Nothing But Time
- Details
- Created: Sunday, 01 December 2013 08:00
I perform a lot of cover up tattoos. They are a good proportion of my business and I always tell my clients who want an old tat camouflaged not to be embarrassed by it-- it's just a marker of where you were in your life when you got it. Now you want something that reflects where you are at this moment in time. So, there is no judgement. Micah came in to see me about a couple of tattoos that he had-- some names that he wanted covered. He was influenced by a particular tattoo layout that he saw online but he wanted to change the concept to "Nothing But Time" to help him remember to think about things before jumping in to them. I told him about the Cover up/Camouflage Formula that I use (see the FAQ page on this website for more info) and that adding some organic material into the tat would make it more successful. He left that up to me; after pondering for a bit, I realized that it would be a cool play on words to use the herb Thyme for the coverup part. I liked the shape of the leaves; they would cover and mimic the old tattoo nicely. So I went from there. Click on the Read more link to see the drawing I came up with, before and outline photos.
Sara had an existing tattoo on her lower back that celebrated her faith and she wanted it touched up. But she also wanted to create a complete back piece that celebrated her family and commemorated her father, who had recently died. She brought in a basic pencil sketch that gave me an idea of what she was thinking about; it was a combination of a cross and a tree, symbolizing life and nature, with a favorite quote her dad used to say. I created a drawing that was fairly comprehensive and we went from there. Click on the Read more link to see the drawing and the outline photo.
Timshel came to me with an old tattoo that she wanted covered up. She was very articulate, had done her research and knew exactly what she wanted, bringing in several images of Hawaiian flowers and tribal style designs. She also wanted to have her parents represented, so she brought their signatures in for me to use. She gave me artistic license to create something along the lines of what she was thinking of, and all I needed to do was make sure we used the Cover Up/ Camouflage formula. (The formula stipulates that the new image be: bigger, darker, use more line work, colors of dark value and the position of both new and old tats to move and fool the eye.) Click on the Read more link to see the drawing, the before picture and the result of our first two sessions--outline and gray shading.
Ally had a large scar on her right forearm from an old tattoo that she had had lasered; she emailed me a photo of it and was wondering if there was any way to cover it up. Getting a tattoo can be an excellent way to cover over a scar. I told her that with scars, I really need to see and feel them in person before committing to tattoo them. If the scar is flat and solid enough, many times I can tattoo over it successfully-- but some scars, especially ones that have been lasered, are not good candidates for holding ink. When she came in, she had done all of her research and brought some great images of orchids, a butterfly and a hummingbird that she was hoping to use for imagery. I ran my fingers over her scar and thought that I could tattoo over it, but because of the varying textures of it, was curious to see how it would take ink. We started in on the outlline and the scar was fine. She says,"After years of hiding the scar on my arm, I found the courage to reach out for help. That's where Victoria comes in. With a handful of photos she brought my vision to life. Not too long ago I would look down at my arm and see ugliness and shame. Now I look down and see beauty and freedom. No more hiding!" Click on the Read more link to see the drawing, the before picture and the result of our first two sessions (outline and gray shading.)
Eddy came to see me about adding to an existing tattoo on his left arm. He says, "The rose we're 'upgrading' is my first tattoo. When I got it, I had just come out of the closet and was inspired by the lyrics of a song, which itself was inspired by Shakespeare. 'A rose by any other name would smell as sweet' is a commonly quoted part of a dialogue in Romeo and Juliet, in which Juliet argues that the names of things do not matter, only what things 'are'. 'A rose by any other name is just as sweet'. The song expands on that and talks about how it doesn't matter what the world thinks of you and what names you might get called in your life. Now that I'm older I wanted to enhance that first belief to express the diversity of the community. Roses come in many different shapes, colors and forms and they're all roses. Even then, it doesn't matter what you call them. They're still beautiful. So with Victoria's help, we're turning my single sweet rose into a garden of delights. I can't wait to see how my rose garden turns out." Click on the Read more link to see the drawing and the result of our first session. You can see where the original tattoo is and the stenciled area (upper arm) that we will tattoo during our next session.
I tattooed a peacock feather on Nicole's right upper back and shoulder/collarbone area a little while ago; now we are working on covering up an old butterfly tattoo on her upper back/neck. We're using calla lilies for that piece. (See the first drawing by clicking the Read more link below.) She decided that she wanted to continue the peacock feather theme for a half sleeve but also add several flowers/plants that had significance for her. We added poppies, a thistle, some ferns and a fiddle head fern growing up and around her arm to her back. (See the second drawing below.) Nicole is married to Matt, (my June feature) and they are both working with me concurrently, tattooing their left arms. I wonder if they planned it that way. :-) Click on the Read more link to see the drawings, before picture and gray shading photos.
Matt has several existing tattoos on his left arm but he wanted to tie them all together with a sleeve based on his love for diving. Also, he and his wife Nicole found an amazing illustration of several fantastical sea creatures that he wanted to use throughout the tattoo. When he came in for his consultation we got into a conversation about kelp and how cool it is; I was thinking how great it would be to use kelp as a unifying motif; I had visions of it swirling around his arm, with a couple of starfish embracing his existing tats. He says, "For years I have been thinking of a way to communicate my love for free diving. To train, I would dive down to the anchors of the kelp and sit Indian style around them. As I sat there I would become one with the kelp, moving along with it and really becoming one with the environment. When you become one, sea creatures that you didn’t even know to exist start to make themselves visible. I chose Victoria because of a tattoo she did for my wife. The peacock feather was such a beautiful piece of art, I knew she could bring the flow I would witness on the sea floor to life in a way that would blend with my vision. It was also important to me to incorporate my other tat pieces, because they are all the story of my life. I couldn’t be happier and am very anxious for the next session." Click on the Read more link to see the drawing and outline photos.
Becky and her husband Rob came in to see me for Becky's first tattoo. She says, "Getting this (first) tattoo was a big step for me. When I was younger, I made the decision that I was never going to get a tattoo, ever. I wanted to preserve the natural beauty of my body and I thought a tattoo (obviously something that scars the body) would somehow take away the naturalness and perfection of the human body that I thought so highly of. After living in Portland for just a couple years (I come from a small town on the East Coast) I began to see how beautifully sacred tattoos are. I began reading about the history and ancient rituals of our ancestors and how they used tattoos as a way to document their lives and signify milestones of triumph, joy, honor, loyalty, adventure, pain, heartache and love. I see tattoos as a visual story of the soul, and since this was my very first tattoo, I wanted it to tell the story of my path. As a yoga instructor, I have always been drawn to the Sanskrit teachings of Satya (Truth). My own Truth always seemed to elude me and growing up in a Christian household I felt lost in many ways, unable to truly express my deepest desires and passions freely. The tattoo I chose for myself (a turquoise lotus flower with the fifth chakra Sanskrit word meaning "reflection" at my throat center and the Sanskrit word for Satya or "Truth" at the base - heart center - of the tattoo) is complimented and surrounded by the outward flow of henna art to signify freedom of self-expression. It's a symbol of transformation, healing and connection with the very essence of myself. On my 33rd birthday, the day I got my tattoo, I feel closer to my truth as I reflect on my past, present and future. This tattoo serves as a milestone and a reminder for me to always live the highest vibration of myself which is truth in sensitivity, connection, equality, and love. And I already have plans for my next tattoo." Click on the Read more link to see the drawing and outline photo.
Getting a tattoo can be a great way to cover up a scar. LeAnn had some mastectomy scars on her chest and was wondering if she might be able to camouflage them with tattoos. She wasn't concerned so much with total coverage but the idea was to make the area "more colorful, more beautiful." I have a lot of experience tattooing over different types of scars and after looking at her scars and seeing how flat they were, I told her that she was a great candidate for receiving tattoos across her chest. And that the skin was in such great shape, we could really do anything she wanted, image wise. She decided on tropical flowers and butterflies. She says, "It's interesting to me that the significant events of our lives can be fully captured in one or two words-- daughter, sister, wife, mother, grandmother. I recently earned another label-- cancer survivor. Back in July 2011 I had a double mastectomy resulting from a diagnosis of stage one breast cancer. Opting for reconstruction, it took three surgeries before I was successful with my prosthetic implants. I affectionately call them my "foobs" (fake boobs.) Wanting to celebrate the new me and rejoice in the metamorphosis that had taken place during the long journey to cure and reconstruction, I selected butterflies as the image to signify the change and successful transition. I am really happy with the new me and the images that Victoria helped me create to celebrate my new beginnings!" Click on the Read more link to see the drawings and right side outline photos.
Christian is from the New Orleans area and grew up near the great polyglot city that has a laid back, multi-cultural attitude. His aunt is a tattoo artist; when he was younger he spent some time in her shop hanging out and she's the one who gave him his first tattoo. Also, ever since he'd been a kid he'd wanted to join the military and when he got older spent some time in the US Marines Corp. So his tattoos are about those cultures; I describe them as Traditional American, Old School, or Sailor Jerry style tats and ever since he came into my shop two years ago, we have been working on filling in his sleeves with that type of imagery. He says that this current piece is informed by his admiration of Edgar Allan Poe's writings and that he wanted "something dark with the contrast of bright red roses (life) against the skull (death). And ravens are just incredibly cool." Click on the Read more link to see the drawing and outline photos.