Tattoo Tuesday V.74

Name and blog name: Sara Marie //  Little Yellow Kitten

Age: 28
  
Occupation: High School Art Teacher

Age of first tattoo: 18

Favorite tattoo: My yellow finch

Featured tattoo/location: Ferdinand the Finch on my left foot

Artist/shop/location of feature tattoo: Mez Love formally of Katalyst Koncepts in Fort Collins, CO and now of Tattoo Bugaloo in San Francisco

 

1) Tell us about your featured tattoo- is there a background story or special meaning? Why did you choose this particular piece of art?

Ferdinand the Finch on my left foot: This tattoo is for my mom (although she rolled her eyes and said that was just an excuse when I told her that! oh mom!). We are incredibly close and she has taught me so much!  She really did an amazing job instilling a love of plants and nature in me that I still cultivate to this day.  When I was little she used to point out when the yellow finches would come to make a nest in our back yard and then we would enjoy watching them make the nest, waiting for the babies to hatch, and watching the babies grow.  I also wanted to incorporate one of her favorite flowers, blue bachelor's buttons, in the tattoo as well.  This is my first highly visible tattoo so I wanted to make sure that it was done right and I knew that I wanted Mez to do it for her highly realistic style.  I pretty much had to beg Mez to do this tattoo.  She was in the process of moving from Colorado to California and wasn't accepting any new clients.  I panicked that day and wrote her a long email about how she HAD to do the tattoo and we even had the same amazing high school art teacher and this tattoo was always planned with her doing it!!! She was gracious enough to do the tattoo after all my begging and pleading.  She is amazing artist and an amazing person. 

 

2) Do you have any other tattoos?  If so, what do you have and where?

I do! On my 18th birthday I walked into a tattoo shop to get my first tattoo of a fish on my lower back (this was before the term "tramp stamp").  While waiting for the artist to draw it up I received a call from my mom saying "I know where you are at.  Can you please just wait a day?”  Although I felt bad I stood up and informed the artist I would be back tomorrow.  I also have flowers going around both sides of my hips, a star with ivy around it on my chest and my back piece of two poppies and a spider mum, which is a giant, cover up of a poorly planned tattoo when I was 18. 

When kids ask me about getting tattoos I looove to tell them the story of my back tattoo.   It originally started out as a tattoo of the pagan symbol of the maiden mother crone or also called the triple goddess.  Although I am not a pagan I love the symbolism behind the maiden mother crone of the three stages of womanhood represented by a full moon and two crescent moons on its side.  However this tattoo was so poorly planned out on so many levels.  I presented the idea to a complacent tattoo artist who presented it back to me as a solid black tattoo.  Being 18, not very confident, and not wanting to hurt his feelings I said okay.  How stupid I was!  He used the wrong size needle so it faded terribly over the first two years and I got a lot of questions of what in the world my tattoo was.  The most popular guess was a bat.  As I grew older and wiser the tattoo became more and more embarrassing.  When I was planning my wedding in 2008 I was so uncomfortable with the idea that I had acquired all these other beautiful tattoos and the only one that was going to be visible during my wedding was the one I was not at all happy with.  So I had Heide Unger of Millennium Tattoo in Fort Collins, who travels the country teaching other tattoo artists how to do cover-ups, fix the tattoo.  It took over 12 hours, 4 sittings, and a lot of money to completely hide a terrible solid black tattoo.

 

 

3) Do you plan on getting more?

Yes! But no! I don't know!  I have a lot of ideas but my husband laughs at me because every time I get a tattoo I say it is the last. I have lots of ideas and it seems like I change my mind a lot so I have found that if I have an idea for a tattoo it is good for me to sit and think about it for a while (like years) and if I still want to do it then I start planning it.  For the longest time I have wanted a half sleeve of Quan Yin who is an eastern goddess of mercy and compassion.  However I don't know if this will ever come to fruition.  The idea of tattooing my arms is something that I am not comfortable with yet.  Probably the newest tattoo will be of a jeweled honeybee but I am still planning this one out in my head. 

4) How do your family and friends feel about your tattoo(s)?  Have you run into any adversity or negativity because of them? Do you have a significant other? Does he/she have tattoos?

Some of my friends are heavily tattooed so to them it isn't a problem (as seen in my lovely bridesmaids photo!).  My husband doesn't have any tattoos but he has never been shy about his support of me getting them.

On the flip side I somehow came out of two highly conservative parents. I was their free spirited wild child and an only child so looking back I have to laugh because there were times I know they had no clue what to do with me.  My mom was always hesitantly supportive when I would show up with pink hair but there were periods of time when my dad would just stop talking to me and then he would accept it and life would go on as normal.  When I started getting tattoos I think they honestly knew it was coming.  Still though, each time I get one I am always so nervous to show them!

I am also a high school teacher and when I started teaching I was very careful not to even admit that I had tattoos let alone show them to the kids.  I just wasn't comfortable going there. I was 23 when I started teaching and I didn't want to do anything that would make them think I was their friend and not their teacher.   I was also being protective of my job as well.   The town I live in is changing but it still somewhat conservative.  I just assumed that showing tattoos was not okay for a teacher to do.  Once I got tenure as a teacher I put my stud back in my nose and realized that there are some teachers at my current school with visible tattoos and I started planning my foot tattoo.  I also realized that in my job I am completely professional and I do a good job trying to be the best teacher I can be.  Having one visible tattoo wasn't going to discredit the reputation I had built.  I am also extremely lucky to teach in an amazing school with an amazing staff that focuses on the important things, like what is best for kids, and not superficial things.  Now my bird is usually out in the open and I don't mind telling kids the story of my back as well.  They usually find it entertaining and hopefully they learn from my mistake.

 

 

5) Any advice for those interested in getting tattooed but haven't gotten one yet?

It hurts. A lot.  A bunch of needles jabbing into your skin isn't going to feel good and your body is going to react.  Concentrate on your breathing while getting tattooed and bring a snack!  This will help your blood sugars level out.   

Get ready for the attention.  The biggest reason I don't have many tattoos that I can't cover up is because some days I don't want to show my tattoos. Some days I really love showing them off and some days I just want to run my errands and not have someone stop me and ask if it hurt or if my mom knows I have that tattoo on me. 

Do it for yourself!  Don't do it to fit in.  Don't do it because you think you should have one. And don't be impulsive about it! Do it because you genuinely want to wake up everyday and see that lovely piece of art on you.  Its also okay if your one tattoo doesn't wrap up every single defining moment in your life!  Sometimes tattoos can be about respecting the art form as well as documenting one part of yourself or one moment in time of your life.

Pick a really good artist that has the style that you want and has been tattooing for a while.  They are going to know what is best for what you want and where you want it on your body.  They are also artists permanently putting their art on you!

Tattoo Tuesday V.73

Name and blog name: Meanz Chan // Koi Story

Age: 20

Occupation: Student/blogger

Age of first tattoo: 18

Favorite tattoo: All of them.

Featured tattoo/location: Koi-phoenix transformation on most of my back.

Artist/shop/location of feature tattoo: Josh Bowers, Iron Heart, Des Moines, IA

 

1) Tell us about your featured tattoo- is there a background story or special meaning? Why did you choose this particular piece of art?

Well, I have always appreciated and have been inspired by Japanese artwork and I’ve always loved koi tattoos. I am Chinese; my parents used to tell me a story about how when a koi fish swims up a waterfall and gets to the top it becomes a beautiful dragon. That’s always fascinated me. I decided to go for a phoenix instead of a dragon I decided to go with a phoenix, because according to my mom’s stories and some research I did, a phoenix is basically the female counterpart of a dragon. It is also one of the most beautiful creatures I have ever seen, and I thought it would be a unique idea. I haven’t seen it done before. Also, koi fish were originally brought from China to Japan.  So not only does it represent my culture, it also is a symbol of overcoming obstacles and perseverance.

2) Do you have any other tattoos?

I have one other tattoo. It’s an infinity symbol on my wrist. One of my best friends and I got the same one together, and it was my first tattoo. I know it’s a crazy jump from one tiny tattoo to a full back piece, but I had to start somewhere! To me this symbol represents infinite possibilities, and it’s there to give me hope, and spark some optimism.

 

3) Do you plan on getting more?

I would love to get more. The next one I want is of a dream catcher, to remind me to follow my dreams and never give up. I’m also really interested in the idea of dream catchers. I want it to have phoenix feathers, to I guess, keep a theme, and I just adore phoenixes. I want to get it on my forearm just a little above the wrist. I also want to get one on my upper thigh. I think those are really cute. I just am not sure what I’d get there yet. I’m just not sure if I can handle any more pain! I’m not very tolerant of it.

4) How do your family and friends feel about your tattoo(s)?  Have you run into any adversity or negativity because of them? Do you have a significant other? Does he/she have tattoos?

My friends love my tattoos. I get compliments on it a lot. I have very open-minded friends, and many of them have tattoos of their own, and they think it’s awesome I got such a huge, colorful one. I think many people were surprised I went through with it because I’m not very outgoing! My parents weren’t exactly sure how they felt about it when I first told them my idea and showed them my sketch, and honestly, I didn’t really think I would get one this huge. It just happened. When my tattoo artist, Josh, drew up the sketch and place it on my back, I knew I had to get it the way it was. He even asked me if I wanted to shrink it, but I felt it was perfect, and curved well with my back. My mom began to love it after I got the outline and my dad liked it, every time I got more done, they’d want to see it.  They still think it’s a waste of money, but they think it’s beautiful, and I’m really glad they do, because I love it so much. I haven’t run into any negativity. People just don’t understand why I’d undergo the pain sometimes, but it doesn’t bother me, because sometimes, I’m not sure why. I get plenty of compliments though. Older ladies really love my tattoo because it’s so colorful and vibrant. I do have a boyfriend. He does not have any, but he likes mine. He’s an open-minded guy, and that’s what’s so great about him. I got my tattoo when I was with him, and nothing has changed. I don’t think he’ll ever get one, and that’s ok, I can get some for the both of us.

5) Any advice for those interested in getting tattooed but haven't gotten one yet?

I guess, just really think about it, I mean REALLY think about it. I asked myself so many times, will I still like this in 10 years? 20 years? 30 years? Etc? My answer of course was always yes. I just thought, hey, I’m going to be the bad ass grandma with a back tattoo, that sounds amazing. It is a beautiful piece of art. Think about why you want the tattoo? Does it mean anything? Could you ever regret it? Also, think about the placement of your tattoo, can you cover it when you need to? I don’t know, there are many factors, and mine was pretty well thought out, and it took me a while to actually do it. Also, I’m not going to lie, it hurts, but you feel this incredible feeling when it’s finished. I was so happy when it was done. I am so happy everytime I look at it. Just think about it for a while and don’t get something you won’t still love in 50 years! Also, and this is important, research different artists, find portfolios of their work and get some opinions before getting one. The artist can be the difference between a good or a bad tattoo. It took me a while to decide on my artist, and in the end, I am completely satisfied.

Tattoo Tuesday V.72

 

Name and blog name: Tacha // decoratedskin.tumblr.com

Age: 23

Occupation: shop manager at a bakery store, and mother ;)

Age of first tattoo: 15

Favorite tattoo: Difficult to answer as I love most of them very much! I'd say the newer ones are always the favorites so my legs!

Featured tattoo/location: Both shins, a papa deer on the right saying 'Father knows best', and a mama owl on left saying 'mother knows better'.

Artist/shop/location of feature tattoo: Guen Douglas, 25 to life tattoo at Rotterdam!

1) Tell us about your featured tattoo- is there a background story or special meaning? Why did you choose this particular piece of art?

To be honest I don't really believe that every single tattoo must have a grand meaning behind it! Most of my tattoos I pretty much get for the love of the art. I wanted a deer and an owl for a while, but wanted to make it different and fun. I love everything vintage and 'old' so they had to be very grandparent-y (that's not a real word I know). They sort of represent my mom and dad, but with a humorous twist! They are still in progress, finishing in august! I have the world's shortest and chubbiest legs, but these pieces of art on them make me love my little legs so much more! Getting your shins done isn't an easy thing though, easily the most painful tattoos I have. May I just use this opportunity to let the world know how great Guen Douglas is! Seriously worth a visit when you're in Holland!

 

2) Do you have any other tattoos?  If so, what do you have and where?

I'll list them chronologically:

- 'Dushi' on my loin, was a nickname when I was 15, done by a scratcher! Only tattoo I really regret, luckily it's tiny and never visible ;) On my list to get covered.
- Bows on my shoulders, no meaning to them, just love bows.
- 'Mama' on my left wrist, 'B*J' on the right one. I say B*J stands for Ben&Jerry's when people ask but they actually are the initials of my doggies!
- Cherry blossoms piece on my left side, no meaning,  just pretty. It got stretched out a bit during my pregnancy, need to retouch it and possibly add to it in the future.
- Old school upper back piece with 2 swallows and a heart in the middle (saying 'Nona' for my daughter).
- 'Full' left sleeve, all though some won't call it a sleeve as there is still some blank skin visible. Still not finished, there will be some more extra little things added in the future. It has a pin up girl, a pocket watch, heart locket & key, anchor, rose, gramophone, swan in a frame, a bow, and a little fan.
- Lady Like piece on my right lower arm.  It's a vintage tea-dress with awesome details <3
- My shin pieces.
credit: Left arm: Candy Cane/Eva Dekkers (Weert); Back and shoulders: Spitfire (Antwerp); Side piece: Tony Magic Cherry's (Eindhoven)

 

 

 

 

 

3) Do you plan on getting more? 

Yes ma'am! After my legs and left arm is done I'll start on my right arm. Then my feet, and so on. I plan to be quite covered, I'm still full of ideas! If I'd ever win the lottery I would also get my hands done, I love hand tattoos! But it's too hard to get a job so I can't right now..  Also still debating wether to go for a chest piece or not. I adore chest pieces, but they are always visible, and sometimes I like to cover my tattoos up when I don't feel like getting the attention. If I would ever get a chest piece it will probably be simple roses, maybe with a cameo in the middle :)

4) How do your family and friends feel about your tattoo(s)?  Have you run into any adversity or negativity because of them? 

My family is pretty much used to them, especially my brothers and sisters, they all have some tattoos and all want more :) My mom loves them but she does says she never ever thought I would get so many! My father doesn't like them and says I'll regret them. My partner has not a single tattoo yet! People often think that's weird, they sorta expect me to have a tough-looking fully tattooed hubbie ;) He does love them on me, and he's planning his first real soon!
So far I have not gotten any negative remarks from strangers, but boy do I get looks/stares! I work in a bakery store and luckily I don't need to cover them up, so when I'm wearing a dress (which is often) people see my tattoos. But no one has ever made a bad comment, I do get quite some questions about them: where I got them done, did they hurt, etc etc. When I'm walking on the street I get many, many stares. Some people even stop and turn around to look. I really need to get used to that attention, as I'm a shy person ;)
I guess most people still think tattooed ladies are all "bad girls", wearing biker clothes and looking mean, they are not used to a girl who's very lady like and has a lot of tattoos ;) I can't wait till Nona goes to school, it will be interesting seeing the looks on the other mom's faces when I drop her off!

 

5) Any advice for those interested in getting tattooed but haven't gotten one yet?

The basics I guess! Find a great artist, look around, don't just settle for the first one you find! Good tattoos aren't cheap and cheap tattoos aren't good! Think good about what you want, altough I think impulsive tattoos can be fun too (if done by a good artist)! I'm just saying there's no need to think about an idea for years and years (trust me, I know such people)  and to keep on talking about it but never getting it done.  You only live once!
Take good care of your tattoos, avoid sunshine if you can, I'm pale as a ghost but my tattoos are nice and bright! Don't worry too much about what it will look like when you're 70. I mean really, you will have other things on your mind by then ;). Be original! Do not copy someones custom design, it is really rude and disrespectful. I've had my lady like piece copied, and both the artist as myself were very offended by it. If a piece is custom made, it's usually personal and meaningful. You wouldn't copy someone's tattoo if it were a portrait of her grandma, would you?
I'll end with a pet peeve of mine: Do not get your hands or neck done as your very first tattoo! I'm seeing it way too much lately, 18 year olds getting their necks done? Think about it! Anyway, hope this was helpful in a way, and be sure to ask my questions on my tumblr if you have any!

Tattoo Tuesday V.71

 Name and blog name: Meg Gagnard - http://dequelleplaneteestu.com 

Age: 21

Occupation: Communications &amp; Marketing Student in Paris

Age of first tattoo: 16

Favorite tattoo: Leg sleeve (still in process)

Featured tattoo/location: Bouquet/paisley leg sleeve. Left lower leg from ankle upward. Eventually I would like this piece to go up to my knee, but my trips back to the states are once every year, and I don’t have the heart to let another artist work on it quite yet! I’m taking it slow, but it will be done someday!

Artist/shop/location of feature tattoo: Asa Rogers at Under Your Skin in Aurora, Colorado.

 

1) Tell us about your featured tattoo- is there a background story or special meaning? Why did you choose this particular piece of art?

The leg sleeve started with one of those rushed tattoos- the tree on my inner ankle that my sister and I did together. I had always been fascinated by sleeves and thought I would like one even more on my leg. I spent a lot of time contemplating what exactly I would put when I came across the two most simple things that I adore: flowers and paisley. I like flowers because everyone can make them their own and add their own spunk to them. Along with the flower idea I wanted to have another “main part” as the tree took up the whole inner ankle, which was when I decided I wanted a dia de los muertos head. My mother has always been obsessed; pulling out her dolls every year (even though we have no Mexican roots) but the beauty of the dolls always fascinated me. Nowadays it has become more cliché, but I stick by my mother’s collection and think of how I always found them to be so stoic and stunning. Thus, since I am not a rose person, I decided to put two zinnias on the sides of the head, making it blend more with the surroundings. My mother is an artist (and tattooed a bit also to say the least!) so in that sense it links back to her, but in general it is about the beauty of the objects themselves as well. The paisley I just find to be simply pretty. I am a gal who likes patterns and shapes, and paisley is just a field day for me. I think my artist, Asa, has become pretty good at free-handing paisley by now. As for now I want to incorporate more flowers and paisley, having the paisley blend into a full bouquet by the time I get to right below the knee. I don’t plan on doing color- I dig the simple black ink. So to sum up the blabbering: a random collection of things I find pretty.

 

2) Do you have any other tattoos?  If so, what do you have and where? 

Yes, I have a small sentence in Arabic (kind of cliché, but as a hydrologist, my dad lives in the Middle East) on the back of my neck. I also have some doodles on my right foot, with a sketched simple globe on the top of my right foot (which I did when I was 16). The doodles I added when I was 18, going to the bottom of my anklebone. These were originally inspired by Arabic henna, having spent time in the Middle East throughout my childhood.

 

 

3) Do you plan on getting more?

Yes, I plan on continuing the bouquet on my leg sleeve up to my knee. I fancy sleeves and especially ¾ sleeves, but not sure if I would actually pursue one on my own body. Shoulder pieces I find also to be stunning. We will see where the wind blows me.  I am not sure, however, if I would ever get a color tattoo. For now black ink does it for me, and I feel that it fits me more. But on verra en tous cas.

 

4) How do your family and friends feel about your tattoo(s)?  Have you run into any adversity or negativity because of them? Do you have a significant other? Does he/she have tattoos? 

What’s funny is that most people would never guess I have a tattoo until I put on a pear of shorts or a skirt- it oftentimes brings about interesting yet amusing responses. My close family doesn’t think anything of it. I have a twin sister, and both of us are pretty into tattoos- different styles, but same ole ink. My brother does not have any and I’m pretty sure my dad rolls his eyes, although he is pretty young at heart and isn’t against them. My mom has a few- a small ankle one and also a smaller one more on her foot (the arrow). I do not remember initially asking my mom to go with me to sign the papers as I was a minor, but I’d be anxious to know what went through her head when I asked because I definitely got what I wanted! The sentence in Arabic was my first one, nothing with bad taste or silly connotations, which could be the reason for which she gave it a go. It is to this day a tattoo I get complimented on- especially by those who speak Arabic, which I also study (in response to the question: “Do you know what it means???”).

My friends are hard to put into one grouping. I have many friends who also have many stunning tattoos and also many friends who do not have any, who question my initial motives and probably think I will regret it later in life. But regardless, this would never affect the relationships I have with my friends. They may think I’m a bit crazy, but that’s not a first! They love me for who I am [and like my tattoos] no matter what their views are, which is why I’m lucky to have such a diverse group of friends.

In terms of adversity or negativity, living in Paris, France there is a handful of that. I am originally from Denver, Colorado which is a moderately artsy town filled with inked up adults and creatives… already with more of a tattoo stigma existing already in urban and non-urban areas of the US. But in Paris, this fad hasn’t quite hit fully yet.

For negative reactions, I must say that the number of double takes I get tends to be exponential when the weather is nice and I whip out the shorts. I can’t help but wonder why people waste their time staring me down questioning my morals with a broken, rude or uneducated rhetoric. Yet, it is just one more reason to hold my head high as I defend the fact that I am a bilingual independent woman with an outstanding education and big plans for life. This kind of negative reaction is also something I knew I would get going into this whole “having tattoos thing” which makes it less and less bothersome to me.

BUT! The board goes both ways: in this city of lights I also get numerous compliments from an artistic standpoint- people asking me where I got the tattoos done, or why I did them, or simply just a compliment about them aesthetically. It is heartwarming when people recognize the artistic value in tattoos.

I firmly believe there are many reasons to be against tattoos and that there are a plethora of distasteful tattoos that are inked deeply into peoples skin layers that gives them a bad name and bad stigma- in addition to historical stories about tattoos in places like prisons or gangs- but above all, there is the artistic side that exists in modern society, that some people are too blind to see. Which is life, c’est la vie. I think they’re beautiful and can be a classy mode of expression or individuality, so getting over the negative reactions fades away. As we all know, it’s a permanent thing, but it certainly doesn’t affect a mentality or an intelligence level. There are crazy people everywhere, as well as impactful people who will change the world- and what is on their skin or what they’re wearing isn’t going to change their heart and mindset. This topic, however, leads to the question of working. My tattoos can be covered up completely without having to make major alterations to my wardrobe, but what I do hope for in future working environments is that I do not need to hide the fact that they exist. I have no problem with covering them up for what come refer to as ‘professional’ purposes, but why doubt that they exist? It’s a piece of my personality that could ultimately help me be better understood as a person in any context.

The question on the significant other: my boyfriend Louis is French, and wasn’t really used to the artistic side of tattoos as he claimed when he first met me a year and a half ago.  He had only met someone with the random-type-of-tattoo without real reasoning or artistic value (i.e. a badly colored smurf or something on hipbone)- the kind when you pop into the shop you pick anything you like out of the plethora of images surrounding the entrance of the studio. I think the first time he saw my tattoos on my leg he may have been a bit surprised, but he assured me that it was a non-negative surprised reaction. I asked him bluntly about he topic for this questionnaire he just replied, "I love you and you have things that you love, so why wouldn't I love those things you love?"  I don’t think he’ll ever get one of his own, but I can definitely see him observing them on others more and more now that he knows my views on tattoos as an art. All in all, he likes them!

 

5) Any advice for those interested in getting tattooed but hasn’t gotten one yet?

My advice to someone interested in getting tattooed but hasn’t done it yet would definitely be to not rush. Take your time and design something you really like that you think will be aesthetic, and also to not be afraid to go against the artist’s design or ideas. Sometimes they come up with ideas and you don’t want to be mean and change it but ultimately its YOU having this injected into your skin and making it a part of your body, so don’t be afraid to speak up or settle for anything less than what you imagine in your head. Secondly, do not be afraid of just other people. You’re living in this world to and can tattoo yourself if you want to! People are going to judge, but you know what, they’re wasting their time if you’ve got confidence for the choice you made even if it’s just a little design you happen to find pretty. People will ask you about it nonstop even if you try to avoid it, but don’t be shy. At first I found myself being apprehensive about telling people about it but really I’m proud to tell people about it now as it something visible. For all the negative reactions out there don’t forget that you’ll get positive and complimentary ones as well. Thirdly and lastly my advice is to be tasteful and unique. Even if an image is “cliché” you can always make it your own. Keep  in mind that nothing is ACTUALLY new and everything’s been done before, so just always make it pertinent to YOU and YOUR individuality.