Strange Journey II and Back to Nature Collages

Top to Bottom:

1.  2nd in a series of Strange Journey Mixed Media Collage:  This one "Making Choices"  16"w x 12"h x 1" cradled board with illustrator Cadillac, die cut paper, fabric 3D photoshop bird and hand painted and die cut Cherry Tree.

2.  Back to Nature I:  Drawing/Photograph digital collage flowers with die cut insects on paper on board 10" x 8".

3.  Back to Nature II:  Digital collage of 3 Autrey Sisters with die cut flowers and bugs on paper on board 10" x 8"

Strange Journey: Trip to Chicago

Working on a new series of Strange Journey mixed media collages.  Life is a strange journey, and now with the benefit of age, I've seen, experienced and enjoyed most of it.

In this collage, I'm remembering a trip taken to Chicago, Illinois and Rochester, Indiana with my then 93 year old father E.A. Autrey.  Two of his many self portraits are in the car.  Another metaphor for the ups and downs of life, for me, is the mobile and/or balance, made famous by Alexander Calder and, to come extent, Paul Klee.  In my mobile, one can find the cows jumping over a blue moon, a star ball, some random insects, flowers and stars.  There are also some hearts and a photo of me by E.A. Autrey, which I later doctored up.  I'm experimenting with paper die cuts, combined with a variety of other papers which is a lot of fun.    Who knows where this journey will take me next!

Paper Collage on High Quality 13 x 19 Photo Prints

Top to Bottom:
Red-tailed Hawk flying over San Anselmo
Pelican and a Boat with Galapagos Heron in Inverness
Blue Heron in Briones
Flower Man at the Estero in Pt. Reyes

Insect Ecology - Mixed Media on Claybord

Oil, acrylic, watercolor, silver point on 12x16 claybord.

Bluebird of Happiness Mixed Media Artwork

I thought I'd create some interesting art with grandsons Wilson and Cole Taylor when they were visiting, but Wilson only drew a few items on this sheet of 24" w x 18" h watercolor paper.  The twins were too busy playing in the creek to do much art.  Now that I've finally finished the latest quilt (with eighty separate 2 1/2" x 2 1/2" photos appliqued into it) - more on that later, I thought I'd follow whatever quirky thing manifested itself and do some more work on paper.  I ended up with this mixed media piece which includes pencil, graphite, ink, watercolor, gouache, acrylic and various papers, including some old printed photos.  It represents a lifetime of seeking the Bluebird of Happiness.

Repainting Old Artworks

There is nothing quite so fun as doing something over.  Top to Bottom:
1.  Pink Flamingo with Yellow Roses:  This started out as 3 separate photos, one shot in the Galapagos, on in my garden and another who knows where (Berkeley Botanical Garden?).  These were composited and printed on the exceptional paper Kozo Dbl Layer and glued on a cradled board 8x10.  I just painted over it with gouache and acrylic.  I like it better now.
2.  In March 2011 I shot a brick pattern in Seattle that I later printed on fabric and glued onto a 8x10 board.    Finally got around to painting it with gouache, acrylic and enamel.
3.  I took a photo from the top of Mt. Tamalpais during a photography class in 2016 at dusk and printed it out on quality paper 13x19.  Kind of boring!  I just painted in a large crow landing with some other gouache highlights. 

Some Fun With Family

Recently, nephew Greg Manata drove down to my studio to have his portrait done.  That takes nerve.  Finished piece combines watercolor, graphite, pen & ink, an old photo of Greg when he was young (which makes up his hair), some nice papers (his interesting shirt) - all glued on some white heavyweight top quality Arches watercolor paper.  I welcome more models - who don't mind what the final piece looks like (since it is rarely totally accurate or flattering).

That same evening, I noticed how cool my late, great father, E.A. Autrey's, stained glass rooster (which hangs in my kitchen window) looked reflected on my neighbor's house.  So some family art photos finished an artful day.

Flower Art for MOS

Another eclectic ensemble from top to bottom:
1.  Three Flowers in a Beach Bucket Vase mixed media on cradled board 9x12
2.  Two Flowers in Yellow Vase mixed media on cradled board 9x12
3.  Sunflowers in Vase:  Paper collage on paper 15x18.5
4.  Vase of Flamingo Flowers:  Paper collage on paper 11.5x15
5.  Six each 8 1/2 x 11 prints of digital photo collage with scanned objects
6.  Space Flower:  Cold wax/oil on cradled board 16x12
7.  Space Flowers:  Cold wax/oil on cradled board 12.5x8.75
8.  Fall into Winter Leaves quilted wall hanging 36.25 x 36.25
9.  Magnolia From bud to Bloom quilted wall hanging 41.5 x 45.5
10.  Garden of Delight quilt 50x67.5
11.  Winter Crow - quilted wall hanging with four photos and an applique crow

A Few New Mixed Media Pieces: Paul Klee Inspired Abstract and More Realistic Butterfly Still Life

Bird Art for MOS (Part 3 of 3)

Mixed Media (collage, woodcut, gum arabic transfer).  Top to Bottom:
1.  Woman with a Bird on her Head:  collage with cut up photographs, papers and original art on paper.
2.  Crow Olympic Rings:  One of a series of digitally enhanced woodcut prints with various painted backgrounds.
3.  Crow's Nest:  Gum Arabic transfer on paper on board with R&F oil sticks and graphite.
All these and more at my Marin Open Studio the first two weekends in May:  https://marinopenstudios.org/artist/631/

Bird Art for MOS (Part 1 of 3)

Cold and Hot Wax art on Board - top to bottom:
1.  Rainbow Crow:  An original crow drawing, printed and transferred to paper with gum arabic, then combined with R&F oil sticks, cold wax and other media.
2.  Avoiding Danger:  Cold wax and oil sticks plus stencils on cradled encausticbord.
3.  Irritated Crow:  Photo on paper on board with hot wax.  The board was outside for years developing a lovely natural patina of mold.
4.  Two Blue Birds:  Hot wax over paper on board.  I initially embroidered the birds into nylon mesh, but they melted when I heated the wax, forming waxy bird impressions which were then painted over with oil paints.

These will be on exhibit at my Marin Open Studios (MOS) the first two weekends in May.  https://marinopenstudios.org/artist/631/

Bugs, Birds and Flowers - Marin Open Studios

As I am gathering artworks together for my Marin Open Studio, the first two weekends in May, a nature theme is coming together:  Bugs, birds and flowers.  The Bug Art is highlighted in this post, to be followed by birds and flowers in subsequent blog posts.   There are also some interesting people portrait collages to come.

I love painting Insects.  They come in all sizes and colors so make great models.  They are also essential to make the natural world function.  Here is a preview of some of my insect art which will be on display in May.

Digital Prints

Insects A to Z pen & ink & marker drawn insects, digitized with original insect font done in 2006.  One of my bestselling alphabets for many years on Art.com.  Available as a 13x19 print

Bugs in Bottle on Table digital composite of mixed media ‘Bottle of Bugs’ art done in 2015, with line art from a series of pen & ink and watercolors done in La Jolla in 2002, bird silhouettes from drawings done after a trip to India in 2015, and polka dot fabric designed in 2014.  Available as an 8 ½ x 11 print.

Spiders and Spider Webs Photographs shot in the Galapagos in 2017.  Available as 11x8.5  and 19x13 prints.

Art Quilts

Space Garden 45.5” w x 63” h with silk, cotton, digital fractal insect designs printed on silk organza and applique.  Done in 2014.  No longer available

Bee World 30” w x 47” h, including silk and cotton with fabrics of my own design.  Done in 2014.  Available

Mixed Media

Bottle of Bugs 9” w x 12” h paper on board with 1 ½” cradle.  R&F oil sticks, cold wax, digital print and Gum Arabic transfer on paper backed panel.

Cicada Mixed Media 6” x 6” paper on board with 1 ½” cradle.  R&F oil sticks, oil and ink on Arches watercolor paper.

Digger Wasp 6” x 6” paper on board with 1 ½” cradle.  R&F oil sticks, oil and ink on Arches watercolor paper

Oil Paintings

Dragonfly 5” w x 4” h stretched canvas block with 1 3/8” cradle.  Oil painting, black and gold ink.