Sacred Geometry
- Details
- Created: Monday, 01 February 2016 08:00
Bella sent me an image (the white and brown original shown below) and came to see me about making it into a tattoo. She says, "I chose to get a sacred feminine mandala tattoo. I have always been interested in the natural world and how it entwines with sacred geometry. That interest stemmed research farther into the subject, which lead me to how it is actually sacred geometry that connects with everything else--including art. I got this tattoo as a spiritual guidance tool, for focusing attention and being mindful, and as an aid to meditation. I wanted it to remind me that even though it is mostly strong feminine energy that goes into what I do, there is still the balance between divine feminine and divine masculine (the small triangle with its strict solid lines in a mass of feminine curvy lines) and to embrace that in all that it is--plus, the design is pretty." Click on the Read More link to see the original, my drawing and the final photo.
Mary came to see me about covering up some scars. She says, "After having my damaged cosmetic implants removed, I was left with large scars on my breasts. For years, I tried all kinds of home remedies and esthetic treatments to diminish the scars or use products to cover them up. After they faded, I could still see them and I knew they were still there--a constant reminder of the surgery. Before meeting Victoria, I had considered and researched tattooing over the scars but I couldn't find an artist that would do the work-- or even more so, an artist I felt confident and comfortable with, as I did with Victoria. Victoria was open to my ideas about using various flowers and foliage from Scotland's landscapes, which means a lot to me because of my family's heritage. I now wake up every morning and don't make a point of looking for scars, because I've forgotten they ever existed. When I do look, I see a beautiful tattoo; a reminder of my heritage, no scars from the past." (For more info about covering up scars, see the FAQ's page.) Click on the Read More link to see the drawings, outline and color photos.
For his first tattoo, Henry brought in a beautiful watercolor painting of some roses. To create a tattoo from a watercolor original, I used a light gray outline instead of black and very little gray shading to simulate a watercolor look and feel. Henry says, "I went to Victoria because she was highly recommended by a friend for her skill with nature images, and I am very happy with everything about my experience! The image I had was painted by someone close to me who passed away, so I wanted the tattoo to be as faithful to the original painting as possible. Victoria did a great job at keeping the integrity of the image and gave great advice on the best placement for the tattoo. I would highly recommend Floating Lotus Tattoo!" Click on the Read More link to see the original painting, my drawing, outline and gray shading and color photos. (The final color looks dark because I took the photo right after tattooing it, but it will heal down much lighter.)
Andrea came in to see me about a cover up piece; she had gotten a tattoo to remember her brother-in-law by but was not happy with how it turned out. She wanted something that complimented the ankle tattoos she already had on her lower legs-- something more feminine and flowery. Flowers work wonderfully for cover up/camouflage tattoos, as they are organic, detailed and colorful. (See my FAQ's page for what type of imagery works best for cover up tattoos.) We chose a sunflower and dahlia for the design and it worked beautifully. Click on the Read More link to see the drawing, before, outline and gray shading and final photos.
Becket's tattoos are about her family. I've been lucky to work on all of her tats and always enjoy my collaborations with her. The two tattoos for her children are on her upper outer arms. This latest one is a tribute for her mother (who recently died) and it's on her left wrist. Becket chose plumeria because it was one of her mom's favorite flowers from Hawaii, which was one of her favorite places. The five blossoms represent her mom and her four children. "Makuahine" means "Mother" in Hawaiian, so Becket chose that to underpin the design. She wanted a particular font, but after she saw the drawing, she thought that the lettering was too complicated, so we simplified it. Click on the Read More link to see the drawing, outline and final photos.
For her second tattoo, Becca wanted something that represents peace and serenity to her. She also wanted to include the people she loves. She decided on a giraffe for herself, an Enso for her husband and butterflies for her children and grand children. We decided to tie all of the separate elements together with Red Lotus tree branches and flowers, which grow in her yard. She says,"I found a great quote that describes my feeling of what a giraffe represents and how it relates to me, 'The giraffe has the largest heart of any land animal, is tall enough to look into the future and lives it's life with gentility and strength.'" Click on the Read More link to see the drawing and outline photos.
I performed Natalie's first tattoo (a left flank/lower back piece) and am grateful that she came back to me for her second, an upper right arm tat. She is very articulate and knew just what she wanted--- a combination of a gray whale, a woman floating in a boat, reaching down to touch it and butterflies. There was some leeway as to design, but we settled on the connection between the woman and the whale and the way that the breath of the whale should turn into butterflies. I also thought it would be neat to have the whale's tail wrapping around her inner arm a little bit. She wanted the style to be illustration-like, rather than too realistic and we played around with the idea of color for awhile. After I did some color sketches, we both decided that the tat would be stronger as a gray work piece. Click on the Read More link to see the drawing, outline and final gray photos.
Molly came in with an old tattoo that she wanted covered up. She says,"I didn't dislike my dove tattoo, it just wasn't me and no longer resonated with me. I have had this affinity for Red Tail Hawks since I was very young. I was going through an amazingly transformative time in my life, with so much change, and I knew I wanted this tattoo to be really powerful. The hawk is a reminder to myself to be fearless and authentic. I have found that when we have the courage to live an authentic life, that's when things start to manifest really effortlessly and gracefully. This tattoo is honoring that and reminding myself to live that way." Click on the Read More link to see the drawing, before and outline photos.
A referral from another client of mine, Sarah came to me with a unique tattoo project. She says,"I wanted a dancing Sandhill crane because it represents my home town. Sandhill cranes migrate from the Northern US and Canada to Southern US and Mexico, stopping in Kearney Nebraska for about a month to recoup and mate. The position that my crane is in is called "The Dance" which is what they do to attract mates, but it is also a beautiful figure. They have been a part of my life since I was born and there has not been a year that I have not gotten to see them, until this year. I moved to Portland a year ago and in April suddenly got very homesick and I finally figured out why; the cranes usually land in mid March and early April. I knew that even though I'm not in Nebraska anymore, I will always be thankful for where I came from and remember it because of these magnificent birds." Click on the Read More link to see the drawing, outline, and final photos.
When she was 17, Haley had a small tattoo of some colored wings performed on her upper back. Now that she is older, she wanted to cover up the old tattoo with new imagery that better reflected where she is in her life at this time. She wanted to use Sak Yant tattoos (the "t" in Yant is silent.) They are sacred Yantra (prayer) tattoos originating in Cambodia and are practiced in that country, Thailand, Laos and Burma. Like all "tribal" tattoos that feature imagery that use only positive or negative space, they don't work very well for true cover ups. (See my FAQ page to read about successful cover up tattoos.) But with the addition of some gray shading, they can be customized to work better. She says,"At each life milestone I have gotten a tattoo. Each one has meant something to me; whether it's to remain strong, keep growing, keep learning, etc. The meaning behind this tattoo is pretty self explanatory for the person who knows what Sak Yant tattoos represent. They will remind me to live courageously, love fearlessly, and dream endlessly." Click on the Read More link to see the drawing, before, bare outline, and filled in outline photos.