Hi everybody, I'm back at the otaku! (not that i ever really left i just haven't posted in forever) Anyway, I just want to say sorry to all those who might have felt that I didn't enjoy your company and artwork in my absense this past year. A lot of stuff has happened and I won't bore you with all the details now.
This is my first submitted pic in a while and I thought I'd start my return to the Otaku with something that was made with a much greater sense of purpose than my usual works...

Earlier this year my band teacher's mother passed away and it's rightly said that many of us had our hearts out to him and his family. He teaches band 6th grade and up while his wife teaches band 4th grade and up, so those of us who love their class enough to stick it out till senior year are considered family to them and to eachother; it's really tight knit.

Every year my heart ached for the aging man who struggled to keep up the success our little band has held since his hiring while each year, less and less students came with the enthusiasm he needed to help it along. It took a toll on him emotionally as well as physically, and I wanted to go off on the bratty lower classmen who would turn his funny disposition into a sour one.

Anyway, to the point, when his mother died this late Spring, a lot of us thought to remind him and his wife that there were still those of us who felt his pain, and that we were just as quick to offer our support as any other family would. I decided to make an illustration and message of good will on one side, while the other side held the signatures of band members from all 7 grades.

I don't know if the message shows clearly enough, but it reads:
The hummingbird is known as a symbol of love, joy, and beauty. Able to fly backwards, the hummingbird teaches us that we can look back on our past. But this bird also teaches us that we must not dwell on our past: we need to move forward. When the hummingbird hovers over flowers when dreaking nectar, we learn that we should savor each moment and appreciate the things we love.

The hummingbird was my immediate choice when this idea came to mind, and when I read the original text I paraphrased this from I just knew I had made the right choice and I couldn't be happier with the result. I knew I wouldn't see this picture again after I gave it to them and they were 1st period so this picture was taken on the drive over. The entire picture was slightly cropped to exclude my thumb as I held it up, the morning sunlight can be seen streaming through the top left corner of the pic since I was in the passengers seat... aaaannd we were driving fast so the entire frame is slightly tilted... I still like how it came out!

I dedicate this to a fellow band member who knows the trials and joys of being part of a marching band. HOPE YOU LIKES!!!!!!!