Tattoo

After more than a year of planning, thinking, dreaming, I recently started the wheels on motion to actually get a new tattoo. I have a climbing rope and Figure-8 around my right ankle that is now 10 years old. I have loved it every minute since I got it.

Recently I have been attracted to traditional Japanese style tattoos, especially the snake-like Dragons and brilliant orange Koi fish. Japanese style is unlike the “single-point” style of most tattoos. The pieces are much larger, covering the entire arm or leg. In the Japanese style, there is a central tattoo that is framed by a more subtle background. The background can be wind bars, clouds, waves or other design. The background on this type of tatoo is typically done in gray. I am most attracted to Dragons and Koi, both very traditional designs.

After an aborted start in January, I have chosen another artist and set an appointment for the first session.

I originally wanted Chris Garver to do the work. He is one of a very few artists who specialize in traditional Japanese style. Unfortunately he is now a star on the TV show Miami Ink, which means the only way to get an appointment, is to send in a video tape and “audition” for the TV show. I have zero interest in getting a tattoo on TV so Chris was out.

My wife knows a guy working on a full body-suit, she asked him and he recommended Chris Trevino in Austin and Dave Tedder in Atlanta. I spoke with Chris, described the piece I wanted and learned that due to the size and complexity, it would take at least 3 or 4 sessions to complete. I like both Austin and Atlanta but traveling there multiple times seemed like way too much work.

Months pass…

I am again looking at Chris Trevenio’s web site and find a link to an artist in Boulder who has worked with Chris. His name is Joel Long.

I found his web site and looked at his portfolio. Some of the pieces looked pretty good but I wasn’t sure he could do the level of work I was looking for. A few more months pass and I decide to meet him to discuss my plans while Kathy and I were in Boulder for dinner at Frasca.