So, after two other tattoos, I think I have officially caught the tattoo bug, which led me to getting my third.
At A Glance Author Shawna Contact Shawna@bme.anon When Three months ago Artist Steve Studio Stigmata Location Guelph, Ontario Back in November, I went to Stigmata for a palm tree tattoo by Evan after having I think 4 family and friends go there for piercings with great experiences. My mom then had a large tattoo done on her shoulder by Steve- the detail was just absolutely incredible.
I had been thinking for some time about getting a third tattoo, one that symbolized travel in some way. Airplanes, globes- they all seemed tacky. Eventually I settled on the idea of birds in flight. I always seem to get my tattoo ideas from random places- my centaur was from a horoscope section in a teen magazine, and although I drew my palm tree myself, the idea came from a perfume bottle. Well, for this one I literally googled "Birds in flight" and printed off the first hit- lo and behold, that is what I got tattooed!
After procrastinating forever about calling in to book a consult, one day I just decided that there was no point in trying to make an appointment, I just called ahead to make sure an artist would be there to discuss design and drove up by myself. (I have gotten my other two tattoos with my mom by my side!). So once I got there, I presented a copy of the photo I had found and printed, and sized so that it would stretch perfectly across the top of my left foot. I was very glad to hear the guy at the counter suggest Steve for my tattoo due to the fine detailing it required.
Originally I had planned to have the words "Live Free" in script placed under the wings of the upper bird. The image is actually two birds, the top one has the wings fully spread, and the lower birds' wings are slightly bent (as in a flapping type motion I suppose). They are some sort of tropical bird, but people often mistake them for seagulls which is a little annoying! Anyways, he came out and we figured out a date that worked for us both. I was concerned because I was working 3 jobs at the time, and unable to rest and let the tattoo heal without walking too much. Waitressing and working in a coffee shop do not provide circumstances for uncovered feet! He strongly suggested taking a few days off but it just wasn't possible, so I chose a day that I would at least be working at my dental hygienist job with minimal running around for the next few days.
So, on a Tuesday night, I ran to the gym, and then stopped for a decaf latte (they say caffeine makes it worse!) before making the drive to Guelph. I got there a little bit early, so Steve checked that I didn't mind before he went out for a quick break. I paid up while waiting, and when Steve came back in he led me to the back. I decided against getting the words, and he said they could always be placed later if I changed my mind. So he re-did the stencil, and placed it on my foot. Since the lettering was gone, the top bird seemed off to me. He placed the top one again, and then the third time was the charm.
I would say the whole tattoo only took about maybe 25-30 minutes. I am quite a wuss, and for most of the time, sat there clenching my fists, gritting my teeth, and not talking much. I was glad that it was late, and no one else was in the shop to see how ugly I must have looked! I am not one of those people who enjoy chatting away for distraction- I feel like talking will make me move and the thought stressed me just I just sit quietly and take it. The birds are very basic, just the black outline with minimal detailing (eyes), and a little grey shading. The lines are very fine and Steve did an absolute fantastic job. I took a quick photo so my sister wouldn't try to make me cheat and take off the bandage so she could "peek". He asked if I wanted to look at it in the mirror before he covered it up, but I told him no, I could see it just fine, and by then I just wanted to get out of there. He quickly went over tattoo care (knowing that I had had work done there before). I hobbled back to my car down the street, and drove home where I showed off the picture. I was surprised at how quickly the soreness went away compared to my other tattoos. Also, it did not really scab, just the minimal flaking.
To me, the birds symbolize travel and freedom. I will be embarking on a solo backpacking journey to the south pacific for 1-2 years this summer, so looking back, it only seems fitting that for this tattoo, I did it on my own without anyone by my side. I am now planning on getting another to represent my family on my other foot before I leave on my journey.