Love+Art+Pain=Tattoo

In April I had a 6 hour session with world renowned tattoo artist Steve Moore.

He has a studio in Naniamo that is a small slice of heaven.

The walls are covered in drawings of the most exquisite art work that actually are templates of current tattoos that he is working on.

I could stare at them for days and still be in awe.

The colour and creativity is astounding.

People come from around the world to have Steve work on them.

Most of his pieces are no less than 40-200 hours.

It is art at its peak of amazingness.

You can check out his website at here.

I feel so lucky that Steve accepted my tattoo as something he was willing to work on.

I feel that I was his canvass and that he was able to read my mind when I initially told him my concept.

From my jumbled words he was able to draw a sketch that was exactly what I had envisioned and yet so much more.

Somehow he just got it.

So with the picture drawn up, it was just getting down to the business of getting it done.

This is where the pain hits.

The first session was crazy.

I think I was tense for almost all of it I finally hit a wall and went sort of numb to it all.

That was great until the last piece of the large raven was started.

I actually moaned and grunted like I remember doing in child birth.

Not very lady like I tell Ya!!

I left feeling like I was hit by a train.

Exhausted but elated.

Today I went and had the colour put into my piece.

My other tattoos are all black so colour is new for me.

I was excited.

Well I thought I was.

About 10 minutes into the sitting I began to feel woozy and would you believe me if I told you I just about passed out.

One eye went left the other right, I was white as a sheet, sweating and cold, tunnel vision and ears turned off.

Yup out I was going.

It was crazy!

I didn't even see it coming.

I thought I was relaxed and perfectly fine.

Apparently my brain had other ideas.

Must have had flashbacks to the last session..haha!!

Anyways, after 10 minutes and some water, a relax laying down and a sugary snack.....I was ready to go.

I did and hour and a half, painful? Yes!

Did I pass out again? No!!

Some would have just have ran at this point, and I have to say the thought crossed my mind.

But I knew what I was there for and so I buckled down and got to it.

Poor Steve, he was so kind and gentle through it all though.

We had a pretty good laugh at it.

Looks a little like an open wound at the moment, but once it is all set and healed I'll post the results.

I can't wait to take the bandages off tomorrow and see what I got.

Hope this didn't dissuade anyone from getting a tattoo!!!