It's Fanghopper's birthday, so I'm blaming this on her!
Inspired by a photo of fiddlehead ferns taken by Ms. Fanghopper, I have a brand-spankin'-new tattoo!
I had my second two-hour session today, and it's done, although I will have a shortie session in about a month, so the artist can brighten up the highlights and such. I am totally in love with it, and I am so, so pleased with my experience. The artist is Peter "Dirty Dom" Dominguez, at Action Tattoo in Auburn, Washington. His site with online portfolio is www.DirtyDominguez.com (beware gnarly angry music but you can turn it off). His portait work is really damn good.
This is what it looked like after session 1. When I first brought the photo to him, Peter, wasn't sure he could do it, but he came through. Hurt like a bastard, especially the parts on the side of the arm and at the wrist and crook of the elbow. He got a lot done in two hours, though.
I let it heal for 2.5 weeks, and then I went back in. Finished! The deep purple shading and swirlies totally make the image pop. That was all freehand stuff. The dots were my idea, after the dots I drew with the vines on my market canopy.
I gotta say, though, it hurt even worse today. The original skin was still healing, so it was tender and a bit itchy yet. But Pete said I sat like a champ, even though the outer edges of today's work were so incredibly painful. I think it'll be a while before I get any new ink. ;)
Let's see, what else? Oh! My auntie made this ceramic mermaid and her accompanying bubbles in the early 60s (so she's older than I am!), and they've hung in her bathroom ever since. I always thought she did a beautiful job on the mermaid's face and hair, and I have adored her since the first time I saw her when I was six years old and we drove to Seattle to visit my aunt. I also dig the laminate vanity top in her bathroom, which has this fantastic pink-and-blue "boomerang" design on it. So retro!
A while back, someone in the thriftwhore community posted a photo of this mermaid's twin, which she'd bought in a thrift store, sans bubbles. I mentioned it to my aunt, and said I'd always loved her mermaid. Since my auntie will be selling her house soon and moving to a retirement community, she's downsizing, and she surprised me by giving the mermaid to me the other night! YAY! I was so verklempt! She's hanging up in my loo right now.
Yeah, life's really boring right now. Wheee. *thud* Philly Gerald coming soon, can't wait!
I had my second two-hour session today, and it's done, although I will have a shortie session in about a month, so the artist can brighten up the highlights and such. I am totally in love with it, and I am so, so pleased with my experience. The artist is Peter "Dirty Dom" Dominguez, at Action Tattoo in Auburn, Washington. His site with online portfolio is www.DirtyDominguez.com (beware gnarly angry music but you can turn it off). His portait work is really damn good.
This is what it looked like after session 1. When I first brought the photo to him, Peter, wasn't sure he could do it, but he came through. Hurt like a bastard, especially the parts on the side of the arm and at the wrist and crook of the elbow. He got a lot done in two hours, though.
I let it heal for 2.5 weeks, and then I went back in. Finished! The deep purple shading and swirlies totally make the image pop. That was all freehand stuff. The dots were my idea, after the dots I drew with the vines on my market canopy.
I gotta say, though, it hurt even worse today. The original skin was still healing, so it was tender and a bit itchy yet. But Pete said I sat like a champ, even though the outer edges of today's work were so incredibly painful. I think it'll be a while before I get any new ink. ;)
Let's see, what else? Oh! My auntie made this ceramic mermaid and her accompanying bubbles in the early 60s (so she's older than I am!), and they've hung in her bathroom ever since. I always thought she did a beautiful job on the mermaid's face and hair, and I have adored her since the first time I saw her when I was six years old and we drove to Seattle to visit my aunt. I also dig the laminate vanity top in her bathroom, which has this fantastic pink-and-blue "boomerang" design on it. So retro!
A while back, someone in the thriftwhore community posted a photo of this mermaid's twin, which she'd bought in a thrift store, sans bubbles. I mentioned it to my aunt, and said I'd always loved her mermaid. Since my auntie will be selling her house soon and moving to a retirement community, she's downsizing, and she surprised me by giving the mermaid to me the other night! YAY! I was so verklempt! She's hanging up in my loo right now.
Yeah, life's really boring right now. Wheee. *thud* Philly Gerald coming soon, can't wait!