This good returning client is slowly building up a sleeve of her enthusiasms, including flowers, fairies, and insects. Today saw the addition of a luna moth and a bee. She tells the tale that her tattoos attract appreciative comments from young girls in particular, who are impressed to see this nice Mom with little kids sporting quite visible work. Hooray for Tattooed Moms!
Luna Moth and Bee Tattoos by Pat Fish
Today's project has a lot to live up to! This "Pictish Keymorphic" right forearm received both People's Choice and Artists' Choice Awards for best tribal tattoo at the National Tattoo Association convention last weekend in Garden Grove, CA. On the heels of that big win, today Ben is back in the studio to achieve balance with a complementary spiraling pattern on the left side. It took a lot of planning and figuring to make a maze of triple spirals interlocking and filling the same amount of arm. This way they are a pair with entirely different energy and flow, and a new way to look at "tribal" tattoos..
To read more about how this kind of custom sleeve tattoo is accomplished, visit the Full Knotwork Sleeves page.
The award-winning Pictish Key Pattern Sleeve and a Spiral Complement under construction
National Tattoo Association Poster
In May 2014 I attended and lectured at the 35th annual National Tattoo Association Convention in Garden Grove, California. I've been a member of the NTA for 30 years, and these "family reunions" are an opportunity to catch up on the careers of people I have known for decades and see inspiring work. I was honored to win two awards with a "Pictish Keymorphic" right forearm that received both People's Choice and Artists' Choice Awards for best tribal tattoo.
Colin Fraser and I presented a slide show and lecture: CELTIC TATTOOS & TRADITIONS, An illustrated lecture about Celtic and Pictish art with an emphasis on historical sources and the adaptation of archival material to modern tattooing. Examples of ancient artworks and tattoos created from them, plus technical tips for successfully fitting Celtic knotwork patterns onto the body.
And I am pleased that I was able to once again share my booth with my esteemed colleague Colin Dale:
Pat Fish and Colin Dale Booth Banner by Colin Fraser Purcell
Award WInning Pictish Keymorphic Tattoo by Pat Fish
Working hard in the booth . . .
The designs appearing on family crests were chosen generations ago to express things of symbolic importance to the heads of the family, representing their occupations or enthusiasms or allegiances. When researching these images many people turn to internet sources and end up with quite generic patterns that may or may not make impressive tattoos. For instance in this pattern the crosses on the shield were quite small, and the red lion looked like a mouse floating above the helmet. By enlarging those elements to prominence the meaning remains, the symbolism as described in the ancient books of heraldry is preserved, and the tattoo is greatly enhanced.
Garfinkel Family Crest Tattoo by Pat Fish
