MY TATTOOS
PICTURES DESCRIPTIONS EXPLANATIONS IDEAS
My very first tattoo. There is no real reason for it. I had gone in with two friends of mine, and one of them wanted a tattoo, but they both kept bugging me about getting one, so I figured, "What the hell? I've got the money." It is just flash, something I picked off the wall. The yellow coloring were touches added by the artist. I got this tattoo in late December of 1997, a few months after I turned 18, in Alexandria, Virginia. I don't remember the guy's name or the studio's name... This rose is on the inside of my right ankle.
My second tattoo. I got it done October 14, 1998, the same day one of my cousins was born. I didn't know that until a few days later. This was another one just randomly picked, but it does have some meaning. At the time I got the tattoo, I had the nickname Evil Eyes. Many people have asked me if my eyes were the model for the tattoo. Sadly, no. It was a design in one of the books they had. It was done at Skin Deep, in Woodbridge, Virginia. This tattoo is on my back, below my neck, across the shoulder blades. I believe this was the most painful of them all ... so much so, my back went numb and after a while, I didn't feel anything.
My third tattoo. Done by Mark Lazio at Animated Canvas in Riverside, California on September 21, 2001. It is placed on my right shoulder. I had a design similar to this that I carried around for over a year before I got the tattoo. We changed the design a little, and changed the color scheme. Being a Libra, it relates to the constant need and strive for balance in my life. I'm considering adding to it, but I am still debating that. I watched Mark ink this one, and kept getting yelled at for it (moved too much).
Fourth and fifth tattoo. Both done by Mark Lazio. The clover/shamrock anklet was done first, in April of 2003. The stone was done in February of 2004. These are on my left ankle. I have a stone on the inside and outside of my ankle. The original idea was to have the stones done with the shamrocks/clovers dancing and swirling around them. But, I was in the mood for a tattoo, and seeing as I didn't have the book containing the design for the stone, I just got the anklet done. When I went back to get the stone, Mark said what I wanted couldn't be done. The story with the stone is this: the long slash on the bottom is the letter "M" and the small dash on top is the letter "A" in Ogham, an ancient Celtic alphabet, also known as the Tree alphabet. It is read from top to bottom, and the "M" is for my first initial, and the "A" is for my middle. This tattoo is done in honor of my relatively strong Irish heritage. A friend of mine suggested that when I have children, doing a sort of Stonehenge design around my ankle. It's a possibility. I'm thinking of having the shading/coloring of the stone re-done. I was happy with it initially, but I'm not anymore, and too many people think it's a headstone instead of a frontal view of the side of a stone (the line down the middle represents the side/crease).
Number 6, done in memory of my mother. It was designed and inked by Lucan at Exposed Temptations in Manassas, Virginia on April 18, 2005. If you were to put the picture together, it spells "Mom" with a yellow rose in full bloom in place of the "o" and it wraps around my lower forearm (just above the wrist area), hence the need for multiple pictures. Yellow roses were my mom's favorite flower. My mom had talked for years of getting a small rose on her shoulder blade. When we found out she had terminal cancer, I started thinking of a tattoo to get in her memory. When I came up with a design similar to this, I showed her, and she said, "Are you getting that because I will never get my tattoo?" It is part of the reason, but the other part is to always have a piece of her with me. Surprisingly, this one hurt very little considering its location. I was expecting it to hurt especially over the parts where the bones are. But, nope, hurt very little. There were moments where it hurt on the underside (the tender side), but relatively painless.
These are my latest tattoos... numbers seven and eight. I got them on August 26, 2005, at a shop in Stafford, Virginia. They are on my left bicep, and didn't hurt at all, as well as very little blood. I got these when my dad decided to get his fourth tattoo. I was torn on which one to get, because I like them both. Dad said I could get them both, but they are the last tattoos he's paying for. I'm thinking I might make a half sleeve of this, in time, by adding more butterflies, dragonflies, and possibly faeries. I got to thinking about turning it into a sort of memorial deal... i.e. having a butterfly or dragonfly or faerie for the members of my family who have passed away in my life time. It's still in the thought process, so I'm not sure. The butterfly that looks like it's stained glass was designed by David Bolt, and the rest of his butterfly collection can be found here, just click on Butterfly Evolution.
I have ideas brewing for a few more tattoos. One of them, I need someone who can draw. I have ideas on incorporating my zodiac symbols (yes, symbols, I'm a cusp baby). I was born on the cusp of Virgo and Libra, and I have ideas, but I can't draw. My ideas are to combine the Virgin and the Scales, as well as the elemental and written symbols of Virgo and Libra.
Another idea brewing can be in memory of all my family who have passed away in my life. I bought a bracelet when my mom died that has the following engraved in it:
If tears could build a stairway, and memories a lane,
I'd walk right up to heaven and bring you home again"
One idea involves just having the text and making it into a sort of band or swirling text around an arm or leg. Another idea was to make the words form a staircase and have it lead up to a set of clouds with angel wings coming from the clouds. It would make a great back piece, but I think my eyes tattoo would run into it, and/or ruin the effect. So, this would have to take a lot of thought if I do it.
(Title font is "Decadance." If you don't have it, you can download it from www.1001freefonts.com)