Finally, the Tattoo Post

Well, today it was 82 degrees in San Juan. Sarah is probably so covered in freckles right now that she looks utterly adorable. She's been bugging me FOREVER to do this post (ever since she shot the photos), so I'm doing it while she's away because I am a bitch like that.

So! Ready? You might have to open two windows to see all of this. I suggest right-clicking on the link to the photos so you can view them while reading my unnecessarily lenghty explanations. Heh. Don't think you can just scroll through the album either--you must do this in order. Or else. Something.

OK! I have wanted to be tattooed since I was a kid. When I was in middle school, I used to draw a peace sign onto my wrist every day, and claimed that it would be my first tattoo (I also mentioned how easily it could be covered by a watch). But it wasn't until my early twenties that I actually started getting them; I started collecting just as the tattoo craze was getting underway.

This is my left arm. My poor pudgy left arm. Take a nice long look. This is from elbow to shoulder.

Now, look again at this version. Look! It's numbered!

1. This was my very first tattoo. I got it back in 1991 or 92 (hey, I was drunk!). I remember after I got it, my mother said, "But it's so big!" HA HA HA HA HA. It is a "Zia" symbol (hey--that's in my blog address!); the Navajo symbol for 'sun.' It's also on the New Mexico state flag. Sadly, the guy who did it was very high (although he's rather famous in the tattoo world--he did the famous tattoo of zippers running up the back of a woman's legs), and the ink never took correctly. It's been touched up a couple of times, but as you can see, it's still kinda missing some spots. It wasn't until several years after I got the tattoo I realized that in one of the photos I have of my father he has the same tattoo in the same place. Feel free to ponder that if you like.

2. This is actually a cover-up. I was briefly attending an Artist's Way  group and a painter was discussing the beauty and possibilities of a blank canvas. For some reason, I decided to get a blank canvas tattoo. And I decided to ask my friend Web, who was brand new at tattooing, to do the tattoo. If I had gone to a more experienced artist, that artist would have told me that it is impossible to hold white ink--your skin is always darker than the ink, and eventually it will fade away. But Web tried. And he hammered the ink in--going over it and over it and over it. It hurt like a mother fucker, and then my cat licked it. If you don't know that cats have the WORST bacteria in their mouths, well, now you do. It got infected. Badly. It sloughed off for weeks--huge pieces of it just rotting off. Eventually, it healed, and I ended up with what looked like a giant burn mark with a black line around it. Lovely, it was. Eventually, I went to a tattoo show and met a lovely woman artist who designed this lovely tribal pattern, topped with...

3. Violets! I love violets. I love that they bloom so early in spring, I love the depth and beauty of their color. I also love the fact that you can put them in salads. And I love the fact that the flower we call violets is NOT the actual blossom of the plant, but a ploy to fool you. The blossom is tiny and brown and near the ground. Love that.

4.  These are pretty standard Japanese Tattoo-style wind clouds. A very common filler in tattooing--a way to connect the images.

5. This is a variation on the Japanese Tattoo-style cherry blossom. Sadly, it's not perfect, since the outline for the clouds was done by an artist that moved across the country in the middle of my tattoo without telling me. The artist that finished it suggested the cherry blossoms, and I think they add quite a lot.

Moving on! This is my right arm. Probably my favorite collection of my tattoos; how much do you love that blue? Here's your numbers.

1. You may recognize this little guy and say, "hey! Are you a big fan of the band Sick Of It All?" (if you click on the link for the band, you'll see the symbol I mean). To which I'd say, "Huh?" I got this tattoo on my honeymoon. We had very little money, and Charlie and I picked out two tiny tattoos to get done by the famous Peggy Hurley (what, you've never heard of her?). She was very kind to us, since we were pretty new. I do believe this was my third tattoo.

2. This tattoo has the most complicated explanation. Many years ago, back when I was still drinking, I was reading a copy of National Geographic and came across an article about the Pazyryk Ice Maiden. The Pazyryk tribe lived on the border of Siberia and China, and were a horse people that survived in that harsh weather. The "Ice Maiden" was some sort of priestess, based on what she was buried with (four horses, several men, a large wooden headpiece). Because the tundra there never fully thaws, parts her body were still intact. And she had these two tattoos. I fell in love with them, and for years--while I was drinking (I'm still amazed)--hung on to the issue. My friend Web offered to do the tattoo as a wedding present. While he was more experienced at that point, he still wasn't great at detail (here' s another version of the top half of the tattoo--it's amazing). But I love the tattoo, especially since Web killed himself about five years ago.

3.  Again, with the Japanese Tattoo style filler. These are standard waves. I just adore them.

Moving on again!

This is my back. One should never have to look at one's own back.  Here is the numbered version.

1. This is a native american style thunderbird. Or is supposed to be. Many people have asked if it's a white supremacy tattoo. I assure you it is not. By the way--not a good idea to get all red. My skin does not really like red ink.

2.  Another recovery-inspired tattoo. I thought maybe if I got "faith" tattooed on me, I might actually get some. I really like the cool typewriter style font.

3.  This is a native american style bear claw. I got it in North Carolina on an actual reservation. It was fun. I had hoped that my next tattoo would have been the Navajo image of Mother Earth and Father Sky, but before I got that done, most Native American tribes asked us white people to please stop getting their history and culture tattooed on our bodies because we thought it was cool. I'm honoring that request, and may cover the bear claw and the thunderbird at some point as well.

4. My girl! She is based on an original design by Coop, a guy famous for his devil girls. Apparently, his wife is a woman "of size" and he frequently does hot porno style drawings of fat chicks. Here is the original image. As you can see, I made her a brunette (natch), and put her in a tank top. I also put her in killer platform boots, and asked the artist to pump up her ass, hips, thighs and boobs so she'd look more, you know, like me. I lurve her.

And there you have it! The only thing missing is the tattoo I have on my left ankle, a lovely little cat that Charlie drew. I wouldn't let Sarah photograph it since I hadn't shaved my legs.

I hope you enjoyed this tour of my body. You know all about the inside, now you've learned about the outside! Fun for all, I'm sure.

Comments

[shelli]

lovely tatoos, and lovely new photo of you on the front page!

LOVE the big-tittied super girl!

[Chantal]

I'm on dial-up (the one downside to living in the country) and each one was worth the wait. I've wanted to see your tats close up for a while.

I've a few tattoos myself and my favourite is my newest. It has vine work and each of my kids zodiac signs with my own in the middle.

I love how each one on each person has a story. Thanks for sharing yours.

[Ninotchka]

cutie! I need to get reacquainted with my tattoo. I often forget it's there!

[ockerbarnes]

THANKS for the tour Cecily. I love tattoo stories. MY hubby and I both have quite a collection also. And yeah, I know that thing about "most Native American tribes asked us white people to please stop getting their history and culture tattooed on our bodies because we thought it was cool". MY hubby is Maori New Zealander and he hates it that traditional Maori arm bands and designs and so popular. I would LUV to get a Maori tat but he won't let me. Says it would be soooo embarassing for him on all levels. I've got old school "Sailor" tatts. And, guess what, I have stretchmarks going right though some of them from when I was pregnant with my DD. I'm a cubby girl but the 41 weeks took their toll on the tatts on my hips and belly. One tattoo of a revolver looks so weird with a big stretchmark severing it in two. I'll get them all redone/reinked after I'm finished with having babies. xClare

[Rosemary Grace]

Wow.

Your super-girl can come have drinks with my big-boobed fairy tattoo that I have on my back! I got her as a symbol of free spirit, unfortunately a lot of people just think it means I have a tinkerbell fetish.

I love that you got tattoos copied from a "prehistoric" body! I'll have to show those to my husband, he's a total geek for scythians and the ancient peopls of the steppes.

[Meg]

What a great tattour!

Thanks for this. I don't have one. I stuck to piercings, cuz I was too cowardly to do anything truly permanent. Tattoos don't grow over...

I still think of getting something, always text of some sort or a band on my forearm. I'll see.....maybe someday...

[beth]

ok iloove ur tattoos especially the girl on your back n the word faith very nice u certasinly got mwe beat lol although i do plan to get two more
ive got 4
how r u feeling hun?

[Korin]

Your tats rock! I only have three.. but I know i'mnot done. :)
Your girl rocks. She has a great rack ;)

[Mary Scarlet]

Beautiful, thank you for showing us. I do love that blue; the Ice Maiden designs are my favorite.

[juliejulie]

worth the wait for this post. very cool. any plans for more?

[Alexa]

Gorgeous tattoos. I especially liked the left arm--they all go together so well. Maybe my favorite part of those post, though, was that fact about violets. Seriously, Cec, that is one of the coolest facts I have heard in a while.

[MOT]

I collected four tattoos from 1993 to 1995, of birds and fish. I am soooo pissed that my goldfish (on my thigh) got blurred when I was pregnant. Those darn stretch marks! I'll get my DH to take a picture of my cranes - I love that tattoo, but since it's on my back, I forget I have it. At least I used to, but now my boys point to me and say BIRDS! It's sweet.

[Trish]

Thanks for the tour, Cecily! You've just given me the NEED again to DO something to my body now that I'm not pregnant! I loooooooooove getting tattoos OR piercings :)

[Susie]

That was completely awesome and fascinating to me. Thanks for the tour!

[Mermaidgrrrl]

You've been a smart gal and gote them where they won't distort with time. Why doesn't your body like red ink? It looks great in your skin - did you react badly?
I'm getting my next tattoo on the back of my neck now my hair has grown longer. I like having things where I can tuck them away if I choose too. I'm a dyke and have a very "impressively sized" chest (read - cup size G) which attracts a lot of male attention. I got a tattoo between my breats of a full-figured mermaid with "una mujer del otro lado" written underneath - "a woman of the other side". I love that now when men are falling down my shirt that if they fell a little harder they'd find I have the Spanish equivalent of "I'm a lesbian" written in my skin!

[Mrs. T]

Thanks for sharing your lovely tattoos. I love reading the background for people getting tattoos. I just recently got another one and love it!

[Mrs. T]

Thanks for sharing your lovely tattoos. I love reading the background for people getting tattoos. I just recently got another one and love it!

[Julie]

Very cool! I have no tats but I am fascinated by people's stories behind them. Thank you so much for sharing that with me :)

[Heatherg]

I dont have tats either. Never been in to it, but i loved hearing the story and seeing the beautiful artwork.

Very cool.

[Calliope]

Wonderful tour! I only have the one tattoo on my left arm but have a list of three others to get. I made the mistake of asking my RE when the best time in my cycle was to get the new tats & he sat me down for a long lecture about how wouldn't it suck to get knocked up & have a tattoo infection...ugh. So now I feel too guilty to try until AFTER I crank out a kid. But that doesn't sop me from taping the designs to myself & feeling like a badass.
I LOVE the gal on your back- awesome!!!

[Peach]

Thanks for the tour. I, too, love the stories tattoos tell. I got my first one a couple years ago and am very much in lurve with it (it's a peach, of course, the one on my blog).

You can always tell so very much about a person from their tattoos.

[Diana]

Love love love the tattoos. Great stories with them, I hate when people get tattoos that don't mean anything. I have one on my lower back that i drew myself, working on one for the hubby (he already has three). Thank you for sharing, how pissed is Sarah going to be?

[Diana]

love love love the tattoos, and great stories behind them! I have one on my lower back that i drew myself, and I'm working on one for the hubby (he already has three).
Thank you for sharing, how pissed is Sarah going to be?

[Diana]

Sorry about the two comments my computer is stupid today, i didnt think the first one posted!

[Danielle]

Thank you so much for sharing your tattoos and their stories. They are really amazing.