Fantasy Realism

When people ask me what kind of tattoos I like to do, or what my "style" is, I generally describe it as a fantasy version of reality, or in other words, what I'd LIKE to see as reality.  I like my tattoos to have a dreamy quality to them, bright in color, sharp in focus, but with an element of mystery and fantasy, a feeling of nostalgia.  Having said that, here are 2 recent pieces that fit the bill.

The first is a memorial piece for Sarah's father who was a deer hunter.  The second piece is a framed image of the Grand Teton mountain range, also a memorial piece.  Both images are in gold frames, capturing a moment in time, freezing a technicolor memory, lost loved ones in their final, favorite resting places.  Hope you like them as much as I enjoyed doing them.

Ashes to Ashes

Today I did something I've never done before, well, ok, 2 things... I have a client who lost her dear husband this year and she asked if I would be interested in tattooing her with his ashes.  I'd heard of this being done before, but I'd never had the opportunity to try it, myself.  Today was the day and it was an incredible experience.  Because the ashes are carbon, we could only mix them with black pigment, so she chose to have a variety of text tattoos.  She got his signature as well as "I will always love you." in his handwriting.... twice... once on her forearm with traditional placement and another on her chest, over her heart, backwards, so that when she looks in the mirror, she can read it properly.  We also put two tiny hearts on her ring and middle finger (she's having his wedding ring downsized and will wear it on her middle finger).  I truly enjoy having an emotional connection with my clients and their tattoos and I can honestly say that this was an incredible experience.  Tears were shed, laughs were had, and I know that I play an important role in her healing process.  I'm thankful for her allowing me to be a part of it.

p.s. if you can't figure out what the 2nd "first time" thing was, it's the backwards text tattoo ;)

Dealing with loss

I do a lot of memorial tattoos. Too many for my liking, frankly, and it's a catch 22. I truly enjoy creating a piece of art for the person experiencing the loss because I want them to be able to look at their tattoo and think happy thoughts about the person (or beast) that they are missing. On the other hand, I think I accumulate a lot of that sadness, it gets into my veins and weighs heavily. Over the past few years I've had a few of my clients pass away and when their family members come to me for memorial tattoos I don't always know how to express my own sadness for their loss because it's my loss, too. Nothing like starting a blog off on a happy note, right?