Flaming Claddagh Cross

A couple came in this weekend and each got tattoos incorporating the claddagh, and it turns out to hold special significance for them as they were married 15 years ago in Ireland. This is the man's tattoo, a new version of a claddagh cross I designed a few years ago but now with the added touch of flames.

Flaming Claddagh Heart Cross Tattoo by Pat Fish

Flames make any tattoo come alive, so here the element of passion brings the Celtic knot work cross into the foreground and makes a very dynamic tattoo. 

Celtic Knot Shoulder Caps

Finally, long delayed by the hiatus, today I finished these two shoulder caps on a client I have been working on for a decade. He was due to get them completed 3 days after what turned out to be the date of the wreck, and had to cancel a trip out from the East Coast at the last minute. Now, in a grueling 8 hour session today we finished the line work and shading and dotted background for both these pieces. I just love the way the knot work that forms the outer edge of the upper epaulette portion is the same, but it comes down and melds into the knots of the ring and dogs on one side and the full circle of knots on the other. Takes a good eye to see the symmetry within the differences. And I am graced by clients who want such ambitious work. This man is a military warrior, who has done service in both Iraq and Afghanistan. With this body armor he is well equipped for his next adventures. (*Small disclaimer: the green top of the shamrock in the photo is in a band that he had when I started working on him.)

Knotwork ShoulderCap Tattoo by Pat Fish

Wolfhound ShoulderCap Tattoo by Pat Fish

Vanuatu Sand Bird

In the Island nation of Vanuatu they have a sand painting tradition, and a former Peace Corps volunteer brought me a sketch he had made of a pattern he saw in a museum while working there. I suggested that we render it all in dots, to emphasize the sand origins of the design.

Vanuatu Sand Design Bird Tattoo by Pat Fish

Nordic Dragon Head

This dragon is an homage to the work of my esteemed colleague Coin Dale http://www.skinandbone.dk/ whose iconic style is an absolute delight. The client is a Nordic fellow who wanted to get something to celebrate his heritage, and together we picked elements of several of Colin Dale's dragons to create a new one for him. It is first drawn in lines and then all the shading was done one dot at a time, slowly sculpting it across his chest and up onto the shoulder. In the future we will add a body.

Nordic Style Dragon Head Tattoo by Pat Fish