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A Pan from the Rock

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2010-09-04T15:22:25-04:00

Here is a pan of Jamaica Bay from Rockaway Beach’s Wharf Restaurant.

Big Waves in Rockaway

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2010-09-04T00:23:39-04:00

As promised--no dog. Here is a snapshot of the waves at our beachfront in Rockaway Beach. I took this footage at the point where hurricane Earl was closest to us. The waves where pretty big, maybe 15 foot. If you look closer, you can see a couple of surfers trying to capitalize on the storm.

Diggy Diggerson

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2010-09-03T21:56:24-04:00

Whiskey goes crazy digging a hole. What for--who knows. Why did she stop? Your guess is as good as mine, but she was pretty “on task” as she was working her way to China. At this point, my blog has gone to the dog, so I’ll keep Whiskey’s shenanigans on the down low until October.

Crazy Whiskey and Friends

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2010-08-25T13:07:49-04:00

Here is a little video of Whiskey running. She is fast-fast-fast! Taken this Labor Day at the Rockaway Dog Run in NYC, NY.

The Dawg Knight

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2010-08-07T09:42:56-04:00

Julia will be at University come October, so we opted to give her a sneak preview of Whiskey’s costume. So here she is, looking out over Gotham, making the city safe from those who’d do pooches harm.

Say, "Hello" To My Little Friend…

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2010-07-25T12:54:10-04:00

So Val, Julia and a couple of her pals got out to see the Merchant of Venice at Shakespeare in the Park. After the show, the gang got a snap with the fellow who played Shylock. What did dad get to do? Look after Whiskey. Such is the life of a dad.

Doggone Tired

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2010-07-10T16:41:57-04:00

As is ever the case at the Kerr household, to sleep is to be drawn. In this post, I’ve included my sketch of the mighty Whiskey, snoozing up a storm. Is she dreaming of chasing a cat, a rabbit or simply eating up her weight in beef? Inquiring minds don’t have to know, but she makes a nice sketch just the same. It was made over a 20 minute stretch with conte´ chalk on a regular 2 ply sketch paper with darker values quickly sketched in with charcoal pencil. Enjoy…

Many of shots of Whiskey

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2010-07-02T18:47:26-04:00

Here is Whiskey. The beagley new addition to the household. Only 11 months old, she is still a pup, but is almost full size. We know she is a mix of dogs, but we’re not 100% just what the two are. Our guess is Spaniel and Beagle with a strong emphasis on the Beagle. While I didn’t know it when we got her, beagles are quite a breed of their own and while they’re a hound’s hound, they do require more attention than most. Here are a few photos of our little red friend. Enjoy!

A Courtesy Note...

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2010-02-18T16:51:24-05:00

Hi All. Just a quick courtesy note to let you know that Haloscan (my commenting service) has switched hands. My comments and rating features will not be available until I find a commenting service to incorporate into my pages. I like the third party commenting model as it frees me up to add content and not worry much about the technical end of managing a database. I'm looking for a new one and will put the comments--back where they were--after settling the hash on this. Sorry for the inconvenience, the problem will only be temporary. Edit: Got the comments back, but my new service does not provide for ratings--only comments--so, write away.

Gotta Love Elephants

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2010-02-17T18:04:28-05:00

Here is a sketch I made about the Republicans blocking progress in Washington. May be a little heavy handed, but I sure like drawing them thar pachyderms. You can always find fun stuff to do with their trunks and bulk. I did put color on the finish for INX, but the line work stands out a little better this way--I think.

Scary Snowman

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2010-02-10T19:25:40-05:00

Made this scary Snowman in the back yard today. I started out making him convivial and happy, but he soon evolved a NY attitude. He's about 6 feet tall to boot. Just the same, I like the photo as it has lots of snowflakes lighting up in the flash of the camera. Perhaps the falling snow will soften his Frankenstein like appearance. I'll take a look at him tomorrow, perhaps the daylight will help. Day two: I think Mr. Snowman looks far less intimidating in the light of day. I sent the image into a reader's photo slideshow at the NY Post and they put Mr. Scary snowman in with the comment, "A snow man fades into darkness." Today, his eyes got bigger, due to melting and the snow fall has seemed to fill him out a bit. I still like the falling snow. The intimidating snowman & the friendly snowman.

Dust of Snow

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2010-01-12T14:37:38-05:00

Seeing it is winter, I thought I'd share this two stanza poem by Robert Frost. It might alleviate the blues. Dust of Snow The way a crow Shook down on me The dust of snow From a hemlock tree Has given my heart A change of mood And saved some part Of a day I had rued. —Robert Frost

St. John's at the Temple of Dendur

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2010-01-09T17:37:29-05:00

Busy during intersession imparting the cultural wealth that NY has to offer the students of "Art in NY," a class I instruct at St. John's. This shot was taken outside the temple of Dendur, a Egyptian style temple built by Petronius, a Roman governor. Dedicated to Isis & Osiris and local princes, it became a gift to the Met in 1978 when the Aswan dam was built. To get the full size image, click on the one posted here.

Julia as Paparazzi

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2010-01-09T17:22:31-05:00

One of our Christmas gifts for Julia was tickets to Arthur Miller's "A View From A Bridge" presently in previews at the Cort Theater. By way of second hand report, the play was terrific. Afterward Val and Julia exited the venue and got a photo of Liev Schreiber exiting for the evening. I'm glad she likes plays like this, I'm not too sure an outing to one of Miller's plays would have made the top of my to-do lists at her age.

Holiday Party Inx Style

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2010-01-09T15:29:44-05:00

Here are the intrepid INX members noshing Ukrainian food at their annual holiday party. Normally camera shy, the crew was caught as the camera was stealthily brought in by yours truly to document the merry making. Enjoy, but don't expect too much--Ken Burns this is not.

Public Service: A Chili Recipe and First Blog Post for 2010

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2010-01-01T02:22:33-05:00

If you like chili as much as I do, you have--no doubt--a recipe you like and use. My main instructor in the recipe is Valerie, who has, over the years brought many books with differing takes on the venerable stew and has taught me just what hot flavor can bring to a dish. ...1 medium Spanish onion, peeled and finely chopped (I halve it, then use a mandoline to slice.) 2 pickled jalapeño, minced--depending on just how many alarms you want to set off add more. 3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed with a garlic press. lop the tips off if they're dry. ...1 can of the Jolly Green Giant's nibblets corn--I've tried others, this is the best. ...8 ounces of Strong brewed coffee--The "secret" in this and many other chili recipes. ...In a large, heavy pan (I use cast iron) set over medium-low heat, brown the beef (dry first with paper towel-helps the browning), stir if cubes start to stick to the bottom, about 20 minutes. then put it in a heavy 10 quart pot also under medium heat. ...Add the onion, jalapeño and garlic and cook until the onion is translucent, about 4 minutes. ...Note the heat must be extraordinarily low, just enough to bring things to a simmer over the hours. I use a defuser to offset the heat on our gas stove, this seems to work the best. ... Using sirloin, stewing beef or skirt steak, you'll need at least those 12 hours to break down the fiber in the meat so that it flakes apart. Less time is needed of ground beef, that can be ready in an hour and a half.

Greg's Girls

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2009-12-28T00:40:29-05:00

This Boxing day, Greg (My cousin.) turned up with these three sweeties in tow. Janine and Jillian are older and ice skate. Jianna doesn't just yet, but she is not 5 years of age as of this post, so we'll cut her a break. It has been a while since I've seen them--boy, have they grown!

Captain Canuck

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2009-12-27T17:53:55-05:00

Yes, this is what your think it is a issue number 2 of the venerable Captain Canuck. This issue is from 1975 and I would have been about 12 years of age when it hit the news stand. The comic style employed bears more than a small resemblance to commercial art of the period. On the inside cover is a welcoming note pointing out that Captain Canuck is Canada's super agent of the future! The story begins the first of C.C.'s adventures, it is entitled the Brain Machine--Part 1. Can't wait to give it all a careful once over. Included, in this issue is a reader's letters segment with the mailing address of the readers INCLUDED! How did I get a copy of this you may ask? Bob Lusk, cartoon aficionado extraordinaire, saw this in a collection he was weeding through and figured he knew exactly the right hands to get it too. I'm glad he did. As it turns out, the super hoser will be coming to the big screens in 2011. I cannot imagine he'll get much play in the good ol' US of A, but I'm sure he'll be a hit back home.

Of Canada, Friends & Photoshop

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2009-12-20T16:16:23-05:00

Just back from my sojourn to the "Great White North" wherein I had a great visit with my parents. Dad turned 80 and celebrated the day (a couple of days later) with friends and family. The temperature in Canada hasn't changed much. While in Calgary the mercury registered-41º Celsius one chilly night. Not a trip highlight. Presently--besides blogging--I'm cleaning up around the place, getting ready for the holidays. I came across a gift that Randy Jones and his wife Susann (yes, two n(s)) gave me last year. I didn't have cause to use it as I thought it was pretty funny as was. This just goes to show you, keep an eye out for friends with photoshop skills, you never know when they'll strike. Oh the humanity!

Happy Holidays to One & All

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2009-12-21T21:21:56-05:00

It's December already! The fall semester is ending and it seems as if it is getting ready to snow in ol' New York. So that makes it time to wish everyone happy holidays. If you don't have a Yule Log channel, you can always tune into my big city snowman. I did this for INX, but thought it would make a nice addition to the blog with some snow added via flash.

Joel Cohen At Bar 4, Brooklyn, NYC

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2009-11-29T14:48:50-05:00

Got out for the first time in a long while and saw Joel Cohen (Sticker Dude) and friends at Bar 4, a Park Slope Music and drinking establishment. While the clip below does no credit to the event and the vibe Joel manages to evoke, I post his last song here so you all can enjoy.

Labor Day 2009--Jean's Birthday

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2009-09-07T17:33:00-04:00

Labor Day! The usual suspects came bearing ribs, chicken, salad, adult malt beverages and friendship. The grill was fired up and much delicious food was consumed. A few industrial issue rolaids later we were all in fine fettle. As it turns out, Labor Day is also my sister Jean's birthday. So, happy birthday Jean! Below is a video I cobbled together or the experience—enjoy and thanks to all!

Flutter-bye

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2009-08-15T20:09:10-04:00

When Julia was little, she called butterflies--flutter-byes--a name I've always liked. Kind of makes sense too as they do flutter by. But I digress. Caught this photo of Monarch Butterfly resting in the garden, so I got the snappy out and got a few shots of the rascal. This one came out very sharp--enjoy!

Health Care Editorial

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2009-08-12T11:06:19-04:00

The dust-ups surrounding the American health care debate are much in the news of late. I've chipped in my two cents--graphically--with this offering, which shows a Cro-Magnon wielding a caduceus club. Seemed kind of appropriate considering the level of vitriol found at many of these "town hall" meetings.

Punxsutawny Phil Move Over

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2009-08-09T22:56:31-04:00

Val, Julia and I hit the Cloisters this weekend. While taking a peek over the medieval garden wall in the Bonnefont-en-Comminges Cloister, we happened upon this little fellow chowing down on the flora and fauna. Looks as if the Cloisters has it's very own Ground Hog. I'm pretty sure this is not the rascal that gave the mayor a nip last spring, but he sure garnered attention once spotted. He was pretty busy eating, but not enough to look up and see what all the commotion was about. He doesn't have a name, but I was thinking Fort Tryon Ted or Cloisters Carlos. Suggestions are welcome. Here is the video, compliments of youtube.

Laurie and Angela

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2009-08-06T11:17:46-04:00

While now back in Canada, here are a few photos and a video shout-out documenting Laurie and Angela's visit to the Big Apple. Here they are at NYC's Fort Tryon Park in Northern Manhattan. Here they are at the New Leaf Cafe--a restaurant at the park. In Little Italy--lower Manhattan--at Ferrara's, a well known local pastry shop. Here they are at Katz's Deli, a celebrity hot spot and purveyors of delicious sandwiches. They walked a lot this day. Here is Angela's shout-out, as promised. Even NJ was represented with Greg commuting in to confabulate with the girls. Last, but not least, a shot of Val, yours truly and Angela.

Visual Pontiff-ication

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2009-07-15T20:14:02-04:00

Got a call from Newsday today and was given a story about Pope Benedict and the release of his latest encyclical on the topic of social justice and economy. It appears as if the effort has garnered the Pontiff a number of critics in the business community. Mind you, by simply being the Pope, you're going to take criticism galore. I had a number of solutions, but the final selected was this. I opted for a pen & ink drawing this time as it has been a while since I strapped on a quill (so to speak) and had at it. The image is pretty tiny and will likely reproduce as a one column spot image. It will appear in the Thursday, July 16 issue of the paper. I might keep up with the pen and ink for a little while longer, maybe even do a sketchbook sketch or two. Here is a scan of the newspaper page. It is a little small to make out the well written opinion, but you can see how the art was used on the page.

Sketchfest

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2009-07-09T19:22:17-04:00

Got out to enjoy the garden with a sketch pad and made the following quick draws. They were all made the same day averaging 20-30 minutes per sketch. I used Pitt's charcoal pencil on what looks to be a fairly decent drawing bond. The pad was a gift from Val and looks to be the sort of thing you'd see at Walmart in the art supplies section, but it is a pretty good paper to draw on. I do like to draw the flowers. The top two sketches are of pots that Val has made arrangements in. Now I'll be able to hang one up and we can enjoy it year long.

Fourth of July

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2009-07-04T19:47:19-04:00

Who says you can't still bore your relatives with endless slideshows and home movies of your goings on? Enjoy this YouTube clip which sumerizes our 4th of July. Hope you had a great weekend where ever you were.

Welcome to the Garden

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2009-06-20T11:43:20-04:00

Got out into the garden today and took this photograph. The weather has been unseasonably cool and wet this month. Kind of surprising for New York. I guess its that reduction in sun spot activity behind it all. Just the same everything seems to be coming into bloom. Even one of the day lilies bloomed for me. The mulberry tree--beyond the gate--is dropping it's fruit, so we'll have blue stained shoes for a while. The grass has come back in nicely. It is a soup to nuts kind of garden, but is nice to sit in and have coffee or barbecue every now and then.

Tex from Texas

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2009-05-25T00:47:30-04:00

Here is Tex, the latest addition to the household. Tex was a gift from Julia's roommates in at the University of Dallas, as she was missing her hamster she left behind with us. That ham's name was Rex. Sadly, Rex, passed away only a few days prior to Julia's return. We'll really miss him. He was pensive, liked almonds and loved to be held and talked to. Tex is more of a runner, jumper; a real clown, given half a chance. She has some big paws to fill.

Getting & Spending

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2009-05-14T15:27:26-04:00

A few weeks ago, the director of the Phoenix Players asked if I would design and work on scenes for a play they were to present called, Buying & Spending. In the past, they've had small prop jobs (a drawing or painting) which could use an artist's touch. This time, it was pretty much the whole set! Each flat in this photo is about 8 foot by 15. So, basically this is a 8 ft. by 75 ft. painting. The central panels represent a Franciscan monastery, the panels set back represent defense and prosecution offices. The last two, in the foreground--on each side--represent a New York apartment and a court of law. Here is a shot of the cast with the author Michael J. Chepiga (Dark blue button-down shirt) on stage at the Poppenhusen Institute. Here is the review in the Queens Courier's entertainment section. A very positive critique and I even got nod of "Kudos" for being a scenery designer. The set painters got a nod too! . It was a interesting experience start to finish and one I wouldn't mind tackling again--time permitting.

Find Laurie...

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2009-04-30T08:31:52-04:00

First there was the lost Gnome, then the globetrotting pony and now the wandering Mom. Just what will Angela and Geordie do with their Mom traversing the globe. Will they be known as the half-orphans or will they grow up well adjusted. It has already been pointed out that Angela sweats glitter and Geordie has a nice personality. What ever will become of them as mom takes in the world. Stay tuned. Wow, now your Mom is in Ireland! She even found a pot o' gold.

In Like A Lion...

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2009-03-02T16:47:17-05:00

In like a lion, out like a lamb, or so they say about the month of March. It sure came down, but the wind around the building worked the snow into all sorts of interesting shapes. Here is a photo from our garden, which will not be green for a little while. Hope you're warm where you are.

New York Tonight

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2009-03-01T02:15:14-05:00

Got on top of the building tonight to take in the splendid view of Manhattan.

The Cat Came Back...

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2009-03-01T01:15:00-05:00

But de cat came back, couldn't stay no longer, Yes de cat came back de very next day: De cat came back—thought she were a goner, But de cat came back for it wouldn't stay away. –Harry S. ...Mark Lang has come to visit. Mark makes great paintings out of Montreal, Canada. He's here in NYC to see a friend's painting exhibit. It's been great to catch up with him, we've known each other since our very first year in art school nearly 25 years ago. Nice to catch up. He'd hate that I've blogged this, but I've done it anyway. The only thing missing is Michael Allard, the third party of a motley art crew that started all those years ago. Maybe next time.

Shea Teardown in a Minute

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2009-02-23T04:28:53-05:00

Newsflash: Stadium Removed to reveal--a Stadium?

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2009-02-23T03:42:51-05:00

The final piece of the pie was knocked down last week and now the unfettered view of Arthur Ashe Stadium remains. It is sort of like one of those comedy sight gags where someone lifts their hat, only to reveal yet another hat. Enjoy the new view--I guess.

Old Russian Chess Joke

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2009-02-23T03:03:21-05:00

I'm working on a project with a colleague, working up a presentation about a particular chess opening played by none other than Bobby Fischer. In the presentation we thought a bit of humor might be nice so we served up a rework of an old Russian chess joke. The gag goes that old Boris played chess every day with his childhood pal Ivan. One day, Ivan passed away and Boris was very sad, as he had no one to play chess with. While he was in the middle of playing out an old game from a chess book, Ivan appears from the great beyond. Boris is surprised, but not enough to prevent him from asking a question. "Ivan" he asked, "Is there chess in heaven?" Ivan told him that all the greats were up there, playing fantastic chess in tournament after tournament, but, he explained not all the news as good, so he said, "Boris, you'll be able to play chess too!" "What is so bad about that." replied Boris. "Your scheduled to play Fischer with the black pieces this Thursday." ...

Not Much Left

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2009-02-14T13:53:10-05:00

As you can see, there isn't too much left of ol' Shea stadium now. Is there a week left? It seems as if there is a bit of a slow down, considering the wrecking crew brought down segments as big as this in a day over the last few weeks. Perhaps they are standing on ceremony. Who knows? Thats all for now.

Australian Horror

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2009-02-09T22:11:55-05:00

Here is an illustration I did for INX. It is about the fires decimating Australia. I think you have to be careful with sketches like this so close to the event. People can be pretty tetchy, when human lives are lost in the incident. The kangaroo is the penultimate symbol for Australia. Here I attempted to evoke a sense of stunned disbelief in the marsupial, where the pouch, representing safety, is consumed in flame. Not a happy image to be sure, but apt, I hope.

Latest Illustration

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2009-02-05T16:20:41-05:00

Here is a little illustration I did for the National Law Journal. The story was a little dense, so I had to take a few wacks at the ball before I hit upon an idea that fit the bill. I'm pretty happy with it though. As it turned out, later that evening, which was last night, I attended a lecture that was to be ostensibly a talk on the history, current state and future of Op-Ed illustration at the New York Times. It was not what I had hoped for as it mostly centered on the "ground breaking work" of the speakers present. Meanwhile, in the audience, a group of INX artists (who do the best Op Ed work available today IMHO) sat wondering where the lecture was going. As it turned out, it was little more than a tupperware party wherein the lecturers hawked their books after the event. Disappointment. Dinner afterwards at John's Pizzeria in our my old upper East Side neighborhood was definitely a highlight. BTW: John's pizzeria is a highly recommended eatery between 1st & York Avenues at 408 East 64th Street. Hands down the best thin crust pie in the city.

Padded Cells

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2009-02-05T16:10:26-05:00

Here is a little moleskin sketchpad that is making the rounds within the illustration department. Below is my contribution made with with pen and ink. I used my old Gillott steel nibs and Higgin's eternal India ink. A bit of fun to make.

Remains of the Shea

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2009-02-05T11:08:41-05:00

Couldn't resist the pun, but looks as if were at the last couple of weeks for Shea stadium. There was an interview with a bunch of old-time fans who had little to say about the new Citi field stadium taking it's place.

Sunday at Shea

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2009-02-02T01:41:50-05:00

Feb. 1 and Shea is coming down. Emerging--from behind--is Arthur Ashe Stadium the Unisphere (to the left) along with the World Fair Grounds. Can't be 100 percent sure, but I think the view is improving. Shea pretty much dominated the landscape. Last I read, there will be parking lot put in place of were Shea presently sits to accommodate the Met's Citifeild Stadium crowd.

Last Couple of Weeks

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2009-01-17T16:25:14-05:00

The curtain is falling on Shea. They seem to be knocking down a section per day. Two weeks? Maybe.

Nothing To See Here--Keep Moving Along

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2009-01-15T16:32:53-05:00

Thankfully, it looks as if today's emergency landing in the Hudson river was textbook. Credit should be given to those pilots for getting those people down. What a job!

Moving Right Along

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2009-01-14T15:24:39-05:00

The tear-down of Shea is really moving along now. Check out the dust cloud, it was caused by a section as big as a ten story building getting knocked down.

More Roof Time

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2009-01-13T16:32:59-05:00

Shea is coming down fast now. I'll have to get to the roof whenever feasible to keep the progression from jumping too much. What should I do with these photos once the rascal is down? I'll let you know what I come up with.

Batiste Madalena at MOMA

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2009-01-12T20:53:57-05:00

Got to MOMA today and saw--amongst other things--a small exhibit of hand painted posters by an artist named Batiste Madalena. I enjoyed the show and the clarity this artist brought to the fore in these placards. Good Stuff.

Shea Unravels

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2009-01-09T14:37:12-05:00

Here is today's Shea photograph. The tear-down is now obvious as the upper deck joins the lower. I'm sure they'll get through the work by month's end. Stay tuned for photo updates.

Here Today--Gone Tommorrow

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2009-01-05T19:54:29-05:00

Chris and Karolina are back in the chilly Great White North by now, but here are some of the warm times we shared in NYC. We hope to see them soon! Here we are at Simla, an upper east side Indian restaurant in Manhattan. Good Food! Chris and Karolina under the Christmas tree. Karolina, very close to a painting by Chuck Close Chris and Karolina on the roof with Manhattan sparkling in the background.

Those Crazy Kids

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2009-01-03T02:50:30-05:00

Karolina & Chris dropped by today for some NY home cooking. Here is a shot of the two at 30 Rock. Have you ever seen anyone more enthusiastic for flashing lights? I doubt it.

Happy New Year!

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2009-01-01T16:32:10-05:00

Happy New Year to everyone visiting the blog. I snapped a couple of pictures today. One is of Shea, the other of Manhattan, with Queens in the foreground. What a cold and blustery day it is. The wind was just howling up on the roof making these shots a little less than comfortable to get. Just the same, I hope you enjoy them.

Up To His Knees In Snow

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2008-12-30T13:21:07-05:00

Shoveling snow is definitely one of the things I don't miss about Canada. Here is my Dad, knee-deep in the white stuff, clearing a path, so the trash can be taken to the alley. I know this kind of cold day well, with the snow squeaking under foot as you make your way along. It doesn't do that in NYC! You get nothing but heavy wet slush. Keep up the good work Dad!

The Visitors

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2008-12-29T23:04:20-05:00

Just picked up Chris and Karolina up at JFK. A little peckish from their cross-country flight, I detoured to Katz's Delicatessen in Manhattan off of Houston Street, wherein they devoured a mountain of pastrami, a couple of potato pancakes and two Brooklyn lagers to boot. They wanted an "authentic" NY experience. I can't think of a better or tastier one.

The Bus Stops Here...

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2008-12-27T19:59:49-05:00

Val, Julia and I had our annual Boxing Day get together and many friends made the day. Randy gave us this illustration with a truly motley crew waiting to be picked up. As you can see it is on the corner of Kerr St. and Rex Blvd. Hidden in the crowd is my dad, mom, Joel Cohen, his wife Diane, along with the artist and his wife, Susann (with two "n"s.) Julia, Val and myself are situated in the front. Considering the entire segment could fit under an average thumb, Mr. Jones did quite a masterful job! Thanks to all who came out, it was fun.

Christmas Sunset NYC

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2008-12-25T18:49:12-05:00

Sunset in NYC, Christmas Day 2008.

Christmas Shea

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2008-12-25T18:40:49-05:00

On top of the building and took this shot of Shea at sunset. Looks like the lower deck is completely gone on the inside. Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2008-12-19T21:04:26-05:00

Julia's back home and we started her visit by decorating our Christmas tree. This year, Val and I went to the great backwoods of home depot and picked out a suitable evergreen. We both got a kick out of the fact that this particular tree was "Made in Canada" as pointed out by a prominent label attached to the trunk. To all who visit the blog, have a great holiday season!

Yarrrr! It Be A Pirate Drawing

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2008-12-17T02:36:49-05:00

Avast! Here be me contribution to the scurvy Inx package for this week. The head-wrap is the Somalian flag, the requisite reflection of a tanker appears in this fellow's cutlass. Will it appear in a newspaper near you? Stay tuned... In the mean time, shiver me timbers, pirates are fun to draw.

Shea at the End of the Day

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2008-12-13T16:41:28-05:00

There is no mistaking it now, looks like the deconstruction of Shea has begun in ernest. If you look to the interior you can see the upper deck getting knocked down and the lights too. If this picture looks sharper, it is due to the tripod I put under the camera. I think it makes a real differance. If you look to the pier towards the bottom--in Flushing Bay--you'll see a couple of locals pondering the scene. I'll escalate the frequency of the photos at this point. I figure it will come down pretty fast if this is but a days work, which it is.

Moon at Perigee

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2008-12-13T16:35:31-05:00

Two Moon shots in one month? Well, this one is a little special. As it turns out, the Moon is at it's closest to earth today than it has been in about a decade. The term for it is called Lunar perigee. Tonight, the moon appears 14% larger than at it's apogee. It won't be this close in orbit until November of 2016, so I took a chance and snapped away. The moon doesn't often yield good photographs in it's full phase. The direct moonlight tends to wash out details on the surface. That fact didn't seem to make too much of an impact on this shot, I think it came out pretty well. Enjoy!

Whale of a tale

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2008-12-10T20:04:29-05:00

Latest illustration for a story in the National Law Journal about whales and other marine mammals and the awful effect military sonar has on them. The Supreme Court ruled on this recently, rejecting a lower court's ruling prohibiting the practice. The Navy's argument was that emergency readiness outweighed the need for a sonar-free ocean. My drawing shows a plaintive whale, assaulted by a sonic barrage. I converted his tale to a human ear with two ideas. one to demonstrate the problem, the other to reflect the deafness of the decision. I've also attempted to enhance the image by contrasting the quiet aquatic world of the whale, with it's streaming light, against the bands of sonar descending from above. In the end, the whale bends to the shape of this sonar, having to graphically accept his noisy fate. Poor leviathan.

December Moon

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2008-12-03T20:31:51-05:00

Here is this month's first post. Yes, it is a moon photo, with a difference, in the technical sense. I finally put a tripod under my camera! The resulting photo seems to have turned out sharper. I took this shot with a adjusted ISO of 80 with an f-stop of 3.6 for a 125th of a second with my zoom and teleconverter combining to give me the equivalent of a 530mm telephoto lens. I'm kind of pleased with the picture, but I think it could have been better if the moon was higher in the sky than it was and if the atmosphere was a little less dense. I always find these shots a little hard to get, but fun and interesting. The Moon, it seems to me, is taken for granted. To the naked eye, it appears little more than a blotchy disk, so this wonder sits in the sky, ignored. Yet, with a little magnification, a whole new world comes into relief. The blotches become craters, mountains and vast basins. Not everyone is into this kind of thing, but I guess I'm just one of the nerds who is.

Still Standing

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2008-11-28T13:51:56-05:00

It is getting to the point that one has to wonder if they're ever going to take Shea down. Got up on the roof today and snapped this shot. The weather and lighting were horrible, and the wind was howling at 40 mph up there. You can see not much has gone on so far, at least from this angle. Stay tuned, I'm sure it will all come down soon.

Randy's Brooklyn Show

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2008-11-12T21:29:53-05:00

My good friend, Randy Jones, had himself an exhibit of his work at the Brooklyn public library. It was nice to see Randy and various work he brought to show. Enjoy the photos. Later, Randy had this interview. Here it is.

Goodbye To The Rethuglicans, For Now...

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2008-11-12T21:01:17-05:00

As a good friend pointed out recently, that the re-thug-licans are out for the foreseeable future or at least 4 years. True, but does it mean that I cannot poke a little graphic fun at them with Nast's embodiment of the GOP? I don't think so. So here we have the pachyderm, looking back, bindle in trunk and kicking a jam-can down the road. Between trunks, tails and general mass, I always get a kick out of drawing these anthropomorphic political symbols. Enjoy! Look for it in next week's INX package.

The Mystery of Easter Island Solved.

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2008-11-12T20:58:47-05:00

How did the heads get on Easter Island? Easy, A pony put them there!

November Moon

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2008-11-11T00:35:40-05:00

I've got a bit to blog about, but nothing really too prepared yet. Got out tonight and noticed how clear the air was. Kind of a rarity for NYC, I took the opportunity to snap this shot of the moon. I'll get more entries in tomorrow.

Find The Pony

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2008-10-31T00:18:54-04:00

Angela's frisky appaloosa has gotten really lost this time--in Antarctica! See if you can pick out the rascal whilst he cavorts with the penguins. He looks pretty happy, but why Antarctica? Maybe he didn't want to miss the formal occasion.

Another Flyby

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2008-10-31T00:09:21-04:00

Took this photo on the roof of the building today. Too bad I don't have a view of the other side from here. the sign says "tadium" as crews have started to take the signs down. Still, it was a beautiful, brisk day and the view from the top of the building is one of the best in Queens. I'm keeping to a 3 day schedule now until greater structural bits begin to fall. Stay tuned.

Bears Really Do $#@!&*% In The Woods

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2008-10-27T23:06:56-04:00

Interesting weekend. Got off to Syracuse for a NASAD portfolio review. My partner for the trip was none other than painter extraordinaire, Ross Barbara. The journey to Syracuse is a long one from NYC, so Ross and I stopped along the way at his parent's home which happens to be farm located midway. As we stopped in to freshen up and look at some vintage Barbara(s) on the walls of his old family homestead, a bear with a odd sense of timing and a great sense of stealth, thought it was just the moment to relieve himself by the car. Closing up, and heading to the vehicle, I warned Ross off the mountain of ursine dung. Just staring and regarding the load in a rather pensive manner, Ross quipped, "Tom! What do you think the bear meant by that?" "We should leave." was my answer, which we did. Here's Ross, just prior to learning the answer to the age-old mystery: Does a bear shit in the woods? We can now verify--it does.

Cruising Shea

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2008-10-24T16:26:20-04:00

Todays shot of Shea includes a Circle Line cruise ship making it's way through flushing Bay.

Shea On A Sunny Day

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2008-10-23T12:02:49-04:00

I was thinking about it, and we've really had a stretch of trouble-free weather while photographing Shea's demise. Today was no different, it is really a bright , sunny day, though brisk. Enjoy the photo.

Maybe Dingos Got Your Pony?

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2008-10-19T13:12:34-04:00

Well, it is most likely dingos didn't get Angela's pony, but he did get to Ayer's Rock in Australia. Looks that this frisky appaloosa is out to see every continent before returning home. Just where will he go next?

Saturday's Shea

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2008-10-18T17:15:15-04:00

Maybe it is the lighting, but looking at the full-resolution version of this picture, I could see that the light visible below the circular Parks Logo is from open entrances leading to the interior of the stadium. There have been interior lights before, but those were obviously electrical. Nice sunny day today, but windy.

Jonathan Livingston Seagull LIves

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2008-10-18T17:07:58-04:00

The ongoing project of documenting the razing of Shea yeilded this photo of a gull. It was a windy day and the bird just opened his wings and hovered like this for a minute or two. Kind of a pretty shot.

Overcast Day With Seagulls

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2008-10-16T17:35:17-04:00

I'll keep it brief. Not a lot of changes and the lighting was poor. Blaw. The specks in the sky are seagulls.

Shea Today

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2008-10-14T21:17:03-04:00

Here is Shea today. Shot a little later in the afternoon. Can you see any changes yet? I'm looking, but besides a few small details there isn't much to remark. I'm going to keep this going. It's a surly drama to be sure, but I think it's worth it.

Pony Goes For Takeout

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2008-10-13T20:25:45-04:00

Well, wouldn't you know it, that cheeky pony is at it again. I should have figured he'd end up doing the Great Wall of China. It's a natural that he'd go there though, after all, he was in Asia. I'm sure he stopped for some nice cantonese cooking along the way.

Overcast Day-Nice Shot

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2008-10-13T14:19:18-04:00

Today was overcast, but the two miles from the camera to Shea was pretty clear. Laguardia swings the aircraft around Shea on days like this (no wind). I guess the interior is mostly going down for now. Some of the fixtures in the stadium will be going to various parks and locations in NYC. You can see Citi-Field just to the left. Enjoy.

Taj Ma-Pony

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2008-10-12T19:43:02-04:00

Time to take a break from the tearing down of Shea and follow the epic journey of Angela's pony. This month the little appaloosa found himself at the Taj Mahal in Agra, India. It must be on his bucket (of oats) list.

Morning Shot

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2008-10-10T22:38:32-04:00

Though the lighting is not as good (as I discovered today) here is a photo that follows, by three days the preceding one. Still not a lot of change, but I suspect when is starts coming down, it will do so rapidly insofar as structure is concerned. Enjoy!

Plainly, not much difference.

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2008-10-04T18:22:41-04:00

Another day, another shot, but at least I got a pun in.

Ch-Ch-Changes

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2008-10-04T01:14:33-04:00

Well, not so many I guess. Here is today's shot of Shea.

Hello October, goodbye Shea...

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2008-10-02T23:22:14-04:00

The Vice Presidential debates are on tonight, but that doesn't interest me too much. Not a single piece of verbiage deviated a scintilla from what I expected. Yawn. Far more interesting is the deconstruction of Shea stadium, happening only 2 short miles away. From the top of the building, I get a real peach of a vantage point and took a picture of the tearing down of what once was a favorite NYC venue. Hopefully I'll be able to take a picture a day documenting the razing. So Here is day one. You can see in the photo that the scoreboard is gone and upon closer observation the seats in the upper deck have already been removed. Fast!

More Illustration

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2008-09-24T22:27:50-04:00

Here is my latest Illustration--done today--for the National Law Journal. The story is about how the Republicans seem to be able to hold onto at least two out of three branches of government at any given time. It was a chance to fire a broadside at the GOP and their Nast created symbol, the elephant. I really do like working with Nast's symbols. The elephant is fun, you can design the space with his trunk and he's got all those curves made from his head, tusks and ears. I'm pretty happy with how the finish came out and look forward to the next time I revisit Nast's bestiary. Here is the thumbnail.

Fat Cat For Newsday

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2008-09-19T16:52:19-04:00

Got a neat story to illustrate today. It was about corrupt politicians, without whom, we editorial illustrators would quickly run out of subject matter to excoriate. I went with a classic theme of the watch dog and the fat cat. It is meant to appear as a spot in next Monday's Newsday on the OpEd page. I had quite a bit of fun on the cats face. The idea--compositionally--is to create tension between the Lilliputian watchdog and the Brobdingnagian cat.

Academic Calendar

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2008-09-19T11:35:59-04:00

Here is the SJU 2008-09 Academic Calendar in ics format.->

Prancing Pony Panics Piza

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2008-09-13T14:28:11-04:00

In the tradition of those shock newspapers who publish every headline in alliterative form, I give you the most recent spotting of Angela's spotted pony, slowly making his way up to the top of the leaning tower of Piza. Was the steed there for the pasta, vino or simply the sights. I guess only he knows for sure. When asked, locals where astonished at the glib galloping of this gelding. "Mama mia!" was the comment of more than one Piza resident. What will become of Angela's pony? Will it go on with it's tour of Europe or is to Asia, where sights such as the forbidden city and great wall reside. Recently, a travel agent found hay, hoof-prints and oats in close proximity to a display about the Taj mahal. Stay tuned as we follow the exploits of this little fella as he trots the globe.

Rex 7: In the house

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2008-09-07T20:25:18-04:00

Here is a shot of Rex the 7th. Rex is Julia's pet hamster and our charge, while she is away in Texas. Today was a beautiful day in NYC. Tropical storm Hanna swept through yesterday, leaving sunny skies and clear air in it's wake. Val & I decided to barbecue. Boiled corn was also on the menu. All hamsters are a little different, but without a doubt, they all love corn. Just as Rex finished his serving, he looked up, as if to say, "Is there any more?" There was.

How That Little Horse Gets Around!

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2008-09-06T11:01:35-04:00

Following his heart, Angela's little Appaloosa was last seen in London on the Waterloo Bridge, taking in the Houses of Parliament on the Thames. Photos also place him a short distance away from the great pyramids in Egypt. With such a pronounced wanderlust and, apparently, a digital camera. There is no telling which city or site we'll see him at next. Ponies are big fans of the theater. My guess is that our little fella is too, perhaps he went to London to see Equus.

Andrea & Brendan's Wedding Photos

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2008-09-05T17:25:11-04:00

Considering my August blog started and ended at the finish of the month, I've added this note to my September blog in case there was any confusion as to where the photos I posted might be. For those who want to download and even upload images from Andrea & Brendan's wedding, go -> Here

Looking Up Your Relatives.

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2008-09-05T17:13:37-04:00

I've been keeping a photo gallery of relatives and family members past, on my Mom's side. It seemed as if everyone in the family had a great old photo or two of old relatives, the idea was to share some of these great old photos with other relatives via the internet. So far, the gallery is at 54 pictures and counting. I recently got a treasure trove of old shots from cousin Greg, so that number will go up. If you want to take a peek go-> Here. I wouldn't mind starting one for the Kerr side of the equation. Perhaps soon.

A Horse Tail

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2008-09-05T17:00:08-04:00

As I blogged last week, it was quite a month. We got Julia off to college, Mom and Dad visited and we all hauled down to Michigan for a wedding. Mom being a considerate grandma, thought to pick up a number of trinkets to bring back to the grandchildren in Calgary. When she asked Angela, she requested a pony. Undeterred, mom dutifully looked for a suitable steed. As it turns out, your standard issue Appaloosa has a bit of a time fitting in a piece of standard carry on luggage, so she opted for something a little smaller, and plastic. The night before, mom carefully packed her bag in anicipation of the return flight home. When she arrived, the pony was gone. Angela wasn't too heartbroken, but there was the question: What did happen to the pony? After a thorough search of the internet, I came across this shot of the willful maverick making it's way in front of the Eiffel Tower. In the tradition of the traveling gnome I'm sure this pony is going to get around, but worry not, in the end it should find itself in the rightful hands of it's owner--Angela.

The August Blog

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2008-08-28T23:13:22-04:00

What a month. Julia is off to UTD, Mom & Dad came to visit, travel to MI and attend a wedding. Here are a few photos of the proceedings, starting with a BBQ at our place, followed by pictures of the Brendan and Adrea Kerr's wedding. To the left is Mom, myself, Val & Dad. I've loaded many of the images I took of the wedding in full size to my .mac site. For those who want to download and even upload images go -> Here Here is the whole gang sitting down to Ron's BBQ'd steak. Head salad & music maker was Joel, shown here, serenading everyone. In MI, we stayed--as guests--of Tony and Lily on Torch Lake, a beautiful spot 5 hours north of Detroit. We couldn't have had a better time or company. ...There are more photos to download at my .mac site. For those who want to download and even upload images go -> Here

Encore Flower Performance

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2008-07-15T17:08:34-04:00

Considering that some (who shall remain nameless) must live their gardening fantasies vicariously through this blog, I've opted to post a bunch of garden photos to fill the need.

Today's offerings

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2008-07-14T18:23:57-04:00

It is halfway into July and I've yet to make an entry-so here goes. Every now and then, I hear a beating of the air outside and it is usually a good time to run out and get a peek at the Goodyear blimp. True to form it was making it's way against a stormy sky towards Yankee stadium where it will likely cover the all-star game. It must launch near by as we see it all the time. My second shot for this post is of the garden. I took this snap from the bridge. If you look you can see Val's handiwork and gifts from friends. We did an informal survey and found that over half of our perennials are snips from friend's gardens. One of my favorites is the hydrangea.

How the Garden Grows

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2008-06-21T23:17:30-04:00

Julia & her mom are off to University of Texas at Dallas for orientation. Last report they're doing alright in the heat. In the meantime I'm left to the domestic type duties, one of which is tending the garden. I took a snap of a bunch of tiger lilies growing against the side of the building. ... So beautiful, for only a day, then winding back, to a husk. The challenge is--I suppose--to appreciate them while they're blooming. So I've made a daily trip to the garden, if only to catch the show these flowers put on. The tiger lily is a pretty common flower for North America and is dubbed the "ditch" lily by some. I got up early on Thursday and discovered that it is possible to observe the petals of the flower unfurling. It is slow, but surprisingly fast for a plant. ... The weather has been great for growing, with temps in the mid 70's and ample rain. A sharp contrast to my parents who are getting dealt a crummy batch of weather up north. Perhaps they can vicariously enjoy the virtual garden here.

All Grown Up

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2008-06-08T01:52:09-04:00

Another of life's happy events occurred today. My daughter graduated high school! Soon she'll be off to university far away and it'll be empty nest central here. The grad ceremony was held at St. John's (can I ever get away from the campus) and was well planned, running an hour-ten from start to finish. Here is a shot from the rafters. Julia is in there, but it'll cost ya a couple of minutes to find her.

First June Blog

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2008-06-06T21:11:06-04:00

Here it is the 6th of June and I've yet to post one rumination to the blog. Tonight was seasonably warm so I trekked to the roof and got off a couple of sunset shots with the digital snappy. I especally like the jet contrail working its way like an abstract brush stroke against the sky. Constable used to keep sketch books full of studies of the sky and weather. I wonder if he'd go digital today? Conversely, are digital observations of any value comparatively? I'm thinking, if the sky is going to put on such a display, I'll record it one way or the other. Perhaps I'll try something out with watercolor, but at this time of night, I'll definitely need bug spray.

A New OpEd Piece

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2008-05-30T22:29:48-04:00

Here is a little piece I made for Newsday today. It is about the corrupt way the political parties in New York go about fund raising, making the argument that campaigns should be exclusively funded by the public. This would have the effect of leveling the financial playing field for new candidates and cut out the lobbies/special interests whose directives cost the state much more than financing the candidates ever could. I'm not sure I agree completely, but it gave me a chance to put an elephant and donkey to work, feeding from the public trough. Look for it this Monday, should you be in the NY metro region.

Shout-out to the L-Dawg

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2008-05-22T16:34:50-04:00

A classic Art in New York day today. We caught Hellenistic, Cypriote, Minoan and Roman sculpture. We also visited and analyzed the ritual art of Africa, South America and Australia. Checking in with a scholar on Aboriginal bark painting I got word that the figure in the example we examined was-likely-made from "power points" which are derivative of stars and--in fact--the bird/god is seen in x-ray. When such a creature vomits, a part of creation is made. Most strange, and surprising too. By the end of the day, we finally got to the Met's roof sculpture garden where they are presently cultivating a crop of Jeff Koons creations. Here's a shot of the gang giving a shout-out to the L-dawg, who couldn't be there as she found the depictions of Eve too offensive to revisit. Click on the photo to download the big-un. Word.

First Sketch O' the Summer

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2008-05-18T21:32:45-04:00

Finished the lawn work and took minute or two to smell the roses. ... This tree seems to get green late in the season. I'm not sure what sort it is, but it gives edible berries. The sketch is pretty quick and interrupted too. Just as I was getting into this, Julia threw the binders on as she needed to be dropped at one of her myriad end-of-year events. ... The tree is much taller than my pad and getting quite full with foliage. At this rate, the berries can't be far behind. I'm a big advocate of life studies, even if your end works have nothing to do with such efforts. Tried some new-ish materials on this drawing. A plate finish Strathmore drawing pad along with a Pitt charcoal pencil (Medium). Normally, I use a toothier paper and general's charcoal pencils. Pitt's product seems a little stronger than General's, which helps me out a lot as I'm pretty heavy handed and tend to break pencils wholesale. Wouldn't mind giving this combination a spin at figure drawing.

The Spring has Sprung

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2008-05-18T20:15:48-04:00

Well, the spring has sprung, the grass has ris, and we wonder where the birdies is. Just a quick shot of Val working in the garden. This little area adjacent to the building has been given to us to do whatever we'd like to with it. We opted for a garden. Having spent all these years cooped up in NY apartments, it is nice to get out and enjoy some fresh air. We had coffee here this morning and tried to figure out what sort of flowers we'd like to grow. By the fence, we've planted Canna Lilies (not yet up) along with hydrangea, azalea and hosta. I put down the little pathway. Originally, I had placed the large red stones where I stepped from the center of the gate. being over 6'2" , I underestimated the length of Val's gait, so she had to bunny-hop from stone to stone. I put in a fix and placed a smaller brick between each of the larger stones. Hard to believe, last year this space was nothing but weeds and dirt. The large square shape by Val wasn't even visible. The barbecue is used pretty often over the summer, we intend to fire it up next weekend.

Julia's Final High School Chamber Choir Performance

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2008-05-11T17:03:14-04:00

After the SJU student show on Friday, I had to run off and see my daughter's final performance with her high school chamber choir. Julia is in the back on the right. Don't they sound beau-t-ful? The tune is by Mozart and is: Requiem-Lacrimosa. I had posted three songs, but it took a year and a day to load, even with a cable modem. Enjoy!

First Blog Of The Month

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2008-05-11T01:58:35-04:00

Sorry for the long stretch without an update, but the end of the semester is always a bear. The St. John's student exhibition opened a couple of days ago and I was on hand to take a few photos of the proceedings. True to form, Parvez, the gallery director, got the show up in record time with the help of a few of the faculty and some of the student workers. I dropped in Thursday to give a hand, but most of the heavy lifting had already been done. I know it has been said every year, but objectively, these shows just continue to improve each year. I've posted a gallery with more images to my .mac account. You can visit by clicking on this link.

Handbook

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2008-04-30T21:05:51-04:00

Here's another little sketchpad I'm trying to keep. I call it my "handbook." If it is not apparent the subject is--hands--one per page. The scale of the pad is unfavorable to the subject matter and the media, I thought with the texture of the paper, I try to build up a Seurat-like surface. I visited MOMA's recent exhibit of his work this year. I really liked his drawings. The problem is that the type of pencil I'm using is too soft the the effort gets mutilated when I work on other drawings. Blaw.

A Wee Sketch

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2008-04-26T02:33:28-04:00

A simple sketch--from memory of a couple of trees that grow in our yard. For whatever reason, they've become entwined. I used mixed media on this one. The sanguine line is a pen brush. the white high-lights are chalk and the black shading is from a Derwent drawing pencil. The paper is like cardboard and toned like a grocery bag, giving the sketch all it's middle values. I cannot say I spent very much time on this, but you have to get your hands moving--so I did. Val & I have just started to work on the garden. Last year we took it from a patch of weeds to a place where you wouldn't mind sitting down to read a book. I have one to start too. So, when all the hash is settled with the planting, cutting and what-not. Val & I will have a nice little spot for Sunday coffee.

Julia's Photo

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2008-04-20T23:34:43-04:00

My Daughter had the honor of singing with her Chamber Choir for Pope Benedict Today. Here is a photo she took of the Pontiff with Vice President Cheney & his wife from her vantage point in the stands.

Sunset in New York

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2008-04-17T20:23:52-04:00

Took a number of shots from the roof at around sunset. What a beautiful day.

Roundel

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2008-04-17T00:13:29-04:00

Here is a roundel from one of the windows at the Metropolitan Museum's Cloisters, up in Fort Tryron Park. This one depicts "tipping," a game played by folk passing time in the middle ages. The objective of the game is to stand on one foot and raise the other, pairing it, at waist level with your opponent's foot. ... In this instance the girl must be a beginner as she is conveniently seated on a basket to assist with her balance. The wily male figure seems to be a little more serious than the girl, and, perhaps, his motives are impure. Knowing the medieval mind, there is always a little more than meets the eye in artwork like this. The dog, in the back seems to be a direct counterpoint to the hand of male, perhaps guarding, if only in a graphical sense, the virtue of the girl. Dogs, in art from this period, were often symbols of loyalty and fidelity. Likewise, the lambs down below also turn towards the male tipper, blocking all, but the contact of his foot. ... A stand in for the growth which held the forbidden fruit in the garden of Eden? Will this fellow tip the girl to the ground, and perhaps try her virtue? ... Images from the period often are--at once--a historic graphic chronicle of what people looked like & did, married to a not-so-subtle morality tale. All this in a six inch glass roundel, which, when looked at from the correct viewpoint ( I shot this image from below, so that the overcast sky would illuminate the glass), these two figures would be seen, with their transparent background, set against the landscape, as if, you spied this scene as it was happening.

Moon Over Queens

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2008-04-15T00:41:23-04:00

I try to get a shot of the Moon every now and then. I used my Kodak P712 with manual controls set to f5.6 at 1/125th of a second using as digital equivalent of 64 ISO speed film. I also used a warming filter to heighten the contrast. I wasn't too fussy here, I didn't use a tripod and it was a bit hazy. If I were serious, a tripod would have been a must and would have shot it using jpeg raw format. i'll try one, shot properly, some clear night in the future. ... Still, the Moon is a beautiful night object. I think you get the best shots when the Moon is not completely full as the termination line (where the shadow goes from light to dark) often brings details into better relief. This picture-I shot tonight-shows nice detail towards the bottom. The large crater with the bright inner ridge is called Clavis. The bright crater just above and at 1 o'clock is Tyco. The large crater midway (in the grey) is called Copernicus. Just emerging, towards the top is Montes Jura, what remains of the crater ridge of Sinus Iridum, which is at the western edge of Mare Imbrium. Not bad detail, considering the equipment.

Slow Saturday

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2008-04-13T01:08:12-04:00

So, here I am, bloging with nothing to blog. It has been a busy week, I didn't get much drawing in. None at all. I'll try to remedy that next week. In place of something more personal, I give you a poem by Ogden Nash (1902-1971). Celery raw, Develops the jaw. But celery, stewed Is more easily chewed. Thanks for dropping in.

Beggar Sketch

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2008-04-10T15:31:48-04:00

This drawing is another oldie from one of my sketch pads. In New York, you see all types of people. Though it isn't the case now, in the 1980s', when this image was drawn, beggars were in great abundance. They could be found on street corners, subway stations and the trains themselves. Many of the beggars where homeless, mentally ill, others--drug junkies. I happened across one who was an amputee, panhandling in Penn Station while I was waiting for a train. He was missing his legs. People, who had thrown change, missed his coffee cup. To get the coins he'd scoot over on his backside, put the coins in a pocket and scoot back. I thought to make this drawing of a much more extreme case, where the beggar cannot collect the coins at all, but can only look longingly at them. I like the effect that the sepia and white ink have on the brown paper.

Dilly Dali

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2008-04-07T19:55:08-04:00

Took in the Dali show in Philadelphia a few years back. It was an interesting exhibit displaying a broad selection of works dating bake to his early years. It was said that upon seeing Dali and his entourage, Andy Warhol remarked that he wanted to have the same artisitc celebrity. This was one of those shows that tickets needed to be bought for and, in return I suppose, it was meant to reward the attendee with more Dali paintings than they could shake a stick at. It even included one of the first holograms ever made featuring a cross-legged Alice Cooper. I was fascinated by a painting that Dali found interesting and the curator too a little trouble to expand upon. It was a image that Dali, in fact, repainted, a spin on Millet's, The Angelus. The curator's notes pointed out that Dali was obsessed with the painting and projected much into it. ... When Joel Cohen and I went to lunch we walked down the museum's front steps. Turning back you saw crazy old Dali staring back at you. I figured that when we came back for the afternoon (we closed the place), I'd cross the street and pick a conspicuous spot to stand, while Joel snapped a shot. In hind sight, I should have leaned over and twirled Salvador's mustache on the right side. Though I've seen other photos on the web with other visual punsters doing just that on these steps.

This Old Sketch Pad

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2008-04-05T22:05:18-04:00

Found this old pad with some drawings in it. One was from a trip I made to the Cloisters, years ago. A building can be seen across the Hudson River at that location. It is on part of the 700 acres that Rockefeller donated so that the view from this museum would remain unsullied. It is a pretty sight. The pad is small and an odd format as it is a section of a larger sketch pad I cut off with a shop knife. I think I used a white grease pencil with Prisma pencils for the color. As it turns out, I like this museum a lot. Last year, while on one of my visits, I got this shot with my snappy. It was taken about a quarter of a mile north and at a slightly higher elevation to where I made the sketch 17 years earlier.

Wise Men Fish Here

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2008-04-04T23:35:47-04:00

It's been closed for a while now, but I happened across the storefront of the Gotham Book Mart. I had my digital snappy on me so I got this shot off. Kind of sad really. I don't know if I wandered down the street because I used to after working at the Times or by accident. I used to never walk on by. I'd always stop in and look over the books they had. I picked up a number of my favorite Ed Gory volumes at this place. From what I read in the news GBM owed a huge amount of back rent. As it turns out, the store and it's contents where put up for auction and the landlord snapped it all up for about $400,000 dollars. We'll not see it's like again I'm afraid.

All Quiet-on the Blog

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2008-04-02T20:58:02-04:00

Did this one for INX about "the delicate balancing act in Iraq. It'll be on the inxart website as part of this week's offerings. Years ago, one of my professors in grad school-Robert Weaver-brought in a "Uncle Sam" jacket and hat. They were ratty old things that looked as if he fished them out of the trash. Yet, if you made a careful drawing of them, the sketch made a statement. His point I suppose.

Rarebit Fiend

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2008-04-01T21:48:06-04:00

Just got Ulrich Merkl's new oversize print tribute to Winsor McCay, Dream Of The Rarebit Fiend. The Volume is large, to accommodate the scale of the original printed pages and includes every RB strip Winsor ever made. I'm not a collector of unusual or rare books, just an admirer of McCay's prolific genius. Sunday Press has put this out, backed, I think, by Merkl himself. 2 years ago Sunday Press also put out the astounding, So Many Splendid Sundays, a compendium of Little Nemo in Slumberland. As it turns out the word, "Rarebit" is actually a Welsh recipe for Rabbit, which is sautéed and served with melted or toasted cheese on a toasted bread. Once the unsuspecting protagonists begin to digest this repast overnight, their dreams become the stuff of the Andalusian Dog or--considering the date of RF's publication,--more likely, the other way around. RF dates to the turn of the last century. I'm not sure I'm onboard with all the design choices made in the volume, but to a pen & inker like myself, there is a wealth of work to see. Below is the very first strip McCay made. His nom-de-plume at the time was, Silas.

One Of Those Great Moments

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2008-03-30T14:08:41-04:00

You catch photos like these sometimes. Recently, I had the distinct honor of curating Bill Ronald's Recent Works Show at the University Gallery. I had enough shots left in my camera (after taking video for podcast) to get a few pictures. I really like this one, as it captures what is really the best about being at St. John's, working in DoFA-the sense of community. Bill-I salute you! Despite Bill's protests regarding his appearance on video, most of his informative lecture was captured and is posted as a podcast at this link: DoFA PodcastIf it wasn't obvious, you will need iTunes to download and view the podcast.

Just Another Friday

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2008-03-29T02:47:37-04:00

A thanks to all who've taken time to visit the site and proffer suggestions for improvement or just send a compliment. I've down-sampled the images at the galleries to a more "dial-up friendly" size. and have attempted to prune the various errors throughout the site. My go-to contact on the gallery download time is David Milne, who has dial-up in the GWN (Great White North). If you're reading D., let me know if the download times are much better. This has been kind of fun. I've been given a reason to contact and hear from friends I have not been in touch with for a while. Cheers!

Gotta Love Scrimshaw

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2008-03-27T16:43:43-04:00

Went to the Brooklyn Museum's Luce collection, where they have a impressive range of early American naive art. I took a shot of this example they have of scrimshaw dated to about 1830. Scrimshaw is basically carving into the enamel of a whale's tooth or bone surface with a sharp object and rubbing in lamp black or tobacco juice to darken the lines. This one is on the tooth of a sperm whale. Something to put in your trivial facts file is, that the maker of a scrimshaw is called a scrimhander. ... It really has a power to it, possessing all that is needing to make a good portrait, including a frame. I like the sense of wind given by the ribbon on the hat. No, it's not a deep, physiological survey of the sitter, but there is a sweetness to it. On the opposite side, there is a portrait of a young woman, though it's impossible to see due to the way the tooth is mounted. ... There was no indication that this was the case--romantics can speculate. The patterns are interesting too, very intricate, pyramids on the bottom with floral/leaf design up top. You won't see much scrimshaw made these days, with whales being endangered and all. I took this picture by placing my camera lens right against the glass so there was minimal shake and no reflection.

Snapped One Night

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2008-03-25T21:04:45-04:00

As it turns out, our home is near Laguardia. We're not so close that the planes fly right over head, but we can get an eyeful of them whenever we want. Here's a nice shot of one crossing the Moon. I've tried this a number of times and I just got a blur or nothing at all. This time I finally got the shot.

First Blog Entry

thomaskerr@mindspring.com — 2008-03-24T15:07:10-04:00

I'll post images and other things I find interesting on these pages. I cannot promise to make any of this truly interesting, but that is the nature of blogs I guess-words by amateurs. I'm on break this week and finally got this site up. I've built a number of sites, yet just like the cobbler whose kids go without shoes, I haven't really had an update to my web presence in almost 12 years! This would explain the dated photograph I'm posting here. It's from Christo's "Gates installation from Central Park That is yours truly leaning against one of those structures. Somehow I thought the intention was to mount the Gates during the summer months. As you can see--in the photo--it was put up in early spring. I imagine the graphic impact would have been much better if the orange color of these gates been set off against summer foliage. I guess Christo was lucky to get them up at all. Though , generally, I'm not a fan of Christo's efforts, I must say this is the first time I can remember the activity of an artist getting onto the front page of the NY Times and getting people in the street talking about art. Like it or hate it, it got you thinking. After this sojourn through the park, Val and I went off to the Algonquin's Oak Room and hung out with a selection of INX artists and Jacek Malek (Director of the Triangle Gallery).