Tiki Tattoo

Yesterday, I went to the Miami Tattoo Expo. I had an appointment with my friend Pooch, who I recently married to girlStacy through the powers vested in me. I’d been wanting a tattoo to cover up two old tattoos that I had on the outside of my left leg, a blue flamey flower and the word “dork”. I wouldn’t mind still having dork tattooed on me. I still feel it, but this particular tattoo was done very poorly. Maybe someday, I’ll just get dork again in courier new which is how I should have had it done in the first place, but I digress.

Earlier in the week I sent Pooch a tracing of my leg and a photograph. I thought it was possible that he would say that it wasn’t possible to do what I wanted. Friday morning he sent back his sketch. He said it was based on a tiki that they saw in Hawaii on their honeymoon. I was beyond pleased and spent the whole day excited about actually getting the tattoo!

The Sketch

Here is before:

Before

We got started around 3:30. Getting tattooed at a convention is a surreal experience. I laid there on the table while hoards of people walked by and looked in. Also, it seemed everyone there knew Pooch so there were lots of people stopping by to say hi and reminding him of what tattoos he did. He is a tattoo rock star.

Working the Outline

After about an hour or so the outline was done and I needed a break. The break was for the restroom. Only in this instance am I able to say that I’m lucky I can’t feel my leg. I didn’t feel any of the tattooing, except the vibration of the gun when he went over my shin.

Outline

We got started again and I got cold. The place was chilly, but I think my chills were a combination of cold and lack of food since breakfast. I didn’t want to break and eat so I roughed it out, but I was shivering the rest of the time.

Chandra's Cold

More process pictures:

coloring 1

Coloring

midway

Chandra Sits Up

At this point a bunch of people were stopping and saying how great the tattoo was looking. People were loving his work, as they should.

midway 2

coloring clouds

coloring 5

The tattoo was finished around 9:15. It took a long time, but so very worth it.

Final front

I am so in love with this tattoo. It is better than anything I ever thought I’d have.

Whole Tattoo

Check out Pooch:

Altered State Tattoo - Myspace

Altered State Tattoo - Website - Lake Worth, FL

Pooch Island - His Art Website

13 Comments

  1. Carol LynnJanuary 11, 2009

    That looks awesome!

  2. KellyJanuary 11, 2009

    That’s AWESOME! Cool new tattoo! Yay. How much fun. Thanks for sharing. :)

  3. JenniferJanuary 11, 2009

    Well that looks amazing. I’m next after Jason gets his colored in, only I haven’t decided what I want yet! I am excited!

  4. StacyJanuary 11, 2009

    I like very much-uh.

  5. DuncanJanuary 11, 2009

    So pretty!!!

  6. Mikey CooperJanuary 11, 2009

    Holy f-ing amazing! This tattoo puts all of mine to shame.

  7. StevenJanuary 11, 2009

    Whoa, nifty!

  8. Jennifer B.January 12, 2009

    If anyone is a rockstar, it is you beautiful

  9. alexJanuary 12, 2009

    so rad! SO RAD!!! holy crapparoonie! i had no idea you could just tattoo over another tattoo like that. what a freaking artist.

    *hey, how did you get that “originally posted here, comment over here” box? i would find that very useful. *

  10. p00chJanuary 12, 2009

    Thanks again for coming to the Expo and keeping me busy Saturday!
    I can’t think of anything that I would have rather tattooed there…except for maybe a paw print skin rip ass hat!
    You rock!
    Pooch

  11. GregoryJanuary 12, 2009

    Mazel-Tov, Chandra! That so rocks!

  12. OttoJanuary 13, 2009

    wow, that is a smokin tattoo. You get extra points for letting us know that under our cool Tiki tattoo is the word DORK!
    Let me know if you want to see pics of my Tiki tattoos. Aloha, Otto

  13. Ezio65December 11, 2009

    great! I’m a tattoo artist in italy and I say this is an a great work

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