A different direction
I got new tattoos. It’s a subject I haven’t talked about much. The whole process of thinking and doing was all very emotional because as we all know, my old artist (my husband Eric) is no longer with us. This left me with a lot of unfinished work. After owning a tattoo studio for 13 years, I have a wonderful network of support which also includes some very talented tattooers. While out west last year, I found myself back in familiar territory in the Pacific Northwest. This afforded me an opportunity to finish some work on my arm and what will eventually be a coverup on my back. This wasn’t the only work I’ve had done recently, but I’ll talk about that in another upcoming post.
As I mentioned, I traveled up to Beaverton, Oregon which is just outside of Portland. Back in 2009, Eric did an extended guest spot at a shop. So naturally I stopped into Tattoo 42 to see what’s new. I was beyond surprised and thrilled when founder and partner Rich Shires offered to work on my left arm. I had earlier plans to cover up the top of my arm with a black-out piece like my leg, but Rich decided I needed something more special.
New tattoos and fresh perspective
The entirety of my arm tattoo from wrist to shoulder evolved over about 12 days. First came the mandala which still has more time left before we call it finished. Then the hexagram pattern followed by the pattern inside that.
In the next few sessions Rich hard lined all of my existing tattoos. They weren’t up until this point and that little difference made Eric’s work really pop. We added my grandson’s names next to my roman numeral 1994 for my daughter’s birth year.
Next was a cover up of a previous tattoo Rich did for me in 2011 on the inside of my wrist. That tattoo also was covered with a mandala for continuity. Finally, we chose a cube design as a background to tie it all together. Oh, and the bar design inside the hex covered a negative space ohm, so Rich included a new one that’s even better! I still have the inner part of my upper arm left for whatever tattoo ideas we come up with next.
Rich was super patient and guided me in a direction I was comfortable with. Covering some of Eric’s work was hard but it was what I had planned before so I made peace with it.
Healing and aftercare plug
For healing Rich has developed this amazing product Tattoo Wrap. It’s a hydrocolloidal bandage that I can wear under any clothing. I can not say enough great things about it and yes, I’m shamelessly plugging it because we used it on every tattoo, after every session except one and the difference was notable. Tattoo Wrap protects, aids in healing, and can get wet. My tattoos healed quicker and better than anything else I’ve ever tried. I know what you’re thinking…”but I have my way and that works for me.” Yes yes, I did too but really I ask you, doesn’t not having to worry about bumping, scraping, and rubbing a new tattoo sound amazing? Well it is and that’s the last I’m going to say. Just try it. You won’t be sorry. Then tell your friends.
Takeaway thoughts on my new tattoos
Total hours I think I counted more than 25 and I can’t remember exactly how many days were tattoo days. My leg coverup was three consecutive days of tattooing. My arm was more. I have a new pain threshold. Did it hurt? Yes, of course but surprisingly not as bad as I expected had you told me this was what we were going to do. End result is that I love it so much. The integrity of Eric’s tattoo work is preserved and enhanced.
I can’t wait to go back and finish. What do you think I should put on the inside of my upper arm?
Questions? Comments? Please leave them below. Thanks for reading! xxooC
Update -Arm Finished (Yay!)
As of this writing, I journeyed once more to Beaverton, Oregon. There we finished my arm with a piece on the inside upper portion. For this space I chose a design near and dear to my heart. The tattoo contains a Moon for me (Cancer), and a sun for my sister (Leo), and a guiding star for us at the top. Rich drew this right on my arm. A custom piece just for that spot. I love it and now it’s finished.
Granted, I still need some touch ups. Some shading was added to the cover up hex pattern. Also there were touch ups to some of the linework and highlights. Tell me what you think! xxoo-C
(Updated July 23, 2022)
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