In September the BOX gallery exhibited Paranormal Paranoia: the other side of Tattoo Art(ists), an intriguing collection of fine art by tattoo artists. During the opening reception and artwalk there were local tattoo artists on hand, along with a raffle for a gift certificate generously donated by Kustom Culture Tattoo & Piercing in Tallmadge, Ohio. As luck (and enablers) would have it, I was the fortunate recipient!! Funny thing, as I started working on sketches, my initial design ideas completely changed – as did the placement. Wendy, owner of Kustom Culture, advised me to go with a larger image and take into consideration that the surface (in this case the forearm) is three-dimensional.

The final drawing depicts a branch from an Elder Tree, December’s tree in the Celtic lunar zodiac, with berries, leaves and feathers. Wendy’s inking is perfection! The photo below is from the same day – will update in a few weeks.

And, speaking of ink, here are three favorites from my bookshelf – tattoos, tattoo artists and unforgettable stories.

The Tattoo Artist by Jill Ciment
Until I Find You by John Irving
House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski