Saturday, May 26, 2007
Saranac lake
Here is an oil study on board I made in The Adirondack Mountains. It is not a finished painting but it is more worked out than many oils sketches. It is on masonite board. it is 12" X 18". I really like this painting becaue it brings me back to an early morning in the mountains (you can see the fog lit by the sun in distance) maybe you can smell the pines. This is an important piece because it is one of my oil studies which I am reluctant to release. I never too k the time to make a larger finished piece as was my intention.
link to bid below is below:
http://cm.ebay.com/cm/ck/1065
alex
Life is good!
I hired an assistant today---she was beyond amazing and we shipped a lot of art and organized checks from strangers and made sense of my messy brain! I have tons of art left and will make more as soon as I am caught up...more dancers coming up tonight.
alex
alex
Good morning america
I am excited I have an assistant starting to day! So anyone who is waiting on a promise from me will be hearing from me very soon as I will get unburied from the email swamp! Iam not complaining as it has only been good crazy..Got sidetracked yesterday, will put up many new/ old works today and will email VIP images. God bless the veterans. Dancers and strange worlds coming up!
all the best,
alex
all the best,
alex
Friday, May 25, 2007
Dali vs. Picasso
Ah, the Taurus bull vs. The Dalinian Grasshopper Child. Dali finally left the surrealists and Paris and came to New York because Picasso wisely lent him the coin for the trip. Picasso did not respect Dali but he felt Paris was too small a ring for twin matadors. Dali of course worshiped the sadistic minotaur and continued to send him unanswered post cards at Christmas for the rest of his life.
from the brain of alex
from the brain of alex
Yes, we have no bananas...
I love that saying. Have you heard of it? My friends stopped by to take me out fishing but I wouldn't leave my fans with an un-updated site so I stayed home to work...more posts up soon.
alex
alex
Strange World
Here come some juicy watercolors from my lost weekend in Los Angeles. I made a slew of watercolors as I spent the entire thanksgiving day alone on Santa Monica beach. Although I was inspired by the beauty of my surroundings I was feeling a darkness creep through my days. I took refuge in another place. An internal place, a Strange World. I made about ten of these as I was trying to nail the right feel. It is interesting how hard it is to capture fleeting glimpses compared to solid reality. I think the flying creatures represent the need to escape into the unknown. I will put a few more of these up over the weekends but many will be only available to VIP or people who wish to pay pal directly to me or call. I am not putting many of them to bid.
alex
ebay link below:
http://cm.ebay.com/cm/ck/1065
Alex takes a break
I took out my new Kayak " my dancer" I bought it so I can watercolor from on the water instead of looking out to the water or ocean I am now part of the ocean more or less. It helps to try and think differently to your approaches to art to keep things alive..Now back to work...
Dancer on Cardboard
Congrats to Donyell for winning this degas Copy on Ebay. I will ship it out after weekend!
alex
VIP Status
I am not trying to create exclusivity but given the heavy demand for my work I have decided to create a VIP section for people who have spent over 300.00 on my work. If you have please email me and I will sign you up for VIP (I will also check records and enroll you automatically). This means I give you first view key on pieces before they go up for sale. Also, I have plenty of ten dollar sketches left for people with smaller budgets. If you send more you simply get more advanced work. VIP will also include getting a free oil sketch from me (I will give more info. on that later) VIP customers will also have first view of many of my popular series--dancers, strange world and my flower studies.
alex
alex
The Golden Ratio
What do the pyramids in Egypt, Leonardo da Vinci’s portrait of the Mona Lisa, sunflowers, the snail, the pine cone and your fingers all have in common?
The answer to this question lies hidden in a sequence of numbers discovered by the Italian mathematician Fibonacci. The characteristic of these numbers, known as the Fibonacci numbers, is that each one consists of the sum of the two numbers before it.[1][2]
Fibonacci numbers
0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144, 233, 377, 610, 987, 1597, 2584, …
Fibonacci numbers have an interesting property. When you divide one number in the sequence by the number before it, you obtain numbers very close to one another. In fact, this number is fixed after the 13th number in the series. This number is known as the “golden ratio.”
GOLDEN RATIO = 1.618
Thanks Jim!
A fan named Jim sent me a bunch of CD's to paint to-- what a wonderful thing to get! A gift from a stranger. Another fan sent me Peter Gabriel's Passion CD. I have a nice gift for both of you. So much love out there I feel my cynicism melting away day by day.
My New Brush
An artist is very limited without the right tools. Good brushes make all the difference. I bought this brush today for $100.00 dollars (and I got a really good deal on it) It is a Winsor and Newton series seven # 8 sable. it is the Rolls Royce of brushes and I will be taking her for a test spin later today. Boring post but I had to share my guilty purchase with America. It kind of reminds me of spinal tap "No, don't even look at it"
Good morning america.
I got my much needed 4 hours in. Will start gain soon! more to upload. I put up dancers like I promised. Will load some strange world series ad well today.
alx
alx
Degas Copy 5
Another Degas Copy from my teen years. I hope Degas doesn't mind. Many people don't realize that the impressionist and degas and van gogh and many others were using photos as reference material. They didn't often like to admit they worked from photos. Photos were the reason for the new and strange compositions you began to see in paintings. This was just another sketch pulled from a grey sketchbook. I feel bad separating them as they were together but such is life. I will post these on ebay soon. another all- nighter...
click below to buy.
http://cm.ebay.com/cm/ck/1065
Leaning Dancer
I can see that this drawing was not after Degas but my attempt to make a dancer in the style of Degas. It was like taking off your training wheels. It is strange to expose the dirty laundry of your artistic growth to the eyes of America. Part of me wants to show everyone how much better I am now but that is ego stuff.
alex
click to buy. it is for $75 as I want to see who gets up the earliest. good luck.
http://cm.ebay.com/cm/ck/1065
nude sketchbook page
Here is another old master copy of a nude. I suppose I was 18 or 19. I later learned that although it is important to copy old masters you can never replace drawing from life. I think it was after furini or some such name. Its 3:20 AM-- I hope everyone is out drinking and having fun while your humble artist is working alone.
bid below
http://cm.ebay.com/cm/ck/1065
After Degas 4
I promised to put up more of my teenage degas copies..here they are. Please forgive all the problems and shortcomings of these copies they were studies of a 19 year old bright eyed artist making the mistakes he needed to make.
enjoy
http://cm.ebay.com/cm/ck/1065
Thursday, May 24, 2007
Shippin' notes.
Please make sure I have your updated address and if you pay Pay Pal then make sure that shipping address is correct!! I am done shipping until after the holiday as I am dying to paint and draw again--- much like a junkie I get real moody If I am not making art. I am going to paint all weekend all day and all night! I bought a kayak I named "My Dancer" so I can watercolor paint from out on the ocean. If anyone is unhappy with shipping time or gets impatient speak to me personally as I am hiring a secretary to help me out of this chaos.
Love,
alex
Love,
alex
estimate
I am guessing I sold over 500 pieces so far and have many many more to offer! Thanks america! and Mexico and New Zealand and Canada and philipines!
PAY PAL
If you must have a nude bather or a dancer series you can Pay Pal or Snail mail check me 175.00 with specific instructions and I will guarantee one, Otherwise it is a matter of calling me or bidding on Ebay or staying up tonight until 3 or 4. you can still buy a ten dollar sketch! I am a man of word so send money to above info! I have a lot of really stellar Santa Monica Beach Strange World Series left but they are 300.00 and up and for serious inquiries only! I am offering VIP service to people who spend over 300 total to view works before they are offered to public via this forum.
Namaste
alex
Namaste
alex
dancer on cardboard
Hello everyone,
this Degas copy just sold for around $180.00. The good news is I will be uploading a bunch tonight, very similar and just as nice from my teen years. I will put some for a VERY reasonable buy it now prices because I want to see who is up at 4 AM like I am working. The rest will go to bid but I am so Happy for all your support I am touched to the point of tears!
Long Live Dali.
alex
Ebay Store
Please join my ebay store that makes it easy for me to email you and keep your info. etc plus you can watch bids etc..Now how does one do that? I am figuring it out. Go to ebay and look up Ten Dollar Art. You should be able to find my store and join, I will look into it more later after I scan more art.
alex
alex
Mermaid Study
I drew this as a study for a glass commission. I used a real model. This drawing is 300.00 as it is very dear to me and prints are 25.00 limited to edition of 200.
alex
Address confirmation
Can anyone who purchased art please be sure to email me with a confirmed shipping address. Pay pal and ebay addresses can often be wrong as people move.
alexgardega@gmail.com
thanks
alexgardega@gmail.com
thanks
Thanks
A big thanks to Barry from Hoboken for breaking my record for a sketch and buying a dancer sketch for over 500.00! Drink is on me Barry.
I dont understand
Some of my little drawings are selling for $500 dollars and yet I had this one up on ebay and only one person bid on it and won it for ten dollars. This Raphael copy is one of my favorite sketchbook pages from my youth. I am happy someone won it for ten dollars and I hope it makes them happy! I hope they are not rich and this is one of their first art purchases and that one day it put their kid through college. I am being true to my word! Ten Dollar Art!
SOLD!
Party Time
Got a Fed Ex package today! Some people buy jewelry, some buy sports cars. This is my drug! a dozen new sketchbooks to get me through the month (or two.) Christmas in May!
alex
promise after post office I will put up dancers and nudes! PROMISE!
alex
Another useless fact
If you ever happen to be in the Chrysler Building and take the elevators you will be staring at an original Gardega and not even know it. I was hired years ago to re-make the elevator panels (the numbered ones) when they renovated the Chrylser building. I etched the glass so the numbers would be raised and the surrounding glass recessed. The area surrounding the numbers was coated with a metal. The numbers were left clear so light from behind can shine through. It was the most difficult thing I ever did and aged me a few years. Landmark buildings are very strict in matching originals and keeping integrity of design. I had the originals for a while now my ex- business partner has them. I would give anything to have one of those original panels. another useless fact! Much post office today, first round of art going out. Also dancers and nudes going up later so you can bid on the beach this weekend from laptop.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Cleburne Texas
I grew up in Cleburne Texas on a hundred acre farm. It was not a farm like you see on TV, it was basically a big field with a few horses and chickens. There was a creek in back where I would journey alone and find fossils. Once a huge dog came up to me, it was very sick and its ribs were exposed. It was really on its last legs but it was much bigger than I. I think it was German Shepard. It slowly walked up to me and I thought it was going to kill me (which would have been highly possible as I was 7.) It came up to me and I held out my shaking hand and touched its face. I will never forget that dog and I have drawn it hundreds of times on paper and in my mind. I think it came up to me as if to say goodbye to the world if that makes any sense.
alex
alex
Jim Croce
When I was a child I would paint to Jim Croce. I just bought his DVD. A life of a great human cut short by a plane crash. Digging through all these old drawings is flooding my mind with memories of my youth, music always helped me draw. Jim was always a big one for me to listen to when the pencils came out. You cant listen to his songs and not be moved...god bless. I would listen to him on my dad's 8 tracks. There is a beautiful sadness to his voice.
Vonnegut
I painted this a few months before the death of kurt vonnegut. I loved him like I knew him. He was such an individual and a cynic. Goodbye Mr. Voonegut, I will always miss you. I gave this to my brother and it is probably unframed and has macaroni on it.
New Zealand
I just sold my first piece to New Zealand. Although it is to an American in school in New Zealand. I would give anything to go paint in New Zealand for a while so If any kiwis read this and can help me get around drop me an email!
alex
SOLD!!!
Commercial piece (maybe you have seen this)
I don't usually show my commercial work unless I consider it worthwhile. Every major artist has done illustration. Picasso, Dali, Delacroix-- all of them have done book work for various projects. This is one of my clients, Ambassador Yellow Pages. You may have these in your apt. If you live in NYC. They are great because they let me be me and refuse to have lifeless computer art on their covers. I always try to push the envelope on their covers and they are very good to me.
alex
request
Hello everyone. If you guys/ gals can do me a favor and spread the word around I would be most greatful! A DJ in Westchester Has been plugging away my blog on her station and I am very thankful to her. If you can ad me as a link on your sites or mention me in emails to others it will be so great. I am overwhelmed by the response I have gotten thus far and I want to keep it alive! If anyone works for a media publication that would consider my story that would also be great. I hate to do self promo. but one must as an artist! I would be glad to make an extra special oil for anyone who can help me get the word out. I have finally gone international with this with calls from philipines, canada, mexico, ireland and New Zealand!
cheers,
alex
cheers,
alex
Lacoon group study
When I was a child I had a book with the head of Michaelangelo's David on it it. I was so afraid that picture I could not look at it. I was afraid of the hair. It scared me greatly, it seemed evil and wormish. I later learned to love greek sculpture and copied it whenever I could. This is a teenage study of the lacoon group. I believe this scupture, when found, helped to usher in the Renaissance. As a child I had many bizarre quirks. I had a phobia of coffee tea or even iced tea. To this day I have never tasted coffee, tea or iced tea. I also had to have my parents put my shoes on 5 times before grade school because If I had "lumps in my socks" I wouldn't go to school until my dad would yell at me and then I would go to school with lumps in my socks and all day long I would obsess about them. I was also afraid of a certain shade of orange/ yellow and the exact color was the same color ofKraft mac and cheese. I never tasted that because of the color it
women, hands and me.
Here is a premonition of the future pain that women would cause me in life. My hand is trying to grasp the centered nude and my self portrait shows the darkness that was creeping in. I remember this drawing like it was yesterday not 20 years ago.
NOT FOR SALE
Degas sketches 4
Here is another teenage copy of Degas. I really like this page as it has an honest feel of a kid just trying to figure out what art was.This is one of my favorite pages from that time. please be nice to it if you buy it.
click below to buy/ bid.
http://cm.ebay.com/cm/ck/1065
Last Supper Studies
Here is an old copy of Da Vinci's studies of last supper. I think mine is yellowed as much as the original at this point. Bill Gates bought much of Da Vinci's codex sketchbooks. I would give anything to view them!! Bill you reading this? Bill? I was 19 I think at this time.
Man clubbed by a woman
I am not sure who I copied this from! But I suppose the sub- text meant something to me at the time. I am going to post a closer detail as it is a small drawing.
alex
After Degas Sketchbook 3
Here is some work from way back before they had tv or autos.
right after high school...
good news
I am figuring out this blog thing...Now you can scroll down through all my posts!! No need to go into archive!!
1989
Just found a portfolio of sketches from 1989! that was before they had cars I think. Uploading them now.
Good morning america.
If anyone has questions how to get my work or wants to buy a piece you can email me or call me. I do have much work left and also many cheaper pieces as I promised. I am loading up dancers today, I also have some landscapes and nudes to upload. My mother is coming over to help today until I find an assistant. My mum is an angel in the first degree. I have some nice moonlight nocturnes I found as well. I have spent every memorial day since high school alone, I am sure I will be alone this one but I am excited to go to the ocean with my watercolors and paint all weekend! I will bring my oils as well. I would love to have a girlfriend but art is a jealous mistress and my only true love in life.
Medusa
I made this after high school. It was written up in the New York Times because it was in a group show in a gallery. It was a show about womans hair so I chose to make Medusa as my entry. The snakes are etched glass
and the face is reverse painted on glass. I never picked this up from the gallery, I left it there. I used to leave my art all over the place and throw a lot of it away because it was never sacred to me. It was more a time marker than anything. Now I see it differently and look back fondly on my Medusa. I may make prints of this, not sure.
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
yellow woman
I made this many moons ago after Munch, I believe. I priced this one at 25.00. I could get more through bids but gas is now 30 dollars a gallon so I thought this would make someone happy.
SOLD!
http://cm.ebay.com/cm/ck/1065
Moonlight on Ocean
I have a lot of nightmares. Sometimes they really throw off my day. Sometimes I paint them to get them out of my system.
this is promised to a client who just emailed me from New Zealand.
Pink Dancer
Another Degas Copy. A little heavy on the pink. But I was a teen. The foot- lights had that "absinthe" kind of glow. Sketchbook with perf's.
link to buy is below. Happy Bidding.
http://cm.ebay.com/cm/ck/1065
profile
I paint what I don't understand.
this is now on ebay.
bid below.
http://cm.ebay.com/cm/ck/1065
street at night
a winter's day in a deep and dark December....
small charcoal on grey paper w/highlights.
love,
alex
Found Ten More Dancers
I found a box of watercolor sketches...many Degas copies from teenage year. They will all go up today and tomorrow. Please be patient if you won art!!! I am trying to hire an assistant, I am working every night until 3 or 4 then I get up at 8. I need to find help to ship art!! anyone in Northport area can call me! Must be skilled at email and organized. (unlike me) I would rather give someone an extra piece of art for free than get a bad ebay feedback, so bear with me!
alex
alex
Dancer on Cardboard
here is another of my Degas studies from my teen years. It is on regular cardboard. Lautrec used to paint on cardboard and use the color of the board as his mid-tone so I did this for years and still do. It is better than a white ground...I like to "add" white to my work as opposed to leaving the white paper as the highlight.
alex
to bid click below!
http://cm.ebay.com/cm/ck/1065
Woman in Dress
Not sure if this was a copy of another artist. Maybe Watteau? It is 8 inches on green paper. Dancers coming this hour-- promise!! Keep checking. Somebody kill my mailman so I can start painting again instead of opening envelopes!!
Monday, May 21, 2007
Just the beginning
I have plenty of work left, don't worry. I am working like crazy as a one man band to handle everything! If you want work just follow instructions up top or contact me if confused! I want to thank all the people who have looked at my blog and especially those who have bought work. I haven't savored the moment as I am so damn busy! I am never too busy to talk or answer emails!
I will keep plugging away and uploading work. My snail mail barely fits in my mailbox!! I want to give a big thanks to Mary from WFAS FM radio in Westchester for plugging my site! I only ever had one dream in life and that was to make art I wanted to make and make a living at it. You folks are helping me achieve my dream! Every ten dollar check, every 500 dollar Pay pal makes it possible to live my dream! I hope my art moves you every day you look at on your walls. I want to bring heart and spirit back to art and save us from the cold lifeless ism's of modern life.
your artist,
alex
I will keep plugging away and uploading work. My snail mail barely fits in my mailbox!! I want to give a big thanks to Mary from WFAS FM radio in Westchester for plugging my site! I only ever had one dream in life and that was to make art I wanted to make and make a living at it. You folks are helping me achieve my dream! Every ten dollar check, every 500 dollar Pay pal makes it possible to live my dream! I hope my art moves you every day you look at on your walls. I want to bring heart and spirit back to art and save us from the cold lifeless ism's of modern life.
your artist,
alex
Glass Eye
Here is a sketchbook page I made as a study for a glass carving.. (I already started the glass piece.)
many of my works stem form subconscious doodles, little germs, that grow into bigger ideas.
the eyes have it.
alex
I ll put this one up for ten dollars on ebay for surrealist fans.
SOLD!
http://cm.ebay.com/cm/ck/1065
click to buy...15 dollars.
quiet and alone
Here is chance for a ten dollar piece! It is another one of my Santa Monica beach series. First one to ebay!
http://cm.ebay.com/cm/ck/1065
Sold to an angel!
Lexi
this is a glass portrait I made of my ex after our relationship ended. Seems to be a habit of mine, trying to figure out relationships after they are over. this is carved glass. I gave the original to my attorney who later passed away. God bless him. I am selling prints of this for 25.00. I dont need to explain the wings do I?
call me or email.
ebay
to find me on ebay...
go to search bar and type in Ten Dollar Art
if you have problem ..contact me...
go to search bar and type in Ten Dollar Art
if you have problem ..contact me...
study of hands.
Another teenage sketchbook. When you are younger and freer you do more things such as spend time studying things in front of you and are less worried about finished pieces etc.
you are in more a "state of play" with your art and it seems to get a bit heavier later in life. Time to draw more hands!..That hand of mind is very busy typing. they arent perfect but neither are teenagers.
Update.
If you send money for a ten dollar piece (or three) via snail mail or paypal. I pick out one to three random sketches. If you send more money I will send more advanced pieces. If you send 100 you may get a dancer in charcoal or pencil or a small watercolor. I have so many requests I dont mind giving out 10 dollar sketches but you may be happier with one more worked out "piece" for 50 to 100 dollars or more. It is all okay with me...Also I need to ask your patience in giving me time to gt back work to everyone. I want to keep my good standing on ebay etc so talk to me if you are upset or feel you are waiting to long--I will take you out for drinks or something. Please let me know if you wish to have more pieces or one more substantial piece! make sense? I thought not. If you send 500 I will get you nice little oil gem.
alex
alex
Degas Bather 2
I think I was about 15 when I drew this one. water stain on bottom (the paper, not her) This, of course is me copying my then hero Degas. 8 by 10 roughly.
alex EDGARDEGAS
will be up for sale on ebay soon..to find me on ebay y type Ten Dollar Art in search bar...Or you can call me if you wish to pay pal for this one.
917 400 1317
alex
for sale on ebay!http://cm.ebay.com/cm/ck/1065
after courbet?
This painting is promised to a fine Irish person I spoke to..If you wan to buy similar small canvases or oil studies you can call me..My oils start at 500.00 I cant do them any cheaper, there are not enough. I am going up to Adirondacks in two weeks on a working vacation to paint as much as I can! If you want to reserve a piece or have first dibs on those pieces let me know. I am so excited to paint outdoors again without email for a few days! I think I live june 4.
alex
just when I thought I was catching up..
1/3 of todays mail not including fed ex and ups...
I opened most of it already thanks for support!
I am going to make it happen for everyone plent y of art left just give me time to mail it too you that may take a bit!
alex
Flower Studies
Here is an old Sketchbook Page of Flowers. My favorite flower is Wysteria, I am going to smell some when I leave my keyboard.
alex
Sold!
Da Vinci Face
I drew this Sooooo long ago as a teen. I love Leonardo's moody smiles and eyes. There are a few flaws but I was a kid, at least the mood is there. I may put this up on ebay. If you want it you can call me.
alex
917 400 1317
Ophelia Prints
I have a lot of these left. I have a limited run of 200 that will be signed and numbered. The original is a glass carving I made long ago. The original is one of my favorite pieces. She hangs out at my mothers house. If you want a print call me or email. they are now $20.00
alexgardega@gmail.com
917 400 1317
there are many left.
alex
Head and Hands---sketchbook
This is after my hero Raphael. I am very proud of this sketch. I would like to frame it and put on my wall but I wont.
alex
click below to buy.
http://cm.ebay.com/cm/ck/1065
Help!
If anyone is having trouble figuring this out or you want a piece and have questions...call me, don't be shy! I can help you get a piece. I have many many many left!
alex
917 400 1317
alexgardega@gmail.com
alex
917 400 1317
alexgardega@gmail.com
Sketchbook page-- birds
another loose sketch-page from my Santa Monica
beach day. I think there was an Icarus thing going on with these drawings as I titled one of them "wax and feathers" I will now call them my "wax and feather" series. I am going to put this one up for 25.00 on ebay if you call I can hold it or pay pal me..etc etc I have a business person coming in soon to help iron out kinks. I am a one man band working 14 hr days. about 8" x 8"
alex
SOLD!
http://cm.ebay.com/cm/ck/1065
woman in profile
I cant remember the source of this drawing. Many times my sketches bring me back to a moment in time but this one eludes me. That is common because I drew so many figure sessions in the day.
alex gardega@gmail.com 917 400 1317
I'll have her up for bidding soon or you can make an offer over phone or email..
alex
Greenport
Here is a small postcard size watercolor and oil paint on paper I made out east in Greenport many years ago.
alex
It is for sale on bay for $50.00 dollars. placing link below in a few minutes..
monika
Here is a charcoal woman with rose-hat. It is on brown paper and it is 10 x 11. Should be a nice collectors piece. Up on ebay soon with a link below it.
click on link below to buy this piece.
http://cm.ebay.com/cm/ck/1065
Sunday, May 20, 2007
How this works
I will keep posting this until its clear---
If you want a piece you can send me ten dollars or more for a random sketchbook page or drawing.
If you send more you will get a more advanced piece.
other pieces are available on ebay...type Ten Dollar Art into search bar!
You can also use pay pal!! questions?
alexgardega@gmail or 917 400 1317
If you want a piece you can send me ten dollars or more for a random sketchbook page or drawing.
If you send more you will get a more advanced piece.
other pieces are available on ebay...type Ten Dollar Art into search bar!
You can also use pay pal!! questions?
alexgardega@gmail or 917 400 1317
The edge of an ocean
This is a sketchbook page from my lost weekend on the west coast. Probably inspired by certain Da Vinci sketchbooks.
alex
roughly 8" x 8"
pen on grey paper
click below to buy!
http://cm.ebay.com/cm/ck/1065
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