Woman Seated

Woman01, originally uploaded by Tony2008-r.

I love painting in acrylic and I love the human form. This is one of my more successful studies which combines color and shape in the way i like it.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

The woods

The_woods, originally uploaded by Tony2008-r.

A simple ink and paper render of some beautiful trees that I saw one day. this reminds me of some Japanese art work I have seen.

Peace.

Toothy

Toothy, originally uploaded by titanwulf.

Perhaps the most sublime creature that I have seen in a Zoo- The Alpaca, a close relative to the Llama.

It begins…..

It begins….., originally uploaded by titanwulf.

Ah– a nice day at the local Zoo…. The xaos of the little children and the crazy animal they will see!

a surprise

a surprise, originally uploaded by house on hill road.

very cool kids art. love it.

long view

long view, originally uploaded by titanwulf.

Here is some of my recent photography work. I hope you enjoy it.

15 albums that had such a profound effect on you

Think of 15 albums that had such a profound effect on you they changed your life or the way you looked at it. They sucked you in and took you over for days, weeks, months, years. These are the albums that you can use to identify time, places, people, emotions. These are the albums that no matter what they were thought of musically shaped your world. When you finish, tag 15 others, including me. Make sure you copy and paste this part so they know the drill. Get the idea now? Good. Tag, you’re it!

In order of acquisition-

(these Albums were tapes and some of them were copied from friends! Back when the record labels wouldn’t hunt you down for that kinda thing)

1. Mob Rules by Black Sabbath.My friend Steve turned me on to Black Sabbath and played some Led Zeppelin for me which later became obsessions to learn on the guitar. lots of folks will site Ozzy as their Black Sabbath memories but i will forever associate Ronnie James Dio as the vocalist of Black Sabbath. I also watched Heavy Metal on HBO late nights which features the song MOB RULES in the movie. At the time I also listened to Judas Priest and Accept.

2. Def Leppard Pyromania – I was a birthday present and at the time my first tape that was actually not copied or that I had made from taping the radio. I listened to this album so much almost ritually after I got home from school for hours. I knew every part and breath the singer did. At the time I was learning the guitar and I got a book with this funny stuff in it called TAB since I couldn’t read music. I taught myself to play all the rhythm parts to that album and I played my own leads.

3. Def Leppard High and Dry – obsessed with the Pyromania Album I was releaved to know they had a previous effort. I went nuts over this album as well. The Tab book included songs from High and Dry and Pyromania. I was in guitar Heaven.

4. Iron Maiden Powerslave – The pinnacle effort in an ever growing legendary Metal group. i got the Tab for this and learnt all the songs for this album and the follow up Somewhere in time. The Live album is considered the BEST live album by any group by many industry professionals. I do agree.

5. Iron Maiden’s Live After Death – The album from start to finish was the PERFECT live set with all the songs meticulously assembled in stunning order to make such a land mark event for a little mind like mine to obsess to. Many hours were spend loudly playing along to this album. Just got the DVD from amazon a week ago…heh….

6. Van Halen’s 1984 – Van Halen’s PERFECT album, no missteps or wrong notes or whacky cover songs by Dave here. Every song again, learnt by me on guitar: My Kramer Striker at the time.-which has a Floyd rose tremolo on it….

7. Yngwie J. Malmsteen’s Rising Force – Ok this album blew me away when i heard it. It was so WELL EXECUTED playing that everyone else seemed to have big fat fingers when they played. And the mixing of Classical scales and processes with Heavy Metal was profound. I got chills listening to the high notes on this album and I have NEVER had chills with anything before or since. That and his follow up Marching Out were and are his most influential albums for me as a guitar player and composer.

8. Queensryche Operation: Mindcrime – The Rock Opera’s finest executed concept album from a group that wold never be better than this effort. This was the tape that played in my sony walkman in College while I wore my trench coat and goofy john Lennon mirror glasses like a freak. Chris Sterban and I both obsessed with this album. I was fortunate enough to see them come in concert to perform this album in its entirety in Richmond.

9. Joe Satriani Surfing with the Alien – What Joe most eloquently did was to prove that instrumental music on the guitar could be a viable art form. At college the first song I ever recorded on tape was Hordes of Locust from this album. Joe has had a big influence on me stylistically as you can hear from my own work.

10. Frank Zappa’s Joe’s Garage – With quotes like “He was a nice boy, he used to cut my grass” and “the white zone is for loading and unloading” and Songs like Catholic Girls. Zappa’s best effort in my book. Also a concept album, nay, double album. Fembot in a Wet T-shirt….. and there’s no place like home…on the bus…..

11. Steve Vai’s Passion and Warfare – My favorite Steve Vai Song called Blue Powder is on here. I think Steve’s best foot forward is on here. Made while he was working with Whitesnake on their Slip of the Tongue record. I liked him with DLR on Eat ‘em and Smile, which I consider his playing is better on that album but for his technical neurosis and minutiae control this is the only work of his I like. The rest of his catalogue of work sounds like a cut an paste in different arrangements of this work.

12. Nirvanna’s Nevermind – An album that made me see the raw realness an heart of Rock that was “produced” and over engineered out of 99% of the late 80′s stuff. On many grounds it could have failed. Technically played guitar was gone. Heck Kurt could barely play a solo, but that didn’t matter cus he meant what he said and played with such raw emotion it just grips you.

13. Pearl Jam’s Vs. – PJ’s greatest album, since i don’t own Ten. Also very raw and agressive and not at all “alternative” like. It has the longest GROWL SCREAM I have ever heard anyone do… How the HECK did he do that?????????

14. Soundgarden Superunknown – Black Sabbath reincarnated with Rock’s best singer n an album that said no to regular time signatures. LOVE IT! THis told me that there was more than just 4/4 or 6/8 time to write in.

15. Sade Love Deluxe – It had a profound effect on me as i didn’t ever think to like this music. But there it was and l LOVED every song on there. I obsessed with it. WHY do I like it??? Just like WET WET WET’s Popped in Souled out album… WHY???? Some things there are just no words…..

Peace,

Tony “Tha Tbone”

Addendum:
Rage Against the Machine, I hate not to put them on here so I will mention them here. Crazy MAD AWSOME! Tom Morello is the inheriter of the torch passed from Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, EVH, Yngwie Malmsteen, to him! Each one of these players [and yes you may have your own inclusions/exclusions (these are mine)] are definers of the guitar itself, stylistically and sonically and took it in a direction never thought of before.

summonpt1.9x12jpg

summonpt1.9x12jpg, originally uploaded by kelly+ferris.

another coolness…..

rhino

rhino, originally uploaded by Rye Eye.

Try to ignore that in the room!

Guisante

Guisante, originally uploaded by Pokhy.

THis guy like macro photo style just like I do! Very nice stuff!