What is Autrey Art?
Friday, November 5, 2021
What Am I Doing Here?
Repainted portrait of young Lucy time traveling forward to land at Drakes Beach. Somehow the expression raises the question, "what am I doing here?"
Kitty Cats and the Mountain Lion - new Oil Painting
New Oil on Stretched Belgian Linen 28 x 22 x 1/1/4. Using a reference photo of the Nicasio reservoir and an old photo of Amber, shot in Texas, it made sense to add a mountain lion.
Saturday, October 30, 2021
Having Fun with Photoshop Neural Filters
Photoshop has a new feature where you can run an image through a filter to make it look like another style of art. Top: Sam in Greece with a neural filter from an old "at the beach" watercolor. Bottom three: I took a photo of two roses in a blue vase, and ran that through a filter of an original fabric design, done in illustrator, of a Paenibacillus bacteria, and ended up with the 2nd to top image. Endless possibilities! So many ways to avoid housework!
Friday, October 15, 2021
Saturday, October 9, 2021
Wednesday, October 6, 2021
New Oil Paintings September/October
Top to Bottom:
1. Playing in Mud at the Estero 18x24x1.5 oil on stretched canvas.
2. Parts 2 if 5 of a 5x7 oil-on-linen mini landscape series:
a) Northern California Quarry & Hills
b) Winding Road to Mustard Fields
Sunday, October 3, 2021
Human/Nature Interface - New Oil Painting Mock-Ups
Contemplating a new series of 8x10 oil paintings that combine the human form with floral motifs. As I age, I'm more and more aware of the evolution of the body back to nature.
Saturday, September 18, 2021
Friday, September 17, 2021
The 12 Signs of the Zodiac Animated to Music
My latest video is an animation of the 12 signs of the Zodiac, set to an original score created with my Yamaha MX88 based on the piano waltz "Dolores," composed by Emile Waldteufel.
Thursday, September 2, 2021
Bird on a Bough
8 x 10 x 1 1/4" oil on stretched canvas. The bird might be wondering what in the world is happening to us right now between fire, poor air quality, running out of water, poor governance, viruses run amok and a general state of dystopia.
Wednesday, September 1, 2021
Young E.A.: Two Versions Animated
8x10 Oil on Linen painting of my father, the late, great, E.A. Autrey, before he was my father. I painted two versions, although only the last version physically remains. The version painted over exists now only in the digital realm.
Sunday, August 8, 2021
Lucy and Sam Going Somewhere
On the Road again, oil on canvas 20x20. Golden Gate Bridge in the distance. What's wrong with this picture???
Thursday, August 5, 2021
Playing in the Surf Part Deux
Another new oil painting. This one oil on linen 10x8. I finally painted in the water.
Another take on a photo taken by E.A. Autrey in 1960 (see below), juxtaposed with a more recent beach photo taken by me at South Beach in Pt. Reyes National seashore
Memory Juxtaposition Oil Paintings
In the Order in which they have been painted: Three oil on canvas 18x24 paintings of the three youngest of five sisters
Top to Bottom
1. Freckle Face: Young Lucy, in a photo taken by the late, great, E.A. Autrey in 1957 at Paradise near Santa Barbara juxtaposed with a more recent photo shot at Drakes Beach in April, 2015 in Pt. Reyes National Seashore
2. The Eyes Have it: Young Elsa, photo by E.A. Autrey shot in 1959, juxtaposed with a photo shot at Kehoe Beach in Pt. Reyes, September, 2015.
3. May Morn: (The title is a play on the painting September Morn by Paul Emile Chabas, although in this one the girl is wearing a bathing suit) Young Susan, photo by E.A. Autrey in 1956, juxtaposed with a photo shot at Lake Cachuma the last time I visited Santa Barbara in September, 2017.
Friday, July 2, 2021
Stranded
Oil on hand-stretched Belgian 66J linen 28x22. Image of the blonde based on a photo snapped on a road trip in Morocco around 1969 or 1970 when surfer friend picked me up from my pension in Spain with his VW and surf board and we travelled down to Rabat. Interesting trip! Background is from a more recent visit to New Mexico - the countryside where Georgia O'Keefe liked to paint. Beautiful skies.
Salem Hibiscus
Oil on Linen 16x20. Old Holland Oil paint over white oil ground over Pinkish Beige Imprimatura. Rustic appearance.
Monday, June 21, 2021
Playing in the Surf
I've only painted the figure so far (below) 8x10 oil on canvas. What I intended to paint (above)
Questions:
1. Should I paint in the waves?
2. Are her fingers too weirdly long?
Saturday, June 19, 2021
Mixed Memories - Plaid
How did I get here? I'm working on a series of oil paintings that are mixed memories - ie family memories based on B&W photos taken by the late, great, E.A. Autrey in the 1950s and 1960s juxtaposed with more recent color photos I've taken. Various mock-ups happened, then several painting versions were done until the minimal plaid dress (top) is all that remains. 5x7 oil on stretched linen.
Monday, May 24, 2021
Two Lucys - New Painting
Two Lucys
16 x 20 oil on stretched canvas
My head, at two different ages, replaces the heads of a boy and his sister, from a photo the late, great, E.A. Autrey shot in the 1950s. I was going for kind of a Diane Arbus/Alice Neel look.
Wednesday, May 12, 2021
Painting Mock-Ups
Working on the concept for a series of Flowery Memories of Childhood with small 5x7 oil on canvas paintings of my family (parents and siblings) set against floral backgrounds. The original concept was to paint the humans with few facial details and in odd skin colors to blend in more artistically with the looser floral backgrounds (once painted). There has been a suggestion, however, that it would be preferable to paint both the individuals and the flowers with more realistic details. More opinions welcome!