Painter of the Night and Pittsburgh NORML Advocate - Slikar Noći #024

In this episode, you have the opportunity to Slikar Noći. Slikar Noći is a Pittsburgh based artist, muralist, small business owner (My City Sesh), and cannabis activist, among many other things.
 
He wishes to spread good vibes and joy throughout your communities by splashing color on walls.

Where can you keep up with Slikar Noći?

You can see some of his work on his IG page @slikarnoci or check out My City Sesh at @mycitysesh or www.mycitysesh.com

If you're interested in reaching out for mural work, art, or just to chat/ ask questions you can email at
slikarnoci@gmail.com

Host: Kevin Stalker / @kstalker9 /
Production Manager: Mike Kampas / @kampasm
Beats: Joe Cal / @josephj_callahan
Don't forget to subscribe, follow us on Instagram @_rawnessofreality, Snapchat @Rawnessreality, and Twitter @rawreality_
Remember, Stay Raw with Reality

Transcript

spk_0:   0:00
some article that said people that were fun funky socks are like, normally more creative. They're successful when their dislike all around, like I don't know, like, Better

spk_1:   0:09
be Welcome to Episode 0 to 4 for rawness of Reality, I'm your host, Kevin Stocker, and in this episode you have the opportunity to meet Slick are no cheating. He's a Pittsburgh based artist, muralist and small business owner of my city. He is also a cannabis advocate, sock lover and all around good person. I'd also like to point out that this episode wouldn't have happened if it weren't for Louis Castle. So I want to thank you for setting up slick our gnocchi and I for having this wonderful discussion. If anyone listening does know anyone could they'd like to see on the rawness of reality, just let me know. I can always invite them to the studio or call them in. But enough from me. Here's slow car No Okay, slick or Nokia stomach, Our new cheer like slick core, No excellent slick car in nature.

spk_0:   1:08
What's going on slick or Nokia Scott? A lot of people know me by my real name, just so I don't know a man of many hats in Pittsburgh. Artists muralist, small business owner, cannabis advocate with Pittsburgh Normal. I don't know. I do a lot of things, but I guess mainly you got put on to me about my or three, really, I think, and that's what I'm trying to pursue a lot more of. It is my order, especially mural work

spk_1:   1:36
to kind of get an idea about why you're trying to pursue mural work. Could you tell us what started your even eagerness to get into that field?

spk_0:   1:45
I've always liked Or, you know, I've always done or sense I can remember, you know, picking up crowns as a kid, anything. And I've always I don't know. I don't want to say that I'm good at it because I don't think I'm good, but

spk_1:   1:59
I think you're pretty good. Thanks You are.

spk_0:   2:01
But like maybe a little better than average or something, you know, uh, pick up to it a little bit. So all my life I've had it a love hate relationship with or it's gotten me through some tough times, and it's also there's been periods in my life where I've not done order It all just because I haven't felt like doing north. But really, um, a couple friends, mainly Really? Ah. To give them a small shout out Max Gonzalez and drum Charles who? A lot of people know them as gems and two in the art world as well with some other friends that I won't say. Their names kind of told me, you know, Hey, you kind of got something going on here. Like, maybe you could do a little bit more than doodling and just trying to paint on walls and things like that and step into the art world and try and take it a little more serious. And, you know, and, uh, they actually both turned me on to my first or so which led me to, you know, a few other or shows that mainly, were those or friends that let me in. Um, and that just kind of piqued my interest in, you know, when I was younger, uh, did a little bit of, like, spray paint work with paint and stuff like that and not too much. And, you know, like I said, when I got back into or here, like a kind of just step back into that. And I was like, Man, like this feels good. Like when I'm standing at a wall with a can of paint. It's like just me and no one else. Like I feel completely free All my worries of one away, like there's nothing but me in that wall in painting, just putting color on it and making something nice. And I like that feeling, so I wanna keep pursuing it.

spk_1:   3:54
Excellent. And with that I noticed in your heart you have these different characters. Yeah, that kind of pop out as, Ah, there's a Flamingo. Yeah, fly Minga, flattening minger. And then there's a Ogi

spk_0:   4:10
Raff. That's the giraffe. You have. Ah, a pelican. His name is Pelley Po. Uh, there's a dog named the dog. Go! Uh, Are there any more carriages I don't like. I just got those I feel like or my main like fly Mingo is the main driving like a lot of people. It's funny because I never really I never made it for this reason, or like, realize this or anything. And it started with either my sister or my cousin, you know, like you know, they're like, that's you, you know that

spk_1:   4:42
right? Are you Fly? Mingle. Yeah, Well, I guess, you

spk_0:   4:45
know, I don't think that, like, that was the general. I mean, it wasn't the general idea at the time or something, but I just made this character and, you know, and then, like, my cousin is like, No, you're like, that's definitely you. You don't see that? Well, yeah, I guess so. Maybe doesn't mean I like bucket hats are, like, you know, fly socks and stuff like that. And so, yes, So that character kind of became like the main character. I think, uh, he's normally smoking cannabis because, like I said, I'm a heavy canvas advocate. I believe in the use of marijuana. Recreational. Ia's well was medically yeah s Oh, yeah. Those are probably like the four main characters and then at I don't know, like, I don't want to say I do all different types of warts like, but as far as character work is my characters like, it's the

spk_1:   5:35
question I really had about these. Are you kind of creating a storyline throughout your art or you kind of just these characters are popping up. Where is there an opportunity for a story line to happen with them?

spk_0:   5:48
Yes, and so, like the way Flamingo came about was I got into doing and I don't know if it's because friends were doing it or I just thought it was a cool idea or kind of thought of it. Ah, doing are on top of work. So, like I was going to thrift shops and things like that and I would walk through. And if I saw some nice frames painting or some for a couple of bucks would think like, you know, I could use that. But when I first started doing it, it wasn't about like, how much the peace, like the piece is gonna buy cost or anything like that. It was just like if something struck me in my head that I was gonna put on there, And that's how Flamingo was born, like the first painting I did of him was, it's probably like a poster sized like 36 by 24 painting, and it's, Ah, whole winter landscape. And I was like, Look, finding well, this flamingo on a beach, smoking a joint with like a little beach ball when like a number I don't even know if I had it that forethought out. But I just thought like a flying of a flamingo would look cool because, like, Flamingo wasn't even born yet. And I was like, like a flamingo on the beach, Like in the middle of this winter scene, like, just seems my style I don't know, you know, and, uh, started in like he just popped out of nowhere This bucket, hat and sneakers and no socks and all this I'm getting like a big old do key chain with, like, a big old FM. You know, stuff. Yeah, I was like, This is cool and then added, like, a little beach background and stuff. And so that's where you know, started thinking like, maybe there could be a couple more characters and yeah, there might is kind of, Ah, I

spk_1:   7:34
don't know if

spk_0:   7:35
I would do like a comic book. I mean, that's what I was thinking. A dream of mine has always been to do a comic book, maybe like a scene or something will come out of that you like, But I kind of like incorporating the mold in, like, beach scenes and doing different. I don't know why beaches like I'm scared to death of the oceans. I don't know where the beach thing plays. I guess like a beach is just Do you think beaches like a fun, happy place?

spk_1:   8:00
Chill spot. You know, I want to find a flamingo. Yeah, like just

spk_0:   8:04
relaxing smoking a joint on the beach like you'd probably stop and smoke

spk_1:   8:08
with. So you did say you're a big cannabis at. Yeah, right. And do you work with an organization that supporting cannabis? Yes. Use recreational and medical. Yes.

spk_0:   8:18
So I'm a I'm a part of called Pittsburgh Normal, which is the national organization for the Reform ation laws of marijuana. Normal has been around for probably in a decades. They started in California fighting for, you know, rights of cannabis use were the Pittsburgh chapter. I worked with some wonderful people. Ah, our executive director, Patrick Nightingale, is cannabis lawyer in the city. So if anyone were to ever get in any kind of trouble with it I mean in any kind of trouble, probably. But especially anything like cannabis related or like cannabis d y or anything like that. I wouldn't definitely suggest giving a shout out Piquet in law for sure his wife, Teresa, is wonderful. She works with Cresco. If I'm not mistaken, we've going to Harrisburg far for rights, advocating for cannabis use. They really did a lot to get medical here. And then I was with them when we actually pushed and did a lot to get de criminalization. Now, of course, we're fighting for full wreck. It's I call it like hob knob in like going out there rubbing elbows with politicians and stuff like of,

spk_1:   9:37
Yeah, what's that like behind the scenes? What's the environment? It's really

spk_0:   9:41
fun. Do like behind the scenes like I mean, we're all can't. We're all into cannabis, you know? It's all about having a good time. Of course, we're fighting for our rights, and you know that's the agenda to spread the message that cannabis isn't an enemy. It isn't Anything bad like this can help you, even in ways that you don't think like I think people just know. You just like to get highway. I do like to get high, you know what I mean? But like that helps me get through. My day to day life was, Well, we've done some great things, dude, in a great group, anyone that is interested at all. If you're someone that sitting around and you're like, Yo, I won't lead to be legal within player part and do that like step out, reach out the Pittsburgh normal Go to W W dot Pittsburgh Normal diet or dot com. I believe it's dot org's Look us up on Facebook, Twitter, anything like that. We can get the information to you. Join us like come with us when we go to Harrisburg. Sometimes it's really sad because you get a lot of people that say this is what they want. You give a lot of people the opportunity to become and use their voice and you get like, six people they

spk_1:   10:46
come Have. Have you ever heard of the 90? 60? 30 rule? Might be something else in 1960 feet. That sounds from So the idea is that 90 people say they're interested. 60 people sign up 30 people cars GP and then 10 people actually come. Did you not by that name, but I'm very familiar. Yeah, I think that speaks a lot Thio kind of how it is to engage people and to something they actually care about. because we say we care about so many things, Yeah, but when it comes to engaging the public and actually getting people there, that's what's difficult. But do you see an opportunity then, to use these two abilities, your art ability and your work with cannabis and combining them to kind of spread awareness, or do you want to keep them separate? Like I

spk_0:   11:37
said, I do a whole lot of stuff. So I kind of I'm trying to combine it all in one because it's too, you know? I mean, like, I love everything that I do like I love my business. I love my work and, like I love, you know, being an advocate for cannabis. Like I feel I understand where you know some people come from where they don't want to speak up, then keep it kind of hit, especially older people, you know? I mean, like, older people don't want to come out and say, like, you know, maybe they've been doing it this whole time. It's like, you know, I've been I kind of like, give the perception this is a bad thing. But behind closed doors, I've been doing it or I have my mom like my mom, growing up, man. Like she would literally search my room, like, find everything, take it, throw it out like her. My grandfather, I never met him. He died of lung cancer. So I think that was the thing that, like, really got her. Like, this will be no smoking. It wasn't, you know so much that it was We'd I think it was just like smoking. Just freaked her out. Her dad died of lung cancer. Uh, like, do sees, come around. And like, doesn't even like I would never smoked weed in front of her, You know what I mean? But like she's known, I smoked all this time. Like she I'll never forget the day sitting around where I said something about smoking weed. You know, something? She was like, you know, like, I don't like that doesn't bother me anymore. And I was shocked, you know, because she was so against it and stuff, But yeah, I think people can turn around and really like, it's hard once for me. I feel like a lot of things. Not just my cannabis use, but different beliefs I had and things like that. I didn't think I was allowed to have my own voice for a long time. So like when I decided Thio finally be who I was gonna be, it made it really easy for me. So I was like, Hey, let's go to Harrisburg like, let's talk to politicians like Let's yeah, I'll shake hands. I'll be the one to hand them T shirts. I'll let you know what I mean. Things like that s O. I think once you get that feeling of, I'm allowed to open up about this. It's not a bad thing, like it's easy, but I can understand where some people hold back because you know, they have those qualms like, Oh, how are people gonna look at it?

spk_1:   13:58
Yeah, As each day comes by, we get closer and closer to a world where we will see cannabis, legalized recreational E and medically, Yeah, we're getting there and it is difficult and the climate's going to be difficult, rubbing elbows with those politicians and shaking hands with people who don't necessarily see II. But I think with thoughtful discussion, we'll get to that point and I mean a lot of them. Do

spk_0:   14:25
you know what I mean a lot of them or for it, uh, its own. It's a weird world up. I think a lot of it has to do with big pharmacy. You know, like, there are I have seen, you know, with my I know, people were like, Oh, it's a bunch of B s with, um I have friends in Philadelphia. Their daughter, uh, has horrible seizures and things like that. Um, I've watched her being like videos, everything of her being in these horrible seizures. Then take cannabis oil and just rub it on her feet and within under a minute, like Herbie normal function. You know, it's kind of a big thing for me. My grandfather died of Parkinson's, and, you know, that's like one of the main things that cannabis can really help with his Parkinson's and, you know, even CBD and kept trying to push him a little bit. Not much, You know what I mean towards my family and like having my family kind of more push towards my grandmother, saying like, Hey, you know, maybe we could give this a try on this night, and my grandfather even wanted to try medical marijuana. But at the time it wasn't around was it was so hard to get, like his doctor would prescribe it. My grandmother, of course, I didn't want to move any further because you know, she's older and it's like a doctor saying no, like, No, we don't do that. You know, that kind of pushes me a little bit too. Like I'm not really a close knit family person. But, you know, I would have been nice to be able to see my grandfather. At least try that and see how it would have

spk_1:   16:09
hoped for him. Yeah, I definitely understand that. And, uh, it's gotta be tough. Thio approach your family and kind of get resistance. You know what?

spk_0:   16:21
Like yes and no. Because, like I said, I'm not. I'm I'm kind of different when it comes to family. And, like, I could go awhile without speaking to anyone, and it doesn't really bother me that that doesn't mean that I don't love them. Maybe, like I love my family, you know? I mean, I do, But so and like I said, I kind of found my voice a few years back, too. So when I feel adamant about something like especially If if it's I mean, if it's something that's just flat out wrong, like of course, you know, I mean, but if I truly believe in that, it's, you know something that's right. And it's good. Like, I don't mind speaking up and saying, You know, you can meet me with the resistance You can not, you know, not believe in this or whatever. But can you at least look into a few things and research a few things that I told you about and then make your decision? Because I feel like you're making your decision based off of stuff that you probably learned when you were a child or something, You know what I mean? And things, you know, there's been a lot more research since then.

spk_1:   17:24
I think you're hitting it right on the head where it takes a lot for us to kind of overcome that belief in which we're socialized, to believe and listen to what's really going on and how things are really changing in the world. If we're so structured in our beliefs that we had before Emily, it is hard

spk_0:   17:42
to change that I like. I truly believe you can learn from anyone when I had a daughter like I would learn stuff from my daughter. You know, she's Ah, shout out to my daughter off. Daddy loves you. Ah, you know, she's seven and she teaches me things. She's amazing it or, you know, I mean, when I talked to her and she showed me different things that she's done like, she'll ask me, Well, you want me to draw Daddy and I'll tell her in, like, five minutes. She has a whole picture on a theme and all that like it blows my mind. So, you know, people weren't always write about things. So just because you learn something, I'm actually going through that me and my business partner kind of going through that right now we're trying to revamp our company. You know, company

spk_1:   18:26
is my city. My city set. My city says you tell our listeners a little bit about my city, such before you go into

spk_0:   18:32
this. Absolutely. So my city says, uh, to put in enough. So, like, our slogan is, how do you assess your city? Um, you know, in a lot of people ask us like, what's a sesh? Eso? It's such like this is a sex. We're having a recording session right now. You could have a cannabis sesh like a skate session. Music session. Art sets, like basically a sessions. Kind of described is like a group of people getting together and doing something, having fun, positive vibes. You know, Uh, so that's kind of our slogan. Like, how do you set your city? We didn't want to make it just I mean, we love Pittsburgh. Like I'm originally from Bedford, Pennsylvania, like, kind of a suburb about an hour and 1/2 away or so moved here in 2000. My business partner, My best friend, Aaron. He's originally from Eastern Shore of Maryland. I want to say he moved here and maybe like, 2008 or something like that. So we're truly not like Pittsburgh implants, even though we're both I mean, I've been someone asked me where I'm from. I'm from Pittsburgh, like I've lived here over half my life. We didn't want to make it just solely Pittsburgh based, you know, because we're thinking broader than that. Like we want to, you know, we were getting into a lot of we were going out to Philly to these things called the Philly smoke sessions. So how can we start? We're seeing people vending and stuff like that, and we're like Like, that's something we'd like to bring to Pittsburgh. The original idea came. We want to bring. This is It's crazy. I don't know if you've ever heard of these things. Or Vincent is like in the middle of Philadelphia in the middle of North Philadelphia, right in the ghetto, like none of us like this whole roster for Ian Complex or something like that compound. And ah, it's crazy cause cops are letting you in at the door and you're going in, and all it is is like just straight smoking weed. Dad been like people were in there selling wax and weed. But it's under the notion of, like, make donations for this certain, you know, and you get that. And it ran smoothly for a long time, like the only reason it actually ever shut down was because of like fire violations. They had too many people in the building

spk_1:   20:50
was too popular. Yeah, it ended up

spk_0:   20:52
being too popular, but so we were like, man like, could you imagine having something like this in Pittsburgh like this is all happening because there's Deke Rim in Philly. Yeah, you know, So that kind of was that, then it's like, Whoa, you know, we obviously don't. You can't do that in Pittsburgh. So, Yeah, let's start off. Like we kind of had close as an idea and all that. And we got, you know, we started off with our T shirts and things of that nature, and then we got into making soaps. We make a hemp oil soaps, a few different CVD products that we carry Things like that. Um, soap is one of our biggest things. Probably, especially when we've ended festivals. And that, um oh, no, I'm not tryingto like to my own horn or anything with the soaps. Good. And I haven't used. I should have brought you something brought to your shirt. I should rush. You seem so. I do? Yeah. I haven't used a regular bar soap in, like, 3/3 years. Four years? Oh, no. When we vanden stuff like, we just kind of told you, Like, if you smell it like, that's all you need to do, Like the smell like we try to make we try to use high quality ingredients we don't use anything is like any kind of like soda Lord sodium laurel sulfate or anything like any potassium is anything like We try to keep natural ingredients used like Shea butter bases. Try to use essential oils everywhere we can. We do have some fragrances because not everything comes in essential oil. We use hemp seed oil in all of our soaps. Hemp seed oil was amazing for your skin. You know something I tried when people ask me about CVD and hemp seed oil when things like that, there's so much that dive into to try and tell someone. So I try to recommend people like If you want to learn about how these things like CVD, especially, and things like that can really benefit you. Look up the Endo cannabinoid system. If you just google that or look it up, it's going to show you this is an actual system that's like in our body. We've always had it, and for some reason, like cannabinoids, bye, go hand in hand with it. It's like peanut butter and jelly, so I recommend that people looked at us because we have two different receptors. And it will show you like how CBD and how cannabinoids and T H C can affect your body in different ways through these different things. Because we could go on forever, like talking about that.

spk_1:   23:24
I'd like you to kind of go on now about how you said you're looking to revamp my city. Yeah,

spk_0:   23:31
yeah, eso Quite honestly, I just feel like we've been lazy. We started this company, had a lot of Dr we're really starting to try and build it kind of building that some started to get a little bit of a following. And I feel like not even that we got comfortable, just like we had so much going on. I started really kicking off a lot with my art. I mean, from the very beginning, it was kind of rough and so much more going on. Ah, my best friend, my business partner. Like, right before we started this, his mother died. So she didn't get to see this happen for us, which, I mean, I know she would have loved. I can't even imagine what that does to somebody being there for him trying to help him get through that you know, that's that's my best friend, my business partner. I mean, there's just been there for me, for everything that I've ever needed. I've been there for him. They needed, you know, mean and like, it's hard to come across like a realty, true best friend like that through all that. It's been a lot of trials and horses when we're trying to run this business in, like bombs keep getting dropped on us. Like I said, I have a daughter. My daughter's mother decided to up and move away and take my daughter to Kentucky. You know, like that killed me. Different things like that were really hurting. And then it was like, I think we both kind of started to live again and like the art was doing that for me. And he got a job that he liked, you know, doing stuff with fireworks and things like that. And, uh, you know, just brought him joy because it was like he's like a kid again, playing with fireworks. So it's like those things started to take precedence a little bit over the business. You know, he's working 12 hour as I was working in the restaurant industry to which don't ever do that. Anyone, if you're ever thinking about working in a restaurant, just don't because the stress is horrible Grueling hours. I mean, if you if you're any good at it, you're gonna work the weekends, you're gonna work the nights you're gonna work the holidays. So I'm working in a restaurant. He's working 12 hour days. It kind of just started falling off. From that, I decided I needed to be happy. I just quit my job. I started working in a print shop. I was doing the art before that, you know? But that's what I'm really like. Left last summer is when I really started kicking off the mural stuff and like, really trying to do more people letting me get little spots on their jobs, that they had doing a lot of festivals and that I did a lot. I'm also a part of. It's called Wicked Pittsburgh, which is a collaboration of like around 40 orders in the Pittsburgh area. All different styles, all different mediums from, like clothing. Thio, you know we have there's a music, there's music involved. There's a record label that got me kicked off on a lot of murals. We were doing this thing at wiggle whiskey, like every first Wednesday of the month where I would live paint did a lot of life painting like, Thrive away. Um, that's how I met Louis.

spk_1:   26:29
Yeah, well, you did the spider Man. Well, this

spk_0:   26:33
was the Spider Man actually did at Steel Valley Roasters. I'm trying to think where the first time I met Louis, I can't even remember

spk_1:   26:43
that after Louis Castle. Yeah, Yeah,

spk_0:   26:44
definitely shot out Louis Castle and shout out to him for, you know, mentioning me to you, you know, and get me on here. If you haven't heard his music, it's great. That's where it was. That's what got me. So I was doing a live painting event. The music brought me back, you know, like I was doing a live painting event for Ah, I believe Hiccup. And we were doing it in an old abandoned church in East Liberty. So they were doing a tour of this place because they want to revamp it and utilize it for, like, an order space or something like that. So they had the idea will bring some artists out, have them live paint in the church. We'll have music going. And that's what it was like A painted a big ass. Ah fan knows, like you paid in this huge fan knows on this big piece of plywood. And Louis was playing music the whole time. When he's done, he was like, Man, like, I really like that. And I'm like Like, I really like your music. Like it was nice, too. Just vibe to that the whole time when I was painting. Like I said, I get lost. I have, like, you know, they're bringing hundreds of people through this tour, walking by me and like, the only time I'm noticing that someone's there is when they're like, Hey, do you mind if I get a picture or, you know, ask me something about it? But like the music was there the whole time. It's cool. I was noticing that then he was leaving and was like, Hey, would you ever want to get together? You know, I play music, you paint this and that and I'm like, Yeah, yeah, that'd be great. And I'm new to all this, and I'm kind of used to a lot of like people. You know bringing up opportunities. But, you know, they never come about anything. Some thinking, like

spk_1:   28:21
Oh, yeah, that sounds

spk_0:   28:21
great, you know? I mean, I'll probably never hear from this guy again. And then, uh,

spk_1:   28:25
definitely. Yeah, You hit me up

spk_0:   28:27
and was like, Oh, my boss at the coffee shop where I work at a Steel Valley Roasters and Homestead. You know, there's a lot of great businesses going up in Homestead now. I believe in supporting local businesses are still Valley Roasters. A good one. Live fresh is right there. My man Brett has all the great cold pressed juices, smoothie, bulls, everything like that. It's just support your local businesses. That's all I can say, you know? So it was like, Do you want to come out and live paint? And I'm like, Yeah, you know what I mean? So I kind of went out at this Spider Man and a woman like that piece you and I was thinking, you know, how can I kind of make it? I did it for them. So I had him drinking a big cup of coffee and stuff, and I did like, just on a whim, like a big slimer on the back. That's how I do. Almost all my work ended up basically painting a picture of Louis in front of there. But it was never meant to be that like I just and in the tide, I certainly ended up. They were tied on there that night, but I never planned in you that stuff out. Like a lot of artists. I know. I need to get better with that, you know, a little more professional. They sketch things, okay? Do stuff like I don't even have the time. Know what I'm gonna paint or do

spk_1:   29:40
you kind of just go into the canvas or Yeah, Campus. But the what would you call them if you say it like, I mean,

spk_0:   29:47
look at the wall or somebody. It's like something's like, it just strikes me a lot of time. Sometimes it's really close to the wire, and it makes me nervous, but I guess it's kind of my process. And I trusted mostly.

spk_1:   29:57
What do you mean exactly? When you stay close to the why

spk_0:   30:00
the gig that I'm supposed to paint is in, like, two hours, and I don't know what

spk_1:   30:03
I'm gonna Hey, and

spk_0:   30:06
you know, and it's like, hopefully I have the colors. When whatever pops into my head or, you know, I work with what colors I have, but

spk_1:   30:13
I don't know, it's

spk_0:   30:14
worked so far, you know? And I'm not that I don't sketch things out all the time, you know, But a lot of times it's Oh, no, I painted. Ah, a dick. Kind of a trade with a friend, you know, painted his car. He doesn't work on my car. It was really cool, cause even, like, had his car out in a car. So down at Heinz Field in that select tons of people got to see this work. What? I painted a huge Marvin the Martian with, like, a ray gun on his hood. And it was really cool because, ah, my friend, her daughter was involved in it, and I had her help me paint the entire roof like a galaxy. And she's like, 11 at the time, I was really cool because she's a really good orders to

spk_1:   30:56
be powerful fairy to Yeah. Yeah, like, uh, Page

spk_0:   31:00
is a really good artist, and, uh, you know, I kind of did the same thing that my friends did for me? No. I sold like a friend's daughter That was into art, like, was really shine all that. And I'm like, you're pretty good at it for your aides. Like you should try and do. Got her into, like, an or so she sold her painting too. Like the international orders that came to the show from Mexico. Yeah, like that was cool literally the morning of when I was going to paint it. I was like, Marvin the Martian. That's what I'm gonna put on there. And I hope he likes more of in the Martian because that's the only idea. Have, right? Yeah. Eso went, bought the paint real quick and, like, rolled over and was like, How do you feel about Marvin? The Martian is like I told you could pretty much have free rein. Do it like I finished in the is like when you first started, I was thinking to myself, like I don't know about this. He does like, now you're done like May blew my mind. Yeah, and, uh,

spk_1:   31:53
what's that feeling like? Because Because a lot of the times when I'm I'm watching somebody paint. I don't exactly know what what's happening. You know, I don't know where they're thinking with it. I don't know where it's going, and some of it it looks like I can't really tell what's going on. I trust the process. I sit back, I watch and I enjoy it. But what's it like being you? The painting and having people said, What is that? I don't understand. This was not finished. Definitely. That's

spk_0:   32:19
what it is with me, too. Is trusting the process because there's times where I don't know, you know? I mean, I'm like, I'm like sitting back fingers crossed, like Man, I hope this is gonna end up in a nice looking in the butt. But it always does. And I in the back of my head, I feel like I always knew you. Like I always say, You know, I don't think I'm a good artist or anything like that. Like I know I have talent and I know that I can produce things that look nice. I think that's my way of like, I know there's so many people that are so advanced beyond me and like maybe a little bit of humbleness like I, you know, I want to try and reach there, but, like, I don't think I'll ever be good enough for myself. The best thing with that, with live painting if you want to avoid a lot of that is have a lot of the work done beforehand have your basic fill of colors and all that done. And that's what I did with when I met Louis. They had us come in. They're like two hours prior and get started because they were like, We don't want that. We don't want people coming in like what's going on here. There's a blobs of paint everywhere. They're like, We want people to come in like maybe you're not finished But like, hey, that maybe they don't know who Fanon says. What they're like that guy's pain, that character from the excitement, you know, me or you know something like that, kind

spk_1:   33:40
of give him the tools to be imaginative. Yeah, before it's there, I would

spk_0:   33:45
say, like that's the best part. You're the best way you can avoid things like that is have a lot of the baby have all your colors filled in that, and when they come in your outline and everything, so they can see like Okay, this is, you know, supposed to be this kind of scene or, you know, this is this character. This is a person over here. A lot of times I've seen people don't even say anything until the end. I've had a lot of people come when I'm setting up, like watching me pull pain out. Nothing even on the wall yet And then, you know, starting to sketch some lines out and stuff like that. And, you know, they walk away. Haven't really said anything, you know, Like I said, I don't even really notice them. And, um, come back hours later when I'm, like, finishing or like, halfway through and like, stop me and ah, B like, you know, I was here when you started this, and I was like, I don't understand what the heck This guy's dawn or like this? I mean, there's, like, just making that wall look like crap or whatever. And he's like, But I got to tell you, like, now that you know, I mean, he's like, I don't really know the process. So, you know, now that I see that it's coming together like man looks really good where they got Max and I were doing a sign painting job out in, like to rent him on the sketchiest ladder. Ever. I'm not good with heights. As it is. We had this ladder that was, like had, like, a 90 degree turn in it. They were trying to climb up this thing with Kansas, spray paint 40 feet in there, painting guides on that news. Like, man, I come by what the heck you guys were doing. But now that I see it finished like man, guys did a fantastic job. You want to come paint my house? It's like you can do is like I don't got no money. But, you know, you just want to come paint the side of my house. It's a fun thing, and that's what it is. Is trusting the process. It comes down. Like I said, it comes down with myself to that a lot, too, you know, Just trust in it. And, you know, something nice should come out at the end.

spk_1:   35:47
Yeah, I definitely get that. Trusting the process is something we could all be doing a little bit more if you made it to this point of absolute. I hope you've enjoyed listening. I genuinely enjoyed speaking with Slick are no. Okay, now we're going to do burst. This isn't the first time for brace time, but let me break it down for you The way it works. This Locarno. Okay? And I split a package Starburst. He happened to be vegan, so we didn't actually share Pakistan. It took me is quite a bit of a surprise that he was vegan and I wasn't prepared for it. So next time I'll probably bring an apple or a pear, maybe even a banana during this first time, you can expect him to talk about socks, his favorite quotes and how he met his girlfriend on tinder original package Starburst. I

spk_0:   36:41
don't I'm vegan, so I don't know your birth so vegan. I'm gonna maybe not eat. Um,

spk_1:   36:47
yeah. You know, I don't need to be there. I do. Everyone who comes on they start in the pack, so yeah, absolutely. Have you signed that somebody else will get the starburst and feel free to eat

spk_0:   36:58
them like I'm not my girlfriend. Like, just deletes meeting stuff. Sometimes

spk_1:   37:02
if I don't have to get him, it's okay because people who listen, if they happen, have with miss a phony A They're not gonna appreciate you meeting I Any chance I have not eat him? It's like, Okay, but again, I just love the name Starburst. Yeah. First

spk_0:   37:18
time. Yeah. Like that. I've actually, like, listened to a few year podcasts and all that. You know, trying to get a feel for it. Yeah, I've been on the radio and a few different things like that. But it's my first podcast says that, you know, may have to do a little research.

spk_1:   37:32
Yeah, I do appreciate that. They did research. Not everyone does.

spk_0:   37:37
Yeah. Yeah, it's

spk_1:   37:38
cool. Eso to start. Is there one artist in the city of Pittsburgh who you'd like to do a joint mural if that you have not yet worked with Ah, man,

spk_0:   37:53
this. I mean, there's a lot of people that I would like to paint with that aren't necessarily muralists, but I also kind of like doing my own thing. I kind of like painting by myself. I mean, I really like painting with Max. He made no. Okay. Yes. There is one person I'd like to paint with. Matt Spore. I'd like to paint with Mass, for that's part. Yeah, Matt's bar. Ah, used to paint graffiti under the name seven. A few other names. Huge and the skateboard scene. There's a great skater, great painter. Ah, I've never actually. Well, I think I might have met him once in person, just real briefly but everyone that I need on my friends. I'm friends with friends of his. You know, everyone that I've ever heard talk about just he's so down to earth, such a nice guy. I kind of like try to think of myself as that kind of person. So I think the vibe would be really good. Also, get the vibe from him that he's not very pretentious or the person that's like, You know, you can't keep up with my work. So, like, get out of here, You know what I mean? I would like to paint with him, but also really enjoy painting with Max. Uh, we've done a lot of painting together. Um, my cousin. Nobody really knows him, but I like painting with him.

spk_1:   39:21
So if there's one color that you have to use for the rest of your life and everything that you create What is that one calling? See, I

spk_0:   39:30
love like every color, and I'm gonna kind of cheat on this one is gonna be a combination, but if I could have this combination, it's actually the seams with on my hat right now would be pink, blue and purple and fuck it, like fade. That's a French hat. Thank you Might actually, like is a cool story. Did you restore that? Yeah. Uh, so my mom's husband has, like in their basement is just rows and rows and rows. All these old hats, like the one like you're wearing and stuff, dude like And what? I was visiting my girlfriend and I went to Baltimore in D. C. Couple weekends ago, we stopped in visiting. I was like, Oh, can I grab a hatter to? And they're like, you know, they're always like it did say whatever you want. Some like word. And I found this hat. Now it was brand new with the tag on it, but there was, like, literally probably 1/8 of an inch, a layer of dust covering the whole thing. And so, like, I just like

spk_1:   40:26
it's It's super fresh. Google

spk_0:   40:28
man, like shot out the Google and YouTube for teaching me how to restore a heroic way

spk_1:   40:34
before you did that, Did you know howto I just knew? Like, I don't like. I don't want

spk_0:   40:40
to sound like full of myself or anything, because I don't think I am. But I feel like if you show me how to do something, I can do it. Maybe not the best, but I feel like better than the average person, like the first time. I might be horrible at it, but, like, the average person might be just a little bit worse. So, like, I just had full confidence that I was like, If I take this hat, I'll be able to clean it up like I did. Yeah. Yeah, that would be My combination is pink, blue and purple. Uh, I don't think I could pick one color.

spk_1:   41:12
I know you're a big soft guy, so I'd love to know, like, one sock. Pay that. It's like you're go to one that you just really like. Do you have one there? Uh, there is it that you have. So I

spk_0:   41:24
mean, I have my easily over 100 pairs of socks and I haven't bought any in a couple of years. Probably say, like, I probably want to buy more. I just resist because I'm like, Oh, yes. And when the Sox already, um, there are a few pairs I have. Ah, the paradigm wearing right now, I definitely like I call these my little yacht. He's just because of life. The colors remind me like boat colors. Yeah, but these socks are like special to me because my homey from California gave him to me. It was funny. Like we met through instagram through cannabis is what I'm trying to tell you people. Cannabis is a wonderful thing. Like I made best friends with so many people on the Internet through, we'd like that are genuinely good. People like gather scumbags out there, but they're scumbags everywhere. Like yes. So, like, this was my first time meeting this dude, like, come into my house from L. A was in Pittsburgh for a Steelers game. He's a Steelers fan, so he comes in, like, each year for a game. Unlike it is just like, you know, like I'm coming to Pittsburgh like you trying to get together and session. I'm like, hell, yeah, like you know. I mean, like, you know, So he came over like we're smoking is like, I know you're a sock. Guys brought you like the's a couple pairs of stance socks and I'm gonna go is a dope. So, like, I really like those pears. Umm, I have two pairs of socks that I bought. They had matching little pears for my daughter. So there's, like, definitely my favorite pairs, uh, way other than that. Like I don't plan amount or anything that I just throw on a fun pair of socks. Maybe they match something maybe they don't like, and it's funny. And then I never knew this like it happened after I wore creative socks and all that I saw, like some article that said people that were fun, funky socks are, like, normally more creative. They're successful when they're just, like, all around, like I don't know, better be.

spk_1:   43:17
I don't want to just say that, but that's like kind of like the article said, Yeah,

spk_0:   43:22
like, uh, it's funny. I was on tender. That's actually how my girlfriend and I met in, like one of my lines, like on Tender was like If you wear basic White Sox Just swipe left. That's you

spk_1:   43:35
have a shot at the tender,

spk_0:   43:36
like, you know, because I didn't think that's it worked. And like, uh, yeah, my girlfriend, Eric And I like, Yeah, like, she's great. The lover, like we've been together for a little while, lived together, you know? I mean, this is definitely very, very supportive and everything I do. Great, wonderful cook, Quake. Like I said, I'm vegan and gluten free before me. She was like, I'd never date a vegan And, like, just went into dating me And, like, slays all this vegan food credit. Yeah, that's really

spk_1:   44:09
tight. Eyes there. One quote and nor Mata that you just enjoy.

spk_0:   44:15
Uh, all right, So the first thing that pops into my head with that is a quote that is stuck with me all my life. And I believe it was more Martin Luther King. I don't think it was Junior. I think it was Martin with the King. But it might have been Jr. And it was Ah, In the end, we will not remember the words of our enemies but the silence of our friends. And I mean, that quote just stuck with me. and meant so much because, like, I mean, like, if you've ever not been supported by your friends or like, you know, that that's some crazy with business to anyone that wants to get into business. Like, don't think that people were just going to support you because they're your friend. Like, people are gonna expect shit for free. People were going to think that you owe them things. Um, all kinds and

spk_1:   45:06
people are going

spk_0:   45:06
to support. You're gonna have good friends that are going to support you and all that. You're gonna have the friends that are going to say. Uh, no. You want $20 for that T shirt? I'm to give you $20 for that T shirt. I don't want it for free. Like, um, but yeah, that quote really stick with me because, uh, you know, if you've ever just that I mean, that's really like the silence of your friends. I just felt like that stuff with me that isn't it. Yeah. One other quote that always kind of stuck with me that I always liked was and I don't remember who this was. It might have been Emerson waas. Too many people missed the silver lining in the cloud because they were searching for gold. And I just thought that was pretty deep, you know? I mean, like, I do that a lot like I'm like, man my fucking life. So I'm sorry I don't have you because, you know, like, like family life sucks. Like I'm like, I suck at everything. I'm horrible with this and that. Like, uh, I'm the king of blowing up, like, because, like, the dumbest little thing like you could punch me in my face, Probably. And I'd be like Like, what? What's that about? But why

spk_1:   46:21
get ketchup on your shoe? Yeah, like, not like, like me get ketchup on myself, You know? I mean or like, let me like, I have lost some. Like to sell its like myself. Yes.

spk_0:   46:34
So if they were, like, just the little dumbest things like make me so mad, you know? I mean, and I have to, like, remember, sometimes it like, it's not really that bad. Like you have a decent life, you know?

spk_1:   46:46
And so is there one plant that if you could pick any type of plant tohave, you'd own that and you keep that around.

spk_0:   46:53
Oh, cannabis 100%. But, I mean, that's cool, cause, like, I am a huge plant guy. So, like, I have a bunch of plants at home. I have, like, a grapefruit tree that's almost 20 years old. Um, I have a Christmas cactus that, like, is a piece ripped off like, uh, oven Old Christmas practice like it comes from It's over, like 100 and 20 years old.

spk_1:   47:19
Did it Did it grow that you were able to grow that like it came off of the

spk_0:   47:23
original plant A, um, like the same as a piece of snake plant that I have this, like, over 100 years old, Uh, have this cool ass little suck you like. I like the runts, man. I go into, like, clothes or something, and I look at the trash heap where they're like, Oh, these plants are dead. Well, some for a buck. And I like to try and bring him back here. And I've had, like, some decent success I have this cool little succulent. It was, you know, like maybe like a two inches tall on an answer so in diameter and like that, things just boom And now Palm Tree and I like plants and cannabis would be the plan that I

spk_1:   48:00
keep around for so and this will be my final question. What is rawness of reality mean to you? Uh, Ron, it's a reality

spk_0:   48:09
to the mean means, like, let's cut right to it like let's get right to the meat and potatoes as they say of what it is, you know, like, what is your reality? I think we're like, I think that's what it was like. We were talking about my reality today. Put is the rawness of that like, What's the center of that like, what is the center of your art was the center of your business, you know? I mean, like, it's kind of what the rawness of reality means to me, like each individual has their own reality going on, and they have different facades of what they're putting up to people, and I feel like we all do this, not try not to do that so much more. But there's definitely cases. I say. Everyone has a telephone voice. Um, you could be the hardest thug in the world. You know, the angriest person in the world or whatever. You know, I mean, the mouth theist person, whatever. But let your gas and your lights and should be about to shut off and you have to call them, and it is. Hello, sir, can you No, no. You know, you have that telephone voice, and that's what I like to say. And I think people put up different facades for different people when sometimes it's necessary for who you interact with. But I feel like the rawness of the reality is like when you let all those facades down and like you let someone in to see who you really are. And I don't think a lot of people I can give that to the world. Try to, of course, this. You know there's certain aspects that you probably still have hidden, but like when when you have even just one person or a couple of people that you can be just truly yourself around like that's the rawness of

spk_1:   49:47
reality. Okay, that's that's honestly, like a really good way to describe it. Thank you. Yeah. And like I said, that was my phone question. I did appreciate you coming on the podcast today. I'm sure our listeners will enjoy listening if they've made it this far through the episode. May have enjoyed listening to it. Um, So you have big shot up. Let me try it. Slick slick silk slick corners. Still a car? No. Okay,

spk_0:   50:14
um, if you want to look at any of my work or anything, you can go on my instagram. That's at slow Corn. Okay, It's ah s l i k e or an o c. I My city sesh is the same thing at my city session. And why I c i t y s e s h same as our website. My city sex dot com. Thank you to everyone that has been rocking with us. Thank you to everyone that appreciates my art. You know, I never knew that anyone would like anything that I'm making. It's cool when people come up and tell me that they love something or buy a piece of order. Something like I never thought I'd sell some work. So thank you. Did all those people

spk_1:   50:53
her? It's like our Nokia. Is that right? Yeah. It gets like, like, more fun. Every time I say

spk_0:   51:00
yeah, and I'm going, I'm gonna put you know. Like I said, not too many people know this. So I'm gonna put you know, the six people that are listening to my episode on this?

spk_1:   51:09
No, hopefully, you know, I mean, I didn't know you ever follow it? I'm just saying that that was a joke on me, you like, but yeah s so slick. Or Nokia came about like I feel like I needed a cool name. And it means I'm Croatian. You know, that's part of my background. That's most of my boat up believe Croatian, German, French, but Croatian and Slick or Nokia is Croatian for painter of the night. So it was thought of you. So, like, now the few people did a wrong her listening. Uh, yeah, we'll see. Awesome. Thanks for having me. Yeah, that was before you go anywhere else. I want to acknowledge everybody who has made it this far. I hope you've enjoyed listening to this episode of rawness of reality with Slick are no change. If you did, please reach out and tell me what you like and how we can improve your comments Do go a long way or episodes can only get better from here and I want to give a big thank you to my campus, our production manager and Joe cow on the beats. And remember, stay raw with reality.