The Artist of Paradox.

2010-12-06T02:50:00.000-08:00

Had a great time at the Victorian Coubtry Christmas event at the Western Washington fairgrounds yesterday. Took my three daughters with me.

Scar's Back!

2010-09-12T08:12:00.000-07:00

Here's a glimpse of my upcoming book 'TEKNODOL'...

Chapter two: 'Scar's back'

(musical accompaniant: 'The Other Side of Life' by The Moody Blues).

A young red-headed female, althletically built, emerges from a lunar shuttle. A corporate looking business man tries to chat her up but she ignores him.

As she passes him, he notices the lettering on her flourescent orange and yellow jumpsuit: "Lunar Corrections Center". The man immediatlely stops talking to her and looks the other way.

Scar (short for Scarlet) continues walking out of the shuttle arrival center and into the streets of a futuristic city.

A black leather clad underworld character hanging out by a floating taxi cab recognizes her and snaps a picture with his comm phone. He then begins to text-send "Scar's back!" He highlights 'ALL' and sends the message.

Instantly, all over the city, we see inserted images of people receiving the message as Scar continues her purposeful walk through this futuristic metropolis.

All the TJ's (transom jumpers) in the city begin to get the word and start running for their hopped up A-G (anti-gravitic) vehicles.

One by one the sky-gangs start to arrive at 'launchpoint zero' deep within the subterranean levels beneath the city and are cheered by the growing crowd of onlookers as each arrives.

Each sky-gang anti-grav has a female TJ on the hood, ready to challenge the current title-holder...the legendary 'ROCKET GIRL' (Scarlet)

Transom Jumper sky-gangs:

1 - The Suits - a big bucks pro-corporate sky-gang wearing althletic corporate suits and sunglasses.

2 - The Toros- Hispanic sky-gang members who wear black flamenco and matador outfits and sombreros.

3 - The Witch Doctors- An African warrior sky-gang wearing bone-studded outfits and painted white faces.

4 - The Jade Dragons - Chinese sky-gang members wearing green snake-skin leather outfits & black and green visors.

5 - The Harajuku or 'Jukus' - Japanese sky-gang members wearing athletic kimonos and Kabuki masks.

6 - The Holos - high-tech sky-gang members, wearing ever-changing video-projector outfits.

7 - The Neons - wearing black-light neon outfits with pin-striped bodysuits and visors.

8 - The Madisons - ad-wearing sky-gang members paid by fashion companies.

9 - The Rems - remote controlled anthrobots controlled by handicapped people via the worldnet.

10 - The Fauntleroys - long-haired sky-gang members wearing too-small school uniforms.

11 - The Quakes - always dressed in plain black and white Quaker outfits or Amish-wear.

12 - The Wolfensteins - classic Gothic monster-movie sky-gang members.

13 - The Sun Kings - Elaborate mask-wearing sky-gang members with dark-circled eyes and gold masks.

14 - The Peles - tattooed South sea sky-gang members with fire rippling around their legs and arms.

15 - Scar's gang, the Space Cadets - wearing classic 1950's space cadet uniforms and goggles.

Scar walks into the underground levels of the city where the TJ sky-gangs are already docked and ready for the 'Welcome Wagon Race'. She passes by sleezy subterranean casinos and nightclubs etc...People whisper and point as she walks by. As she nears Launch Point Zero, the crowds eventually part to form a rowdy gauntlet of nether-dwellers who begin the finger-snapping ritual as Scar walks by.

"Rocket Girl...Rocket Girl...Rocket Girl..."

Finally she arrives at 'sky dock 52' where her old gang and their leader C.C. ('Commander Cody') are dressed in tattered space cadet uniforms and goggles...waiting for her.

She stops, smiles...unzips her corrections coverall...and reveals the bright red space-cadet 'Sky Captain' uniform she was wearing at the time of her arrest.

On the back of her shiny red flight jacket is emblazoned the name 'Rocket Girl'.

C.C. smiles and starts up his famous anti-grav hotrod...the infamous triple jet-engined 'C-SAU'.

Scarlet steps into her magnetic jump-boots and leaps onto C-SAU's hood. A wild cheer from the sky-gang crowd goes up and the race is on!

All over the city, people are watching live-feed video of Scar's return being televised to the networks. Giant video-news signs begin to show past images of Scar's daring flight-races. Police units have been alerted and are taking up postions throughout the city in their black and white police antigrav's in order to make arrests (if they can) and stop the illegal hood-race.

Two futurisitic officers in an antigrav vehicle smile at each other and adjust their police visors.

One says to the other, "This is going to be good".

Happy Birthday to the Universe & Me.

2010-04-07T04:50:00.001-07:00

I've typed this theory a hundred times before, but this is the very first time in this lifetime.
You've typed this theory before as well...hundreds of times before...but never in this lifetime.
This time around...it's my turn...again.
As usual, I will add my dramatic flair.
I love that flair. I spice my work up with it whenever I can.
And...as usual...you will roll your eyes and try to press on.

Get to it old man...

Every atom that is you, is a spinning tornado in space-time. That tornado, that 'ether-vortex' is sustained by the cyclical turning of the universe itself...UNIVERSAL MOTION!
The universe turns forever...revolving toroidally into itself...and each of our little atoms is a lttle 'model of forever' as well. Each of our trillions of little atoms has been a dainty hydrogen atom...a lively Carbon atom...and at other times, a heavy Plutonium atom...and sometimes they've been heavier than that. Sometimes they're off the chart altogether!
But always they spin...fast at first...then slower as time flows by...slower and slower they spin...throwing little photons and neutrinos back into the void...decaying finally into an eternal hydrogen atom...a small little vortex in matter.
Millions of years later, they are again swept up into clouds of hydrogen gas...
...and a star...a pressure fire...eventually ignites.
How our little star shines and smiles and brings forth life on little satellites and planetoids circling around it.
Our little atoms, in the fiery belly of the star, begin to fuse together into higher and higher elements.
Eventually our star goes nova! It blasts our little atoms out into the void once again.
But some of our atoms are heavy, radioactive stuff that congeals into planetoids.
And millions of years later, our little atoms of congealed matter rise and walk about...or crawl about...or flap about...or swim about.
Eventually our little atoms become thinking creatures once again.
And in a relatively short amount of time...thousands of years actually...but who's counting?...
...a familiar old vibration occurs again.
A 'thought' vibration.
Our atoms, linked together again, all begin to vibrate on a peculiar wavelength.
A familiar old wavelength.
And the concept returns.
ATOMS RETAIN VIBRATORY INFORMATION!
NOT REINCARNATION!...RE-INTEGRATION!
ATOMIC MEMORY!
Our little atoms...the building blocks of the universe...remember!
The strong vibrations...the traumas and the triumphs!
The song of LIFE!
And no blade of grass is ever the same...or ever truly different.
My atoms will stroll through the streets of Babylon yet again.
My atoms will walk in space once more!
My atoms will carve out a sector of galactic space and conquer it...just like before!
My atoms will think these same thoughts again...
...and again...
...and again!
And the fingers type...
And the ghostly spirits of the past watch in anticipation...
And the same old message comes through again...

God is US!

Forming...disentegrating...reforming again...never truly dying.
Ranging out from the center of the universe...
...whirling at the edge of existence...
...and returning to the heavenly center of it all.
Sometimes great...sometimes small...sometimes nothing at all.
But once again, the universe sees itself...
...in a dusty mirror...
...rubs an unshaven chin...
...in a messy apartment...
...in a lacklustre suburb...
...of a mighty metropolis...
...in a mighty pretty country...
...on a gentle blue planet..
...and judges itself...
...again...
...and smiles at it's living image...
...one more time...
...and realizes with a sigh...

"Much better than last time."

March Madness!

2010-03-16T13:55:00.000-07:00

March always runs roughshod over me.
My bills are stacking up...medical, rent, insurance, etc...
Work is picking up...leaving me no free time to create...
Family issues and friend issues pop up like burnt toast..

Seeking the bright side...the itinerant eclectic artist dwells on the positives...

I met Jim Mora the other day (former Seahawks coach)...had a good conversation. He really is a nice guy. Too bad his toast got burned by the Seahawks last year.

Went back to smoking. Never try to quit when your life is a crap tornado.

Saw AVATAR in 3-D the other day. Great movie! A thrilling experience. I highly recommend seeing it.

Got our power and internet back up after three weeks cold turkey...plus we got basic cable back...all good.

Got another idea for coast-to-coast-AM...more later on this...

Doing some twitter...and Facebook time...

My Pepsi-refresh idea went down in flames...no 25k...oh well...

Okay...I've blogged...

Ya'll get back to work...like me.

Happy New year!

2010-01-11T13:31:00.000-08:00

Well it's a brand new year...

...Time to make a new blog entry.

Yes...I'm an infrequent blogger. It's part of my charm...and makes the few times I do wax bleh-loquent far more rare and valuable.

Well that's the theory anyway. It's probably better to have something relevant to say I suppose. Luckily I'm full of it...

Did that come out right?

Oh well...

I got sick over the Christmas holidays...spent four days at Valley General in Renton...excellant care...but the food...ew! Bring your own. Actually the bacon was okay...but every time I ordered like six slices...they'd give me three...I ordered four...I'd get two. Four days was my limit.

So I'm on the downside of this virus...doing better...thanks for asking...turns out the limo biz was so slow that most drivers didn't even work during the holidays. I picked the perfect time to let my lungs turn green...but financially I'm screwed until I get my tax return.

I also took the sicko time-out and used it as an opportunity to try to quit smoking. As of this writing, I haven't had a cigarette since before Christmas.
I realize now...it's not the nicotene that hooked me...it's the stress. If I don't start decompressing soon...I'm gonna backslide and blaze up.

Whoever reads this...save my life and buy my art okay!?

I need the dough...and a lot less stress!

Oh girlfriend!...You gotta see my two new YouTube videos!

I had so much down time from work...it gave me a chance to work on the net (and my OneTrueMedia account) and finish up these two projects. The first video is one I've wanted to create for over ten years!

It's called: "If I Had A Hammer!"

Here's a link to it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGxO3mZ9gbs

Certain music speaks volumes to me graphically...and the pictures appear in my mind...evoking a visceral reaction that must be shared.

The Song "If I Had A Hammer"...written by Pete Seeger and Lee Hays...is both prophetic and timeless.

The next video is just a higher quality rendering of my original musical montage of my past artwork. It's called 'The Amazing Art of GARTH - 2010.

Here's a link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EyeOoNsvyvA&feature=related

So watch and enjoy...

There's more I suppose...but it'll keep.

Garth.

2009-11-15T01:43:00.000-08:00

My Infrequent Blog....continues apace...
Had a cube steak for dinner...floured and cooked with mustard...Ummmm-boy! Simple but good!
Ya'll should try it...cooked with butter...damn the health consequences...

The limo world slows to a crawl...colloquially known as the 'winter doldrums'...trips & tips are drying up quicker than expired chapstick on Jagger lips...

So the big news is...

On November 6th I went to see my old school chum Casey Klahn at Northwest university where his 'River Passages' art show was being featured in the Health & Sciences building...Hadn't seen ol Case since 1974...I took lotsa photos with my digital camera...

Here's one:

Casey's the real deal artist-wise...if you live in the Seattle area you should drop by and check out his work...which is 'prize winning' by the way...

Working on websites for various folks...

One of my neighbors is a musician...blues and rock fusion...he just got back from Indonesia...might do a website for him as well as a CD Album cover...his name's Reggie...

Some other driver's need website help too...

The news has been full of massacres and arsons and police assassinations lately...crazy people popping their corks and hurting the innocent. There needs to be a website for these crazed people to go to where they and their madness can be dealt with sanely and their tragic paths averted. Sort of a 'crisis line' for unabombers...

I'll cogitate some more on that one.

Might save a life or two someday...

later...
Garth

No...I didn't die or anything...

2009-09-12T03:01:00.000-07:00

(I always like to have an uplifting title to my posts... )

"THA-WHOOMP!!!"

(sound of a mach nine tongue hitting Dizzy Gillespie's cheek.)

Looks like Garth is causing trouble again!

WONDER TWIN POWERS ACTIVATE!

...Form of...

...ELVIS ON THE CAMODE!...Eating a peanut butter sandwich...watching Johnny Carson on a mini-TV...with a hunka-hunka-hangover in the works...

Yes...it's been too long since I've posted...so I've decided to 'get off the pot'...so to speak (with apologies to the King) and fling some artistic poo through the branches of the internet tree...straight atchu!

DUCK!

SPWAT!!!

Ohhh....too late...

That image of Elvis is burned into your brain forever now...

AND...speaking of images...

I HAVE SOME NEW ARTWORK TO POST!

So here we goze...

Starting with...

................."The Lady of the Lake'

...and continuing onward...

...we go unwittingly into...

.................'The Frosty Arms of Bestla'!

...and of course...no politically correct artistic quest is complete without a quick visit from that all-around 'holier-than-thou' religious wing-nut...

................"Martian Christian Commando".

(can I get an 'AMEN'?)

No Amen?!....

Oooo-kaaaay...

Then I'll just have to condemn thee to...

......................'The Firefalls of Vulcan'!

See...all that's left of you now is a wisp of water vapor...

...erupting from the icy surface of Mars...

...at the gravimetric...

......................."Approach of Deimos"!

What's this?...is it a bird?...is it a plane?...no-oooo....it's...

.................."Ride my C-SAU" time!...

Having too much fun are we?!

Well then...it's high time you were drafted as an ALIEN SCOUT!

...and sent on your LAST MISSION!

NYAH!...So there!

.................'ALIEN SCOUT -The last Mission'...

By the way...

Be sure and stuff plenty of bananas and peanut butter sandwiches into your backpack!

(Notice that the depicted 'Alien Scout' is in the 'granny hover' position.)

Okay...I figger this post is worthy enough to fling.

OOH-OOH!

AAH-AAH!

Which means...

"Artist must not kill artist!"....(for tasteless blog postings)

And yes...my blog is definitely...

"A MAD HOUSE!...A MA-AAAAD HOUSE!!!!

CONFIDENTIAL TO CASEY: Casey! Go to 'onetruemedia' on-line.

You can create musical montages of your art and post it on YouTube..for FREE!

Garth wuvs yoo...'MWAH!'....:)

Garth lectures a bit...

2009-05-28T02:10:00.000-07:00

This is a reply e-mail I sent to the Arthur Young Group on Politics and Religion (i.e. - Hot potatoes)

God is God. Religion is the spiritual opinion of someone who died before his opinion on God's will could be openly challenged and/or verified. That person was either right or wrong. Having any intangible belief system punched into your brain from childhood will either benefit you if correct or detriment you if incorrect. Do parents have the right to send their kids to Hell because they picked the wrong belief system? And who can make that judgement call? This is why I believe all belief systems should be studied from grade school forward so that people can make a decision based on equal representation by every church. I had the good fortune of being dragged to dozens of different churches as a kid by my parents whose spiritual indecision worked to my benefit.

I believe hat if you don't get the important spiritual messages (pertinent to you) straight from God, then what good is it? All things being equal (or not) if you move to understand God...will he sit by and let you brag later on that you did all the work to get saved? Or will he move towards you twice as much as you move towards him because God lets no one beat him at anything?

As to proof of the existence of God...can a 'dead' universe create something 'greater' than itself? That being 'LIFE'?

To 'exist' at all requires that something which 'exists longer' than us, must be there to create us (or impell our existence).

To 'cease existing' after having existed means that something which 'exists less than you' must impart that 'non-existence property' to you as well.

My personal theory is that all matter has to be created and uncreated at the same time in order achieve 'stability'. If a bit of matter is being created faster than it is being uncreated (or vice versa) than you have an unstable element which either implodes (fusion) or explodes (fission). Matter must also have the ability to 'grow' up the periodic table as more energy is poured into it...and decay down the periodic table as less energy goes in or becomes available to stabilize it's existence.

I believe ETERNITY and OBLIVION interact to create TEMPORALITY wherein we exist and cease to exist. We are thus one half of each.

To continue to exist, we must stretch ourselves spiritually (during our alloted lifespan) using FAITH, towards the greater existence (which we can define or have defined for us) which theoretically impels us with life. We must 'JOIN WITH THE CREATOR' (Star Trek 1 & 5) in order to surpass death.

Politics must take into account the material and the spiritual...one being a theory on the 'tangible'...the other a theory on the 'intangible'. Everyone has the right to try and save themselves spiritually. When you take away that right...you become the architect of Hell wherein all hope is abandoned.

If you were God, would you reveal yourself at an appointed time and place to every inividual in order to instill FAITH/FEAR? Or wold you take care of the human aquarium and wait for those who sought you out on their own to reveal themselves? Or might you pick out a favorite (Abraham, Moses, etc) and give them a heroic life and a better chance for spiritual development? Or do you keep an open mind and send a savior to potentially/theoretically save everybody if they so desire?

Now teach the finer points of your best guess on religion and Politics to someone and see if millions die because you got it wrong.

It's been years since I've contributed...hope I'm not too far off topic.

GarthfromSeattle

Been Awhile...

2009-05-27T03:42:00.000-07:00

(Found this page was saved as a draft copy...so that worked out... )

Yeah...I've been remiss on this blog. What can I say?...life just steamrolls over a guy sometimes and you can't get centered enough to write. Just plug away at life and hope for the best. So here's the good stuff...

Today was a very good day in that I took my middle daughter to see her favorite writer who was in town, up in Ballard, doing a book signing. His name is D. J. MacHale and he is the author of the 'PENDRAGON' series. My daughter was absolutely ecstatic meeting him and got her books autographed and picture taken with him. She also gave him lots of her fan art. I also had a Kinko print made up of some Pendragon fan art I did (for my daughter on her birthday) and gave it to him. Great guy. Loved the art. Great speaker too.

Last Saturday (May 23rd 2009) I took two my daughters and my brother to the FOLK LIFE Festival at Seattle Center. This is Seattle's official 'Start of Summer' celebration...and there was thousands upon thousands in attendance over the Memorial Day week-end. Lots of musicians, lots of keen-o booths, lots of great food an such...plus the usual carnival rides. We did the ferris wheel and the 'Music Express'.

Two Fridays ago, my boss-lady gave me four free tickets to the Mariners game at Safeco Field. The Mariners beat the Boston Red Sox 5-4 in a comeback win. My middle daughter and my sister Rachael went with. My daughter was elated at seeing Ichiro close up. We had second row seats right by the right field foul post. This was my daughter's first baseball game...and a great one it was. She thought she might be bored but was pleasantly surprised at her own excitement level and the fervor of the crowds. The food was WAY EXPENSIVE!...but ya gotta have a hot dog and a drink at the ballgame. Saw Judd Hirsch at Seatac airport the next day...he was at the game too.

I worked the Big Microsoft CEO conference last week and chauffered some big corporate honchos (who shall remain nameless) and on the last day I caught a glimpse of Bill Gates driving by me at the conference center.

I picked up some Seahawks players on Monday and drove them to the new terminal 91 cruise ship docks for an autograph session/bon Voyagee event. This was my first time going there. Had lunch at 'Maggie's Bluff Grill' at the Smith Cove Marina...next to the Palisade Restaurant. What a great view of the new terminal and Marina.

Outside of all that good stuff, my 83 Olds had transmission issues. Cost: around $1,200. And this after nearly $800.00 worth of engine work was done earlier in the month. Plus tabs & title transfer fees. Financially I'm reeling.

My T.H.R.U.S.H website has attracted some attention...some weirdees too.
More later...

Garth.

Virus got me...

2009-04-19T06:47:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note to let whoever created the computer virus that wiped out my files three days ago, know that he (or she) has banked some bad karma...which is too bad for them.

I cannot imagine the dementia it takes for some bottom-feeder to wrecklessly put something so evil into motion in order to hurt innocent starngers on-line...destroy their family photos...wrecking months or even years of their hard work. I've always felt that those who secretly set improper things in motion within our world are just 'unfortunately aware' of how much less their dingy world is compared to ours. These vile 'sub-humans' who process evil in their garbage-strewn apartments, have truly lived in vain...and are sequestered in a mental jail of their own making, waiting for their painful end, after which, nothing good awaits.

Much of what I had was fortunately backed up on CD...but a lot wasn't. Many beautiful recent family photos of my three daughters and I on a trip, birthday parties, etc...are gone...irretrievable lost.

But I choose not to let this get to me.

My daughters and I are determined to return to those places we visited and have twice as much fun this year than last...and take twice as many pictures as before. What was taken from us will be restored or replaced by memories ten times better than before.

So I won't dwell on what I lost too much...or how much work it will be to restore my favorites or my on-line research...or dwell on what punishments I'd mete out to whoever created the virus.

There's no need to.

Evil people are themselves caught up in a storm of their own making like as not. The worst punishment for such evil people...is just to BE those evil people. They will never know what true, unadulterated joy...untarnished by past misdeeds...actually is. To live a life without regret...to be a person who 'fears no truths' (as Thomas Jefferson once stated) is to have truly lived.

Whoever created the silly, inneffectual virus that attacked our family's computer...will never be able to say that or be that person. They've just sealed their own future in a jar marked 'pathetic' for the rest of us to pass by and think "There but for the grace of God...".

What evil people fail to reckon is that we all live in a balanced universe...an infinitely well balanced universe...which is balanced right down to your thoughts. Every evil misdeed or thought that is set into motion weighs against you.

Likewise, every neglected chance to put positive works into motion weighs against you as well.

For every action, there is an equal and positive reaction.

Let the unrighteous be warned:

Evil deeds only cause the righteous to join ever closer together against the works of the unrighteous few who, in the end, are just their own worst enemy.

So I feel no worse for the recent on-line attack. Just lucky to have salvaged so much that was precious. My daughter's graduation pictures and videos were properly backed up on CD...and that alone is cause for cheering. Most of best artwork files were already posted on-line and easily retrievable. This blog alone saved some of my best works.

I know that all things work together for good...and that better times await me and my family this year...which will be savored all the more for having weathered this silly, ineffectual virus.

Note to the wise...take the time to back up your most precious files on CD or on-line at those websites which safeguard precious files. It is well worth it.

Garth

Sinai speaks.

2009-04-11T05:36:00.000-07:00

Here's a new digital art piece...

It's called 'SINAI'...for obvious reasons.

"Take off thy shoes from off thy feet...for where thou standeth is Holy ground!"

Happy Easter!...and Passover too...

Garth..

Meet some Friends...

2009-03-31T02:06:00.000-07:00

THE GREAT GIDDENSKI!
My last post was about my long-time friend Russ Adey who passed away on the 18th of March. I'm going to post another art-photo of Russ...but before I do that I'd like to also mention another good friend of mine who died two years ago.

His name was Ken Giddens.

I met him in the U.S. Air Force at Zaragoza Airbase in Spain. We were both 'weather observers'. A boring, thankless job.

Ken's nickname was 'The Great Giddenski'. He was a helluva nice guy and very intelligent. Together with another observer friend named Marty, we pretty much made the best of a boring situation. We went skiing in the Pyrenees and traveled to the Mediterranean sea. We threw great parties and solved problems together and recreated the 'Three Musketeers' in our own unique way. We kept the barracks alive with activity and fun. I myself created a 'Haunted Barracks' for the kids on base in October 1981 which was a great success. We often played elaborate pranks on each other and Ken taught both me and Marty how to juggle. Ken told great stories as well and was even then a great communicator and organizer.

After we each left the service, Ken wound up being a kind of internet marketing guru at 'Netscape' before branching out on his own. He was very successful at winning friends and always took the time to teach people what he knew. The glowing praise I have for him here pales in comparison to the praise of those he worked with over the years.

Ken was a tall man. Tall people are sometimes prone to brain aneurisms. Ken died from just such an aneurism before I thought to look for him on the internet. He was a multi-talented multi-millionare who was loved and missed by hundreds if not thousands...which is a hard thing to do.

Ken can still be viewed on YouTube teaching people about internet marketing skills. Here's a link:

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_type=&search_query=ken+giddens&aq=f

Rest in Peace Ken.

------------------------------------------------------

STO-VO-KOR!
I promised to post another picture of my friend Russ. I think you'll enjoy the results.
Russ talked me into joining a 'Klingon Club' called "The T'mar" some years back. He'd joined months earlier and was having a lot of good times and wanted me to get involved too.

One of the more interesting things the members did was to hold a "Lazer Tag for Breast Cancer Research" event in Fife, Washington in the 1990's wherein those who paid could shoot it out with a gang of Klingons in the Lazer tag arena.

The kids loved it as well as many adults. Everyone had a swell sweaty time of it. I even enjoyed standing on the street corner with a cardboard sign that read:

'Will battle for food!'

A street lady started yelling at me for taking her spot away from her but decided to scoot when I growled at her.

I took a polaroid of Russ during the event and re-worked it on Coreldraw to create a 'Klingon-style Trek Poster' of him in his full Klingon regalia. Russ put a lot of work into his costumes and props. The fine quality showed.

The Klingon afterlife is called 'Sto-vo-kor'. It is a place of raucous feasting and celebrations of honorable lives lived and glorious deaths in battle. It reminds me of the Viking's Valhalla. To enter, one must have led an honorable life and died a glorious death.

The greatest enemy we will ever face...is ourselves. We must each of us face down the demons that lie within us all...the selfishness, the anger, the jealousies and dark demons of temptation and despair. The glorius battle within is won only by never losing hope.

My two good friends...K'Russ and The Great Giddenski...were very special. Had you known them, you would be writing these words in my place. They brightened the world around them with their presence and inspired others by example.

They have passed on now...into the great mystery...the hidden realm of our shared universe...that beckons to us all...and towards which we must all venture someday. Both of them lived joy-filled lives to the best of their abilities and insured that their friends and family and many a stranger standing nearby had a good time living it and learning it as well. I will celebrate their honored lives in the best way possible...

...by remembering theirs...

...and by trying to live one of my own.

Garth.

My Friend Russ Adey

2009-03-22T23:23:00.000-07:00

My Friend, Russ Adey, died last Wednesday from a meningitis infection. I just found out this morning. I couldn't sleep after hearing the bad news from his brother, so I decided to work on a memorial art piece for him.

I had visited Russ about three weeks ago and we had discussed the usual stuff; family, school, my web-art...and his bad sinus infection. He said it was nothing much and he felt he was 'just getting over it'. It didn't seem like a big deal at the time.

But it was.

For some reason, I decided to snap a couple of pictures of Russ in his workshop just before I left. It was, it seemed, just a 'normal visit'...but it would turn out to be the last time I would ever see him. It's likely that the pictures of I took of Russ that night were the last ever taken of him, so I e-mailed them to his family.

I met Russ around 1988 in Fife, Washington where I was hired to work as an assistant manager at a chain motel called Traveler's Inn. Russ was the acting night auditor. He'd worked at the motel for about a year or so and was more than happy to help me adjust to my new job and filled me in on the whole situation. Russ was a shrewd judge of character and decided I was good for the motel...and said as much.

One night a 'girl-gang' brawl broke out in the back of the motel with lotsa screaming and such. I sorta peeked out the back door to assess the situation...then Russ pushed me clear outside and locked the door behind me to make sure I dealt with it.

We became fast friends right away.

When he left the motel, Russ worked as a pizza delivery driver for many years. He met a very beautiful young gal there who eventually moved in with him for awhile, but they never had any children and eventually, after a year or so, they parted ways. He kicked around at some temp jobs now and then before commiting to a career as a real estate agent.

Over the years, Russ proved himself to be my closest and truest friend. He never let me duck a problem that he thought I was letting slide or let my artist's ego get too big. If my artwork was less than worthy, Russ let me know in no uncertain terms that it 'stunk on ice'. He was very big on 'color' too and would try to push me towards including more of it in my artwork. All-in-all, he was my biggest fan and would sometimes wrestle me out of some of my best works. They're still on his wall. No matter how hard up for money he was, he'd never sell my art.

One of the codes Russ lived by was to 'question everything'. If I had a crazy idea for a project and wanted him to drop everything and join me, he'd look it over and think about it for awhile until he decided it was just hare-brained enough to work. Then he would commit 100% and make me follow through as well. We had many philosophical discussions over the years and disagreed often...but never a cross word to each other was uttered during the entire 20+ years I knew him.

He was always 'Uncle Russ' to my three daughters and my whole family loved him. He'd find artist opportunities for me everywhere and talked me up to strangers to help me make a sale. Whenever we were in need of a hand or a ride to some job or a just needed an ear to listen, he was there for me and my family.

Russ was 'family'.

Russ was also a craftsman and an artist. He loved to create beautiful and exotic art treasures. He made precision models, movie props, star trek collectibles, and much more. Eventually he began to make and sell klingon-style 'bat'leths' and 'mek'leths' on ebay.

There came a time when Russ made enough money from his ebay sales that he could quit the pizza biz altogether and devote himself entirely to his crafts projects. He was known as K'Russ on-line and the high quality of his reproductions and his attention to detail made his works very sought after. To view Russ' work, click on the link below...

http://www.freewebs.com/sotabladesnw/

Russ eventually started working as a real estate agent. He had been working out of the Federal Way Keller Williams office until the economy went sour. He decided to re-invent his life again and went to school in Tacoma to learn Hospital equipment repair. His test scores at the school had just been posted and according to his brother, they were the highest scores for that series of tests in the school's history.

That brilliant attention to detail...

Russ had many, many friends all over the Puget Sound area and his funeral reception next Wednesday will be a very crowded affair indeed. Russ was involved with creative people virtually everyday and sometimes I was hard-pressed to break into his schedule long enough to get in a good visit. Russ is survived by his mother Lila (a talented artist and oil painter) and his brother Ron (a computer and accounting expert).

After I started working as a limo driver, I began to see Russ less and less. That's the problem with this line of work; it's better if you don't have a life to begin with. The pressing need for money kept me either at work or on the computer. I'm lucky I decided to make that last late night visit with my old friend. The best thing I can share with anyone is the memories of the grand people in my life who made life enjoyable and bearable...and rich beyond measure.

So here's to my great, good friend Russ Adey.

Like all sunshine in the northwest...

...gone too soon.

Washington weather...

2009-03-19T05:11:00.000-07:00

A recent spate of stormy weather in the kent Washington area...

I fought the law...and the law ignored me.

2009-03-19T03:51:00.000-07:00

ATTICA! ATTICA!

I was framed...on a 'bad hair' day...

President Ford came to Seattle on campaign tour in 1976...

...I got to shake his hand...

...but he wouldn't 'pardon' me.

We all love our first getaway car...mine was a 1962 Chevy Impala 4-door...

I was a teen-age 8-Track collector!!!!

Mel Brooks autographed this 8-track for me a year ago...

...at gunpoint.

I make good my escape on a Washington State Ferry....

Time to return to my getaway vehicle...

And as the sun sets on my 2fast-2furious blog entry...

...I put the pedal to the medal and...

WHOA!...Went too fast!...

New stuff!

2009-03-18T02:34:00.000-07:00

Okay...here's some new stuff I made...

Spies 'R' us....

BOOTH 1 = I SPY (Robert Culp, Bill Cosby).
BOOTH 2 = Man from U.N.C.L.E. (David Macallum,).
BOOTH 3 = Man from U.N.C.L.E. (Robert Vaughn).
BOOTH 4 = Get Smart (Don Adams).
BOOTH 5 = Secret Agent (Patrick McGoohan).
BOOTH 6 = The Avengers (Diana Rigg, Patrick Macnee).

Some Close-Ups...

Booths 1 & 2...

Booths 3 & 4...

Booths 5 & 6...

T.H.R.U.S.H. 'Bird' Symbol on world map...

PENDRAGON WORLDS...

THE EVOLUTION OF MAN...

ROSWELL BUCKS...

More later...

I forgot I had to blog...

2009-03-15T02:01:00.000-07:00

Greetings...greetings...to all...
Who am I kidding?

Hi Casey!
Hey thanks for the advice on Imagekind! I set up an account the same day I got your e-mail. I only got one artprint posted there so far (The CampFollower)...but it's a start!

Yesterday (SAT-Mar-14-09) I had some time off from work so I went down to Pioneer square with my three daughters to check some rare book dealers about a very old 'booklet' on Indian Fortunetelling that I have. It was copyrighted around 1923 by a W.S. Phillips (El Comancho) and sold in Denver Colorado...probably at one of those old tourist traps on Route 66. Here's a scan:

Here's another:

Kinda neat....nifty...keeno...eh?

Old Indian Magic Fortune-telling book...refers to standard decks-of-cards as well. Turns out it's a rare bird indeed. Nobody had ever seen such a critter before. Value: Maybe about $75.

Anyway..

While we wuz wandrin round...shreking out other stores...me and my daughters found this cool studio down a stairwell (and in the basement of a building that had a lot of other little artsy places innit) that had suits of armor and swords and stuff layin' around. There was two guys working on computers inside and a couple of little dogs as well. Well my daughter Calliope wanted to take a picture of some of the armor but I said she'd better ask first. The moment she goes in the dogs go defcon 1 and start barking and stuff...so I go in to try and fix it. Then my other two daughters follow me...the next thing you know...we've invaded this small studio and disturbed these two guys. They were both real polite and nice to us though and said it was okay to take Pix and stuff. The guys were swell...especially Carlos who did most of the talking. It turns out these guys do concept art for wizards of the coast and video game companies. So we got to talking...Carlos gave me their business cards and all was well. So tonight I checked out Carlos Paradinha...(http://www.abyssal.us/) he's a photographer and concepts guy...and the other guy...Kieran Yanner...(http://www.kieranyanner.com/) is a pro artist and...as it turns out...he has a blog here as well...so now I'm following two blogs on blogger.com. Kieran's a great artist so stay tuned...

More news...I got sick last week and couldn't work...so I decided to revive the old T.H.R.U.S.H. organization for the helluvit. Remember T.H.R.U.S.H.? The evil organization from the old 'Man from U.N.C.L.E.' TV series?

Hereza Link2it:

www.freewebs.com/thrushcentral

Go there...be amazed...JOIN or ELSE!

SMALL PRINT NOW!....Here's the start of my new novel:

ENJOY!

GODDESS OF ELYSIA
by Gary A. (GARTH) Edwards

Seattle Washington, downtown, Thursday, February 27th, 2008, 2a.m.

It was not a magical night.

It had just rained. Low clouds obscured the stars and only a faint glow waxed and waned behind them indicating the presence of a full moon. The tops of the highest skyscrapers disappeared into the low gray clouds and the muffled roar of a distant jet echoed in the distance.
Steel and brick buildings, some old...some new, stood darkened and lonely above the streetlights. Curtained windows, lit dimly from within, sported flickering blue television reflections and, now and then, human shadows.

The streets of Seattle were wet but not clean. Here and there a soaked alcoholic 'streetperson' shuffled in and out of a shadowed doorway or stumbled towards a neon lit nightclub that hadn't shut its doors yet. A taxi cab hissed by wet with raindrops and splashed a small puddle onto a sidewalk.

The city was alive but in a torpid half-sleep awaiting another gray Seattle morning and a bright new day of capitalist motion.
A light blue Seattle police car rolled slowly through Pioneer Square, spreading peace and quiet wherever it drifted.
Streetlights sparkled off wet car hoods. Errant sedans and SUV's whisked through the streets as their occupants called it a night and headed for home.

Then, above the night sounds, came a rythmic thumping of boots on asphalt.
It was a running man...running down the middle of the street. He had a green sack in one hand and a fire-axe in the other. He was dressed in blue jeans and a black t-shirt. He had a short black beard and and black glasses. His dark brown hair looked greasy and wet. He looked somewhat like a coffee house beatnik...somewhat like a microsoft geek.
Here and there people stopped to stare. What was this man's hurry? Where was he off to? What was up with the axe? Was he running from the police?

A lone drunk yelled "HEY!" as the running man thumped by...but the running man kept his stride.
"What was the deal?" people wondered to themselves. But no one wanted to stop the running man. The axe kept people at bay.

The running man was sweating as he held his axe blade forward and his arms pumped up and down. He hissed deep breaths as he ran...and a determined look was on his face. His eyes were furtive, glancing here and there but fixated on a goal up ahead.

The running man increased his speed. His goal was in sight.

Just then a a Seattle police cruiser turned a corner; just in time to spot the running man.
A second of assessment...then the cruiser's engine roared to life and the chase was on.
Too late. The running man had reached his goal.

'Pioneer Square Antiques' read the letters painted on the old front window. A second later and the window was shattered by the running man's axe. The running man leapt through the window and frantically chopped and kicked his way through the thin wood partition and into the dark antique store.

The police car rolled close to the front of the store and stopped at an angle, blocking off the street. Two burly Seattle police officers jumped out and pulled their service revolvers. One officer began to rattle off address information to the police dispatcher as he cautiously took a position at the side of the antique store. The other officer assumed a firing position on the hood of the cruiser and began to yell at the man in the shop.
"COME OUT WITH YOUR HANDS UP NOW!" yelled the police officer.

"I HAVE A GUN!" came the reply from inside the store.
Two seconds sped by.
A loud report from a handgun broke the air. The closest officer backed away from the front of the antique store.
"Shots fired...officers need assistance!"

In the distance, sirens began to wail as more police diverted to Pioneer Square. People began to congregate closer until one of the officers yelled at them to 'GET BACK!'
Whatever was happening was now in full swing.
Quickly, the Seattle police began to cordon off a one block radius around the beseiged antique store. The alley behind the store was cordoned off as well. The police shone their spotlights down the alley and lit up the back exit door from the antique store. The crazy guy was not going to escape that way. And of course...
...S.W.A.T. was on its way.

KIRO and KING5 news vans were on their way as well. KOMO had the worse luck with only one van out and about near SEATAC airport. They would miss the action entirely.

Police diligently shooed away any gawkers who got too close. There was no real rush now. Just secure the area and wait for negotiators and S.W.A.T. to earn their pay. This incident should take them well into the morning.
The police officers kept vigil behind their cruisers parked up and down the block. A Seattle Fire department medical aid unit stood off to the side...just in case. T.V competing newscrews began to pick their way through the gawkers and find the best positions to set up their video camcorders.

Here we go again. Just another crazy perp with issues holing up in a building and...and...?!
What in the world was that?...

Suddenly an eerie silence fell on the scene.
People stared at each other for a few seconds.
Then, on perfect cue...
Everyone began to stare at the front of the antique store with the broken window and the perp hiding inside.
Something just went wrong.
Something was very wrong here all of a sudden.
Something very, very big and very, very wrong was starting to happen.
It was as if an electric pulse of power had shot through everyone within a certain radius of the antique store. No cars could be heard...nor planes...nor radios...nor talking.
Just...DEAD SILENCE.

Everyone felt the hair rising on their arms and necks. People began to instinctively back away from the scene. The police looked at each other fearfully.
What was going on here?
Everything was so still....and so fearfully quiet.

Then suddenly...(!?)...they heard it.
The police...the gawkers...the newscrews...S.W.A.T. and the fire department...the 'streetpersons'...
Everyone began to hear...'the music'.

It was like nothing you'd ever heard before. It was music...strange music...pagan and otherworldly...yet...just music....and somehow...somehow...it drew you in. it was a 'summoning' music of some kind...yes...summoning music. It wanted you...you could tell that...but not you in particular...not right now...just...someone else...someone else who was very unlucky and was being called by 'it'...to come to it.
Whatever 'IT' was...it was scaring the crap out of everyone within earshot. You couldn't speak...you couldn't scream...even though you wanted to...you couldn't run! There was nothing you could do...except listen.

It was beautiful in its own way...full of deadly promise...deadly 'changes'...and though not strictly music...and not strictly singing either...it was something inbetween. Something old...ancient...and yes...scary beyond belief.

Just then, a warm wind began to rise...flowing mystically...towards the store.
The music started to lilt higher into a scary 'crescendo'...a beautiful greenish light began to emanate and pulsate out of the antique store.
Then there was a quick 'flash' of some sort...
...and mercifully...
...the music...
...just...
...stopped.

There was a momentary collective sigh from all who'd heard.
That was it. Done. Over with.
But it left you feeling 'empty'...and sad..at not knowing the music better.
It was the lead S.W.A.T. officer that spoke first.

"What the hell was that?!" he shouted. "What the F--- just happened? Did all of you hear that...that music?!"
"I heard it all right!"
"Me too!"
"GOD!...That was creepy wasn't it?"

A shaken news reporter turned to his camera man.
"Tell me you got that on video."
The camera man shook his head affirmatively. He had.
"I'll be damned though if I'll be the one to replay it!"

TO BE CONTINUED...

New post time...

2009-02-13T05:12:00.000-08:00

So I find a few moments to blog...

I ran across a great little video on Wilhelm Reich yesterday. Wilhelm was a smart guy who believed too much in the 'integrity' of the American system. He blabbed where he shouldn't have...ventured into areas he shouldn't have...and made a great name for himself and left a mysterious legacy of questions surrounding reality and something called an 'orgone accumulator'. Einstein himself gave this guy the time of day and then turned and ignored him...for reasons inexplicable.

So I like Wilhelm Reich. He asked the tough questions and rubbed our noses in it for not asking them ourselves. Gotta love a no-nonsense know-it-all. W. Edwards Deming was similar...but knew where to pinch the system's butt in order to get a resulting: 'what-the-deuce?'

Wilhelm stood in front of the train and expected it to stop through sheer faith in humanity. He got mowed down by the FDA and died in prison. His last manuscript was stolen. He might have died of a broken heart...or cigarettes.

Here's a link to an informing video by Peter Robbins who has researched Wilhelm Reich's life and works:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7602609578301856050

Here's some recent art by meself...it's called "Sif":

More later...

Garth

Stuff I'm into.

2009-01-29T05:12:00.000-08:00

Just a quick note to let ya'll know what I find interesting.

Our shared reality has many mysteries.

My favorite is the 1-2-3 Principle.

You may ask: "What the hey is the 1-2-3 Principle?"

So glad you asked.

Here's some examples:

1. Past-Present-Future
2. Proton-Neutron-Electron
3. Height-width-depth (or 3-D space)
4. Solid-Liquid-Gas
5. Black-Gray-White
6. Mother-Child-Father
7. Thesis-Synthesis-Antithesis (see Hegel)
8. Fibonacci Numbers (1-2-3-5-8-13-etc)
9. E=MC2
10. Doric-Ionic-Corinthian
11. Order-Balance-Chaos
12. Eternity-Temporality-Oblivion

There's more, but you get the idea.

The ultimate example of the 1-2-3 Principle though is:

Eternity-Temporality-Oblivion

Essentially, the fact that you 'exist'...but can constantly change or grow...or die...means that you can infer the existence of two seperate 'forces':

'Eternity' (something 'more real' than you which impels your existence) and...

'Oblivion' (something 'less real' than you that causes you and all atomic matter to decay).

Inbetween is 'Temporality' which we already know exists...and which is composed of one-half Eternity and one-half Oblivion.

So in our reality, we come from nowhere...exist for a time...then go back to nowhere.

But the 'essential you' which is the 'eternal' part cannot be destroyed. It merely changes form.

The 'universe'...or Temporality...is an area of space and time which provides a resolution between the grand opposites of Eternity and Oblivion.

There's so much more...

...and I'm trying to write a book about it all...

...but in the meantime...

The other things I find interesting are:

1. Affordable housing designs.
2. Conspiracy theories.
3. Alternative energy devices.
4. Nostalgia, antiques, old music.
5. Storytelling.
6. Social solutions.
7. Old technology (8-Tracks primarily).
8. Comprehensive lists.
9. People in general...what motivates humanity.
10. Aliens, UFOs, Ancient texts, etc.

This is the short list.

The universe is far more than we know.

We should pay close attention to it.

Garth

Post One.

2009-01-27T13:10:00.000-08:00

Greetings and felicitations!
I decided to join this blogspot in order to follow the blog of my friend and fellow artist Casey Klahn. Casey and I went to high school together back in the 70's. Casey's expertise in art was surpassingly good and inspired me to get serious about my own art. Be sure to go to Casey's website at: http://data.fineartstudioonline.com/dataviewer.asp?keyvalue=5025

Well...as long as I'm here an' all...I might as well try to blog a bit.

If you go to my national website: http://www.freewebs.com/garthfromseattle/

...you'll see I have a well of varied interests.

From Physics, Art and Affordable Housing to 8-tracks, Truisms, Movie tributes and even Sports trash talk. I'm just a geek with an artist's perspective and an insatiable curiousity about how things work in life. A mixture of inner incompatibilities (ranting now) that makes me both a tiresome know-it-all and a questing crusader. A perfect Type 'E' 'showman' character who will get everybody worked up on the issues one day and then drop everything the next in order to follow a new stream of thought.

A thoroughly frustrating person...I know.

Of course I know.

I'm a know-it-all right?

I can fix anything except me.

So I spend a lot of time complaining about it.

(Say...aren't blogs just a place to whine and moan ad infinitum?)

My biggest problem is being unable to focus on just one subject or thing. In this day and age of computers and internet service and explosive technological leaps...it's hard for a creative person to just focus on being one kind of artist. The paths the mind can take are endless.

Now let's see...

I want to:

1. Design a 3-D periodic table and...
2. Solve the homelessness problem and...
3. Write a sci-fi novel and...
4. Invent an alternative energy device and...
5. Design a 'gravity-oriented' theme park and...
6. Write a screen play and...
7. Teach a chemistry class at Berkeley and...
8. Compose a hit song and...
9. Buy a Maxfield Parrish painting and...

...say,...are you still there?

Usually people have fallen asleep or wandered off by the time I get to the interesting stuff.

Moving right along...

The thing is...

...I have an endless array of palettes to choose from in life. How can I choose just one? In order to focus and make some dough? I could invent a world changing energy device or reveal the secrets of the universe (ranting again). I could take the battle to the streets or challenge our oppressive government openly or....

Naw-www.

Can't do it.

I shoulder too many daily responsibilities to swerve out of line and challenge 'The System' for very long. Which is great for the system I suppose.

But every day I try to foist my creative abilities onto and into whatever job I happen to be stuck doing at the time. Which doesn't endear me to my employers for very long. I think I've worked at 64 different jobs since before leaving high school. Frittering my life and brain power away on penny-ante jobs and industrial nightmare backwash.

So I'm basically just a family man...a 'jack-of-all-trades' and a starving artist who's been trying desperately for decades to put together:

1. The free time and...
2. The expensive materials and...
3. The requisite place to work...

...all of which are needed to create the fomentive works of art that roil tempestuously within me.

Sometimes I get lucky.

You'll see if you go to my national website.

Still and all...it's no royal road that I travel.

Maybe I should Blog people over the hea*...Uh...I mean write interesting things and post them on my own blog-type-dealie.

And then I'll....I'll....

Hey, what's this over here?