my favorite quote of all time

I prefer this quote to any written by all the sages through the ages--I prefer this to anything by rimbaud, freud, jung, goethe, palto, socrates and the like


Where's your will to be weird? 
Jim Morrison

this should have been tattooed on my arm when I was 8.

words of the day: morrison

I like people who shake other people up and make them feel uncomfortable.
Jim Morrison 

NYC

I moved into nyc just prior to the snowstorm of jan 1996 (all those years ago) I had no connections or friends (save some galleries who picked me up) I had sold a piece of art that covered my rent and bills for six months and I moved into a dicey block in alphabet city and did my best to shake off the stale dust of long island that is death to all art and creative pursuits. Roughly 15 years in nyc (with occasional napoleonic exiles) After 15 years in NYC you should get a big apple badge of honor for survival. It is hard in this life to be an artist and it is near impossible to survive as an artist in NYC. I have seen more artists come and go than I can even count--some disappeared to the west coast, some buried their head in the sand down south, some I used to work for now ask me for work. I have hired two former bosses as assistants..both nice guys..NYC is in my blood, it is in my soul and waking up on 74th street makes me happy as a clam. I would rather live in my studio apt. in NYC than live in a house on the water in the burbs..Im odd like that. I have had my share of ups and downs and battles and poverty but even when I was in the gutter I kept my eye on guide star of art. The streets of ny sharpen the steel of your soul, you have to stay on your toes or you can get swallowed quick. My only saving grace has been my level of stubbornness. I now have two studios one in brooklyn and one in little italy and for the first time my apt is not full of paints and canvas, this is weird not having my paints and canvas children around me all the time as I sleep.... I am more stubborn than seven mules, I am willing to endure anything if I want something...anything. I dont wish to self-dramatize my game but the fact that I am still making art for a full time living at my age is almost like a phil collins song---against all odds and utterly ridiculous. I paid heavy dues getting through and it has been a hell of a journey and it seems to be getting more interesting all the time.


My point here is actually fairly simple---it comes down to an equation


what are you willing to give up in order to get what you want in life...it is really a simple question of sacrifice--the gods want a lot in this world before they will throw you a bone. My one regret in life is the toll my passion for art has taken on my relationships..that is one hell of a sore spot for me--art is a jealous mistress..one day I will tackle that animal.  I have given up everything in this world for art except for my soul. 

photo by gardega: bucket o frogs, chinatown

I love frogs and wanted to buy all these frogs and save them from the soup bowl of destiny...

mural by gardega

I painted this two years ago on a low wine cellar ceiling..The real battle was my body and neck after one month..this is the battle of anghiari by leonardo with a few liberties taken. I worked very very hard on this. I am now painting a mural for the same client--new house..same neck wrenching experience but he is a great client and a friend. I really want to paint a copy of the same painting again on a large panel...without craning my neck skyward. For any flaws in this work I forgive myself given the circumstance. You try painting a ceiling mural standing for a single hour that is too low to use scaffold and after a single hour your neck feels like it is broken and then try this for full days---thirty days straight...art isnt for people who cant handle discomfort...

advice to young artists

"get off your ass"  ----gardega

from sketch to completion

looking down on empty streets, all she can see
are the dreams all made solid
are the dreams all made real

all of the buildings, all of the cars
were once just a dream
in somebody's head---gabriel

I will update with final photos soon..they broke the bottom piece upon installation by being carless so I had to eat 100 hours of work and remake it but now it is all done and installed--4 more to go.

"she pictures the broken glass, pictures the steam..." P. gabriel

The artist's finger

When I meet someone who tells me they are an artist, the first thing I do is sneak a quick look at their fingers..If there is no paint around nails I dont take them seriously---I will smile and listen and be nice but I just nod my head and pretend to listen to them---I gave up long ago trying to get all the paint off my hands and nails--you cant win this battle...fight another one. My fingers are worn and beat up and I am fine with that. (I work the buggers over time.) I have a permanent callous on the inside of my middle finger as this is where my brushes and pencils are held for 12 hours a day ( I call this the artist spot) work..god bless the middle finger! Note:  Hanging out in cafes will keep your hands nice and clean and soft if you are an artist, you can even keep them warm with a nice cup of coffee!  I saw a photo of keith richard's hand and to me it was almost as beautiful as the mona lisa hands...His hands are a work of art, themselves. My hands serve me well and I dont take them for granted but as I told my mom when I was 12---"I dont draw with my hands, I draw with my head"


Thank the good lord for our fingers. especially the middle one.

update by gardega

I am knee deep in projects...A wine cellar mural, a mausoleum commission for five huge windows and a lot of side projects including building a glass bar for a fashion company on 56th street. I am on 7 days a week for over a month, living on redbull and paint fumes. Below are some photos of the amazing wine cellar where I am painting my mural. The homeowner and his wife have become close friend's of mine..we go out to dinner, I stay in the guest room when I am painting and I even helped put up there Xmas tree yesterday. The owner and I are both workaholics and we work side by side on the cellar while he handles the wood working I handle the mural. He is obsessed with ornament so we have a lot in common--"never enough ornament" is both our mottos. Go baroque or go home! We start working at 7 AM and usually work to 6, 7 or 8 at night...The ongoing joke is when someone wants to stop at 6 we call it "half a day"...my neck is near in traction from painting the ceiling--two more days on it, then I hit the staircase walls. This is the second wine cellar we are doing together--the first is in his old house that was sold. All the wood you see will be stained dark. It will be a work of fine art, this cellar. Deadline: XMAS

update

13 hour day painting ceiling mural yesterday. My neck is really sore and back and body. Today will be a long sunday of painting, for sure. Keep strong and carry on. Out for dinner with client and wife to discuss mural for stair walls. Tomorrow I finish my portrait and deliver. My kingdom for a day off to go to museums or just work on my own art. I dont even have time for a haircut, I am starting to look like a hippy.

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obama gets 12 stitches

Our prez just got an elbow in a basketball game and got 12 stitches on his lip. I dont like anyone getting hurt but I dont have time for basketball or goofing around with buddies on the golf course. There is a country collapsing around you so get off the golf course and off the basketball and roll up your sleeves. Be presidential and when the good ship is sinking there isnt a lot of time for playing shuffle board on the upper deck.  There is work to be done, sir.

update by gardega

Today I had my folding screen sketch approved..almost finished a portrait that is due monday..met a fashion client to discus building a glass bar for her (very tight deadline) and just enough to time to cram down some food before I go and finish my ceiling mural in long island...I am worn out and would give a little finger or toe if I could relax this weekend and finish painting a portrait in my studio and go to the met on sunday but it is full steam ahead as usual and my social life is pretty much a non existing animal. It is just me and the work and I cant complain..one day I feel find a woman who can deal with my workaholic and obsessed life. She is out there somewhere.

art deco folding screen: by gardega

I am designing an art deco folding screen for a client to hold some etched glass panels I made for her...I always say yes to any project and then it becomes a matter of getting things done and solving problems you have never dealt with before. I am so used to solving odd problems that I dont really stress anymore about it. If I can get a decent drawing down on paper I can find a way to make it into concrete reality..this is just a matter of sticking to it, being stubborn and working hard.

measured results

I decided recently that I wanted to gain ten pounds of muscle. I used to be in good shape but I let it go for a few years and I decided that it was time to address. I am usually a bit to thin because I am really active I never gain weight..Within ten days of buying a scale I was able to gain 10 pounds. I had never been able to gain weight before until I bought the scale and then it was very easy. This means (to me) that it is important to be able to measure results and have something to gauge to achieve a goal. Art is often hard to gauge because quality can be subjective but productivity is something you can measure and quantify. There is no better feeling than finishing a mural or installing a 80 square foot square window or delivering a portrait or shipping a painting. If you cant measure or gauge something then how does one progress at it? How do you know if you are getting better at drawing? This answer is easy--you should have a pile of a few thousand failed drawings under your bed....6000 failed paintings in your parents attic, 10,000 random art pieces scattered or broken in your past...if you just keep working then you will make progress in art. If you are lazy then progress will be slow. 


as Michelangelo scrawled to his assistant on the side of one of his drawings


" Draw, Antonio,  draw and don't waste more time"

update by gardega

My first window has been installed at mausoleum..It looks good, Ill photograph...Started the 2nd window.  Working on portrait to deliver Monday. This weekend I am in long island again on my mural job. I really wouldn't mind a weekend off to wander around the met or central park but such is life. Today I have a few deadlines to address..work on portrait, order more glass...tonight I travel back to long island to paint the mural..colorado is pushed--again..client is moving this sunday. I may take a break in spring or feb. and travel to somewhere south. I have to go to texas at some point and Key West as well but that will be a work/ fun trip, I have some possible art business there. I have lost any and all ability to sleep past 5: 30 any more. My internal clock gets me up at 5:30 everyday now. This isnt bad because I get a lot of busy work done by 7:00/ 8:00. I wish I had more photos to post but sometimes I just dont have time to photograph the work I do as it is hung or delivered...After two days of painting a ceiling, my neck really hurts. I dont even know how I painted a ceiling for almost month a few years ago...The main mural this time is on the wall leading down stairs so I dont have much to worry about. The ceiling is only some scroll work that I will finish this weekend. 


I schedule myself into 4 quadrants (I took this idea from the habit of highly effective sheeple book) 


Quadrant one is URGENT


Quadrant II is very important 


Quadrant III is important


quadrant IV is just important..


this method works for me..the most important lesson in art is to handle first things first..it is easy to lolly gag and waste time on side projects etc..first you must tackle the urgent matters. My urgent panel is almost cleared and then I can hit quadrant II. 


If you fail to plan then plan to fail...even my crazy ADD artist ass has to plan out my life very carefully to be effective as an artist. I wish I could just paint in a studio whatever I want but I will do that again soon enough. I want to spend 6 months  putting an art show together soon.

HAPPY TURKEY DAY

Travel safe and eat some bird...Good ole Norman Rockwell...life seemed to be a little easier and happier back then but we live in interesting times (as the chinese curse goes) and in a time of insanely fast change. Holidays are a nice way to hide from the current for a while. I have been working 7 days a week--- running like crazy but as an artist I do not complain unless I'm slow.  


art lesson for the day: whenever you are doing a painting you can do one or two things to help you along 




A) blur your eyes on purpose from time to time to view the masses of your work...


B) look at your drawing and painting in a mirror, a mirror exposes weakness in the drawing..I hate doing this but pain is growth in art. 

alex update!

It was a great weekend..I worked two 12 hour days painting a ceiling for a great client...my neck hurts like hell..(memories of three years ago when I painted a mural for the same client on ceiling.)  While I was painting they managed to install my glass saint window (without breaking it!) when I got the phone call I felt like there was actually a god. That window was 100 plus hours of sweat but they broke one of the panels on me. I re-made it. I dont stop, you cant outwork me. I will rest when I am dead.

ceiling process: by gardega

here are some images of my mural I am painting for a favorite client of mine. Ill explain more about the individual pictures later.

spider john...

you can laugh at jimmy buffet but you cant laugh at this song---he didnt write it but he owned it...and I lived it.

this reminds me of a certain relation I once had...

not dark yet---dylan

Not Dark Yet

Shadows are falling and I’ve been here all day
It’s too hot to sleep, time is running away
Feel like my soul has turned into steel
I’ve still got the scars that the sun didn’t heal
There’s not even room enough to be anywhere
It’s not dark yet, but it’s getting there

Well, my sense of humanity has gone down the drain
Behind every beautiful thing there’s been some kind of pain
She wrote me a letter and she wrote it so kind
She put down in writing what was in her mind
I just don’t see why I should even care
It’s not dark yet, but it’s getting there

Well, I’ve been to London and I’ve been to gay Paree
I’ve followed the river and I got to the sea
I’ve been down on the bottom of a world full of lies
I ain’t looking for nothing in anyone’s eyes
Sometimes my burden seems more than I can bear
It’s not dark yet, but it’s getting there

I was born here and I’ll die here against my will
I know it looks like I’m moving, but I’m standing still
Every nerve in my body is so vacant and numb
I can’t even remember what it was I came here to get away from
Don’t even hear a murmur of a prayer
It’s not dark yet, but it’s getting ther

it was just that the time was wrong..

reminds me of when I was a kid...









A love-struck Romeo sings the streets a serenade
Laying everybody low with a love song that he made.
Finds a streetlight, steps out of the shade
Says something like, "You and me babe, how about it?"

Juliet says, "Hey, it's Romeo, you nearly gave me a heart attack!"
He's underneath the window, she's singing, "Hey la, my boyfriend's back.
You shouldn't come around here singing up to people like that...
Anyway, what you gonna do about it?"

ROMEO:
Juliet, the dice was loaded from the start
And I bet when you exploded into my heart
And I forget I forget the movie song.
When you gonna realize it was just that the time was wrong, Juliet?

Come up on different streets, they're both the streets of shame.
Both dirty, both mean, yes, in the dream it was just the same
And I dreamed your dream for you and now your dream is real.
How can you look at me as if I was just another one of your deals?

When you can fall for chains of silver, 
You can fall for chains of gold,
You can fall for pretty strangers 
And the promises they hold.
You promised me everything, you promised me thick and thin, yeah!
Now you just say, "Oh Romeo? Yeah, you know I used to have a scene with him".

Juliet, when we made love, you used to cry.
You said, "I love you like the stars above, I'll love you 'til I die".
There's a place for us, you know the movie song.
When you gonna realize it was just that the time was wrong, Juliet?

I can't do the talk, like the talk on TV
And I can't do a love song, like the way it's meant to be.
I can't do everything, but I'll do anything for you.
I can't do anything, 'cept be in love with you!
And all I do is miss you and the way we used to be.
All I do is keep the beat... and bad company.
Now all I do is kiss you through the bars of a rhyme,
Juliet, I'd do the stars with you any time!

Juliet, when we made love you used to cry.
You said, "I love you like the stars above, I'll love you 'til I die".
There's a place for us, you know the movie song.
When you gonna realize it was just that the time was wrong, Juliet?

NARRATOR:
And a love-struck Romeo sings a street-suss serenade
Laying everybody low with a lovesong that he made
Finds a convenient streetlight, steps out of the shade
He says something like, "You and me babe, how about it?"

ROMEO:
You and me babe, how about it?

why worry now?

I have paid dues in life I cant even count anymore. The price I paid for my dream of art has been beyond what I can explain to my remaining friends. I guess a smarter man would have quit the game about ten years ago but I kept at it and I have found things in art I never even knew existed. I gave my pound of flesh but it was worth every second. Sometimes when I sit alone in my apt and stare down another blank canvas I put this song on and pour a glass of wine. It hasnt been easy but it has been a better song than I could ever throw words at.

el updateo by gardegao

I am off to long island to cram in as much of a mural as I can over the weekend--- VIVA LEONARDO..another wine cellar..the home owner loves wine--we have a lot in common although I dont really drink anymore, I run everyday now. MY glass saint gets hung tomorrow and I cant oversee process--very worried. I am running around after deadlines like a rat in a maze my cheese is called money (and art) and as hunter s thompson used to say "holy jabberin' jesus" Loose ends are being sewn together, turkey day cometh and I didnt even have time to watch the charlie brown thanksgiving. Tonight dinner with client in long island then an AM run and then I start painting at 7 am...get er done! off to the burbs. will update sunday night. with photos

update by gardega

5:47 AM...off to install my saint window...sleep is for the weak.

hypnotist cures a blind man

I have seen thousands of youtube videos etc..this is the most powerful one I have ever seen.

words of the day

 Reason guides but a small part of man, and the rest obeys feeling, true or false, and passion, good or bad.   Roux, Joseph

success is 99% failure

“Success is 99 percent failure.” - Soichiro Honda

The life of Soichiro Honda is often quoted as an inspiring story of a man who overcame unbelievable obstacles and went on to achieve great success. The story of Soichiro Honda is an inspirational tale of motivation and persistence in the face of adversity. His story serves as an important lesson for all of us and it teaches us not to give up when we suffer a setback. Despite suffering failure, ridicule and endless financial difficulties, Honda believed strongly enough in himself to make his success a reality.

Soichiro Honda was born in 1906 and he grew up helping his father repair bicycles in the small town of Komyo in Japan. While Soichiro Honda was in school he started a workshop with the intention of developing a piston ring which he planned to sell on to Toyota. He spent day and night working away in his workshop believing that he could produce the perfect design. He struggled financially during this period, even selling his wife’s jewelry for capital and occasionally slept in his workshop.

When he finally completed his finished piston ring, Soichiro took his design to Toyota who told him that his work was not up to their standards. After suffering this terrible setback, Soichiro was forced to go back to school and was taunted by those around him for failing. Other engineers laughed at his design but Soichiro refused to give up despite being ridiculed by those around him. Soichiro Honda paid little attention to school work that did not relate to his business and, when verbally attacked by his teacher, Honda responded that ‘A ticket will get you a seat in a movie theater, but a diploma won’t get you a job!’.

Soichiro believe strongly in his idea and refused to give up on his dream. He struggled on for two more years before finally gaining a contract with Toyota. By this time Japan was gearing up for war and Honda found it hard to find the building materials he needed to create a factory to produce his work. Despite this potentially disastrous set back, Honda persisted and found a new way of making concrete which allowed him to finish building the factory he needed.

Sadly this was not the end of Soichiro’s troubles as the factory he had struggled so hard to build was bombed twice during the war and steel became unavailable. Whilst most people would have given up at this point, Honda persisted and found a way to get past these obstacles. He started collecting gasoline cans which had been discarded by US fighters to help regenerate his factory, objects he described as “gifts from President Truman”.

When Honda started rebuilding his factory an earthquake finally destroyed it. This setback would have spelled the end for most people but Honda carried on chasing his dream.

After the war, Honda found a way of attaching a small engine onto his bicycle and quickly found that other people were interested in his strange new idea. Sadly the materials Honda needed were not available to supply the demand for his new creation. Rather than give up, Honda dug deep and sought out a way to get the finance he needed to continue with his project. He wrote an inspiring letter to 18,000 bicycle shop owners which asked them to help him revitalize Japan through innovation. A huge number of the shop owners he wrote to responded by giving Honda what little money they could to help him. Soichiro battled away with several redesigns before finally producing the ‘Super Cub’ which became an overnight success. By 1963, Honda was the top-selling brand of motorcycles in the United States.

Honda Corporation now employs more than 100,000 people in the USA and Japan and it is now second only to Toyota in Japan. Honda succeeded because of the passion and determination of one man who was committed to his ideas and making them a success. Despite suffering more failures and set backs than most of us will see in a lifetime, Honda persisted and never once allowed himself to give up on his dreams.

FEAR

FALSE




EVIDENCE




APPEARING




REAL


fear is a huge thing to overcome on your art path. If you want to be an artist you have to believe that you are entitled and have a right to be an artist. You must look fear in the eye. Most fear is an illusion, sewn into our dna of our being by the hand of our creator. It was put there to keep you safe at night as you slept in the trees or caves of our past. Fear will glue your feet to the floor like a rat in a glue trap. It can make you circle for the rest of your days in a spiral of frustration, it can also keep you from getting your head bit off by a lion. It is more often than not False evidence appearing real. If I had a dime for every artist who told me they were getting ready to start making art again or they quit because of blah blah blah---often they simply ran from the shadow of fear, the unknown. Standing in fear is much better than standing in the space of "what if" or  "I should have given it a shot."

update by gardega

Today I will re-etch the piece they broke on me that I spent 40 hours on and some useless idiot broke upon installation...I will post image when window is up and installed. I have a full plate--- I have to make the following:


1) etched saint window (finish first one and start second)


2) Construct an art deco folding screen.


3) finish third and final portrait for client before thanksgiving.


4) Paint mural to bring to colorado.


5) Start mural in Long Island.


6) start glass fine art pieces.


etc.

Frans hals

Frans hals is an artist I have never sorted out in my head. He was a good painter and one of the few who actually painted a lot of happy people. That is his trademark..People are smiling...Good for him, most people in paintings look sad or miserable. The world needs some happy paintings. Most of my work kind of has a sad undertone or subtext. That is what seems to flow most naturally out of my gut. I dont over think such things. There is a certain tragedy in any life after the loss of your childhood and you become and adult with a trunkful of worries and stress. Then again, if you have your health, you are a lucky human and you shouldnt bitch..I know some miserable rich people and I want to kick them in the ass--If you have your health and you can afford to eat and take vacations you have no right to be miserable. (methinks) I tend to prefer Goya to Frans hals...my gut resonates with goya and his dark works. 

drink your lead, laddy. AYE

I saw a clip on the news this morning that the reusable bags everyone drags to the supermarket these days to show how green they are are actually tainted with lead. Lead is great for color, that is why china loves to use it on our toys etc...Somehow the news doesnt want to to tell you that most kids drinks have unsafe quantities of lead...not to mention that 99% of high fructose corn syrup contains mercury..drink up. 

Another day, another “uh oh.” The latest kerfuffle? Quantities of lead in bottled juice, juice boxes, and packaged fruit could exceed federal limits for the lunchbox-toting set, according to the Environmental Law Foundation. The Bay Area-based environmental nonprofit, which enlisted the aid of a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-certified lab in Berkeley, tested nearly 400 samples from 150 branded products marketed to children, including apple juice, grape juice, packaged pears and peaches (including baby food), and fruit cocktail mixes. The alarming results: 125 out of 146 products—or more than 85%—contained enough lead in a single serving to warrant a warning label under California’s Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, better known as Prop. 65.

More troubling, perhaps, is the fact that the results tar both organic and conventional products:Earth’s Best Organic, 365 Everyday Value Organic, Trader Joe’s, and Walnut Acres get as fair of a shake as Welch’s, Minute Maid, Gerber, Del Monte, and Dole. Plus, most scientists concur that no safe level of exposure to lead exists, especially when it comes to babies and children.

ELF has dispatched notices to law-enforcement officials, including California’s attorney-general, district attorneys, and the affected manufacturers, retailers, and distributors. The notices start a clock for the companies to either bring themselves into compliance with Prop. 65 or to place “clear and reasonable warnings” on the food packages. If, at the end of 60 days, no law enforcement agency pursues prosecution, ELF will file a formal suit.

Until then, we’ll be squeezing our own fruit here at Inhabitots HQ. And chugging plenty of water.

LEAD-TAINTED PRODUCTS

1. 365 Everyday Value Organic 100% Juice Concord Grapes
2. Beech Nut 100% Apple Juice
3. Best Yet Bartlett Pear Halves in Heavy Syrup
4. Best Yet Chunky Mixed Fruit in Pear Juice
5. Best Yet Yellow Cling Peach Halves in Heavy Syrup
6. Chef’s Review Fruit Cocktail
7. Del Monte 100% Juice Fruit Cocktail
8. Del Monte Chunky Mixed Fruit in 100% Juice (peach, pear, grape, etc.)
9. Del Monte Diced Pears in Light Syrup
10. Del Monte Freestone Peach Slices in 100% Juice
11. Del Monte Fruit Cocktail in Heavy Syrup (peach, pear, grapes)
12. Del Monte Fruit Cocktail No Sugar Added
13. Del Monte Lite Fruit Cocktail in Extra Light Syrup
14. Del Monte Pear Halves in Heavy Syrup
15. Del Monte Pear Halves, Bartlett Pears in 100% real fruit juice from concentrate
16. Del Monte Sliced Yellow Cling Peaches in 100% Juice
17. Del Monte Sliced Yellow Cling Peaches in heavy syrup
18. Dole Diced Peaches, Yellow Cling in light syrup
19. Dole Mixed Fruit in Light Syrup
20. Dole Pear Halves in Juice
21. Earth’s Best Organics Apple Juice
22. Eating Right Fruit Cocktail packed in Sucralose
23. Eating Right No Sugar Fruit Cocktail
24. First Street 100% Apple Cider from concentrate
25. First Street Apple Juice from concentrate 100% juice
26. First Street Diced Pears
27. First Street Fruit Cocktail in heavy syrup
28. First Street Grape Juice from concentrate 100% juice
29. First Street Sliced Bartlett
30. First Street Yellow Cling Peaches in heavy syrup
31. Full Circle Organic Apple Juice
32. Full Circle Organic Bartlett Pear Slices
33. Gerber 100% Juice – White Grape Juice
34. Gerber 100% Juice Apple Juice
35. Gerber 3rd Foods Peaches
36. Gerber 3rd Foods Pears
37. Golden Star Mixed Fruit in Light Syrup (peach, pineapple, pears)
38. Golden Star Peach Halves in Heavy Syrup
39. Great Value 100% Grape Juice
40. Great Value 100% No Sugar Added Apple Juice
41. Great Value Bartlett Pear Halves in 100% Juice
42. Great Value Bartlett Sliced Pears in Heavy Syrup
43. Great Value No Sugar Added Fruit Cocktail
44. Great Value Yellow Cling Sliced Peaches
45. Hansen’s Natural Apple Juice
46. Kedem Concord Grape Juice 100% pure grape juice
47. Kroger 100% Juice Apple Juice
48. Kroger Fruit Cocktail in Heavy Syrup
49. Kroger Grape Juice 100% Juice
50. Kroger Lite Fruit Cocktail in Pear Juice
51. Kroger Value Fruit Mix (Peaches, pears, grapes)
52. Langers Apple Juice 100% Juice
53. Langers Grape Juice (Concord)
54. Langers Red Grape Juice
55. Libby’s Fruit Cocktail No Sugar Added (Sweetened with Splenda)
56. Libby’s Yellow Cling Peach Slices No Sugar Added (Sweetened with Splenda)
57. Market Pantry Diced Peaches in light syrup
58. Market Pantry Diced Pears in light syrup
59. Market Pantry Mixed Fruit in light syrup
60. Maxx Value Fruit Mix in Light Syrup (peach, pear, grape)
61. Maxx Value Pear Pieces in Light Syrup
62. Minute Maid Juice Apple – 100% Apple Juice
63. Motts 100% Apple Juice
64. Mrs. Brown’s Fruit Cocktail in Heavy Syrup (peaches, pears, grapes)
65. O Organics Organic Grape Juice from concentrate
66. O Organics Organic Unfiltered Apple Juice Not From Concentrate
67. Old Orchard 100% Apple Juice
68. Parade 100% Juice Apple
69. Polar Mixed Fruit
70. Polar Peach Slices
71. Polar Pear Halves in light syrup
72. R.W. Knudsen Just Concord Grape Juice
73. R.W. Knudsen Organic Just Concord
74. Raley’s 100% Grape Juice
75. Raley’s Fruit Cocktail in Heavy Syrup
76. Raley’s Premium 100% Apple Juice not from Concentrate
77. Raley’s Sliced Yellow Cling Peaches in Heavy Syrup
78. S&W Natural Style Fruit Cocktail in Lightly Sweetened Juice
79. S&W Natural Style Pear Slices in Juice
80. S&W Natural Style Yellow Cling Peach Slices in Lightly Sweetened Juice
81. S&W Premium Peach Halves Yellow Cling Peaches in light syrup
82. S&W Sun Pears Premium
83. Safeway 100% Juice Apple Cider
84. Safeway 100% Juice Apple Juice
85. Safeway 100% Juice Grape Juice
86. Safeway Diced Peaches in Light Syrup
87. Safeway Fruit Cocktail in Heavy Syrup
88. Safeway Light Sugar Fruit Cocktail
89. Safeway Lite Bartlett Pear Halves in Pear Juice
90. Safeway Lite Fruit Cocktail in Pear Juice
91. Safeway Organic Grape Juice
92. Safeway Pear Halves in Light Juice
93. Safeway Yellow Cling Peach Slices in Pear Juice
94. Santa Cruz Organic Concord Grape Juice
95. Simple Value Yellow Cling Peaches in light syrup
96. Stater Bros. 100% Juice Apple Juice
97. Stater Bros. 100% Juice Grape Juice
98. Stater Bros. 100% Juice White Grape Juice
99. Stater Bros. Fruit Cocktail in Heavy Syrup
100. Stater Bros. Yellow Cling Peach Halves
101. Stater Bros. Yellow Cling Sliced Peaches in heavy syrup
102. Sunny Select 100% Apple Juice
103. Sunny Select 100% Grape Juice
104. Sunny Select Fruit Cocktail in Juice
105. Sunny Select Pear Halves in Pear Juice
106. Sunny Select Yellow Cling Sliced Peaches in Pear Juice
107. Trader Joe’s Certified Organic Apple Juice, pasteurized
108. Trader Joe’s Concord Grape Juice made from fress pressed organic concord grapes
109. Trader Joe’s Pear Halves in white grape juice
110. Trader Joe’s Yellow Cling Peach Halves in while grape juice
111. Tree Top 100% Juice Apple Cider
112. Tree Top 100% Juice, Grape
113. Truitt Brothers Pacific NorthWest Bartlett Pear Halves, in pear juice from concentrate
114. Valu Time Grape Drink from Concentrate
115. Valu Time Irregular Bartlett Pear Slices
116. Valu Time Yellow Cling Peach Slices
117. Walgreens Apple Juice from concentrate 100% juice
118. Walgreens Grape Juice from concentrate 100% juice
119. Walnut Acres Organic Concord Grape
120. Walnut Grove Market 100% Apple Juice
121. Walnut Grove Market Grape Juice
122. Walnut Grove Market Natural Peaches Sliced Yellow Cling in Light Syrup
123. Walnut Grove Market Natural Pear Halves in Heavy Syrup
124. Welch’s 100% Grape Juice (from Welch’s Concord Grapes)
125. Welch’s 100% Red Grape Juice from Concentrate

update by gardega

I traveled to long island yesterday to look at a wine cellar mural that must be completed before xmas, It is a client I have already painted a similar mural for about three years ago. New house---new mural.  Scheduling is tight Because I am also painting a mural in colorado from nov 24th until dec 1. I also have to finish my deco folding screen for a client and a few other paintings. It will all get done, somehow...Never complain about too much work...never, ever.

Raphael, the god of art!

I figured I would school the morons who think Jasper Johns is actually an artist. I want you to stare at this drawing for 20 minutes. Look at the lines and the energy and the genius and understand that jasper johns is not worth the smudge on the right side of page..you must wake up from zombie land and alex will help you to become a great artist.






alex

the emperors new clothes

A very nice artist was trying to give me advice about life and art today. I didnt ask him anything nor for advice. He was muttering something about be careful about doing my yellow page covers--Yes , I will be careful about putting my work in front of ten million people annually--yes I will be very careful about that... I was running to a jobsite to pick up a big juicy check for work rendered. I am very open minded to artists and I listen to them but I always hope they dont see my eyes glaze offer as my smile holds its place. Modern art is a ponzi scam and the inevitable and crawling light of history will expose it as such. The minute somone starts to tell me about jasper johns I give a big smile I shake hands and I run out the door. My brain and breath is too valuable to debate such matters. I cant teach the blind to see and you cant teach a man that a single doodle by raphael is worth the entire lot of modern art from the 20th century. When I was young these things usually involved barfights and teeth on the floor etc. I am an adult now, I smile and shake hands and run for the hills. There is nothing anyone can tell me about art that I havent been over 6,000 more times than you have. I wake up at 5 AM everyday and I think about art all day long obsessively until I fall asleep at midnight. While most artists are out bullshitting and wearing berets, I am in the trenches, I do not mean to be rude but my time is very valuable to me and that is why I would rather there be less talk and more work!!   SHUT UP and make art, that is what I do..I have no time for debates. That emperor has no clothes.


god bless.