The dispersing Celts, the diaspora of the Irish in particular to the far-flung corners of the globe, has long been referred to as "The Wild Geese." As a result the image of the goose has been a favorite one in Celtic art, as in this design copied from a charming 1920's silver brooch.
Celtic Goose Tattoo by Pat Fish
A second piece that is part of the leg with the goose in the previous posting. This salmon is a simplification of a design originally drawn by the esteemed Welsh artist Jen Delyth whose popular images make splendid tattoos. We have had a handshake agreement for decades by which I am honored to replicate her designs as tattoos and pay royalties, and with this image I have reached the milestone of 1500 images for sale online. 28 of them started life as a piece drawn by Jen. Translating the work of others into tattoos is always a challenge, crediting the original artist as well as serving the aesthetics of the client.
Celtic Spiral Salmon Tattoo by Pat Fish
The third animal that completed the Celtic animal themed leg on a woman from the East Coast, whose decade living in Ireland left her with a yearning to reconnect with that faraway homeland. This is another design adapted from art by the Welsh artist Jen Delyth. Her stag is more complex, with knotwork I could not hope to replicate at this size, so the stag is softened and simplified, with internal spirals and one triquetra replacing woven knots. In each of these views a maelstrom of La Tene style double and triple spirals, rendered in three colors, binds the creatures together into one whole that covers the calf of the leg. Having the animals rendered in black line and dots brings them to the foreground, and the colored spirals are done in dotted lines of pure color to form a background matrix.
Celtic Stag Tattoo by Pat Fish