Last night, Joe Gruen and I recorded a new episode of The Cream and The Clear, and were joined by special guests Miles Roberts and Marcus Royce-Fulton. The four of us discussed, among other things, deer antler spray, beer, my hair, and the Lakers.

The podcast is almost exactly one hour long, and you can listen to it here: C&C February 9th, 2013

From left to right: Joe Gruen, Marcus Royce-Fulton, Gabriel and Miles Roberts

I did create a gmail account for the podcast, so if you have any questions about the show, please email: thecreamandtheclear at gmail dot com. You can follow our guest and my big brother Miles on Twitter @MilesCRoberts.

Anybody else really glad January is over? Not that it was a “bad” month, but I for one am ready for February. Longer days, and if you’re lucky enough to live in California, the beginnings of spring. For all of you chillin’ in colder climes, here’s what Highway 80 looks like this time of year, around Fairfield, CA:

Download the background in various sizes here: 2880 x 1800, 2560 x 1600, 1920 x 1200, 1920 x 1080, 1680 x 1050, 1440 x 900, 1280 x 800

I must give a big shout-out to Mitchell Johnson, a very very good painter who shows that it’s ok to put colorful squares directly on the surface of your pictures. I also want to note that this is my second February desktop calendar background, meaning I’ve been at this for a whole year! And to think, every month there’s something weather-related to talk about. You really can’t beat weather for conversation.

Wishing you all a wonderful February. It’s a shorty, but it’s-a-gonna-be a goodie.

In Barcelona, in preparation for a trip, I decided it was time to upgrade my undershirts. I don’t know if I had any, but if I did they were probably old and stretched out. I went to “El Corte Inglés” a big chain department store whose name means “The English Cut”. It was on the pricier side, but I was anything but a savvy shopper and it was the only place that I knew for sure would have undershirts.

I found the appropriate section and leafed through the different packages of undershirts. The labels made no sense to me—instead of small, medium, or large, there were just numbers, like “38” and “46”. These most likely referred to centimeters, but even if I knew which measurement they represented, I had no idea how I measured in in that area, much less in centimeters. I was not yet in possession of the self-importance required to ask a Spanish person who worked at the store to help me. I do remember asking if I could try on the shirts, and being told that I could not. In the end I walked away with one undershirt that looked promising, and made my way through the madness of the city back to my apartment.

The undershirt didn’t fit well. Its little sleeves stuck out sideways in ridiculously jaunty fashion, and the shirt itself was unnecessarily long and rather tight.

I went back to El Corte Inglés with the shirt folded neatly in its torn package, and returned to the counter in the same area of the store, where I was met by an older gentleman in a blue suit. I told him I wished to return the shirt. He asked me why and I told him that the sleeves stuck out and I didn’t like it. He pointed to the label on the package: “Estilo Marinero” (Mariner style), and said this was the style of the shirt. I reiterated that I did not like the shirt, and so he took the shirt out of the package and began an examination.

He quickly turned the shirt inside out and looked closely at the armpit area, triumphantly (it seemed) pointing out a solitary hair—presumably from my disgusting American armpit. He made a little clucking noise with his tongue as he returned the shirt to its package and handed it back to me: “No lo podemos aceptar” (We can’t accept this).

Completely humiliated, I left the store with my sailor shirt and made my way, defeated, back to my apartment.

For some reason the shirt has stuck with me to this very day. After nearly five years, it is still in excellent condition, and its little sleeves still stick out in a ridiculous fashion. It’s like a strange pair of socks—with you for many years while other, more ordinary items are lost in the wash. I don’t wear the shirt often—usually only after all my other undershirts are dirty—and after catching a glimpse of myself in the mirror last week, I’ve decided I shan’t be wearing it ever again. The shirt will be cut and torn into painting rags, and I’ll never again tug annoyedly at the little sleeves or dig past it in my pile of undershirts searching for a better option.

I’m happy the shirt will be put to good use, and I know I’ll appreciate its sturdy weave when wiping my pallette knife clean. Mostly I’m glad to end a relationship in which I always wanted the shirt to be something it wasn’t. After all, the package clearly said “Estilo Marinero”.

Happy New Year!  Here’s a new background for your desktop:

This is a brand-new extra-large painting I’ve begun.  It’s in the early stages, just like 2013, and anything can happen!  Download by clicking one of the following links: 2560×1600, 1920×1200, 1680×1050, 1440×900, 1280×800.

Happy December everybody! Our very very last month of 2012. Let’s hope it’s a good one! I’ve always had a cynical attitude towards “The Holidays”. Like anything that lots of people like, I felt it necessary to take a scornful, contrary position. I’ve been too cool for the holidays. Well not anymore! I love the holidays! They are awesome. It’s a whole movement in the U S of A dedicated to warmth, kindness, sharing, and love. And consumerism, but let’s not go there.

This month’s background features the little bronze horse drawing turned reindeer, and some really bright red pastel. I hope it helps get you in the holiday spirit! Click to download: 2560×1600 1920×1200, 1680×1050, 1440×900, 1280×800.

I’m pleased to announce two upcoming events where my art will be on display:

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Recently I’ve become aware of a word that is being used just a little too much.  It’s not a bad word, it’s not unpleasant or obtrusive, it’s just a little word that waters down the English language.  The word is “just”.

According to Merriam-Webster, there are three definitions of just: a noun, adjective, and adverb.  Here is the definition of “just” the adverb:

1. (a) exactly, precisely; (b) very recently
2. (a) barely; (b) immediately, directly
3. (a) only, simply; (b) quite, very
4. perhaps, possibly

Part three of this definition is where we get into trouble.  Notice how definition 3a and 3b are contradictory:  “simply” vs. “quite”, and “only” vs. “very”.  These are nearly opposite definitions of the same word.  No wonder “just” is so problematic!

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November. What can I say about November? There’s Thanksgiving, there’s lots of football, and the clocks turn back one hour, making our evenings darker but our mornings brighter. I’m ready for the cooler weather, some rain, and some more time inside feeling cozy and happy about not being outside. Here’s a new background for your desktop:

In honor of the fall season, I drew a maple leaf. Then I put it over a big sheet of circles I’d painted for wrapping paper, and added the ol’ month and dates. It came out rather dark, but I’m hoping you get a “cool” vibe more than a “downer” vibe with this thing sitting behind your icons and folders all month.

Download by clicking one of the following links: 2560×1600, 1920×1200, 1680×1050, 1440×900, 1280×800.

Many thanks to The League of Moveable Type and Tyler Finck for the beautiful Ostrich Sans typeface (used for NOV 2012).

Here’s a fresh podcast from the Cream and the Clear, recorded yesterday evening here in Oakland, CA. Myself and Joe Gruen discuss, among other things, Giants baseball, Halloween, Homosexuality, P90x, and Chewing gum. In other words, there’s something for everybody!

Please be advised that much of this content is not safe for work, and is generally quite vulgar.

Enjoy! click here:  —> C&C October 23rd, 2012 <—

I went for a walk, turning left out of my aprtment building and heading up Glen Avenue towards the grocery store. I planned to cut through the parking lot, as I had done two nights before with Mom, and walk up the steep hill of Monte Vista Ave, down Kingston, and then up Rose Avenue to the crest of a hill where I could see the sunset.

When I reached the grocery store I walked past the parking lot and up to Piedmont Ave to catch a half block of the Friday evening hustle and bustle. I passed the tobacconist which smelled of cigar smoke and inside I saw a good-looking guy in a dark green suit jacket smoking the stubby remainder of a cigar. He held it a few inches from his mouth, and looked at me as I walked by.

Turning left on Piedmont, I passed a little boy with a light green balloon, and his adult companion who asked “are you a superhero?”, and then the comic book store with a poster of a lady superhero in red that I didn’t recognize, and I saw how large the store was and realized that I’d never looked inside. At the corner I turned left and headed slowly up Monte Vista.

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