J.A. in 1977 in a Watercolor of Montecito by J.L.

Autrey Art Apparel Anyone?

Geckos, lizards, alphabets - you name it and you can wear it here.  Just click on "Products" to see all the choices. 

Mama Being Goofy in 1965

Fortunately my mother never smoked which is why she's still healthy at 92.

Chameleon Mirrors Native California Iris

Sulky Girl with Headress

Messing around superimposing a silly abstract face by J.L. Autrey over a photo taken by E.A. Autrey

East Beach

East Beach, oil on canvas 24"  x 18"

First in a series of childhood oil paintings.  This one based on a watercolor painting of East Beach in Santa Barbara painted by J.L. Autrey in the 1950/60s

From Chrome to Rust

Digital composite done for Illustration Friday's word Bicycle.

The Art of Cloning

Amber and Wilson 28 years apart                               

Chicken in San Francisco Bay

Well this chicken is doing my first ever Marin Open Studios Saturday May 7th and Sunday May 8th from 11Am to 6PM.  More info available at the Marin Arts Council website.

Elsa and the Blue Ball

Come with me on a journey into a fantasy world

Laura in the Garden

Photo of Laura taken by E.A. Autrey around 1949, flower garden and heart-shaped water puddle shot today in San Anselmo and on the sidewalk in front of a bar in Fairfax.  The blue jay was digitally painted with a map of California awhile ago.

Palm Tree Magic

Lucy and Susan in 1954 are transported to a world of magic in Florida in 2011

Bottled Autrey Sisters 1956

One way to contain memories is to bottle them!

Crows in Death Valley

Most recent oil on canvas (20"x16") painted in Chester Arnold's class at the College of Marin.  I combined a photo of Death Valley taken on a camping trip in 1982 with a recent photo of a great looking green truck in my neighborhood.  Then I added some crows from the book "The American Crow and the Common Raven" by Lawrence Kilham and a sky from a painting by the phenomenal Caspar David Friedrich.

Tree Frog

Trip to Texas 1958

My Back Garden - A Transition from Detail to Abstract (in reverse order)

The Ladybugs and the Daisys Version 2

The Ladybugs and the Daisys

At the Zoo

Why I Try Not to Invest in Mutual Funds

In the recent April 2011Vanity Fair poll, 54% of all respondents said Tobacco was the least likely industry in which they would invest their money.  But guess what?  They probably are invested in Tobacco through their pensions, 401ks, IRAs or college funds.  And, in addition to owning a product they don't approve of, they are paying from 1% to 2% in fees for the favor.

Altria Group Inc., which owns Philip Morris, is a favorite of large investor funds and institutions including VA CollegeAmerica, Capital Research Global Investors, Vanguard 500 Index Investors, State Street Corp, Vanguard Group, Blackrock, and on and on.  Details on the stock and its owners can be found at Morningstar.com. (see quote for MO to get Altria details). 

When I was blogging about death statistics for the book Cause of Death, I became more aware than ever how bad cigarettes are.  In fact, a high % of medicare costs could probably be attributed to tobacco since it is often the culprit behind most cancers.  So, the last thing I want to do is own the company that manufactures and sells this poison.  And the only way to do that is to stay away from the funds that own it.

Childhood

Playing around with old photos for the book project "Growing Up Autrey."  These are from Lake Winnebago in Wisconsin, summer of 1949. Photos by E.A. Autrey, Photoshop tints, masks and other adjustments by me.

The Garden

Latest oil painting! 

P.C. Pig Celebrates National Pig Day March 1, 2011

 National Pig Day was started in 1972, according to this article in the Huffington Post.  So, I thought it an appropriate time to celebrate P.C. Pig and her antique cars from these three 36" x 36" oil paintings I did of the Green Flash in La Jolla, California.  These paintings now reside in Seattle at the home of the Autrey Wilson Taylors which makes it even nicer to visit there!

Plum Blossom Dew

A photo composite combining my backyard flowering plum tree, shot at 1AM with moonlight reflecting off the rain/dew drops and, another photo taken when I got up at 9:30AM of the rain/dew drops reflecting the beautiful morning sun.  The dew on the tree looked like sparkling diamonds it glittered so.

Flower Quilt

A composite of various digital and oil paintings for Illustration Friday's word "Layers."

Snow in Marin!

Blue Jay and the other backyard birds don't know what to make of it!

Looking back from 1972 to the E.A. Autrey family in 1966

Backyard Blue Jay Contemplating the Garden

while thinking about, wishing for and singing about PEANUTS!

Reading Christopher Hitchens' exquisite memoir in between taking photos of my favorite things outside in 77 degree weather. 

The perfect Sunday!

Attacked by Wild Turkeys

So, for my post birthday, at the invitation of Kim Foscato, I go out to Skywalker Ranch for a delightful karate class taught by the incomparable Derek Bentley.  Thankfully my Yoga Fairfax classes have gotten me back in shape enough to keep up.  As I cruise back to my car with lunch in hand, I'm attacked by two wild turkeys!  There were three Toms courting a Hen.  I made the mistake of stopping and making eye contact.  When they saw me watching them two Toms veered off and started after me.  I threw ice water at them to no avail and ran to my car.  Like the Velociraptors in Jurassic Park (which, according to this article were, in fact, just scary turkeys) they split up and came after me from the front and end of my car.  Swinging my fanny pack and lunch at them, I scrambled to get into the car as they huffed and puffed and jumped and moved in closer.  Once in my car, they tried to stop me from leaving and, after finally getting by them, I could see them in my rear view mirror chasing after me running 10 miles per hour.  Phew!  Turns out there are a lot of Wild Turkey attacks out there these days if the YouTube turkey attack videos are any indication.  But guess what - they are not all attacking Mail Persons.

The photo pictured here was taken last Spring at Skywalker.  It seemed appropriate since the weather today was very Springish.  The turkey is from the beautiful book "Birds - The Art of Ornithology" by Jonathan Elphick and is one of John James Audubon's hand-colored aquatints.  The book is well worth having.  The turkeys are not.  Let's all eat Turkey for dinner this week!

Seattle Running Mom

Pictured here is Amber running with the twins down the streets of Seattle around GasWorks Park and back - a quick three miler (except when you have to stop for the light).  The air was clean and crisp at 36 degrees.

No Outlet

Driving down the back roads from Petaluma to San Anselmo this past week,  I stopped to watch a flock of starlings.  They were flying up into the air and diving for insects or massing together on the open fields and on telephone lines.  There were hundreds of birds, all chirping loudly and enjoying the day.  It seemed idyllic until one looked more closely at the ramshackle farm house and the "No Outlet" sign.  It might be fun for the birds but I doubt if it's easy being a farmer.

Camels in Petaluma?

Look who I ran into on the back road to Marin after going to Cottage Gardens in Petaluma! This big guy was next to a field filled with goats.  Not what I was expecting to see but a lovely sight nevertheless.

Hand Painted Bookmarks at Iolite Event

These hand painted bookmarks, and more, will be available for only $2/ea at the 6th Annual Iolite Art Event and Party.  More info and directions are here "What Me Worry?".  Click on EVENTS then 1/22/2011 for directions.  Click on IOLITE 6TH ANNUAL ART EVENT AND PARTY for the invitation and time.

Angel Elsa Acting Goofy

Lucy in the Garden

Marin Moon Sky

The end of another beautiful day in Marin!

Chicken Walking On Water

Although I created this Rooster in San Francisco Bay 20"x24" oil painting  in 2007, it seems appropriate today both for Illustration Friday's word "chicken" and as a symbol of hope.  When I lived briefly in Portugal years ago I was impressed by all of the good luck roosters I saw there so was inspired to create one of my own walking on water in the San Francisco bay.   According to Wikipedia, to walk on water means to do something nearly impossible.  We need more people (not chickens) walking on water these days and fewer of them shooting people with words, pictures and bullets.

Pink, A Story in Four Parts

Pink Vase with Scanned Objects

The 6th and final (at least for now) vase with scanned objects still life. 

Vase With Scanned Button Flowers

Vase with scanned objects #5.

Cat Contemplating The Five Autrey Sisters

San Francisco Alley

Took the ferry into San Francisco today with Marcia Meyer.  Lunch at my favorite Dim Sum City View Restaurant was delicious, as usual.  Poking around Chinatown taking photographs and buying odds and ends.  Delightful day.

Dragonfly Vase with Scanned Brooches

This is number 4 in my series of vases with scanned objects.  I've been collecting brooches for years - some going back to my childhood.  Now that I don't have a place to wear them and show them off (ie an office) I'm happy to be able to use them in this digital floral arrangement.

The vase is from one of the glass studios in Benicia, CA.  Here are links to some of the studios worth visiting there:
Nourot Studio
Lindsay Art Glass
Smyers Glass