the full sleeve.. the beginning of...
i've found someone to complete my full sleeve for me.. a guy called chris from steel lotus in sydney.. he has just returned from japan where he has spent the last few years tattooing...
we spent an hour talking through what i wanted.. am going for a koi on my lower arm swimming upstream surrounded by water with a wave breaking across my arm just above my elbow.. in the background rising from behind the wave will be a pagoda and a sakura tree with a dragon rising from among them.. the dragons head being on my shoulder and chest.. therefore giving me the traditional japanese sleeve...
in order to further continue the theme and fill out the rest of the lower arm there will be sakura (cherry blossoms) floating in the water around the koi (shed from the tree above)...
why this design?.. well i think the below explains it best...
The koi fish in Japanese folklore represents the overcoming of obstacles, because the koi fish travels up the yellow river and when it comes to the end of the river it transforms into the dragon; thus overcoming the adversity represented by the strong river to fufill its own destiny.
The Legend of the Rainbow River
Japanese legend has it that every year thousands of Koi, a courageous, strong, and dedicated fish, make a perilous and difficult journey up the Rainbow (or Dragon) river.
Out of perhaps a million Koi, only once in many years, one Koi is dedicated and strong enough to swim all the way to the head of the river, known as "The Dragon Gate" (or "The Rainbow Gate") and leap from the water. He is transformed into a dragon.
am very excited and we are hoping that work can start on it towards the end of next week.. starting with the outlining of the koi and the lower sleeve...
best thing about the whole meeting yesterday.. at one point a big smile crosses chris's face and he says 'i'm so excited about designing and inking this piece'.. now this dude deserves to tattoo me...
i've found someone to complete my full sleeve for me.. a guy called chris from steel lotus in sydney.. he has just returned from japan where he has spent the last few years tattooing...
we spent an hour talking through what i wanted.. am going for a koi on my lower arm swimming upstream surrounded by water with a wave breaking across my arm just above my elbow.. in the background rising from behind the wave will be a pagoda and a sakura tree with a dragon rising from among them.. the dragons head being on my shoulder and chest.. therefore giving me the traditional japanese sleeve...
in order to further continue the theme and fill out the rest of the lower arm there will be sakura (cherry blossoms) floating in the water around the koi (shed from the tree above)...
why this design?.. well i think the below explains it best...
The koi fish in Japanese folklore represents the overcoming of obstacles, because the koi fish travels up the yellow river and when it comes to the end of the river it transforms into the dragon; thus overcoming the adversity represented by the strong river to fufill its own destiny.
The Legend of the Rainbow River
Japanese legend has it that every year thousands of Koi, a courageous, strong, and dedicated fish, make a perilous and difficult journey up the Rainbow (or Dragon) river.
Out of perhaps a million Koi, only once in many years, one Koi is dedicated and strong enough to swim all the way to the head of the river, known as "The Dragon Gate" (or "The Rainbow Gate") and leap from the water. He is transformed into a dragon.
am very excited and we are hoping that work can start on it towards the end of next week.. starting with the outlining of the koi and the lower sleeve...
best thing about the whole meeting yesterday.. at one point a big smile crosses chris's face and he says 'i'm so excited about designing and inking this piece'.. now this dude deserves to tattoo me...
mellon:
Man, you're making me want to sit by the rainbow gate for a few years watching for a dragon to leap out of the water!