irises.

I found this in my archives/ closet today. It is oil paint on gold leaf. The only reason the gold leaf looks a bit not flat and wavy is that I simply dropped it into this frame to photograph it. If the glass is pressed against piece then it is flat. I didnt want to press it as it was still a bit wet from touch ups I made. The actual piece is aabout 15 x 20. the frame is 24 x 30. I am not sure about the green matte. White would be better or cream.

great interview

drawing age six--gardega

I drew this when I was a child. I found it for the first time today. Yes, that is the WTC I was obsessed with the WTC as a child because of the king kong painting that was made for the 1976 king kong movie.this drawing really kind of scares me when I think about it.

words of the day

plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose

terrible beauty

I think there is no greater horror than the prospect of a nuclear war. Somehow I have always been fascinated by the mushroom cloud created from nuclear explosions. I wish I didnt find them interesting things but I do. I also hope never to see one. If you think in certain terms maybe that fuzzy old scientist einstein did more harm than good by letting the atomic genie out of the bottle. But if not him then it would have been another.


No one who saw it could forget it, a foul and awesome display.
-Kenneth Bainbridge, physicist

outdoor heaters banned in EU

EU bid to ban patio heaters (even though they don't harm the planet)

By DANIEL MARTIN
Last updated at 15:06 31 January 2008

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Smokers forced out into the cold could have patio heaters taken away to save the environment by the EU

Patio heaters have a minimal effect on the environment, an expert said yesterday.

Dr Eric Johnson spoke out as Euro MPs were about to demand that outdoor heaters be banned to tackle climate change.

Millions of Britons have the heaters in their gardens and they give a vital boost to trade at pubs, cafes and restaurants by enabling customers to sit outside in cool weather.

They have become particularly important to pubs since the smoking ban prevented customers smoking inside pubs.

Read more...

• Blow to obesity campaign as EU refuses to back simple warning labels on packaging

Industry experts say a ban on outdoor heaters could cost the pub and catering trade £250million a year in lost business.

Euro MPs are today due to vote on a resolution calling on the European Commission to set a timetable for abolishing goods with low energy-efficiency ratings, with outdoor patio heaters specifically mentioned.

But Dr Eric Johnson, national expert reviewer for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, said plasma televisions produced more carbon dioxide than patio heaters.

"The overall impact of outdoor heaters on global warming and greenhouse gas emissions is very minimal, and once you look at the domestic models used in homes, the impact is almost non-existent," he said.

"Once comparisons start with wellknown offenders such as aeroplanes, outdoorheaters dwarf in comparison. In fact, plasma TVs produce far more CO2 than patio heaters when you compare normal usage patterns for each appliance.

"What constitutes a waste of energy is always going to be open to debate but it is important that the public is properly educated about environmental impacts."

Dr Johnson said Government figures showed that emissions from all domestic patio heaters amounted to 22,200 tons of carbon dioxide - only 0.002 per cent of the total UK CO2 emissions.

By contrast, TVs produce 4.6million tons of CO2 a year in the UK. It would take an equivalent of more than five patio heaters to produce as much CO2 as one TV on stand-by mode does in a year.

Today's European Parliament vote was initiated by Liberal Democrat MEP Fiona Hall, who represents the North-East.

She has also called for the abolition of the stand-by mode on electrical appliances and new EU-wide minimum standards for energy efficiency covering air conditioning, TV "decoder" boxes and lightbulbs.

If her motion is passed the Commission will have to consider it. The resolution does not specify how long the phasing-out period should be, saying the decision should be left to the Commission.

thank you

a big thanks to Mary for the box of canvas. Mary is a great DJ in westchester who I have been lucky enough to meet a few times. She has always been a big supporter of my scribblings. I would listen to her on the radio as she is a great DJ and has a nice voice. I have linked her below.

http://www.wfasfm.com/index.php?src=gendocs&ref=MaryDesilva&category=airstaff&submenu=airstaff

words of the day--peter gabriel

The wretched desert takes its form, the jackal proud and tight
In search of you, I feel my way, though the slowest heaving night
Whatever fear invents, I swear it make no sense
I reach through the border fence
Come down, come talk to me

In the swirling, curling storm of desire unuttered words hold fast
With reptile tongue, the lightning lashes towers built to last
Darkness creeps in like a thief and offers no relief
Why are you shaking like a leaf
Come on, come talk to me

Ah please talk to me
Wont you please talk to me
We can unlock this misery
Come on, come talk to me


I did not come to steal
This all is so unreal
Cant you show me how you feel now
Come on, come talk to me
Come talk to me

The earthly power sucks shadowed milk from sleepy tears undone
From nippled skin as smooth as silk the bugles blown as one
You lie there with your eyes half closed like theres no-one there at all
Theres a tension pulling on your face
Come on, come talk to me

Wont you please talk to me
If youd just talk to me
Unblock this misery
If youd only talk to me


Dont you ever change your mind
Now your futures so defined
And you act so deaf and blind
[and you act so deaf so blind]
Come on, come talk to me
Come talk to me

I can imagine the moment
Breaking out through the silence
All the things that we both might say
And the heart it will not be denied
til were both on the same damn side
All the barriers blown away

I said please talk to me
Wont you please come talk to me
Just like it used to be
Come on, come talk to me
I did not come to steal
This all is so unreal
Can you show me how you feel now
Come on, come talk to me
Come talk to me

I said please talk to me
If youd just talk to me
Unblock this misery
If youd only talk to me

drawing of gay talese

I stopped into Elaines for a few red wines last night. The writers Peter Hamill and Gay Taleses were holding court at a table. I drew a few napkins of the table. Gay Talese liked a few of them and he signed my quick sketch of him getting up and leaving. Pete Hamill wrote a great book called a drinking life that I read many years ago. I am pretty proud of my napkin signed by Gay Talese, it is a keepsake. They kept a couple of my drawings I wonder if they will save them and frame them or toss them.

Gay Talese (born February 7, 1932) is an American author. He wrote for The New York Times in the early 1960s and helped to define literary journalism or "new nonfiction reportage", also known as New Journalism. His most famous articles are about Joe DiMaggio, Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra.

Talese is a visiting writer at the Master of Professional Writing Program at the University of Southern California each spring.

quick charcoal drawing

Here is a four minute charcoal sketch that I drew from my head tonight without reference or too much thought. I did not add any sound as I was lazy.

some books alex has read and recommends

The secret life of Dali---salvador dali

Hidden Faces "

Dali on modern art "

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas Hunter s. thompson

Prince Jellyfish "

The sun also rises Hemingway

complete short stories "

To have have and have not "

The jungle upton sinclair

The lives of the artists vasari

The dialogues of plato plato

every work by Vonnegut V.

the complete works of Joseph Campbell

The complete works of carl jung

The journals of Delacroix

Da Vinci on painting

Illusions richard bach

the stranger camus

the plague camus

no exit------sartre


sacred geometry


the work of vitruvius

anything by bradbury especially dandelion wine.

billions and billions----carl sagan


the renaissance ---any book with this title will do.

joseph conrad----heart of darkness---best story ever written..

all I can remember right now.

Mother should I trust the government?--roger waters

I thought I would let those know who do not know or who are too busy watching TV and the spoon fed media that two trillion dollars of your tax money is being handled by the government in such a manner that you are legally have ZERO over site as to where it is going. NONE. Paulson rammed it through with threats of martial law to congress and you are not privy as to where it is going. It is your money and you are not allowed to know what the drunkard called the us government is spending it on. Congress could have waited and taken a breather and thought it out and actually read the document but like the patriot act "there was no time." But dont worry the government is a good drunkard and they have your best interest in mind. It is better that the sheep do not know where they spend your two trillion. You have TV and sports to watch. Go Yankees. If you want to know how long it would take to count to a trillion?---31688 years 32 days 1 hour 46 minutes 40 seconds. Woo Hoo! By the way I know where the money is going and I aint sayin'. Your mission is to figure that one out with your own grey matter. And FYI the package was supposed to include the bailout of the americans in bad mortgages but they decided to change that clause in the last minute and not tell you where the money is going. I would start counting now and call me in 31,000 years--- But dont worry they are looking out for you..

new painting by gardega

I spent about 25 hour this weekend just trying to figure out how to use my web cam as my video cam would not function. I then spent most of today trying to upload to make it viewable and nothing would work. I never give up. I would rather put my head on the train tracks than ever admit I cant so something. I have made a small amount of progress in the desired direction.

Saw a group of people forming
Round a figure lying down
And someone runs to make a phone call
And the man kneels on the ground
The man kneels on the ground
Theres a tightening in my chest
I know that Im drawn in
Oh God let it not be you

Dont leave us
Dont leave like this
Dont leave me here again
Im not quitting on you
No one else
Youre not quitting on us
No running out

The colour in your shirt is darkening,
Against the paleness of your skin
I remember how you held the goldfish
Swimming around in a plastic bag
Swimming around in a plastic bag

You held it up so high
In the bright lights of the fair
It slipped and fell
We looked everywhere

Dont leave us (your eyes are bright, your blood is warm)
Dont leave like this (your heart is strong, youre holding on)
Dont leave me here again (I feel your pulse, I hold your hand)
Im not quitting on you
Theres no one else
Youre not quitting on us
Theres no way out
No way out

Dont leave us
Dont leave like this
Dont leave me here again (I feel your pulse, I hold your hand)
Im not quitting on you
Theres no one else
Youre not quitting on us
No running away no way out