There comes a time in everyone’s life now where they face the conclusion that they can’t just go through life without a tattoo. This decision has had me agonizing for many years because of the permanency (relative permanency now) and because I like to look at tattoos and there are some really bad ones. I always imagine myself as an old man with white hair and sagging wrinkled skin (this part is getting easier to imagine by the day) trying to explain to my grandchildren why I have a stretched out portrait of Van Morrison on my spare tire with his mouth right where my belly button is or whether I should tell them that the large iguana on my shoulder just happened to be the best thing to cover my ex-wife’s name. I know that when scientists found one of those frozen icemen on some mountain years ago they were fascinated by the tattoo on his lower back that was merely 3 sets of vertical lines about 2 inches long and I thought that’s more up my alley…
Of course a copy of a Kandinsky or Matta painting on my whole back still beckons after a few beers. That being said I’ve been under the weather and am on the mend (maybe some beers would help) but yesterday I actually went to bed during the day. I really cannot remember ever doing this in my life as I have always loved the idea of a siesta but can never fall asleep. Sofia came to visit me and decided that coloring my fingernails and giving me a tattoo would make me feel better. Fingernails are brown and the tattoo is a narrative of pots that from wrist to elbow that goes thus… her making a bowl, then a teapot, then a coffee mug, and last me making one of my bowls with the squiggles on it. Too bad it’s in washable markers…
I posted a couple more mugs yesterday (first click to Etsy, the other enlarges)…
Sofia's Dad's Pots 
November 5, 2009 at 10:27 am |
LOOOOVE that glaze on the second cup! Wonderful!
November 5, 2009 at 10:37 am |
Sophia might have a burgeoning career there. I have about 1/4 of M.C. Escher’s House of Stairs (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/House_of_Stairs) on my entire left thigh. Have never regretted it!
November 5, 2009 at 10:40 am
see jerry, there’s my problem… i would never have thought of escher until after i had gone ahead with something else and then it would have driven me crazy that i hadn’t considered him when i committed to whatever it was that i did get… tattoo neuroses
November 5, 2009 at 10:52 am |
Once you get one you will want more. They are somewhat addictive. I have one on my back and am constantly bugging my wife about getting another. Nothing quite as cool as an Escher print, though.
November 5, 2009 at 11:20 am |
the wife has half-a-dozen and is constantly nagging me… think i might what with the baby. i’m of the opinion that it should be something about you that isn’t going to change – like perhaps the fact that I have a kid…
…though the Van Morrison idea is *really* tempting.
November 5, 2009 at 11:30 am |
Sofia is a wonderful tattoo artist. I’ve been considering a tattoo wedding band. I’d never lose it or get it dirty in clay 🙂
November 5, 2009 at 11:39 am |
She gave you a sleeve! Boy, your life is gonna be quiet and dull when she goes to school….
November 5, 2009 at 11:45 am |
Our 20 yr. old son has Japanese warriors and Koi “sleeved” on his arms -I had a fit when I saw his first one!!! He had wanted tattoos since he was 3 and the day after he turned 18 went for the first and loves them… I’m not convinced. Within his circle of peers at the University, tats are now the norm. He thought it would flatter me because one of the Koi was inspired from a sculpture I had made -YIKES!! I never meant to inspire him that way.
I like the idea of a totemic pottery story on your arm -very cool and M.C. Escher’s Sky & Water I, might work for me too …hmmmmm?!
November 5, 2009 at 11:52 am |
I have always thought that one of Escher’s Metamorphosis series would make a great tattoo. But even though Rob is right and they are addictive like potato chips. I think I am done at two.
November 5, 2009 at 11:53 am |
I love my tats. My husband designed it and its of him and I and our 3 sons. The next one is for all the grandkids.
November 5, 2009 at 12:33 pm |
no tats for me-
my kids are a different story.
My daughter has one which is a Chinese symbol.
I think it means something like peace or love or something wise.
She was asked by someone what it meant and she said Lemon Chicken.
It is my favorite dish so I had it put on my ankle.
This guy went around for a long time with this belief.
She finally had to fess up.
My son- he has PLENTY as a techkie.
The one which crawls out the neck of his shirt…well you just can’t hide that one.
Me- I just don’t get it.
But you Jim need 14c as your tat!
November 6, 2009 at 2:35 am |
Go on Jim get a tattoo, no pain no gain. If we get a tattoo at our age it will remain fresh until we move to greener pastures. At least when everything else fades it will remain fresh, unlike those individuals whose tattoos were applied at 18 and with time their lifestyles have changed and their images dont reflect who they are now, or might really be now. At least we wont have to live with the past written all over our bodies. Luv the second mug – especially the glaze waxiness. have a greta day
November 27, 2009 at 1:13 pm |
I got my first tattoo at sixteen and i’m running out of space now 🙂
June 6, 2010 at 12:13 pm |
I love tattoos and don’t for a minute regret having any of them, I’m currently getting a angel tattoo sleeve down my left arm can’t wait to get it all done! as can only afford smallsessions at a time. My tattoo artist is very good and also very expensive but, he’s worth it! Fantastic site btw