Tale of the Tats

   So many people have asked me about my tattoos that I thought I would tell the tale of the tats................................................. 


   I can't say when I first started thinking about my first tattoo, early 1990's maybe. First I wanted to make sure that I really wanted a piece of art that stayed with me forever. After I crossed that bridge then I had to decide where on my body I wanted it . Someplace that I could see, since I was doing it for myself and wanted to enjoy it. But I was just starting my dog show judging career and didn't want to mar someone's first impression of me, just in case they had negative feelings about tattoos. So it needed it to be in a spot that I could conceal. OK, now a location was determined. Inside my wrist and long sleeves would cover it. Next, what did I want? After much thought I decided on a tribal type lizard. Small, inside my wrist. Cool! These decisions took years. I wanted to make sure I was sure.

   Next decision............... who to do it. As I drove to work I would look for shops. There was a tiny little shop that caught my eye, I stopped in to meet the person. It was a woman named Samantha. We talked about what I wanted and she would have a drawing ready in a day or two and could do it then. I was so excited. A few days later, with a couple of friends for support, I went back, kind of nervous of the unknown, Well........ the drawing was not tribal but I loved it. And it was not small. It was bigger than what I originally wanted  and the tail would wrap over my wrist a little.The heck with the tribal, this was the one for me! It was a generic lizard with vivid colors, there was the moon and the stars. It was really nice.

  

 

    Everyone always asks "Doesn't it hurt?". Some. It's not horrible. When it started to hurt she would move to another area even before I could say "ouch!". It took an hour or two, I think. I really don't remember. I hear tattoos are addictive but I was happy with my one!

 

        I had a life event in 2004 and had thought about a tattoo to commemorate it. It took untill 2009 to go ahead with my plan.The person I lived with was dead set against it.You pick your battles and I wasn't ready to battle about this YET! By 2009 I was ready.  I couldn't find Samantha so it was research time again. I went to a few places but they weren't helpful with giving me any input to what I might want. I went on the computer and checked feed back on some artists, then settled for one near the zoo, where I worked. I went and talked to him but he didn't have any ideas, but did have a resource library that I could use. I knew I wanted a pair of lions. Posed how? I didn't want frothing, savage looking beasts. I didn't want a copy of the actual lions, I was afraid he wouldn't capture what I saw in them. I decided on two head studies, male and female. They would represent the two lions I knew.

 

 

 

 

   While I was there I wanted my lizard freshened up. He suggested adding some things to it since it was kind of plain. I really hadn't thought about doing that, so I told him to do what he thought would look nice. He drew some clouds and flowers. It looked nice so I had it done.

 

 

 

 

In 2011 my life became my own. Free! I just had to get an ink representing that big life change. So I went back to the person that did the lions. I already knew what I wanted and where. Butterflies stand for freedom to me and I think Monarchs are so beautiful. Also orange is one of my favorite colors. Perfect! Monarch butterflies over my shoulder. I wanted them to look like they were in flight. My sister and best friend came with me. I think they were both interested in the process. It took a couple of hours and again not much pain. It's beautiful and I love it.

 

 

 

Early in 2012 I made a decision to move to Mexico, a big life change. Now I wanted something for that event in my life. What could I have that would represent all that this meant to me? When I was a young child, I had a plaster kit and I could mold  little Mexican figurines. My favorite was a sleeping Mexican. My mother told me the man was sleeping because in Mexico people took a nap after lunch. (I've been here for several months and haven't seen this man sleeping anywhere!) It's always been my favorite symbol and  I still have those figures that I made so many years ago. Boy, little did I know where my life was headed. But that wasn't what I wanted for my tattoo. I wasn't sure it was really a Mexican thing or something dreamed up by a white man.

 

 

The house, I was temoprarily staying in while in Mexico, had a picture on the mantel that represented the town I'm living in. It's simple, had clean lines and I felt this was what I wanted.

 

 

 

In the meantime I made a new friend back in the States that had a couple of tattoos. She loved the work of her artist. So on July 31 I went to see Michele for this new milestone marker. But where to put it? I like to be able to see them, they are done for my pleasure. I'm not fond of having one on my upper arm, but that was the empty space. We raised it a little so it goes over my shoulder some. I was very pleased with her work and the location of my new tattoo.

 

 

I must admit I was getting addicted to tattoos. I went back August 2 to have chili peppers on my foot. They have no particular meaning. Let me tell ya folks -- if this would have been my first one, there never would have been a second one. OUCH! Very painful. Apparently the foot is a very sensitiveplace for a tattoo.

 

 

Michele had been looking at my other tattoos and suggested she coud make the lions look less cartoon-ish,

 

 

 

  and could spice up the lizard. The neck of the generic lizard always bothered me, it was just a little too long. She shortened the neck, added a tree frog and had the lizard catching a bug. Perfect!

 

 

I'm done, unless I have another major life event. Well, sort of done ..................... my friend put up a picture on Facebook, a tarantula tattoo that I fell in love with. I'm a tarantula fan from way back. My first one lived for 23 years. I just had to have that tattoo. Where the heck am I going to put it? I have no prime real estate on my body left for it. Where there's a will, there's a way! So when I returned to the States Michele did yet another ink for me. We wedged it close to the butterflies. It looks great.

 

 

 

The drawing was turned around and repositioned. Now I can easily see it.

 

                   I'm done now.                    

 

Unless........................

 

 

 

 

 

 

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