Tattoo #4

It was inevitable, wasn't it? Considering I was planning this since I got my window on the inside right ankle, this shouldn't be too much of a surprise. If you haven't read it, the window is explained here (http://speckoftexas.blogspot.com/2005_10_01_archive.html). The original plan was to get the window and door at the same time. That was the plan till I found out how EXCRUCIATING the ankle is for a tattoo. Arm? No problem! Back? No problem! But, oh my god, that was some incredible pain. At that point, I was just happy to get through having the window done. Then I put the door off for more than a year. No real reason, things just kept coming up and I wasn't in a rush to feel that kind of pain again. But lately, I felt 'no time like the present'. So, I called my tattoo guy up (Mike Condon at True Blue on Red River - awesome guy) and made an appt for Wed (1/24). When I went in he was just finishing a back piece on a guy, and when the guy came out he said 'Hey!' Wha? Dude! It was this guy Doug that worked at the shelter two years ago and was actually the guy who recommended Mike to me! Small world! So we chatted for a bit while Mike cleaned up his workstation. It was good seeing him again. I lamented how the adoption staff is crap now and I really missed him and the other people that were there back then. Oh well.

Mike and I discussed the door and I told him I wanted heavy hinges and a big handle. I really like the look of metal and wood. We struggled with the right handle, and in the end decided just a keyhole would work best. And really, that's a door that won't be opened again, so that made sense just to have the keyhole. It only took about 30 minutes to do, and yes, the pain was just as bad as I remembered. Some parts he hit made it feel like my whole foot was on fire. I think I held in there fairly well though - no whimpering or crying. I think there was one 'dear lord!' but that was it.

So...here it is!

Mike took this right after he was done, so it's a little red around the edges from the trauma.

Here's a blurry closeup. It's actually just in black and gray, so all the red/orange/brown you see is just blood under the skin. As it heals the blood will wash away leaving it just with blacks/grays. I'll put another picture up in about a month so you can see how it turned out.

And yes, I am already planning my next one. It'll be the largest so far - covering the outside left calf in a long narrow vertical space (no hints!). Mike and I have to discuss this design a bit more, and he said it'll be a few sessions to let it heal right. I have in my head the idea of what I want, but I always need to talk it out with the artist to get their perspective on what would work in a tattoo. I'll probably get this done within the next two months. Maybe get the outline before Andrea comes to visit in Feb.

Oh, and just for kicks - here's a picture of this crazy dolphin panda that Randy sent me from Japan. I have no words. Who comes up with this stuff? It's soft and squishy too. so cute.