A Small Addition From Tom O'Keefe (click to enlarge)

Everyone's searching for the next "Big Idea", but maybe we should be looking for the next great little idea. And the next, and the next…

Trinity High School Jazz Festival

On Sunday, we went to the Jazz Festival at Trinity High School. It was clear and sunny and the music was surprisingly good. By surprisingly good, I mean that it wasn’t really polished or overly professional and that made it more enjoyable to me. I think it’s easy to forget that music doesn’t come out of machines sounding perfect. It comes out of people struggling to hit notes and breathing hard after a trumpet solo and squeaking the guitar strings and they whisk their fingers to the next chord position. I think I’d rather sit ten feet away from a pretty good high school jazz musician than listen to Miles Davis on my iPod.

Toys "R" Us at the Adcenter

My Adcenter class has been working on developing brand concepts for Toys "R" Us. The effort has made everyone feel like this is one brand that deserves another chance at greatness. To see some of the places we've been in the development of the brand, you can check out the class bolg at: http://web.mac.com/kelly.okeefe

Mr. Peanut

I've donated my collection of advertising characters to the VCU Adcenter. Even so, I find I still want to add to the collection, This Mr. Peanut costume is the latest acquisition.

A Comic From Conor O'Keefe (click to enlarge)

Spring Has Come, by Barry O'Keefe

Spring has come

Oh the squirrels are nibblin!
Oh the children's gigglin!
Oh the trees are jigglin,
Wrigglin, ticklin,
An showin their barely growin
Flarse and greenery

Booming and blooming,
Gushing and mushing,Whooshing, Swooshing
Plooshing,
No excusing
Not to walk outside
Buzzing Fuzzing
Cheeping Chirping
Pistols, pollen fusing
Go Perusing
Down by the railroad tracks
Smelling, belling
Quelling swelling
No Not telling
Winter's losing
Barefoot cruising

Oh spice horizon!
The grass stopped hidin,
neath the frosty 'jamas
clouds stopped providin.
Oh I think its well
some liquid fell
instead of ice.

Snake, by Tom O'Keefe (click to enlarge)