Posts Tagged ‘sandman’

Morpheus

Thursday, October 8th, 2015

Morpheus by Amy Crook

Morpheus by Amy Crook

This is the Morpheus that knew Nada in the time before, that loved and wronged her and sent her to Hell for refusing him. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, you clearly need to get to a comic shop or library and start reading The Sandman.

This didn’t start out as a Sandman piece, but the face was hiding among the abstract shapes like a dream that only needs a little prodding to take proper shape in your mind. Minimal alteration brought out the eye and added in the glimmer, highlighted the nose and crying mouth, the sharp jaw, and the delicate curl of an ear. The mad curls and shocked expression were there already, just waiting to be found.

Morpheus, 10″x8″ watercolor and duochrome watercolor on Arches cover white paper, $349.

Morpheus, detail, by Amy Crook

Morpheus, detail, by Amy Crook

Above, you can see the beautiful, organic shapes hiding in the larger face of the painting. Below, Morpheus is trapped in his frame, waiting to be freed.

Morpheus, framed art by Amy Crook

Morpheus, framed art by Amy Crook

Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Floating Gallery, People, Figures and Faces, Things I'm a Fan Of
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Endless: Delirium

Friday, October 1st, 2010

Endless: Delirium, 1/2 by Amy Crook

Endless: Delirium, 1/2 by Amy Crook

Today’s print is the last in a series of 4 which were inspired by Neil Gaiman’s Sandman, and the only one that I printed twice, once in a single color (below) and once in a sickly rainbow of shades (above).

Delirium was once Delight, though the story of how she went from one to the other remains untold. To represent this dual nature, there’s two intertwined sections of the plate, with butterflies fluttering in the light and — though they’re nearly impossible to see now — frogs hopping around in the darker sections of the image. Delirium was in many ways the most whimsical of the Endless, but at the same time represented a social loss of innocence.

Delirium, 2″x2.75″ etching on 6″x6″ watercolor paper, edition of 2, $199 each with free shipping.

Edition

Endless: Delirium, 2/2 by Amy Crook

Endless: Delirium, 2/2 by Amy Crook

Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Daily Art, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of
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Endless: Despair

Thursday, September 30th, 2010

Endless: Despair by Amy Crook

Endless: Despair by Amy Crook

Today’s print is the third in a series of 4 which were inspired by Neil Gaiman’s Sandman.

This plate represents one of a pair of “twins,” Despair, the sister to desire. I went entirely abstract with this one, as Despair wears no clothing, squatting in her domain of mirrors, listening to people’s murmurs as they look at themselves. The dripping aquatint shading grows dark and darker as it goes down the image, layer upon layer of the illusions we build to cover up the darkness inside.

Despair, 2″x2.75″ etching on 6″x6″ watercolor paper, 1/1, $199 with free shipping.

Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Daily Art, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of
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Endless: Desire

Tuesday, September 28th, 2010

Endless: Desire by Amy Crook

Endless: Desire by Amy Crook

Today’s print is the second in a series of 4 which were inspired by Neil Gaiman’s Sandman.

This plate represents one of a pair of “twins,” Desire — whose sister is Despair. This time I used delicate lace to give texture to the top half of the plate, and below we have a pile of shiny, discarded hearts. The face of Desire is reflected in the largest, central heart, vague yet compelling as it represents the secret desires hiding in us all.

Desire, 2″x2.75″ etching on 6″x6″ watercolor paper, 1/1, $199 with free shipping.

Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Daily Art, People, Figures and Faces, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of
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Endless: Dream

Monday, September 27th, 2010

Endless: Dream by Amy Crook

Endless: Dream by Amy Crook

Neil Gaiman’s Sandman series has inspired thousands of artists of all sorts since it began in 1989. I made a total of 5 of these small etching plates for the Endless, though for some reason I never printed the Death plate by itself, although it’s used in one of my larger pieces, Red Death.

This plate represents the series’ main character, Dream. His dark robes, at times, showed the faces of infinite dreamers around the hem, and so I used a tattered piece of silk to create the impression of cloth at the top of the plate. Then I drew the faces in by hand, young and old, male and female, each of them dreaming with their eyes shut tight.

Dream, 2″x2.75″ etching on 6″x6″ watercolor paper, 1/1, $199 with free shipping.

Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Daily Art, People, Figures and Faces, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of
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Red Death

Tuesday, September 7th, 2010

Red Death by Amy Crook

Red Death by Amy Crook

This piece has a bit of a story to it. It’s a large monoprint, with a very small etching plate near the center of the paper. The two more random images were created by mixing up the blood-red ink and then smushing it between two plates, and then printing the result. I love the way the bottom image looks a bit like a heart (of the anatomical sort), while the left image seems to hold a whole world of secrets, a landscape of crimson mystery.

The etching plate is part of a series I started and never finished, depicting Neil Gaiman’s Endless from his Sandman comic series — but not the people, the ideas they represented. This plate was, I think, the most successful, the image for Death. I did print a single edition of the plates by themselves, and I’ll post those next month sometime (very Halloween appropriate).

Together the 3 images seem to tell a story, or to invite the viewer to tell their own story. I think every piece of art has something to say to the viewer, but not every person gets the same message. I’m always curious what a piece says to other people — what does this one say to you?

Red Death, 22.5″x16″ etching and monoprint on watercolor paper, $699 with free shipping.

Red Death, detail, by Amy Crook

Red Death, detail, by Amy Crook

Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Daily Art, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of, Zombies, Skulls, and Other Morbid Things
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