Body Art

Happy (almost) Earth Day!!!

First of all, I want to let you all know that I received an email from Andrea, the owner of Repeat Possessions (the company I bought my new oxfords from). She is offering free shipping on all orders of $50 or more, using code RPTX2011. So, if you need some new oxfords (or anything else - she said their cami's are super comfortable and their best seller, plus they come in a ton of colors), now is the time! I got my oxfords for $80 at Repeat Possessions, but they are still $125 at endless. I should also mention that I had a great experience with Repeat Possessions. Great transaction, great communication, fast shipping, and Andrea even remembered that I wanted the pewter oxfords and emailed me to let me know they had one pair in stock.

Now, onto my art! A few of you have asked about my tattoos, so here we go......

My first tattoo was done about 5 years ago. I knew I wanted something small and meaningful. After talking to tattoo artists and doing a lot of research, I decided that I wanted a paw print, specifically my dog Kya's paw print. Using an ink pad, I stamped her paw print onto a piece of paper. The tattoo artist made a stencil from that, so it is pretty much an exact replica of her paw.

About a year later, I decided I was ready for another tattoo. This time, I wanted to go big! I did a lot of research (seriously, weeks and weeks and weeks of learning about tattoos, the process, the artists, different styles, poorly done vs. good quality, etc.). I discovered the style I liked and I found the perfect artist. Her name is Michele Wortman. She and her husband (Guy Aitchison) own Hyperspace Studios (Michels's gallary is here). I fell in love with all of her art - tattoos, music, paintings, etc. Her style is very unique. She doesn't use any black lines (which is pretty unusual for tattoos). This makes her style/tattoos very soft, lacy, and feminine.

I booked my appointment with Michele, flew to St. Louis, drove 2 hours to southern Illinois, and spent 3 full days getting tattooed. Yes, I did all of that for a tattoo! Why? Because it is permanent and will be with me forever. People are always surprised when I talk about traveling to get my tattoo. So many people have said "aren't there tattoo parlors in Portland? Can't you just go down the street to get a tattoo?" Well yes, I could. However, when it comes to permanent body art, I think it is worth it to get exactly what you want, from the artist that you want, no matter how inconvenient it is.

Since I love Michele's art so much, I knew that I wanted a piece of it on my arm forever. I told her a few elements that I wanted included (Tibetan Buddha, tree, flowers) and pretty much turned it over to her and let her work her magic. Of course we talked about color, placement, etc. and decided those things together.

About a year and a half ago, I traveled back to see Michele again for another session (2 full days this time). She added a bit to the bottom and added to the inside of my arm (which is by far the most painful area).

This is Michele!

After my first trip to Illinois

After my second trip

This is my honey comb Mandala

All of these photos were taken immediately after being tattooed, so the ink is still "fresh" and my skin is irritated/swollen. After it healed, the color settled in a bit and became softer. Getting tattooed by Michele was a wonderful experience. I do not regret it one single bit. I am planning on getting more work done sometime within the next year or so.