lately, i have had images floating around in my head. some have been there for years, others only weeks. now i am not posting this for anybody to tell me tattoos are a stupid idea. if you dont approve of tattoos, please, i dont need to know. that being said, if you have any ideas, helpful criticism, or just any advice, i would love to hear it.
now, this is a serious undertaking for me. i want to put thought into this, and plan accordingly, as i hope to be adding more than a few to my body. i have found my tattoo artist, which i admittedly didnt put as much thought into as i have the designs. however, he tattoos my friends, speaks minimal english, parties with us, and is willing to do them at a discounted price. he isnt some stranger who cant understand my french and will never see me again, it actually matters if he messes up. he specializes in detail, which is perfect as i want only black outlines. i have high hopes for this partnership.
in the past few days, i have been reading blog after blog about tattooing. i have learned quite a bit about the process, how to prepare, and what to expect.
all that is left, is the designing. i am going to leave most of the designing to him. i cannot draw nearly as well as he can, and he knows what looks best. that being said, there are key elements that i will include. i am going to try to write them out, so as to clear my head.
my own drawings:
right forearm/dip: train tracks viewed from side, simple telephone poles with one black bird on wire. possibly one flying away as well. [this tattoo idea inspired my new header.]
right shoulder blade: a triangle of airplanes [just the outline] turning into a flock of black birds, flying towards the top of my shoulder.
helpful images-
left inner upper arm: end design unknown, elements to be included: one or two from a set of classic matryoshkas, a spool of thread with thread branching out attached to needle, empty birdcage hanging by thread, and a mini ribbon pottery tool. this one will need a lot more thought.
helpful images-
not my own drawings:
[more cliched, less designed, but just as meaningful.]
left rib cage: the little prince taking advantage of a flock of wild birds to make his escape from his asteroid, including stars and flower.
left wrist: a ball of yarn, with thin needles at diagonal.
behind right ear or outer left forearm: a small anchor.
every single one has an intense personal meaning, which i am sure is easily guessed just by reading through my 'about me' and the post detailing the search for my yellow bird.
they still need some thought, and i am going to wait just to be sure i always want them. that being said, i have had my piercings for years, some since i was fourteen, and i havent regretted a single one yet. in fact, i miss the ones that have healed. it took four months of debating to just get my lip pierced. it takes me so long to actually get something, that when i finally get around to it, i love it for life.
any thoughts? this is a really big deal, and i want to know everything i can.
the foire de paris and a stand of russian matryoshkas aka nesting dolls. [i collect them.]
ro''s scooter and the ability to avoid the metro.
the return of my friends from an extended absence.
april showers, because they bring may flowers. [my garden is beginning to sprout!]
meeting the boy who will draw on my body permanently. [i found my tattoo artist. i cant believe it.]
[week 22]
"goodbye," he said to the flower.
but she made no answer.
"goodbye," he said again.
the flower coughed. but it was not because she had a cold.
"i have been silly," she said to him, at last. "i ask your forgiveness. try to be happy..."
he was surprised by this absence of reproaches. he stood there all bewildered, the glass globe held arrested in mid-air. he did not understand this quiet sweetness.
"of course i love you," the flower said to him. "it is my fault that you have not known it all the while. that is of no importance. but you — you have been just as foolish as i. try to be happy... let the glass globe be. i don't want it any more."
"but the wind — "
"my cold is not so bad as all that... the cool night air will do me good. i am a flower."
"but the animals — "
"well, i must endure the presence of two or three caterpillars if i wish to become acquainted with the butterflies. it seems that they are very beautiful. and if not the butterflies — and the caterpillars — who will call upon me? you will be far away... as for the large animals — i am not at all afraid of any of them. i have my claws."
and, naïvely, she showed her four thorns. then she added:
"don't linger like this. you have decided to go away. now go!"
for she did not want him to see her crying. she was such a proud flower.
[le petit prince. antoine de saint exupery.]
the image above is the tattoo i want. in fact, it is number 19 on my 101 in 1001 list. i hope to get it while in france. in order to motivate me to save up the money for it [ie: not drink so much] i have decided to post about it. i'm sure you're familiar with the book 'le petit prince'. well i never read it as a child. the first time i read it was in high school french class, during my senior year. that year was, for numerous reasons, a life-defining year for me. among more personal, deeper meanings, le petit prince was the first book i ever read in french. i think it would be fitting to get this tattoo while studying in france, something someone who was once the world to me told i would never be strong enough to do. i plan on getting it towards the end of my stay in france, to symbolize the successful completion of a year abroad. because to be honest, im still not sure ill last!
now i have wanted this tattoo for months now, but it will be quite large and quite expensive. i told myself i would get it right when i begun my search, then before leaving the states, then while in london, and now i am saying i will get it while in france. i think if i say it out loud and publish it on the internet where i will see it almost daily, i will be more likely to follow through.
i'm changing the picture a bit. i want no color, only the outline. it will start on my left rib cage, the first bird will sit at the top of my rib cage, on my left side right under the side strap of my bra, the rest of the flock of birds flying away from my heart, following the curve of my breast, the strings right under my ribs. the body of little prince will fall on the side of my torso, the asteroid and the flower he is leaving behind will be placed in the hollow created by my hip bone. i am not getting any of the planets or stars.
i think that i will include a quote from the book. i need to get it drawn out, to figure out the placement perfectly. but it will most likely be either:
les yeux sont aveugles. il faut chercher avec le coeur. [the eyes are blind. you must search with the heart.]
or
on ne voit bien qu’avec le cœur. l’essentiel est invisible pour les yeux. [it is only with the heart that one can see rightly, what is essential is invisible to the eye.]
now i am a bit uncertain of this plan, but only because i'm worried about explaining this in french to a french tattoo artist. plus, paying for it in euros rather than dollars will make it a bit more expensive, although less so than pounds would. beyond that, i need a really good artist who is excellent with detail. im sure i'll be able to find one who understands me and is capable of the detail i request, and i am willing to pay for it. it just has so much meaning, i cant imagine not getting it.
