SO, I was supposed to get new ink yesterday... But it didn't happen. Although I am disappointed that I didn't get tatted, I know that it will be for the best-- I am going to work with a different artist, and I am really, really excited with what we are doing.
Yesterday was just the most random day, ever. Everything that could go wrong, went wrong. I was hanging out with my peoples, driving to random locations, and almost as soon as the clock struck midnight, I got pulled over. Expired registration-- no big deal. Cops were... not mean, which was a plus. My friends and I did what we were doin', I dropped them off... and got pulled over, a second time, on the way home. Same thing. I got away sans ticket, since I'd just gotten pulled over.
In the morning I got up and got all ready for my tattoo appointment. I was supposed to have my sisters go with me since some of the design idea is theirs and I was going to get feedback on it-- a big thumbs up, before I got it. Alas, one of them couldn't come with me because of an impromptu Senior Beach Week trip. My other sister wanted to just meet me up at the shop later that afternoon, and that was no big deal. One of my really good friends just got in from out of town and he was going to accompany me as well. We talked like 2 hours before I was going to leave and he said that he was heading over. A half an hour before I was leaving he still hadn't gotten to my place, so I hit him up and he hadn't even left. He said that he still wanted to go with me, so I told him that I'd wait, but when it was time for me to go and he still hadn't come over I hit him up to tell him never mind... and he was still bullshitting around his friend's apartment.
I figured, oh well. This is honestly the first time that I've gotten a tattoo in almost 3 years, which is a pretty fucking big deal... I had been getting work done every 6 or so months, so this is a pretty formidable dry spell for me. Ultimately, I'm glad that nobody came. That makes this something that I am doing-- by myself, for myself-- and my opinion, and that of my artist, is the only one that matters.
I got to my tattoo appointment on time, and waited for a half an hour before my artist showed up. No big deal, shit happens. I am getting snowflakes (snowflakes for the Snow sisters) and my guy, Eric (at Classic Electric in Frederick) sat down and started tracing out the designs. I'd gone in twice to talk to him about it-- once to discuss the snowflakes, and then earlier this week to run by him the idea of corseting that I'm adding, which he said would be no big deal. I guess he didn't take me seriously, though, and thought that this would just be some piece that we could throw together. He is the shop owner, so I understand that he is a busy guy... and this is the first time that I'm working with this shop, so it isn't like I have the voice of a regular in there.
Nonetheless, the first idea that he drew up was kind of a hodgepodge (yes, hodgepodge) of snowflakes, sort of clumped together... I tried to re explain my idea to him-- I want them stacked, et cetera et cetera, blah blah-- and he went to re trace them separately. He also started talking about doing the corseting at a different time because of some reason or another (which I just equate coming down to the fact that I had a 3 hour appointment and we'd already wasted a good portion of time)-- kind of a disappointment, but I figured that whatever was supposed to get done would get done, and it would work out well.
After two hours of my sitting at the shop waiting for him to get his shit together, we discussed placement again. I don't really know what to say, except that he was not understanding in the least where I was coming from. I expected to go in and have this be simple, since the times that I had gone in to speak with him he'd seemed confidant in his ability to deliver what I wanted... but I figured whatever.
I was more curious as to where everything was going than upset or frustrated. It was interesting to watch the day unfold as a simple observer. Let it flow smoothly, and take nothing as good or bad, just as it is.
Finally, he took me back and we were going to experiment with the placement of the stencils on my skin. We got everything put on, and we were right back where we started. We just weren't communicating with the same thoughts and ideas, and although I tried to explain in as many ways as I could, he just wasn't getting my vision.
We stopped discussing the snowflakes and decided to focus on the corseting for a moment. After a few minutes of back-and-forth I asked how I could explain things differently so that he could understand, and he said that he was going to grab another artist to see if another artist could get my concept.
The artist that he happened to grab was this guy Tom-- a dude who has tattooed one of my other friends, but who I was avoiding for this reason. I have wanted to find my own artist-- not an artist that I'd found through someone I know. Tom was very cool though and he seemed to pick up on my concept: Ice Queen meets Fairy Princess. He threw some ideas at Eric and then Eric and I talked for a little while. Moved some stuff around. Finally I just sat down and asked him: "I don't want to offend you in any way, but do you think that another artist would be able to understand my vision better?" I asked him if there was anyone who was good at ribbon work, and he said that Tom and this guy John were pretty good. So I asked him if it would be possible for me to talk to Tom about the piece since he'd already discussed the stuff with me and picked up on the beginnings of my idea.
I managed to set up a consultation with Tom for later that evening, which was cool.
In retrospect, I feel kind of insecure about this whole experience. I was able to stay calm and detached the whole time, which was very cool. Not getting caught up in trivial drama-- I feel like most people would start getting angry or frustrated, but I was neither, just amused. I just wonder if after a while I was that "stupid girl" at the shop, and people's niceties towards me were in part because they felt bad for me...
Whatever.
When I left the shop I had a ticket on my car from my parking meter running out while I was inside.
I just laughed, because of course I would have a ticket. I had already come to terms with the fact that the day was an epic fail as far as anything working out the way I'd want it to was concerned.
My sister was headed to the shop at this point, so we decided to meet up at a Barnes and Noble by the highway, so that we could go get something to eat together. Got pulled over on my way to meet her... This was number three for the past 24 hour period. No ticket, since it was for my registration-- again. Got a Faulkner book that I'm interested in reading (as soon as this book list I've got goin' gets a little shorter...) and then went to The Common Market-- an awesome little food coop-- to get a delicious vegan lunch with my sis and her boyfriend. We headed back downtown and wandered around for a while. Checked out head shops. Ran into Tom on the street and he invited me back sooner than my consultation was set up for. We sat outside and talked about my piece, and I was just getting more and more excited as the conversation progressed. I really liked the ideas that he was throwing out, and I feel like we made an excellent collaboration of my vision. I'm going in on Monday and he is going to have some stuff drawn up for me so that we can work out details and get everything squared. And then I will be more than ready to set up my actual appointment to get it done!
We left the shop and went to a microbrewery down the street and split a beer sampler platter. I always love a good beer tasting. They had an excellent Hefeweizen which surprised me because dark beers are more my thing.
Headed home, where I spent a ridiculous amount of time trying to figure out what the hell the plan was. There was a potential barbecue, a potential party, and the makings of a bonfire with nothing solidly set in stone. My sister wanted to go to the party, so that is where we went-- only to find out that the guy wasn't having people over anymore. We quickly amended our plans to the bonfire, and headed to where we were building it... Only to get pulled over on our way there.
This time we were in my friend's car, and one of his brake lights was out. This was number four in a 24 hour period for me. I was lunching out. What is going on around our Nation's Capital? I really feel like this is ridiculous. We were seeing cars pulled over left and right. Have they increased forces? This is insane. Really, absolutely fucking insane.
After they made my friend do the sobriety test and breathalyzing him twice (what, it normally doesn't work the first time?) they were convinced that he was not under the influence of alcohol (... even though they had no reason to think that he was...) and we were able to commence with the fire time.
Built a nice fire. Broke in a new piece.
And thus ended my absolutely ridiculous day.
Wow dude. Just wow.
But, yes! The point of this story: I didn't get my new work, yet, but when I do get it, it will be awesome!
Cheers to having days that are so ridiculous, it is hilarious.
Yesterday was just the most random day, ever. Everything that could go wrong, went wrong. I was hanging out with my peoples, driving to random locations, and almost as soon as the clock struck midnight, I got pulled over. Expired registration-- no big deal. Cops were... not mean, which was a plus. My friends and I did what we were doin', I dropped them off... and got pulled over, a second time, on the way home. Same thing. I got away sans ticket, since I'd just gotten pulled over.
In the morning I got up and got all ready for my tattoo appointment. I was supposed to have my sisters go with me since some of the design idea is theirs and I was going to get feedback on it-- a big thumbs up, before I got it. Alas, one of them couldn't come with me because of an impromptu Senior Beach Week trip. My other sister wanted to just meet me up at the shop later that afternoon, and that was no big deal. One of my really good friends just got in from out of town and he was going to accompany me as well. We talked like 2 hours before I was going to leave and he said that he was heading over. A half an hour before I was leaving he still hadn't gotten to my place, so I hit him up and he hadn't even left. He said that he still wanted to go with me, so I told him that I'd wait, but when it was time for me to go and he still hadn't come over I hit him up to tell him never mind... and he was still bullshitting around his friend's apartment.
I figured, oh well. This is honestly the first time that I've gotten a tattoo in almost 3 years, which is a pretty fucking big deal... I had been getting work done every 6 or so months, so this is a pretty formidable dry spell for me. Ultimately, I'm glad that nobody came. That makes this something that I am doing-- by myself, for myself-- and my opinion, and that of my artist, is the only one that matters.
I got to my tattoo appointment on time, and waited for a half an hour before my artist showed up. No big deal, shit happens. I am getting snowflakes (snowflakes for the Snow sisters) and my guy, Eric (at Classic Electric in Frederick) sat down and started tracing out the designs. I'd gone in twice to talk to him about it-- once to discuss the snowflakes, and then earlier this week to run by him the idea of corseting that I'm adding, which he said would be no big deal. I guess he didn't take me seriously, though, and thought that this would just be some piece that we could throw together. He is the shop owner, so I understand that he is a busy guy... and this is the first time that I'm working with this shop, so it isn't like I have the voice of a regular in there.
Nonetheless, the first idea that he drew up was kind of a hodgepodge (yes, hodgepodge) of snowflakes, sort of clumped together... I tried to re explain my idea to him-- I want them stacked, et cetera et cetera, blah blah-- and he went to re trace them separately. He also started talking about doing the corseting at a different time because of some reason or another (which I just equate coming down to the fact that I had a 3 hour appointment and we'd already wasted a good portion of time)-- kind of a disappointment, but I figured that whatever was supposed to get done would get done, and it would work out well.
After two hours of my sitting at the shop waiting for him to get his shit together, we discussed placement again. I don't really know what to say, except that he was not understanding in the least where I was coming from. I expected to go in and have this be simple, since the times that I had gone in to speak with him he'd seemed confidant in his ability to deliver what I wanted... but I figured whatever.
I was more curious as to where everything was going than upset or frustrated. It was interesting to watch the day unfold as a simple observer. Let it flow smoothly, and take nothing as good or bad, just as it is.
Finally, he took me back and we were going to experiment with the placement of the stencils on my skin. We got everything put on, and we were right back where we started. We just weren't communicating with the same thoughts and ideas, and although I tried to explain in as many ways as I could, he just wasn't getting my vision.
We stopped discussing the snowflakes and decided to focus on the corseting for a moment. After a few minutes of back-and-forth I asked how I could explain things differently so that he could understand, and he said that he was going to grab another artist to see if another artist could get my concept.
The artist that he happened to grab was this guy Tom-- a dude who has tattooed one of my other friends, but who I was avoiding for this reason. I have wanted to find my own artist-- not an artist that I'd found through someone I know. Tom was very cool though and he seemed to pick up on my concept: Ice Queen meets Fairy Princess. He threw some ideas at Eric and then Eric and I talked for a little while. Moved some stuff around. Finally I just sat down and asked him: "I don't want to offend you in any way, but do you think that another artist would be able to understand my vision better?" I asked him if there was anyone who was good at ribbon work, and he said that Tom and this guy John were pretty good. So I asked him if it would be possible for me to talk to Tom about the piece since he'd already discussed the stuff with me and picked up on the beginnings of my idea.
I managed to set up a consultation with Tom for later that evening, which was cool.
In retrospect, I feel kind of insecure about this whole experience. I was able to stay calm and detached the whole time, which was very cool. Not getting caught up in trivial drama-- I feel like most people would start getting angry or frustrated, but I was neither, just amused. I just wonder if after a while I was that "stupid girl" at the shop, and people's niceties towards me were in part because they felt bad for me...
Whatever.
When I left the shop I had a ticket on my car from my parking meter running out while I was inside.
I just laughed, because of course I would have a ticket. I had already come to terms with the fact that the day was an epic fail as far as anything working out the way I'd want it to was concerned.
My sister was headed to the shop at this point, so we decided to meet up at a Barnes and Noble by the highway, so that we could go get something to eat together. Got pulled over on my way to meet her... This was number three for the past 24 hour period. No ticket, since it was for my registration-- again. Got a Faulkner book that I'm interested in reading (as soon as this book list I've got goin' gets a little shorter...) and then went to The Common Market-- an awesome little food coop-- to get a delicious vegan lunch with my sis and her boyfriend. We headed back downtown and wandered around for a while. Checked out head shops. Ran into Tom on the street and he invited me back sooner than my consultation was set up for. We sat outside and talked about my piece, and I was just getting more and more excited as the conversation progressed. I really liked the ideas that he was throwing out, and I feel like we made an excellent collaboration of my vision. I'm going in on Monday and he is going to have some stuff drawn up for me so that we can work out details and get everything squared. And then I will be more than ready to set up my actual appointment to get it done!
We left the shop and went to a microbrewery down the street and split a beer sampler platter. I always love a good beer tasting. They had an excellent Hefeweizen which surprised me because dark beers are more my thing.
Headed home, where I spent a ridiculous amount of time trying to figure out what the hell the plan was. There was a potential barbecue, a potential party, and the makings of a bonfire with nothing solidly set in stone. My sister wanted to go to the party, so that is where we went-- only to find out that the guy wasn't having people over anymore. We quickly amended our plans to the bonfire, and headed to where we were building it... Only to get pulled over on our way there.
This time we were in my friend's car, and one of his brake lights was out. This was number four in a 24 hour period for me. I was lunching out. What is going on around our Nation's Capital? I really feel like this is ridiculous. We were seeing cars pulled over left and right. Have they increased forces? This is insane. Really, absolutely fucking insane.
After they made my friend do the sobriety test and breathalyzing him twice (what, it normally doesn't work the first time?) they were convinced that he was not under the influence of alcohol (... even though they had no reason to think that he was...) and we were able to commence with the fire time.
Built a nice fire. Broke in a new piece.
And thus ended my absolutely ridiculous day.
Wow dude. Just wow.
But, yes! The point of this story: I didn't get my new work, yet, but when I do get it, it will be awesome!
Cheers to having days that are so ridiculous, it is hilarious.
VIEW 7 of 7 COMMENTS
kdfphotography:
Luv your look!! lets shoot
kdfphotography:
we can shoot TF, and yes i would luv to shoot for SG