Date: April 17, 2012
Time: 3 hours
Breaks: 1 (10 minutes)
Total Tattooing Time: 35.5 hours
We've begun the face!
While I've caught a few glimpses of it in the mirror, I'm glad to have finally gotten my girlfriend to take a few photos so I can actually see it. I'm incredibly happy with the shades of blue that we've chosen (and that my body has accepted the pigments*), as well as some of the very subtle greens that Rubendall has added to the whiskers around the face.
The areas around my lats/armpits have gotten exceptionally scabby - as usual - but it fortunately doesn't look like I'm on the verge of dropping any ink. Once again, a million thanks to my caring girlfriend for diligently lubing up all the hard-to-reach spots on my spine.
This session was at the Bowery location, so we were paid a visit yet again by the very talented photographer, Joe Lucas, who's been documenting a few of my sessions as well as Rube's other clients. While he doesn't have a website just yet, he told me that all of his tattoo-centric images (along with video interviews with the artists) should be online shortly. I'll be sure to keep you posted once that launches - I've seen a few of his prints and they're gorgeous.
As you can probably tell from the images, today was a LOT of spinal work which always pushes my sanity to the brink of collapse. I can't lie: when it came time for a smoke break, I ran up the block to the Spring Lounge to quickly grab some liquid anesthetic. The problem was, my hands were shaking so badly from the adrenaline/shock that I spilled half a vodka-tonic in my lap. Undoubtedly, everyone sitting around me must have thought that I had one brutal, Bukowskian case of the DTs. All I can say is: thank the gods above for creating the straw.
For the second half of the sitting, we worked on the left side of my ribs and kidneys, which was a walk in the park after all that grinding on my spinal column. Not a lot of chit-chat during this session, excluding when the shop-manager wanted to talk to me about the latest Camus book he had just finished (I'd like to rub that discussion in the face of anyone who thinks that people who get tattooed are idiots).
Sadly, I didn't take any notes right after the sitting and the last 10 days were a whirlwind that swept my mind clear of any minutiae; I promise, gentle readers, that the next post will be a little richer.
Until then... keep calm and get tattooed!
* - The peony on my right arm (which you can see below) didn't take the blue inks too well on the first pass. Fortunately, that problem isn't presenting itself with my back.
