My Tattoo Self

Well, here I am designing a tattoo… not just any tattoo; MY tattoo. Sounds simple enough, right? Being a tattoo apprentice, six months deep…It should be as easy as drinkin scotch in the middle of the afternoon. Yeah, not so much. You would think everything would come easy, to create something for myself rather than designing for someone who I have only met once. Quite the contrary. There is a strange connect/disconnect that happens when designing a tattoo. A connection to a story or concept that is strictly visual. When designing something for yourself it becomes not only visual, but also contains an internal emotional quality that tends to cloud the vision. Yes, I know that this is all is starting to sound absurd, but it’s very true; at least for me it is.

Most of the time, if I can see a clear image in my head I can almost always draw it. Visualization is the key. Imagine how emotion can cloud what you see… In a lot more ways than just drawing, but that’s a topic for another day. Anyhow, I am at a place where I am trying to envision my own tattoo on my own arm. There are so many aspects. Fine art, line, contour line, color, figure, abstraction, and concept based female form.  A lot of aspects, and they are all within me. Now I have to make this a visual representation of what is in me and put it ON me.  I want this tattoo to encompass the many qualities that have motivated and directed me to this place in my life. It is no one singular thing, but every reason I am an artist today.

So here is where we are at. I am creating something that is an indelible creation to live on my skin forever. I’m struggling, drawing, struggling, and drawing some more. Strangely, this is what we do when creating a tattoo for someone else, only this time, it will only be mine.

Stay tuned to see how this goes. I will be doing the designing and the most awesome of awesomest tattoo artist, Scott Glazier, will be making the art permanent.

“Every artist dips his brush in his own soul. And paints his own nature into his pictures.” -Henry Ward Beecher-

Happy Healing,

Nicole