Evolution of a WW II Multi Media Painting

Bottom layer, original watercolor of flower cast shadows, painted at Jean's house, in a family painting session with nearly 96 year old mother and 3 sisters, on Mother's Day 5/10/2015
Next layer, added scratches as a texture overlay using Alien Skin exposure 7
Next layer, added a pattern layer in Photoshop of Korean army boots, drawn in one of the art classes I took with Chester Arnold at College of Marin
Top layer, added photo of E.A. Autrey in front of his army barracks in Oklahoma in 1942, after he was drafted during WW II

Jean L. Autrey's "Vase With Flowers"

On the occasion of my mother's upcoming 96th birthday, I thought I'd post some of her beautiful watercolors, starting with this one:  Probably a May day bouquet, of which she painted many over the years.

More E.A. Autrey Original Art

Top to Bottom:
1.  Five Autrey Girls photograph with wax mustaches
2.  Bottles pastel
3.  Candle pastel
4.  File Cabinet watercolor
5.  Still Life with Fruit pastel
6.  SB Research watercolor (very old)
7.  Self Portrait etching
8.  Self Portrait pastel
9.  Self Portrait woodcut
10. Singer Sewing Machine watercolor (very old)
11. Still Life with Paintbox oil
12. Still Life with Pitcher oil
13. Trees etching
14.  Various etchings and one ceramic tile
15.  Various pastels

Newly Discovered E.A. Autrey Art

Moving E.A. Autrey into assisted living, means going through nearly 94 years of accumulated stuff and trying to decide what to keep and what to toss.  As I am a pack rat like my father, I'm squirrelling much of it away at my house.  Above images are mostly newly discovered art.  From Top To bottom:
1.  The Piano oil painting, done in 2009 at age 78, was already hanging in my kitchen, but the sketch of it below is new.
2.  Plant watercolor, 1985
3.  Self Portrait, 1977
4.  Photo of vase (with self portrait reflection) and Raid
5.  Pastel sketch of candlestick and blue glass vase (hand blown by E.A. in another class)
6.  Toy in wagon, reminiscent of E.A.'s sister Reva's paintings, 1988
7.  Candelabra and blue glass vase, undated
8.  Table and chair, 1988
9.  Still life with duck, 1985
10.  Still life with ivy, 1985
11.  Still life with paint, 1985
12.  Still life with shelves, 1985
13.  Bucket, 1985

Queen Tut Silk Quilt

Latest, very time consuming, quilt finished!  Measuring 48" wide x 66 3/4" high, this lounge-worthy original design is composed of all silk fabrics with a cotton flannel backing.  The light and darker brown silks are from a Thai silk spread purchased by Elsa and Rick Zisook in Thailand - now cut up and reused by me.  The central "watercolor" quilted section is composed of eight separate pieces of silk, some originally retailing for close to $300/yard, purchased from eBay (for much less than their retail price) in a box of assorted silk samples.  These eight silk samples were cut up into 768 1" squares, then sewn together on Pellon 820 Quilter's grid fusible polyester.  Stitch in the ditch quilting applied to the top portion of the quilt, but the bottom was finished using two separate stencil designs.  It was hard getting the entire quilt through the small space on my Bernina B215 sewing machine, but I managed it without breaking anything.  I love my machine!!

Nursing and Painting in Seattle

While Amber recovered on the couch, nurse Lucy had fun doing watercolor paintings of twins Cole and Wilson's toys.  Here are a few

Top photo:  Amber, reclining on the couch under her original Lucy Autrey Wilson quilt and beneath the Taylor's original Lucy Ellen Autrey (lea) Green Flash oil paintings.
4 Going on 5:  Watercolor painting of a few of the 4 1/2 year old twins' toys from Little Dora to a Han Solo action figure
4 Going on 5 photo:  When Wilson got home from preschool and saw this watercolor painting, he ran and found every one of the toy models I had put away and carefully placed them on top of their image on the painting
Pooh and Poofy:  A watercolor painting for Wilson of his favorite bear and blanket (She, the blanket, has a name, of course)
Space Bear:  Cole got his own watercolor of his favorite space bear with a favorite Lego toy driving over one leg

Historical Family and Travel Picture Postcards

Various recent Strathmore 4x6 watercolor postcards painted at the request of (and for) sister Susan:

Top to Bottom Left to Right:
The Autrey Sisters
Jean Anne, around 1945 in Delong, Indiana
Laura Jo on bicycle in Appleton, Wisconsin in 1949
Elsa sitting on the stone wall in the front yard of the El Sueno house in Santa Barbara, in the early 1960s
Little Lucy at the beach in Santa Barbara, 1953
Susan in Paradise, 1955

Misc Photo Pictures
Trees in PoliPoli State Park on Maui in December 2012
Cousin Earl on pig in Macy, Indiana in the 1920s
Santa Ynez September 2012

The Taylors in Seattle at the beach in December 2013
Matt playing soccer with son Cole
Amber and Wilson on the beach
Trees and view
Amber and Cole near the brick building

Maui Vacation Paintings

Top:  "Maui Cardinals in a Lemon Tree" 7x10 watercolor, ink, pastel & marker.  I've seen two of these cardinals in Hawaii but not yet the brown-headed variety

Middle:  "Maui Ginger" 7x10 watercolor & ink.  These alpinia speciosa (non edible ginger plants) were tucked away behind the banana trees in Eva and Brian Daniells yard

Bottom:  "Impressions of Maui" 7x10 watercolor & pencil.  This abstract is based primarily on the incredible hike part way down the crater in Haleakala National Park

Sunflowers Galore

Continuing on my theme of sunflowers, as first seen in my blog October 15th and again in my blog October 19th, the painting on top of this trio of paintings is a new oil on canvas 18" x 24" titled "Mixed Flowers in Vase." Sunflowers are also a theme of Autrey family painters with the watercolor in the middle a large, gorgeous painting by my mother J.L. Autrey and the trippy sunflower in vase below, an oil by my father E.A. Autrey.   One could say that families that paint sunflowers together, stay together!

Forest Fantasy Paintings

Two new 7x10 pen & ink & watercolor (and glitter) paintings done at Longbow camp in the forest in Oregon, August 2012