Cartoon Stories: A Circus Story in 10 Acts: Act VI Bird Ballet

This video includes bits from 3 ballets:  The Firebird, Swan Lake and The Nutcracker and brings back great memories from my childhood when I was lucky enough to take classes from a Russian Prima Ballerina named Madame Maria Kedrina in the 1950s in Santa Barbara and to dance (only in the Chorus) in a number of ballets she put on at the Lobero Theater.  More on Madame Kedrina can be found in this Issuu piece done by the Santa Barbara historical society:  https://issuu.com/santabarbaramuseum/docs/noticias_30_3_fall_1984 

Fog Dance

A Mood Video with simulated fog and waves 

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.

Ode to California in 1963

Will California ever again be

The state I remember fond ely

From 1963?

Photo taken by E.A. Autrey in Santa Barbara, 1963.  Poem inspired by another day inside with my air filter running full blast because of the Red Flag warning, and the EPA PM2.5 (particulate matter) >150 (safe is under 50.)  But I'm one of the lucky ones; Santa Rosa PM2.5 is >250 and Cloverdale is >400.  If Covid doesn't destroy ones lungs, the bad air will.  

Some good links on air quality below:

https://www.airnow.gov/aqi/aqi-basics/extremely-high-levels-of-pm25/

https://www.purpleair.com/map?opt=1/mAQI/a10/cC0#8.2/38.785/-122.977

Yes, I am a Pack Rat

Santa Barbara elementary school photos from 1955 through 1961

The Five Autrey Daughters in Santa Barbara - Best in Blue or Yellow?

Cleaning Up Old 1974 scanned B&W 4x5 Negatives shot by E.A. Autrey in the park across from our house on Merida drive.  These oversized negatives are pretty degraded so there wasn't much that could be done with them.
Top photo adjustments:  Photoshop CS5 levels, Alien Skin AGRA APX 25 and Copper Blue Finish filters with some masking.  After and before adjustments.
Bottom photo:  Photoshop CS5 levels, Alien Skin B&W split toning and FSA Red Bleach with some masking

Family Photos Transferred onto Cold Wax and Oil Paintings

Lucy, Susan and Elsa in 1965, at home on Merida Drive in Santa Barbara, CA.
E.A. Autrey in 1952 at the beach near Altadena.
Top 4 paintings 6x6 on Arches Oil paper; Bottom painting 12x16 on cradled encausticbord

Messing With The Past

1965, Santa Barbara Research open house.  Smokers and curious old men. Where did that pig come from? My father was more likely looking at something that lead to his patent #3,356,500

Remembering Camp Lorr in Santa Barbara in the 1960s

I was lucky to be a LIT (leader in training) at Camp Lorr in Montecito for a few years in the 1960s, while I was in Junior High and High School in Santa Barbara.  Somehow my older sister Laura Autrey had gotten involved and opened a path there for me.  Unfortunately, the last year I was at Camp Lorr, I scared my tribe of kids by pretending a witch lived in the woods.  They all ran screaming through the trees and I was not  invited back the following year.  The camp was fabulous.  It was in a beautiful part of Montecito.  There were loads of great activities and on Fridays real American Indians joined the camp for a pow wow with chanting, songs, dancing and a campfire lit by magic.

On the back of the middle photo (I think this is in 1965)  I jotted down the names of some of the staff and campers:
Back row:  Linda, Lydia Weintraub and me (Lucy Autrey)
Middle row:  Daniel Green, Ann Smotheron and Lori x and Eva Hestal
Front row:  Kelly Jackson (Jones), Julie x, Debby x, Lynn x and Debby Monson.
Also in the tribe but not pictured was Celeste Weidman

In the bottom photo, taken in 1964,  I only remember my fellow LIT and friends Nancy Manzetti (far right back row) and Lynn Howard (left of Nancy).  I'm on the left in back, with an unfortunate flip hairstyle.