Backstory:
Ashley and Chris. Both have been with me from the start. We met in high school, back when I was just some weird kid who liked to spike his hair and draw a lot (a LOT) of naked people in his sketchbook.
Ashley was the first best friend I ever made. We had the best sleepovers-- staying up all night, drawing comics, and laughing at our jokes until the early morning. Ashley was the light that helped me through the most miserable times of my life. Chris and I rarely hung out in high school, but you'd never guess. We quickly became close friends over the phone. We were states away, but it was like we knew each other since forever. He became my role model for how to be a best friend and how to be a loving boyfriend.
Chris and Ashley helped me launch and sustain my first art business. They were two of the first people I came out to about my gender. Both Ashley and Chris immediately accepted me as I truly am. They loved me for me. For all of that and more, I am incredibly grateful to be their friend.
The painting: I asked myself, "If I could go back in time and give the high school squad a dream vacation...?" It had to be Disneyworld. With Ashley's input, we designed a birthday painting for Chris. While I can't go back in time and spoil our teenage selves, one day I can give us the first-class, VIP, Disneyworld vacation the three of us deserve.
