2006

I saw Tommi for the first time at an art opening in San Francisco in 2006. I was immediately struck by the grace, elegance and exquisite beauty of Tommi, with no thought of sexual orientation or gender. I asked a fellow artist about Tommi, as a portrait began to take hold of my subconscious mind. She told me that Tommi was a musician and offered to make an introduction. Tommi was shy and very reserved but agreed to come and model for me in my studio. Our painting sessions were always at night after we both got off from work. We worked late, speaking of love, music, loneliness, connection. Tommi’s journey within the trans community revealed itself slowly, as did this enigmatic painting.