Artists Books

Has 2 critical and unique features for each site -- GPS address (in addition to street address) and the accessibility for public viewing. Before this book, I've wasting much travel time trying to find sites and then finding them completely hidden from view.

As a practicing architect and architectural historian living in California, I have found this book to be an essential part to my research for projects designed by FLW. The photography is rich and alive. I have visited most of the buildings included in this book, the photography could not be more powerful. What else can be expected from such a talented author as Mr. Heinz? Another fine book by Mr. Heinz and cannot wait to see his upcoming book on Green and Green's Blacker House.

The reader from California must have the wrong book. There is no photo of a decorative detail of the Hollyhock House. I checked on the cities and found that some are noted differently than other texts but are accurate. One example is the Sturges House (page 49) listed in Los Angeles, most others list it in Brentwood. After the OJ trial, everyone now knows Brentwood is actually a neighborhood of Los Angeles. The photo of the Millard House (page 61) is printed backwards but the house is symmetrical and is still recognizable.

The book reveals a great deal of new, previously unpublished material that adds a great deal to our understanding of Wright's work such as the sections on San Francisco and Los Angeles that give locations and information of the clients or sites for buildings that are demolished to those only proposed. It helps to make the work more real and exciting.

The California reader must keep in mind that the purpose of this book is to assist all the Pilgrims making their way to every one of Wright's work. For that it is one of the greatest books available as Wright's work needs to be seen in person to be appreciated.

I am sure we are all eagerly awaiting the last of the series, The East!

this book is now available and the Publisher/Distributor, John Wiley & Sons, has it in their warehouse. It covers the Western US as well as Japan, Central America and South Asia. It is the first in the series to use color in the maps which makes them much more readable. The binding has been altered from the first two volumes but should shill lie flat when opened. The GPS numbers are entered in full. The Alphabetical index at the back locates all of the buildings for the first three volumes. There is a problem with the last volume, #4, East. The publisher is hesitating to bring it out. If you are interested in seeing the series complete, please write to the publisher, John Wiley & Son, in New York and request that it be published. These books bring a tremendous amount of new information on the buildings but expecially on the people who comisioned them, the clients. There are many new findings on buildings that have been demolished as well as those that were mereely planned. These make goot reading and make the humt for each pilgrimage site much easier and effecient. Each site is rated. The rating indicates how much effort one should expend to get to the site. A low rating does not mean the building is not a good one but that if you travel to see it, you may not be able to because it is inreachable or unseeable. Each community should take pride in having a world class design in it.

My mom got me this postcard book for Christmas. The postcards are lovely. They are pictures of Kahlo's artwork and even pictures of herself. I need to buy this because I love the pictures too much to give them away!

This book contains 22 postcards featuring 17 full-color popular works of art as well as 5 photographs of the artist herself. The compilation of images consists of self-portraits, still life, surreal scenes and black & white and color photographs. Painting dates, titles, size and medium are printed on the back of each card. Painting titles are in English and Spanish. Cards are 4½" x 6¼" and are suitable for framing.

The most wonderful person ever, her life story has to be the most inspiring one to any young girls who would like to change their path and get on the right direction to a bright and happy life. I would recommend this book to any one and we all can learn from her struggle life and look at our own.

These card's are exquisite and I intend to frame them in a grouping on the wall. This is truly an amazing woman, the life and time's of which would make an interesting film.

Frida Kahlo lived in the times of great upheaval in Mexico. And went thru much pain and suffering, due to illness and a tragic accident. I am readin one of her biography's written by Haden Herrera, and it is great, in that is is based on letter's she wrote to her school chum and boyfriend. ciao yaaah 69

Maybe it's because I just got finished reading Camus' "Stranger", but this book seems a lot like it. It's told from the point of view of Dick and the narrative seems very existential, grounded right in the very moment, with only little concern for the future. Also, there is the 'tough-guy" style of narrative which Camus confessed to using. Very truncated sentences. Very narrowed point of view which results in a sense of isolation. It's ultra-modern because it seems to go beyond issues of ethnicity, right down to the very basic necessities of all human life. The author goes out of the way to point out things like breathable air, and water and food and shelter. It's a very short book and very difficult to put down. Disturbing, fascinating and entertaining at the same time. I don't know why I should say this but it gives me confidence that there are actually other people out there who think. Is the author coming out with anything else soon?

Having been acquainted with the author now for some years, I have the sneaking suspicion that his intention in "Fun With..." was to shock us with the zeal of an emerging agnosticism, to render modern angst through the perspective of an intelligent yet simple character. If anything, Quiray is honest. And this honesty comes through in the inescapable theme of multiculturalism. In a world of western freedoms tempered by puritanical heritage, chaotic diversity is the rule. The final truth: Dick is brown, and Dick can't possibly know what this means. In conversation Quiray has spoken often of dramatic scenarios, `writing styles' and other various artistic devices (musical, visual, gastronomical) which transcend loyalty to friends, family, ethnicity and country. I won't say that he has failed at such a burdensome task. On the contrary, I have spoken to a few mutual friends who have read the book and they candidly reported that they were somewhat repulsed by what they perceived as apparent misanthropy. A jobless, appetite-driven photographer who takes pictures of roadkill? But, I would quickly append that Quiray also does a surprisingly decent job of exposing a slew of complex philosophical, sociological and psychological modern-day dilemmas armed only with one and two-syllable words in simple declarative sentences. And I believe the greatest thing about this book is that, despite ourselves, we come to love this character although we know very little about him. Living his spartan-like, stark existence, Dick is us--without the commercial insulation each of us have erected around ourselves. And despite the lonesome weariness he shoulders in his pursuit of transcendence, it is his desire for intimate spiritual connection with his neighbor which captures our heart and preserves his dignity. Artists live by different rules, and sometimes it is justified. If we're lucky, everybody benefits.

Remembering my reading of Quiray's second novel from a distance of almost a year, I realize that "Fun With Dick and Jana" gives voice to the mutual attraction of two adult friends struggling to express their complex, and intense, affection in a dead-end world where that affection is threatened by boredom and dis-ease about the future. Their lives unravel in a small college town filled with their own barely audible disappointments and too many memories of growing through adolescence into their early 20s. Quiray's main character is a man of confused ambitions, mixed emotions and striking intelligence who works odd jobs to pay constantly truant bills while wandering into various confrontations with other nomadic souls. As these situations unravel, including a car crash, a variety of landlord avoidances, a wedding photography session, numerous thoughts on modern multi-culturalism and brushes with casual sexual contact, "FWDJ" becomes more a character study of early adult struggle than it is a love story, drama, adventure or moral tale, although it contains aspects of each. Instead "FWDJ" circles in the difficulty of maintaining a forward course in life as it is set upon by the striking need to "just grow up" and the simultaneous conflict of not knowing what growing up means. By novel's end, Quiray's lovers, and their ambiguous relationship with their small town, realize a tenuous balance between happiness and sadness that fills them with hope for a future that holds excitment and accomplishment as the carrot sticks prodding adult maturation. "FWDJ" is a story of transition and companionship, and realizing that all futures begin with first steps through who we have been into who we want to become.

Found the characters closely paralleled my own personal experiences. Somewhat of a coming of age story about Dick and friends trials with life, friends, parents, females, morals etc. Anyone who's ever been confused about life will appreciate the book and the message it offers.

Liza Donnelly has written a great book, a book I have been waiting for. I'm embarrassed to say it's been out a while and I've just discovered it... but Funny Ladies is well researched, well-written, funny and enlightening. The history of women cartoonists at the New Yorker follows the history of women in the 20th century, and reading this book is and eye-opener on both levels. I was thrilled to learn more about cartoonists I'd heard of and discover ones I had not. And learning more about the founders of the New Yorker, Harold Ross and Jane Grant, plus the role cartoon editors there have played over time, is enlightening.

A great book, great read, great find.

Thanks to the cartoonist/author. There are precious few of us, and I'm so happy you preserved this portion of our history.

"The New Yorker" is universally considered to be the best magazine and it regularly runs cartoons. Unlike many other cartoons noted for their in-your-face approach, the message of the cartoons in "The New Yorker" is generally very subtle. Many great cartoonists have had their work featured in the magazine, and some of them were women. This is their story.
It is one that in general is concurrent with what happened in the rest of society. In the early years, there were few career opportunities open to women and their work was evaluated in different ways. The twenties were a time of advancement, but the hard reality of the depression in the thirties had an overall negative effect on the status of women. Once the Second World War began, women were needed in every capacity, so their stock once again rose, only to fall back down after the war and into the reactionary fifties. Finally, the overall advancements in the role of women in the sixties and seventies destroyed all barriers to women cartoonists.
Through it all, the pioneers struggled with their drawings and captions, using them to make important statements about the world that existed around them. It was a world that they struggled against, yet eventually emerged triumphant through the success of those of their gender that succeeded them. As much as anything, this book is a chronicle of the emergence of women from the "pedestal of assumed inferiority" to one where their work is appreciated, respected and expected.

This is not a cartoon collection, it's a history - but it does include cartoons by every one of the cartoonists mentioned. It slightly before the founding of The New Yorker, with how the magazine came to be, and how Ross's independent wife (her name was Jane Grant, and she didn't change it when she got married) was an influence on what he expected the readership of the magazine to be, and who he would accept as writers and illustrators.

Some of the highlights: learning more about Helen Hokinson, much of whose stuff is still funny; the sad fate of Mary Petty. There was a little too much about Donnelly herself in there, but I guess I can understand the impulse. This really did bring out some of the developments in the glass ceiling for particular kinds of women artists.

When one thinks about WW2, and women filling jobs that used to be men's, one thinks of Rosie the Riveter - until I read this book, it had not occurred to me that women also filled the men's jobs as cartoonists at The New Yorker! The section on the war era includes some of the funniest cartoons.

Of course Roz Chast is included in here - quite possibly my favorite contemporary cartoonist. I greatly enjoyed the details about how she got into cartooning, and seeing how changes in her own stages of life have made it into her cartoons.

I think the book as a whole is the same sort of mix as the magazine - interesting articles, punctuated by cartoons. So if you like the magazine, you should enjoy the book!

FUNNY LADIES: THE NEW YORKER'S GREATEST WOMEN CARTOONISTS AND THEIR CARTOONS could easily have been featured in our 'Cartoons and Graphic Novels' section, but is reviewed here for its ability to appeal beyond the usual confines of the cartoonist fan's world. Over the decades a growing core of female artists has been creating New Yorker cartoons weekly: Liza Donnelly, herself a New Yorker cartoonist for over twenty years, provides a history of women's humor and its evolution, pairing an anthology of cartoons with a survey of the genre in a wonderful, vivid overview.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

The sheer momentum of the author's imagination and consummate skill in delivering the visual evidence was a big surprise. This book is a must-have for those whose vision of the future soars beyond the predictable Trekoidal Sword and Sandal stereotypes. Kofoed mixes wild fantasy into a look at what might be reality in the next Millennia or two.

Great fun for adults and for kids!

Karl's book Galactic Geographic takes you on a daring voyage into uncharted realms never before imagined. You really believe that this is a book from the future, and not just from the content (no spoilers here)! This is a book that will appear on my coffee table and all my friends will get a copy - because these are NOT the Star Trekian worlds - They are Kofoed's. For those that love _real_ science fiction, I recommend this book.

This book seems to me to be one of the most imaginative and beautiful works of science fiction published in the last decade. A must for anyone's collection.

This is a stunningly beautiful and mind-expanding foray into speculation about life on other worlds, packaged as a remarkable artifact. Imagine having your friends drop by and notice this interesting book on your table, that turns out to be a coffee-table book from the future! An absolute treat!

The Galactic Geographic series originally ran in Heavy Metal magazine years ago, and is currently running there again. It was created by my favorite off-world artist, Karl Kofoed, who paints images of alien worlds so dynamic and tactile that you can only assume they were painted on location!

Don't pass this one up!

A colleague gave me Gardens of Light as a gift. She said its poetic prose and soothing art gave her such a sense of spiritual peace that she wanted to share it with all of her friends. I was not only touched by the book's insight, but I could also almost feel the artist's hand lead me to a more beautiful place within myself.

The presentation of thoughts & their connections to the Arts is very interesting. My favorite was "The Treasures of the Garden". She made me feel that being on the downhill side of life isn't so bad after all.The lovely paintings really emphasised what the artist felt & portrayed. The butterflys, the flowers & the swans were beautiful. I will watch for her next book.

This small treasure of a book should be read by anyone who is reaching deeper within themselves, their relationships, and the world. The art is wonderful, and one can see how the artwork inspired the artist to create a beautiful message to share with others.

The illustrations are beautiful. The grace and use of color is very soothing to ones' soul. Her art speaks to me. I find the book dear and quite lovely. It is a great gift book. The design of the book is very user friendly. The writing is thought provoking. I highly recommend this book.

This book, actually the catelog for an exhibit of 3 of the panels, tells you everything you want to know about the panels and the doors that are one of the signature achievements of the Renaissance. It's got well written chapters on the narratives in each panel and a detailed step-by-step description of how they were made, with beautiful diagrams.

A must read if you're going to see the panels or doors...

"The Gates of Paradise" is the title Michaelangelo gave to the extraordinary bronze doors on the Baptistery in Florence created by Lorenzo Ghiberti in the mid-1400's. This book is not a "coffee-table book" for impressing friends, but is for lovers of great art or the Italian Renaissance who want to look at beautiful photos of these doors (recently restored after years of painstaking work), and to learn more about them in a serious way. The book is a collection of essays, each focusing on a different aspect of the doors; their origin (questions of authenticity, date of the work, the extent that Ghiberti [and not his apprentices] were involved; the technical aspects of casting, and then gilding, bronze in the 15th century (how Ghiberti was truly at the leading edge of his time, not just in artistry, but in technology); the difficulty and technical aspects of restoration; and more. I found this book fascinating and would recommend it highly.

The book is excellent. Each chapter is written by a different person with his or her own area of expertise. Somewhat redundant comments at the beginning of some chapters recounting the history of the doors but overall each chapter is very good. Image quality is good and text is readily understood by the average person . . not an overly technical book and is thus good reading. However, the format of the book is absolutely stupid. Who would create a book illustrating SQUARE panels such as these and then print it in a tall rectangular format. Someone wasn't thinking and it leaves the reader longing for a full page image of each panel in its entirety. All we get are vertical slices of panels and no complete image of any of them. One of the silliest mistakes in a book I have seen. Also some pages are not numbered and the numerous notes at the end of each chapter can have you jumping back and forth a bit. We went to the exhibition in Seattle and the book was a great background read. Shortcomings aside it is well worth buying. Enjoy it! By the way I have not yet purchased the other book available here at Amazon but may yet do so.

This is the luxuriously published catalogue on the occasion of the exhibition "The Gates of Paradise: Lorenzo Ghiberti's Renaissance Masterpiece", till January 13, 2008 at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York after having been on show at Atlanta's High Museum of Art and the Art Institute of Chicago. It's about the gilded bronze reliefs on the East Doors of the Baptistery of San Giovanni, Florence (Italy), made by the Florentine sculptor Lorenzo Ghiberti between 1425 and 1452. The book contains seperate quires with photographs, mostly in detail, of the three reliefs on show: the "Adam and Eve" relief, the "Jacob and Esau" relief, and the "David and Goliath" relief, which allow the spectator to see what great masterpiece indeed Ghiberti made in his reliefs, depicting intricate scenes from the Old Testament. And these photographs do capture --since but few people will be so lucky as to see these reliefs in reality-- Ghiberti's artistry and amazing craft: his originality of invention, his majesty of designs, his vivid illusion and clarity of space as well as the diversity, intensity, and meticulousness in his depiction of the figures' physical, mental, and emotional states of mind, the aforementioned being a new realm of representation in Renaissance art. For all the expressive power and convincing vitality of human figures in early Renaissance art and their seeming to be intensely alive, only rarely are their individual and distinct states of mind and sentiment indicated if not captured the way Ghiberti managed to achieve.
The book contains very readable essays on the artist Ghiberti and on the art and innovation in his amazing reliefs. In his essay, Andrew Butterfield offers scholars and students who still put their trust in Richard Krautheimer's 1956 book on Ghiberti (the 1970 hardcover and the 1983 paperback editions are still available) convincing arguments --based on the latest research-- to question Krautheimer's methods and results (in despite of their overall importance) which are largely based on Krautheimer's basic principal of the "single-point perspective". Mr. Butterfield argues that "single-point perspective" is a system intended for the projection of space on a two-dimensional surface, whereas relief sculptures are three-dimensional and have complex surfaces. It's a basic problem that figures in a relief must have real three-dimensional volume, and consequently there must be a projection at the bottom of a relief for these figures to stand on. This being rather self-evident for us now, Mr. Butterfield pursues his point by explaining the requirements of narrative and setting that Ghiberti faced, and fulfilled, among them the direct confrontation of but a few (usually two) figures in one scene of a relief, against the necessary depiction of large groups of figures in events in the biblical history of a nation or people in another scene of the same relief. All this is connected with Ghiberti's other primary concerns: legibility and a desire for clarity. Which stresses the need to look beyond the prejudicial notion that Ghiberti was in essence a Gothic and conservative artist, as advocated a.o. by J. Pope-Hennessy ("Italian Gothic Sculpture", 1986).
Gary M. Radke's essay explores the realms of collaboration Ghiberti had to enter into and looked for. In his days, most public commissions knew a high amount of interaction and Ghiberti had manipulative relations with his patrons, at the same time furthering his own best interests. Furthermore, this book explores historical documentation on the Gates of Paradise, reconsiders the creative sequence of Ghiberti's doors, documents the now almost finished restauration and examines both Ghiberti's art of chasing and casting technique of the Gates of Paradise reliefs, abundantly supplied with photographs and illustrations giving overviews and many details of each relief under survey. There also is a chronology of Ghiberti's life. See "The New York Review of Books", Vol. LIV, Nr. 17, November 8, 2007 for a more professional review of this catalogue.

George Nelson's life work goes beyond the production of a building or a product although he did both of these things . . . and well. George thought about the fundamental problems of living in a designed environment.

A terrific biography about a wonderful and creative individual. Although George Nelson created many iconic designs his legacy lives more in how he lived his life and who he chose to be.

An intelligent and humanistic piece of biographical work. I couldn't put it down and at the end of the book I felt as though I had lost a friend.

George Nelson was not only a creative artistic talent, he was also a commercial genius (just like Picasso was). These two talents provided his secret for success that would reward him throughout his life. This book documents in detail how George Nelson thought and designed. The attention is clearly on his biography, this is not a coffee table book filled with an overdose of pictures. A wonderful biography about a designer that was the founding father of American Modern Design. I also suggest to visit the wonderful online archive about George Nelson at WWW.GEORGENELSON.ORG.

Although the book is minimal on color illustrations and its strength relies mainly on its text, contrary of what I had expected, I was very pleased with it. It is a very comprehensive study of the work of Nelson, one of the pioneers of American industrial design, giving more importance to the concepts and the process of design, rather than to the produced objects, buildings and exhibitions themselves. The preface by Ettore Sottssass is equally outstanding, as most of his written works are.

A portal onto George Tooker's unsettling paintings is a 1997 New Yorker cartoon by Tom Cheney titled Skeleton in Cubicle. In the middle of a group of nine office cubicles is a skeleton in a suit jacket. The office workers in the eight surrounding cubicles go on with their work as if nothing is out of the ordinary. The message, here in a macabrely humorous cartoon in a mass-market periodical, about the soullessness and anonymity of modern life is clear. In his paintings, Tooker (born in Brooklyn, 1920) delves imaginatively and in some respects literally into the implications and dimensions of this cartoon which evokes a amused burst of recognition for many.

Tooker had done a painting reminiscent of the cartoon three decades earlier. His Landscape with Figures (1966) is a red-tinted complex of cubicle-like connected squares with individuals with only the upper parts of their heads visible peering out of them. The only one whose head appears enough so that a mouth is visible is the woman in the foreground. Her mouth is open, but her breathing appears to be involuntarily suspended. The closed eyes of the others in the cubicle-like squares gives off the impression that the group has been beset by something unimaginable, such as the soullessness and anonymity of modernity, and has no natural attributes such as presence of mind or breathing to respond to it.

Tooker's paintings are not conventional depictions of prevailing angst such as ones for example seen in illustration art in popular periodicals or on book jackets. Nor do they fall within the type of modern art depicting the oft-noted anxieties and neuroses going modern life which has been imaginatively and masterly represented by major artists such as Bacon and Munch. While inevitably evoking existential estrangement such as explored by Camus and Sartre and the dread and fears of modern times, Tooker's deft, iconic paintings of extreme angst go beyond these. In going beyond these, Tooker's paintings emerge onto the plain of hope. The artist recognizes this in saying in a quote from a letter, "In some of my paintings I am saying 'this is what we are forced to suffer in life,' while in other paintings I say, 'this is what we should be.' I oscillate between the earthly state and a concept of paradise." This other--bright, optimistic--aspect of Tooker's paintings is disclosed in material in essays by art critics with references to Middle Age religious art. The portrayals of the agonies of Christ or of saints and the relatively primitive, stiff picturing of the individuals in the Middle Age paintings are recognized in both the subject matter and stylistic features of Tooker's paintings.

The singular achievement of Tooker's paintings is reaching the nadir of angst bringing on virtual immobility, while in so doing not being blinded to the possibility of the state of peace. As the paintings are not narrative, Tooker deals with these apparently diametrically opposed states in different paintings. Thus, mixed with works of individuals suffering fear, dread, and worry are works of individuals in a preternaturally state of peace. Dark Angel is one such work. While immediately imparting different feelings and reactions, upon inspection one sees that the differences are in fact minor, or at least less than is commonly expected. With their iconic persons, formalities of style, similar range of color and color tone, and compositional arrangement, one sees almost an affinity between emotional pain and spiritual heights. This association is usually ascribed to saints, martyrs, and the persecuted. Tooker extends it to ordinary individuals in the conditions of modern society.

A large (10" x 11"), almost square format paperback with fold out cover which is illustrated throughout predominantly in full colour. Following the introduction which provides a brief biography of the artist, the books proceeds to consider the paintings chronologically. Each painting is discussed in detail; the intelligent and accessible commentary taking into account relevant events in the artist's life that might bear influence on the work. The book concludes with an illustrated (black and white) catalogue raisonne of paintings, a list of exhibitions and a selected bibliography.

This is a splendid book, beautifully presented; it is well laid out and with many if the images presented against a neutral grey page background which well suites the work. The book designer should be commended too for arranging the text alongside, or within a page of, the images to which to it refers; without compromising the layout (other publishers and designers please take note - it can be done!).

The book contains over 145 paintings of which more than 85 are in full colour, most of the latter are half to full page size. The printing is excellent and well conveys the subtle delicacy of the paintings as well as the luminosity of the paint surface; with the result that the images truly glow out from the page.

George Tooker is surprisingly fresh and intriguing, misteryous and subtle.
Like Garver says, he is a classic in modern times, perfectly integrated though.
I always wanted an art book with his works, but only now I had this occasion, thanks to amazon!

George Tooker is a genius, and this book certainly does his work the justice it deserves. His lifetime's portfolio is lovingly reproduced, along with study drawings for many of the paintings, and explanations as well. The emphasis in this art book is on the pictures, rather than the text... highly recommended. (By me at least.)

I read this book because it referred to Nantucket---the place I now call home. What I hadn't anticipated, though, was learning from its pages that much of what makes Nantucket seem so special derives from what all those of us who discover it had to go through in order to arrive here. Mr. Hallam's tale truly is no mere "travelogue", but that of a journey, which both forms and reveals character by the sheer requisite of living through it.

And what a journey he describes! From the bleak, dismal North of England, Mr. Hallam managed to pull himself up by his bootstraps, shake off the dreary prospects of living the life expected of him, and embark on an odyssey of self-discovery through art and music. No matter what the circumstances, Hallam seems never to have lost a sense for what is sensual, what is vibrant, what is most human about the human experience.

Although the context of "Getting to Nantucket" deals with overcoming all of the challenges that daunted him, Hallam's witty narrative is utterly bereft of "doom and gloom". In fact, it is not only amusing, it's often hysterically funny. This is not a book to be read in a public library unless you are prepared to deal with hearing "shush!" repeatedly as you laugh out loud.

I wouldn't recommend "Getting to Nantucket" to my close friends... for the simple reason that I'll probably just get them each a copy. I will, however, have to keep mine in the car---so if I recognize Mr. Hallam from his photo on the dust jacket I'll have it on hand for him to autograph.

great reading!

Anyone who thinks that becoming a "real" artist isn't hard work has never read Kerry Hallam's earnest and funny book, "Getting To Nantucket: An Artist's Journey." He takes us from his youth in northern England's rust belt, through his life as a workaday designer, and then shares his epiphany: the decision to throw caution to the winds, sell everything he owned, and set off to become a successful artist. What inspired me was the fact that no matter what else he had to do to grub a living -- which included singing at restaurants for tips -- Hallam never deserted his first love: painting. This book is a "must read" for every aspiring artist -- and even more importantly, for every artist who, as Hallam often did, feels as though their artistic career has run into a roadblock. Hallam never gave up, and yes, he made it to the artistic "big time." But he never lost his down-to-earth values, his kind heart, or, thank goodness, his wicked British sense of humor.

Getting To Nantucket: An Artist's Journey is Kerry Hallam's lively and funny autobiography. Beginning in a frigid industrial town in northern England and ending on a picturesque New England island, Hallam's is a personal success story that engages the total attention of the reader as his perceptive eye and artistic spirit takes us from his dead-end job in London, to an accidental music career on the French Riviera and in German, followed by life as an itinerant artist across the United States. Like his watercolors, Hallam's biographical vignettes are vivid, memorable sketches. Getting To Nantucket treats us to an amusing account of an artist's evolutions; a series of hilarious predicaments involving celebrities, aristocrats, and steely-eyed gendarmes, along with a little light-hearted and insightful social commentary. Getting To Nantucket is greatly enjoyable reading from first page to last.