my ink

I have become fascinated with "Body Art" and other ... um... modifications. I very highly recommend the book reviewed here:

http://currents.ucsc.edu/06-07/10-09/bodies.asp

While I am not at the place where I want to personally pierce body parts other than my ears (four in my left, two in my right) ...both of my girls have piercings elsewhere.

No place bizarre. SugerCookie pierced her navel...and LittleMissy her nose. LittleMissy has a few extensive cartilage piercings in her ears. TheCub had his ear pierced...but he let it close up a couple years ago. Come to think of it...J-Boy has a nipple pierced. He and a couple of his buddies each pierced a nipple when one of them, Travis deployed to Iraq. The deal being they would all pierce the other nipple when he came home. I suggested they just unpierce when he came home. Travis is home (praise God) ...hmmm...I don't know what they decided...I'll have to ask SugarCookie. Without telling her why. I would be in so much e-phn trouble if she ever saw this blog.

Anyway....

Several years ago I realized I really wanted my own tattoo. In my part of the world a significant percentage of the population is inked. I suspect reader reaction is divided in a similar manner to that of my friends and family. Gasping in shock at the sin. Tsking-tsking in disapproval of the concept. Eye-rolling at kat's behavior once again. Shrugging in apathy...after all everyone has a tat.

My first foray was just a simple kanji...which was my original concept. No big deal. Although I knew I wanted more....I first needed to figure out exactly what I wanted permanently on my body...for...you know...the rest of my life.

side note: being a single, born-again woman, in her late (very late) forties...it turns out having a tattoo is a deterrent to potential suitors. who knew? Turns out to be a blessing. A man's reaction to my ink is a great indicator to how he will react to other situations.

The image above is "Magnolias and Irises" the stained glass panel by Louis Comfort Tiffany which hangs in the American Wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I love Glass. I love the creations of Tiffany. I think his middle name "Comfort" is right on. And this piece is my all time favorite.

So...I took several examples of Magnolia's and Irises, as well as other Tiffany Iris examples, to Theresa ~ my tattoo artist. A couple weeks later I went back to see what she had come up with. Wow. They were unbelievable. Unusual color shading. Artful interpretation of the original without being identical. Perfect incorporation of my kanji. And the really cool part....her tattoo designs were round. Kinda like a paperweight. She had no clue I collect paperweights. They were all so amazing, I had a difficult time choosing which one I wanted.

My body art is located on my back....just below my right shoulder blade. It is about three inches in diameter....and hidden by most clothing. The session took several hours. The shading was somewhat painful...however the outling (which gives it the 'stained-glass" look) was really painful. But absolutely worth every wince.

I am very fond of my tattoo....
it holds a great deal of significance to me.

I cannot promise you it will be my last.