Coming to the End...

It is coming to the end of the year here at school :( it makes me sad and at the same time happy. I am looking forward to the summer so that I can work and start working on my back piece; I think that I am going to get the lower part of my back done and then work on the middle from there. Throughout the year I have been working on my sketches for my tattoos and other ones that I thought that were creative and have sold some of them to a local tattoo shop near my home town.

I have drawn a considerable amount of inspiration from people here at school, I have seen an abundant amount of different style of tattoos and varying people that I didn't expect to see tattoos on. I am glad to see that there are some many people that have the same outlook as I do about art, especially art on the body.

It has been hard saying goodbye to people in these last couple of days...but it has turned a new leaf for me and realized I am not really saying goodbye but see you later. Some of the people that I have met here have had a huge impact on my life and some of them I will never let go as my friends or should I say my new found family. From these I have also drawn new inspiration in my designing, trying to create things that have a story but not making them to difficult or intricate...I have found my style which seems to be simplicity, so I leave with this...

"Simplicity provides a fine line between eloquence and plainness."

Fav Tattoo Find of the Day

This is one of my favorite finds of the day!! I have an small obsession with anchors and nautical themed everything!! So I was instantly attracted to the tattoo; I would have to say though that I am not a fan of the broken bleeding heart, I think that I would like it better as a whole if there were no blood droplets on the lower part of it because it makes it seem to dark and dreary.

Sick, Weird, Strange and Dumb Tattoos Video

Here is a link to a video that I found on YouTube [not sure how to embed the video, sorry :( ]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LiO2U_O17JQ

A Tattoo that keeps popping up...

This tattoo is one that keeps popping up whenever I do a search online for tattoos, no matter where I go!! It is funny but kind of gross at the same time!! Some of the things that people come up with for tattoos....

Using the Body as a Canvas

I have seen many, many people that have tattoos that cover a good chunk of their body or they have turned their body into a canvas. To me, the body is a canvas and being able to express yourself in that way is great, and having the confidence and willingness to do it is amazing! There are many people who get a couple of tattoos and they are satisfied and there are others that simply get tattoos and they become addicted to them, ultimately they end up getting one after another and they end up covering their whole body.

Favorite Find of the Day

These were some tattoos that I found that I really like and I thought were interesting, beautiful or a good use of space on the body.

Tattoo of the Day

This is a lovely tattoo and I think that there is detail to it but still with the simplicity, that it makes it very feminine and straight edged (without all of the "fluff" and shadowing to soften it). What softens it is the filigree that is at the end of the stems of the lilies, that is what gives it it's feminine touch.

Bazaar News Story

Girl has 56 stars tattooed on face after 'falling asleep'

A furious Belgian father has gone to the police after his teenage daughter ended up with 56 stars tattooed on her face after allegedly asking the tattooist for "some points of colour".

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/belgium/5551636/Girl-has-56-stars-tattooed-on-face-after-falling-asleep.html

* This story to me in beyond bazaar! Supposedly the young women feel asleep...for me it is hard to believe that someone fell asleep while getting their face tattooed!! For some yes it may be a stress reliever and not bother some, but it should never satisfy a person to the point that they are able to fall asleep during the process.

My Story

This is my second tattoo. It is an original, all mine, design. I went into Mr. Adam's Tattoo's with my design and told them where I wanted it, they tweaked some areas that needed to be and I let her have free reign on the colors that she used on within it, I have her a few colors that I like and she went from there.

The lotus flower has many meanings behind it, but the one that caught my eye and also had a personal connection to me. The meaning that I found was remarkable and I could not find a flower to better represent me and my life:

"The lotus flower starts as a small flower down at the bottom of a pond in the mud and muck. It slowly grows up towards the waters surface continually moving towards the light. Once it come to the surface of the water the lotus flower begins to blossom and turn into a beautiful flower...Lotus flower tattoos are also popular for people who have gone through a hard time and are now coming out of it. Like the flower they have been at the bottom in the muddy, yucky dirty bottom of the pond but have risen above this to display an object of beauty or a life of beauty as the case might be. Thus a lotus flower tattoo or blossom can also represent a hard time in life that has been overcome."

http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Meaning-and-Symbolism-Behind-the-Lotus-Flower-Tattoo&id=95396

The nautical star also had a close personal connection to my life, most of my family are fisherman and I have a love for the ocean that goes way beyond it's essense and smell. Also my brother was in Navy. I also found a meaning behind the nautical star that connected to me and my family:
"Early on sailors navigated by the stars at night and the north star became the symbol for finding ones way home. Once you know where the north star is you can point your ship in the right direction to get home. So the star became a symbol for finding ones way home or more symbolically even finding ones path in life."
http://ezinearticles.com/?Nautical-Star-Tattoos-The-History,-Meaning-And-Symbolism---What-A-Strange-Mix!&id=67116

Overall the tattoo turned out just how I had envisioned it and knowing the meaning behind it, knowing my story...I decided to put it in a place where I could wear it and hold it strong, on my back.

Telling a Story...

I believe that a tattoo can tell a story, even without words. It may not be clear for one that it is looking at it but there is always a story behind it, a meaning. You can look at it and have an idea what the story could be, but you never know you can only make an assumption and to me that is the great thing about a tattoo, it's personal. Just because a tattoo is viewable does not mean that you know what it means to that person, so even though it's not personal and private it's still personal.

But telling a story with words can be even more interesting...It may not even be the story but it has meaning and leading to the story.

Photograph to Portrait

Some of the work that Kat Von D does, that she is most well known for are her portrait tattoos. She has a way of capturing every little detail of a photograph and transferring it on to the body perfectly. There are not many tattoo artist that can do it like she does. I personally think that her work is outstanding and I would be absolutely ecstatic to have a piece done by her, it would truly by one my dreams to have her do a portrait of my father on me.

Tattoo vs. Careers

There are many jobs or careers in the work force that DO NOT want tattoos to be visible while at the work place...so many times if you have tattoos that can not be covered like on the face, hands, neck (depending on the length of hair), etc., there can be instances where you do not get a job offer because of them.

Now in my opinion, I do not think that it should make a difference! A tattoo is a way of expressing yourself and who you are and that should not make a difference in how people see or treat you. Some people get labeled as a freak, someone who has been in jail, in gang, etc. just because they have tattoos on their body. For most people the tattoos that they have, have a significant meaning behind them and tattoos are a great way to build and tell a story without words or need of explanation.

To me, a tattoo on the body is no different then hanging a painting or photograph on the wall...the only difference maybe is that it generally can not be removed as easily.

If you are going into a career where you know that tattoos just are not generally acceptable then get the tattoos in places where they can be hidden OR choose another career if the tattoos have that much meaning to you and you want it/them in a place where they can not be covered!!

I think that the body can be a complete canvas and placement for ink, but for some reason I can not find the appeal to get a tattoo on the inside of my mouth. For one I think that it would hurt like hell to get one on the inside of the lip, two it wears off after a while and three all I think about is getting ink poisoning from having it in my mouth where it is constantly damp..I don't see how it heals properly!!

But I'm not going to judge anyone who has them that is their own personal choice.

Tattoo Placement

After venturing around Florida, for my Spring Break, I have seen a whole new spectrum of not only people but tattoos. Some of the most popular placement for tattoos that I have seen are sleeves (for men) and across the chest (for women).

Sleeves or the arm tend to be one of the most popular places outside of the back for ink. And I think that they work both on men and women, it is a good way to build a story or collection of art; the same goes for the back as well. As far as the chest, I think that they are a great place, for women there tends not to be a lot of space to work with. I have seen a few people that have some interesting ones...they tend to be flowers, birds or scripture, mostly symbols that are feminine.

I think that whatever you choose to be on your body that it has a personal connection and is something that you will want to look back on and love forever. Placement is one of the biggest choices in making the decision in getting a tattoo, you may just find the perfect design or come up with an idea that you think may work perfect here or there....and sometimes they do and sometimes hey do not. Make sure that you discuss designs and placement with the artist that you are thinking of having do your work and see what they think as well, the process of decision making is almost even more intense then actually tattooing!

Back Pieces

In my search for a koi fish this is one of the most feminine ones that I came across. Not only is highly detailed but it is also has a softer look to it as well. A koi has many meanings behind it, I guess that it all depends on what it is you are looking to have it mean to you! It can mean love, good luck and fortune or to swim through the ocean of suffering without fear...like I said that it could mean whatever is dearest to you, what means the most to you.

For both men and women back pieces seem to be a similar trend and something that a lot of people are looking for or looking to do. I generally think that the back is the best place to put a tattoo especially if you are looking to get a tattoo and be able to cover it if needed. Plus it is the largest area of canvas on the body to work on.

I myself am looking and planning for a whole or partial back piece, possibly from top to bottom and leaving the side open, but I am still currently unsure. I have a ton of ideas that I am trying to work and put together to make it into one big piece. Everything that I want to include means something to me and something that I am looking to have on me forever.

My Favorite Found Tattoo of the Day

This is one of my all time favorite tattoos that I have stumbled across!!! I love skeleton keys and I really like the layout and shape of the piece. I have starts sketching my own tattoo using some of the ideas from this one but there are definitely a lot of changes being made in the process!

A lot of times I draw my inspiration and ideas from other tattoos that I have seen. Many times I will google a word, for example I love anything nautical themed so I typed in anchor tattoos, from there I sometimes will find something that I like and try to make it into something of my own. I gather together things that have meaning to me and I sketch out my own original tattoo because I don't want anyone to have what I have and I don't want something that someone else already has!

The Body As a Canvas

The body is a canvas. A blank canvas. And for those who have a appreciation or addiction to tattoo's, your body goes from being a blank canvas to art. Choosing a tattoo design is something that needs to be well thought over, it's permanent and what is the point of getting something on your body that you will only regret later. Make it meaningful. Make connections. For every decision that you make in the process make it one that you will cherish forever. And if you can not make a concise decision, then maybe thinking about it more, discussing it more, drawing inspiration and truly thinking about if it is the right thing for you to do is always your best choice. There's no more whipping it off with a cloth or letting it wear off, it's there...it;s there forever so make it worth it, make it something that you love!