TOM  OF  FINLAND  FOUNDATION

Tips Of The Hat And Odds & Ends:

Payasos L.A. donated half of the proceeds from Hell on Wheels, Part 1 to ToFF. Their first, annual motorcycle ride reconnected generations and revitalized their Leather roots. It is always great to see new people at TOM House. Payasos L.A. is a nonprofit brotherhood of Gay/Bi Latino men who are committed to supporting and enhancing the quality of life for our communities and for future generations. Payasos L.A. Website

Tom of Finland Foundation presented Justin Emerick — the Mister Los Angeles Leather 2013 title winner — with a Tom of Finland fine art print. Justin will be representing the Los Angeles, CA area in the International Mr. Leather competition May 24 - 27 in Chicago, IL International Mr. Leather Website

JAY R. LAWTON
20TH JULY 1961 — 23RD APRIL 2013

Jay Lawton at ToFF’s Art Fair 2006 Thank you to Jay Jorgensen for this perfect picture above of Jay Lawton doing what he loved. And what we loved him for.

“Lawton’s Lookout” in TOM House

“One shot can last a lifetime.”

Jay “JayPG” Lawton left this world
But he will never leave us.

Jay Lawton was always knowing. He certainly knew what he wanted. It was very rewarding watching him mature as a photographer, not always an easy path he chose.

Jay came to Tom of Finland Foundation eager. He helped by documenting thousands of objects with his camera. He recorded our events as eventful. He acquired a quiet confidence that he took with him to all other kinds of events but he was adopted by the Leather community. His reputation was built on earnestness and dignity (and always being on time!).

Jay knew the right thing to do. He cared for his mother, not always something easy. He gave more than few of us think we can afford. He asked for what was fair – and right. He learned the right way to shoot and learned how to get the shots he wanted. All the lessons he learned as he was learning were not easy ones. He was sometimes discouraged but incapable of bitterness.

Jay was thoughtful and wise and we wish he was around so he could accomplish all he wanted. We are grateful for every moment we got to spend together and will miss that knowing grin —

— TOM’s Foundation

We invite you to view this gallery to revisit Jay Lawton’s work
(and to see just a few of his thousands of friends)

---

CELEBRATION OF JAY LAWTON'S LIFE
MAY 11, 2013 12:00 - 3:00 PM

Join us for a celebration of Jay Lawton’s life this Saturday May 11th at The Eagle LA Bar, let’s get together to roast our dear friend with a open mic for those with a 90 sec. speech, bring photos of yourself or others that were taken by Jay to share on our memory wall. It has been requested that in lieu of flowers that donations be made to the “JAY LAWTON PROJECT 50 FUND” please contact CHARLIE@EAGLELA.COM for details.

Eagle Bar Los Angeles
Event starts at Noon.
4219 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles CA 90029 · Map
Eagle Bar Website

JayPG Photography

Findlanization Weekend
July 26 - 28, 2013

MSC Finland – TOM’s Club – is a fetish club for leather, rubber and biker guys. MSC is a member of ECMC (European Confederation of Motorcycle Clubs).

The Saturday main party will be held in Pannuhalli at The Cable Factory.

More information to come on the MSC website.

MSC Finland Website

Drawing Workshop and Auction on April 28, 2013
Francesco reaches his goal!

Sharp and Francesco. Photo by Miguel Reyes.

"On behalf of the SF AIDS Foundation and LGBT I’d like to thank the Tom of Finland visitors for your kind and generous donations. With your generosity and support I have reached my goal of $5,000.00 and plus.

"A huge THANK YOU to everybody who came to my fundraiser – I enjoyed seeing you. Thank you for your generosity, time and good wishes. Special thanks goes to Miguel Angel Reyes for putting together this AIDS/LifeCycle event and S. R. Sharp and Durk Dehner of Tom of Finland Foundation for hosting!!!

"Also, a big thank you to Terry Grand, Roger Warnix, Thomas Rogillio, Jim Patrone for supporting me on this amazing journey. It’s a pleasure to have met you and I am looking forward to more fun times."

THANK YOU ALL – YOU ALL ROCK HARD !!!

Francesco Guglielmino

You touched him or he touched you —

“Sometimes, on a really cloudy night, you wouldn’t even know some guy was there until you touched him or he touched you. Sometimes nothing was said at all. You’d just hear breathing and the clink of a belt unbuckling.”

— Tom of Finland

Tom of Finland – Life and Work of a Gay Hero
by F. Valentine Hooven III

Happy Birthday TOM!
Hyvää syntymäpäivää Touko!

TOM OF FINLAND (Touko Laaksonen, Finnish, 1920 – 1991),
Untitled, c. 1946, Gouache on paper, 10.94” x 8.00”
Tom of Finland Foundation Permanent Collection #46.05
© Tom of Finland Foundation

Tom kept this work in his private collection
till the creation of his foundation where it now resides.

Touko Laaksonen inherited Beauty from his parents,
his upbringing steeped in Æsthetics.
He matured into an Artist who created
more than one masterwork yet
never had any formal Art training.
Schooled at the piano, self-taught with a pencil.
The consummate Homosexual.

From Tom of Finland – Life and Work of a Gay Hero

Tom of Finland’s real name is Touko - because he was born 8th May 1920, on the south coast of Finland, and May in Finnish is “Toukokuu”.

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