"I can't afford not to record"

"I can't afford not to record" is one of my favorite lines by music artist Andre 3000. Which means when the moment to express how you feel you do so.

This blog comes a few days shy of my 29Th birthday and at this moment i feel my age. I've been steady packing up boxes full of memories, papers, books and they all mean so neatly fit into a box. One box lays on the bottom of a piles and piles of boxes that has my scribbled handwriting entitled "Past." Inside the box are Cd's, letters, picture albums from a shell of the men i once was that should never be opened again. Within my brain i rewind those days, events, and ideas that brought me to this place. For example yesterday i drove to Northern VA something that I've done 1 million times. But yesterday it hit me that i use to drive a little bit further to an airports to pick-up someone that will remain name-less. I had to block those feelings and ideas out of my mind because my main goal was to find furniture for a new beginning. The same things were going through my mind as i was scribbling the word "Past"on the box.
The most important reason i started this blog right now was to be honest with myself. Every birthday that I've had has been alone. Yes I've surrounded myself with friends and other times family but never a special someone. Just to show you how bad my karma has been I'll share a story with you. A girl i was dating who was older than me thought it would be a good idea to break a date with me and instead go out with her ex-boyfriend on my birthday. Yes, it happened and this wasn't in high school. This was no more than 5 years ago. Shame huh, nope not at all this is my life. Welcome to being Tommy.

DJ Chassis

i would apologize for my last blog but i feel i shouldn't. It was exactly what i meant for it to be. In the misty of all the changes that are taking place within my life at the moment i began making decisions that will ultimately change who i am. Friends who i once held near and dear to me simply have began to fade away. Why should i try and reel them in any more?

This is one of the DJ Chassis that i ran across while on talent data base website. I was drawn to the simplicity of this photo in which she clutches her headphones in one hand. I wanted to do a complete color pencil drawing. That's something that i haven't done in some time. I've been playing around with the idea of doing something finished instead of a sketch. This is my first attempt in some time that i had an infinite amount of time to complete. I never meet her nor had i heard her music but if it's only 1/2 as pretty as she is then it's probably worth it. Her website is
MySpace.com - DJ CHASSIS TML - 88 - Female - Ogden/Salt Lake City, Utah - www.

Kate

I know Kate because we work together at Old Navy and i love to tell everyone this but i work with some of the best ladies in the world. All of have interesting things that make them specials for various reasons. Kate's reason is that she's artistic as well. Though i've never seen any of her works but from what i've heard she's quite polished. I only wish i was as polished when i was in high school. I didn't get invited to any shows i simply drew in a sketch pad which is still piled up in my room even now. This is one of the draws that i found in her photo gallery that i wanted to use as a drawing. I'm fascinated with reflection drawing even though i did little with this one because it was a sketch.

Norfolk Drawing Group XXIII

Honestly i love these series of sketches that i did this past Tues. I think it has to do with the weary sense of mind state that i stumbled into the drawing group in. I was extremely tired as i mentioned earlier i had be working 9+ hours for a week straight. This night became my emotional awakening as well. I had spent the better part of the weekend juggling friends, going to see art shows, and of course work. The art shows i saw were so energizing that i wanted to draw and paint right then and there. But as soon as i got home i found myself in the arms of my broken sofa and soon in a deep slumber. Just as much as i need to be at the art galleries opening i needed to be among my artist friends.

Norfolk Drawing Group XXII

Honestly little did i know that that Tues would be the day before i worked a week straight. Even on my 2nd day off i'm still a little physically tired, but i'm managed to be semi productive.
Isiah was the model of the evening and i attempted to go a little work in charcoal which was iffy at best. I likee the first drawing of this back but the 2nd one i got a little to caught up in the details of the figure which brought the drawing down. The last sketch i did which is almost always the reclining one was very figurative. i didn't' go out of my way to show volume or emotions but i wanted to give it a better feel to the speed in which it was created.

Nickie was a Beach Babe (pic & drawing)

I plucked this picture some time ago very close to the end of July. My first attempt was sketching inside of a coffee shop EXCEPT it was live music night. My color pencils in a very cramped space didn't quite work out as well as i had wanted it to so i pushed it into the back part of my sketch pad. Sometime last month it became in lunch break and after work project. A picture to lost myself and attempt to stop the world for spinning if only for a moment. The picture created itself without much extra effort at all. I became even more energized when i looking inside an art magazine and saw someone had made their artwork look photo realistic. I was slight jealous because i knew i too could create this same effect as i had in the past.

The funny part about drawing at work or in public is the looks and questions that you get. Is that your girlfriend? Where do you know her from? Wow, she's pretty and oh you draw well too..lol
As always thanks Nickie for allowing me to use your picture again and show the world what a great friend you are

Norfolk Drawing Group XXII

Last Tues night i have one of my best drawing experiences in ages. I think it had more to do with the simply fact that i actually had time to draw for a change. I love doing sketchy drawings but sometimes you want to do something that a little more polished. The drawing isn't complete by far but it's more than 50% of the where i want it to be. The skin tones are still off and the background needs some love as well but it tries to showcase my techinque. A flash of a camera and color pencils don't work well together!