back to my blog

I have decided to get my back into my blog again...I find myself in endless deadline hell of art and my blog gives way...I have lots to say, lots of stretching my mouth...lots to complain about like my ex not claiming her painting I spent fifty hours on...Life carries on and on and on...

My friends company..bear glass

http://www.bearglass.tv/

New Works by gardega

Here are two new paintings I've done. The one on left is sold (not quite done yet) Ive labored many hours on it. The apple is for sale...Ill take good photo of it soon.

interested parties can email me.

alexgardega@gmail.com

Etched Shower door NYC: by gardega

I recently signed a shower door I etched many years ago for a client...

A carved glass David

I am working with an art gallery to carve some Iconic art pieces in glass...It made sense to start with David... This is the rough first sketch..Of course it has flaws but it is my first sketch when I "feel out" the piece...I do a lot of sketches when I work and I start sloppy and spiral to neat/ finished sketch. The plan is for a 6 foot final glass carving..

The Nobe Peace Prize

Gardega's Palette

Here is my painting palette... With these colours I can paint a pear or a person or a pumpkin or a pig or a petunia or a pony or a pimp or a pasture or a planet or a parent. Almost anyping...I dont follow any painting system, I follow my gut... I trust my gut infinitely more than any art teacher I have had in life.

Famous Pallettes, Famous Artists

http://www.retronaut.co/2011/01/pallettes-of-famous-painters/

(my pallette is always a big sloppy mess that looks like the Staten Island landfill but somehow I create order out of chaos...)

New Paint by Gardega

APPLE AND CICADA (more than this)

OIL ON PANEL 11" by 14"

for sale

Daily Gardega

I decided to attack a blank 3 x 4 foot, beautiful, stretched, blank canvas. I never tell the canvas what I want---it tells me..this one wanted to be a flood painting..this painting is called "after the flood" after all of my deluge painting, the awtaers become still and calm beneath a swollen moon and the soul survivor floats calmly, waiting for waters to subside to begin anew... This is my second largest flood painting...They are very much influenced by Zen and japanese "minimal zen art" It took me a long time to loosen up and not show everyone everything I know about painting in each piece..You dont have to prove anything to anyone except yourself...now I have to paint the boat and figure which must fit perfectly or painting fails!!!!

After The flood

3' by 4' oil on stretched canvas

Gardega on art school

Art school has destroyed more students than it has created. The avg. Professor in art school is a lemming/ zombie too afraid to make it in the real trenches of art. Not all...many...They will tell you things like figures are passe, decorative art is not art, be modern at all costs and skill is a four letter word. I was smarter than my professors and I laughed at them and became good friends with one of them (whom I greatly respect and admires) as an artist. Not one of my professors knew anything about the renaissance or geomoetry etc..nothing! I couldnt even get a word of info on raphael (my hero) they all spoke of sargent etc and other such rubbish...Arts school is worth the trip but be careful they dont teach the good part of you right out ther door. A fool is more dangerous than a criminal,  at times.

how to paint an apple...by GARDEGA

In order to be an artist one must be able to paint an apple amidst rapine and pillage (as the old saying goes) This means in the chaos and rush that is life one must take the time to sit down and paint a simple apple. A simple apple is a test of any artist..Dekooning could never paint a true apple, nor Pollock, nor half the modernistos. Velasquez could paint an apple to rival gods own and the dutch masters could do this as well. It is important to step back from the madness of art and to hang an apple by a string and paint it. This is good for the art soul and it is like an athlete doing push ups. The apple tempted Adam and the apple will always be around right to the very end of man...

Gardega paints an apple!

gardega

Yesterday I etched/ finished the Top Panel of three for my St. Michael's window...Didnt have time to photo yet..started new painting last night..The more love you put into the "base panel" of your painting, the more love you will put into your final painting because you wont want to wreck all that hard work..The photo is a panel I made for a new work..There are TWENTY layers of sanded gesso on this board.   Each one thinned with 50% water and then a final transparent wash- coat of Burnt Sienna. If you put a lot of work into something it "gives back to you" when you look at most modern art it is poorly made and slopped together in a blobby "inspired" mess..I you look at an old master you can "smell the lamplight" (as they say) you can feel the hard work and hours and years of dedication to master light and flesh and spirit, There is Chi there. Good art requires dedication and labor and hard work, you dont walk up to a canvas and slop out your emotions..even my loose works like my "flood paintings" are painted with laser focused and worked until they look spontaneous and alive. What you put into art you get back out and if you put love into art it will radiate out long after you have passed.

UPDATE

I bought three panels yesterday. A three by four foot canvas and two small wooden panels.  I love having new panels...anything can happen on a blank surface, I know a lot of artists who fret over blank surfaces..I like to get right in there and attack them...even if I fail (which happens) it sure beats not painting anything. I know so many friends/ artists who are always talking about getting into painting again, always "getting ready" to paint...I find it best for the artist's head and soul to always "be in the paint" I always have multiple canvases/ boards going at one time and A week never goes by without me finishing at least one image. Avoiding what you were meant to do in life is a form of self torture and much worse than facing up, staring into the sun and addressing the true reason God put you on this blue planet. Luck favors the bold and you may or may not sell your art in your lifetime but if you don't make it, you are guaranteed to fail.

Gardega Update

Today I will etch the top panel to my St. Anthony window and photograph it..I always start with the easy part of a job as by doing this you "ramp up" to speed when you get into the real hard part or the meat if any art job. Post pic this evening

Resolutions

I rarely make resolutions for New Years as I think it is bad for your psyche to make and break them and let yourself down. I committed a few months back to Getting my self in serious shape and to give up my beloved red wine so I can get more work done. Even one glass of wine at night makes me too tired to really work late effectively. My biggest high in life is making art anyways. My favorite thing is getting up at five at starting my work day and planning my art/ deadlines for the day/ week. I have started Shaolin Kung Fu which is the hardest workout I have ever known... Discipline is the cornerstone of art and without hard work and focus you wont survive the art-game. The artist hanging in cafe with a beret is a joke...My cafe is called " Le hard work." Even though I sometimes work myself too hard it doesnt seem like work as I love art. When it is going poorly it can seem like work and then some..Resolutions are easy to keep and mine are already set in stone, one just needs to be awake.

You are a much better artist if you have your body and Chi centered..healthy body, healthy mind.