25 Years - Renee and Denise by @ajfox (A Girtz)

And so ends our trip through time. I selected these pieces because, for the year the originals were created, they gave the best look at my progress then. (Jan-Dec of 99) There were several to choose from and honestly, I had to make some exceptions (such as this one - unfinished sketch) for the sake of aforementioned progress. I've hinted that I'll keep the door open to bonus 25 year pieces if I find more good candidates, but these basically do the job illustrating the journey. I may even come back to this idea next year and cover art from 2000, then and now.

1999: Why is the media making a big deal about this Y2K thing? My Toshiba Satellite 2595 laptop sees the coming months and years just fine in the Windows calendar. Which reminds me, I need to defrag my Windows 98 drive.....again. That or maybe switch to the new Windows 2000? Whatever gets me through the next semester of Novell Netware, DOS, Java, C+, and HTML classes. Friends on campus seem to like what I draw though not sure I want to break out the furry stuff just yet. I had been spending some time developing the human side of things and drawing vehicles & landscapes as well. I wanted to work on as much as I could. 2000 will be the year I discover several more incredible artists including Terrie Smith and Michelle Light. More artistic growth, including a certain Quake 3 based character and comic team will be created along the way as well.

2024: What changes a year can make. Comparing Renee's first original image to her last in the series...I don't know why I never noticed that before. The 24 version of this turned out way better than it needed to given the source. I figured since this was the finale, may as well give it the same treatment as the other 5. I really enjoyed using cool and warm grays to take the place of pencil for details in the new versions. It gives the new piece a life all it's own. Renee is fired up about something involving her pal, Denise. Sporting her wacky fringe jacket to replace whatever she was wearing in the original. It seems fitting she begins and ends the series.

The music, the memories.....for a short time, it felt like I was kind of back there again working on these. The same talent, the same person, just at very different stages and times. Many artists I knew back then have moved on, some leaving behind their mark. Little online monuments to the years when they were active. I think about them sometimes and visit their old galleries every now and then. I only know of a handful from those years still going today. These days belong to new artists making their mark now mostly in digital format. Take stock in today, for there may come a time when you'll look back 25 years from now, too.

Piece #6, Upload 55 (DA)