The Tattooed Lady

[hotrod_elf]

I have a lot. I have two half sleeves. On the right arm I have a family of penguins (symplozies my family) and pink dogwood flowers (being from Georgia), on the left I have two japanese charecters that say mother daughter and a red dragon going between them ( the bond between the two) then below that I have five M&M's guys (before they came out with all the commercials).
On the inside of my wrists I have a happy face and on the other I have a sad face.

On my back I have a flying scarub, my version of the "eye of Ra", An elf, and an original flash tattoo from the 40's.

On my legs I have two cockroaches (I felt that they were the almighty being).
On my calf I have a Evergren pin-up girl (G rated)

On my ankles I a rainbow trout (tribute to my step-dad).

 

[zaika]

I have a lot. I have two half sleeves. On the right arm I have a family of penguins (symplozies my family) and pink dogwood flowers (being from Georgia), on the left I have two japanese charecters that say mother daughter and a red dragon going between them ( the bond between the two) then below that I have five M&M's guys (before they came out with all the commercials).
On the inside of my wrists I have a happy face and on the other I have a sad face.

On my back I have a flying scarub, my version of the "eye of Ra", An elf, and an original flash tattoo from the 40's.

On my legs I have two cockroaches (I felt that they were the almighty being).
On my calf I have a Evergren pin-up girl (G rated)

On my ankles I a rainbow trout (tribute to my step-dad).

oh! if you ever have the time or inclination...will you post pictures of a few?? i'd love to see the flash one, in particular.

 

[ClaraB]

This is so exciting! Everyone's tattoos are lovely!

I quite agree!

I designed all of mine except the spider, so I guess they have some meaning but nothing as deep as childrens' names or the like.

I think taking part in the design of your tattoo is incredibly meaningful!
In fact that is really the only meaning my tattoo has!

I could never get anything but a design tattooed anywhere basically because I change my mind too frequently, a month later I would hate whatever creature or thing I had decided to put on myself. I really admire everyone who is comfortable in putting a beautiful work of art on themselves and knowing that they will love it forever.

My first and only tat was done as soon as I turned 18 and I can honestly say it was a mistake. I rushed into and ended up with a tiny tattoo that looked nothing like the large, elaborate design I had provided and discussed with the tattoo artist. A few months later I decided to add on to that tattoo and try to recapture what I had wanted originally. This time I went to a female tattoo artist who really listened to me and I ended up getting basically what I wanted. Somedays I love my tat, other days I hate it. It represents a time when I was extremely uncomfortable with myself and rather unhappy with my life.

Aesthetically the part that I dislike the most is the stippling around the dots, had I been doing the tattooing I would not have approached that area in the way she did. But all in all I do like my tattoo.

Now I feel like I'd like another. Perhaps a counterpoint to this one on the right side of my lower back as a sort of balance to this tattoo and maybe in green and black rather than red and black. I've been looking at art nouveau designs for inspiration but haven't settled on anything yet. I know this time I won't rush into it and this tattoo will represent a better life than my first does. Maybe eventually my tattoos will be like the rings of a tree, marking my growth and the life I was having when I completed each tattoo.

 

[zaika]

clarab...that is a beautiful design!! i kind of like the stippling, m'self. just me, tho...[huh]
my tattoo artist did a tattoo that was inspired by art nouveau elements on furniture. her client came in with all these photographs, and she came up with this beautiful, fluid, organic design that contours beautifully to the client's body. if it's okay...here's a link (there might be some boob in the shot, fyi...i hope it's okay to link...)
i love your philosophy of tattoos. they really are like rings on a tree...each one tells a story...and you'll always remember when you got it and what your life was like at the time. counter balancing the one you have would be an awesome idea.
i hope you share whenever you decide to get something else done.

 

[TheKitschGoth]

I'd like to inquire, how'd did everyone decide what to get and where to place it on your body? Did an idea strike you and suddenly you knew you had to have this image permanently placed somewhere on your body? Or was it more of an evolution of an idea that took on enough meaning that you decided it should be a tattoo? Or did you just decide you wanted a tattoo and picked the image out of the tattooists portfolio?

I have 4 currently.

Two on my wrists

The paws I'd been thinking about for a long time, originally they were going to loop around my body, but then I fell for the split face image, and just knew they both had to be on my wrists.
The split face is from a film called Hedwig and the Angry Inch, and that symbol appears during a song called "Origin of Love". Which is about finding your "other half" - whether it's a partner, or yourself.

One day I want to get a tattoo of the split faces joined back together.

I have another on my chest

This was drawn by me. Mainly because I love cats, partly because my name is Kat. I guess I just identified with it.

My last one I dont have a picture of, but it's a pentacle on my shoulder. I'm a pagan after all.

I'm planning my next tattoo, and have been planning this one for about 3 years now. I know exactly what I want, but can't decide where.

It's this..

It was going to go on my lower back, but because this one has the most meaning for me I'd rather it was somewhere I could see it and be reminded/reassured by it.

 

[missmelly]

I have 2 on my lower back

One's a circle I pulled from the Book of Kells to celebrate my Irish heritage and the second is a native american sun because I'm part Inuit. That one didn't come out so good so one day, I may go in and have it redone.

 

[KittyT]

Nice to see so many ladies here who have tattoos that are meaningful to them, and not just to be "cool". Tattoo has a very long history of cultural, social, personal and artistic significance. I have a very good book at home someplace that provides a good history of tattoo art, including women and tattoo. I'll have to dig it out when I get home from Chicago and post the info here.

I have 2 tattoos - one is a half moon with sunblazes coming off of it, that circles part-way around one of my nipples. It's been redone 3 times, I had a friend draw it for me when I was very young and it means nothing to me. It is a prime candidate for cover-up work.

The other is a combination of the pisces symbol and the glyph for that sign. The glyph for pisces is an H shape, symbolizing 2 fish swimming away from each other, yet connected. In mine, the 2 sides of the H are fish done in green, yellow and pink, and they are connected with a double-ended arrow. I saw this design at a shop in London and redrew it later on my own. It is surrounded by 5 small yellow stars and the design is very circular in shape. The 5 stars would be the points of a pentagram, symbolizing the 4 elements and the additional element of "self". It's on my right thigh.

I've wanted a lot of work over the years and never have the money. My mind seems to change a lot too, so I'm worried that even if I want something for years, as was the case with my current ones, that I'll turn around down the road and not like them.

I want to have my 2 cats' pawprints tattooed behind my ears. I want to have a quote from the Tao Te Ching tattooed on my forearms in the original ancient Chinese text so that I can remember it every day when I look at it. And there's a Japanese style watercolor painting that my grandmother did before she died. I never knew she had them until we were cleaning through her things and my Aunt gave them to me. I got most of her paintings and this is the only one she signed with our family name. I dream of having it as a full back piece, but I don't think any tattoo artist, no matter how gifted, could accurately transpose it into body art or come close to doing it justice.

 

[SerenityAshes]

Where are my manners?

I forgot to say "Thank you" for the compliment!! Hehe! I'm at work -- didn't wanna get caught

No excuse for that young lady!! You should always make sure you use your manners.. wherever you are

Well my dream is to make my full back, I'm kinda obsessed on japanese art, so most probably I'll do something japanese for sure.. Though it's very very expensive, especially with colour.

Is it expensive girls, to get a tatt where you live? My half sleeve (my under arms are not tattooed, just what you saw in the picture.. its not finished yet) cost me around Eur698, and only coz the tattoist happens to be my friend... 'cause he told me that to a normal customer it will amount to Eur 1048

 

[SerenityAshes]

Oh and if I'll do my back piece.. it will amount to Eur 3,500... and that's "only" coz i'll be the first girl in Malta to have my whole back covered... so if I don't hurry up.. it will cost me more :eusa_doh:

 

[carter]

Tattoos

So here's my latest tattoo - Geisha

3rd Session:

Ladies, I love this thread.

This Tattoo is wonderful! :eusa_clap

I've been considering doing an Ibis 1/2 sleeve on one arm and an Egret or a Night Heon on the other for years. This has inspired me to get one or both for my birthday.

 

[SerenityAshes]

Ladies, I love this thread.

This Tattoo is wonderful! :eusa_clap

I've been considering doing an Ibis 1/2 sleeve on one arm and an Egret or a Night Heon on the other for years. This has inspired me to get one or both for my birthday.

I'd say "Go For It!" I love giving this kind of inspiration lol For me tattoos are like makeup, they're there to make you look nicer and more colourful

I would love to get full sleeves, though its hard to hide them for work since summer in Malta is H.O.T. and I'd look sick wearing long sleeves on a 50C summery day

 

[Amy Jeanne]

My tattoos don't have meaning. I just got them because I liked the way they looked. I've always loved nice tattoos on women -- especially those of us with our own "looks." Same for placement -- I just got them where I think tattoos look best on other people.

I plan to get more. Lots of 20s and 30s inspired things!

 

[ValerieAmelia]

I love my tattoo, it was a cover up for a mistake I made when I was freshly 18. I wanted to be sure it wasn't going to be another mistake so I hung the drawing on my kitchen cabinet for about 6 months before I actually went through with it. I would post pictures but I'm waiting for the artist to put it on his website later this week. For my next tattoo I would really like something a little more meaningful to me, both of mine were just designs I made with the artist.

 

[ValerieAmelia]

Oh I guess I forgot to mention what the tattoos are...:eusa_doh:

The one I got when I just turned 18 was a four leaf clover for my irish heritage, I wanted a ladybug resting on top of it. Well the guy who did it really screwed it all up...It looked more like an 8 leaf tree and although he said he was going to put the the lady bug and clover together...He didn't? and it was placed in a very odd spot on my back, which was probably my fault (I was nervous and didn't object). My new one is beautiful though! I got it in May, it's a lotus flower with purples and pinks. I will post before and after pictures when he gets the website up.

 

[KittyT]

Is it expensive girls, to get a tatt where you live? My half sleeve (my under arms are not tattooed, just what you saw in the picture.. its not finished yet) cost me around Eur698, and only coz the tattoist happens to be my friend... 'cause he told me that to a normal customer it will amount to Eur 1048

I consider tattooing here to be expensive, but nothing like what you're talking about! 1000 Euros? sheesh! Most people I know with full back pieces have paid less than $1000 for them.

 

[SerenityAshes]

My new one is beautiful though! I got it in May, it's a lotus flower with purples and pinks. I will post before and after pictures when he gets the website up.

Oh I LUV flowers a lot, I was thinking of doing flowers as well on my other arm.. though at the moment I'm more into doing something on my side (starting from under my breast and going down on my hip bone).. I saw a nice picture in black and grey though I prefer colours.. I love bright colours and I think Valerie your tattoo sounds great... can't wait till you upload a pic here to see it

 

[SerenityAshes]

I consider tattooing here to be expensive, but nothing like what you're talking about! 1000 Euros? sheesh! Most people I know with full back pieces have paid less than $1000 for them.

Really?? Jeez than I have to visit your place to get one cheaper Well you can find cheaper tattoo artists here in Malta, that's a fact.. though I trust my tattooist.. he's expensive for a reason 'cause he won many conventions that he participates in.. so everytime he wins, his prices come up!

 

[zaika]

my two little ones were $75 and $60...and the half sleeve will eventually cost around $550. that's expensive to me. but 1,000 euros? that's alot...about $1400. maybe it just depends on where you live or what you get...wow...expensive!!

 

[Kishtu]

I always wanted a Celtic armband (yawn, like every other goth circa 1985, right?) or when I lost my big black cat I wanted a portrait of him.

I've always been quite determined it was upper arm or nothing though - sadly when I went to see about having Kit Whitby's portrait done my arms are too scarred to be able to have it done.

I have (and this is very weird) got a couple of runic scars on my hips and wrists though - whast one does when one is young and stupid, eh? A little pattern with the runes for joy, inspiration and freedom - done when I was feeling very much unhappy, trapped, and stifled.

 

[ShortClara]

Fingers crossed - I may have decided on my second tattoo!

Here's the story - when I wanted the first one, I told my Mom, who I thought would be horrified. She took a moment, stared at me (I was ready for the worst) and then she said, "I've always wanted a tattoo!!" She's coming to LA in the Spring and I asked her if it was the time to get matching mother-daughter tattoos and she said YES! I hope she sticks to it - fingers crossed!