We still don’t know what to make of LA’s Downtown Art Walk, part art school spectacle, part drunken Mardi Gras but it gets us out of Hollywood for an evening. And last night as we were going to throw in the towel and head to King Eddy joining the company of men who’ve given up on life, we stopped into ARTY Gallery to find Len(Leonardo)Aaron, 94, sitting among his ingratiating drip and splatter canvases all in very familiar looking frames. Turns out the painter is one of the founder’s of Aaron Brothers Art-Marts, California’s ubiquitous discount frame shops. He looks us over saying “you must be an artist. You have to look a little crazy to be an artist.” Most profound words we’d heard all night, so we elicited more from the man. At some point, in his 40’s or 50’s depending on who you believe, him or the gallerist, Len started making his own damn paintings to fit his frames. A fan of the giant Sharpie, he tags the title of each work across the surface. The artist’s intent? Branding. “I’ve found people like it when it’s on the canvas. They see me and say ‘I bought Picasso Blew ‘.” We also got an insight into how he’s been marketing them the past 60 years, sans art dealer cut. “I paint every day and keep paintings in the trunk. I still sell paintings out of the car.” He flourishes the Sharpie, autographs a card for us. Looking at it this morning on the kitchen table, we are awed and inspired.