Influence part 2

My first tattoo experience somewhat shied me away for awhile. My second wasn't the greatest experience either. I did something I would never do now and got a tattoo by a non professional....a mechanic in fact. I think it was his 7th tattoo. Mid way through I had sweat the stencil off and he had to reapply it. All in all he didn't do the worst job and I was happy to have it after carrying around the design for several years, but now I strive for perfection-not just simply getting the design. I wanted more ink, but felt like a great experience was out of my reach. We had a tattoo studio in town, in fact I had gotten my tongue pierced there about a year after the studio opened. We live in a small town though and I kept hearing rumors. I heard the studio was over priced, they did bad work, they used cheap supplies, the ink would fall out, etc etc. All things I know now are totally false.

Then a day came when I was in pain. Things had fallen apart with a dear friend and I wanted something to hurt more than the emotional hurt I was feeling. We had talked about getting matching tattoos, two tiny stars in our favorite colors-pink & purple. So that day with an aching heart and tired of crying, I decided to go get the star tattoos. I called and they were close to leaving the studio for the day, but said they would wait on me and just to knock on the door when I got there. I literally ran to the studio. It's only half a mile (& I was in better shape! lol) Getting the two stars was a good experience and lead to me making a friend I know I will have for a lifetime. Mark was really calm and patient and put the nervousness I felt when I got there at ease. The tattoo didn't hurt the way I thought it would, but I felt such a sense of relief afterwards. I told him after the tattoo why I had got the design and he was so sweet, he hugged me three times before I left and patted my back on the way out the door.
In the time since that first experience with Mark I have had probably 35 hours worth of work done by him. I've learned a lot from time I have spent around Mark's studio. He gives great attention to detail and is very much a perfectionist with a higher standard. Being around Mark has influenced me to expect a higher quality of work, to dream big, and push the limits. Every time I go to him with an idea for a custom piece he not only brings it to life, he surpasses my expectations. Many of the things that impressed me when I first met him wouldn't amaze me in the same way today. And with his help I am becoming the walking work of art I see in my mind's eye, expressing on the outside what I feel on the inside in the most artistic way possible.

Photos by Dawn Marie Elliott

Influence part 1

Body modification, mostly in the form of tattoos, has been an intricate part of my journey in this life. From my late teens on I saw myself as growing, discovering, ever changing.....evolving. When I was 16 I met my husband, Randy, and then his friend Dan. Dan was the most heavily tattooed person I had met. Dan had a lot of wizards and I liked that he kinda had a theme. He was also the first person to, along with Randy, take me to a professional tattoo studio. We went to Tattoo Charlies in Louisville, KY. It was a really well known studio at the time. Dan got started on a large back piece that was never finished. Randy got a cover up. And I got my very first tattoo. Dan had gotten a lot of work done by one artist at this studio. We were greeted by his artist as we entered and put us at the top of their wait list. It was a week before my 18th birthday and no one checked my ID-very unusual for them from what I saw in my later visits there. I don't think the tattoo artist I was handed to liked me line jumping....or he was just a dick. So I should probably not mention his name. Everyone else I met there at any given time was very nice to me. For my first tattoo I chose a black Celtic knot design of a crescent moon, at the time I was studying Celtic mythology. I got it just above my outer left ankle. I wasn't very comfortable with the way I was seated and had a hard time sitting still. Tattoo Charlie himself was still alive and peaked into the room to greet my artist who then cracked on me for not being able to sit still. It was the longest (maybe) 20 minutes of my life. lol I have since seen a big heavily tattooed man get one in the same place and not be able to not twitch and personally sat through sessions as long as 5 hours so ha to him for cracking on me. I got my first piercing, the navel-so standard now, at Tattoo Charlie's a year later. Dan got his done and paid for mine, but, I had to go first so he could see how bad it was. For awhile we went to Tattoo Charlies often. I didn't get any more tattoos there. Mostly I watched Dan getting his back worked on. And he and Randy also got another tattoo a piece aside from that. It was watching Dan get worked on I first photographed someone being tattooed. Sixteen years later this is something I love doing any time I get the chance. I love watching the process up close and photographing an artist in the midst of creation. I have a passion for photography and enjoy self portraits and photographing a variety of subjects, but, especially love it when I can include a subject with body art. People who have modified their bodies appearance often have a unique style and attitude as well. They stand out a little more. Funny story as example...I texted a young friend to wish her happy birthday the other day. She said she was just thinking about me. She works at a restaurant and had served one of my best friends. She said she knew Toby was my friend because she looked exotic and stood out. Hard telling if Toby's ink was showing that day but my friend has unique style.


More on the subject of influence shortly. I think I am going to have to make this a two part thing. I want to dedicate this entry to our late friend Dan Patterson. He was a big influence on my love of body art and such a dear friend he walked me down the aisle in place of my absent father on my wedding day. Dan's health went down hill, he was in a wheel chair for awhile, and passed away a couple years ago. I wish we could have had so much more time with him and think of him often. Recently when looking at my newest tattoo (that had just been done earlier in the day), my husband said to me "Dan sure would be proud of you if he was still here." It made me smile and brought tears to my eyes.

Photos & editing by Dawn Marie Elliott.