’s a bit like an optical illusion with the wobbly lines and erratic bands of green, not to mention the little floating salt bubbles flowing along some of the spokes. It’s signed on the back to keep from interrupting the pattern, which is too mesmerizing to spoil.

Salt Bookmark 5, 1.5″x5″ pen & ink and salt on paper.

Salt Bookmark 5, detail, by Amy Crook

Salt Bookmark 5, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see some of the teeny little salt pools straddling the wobbly radial lines. Below, the book of the week shows off the lovely, thick white watercolor paper nicely.

Salt Bookmark 5, with book, by Amy Crook

Salt Bookmark 5, with book, by Amy Crook
(book and iPhone not included)

Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Daily Art, Series and Books
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Green Cheese Moon

Monday, August 6th, 2012

Green Cheese Moon watercolor by Amy Crook

Green Cheese Moon watercolor by Amy Crook

I imagine the three groups of colored stars are constellations of some sort, clustered near the mysterious moon. The color and texture reminds me of the veining in good cheese, and so obviously this moon is made of green cheese.

I’d intended to add in some extra decorative elements, but it was so lovely the way it is I decided to stop there. Knowing when you’re done can be the hard part, some days.

Green Cheese Moon, 10″x8″ salt and watercolor on Arches cover black paper.

Green Cheese Moon, detail, by Amy Crook

Green Cheese Moon, detail, by Amy Crook

Above you can see one of the constellations curving in a periwinkle line around the edge of the green planet. Below, you can see the whole thing tucked into a glassless frame.

Green Cheese Moon, framed art by Amy Crook

Green Cheese Moon, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Daily Art, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Series and Books
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The Stars Are Right 3

Friday, August 3rd, 2012

The Stars Are Right 3 by Amy Crook

The Stars Are Right 3 by Amy Crook

This time the connection to Monday’s art is, I hope, very clear indeed. This piece is larger, with the space around the unfortunately doomed planet littered with stars in mysterious configurations. Some of the groups are brilliantly yellow or green in hue to suggest constellations, what do you see in the stars?

I had fun repeating my mad alphabet in a much more subtle manner on the planet’s surface, running shimmering green runes over and around the shapes beneath.

The Stars Are Right 3, 10″x8″ salt, Japanese watercolor and glitter gel pen on Arches cover black paper.

The Stars Are Right 3, work in progress by Amy Crook

The Stars Are Right 3, work in progress by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the sun shining off the future constellations and the swirls of toxic green in each little bubble of salt water, as well as the pool of color that will dry into the mysterious texture of the planet’s surface. Below, a view of the same constellation after everything, including a close-up of some of the runes. I like to think of this little succession of green dots as “The Tentacle,” personally.

The Stars Are Right 3, detail 1, by Amy Crook

The Stars Are Right 3, detail 1, by Amy Crook

Next, I’ve photographed the planet in the sunlight so you can see how the runes flare to life when they’re properly lit. The Tentacle lurks in the shot once again, ominous and ever-present.

The Stars Are Right 3, detail 2, by Amy Crook

The Stars Are Right 3, detail 2, by Amy Crook

And finally, I’ve taken a photo with my iPhone so you can see how much bigger this piece is, a fitting decoration for any office wall or living room. Perhaps not the bedroom, though, I make no promises about what dreams it might bring.

The Stars Are Right 3, framed art by Amy Crook

The Stars Are Right 3, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Daily Art, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of
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The Stars Are Right 2

Monday, July 30th, 2012

The Stars Are Right 2 by Amy Crook

The Stars Are Right 2 by Amy Crook

I went to a whole bunch of galleries a while ago, and one of them had these great pieces in them that looked like decaying pages of ancient texts, written in incomprehensible languages. My brain, of course, immediately went to the Cthulhu Mythos, and I thought how cool would it be to put the strange text in the stars instead. I put lines around my salt constellation to show how right the stars have become, and wended the alien language through and around both the planet and constellation. I think perhaps this is how the world would look if Cthulhu did rise above the waves, a single mass of green-slimed water dotted with the cities of the dead.

The Stars Are Right 2, 7″x5″ salt, Japanese watercolor and glitter gel pen on Arches cover black paper.

The Stars Are Right 2, detail 1, by Amy Crook

The Stars Are Right 2, detail 1, by Amy Crook

Above you can see a close-up of the salt crystals on the planet, their quieter glimmer outshone by the silver glitter of the strange ancient language. Below, the fateful constellation nestles among the incomprehensible words, spelling out doom for those who know how to read the stars.

The Stars Are Right 2, detail 2, by Amy Crook

The Stars Are Right 2, detail 2, by Amy Crook

And finally you can see the piece in its frame. Although it’s very different than the original The Stars Are Right from last year, I felt like the name was just too obvious to ignore.

The Stars Are Right 2, framed art by Amy Crook

The Stars Are Right 2, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Daily Art, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of
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Binary Green

Friday, July 13th, 2012

Binary Green by Amy Crook

Binary Green by Amy Crook

Two green planets orbit each other in a mysterious, swirly blue-black sky. This binary system has continents dotted with sparkling salt crystals, perhaps the cities of some alien race.

I have three flower-shaped ceramic palettes of Japanese watercolors. One is earth tones, reds and oranges. One is blues, purples and a nice solid black. The last one is greens and yellows and a matte blue-black that you can see making the swirly night above. I had my water brushes out the other night with the green palette, and this piece was one of the results, along with the tentacles from Tuesday. (There’s also a pair of bookmarks no one will see until I get to 7 and declare another Bookmark Week.)

I really like the effect I’m getting with judicious use of the saturated salt solution, dripping it onto damp watercolor and making mysterious geographies as the two interact. I think I’ll take my planets to Endgame this month and give the skies a rest, so look out for that post as well.

Binary Green, 7″x5″ Japanese watercolor and salt on paper.

Binary Green, detail 1, by Amy Crook

Binary Green, detail 1, by Amy Crook

Above you can see the sparkling salt on the upper left planet’s surface, where below we have the darker shapes glittering from the surface of the lower right planet.

Binary Green, detail 2, by Amy Crook

Binary Green, detail 2, by Amy Crook

And finally, I’ve put it in a frame (sans glass), so you can imagine it sitting on your desk at work, giving you dreams of distant worlds during your coffee breaks.

Binary Green, framed art by Amy Crook

Binary Green, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Daily Art, Series and Books
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