happy new year!

My only resolution is to work harder...nothing else.


happy new year q. Bee.

great stuff!

http://www.foxnews.com/slideshow/scitech/2009/12/28/odd-antarctic-sea-life-spotlighted-deep-sea-survey?slide=8great

I am an obsessive person. Every single thing I do, I do to the point of a ridiculous extreme. I am not sure why but I stopped questioning that years and years ago. I am lucky because a lot of people like me wind up dead or drug addicts but my drug is art and always will be.

new cover by gardega

I just got the first copy of the new brooklyn book featuring the art of gardega. When I look at this cover I remember 4:30 AM hair pulling panic and rushing it into the art director at 9 am with no sleep for two days. Art is not for the weak. In the end it all worked and jived and I like the color harmony. You never know how a thing will print. ..the original painting is going to be for sale tonight via this blog. Most people do not get very excited by the yellow pages butI look at them as the new campbels soup.

art and sales

artists forget one thing:like it or not, art is sales--art is promotion, in truth it is no different than selling real estate or ad space. If you choose to whither on the vine of anonymity than you should think otherwise. Many of the great artists were great self promoters. The only artists I ever met who told me they dont want to sell their work are the ones who couldn't sell their work.

alex

Portrait of Adam Graves

I made this for a charity event and our wires/ signal got crossed and the piece was not available for the event. It was finished in time so it was not my fault! (blame is better to give than receive) It is 4 x 5 foot oil on canvas. I am not a huge hockey fan but if you read about adam graves he is one hell of a good guy and he does a lot for ronald Mcdonald house and charities. This painting is taking up too much room in my studio and she must go and find a new home. It is already for sale on ebay. I will link it later.

click here to purchase.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=290385600747&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT

I miss this painting

Art is like children, eventually they grow up and you sell them off to highest bidder. This is one painting I wish I still owned. This is the supra-rational rooster and I miss it very much...chickens and roosters are common themes of mine(for the new readers) I hope the S. Rooster has a nice frame and a nice home...

original gardega for sale

Here is the original oil painting that was used by ambassador publishing for the 2009 queens Yellow Pages. It is pop art and sits in a million queens kitchen drawers (not unlike Campbell Soup) I like when the Yellow Pages will let me get a bit "radical" as yellow pages are generally artistically rather dry. I think there is subtext in this work that you can figure out for yourself. I will post the entire printed final cover (with text) when I have the time. The yellow pages puts my art in millions of homes every year---You cannot ask for greater exposure. I will ebay this piece today or tonight. I wish the flu would leave me.

strong island

I do think it is a good idea to have a reality show about long island steroid heads. I do think strong island is a good title for it. These kind of people are the reason I left long island for NYC and they are they reason I only return for holidays. I am not sure how a place with such geographic beauty can have such a lack of culture and such a plethora of idiocy. My idea that was mentioned in page six yesterday was actually initially meant as a joke and in hind site after I read it decided it was a "strong idea"

a day in my life

1) I woke up at six with horrible flu. read about myself in page six but dont realize it is my name.

2) went into nyc for 9 oclock meeting at yellow pages for NYC cover art.

3) went to brooklyn to drop off nude portrait of Rachael Ray to a collector.

4) back to NYC witness two thugs rob a lady of I phone. Apprehend suspects physically (now in jail)

5) drink a much needed beer. get a call from friend who tells about me horrible photo online in page six of me.

6) visit friend in NYC..

7) home again.....

blog update coming soon.

I am doing a full overhaul of my blog soon, I will probably pay a professional to do it. It is high time to take it to the next level as blogger is great but a bit limited. I have the flu but there is not rest for the weary.

St. Michael

I am working on my mural of St. Michael. It is in early stages and I will post a glimpse soon. It is almost too large for my studio.

Birth of Rachael Ray Print--by gardega

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290385313852

full description on ebay.

And if the music stops
There's only the sound of the rain
All the hope and glory
All the sacrifice in vain
[And] if love remains
Though everything is lost
We will pay the price,
But we will not count the cost

words of the day

"my model is right, its reality that's wrong," alex

childhood art

landscape age 10
landscape age 11
landscape age 15

The Birth Of Rachael

In an ancient and a quiet land
a river flowed, a river ran
it flowed for years through
sacred woods and all was calm and all was good.
and there a sacred figure stood
on Evoo river was rachael born
beneath the sun of ancient time
whose goldeneye did brightly shine
when painting was the fairest art
and TV had not its start.
and craft was fine and craft was fair
and artists drew the fairest hair
and then came change into the woods
and skill was lost and it was not good
and artists became modern fools
and learned no craft in modern schools
and ancient rivers ceased to flow
and the minds of men did cease to grow
and Rachael cried an evoo tear
for the future was already here
and lost to time, an ancient art
yet painting sleeps in higher hearts.

My brain is telling me to paint a second Rachael ray picture. My mind is telling me no, but my brain is saying paint another with less landscape and more figure...the timeless Dionysian and Apollonian battle rages on in my soul.

get a name

I like press. Good press, bad press---I dont care. There is nothing worse than being an unknown artist. I would rather be dead. If an artist tells you they dont like to sell work and dont mind being unknown then they are lying to you. If you are in the "art game" you would understand how important it is to get your name out there. If you dont build a name you dont sell and then you die with a bunch of "what ifs" I have friends who knock me for pursuing press. They dont sell their paintings and I work 5 times harder than they do. I make art at a furious and obsessive pace and I never stop thinking and dreaming and scheming. Even when I sleep I dream about art.

Bernie Madoff Sand Sculpture

I am obsessed with Madoff--- I even wonder what he is doing in jail sometimes. I used to live across the street from his son and my hot sauce got delivered to their building from UPS. Imagine that, Bernie Madoff walking past my box of bernie in hell hot sauce sitiing in his lbby. you cant make that up. This is a thrice posted sand sculpture, it cost me 8 long hours and one hell of a sunburn. Art is hard, dont be an artist. Be an accountant...

Food Series by gardega

Here I hid eggs "beaster eggs" throughout central park. In each egg I hid money. I created a whole myth about the beaster bunny etc. It was all inspired by the ponzi- beaster bunny bernie madoff. This was in the palm beach daily news

http://www.palmbeachdailynews.com/search/content/society/2009/04/11/sdcol0412.html
My latest creation. I painted this as I thought about the "soothing media" that lulls us into a dreamless sleep of consumerism. I never watch tv except to study it but I do find rachael ray interesting to watch because she loves what she does. I like anyone who has a passion for something. Here she floats on the river evoo soothing and classical and calm and...this is all over the net if you want to google it. (sold)
Bernie in Hell Hot sauce. One morning I was watching the news and the Madoff story broke and sent me to a level of anger I cant really explain. Millions of people lost their savings to one crook. The system had failed us. I created this as my reaction. It became a world famous hot sauce. Anger fuels my art.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,479093,00.html
Here I painted Media figures on eggs. What is an egg but a beginning, a birth. Media and mass communication is an egg born in our time. The question is what lies in the yellow yolk of media, are their any nutrients to feed the modern soul? (These were in page six, cant find the link.) one dozen painted eggs (all sold)


The last Supper: Fox News. This is about Media and how TV is our new religion. It is the church of the mindless. The media is the message. http://insidecable.blogsome.com/2007/08/26/oooooook-2/ 8 foot by 4 foot oil on board (sold)


I have three more food pieces to complete my series. I already know what they will be. They are tasty ideas. It is hard to be a genius but it is easy to be crazy.






(These were not posted in any order....)


I have been working on my "food series" for three years now. I am only making 8 pieces for this series as I like to work in series of 8. I always make at least 8 pieces for a series (sometimes many, many more) but always at least 8.

my dream

I think half the reason I am an artist is I have the most bizarre dreams you can imagine. Most of them are so strange I cant even explain them because they are non nonsensical to the point where words can do them no justice. Maybe it is because as a kid I had a lot of head injuries (at least 8 concussions) I was a little crazy in my teen years and very accident prone. Regardless, last night I had a dream I was sculpting a white chocolate life size sculpture of a figure...now I know what I must do...some dreams you should follow and some you should tuck away into a closet..this one is probably better left alone but I will have to bring it into the light of day.

only two hours left!

The ultimate christmas gift is a click away! A world famous Gardega Original is for sale on ebay,
click on the painting to the right.

ho ho ho

cell phone photos, grand central terminal

A stranger shopping for gifts...

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone!

the final straw

The american economy is like a camel with a back that is one tiny straw away from breaking. The financial weight of the health care bill is like a 73' Cadillac that is about to be dropped on said camel from a height of 100 feet. Brace for impact.

the daily glass

I made this today for a professional comic book artist, deadline..hell I am worn out and exhausted and thawing out.

night

etched glass 16 x20

birth of rachael ray print

I have teamed up with a great printing company that makes high quality Giclee prints. These are great for people who cannot afford and original gardega but still want a gardega. If you want to buy a print I have them on ebay for $35.00 which is less than the cost of high qulaity EVOO. here is link and info.


http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=290383868090&ssPageName=STRK:MESE:IT

my last food project

www.bernieinhell.net

this was my best food idea to date...

www.http://www.palmbeachdailynews.com/search/content/society/2009/04/11/sdcol0412.html

this was a dumb idea..but it was in palm beach daily news.

nude portrait of rachael ray

People keep asking me, why? Why did I paint rachael ray nude floating in the river Evoo. My answer is there is no need for you to know why just as there is no need for me to know why, either. When I follow my deeepest non-sensical artistic desires they seem to resonate (at least with the press and the media.) If I fling paint in your eye then it is better than painting images of your pet poodle. (although I would gladly paint a pet chicken) I am obsessed with food, not in the idea of eating food but food as an object that occupies my mind. Perhaps I am the jonas brothers of fine art or maybe I am a neo-dalinian madman commenting on the strange culture in time in which we live. I really dont care, at least I get a lot of publicity.

so far 2,500 people have viewed my painting on ebay but I would like 10,000 or 20,000.

"people care not for painting---they only care for spectacle" alex said that

the gardega update

I am finishing up a glass piece for Thursday deadline. Will post when done, It is for a professional comic book artist. There is still time to bid on my rachael ray masterwork of media genius. I also have prints for sale. I have a professional Giclee printer making prints of my work now which is very exciting. Giclee's are the highest quality digital prints available. Sometimes I envy people who Have a real job and then they get off a week around Christmas time and dont have vicious deadlines and can relax but every grass is greener.

thomas nast and van gogh

http://www.thomasnast.com/NastAndVanGogh/AlBoimeEssayMain.htm

whats in your water?

http://www.webmd.com/depression/news/20040810/prozac-in-drinking-water-likely-so

drink up, sheeple.

cell phone photo: by gardega

antique store window at night

words of the day

http://www.daylife.com/quote/0cZHcNtgA37FL

words of the day

Sometimes, on a birthday, one is thrown into reflection. My life has been very nontraditional and often chaotic but boy do I have some good stories! These words always reminded me of me before I even knew who "me " was



Mother, mother ocean, I have heard you call
Wanted to sail upon your waters since I was three feet tall
You've seen it all, you've seen it all

Watched the men who rode you switch from sails to steam
And in your belly you hold the treasures few have ever seen
Most of 'em dream, most of 'em dream

Yes I am a pirate, two hundred years too late
The cannons don't thunder, there's nothin' to plunder
I'm an over-forty victim of fate
Arriving too late, arriving too late

I've done a bit of smugglin', I've run my share of grass
I made enough money to buy Miami, but I pissed it away so fast
Never meant to last, never meant to last

And I have been drunk now for over two weeks
I passed out and I rallied and I sprung a few leaks
But I got stop wishin', got to go fishin'
Down to rock bottom again
Just a few friends, just a few friends



I go for younger women, lived with several awhile
Though I ran 'em away, they'd come back one day
Still could manage to smile
Just takes a while, just takes a while

Mother, mother ocean, after all the years I've found
My occupational hazard being my occupation's just not around
I feel like I've drowned, gonna head uptown


I feel like I've drowned, gonna head uptown

j. buffet

quote of the day

Violence is a quest for identity----ray bradbury

Media and Fine art

No one cares about painting. Today, people care about spectacle. Can painting meet spectacle and maintain dignity and integrity? This is the 5 dollar question. The medium is the message.

Understanding Media (1964)

McLuhan's most widely known work, Understanding Media: The Extensions of Man (1964), is a pioneering study in media theory. In it McLuhan proposed that media themselves, not the content they carry, should be the focus of study — popularly quoted as "the medium is the message". McLuhan's insight was that a medium affects the society in which it plays a role not by the content delivered over the medium, but by the characteristics of the medium itself. McLuhan pointed to the light bulb as a clear demonstration of this concept. A light bulb does not have content in the way that a newspaper has articles or a television has programs, yet it is a medium that has a social effect; that is, a light bulb enables people to create spaces during nighttime that would otherwise be enveloped by darkness. He describes the light bulb as a medium without any content. McLuhan states that "a light bulb creates an environment by its mere presence."^[40] More controversially, he postulated that content had little effect on society — in other words, it did not matter if television broadcasts children's shows or violent programming, to illustrate one example — the effect of television on society would be identical. He noted that all media have characteristics that engage the viewer in different ways; for instance, a passage in a book could be reread at will, but a movie had to be screened again in its entirety to study any individual part of it.

[edit] "Hot" and "cool" media

In the first part of Understanding Media, McLuhan also stated that different media invite different degrees of participation on the part of a person who chooses to consume a medium. Some media, like the movies, were "hot" - that is, they enhance one single sense, in this case vision, in such a manner that a person does not need to exert much effort in filling in the details of a movie image. McLuhan contrasted this with "cool" TV, which he claimed requires more effort on the part of viewer to determine meaning, and comics, which due to their minimal presentation of visual detail require a high degree of effort to fill in details that the cartoonist may have intended to portray. A movie is thus said by McLuhan to be "hot", intensifying one single sense "high definition", demanding a viewer's attention, and a comic book to be "cool" and "low definition", requiring much more conscious participation by the reader to extract value.^[41]

"Any hot medium allows of less participation than a cool one, as a lecture makes for less participation than a seminar, and a book for less than a dialogue." ^[42]

Hot media usually, but not always, provide complete involvement without considerable stimulus. For example, print occupies visual space, uses visual senses, but can immerse its reader. Hot media favour analytical precision, quantitative analysis and sequential ordering, as they are usually sequential, linear and logical. They emphasize one sense (for example, of sight or sound) over the others. For this reason, hot media also include radio, as well as film, the lecture and photography.

Cool media, on the other hand, are usually, but not always, those that provide little involvement with substantial stimulus. They require more active participation on the part of the user, including the perception of abstract patterning and simultaneous comprehension of all parts. Therefore, according to McLuhan cool media include television, as well as the seminar and cartoons. McLuhan describes the term "cool media" as emerging from jazz and popular music and, in this context, is used to mean "detached." ^[43]

This concept appears to force media into binary categories. However, McLuhan's hot and cool exist on a continuum: they are more correctly measured on a scale than as dichotomous terms.^[7]

long day

I brought the chicken I saved all the way to a long island farm today.


exhausted.

"does humor belong in art?" frank zappa

http://foodnetworkhumor.com/2009/12/nude-classical-portrait-of-rachael-ray-for-sale-on-ebay-seriously/

the first observed use of a tool by an invertebrate

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/tech/2009/12/15/bennett.aus.octopus.tools.abc

genius

I am fascinated by art in which you cannot decide if it just an utter kitsch stupid gimmick or a brilliant sunshiney beam of beam of genius. Half my art lives in this place and I am okay with it. Genius lies in the shadows, beyond our grasp.

Birth of Rachael Ray---on ebay

She is on Ebay (for a cause)

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&Item=290381810590&Category=60437&_trkparms=algo%3DLVI%26its%3DI%26otn%3D1

a thought for a day

I was reading about the Kennedy's and how they basically spent their lives trying make their dad happy and they danced to his tune to fulfill his ambitions. For me, personally, there is only one path in life--YOUR OWN. A ready- made bed makes for restless sleep. Even as a child I felt this way. If you read any of the great thinkers, the emphasize is on staking your own claim, making your own path. Great trees dont grow in great shadows. You get one life and then you are dead and if your path doesnt make others 100% happy then that is an unfortunate thing. Be true to yourself and failure is only a state of mind.

Edwina the Hen

I am selling a painting as a little fund raiser for my hen. If I give it to a farm I want to give them some money to make sure they take care of her as I dont want her winding up sold or as a meal. I will pick the picture today and put on ebay.

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/pickin_up_chick_r2zifdtY9YzoznGZpRZFTI

my chicken

I rescued a chicken today. I went to a highly sketchy part of queens to get her and take her home. Nothing like a skinny white guy in the projects carrying a chicken. I am going to find her a farm. She made me late for my birthday dinner but it was worth it.

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/pickin_up_chick_r2zifdtY9YzoznGZpRZFTI

the color green

it seems today facsim is dressed in a peculiar shade of orwellian green and the sheep are more than happy to feed on this green and be lead to a long and painful fleecing. I guess it is clever, a sneak attack dressed in the clothing of saving something but the cost will be high and freedoms are nolonger prized by men as precious jewels.


alex

cell phone photos

I recently etched a mirror and built a waterfall for a bar in a restaurant in my hood. This morning I was walking in town and I saw a bunch of firetrucks in front of the place. It seems there was a fire in the basement this morning. I dont think it was terribly big fire but smoke damage is very hard to deal with. I hope they get back on feet and work through the mess. Life is often one step forward, two steps back. The trick is to keep walking.

great story

http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/pickin_up_chick_r2zifdtY9YzoznGZpRZFTI


I am going to save this chicken.

giving a peace prize to a president expanding a war is not irony, it is insanity---alex


war is peace--george orwell

wisdom

being a man of wisdom I have figured out the difference between men and women.

men don't wash new sheets.

4 AM deadline panic

Here is typical chaos in my studio about 4 AM as I try to get a painting for a book cover done for morning delivery...

NEW WEBSITE

I AM UPDATING MY HOT SAUCE WEBSITE. IF YOU HAVE NOT PURCHASED MY WORLD FAMOUS COLLECTIBLE HOT SAUCE THEN YOU SHOULD BUY A BOTTLE AS IT IS A PART OF MEDIA HISTORY. THE SITE WILL BE FULLY UPDATED BY THIS WEEKEND. NO REST FOR THE ARTIST WHO HAS FIRE IN HIS GUTS AND A MISSION IN HIS MIND.

http://www.bernieinhell.net/

words of the day

" the world is not getting warmer, its going mad..."

alex said that

deadlines

3:41 AM---- Redbulls and deadline panic.

the age of propaganda

We live in an age of Orwellian propaganda. Scientists are changing historical data and the media is ignoring important news and selectively reporting other news. The Orwellian memory hole is filled daily with things "they" would rather the public remain in the dark about. The sheeple are fed enough sports and TV to keep them fat and naive and life carries on and on and on...

today I am finishing a painting of the brookyn bridge for a book cover. If it looks good I will post it. If It doesnt I will justs forget to post and post a drawing of a chicken and you will say "what a nice chicken" and forget I was supposed to post my bridge Painting.

Butterflies: natural history museum

There are a lot of things to behold at the natural history museum, especially tourists...

etched panels by gardega

I etched these many years ago for The Natural History Museum many years ago. I never got around to photographing them. All I remember is they were heavy as hell and I had to carry them up and down stairs to my basement studio. It was utter hell and a quick deadline. But I got em done. Some of them were etched by another glass company but I dont remember whats what and one set of names looks like another set of names. These pieces will long outlast me.

fossil--natural history museum

I took this photo from the Natural History Museum. I am so mad that I didnt write down the info on this piece. This color scheme amazes me

Natural History Museum

I went to the natural history museum yesterday. I took some photos I will post. I love that place. The queen bee display was great.

amazing link

http://gizmodo.com/5418009///gallery/9

switzerland

I learned today the highest gun ownership per capita in the world is Switzerland. It also has the lowest crime rate in the world. The internet is a an amazing source of knowledge.

I worked until three on a deadline then I got up at 6 to make final touches. Three hours of dead sleep is better than 8 hours of restless sleep.

etched mirror with waterfall

I made this mirror for a restaurant..it is etched from behind (and lit) and a "waterfall" cascades down its face. It turns out that the logo was designed by somone who I went to art school with back in the stone age...small world.

for sale on ebay

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=290376737569

I have started selling on ebay again. I took a break after paying them about $3, 000 in fees. They have lowered the fees a bit so I am giving them a shot

There is nothing like 5am moonlight sprints along the hudson river in the cold to get the blood pumping. One day they will bury me in the dirt and until then I am going to keep my foot on my own gas pedal and try to feel as alive as I can. Ideas come when I sleep but they require energy and action to bring to life. I have too many ideas I want to bring alive but I can only give attention to so many so I doomed from the start but it is a good doom.

etched mirror waterfall

I just recently completed an etched 7 foot mirror/ waterfall for a bar at a restaurant. It was hell to make work but it is awesome and almost done. will upload photos tomorrow. I look at myself as a lazy bum but somehow I keep churning out work. I guess I will never feel like anything but a lazy person because in my mind I never work hard enough and I cut too many corners. I am not sure why I think like this.

freedom

I think the ultimate sign of freedom is not the bald eagel but the butterfly. Our psyches are butterflies that want to be free but it is mans nature to fear freedom and pin his own psychic wings to the board of safe mediocrity. If I am going to fail it is going to be because my wings are burned by the sun and I will go down in flames.

albrecht durer: self portrait

when I was a child I became obsessed with this portrait, it haunted me like a ghost in the attic. I drew it 100 times and the hand became another thing I tried to draw a million times. what a genius Albrecht Durer was. The germans are not generally in the forefront of classic art but DURER is a genius.

Think Big

1) be thorough

2) get a momentum going

3) STAY FOCUSED! LOSE FOCUS, LOSE MOMENTUM. Ask yourself what you should be thinking about right now!

4)look at solution not problem

5) See opportunity for what it is--a gift.

6) know everything you can about what you are doing---HOMEWORK!

7) SEE YOURSELF AS VICTORIOUS!

9) BE SMART!!! USE WHAT you got!

10) NEVER, NEVER, NEVER GIVE UP!

DONALD TRUMP

news!!!

Alex is creating/ hosting the first (or third) Surrealist art/ ball in NYC in mid January. Seeking location. Costume is required, the odder the better. The media is already alerted and when I lock into an idea--- it is going to happen if it kills me.


The idea came to me after reading this quote:

the one thing the world will never have enough of is the outrageous.
Salvador Dali