Pre-Third Session. May 9 2003. 10:00AM.
Finally friday. Thank God. The waiting is definitely the hardest part. And then, of course, I worry if Chris needs to cancel for whatever reason. That would suck. My body is still a bit sore from last weekends gardening extravaganza in my Mom's back yard. Weeding, painting, planting, pruning, digging...

Post-Third Session. May 9 2003. 11:45PM.
Some days, sitting under the machine are harder than others. This session was a little more aggravating than the last. I think that's because the area that we were working on was still a little sore from the last session. All that said, Chris has a great hand and a better eye. The work is really impressing me. The little details like the way he mixes the colors and how he ends the color right before the he hits the outline leaving an 1/8th of an inch of bare skin. Very cool.

I had dropped off printouts of my back for Chris to sketch the background on. When I got to the shop, we started discussing where the other elements will be placed. We're moving the bamboo to the right upper back to use as the cover up on the preexisting work. We discussed making sure the maple leaves don't look like pot leaves. He also jazzed me up with how he plans on doing the "wind" swirls and other little (big) touches. I think we're pretty much agreed that there won't be an element of fire on this. Makes sense as it is an aquatic theme, but he does these really cool pieces I've been calling "Tibetan Fireballs" and I hope we can suss out a way to drop them in there somehow. It's interesting how I have given him complete control on this. If he thinks something isn't quite right, that's that. I don't push like I would normally. While I like 95% of the work I wear and respect the artists who did the work, Chris is undoubtedly the most accomplished artist I've ever worked with.

This "piece" will be an awesome combination of bright oranges, blues and greens. Obviously a good deal of blacks and reds, too. And I still can't get over how huge this tattoo is. My entire back and tying into my sleeves. Once I finish my back, I'm going to complete the chest work. And then I'm done until I turn fifty and at that point I plan on seeing Trevor Marshall to do my legs. :-)

Back work is strange in the sense that you have no idea what is happening until it's done. I sat for about two hours straight today before we took a break for me to see. So you lay there and deal with the boredom and the annoying noise and little bit of pain and then when you take a look at what's been completed, your face lights up. "Hell yeah!"

We got the dorsal fins and the "flipper fins" done today. This will probably take six more sessions to complete. My hope of being finished by July 4th will not come to pass. But that's fine, because this is going to be pretty rocking when it's done.

From: Carol (mymunkylvr@hotmailjustkillme.com) wrote:
"I showed my husband. He said, "that looks f**king real."

Pre-Fourth Session. May 22 2003. 9:45AM.
Lord, I am dying to finish this work. The irony is that one of the meanings behind the Koi as a symbol is patience and persistance. Another thing annoying me is that Chris is unavailable until 7/11. What's that, like 6 weeks away? Well, he's going to get his back done, so I can relate. But still...

Post-Fourth Session. May 23 2003. 10:00PM.
Not much to add to this running account after tonight's session. We finished the Koi except for the head and face and a bit at the fins. It's a damn big fish! As usual, it looks amazing. Some of the work on my side hurt like hell and some I didn't even feel. Weird.

Anyway, I have to wait over a month 'till the next session. That sucks. I'm told that the rest of this piece will move along at a greater speed than everything up to this point due to the more "open" nature of the background elements. I'm really ready to start seeing the other colors. The bright greens of the bamboo and the blues of the water. Cool.

Pre-Fifth Session. July 11 2003. 8:45AM.
All I can say is, about time. It's been five or six weeks since the last session and I am beyond itching to get cracking on this again.

Pre-Fifth Session. July 11 2003. 12:00PM.
Ah ha! The koi itself is now complete. Yes. Very, very cool. The head was the last bit left and now it's done. It's a pretty good feeling. 15 hours thus far and 15 or more to go. We added much more water and finally hit it with some different shades of blue and white. We'll darken the water up a little at a later date.

Let me tell you, after the first hour or so of shading the head, the water outline was excruciating and it only lasted 10 minutes. After the outline, going back to shading felt damn good. Not to dwell too much on the pain because the end result is more than well worth it. I am very, very happy with this project.

The koi on it's own is pretty damn well done but I get jazzed when I consider that we still have to add the background elements. The background will add to the story, scale and impact. One solid piece across my entire back.

From: Sunlight (ms.sunlight@ntlworld.no-way-baby.com):
"Hmm, thinking about it there was a koi pond at my college with big fat mature koi in it.
Those fish managed to look vacant, accusing and dangerous all at the same time.
Evil bastards."

Pre-Sixth Session. July 25 2003. 4:00PM.
Just back from the beach. God I love it. My skin is salt water tight, I'm tanned and feeling great. Looking forward to a nice cool shower and some sandalwood soap. Tea tree shampoo and I'm set. We'll see what we add to the tattoo tonight. Getting there. I can't wait to just be able to say "thank you" when someone compliments the piece instead of "wait 'till it's done."

Post-Sixth Session. July 25 2003. 10:15PM.
A quick two hour session tonight. Nothing new really, just fleshing out the water all around the koi. Did some cool touches with the water at the base of my spine. Added a lot of depth.That felt like it went on forever. We talked a little bit about where we'll place the maple leaves and the wind swirls. I'm looking forward to seeing the greens of the bamboo.

I don't think I've mentioned this before, but everything except the koi itself has been done freehand. There is a misconception about the word "freehand" in the tattoo world. Some people think it means the artist uses the machine and just wings it. That's not true. The artist uses a marker to draw the piece first and then inks it in. Tonight, as Chris was drawing the water on my back, it struck me how important it is that the artist can draw. Sounds obvious, I know. But I mean really draw.

Watching the piece unfold is fascinating. It's a truly organic process. I think you really, really need to trust your artist because there is no final picture and no definite placements. You need to be comfortable with not only their ability to tattoo but their ability to conceive of the entire piece and make it happen.
To bring it to life.

Pre-Seventh Session. September 19 2003. 11:00AM.
I've been thinking about work on my ribcage. A pair of blue Foo Dogs with red flames. One on the left side and one on the right side. And it kills me to say this, but I probably won't get them because I hear the pain is incredible. Well, it's partially that and partially the fact that my chest is one of the few parts of my body that I actually like. Then again, my ribcage isn't really my chest so I guess I'm just a b*tch!

I "fought" getting Asian-styled work when started my sleeves and now, while I can't say I regret anything, if I could do it all over, I just might. Ahhhh, if I only knew then what I know now.

Post-Seventh Session. September 19 2003. 8:02PM.
Ahh. Finally a new color. Green, baby. This was a hella easy session to sit for. I started a new job this week and have spent so much time in my head. Thinking and working. This session was great in the sense that it forced me back into my body and as a consequence I feel very centered.

It's also the end of an era. 24 years ago I got the Pink Panther tattoo'd on my back and tonight we covered up 95% of that tattoo. I took massive amounts of ribbing for that tattoo but I loved it. The Pink Panther cartoon was and still is one of the coolest. Anyway, below are pictures from this afternoon's session.

Koi tattoos on others:
> Tattoo Infinity
> Barnaby
> DaVinci Tattoo
> Supasonic Sage
> TattooAGoGo

Pre-Eighth Session. October 14 2003. 8:00AM.
Are you as bored of this as I am? Jeez. I look back and yes, a lot has been done, but its a slow, slow process. Wonder what we'll add tonight.

Post-Eighth Session. October 14 2003. 11:05PM.
More bamboo and a bit of water. The bamboo patch is now done and it ties into the wind from the right sleeve very nicely. Underneath the bamboo, we're adding rocks. I knew something was going there, but wasn't sure what. I am interested in hearing what Chris plans on doing color-wise. Honestly, I hadn't considered rocks and I can't quite see it. We always sketch new work on with a marker, and I'm confident in Chris' ability to make it work. And the bamboo obviously needs a bed from which to sprout...

These pictures aren't doing the work justice. And the freshness makes it shine. Once it's done and healed I will definitely have a high quality photo taken.

Pre-Ninth Session. October 24 2003. 10:30AM.
This tattoo is exactly what I wanted stylistically. Bold, solid, readable, graphic, powerful, large... I'm definitely happy with it. There are another three or four more sessions till it's complete. It's been a remarkable experience in many ways. Working large scale and over time, I've seen the seasons change. The first session, April 16th, was sunny and cool. I remember wearing a dark red linen shirt and jeans. I'd taken the day off from work at Meredith Interactive and got to the studio a little early. I found a stoop, sat down and got a little sun. I remember going the the beach in the early part of the summer and hating that the work was incomplete. I remember the rainy days for the rest of the summer and the good friends that stopped by to say hello and watch me wince.

And here I now sit, knowing that the work will still be happening as winter falls. And that one day soon it will be finished. 36 hours or so total. Resulting in one amazing piece of art. Living art. Art that bother empowers and humbles. Art that will die with me and in that way alone, a most intimate piece of art. Art that I can't readily see yet is with me at all times. Inseparable. And if I am mindful of the lessons the Koi teaches, an enlightening form of art.

Post-Ninth Session. October 24 2003. 11:11PM.
The first 15 minutes and the last 15 minutes are the hardest. The fat on my love handles kills. Damn. But after that 15 minutes, things loosen up and you settle into a groove. The music tonight absolutely sucked ass and an ultrasonic cleaner ran for 30 minutes longer than it had to. But alas...

It's getting there. We covered some serious ground tonight. The rocks look cool and will only look cooler when they're healed. Chris uses a type of ink that fades to a nice grey from the initial solid black. Sumi-e like. Then he'll go in and add the texture in a real black. We also added a fair amount of water to the piece and need to texturize and detail all that. Actually, all the water will get a bit deeper. No pun intended.

The image on the left is a fast sketch he did to show me how we'll tie into the work on my left shoulder. The maple leaves will be intertwined with the "wind." As I look closely at the work, all the little details that are missing are becoming apparent. But that's cool. I know we'll hit it all in due time.

Next session isn't until December. Maybe I'll finish up my chest work during November. My birthday month.

I feel like we're in the home stretch now. In reality, we're not. There's much new work to be laid down and a lot of details to flesh out. I have three more sessions booked.

We're thinking about where to place the final elements like the maple leaves and how far down and over the work should go. I want my left butt cheek covered. I'd also like to work in a Mitsu Tomoe.

I've been asking myself "why" get such extensive work. Especially work that I will never directly see. I know the answers in my gut. The symbology means much to me, the pure artistic expression of such high quality work can't be denied, the drive to "customize" my body has always been strong, there is a definite narcissistic and sexual undercurrent. Can something you can't see be defined as "narcissistic?"

Post-Tenth Session. November 21 2003. 9:50PM.
Suffer the outline. Hate to start off with a whinge about the pain, but damn. This outline hurt. But as usual, I'm excited about the end result. There is a lot of "controversy" in the tattoo world about pain. Is pain part of getting tattoo'd? Is pain an unneeded and distracting component? I believe the pain in an important part of getting a tattoo. If it didn't hurt, if it didn't take courage and commitment what would it be? Like painting a car. The fact that you have to work through something to get to the end result adds value. No diss to those who use anesthetics but I don't dig that idea.

Right now, it's a little difficult to see anything except the black work, but if you look closely you can see the maple leave's outline. You can also see the final bits of water. I love this style of water. I'm really looking forward to coloring in the leaves. The movement of the entire piece is impressive. Totally dynamic.

We discussed what is going to go on my left butt cheek and at the base of my neck. All in all... getting there.

Pre-Twelfth Session. December 17 2003. 7:00AM.
Ever watch the www series Ninjai? No? Me neither. 'Till the other day. Sara turned me onto it. Bloody little cartoon! I posted some of the trailers here and you can watch the entire series here.

I definitely have moments where I wish I'd have done my arm work differently, but when I look at it from a few steps away it all flows with my back pretty nicely. This is due to the fact that I've always chosen my iconography based on mythology and symbols that are extremely important to me. Fact is, I already have a great deal of water, sky, foliage and blackwork on my arms so the overall effect is consistant. I definitely need to add some finishing touches to my arms like completing some sky and clouds and coloring in the acorns and oak leaves. I just printed out some pictures of my chest work and drew in the perimeter I want to work within. I don't think Chris will want to deal with completing unfinished work, but there are a few other artists I have in mind. I can see my upper body work complete by the summer. BFT.

And you know what? I feel like this little mini-site is a valuable contribution to the world of tattoo. That feels good. And for those of you reading this that don't really know me, I've also contributed a bit to the world of body piercing, branding and cutting.

Post-Twelfth Session. December 17 2003. 11:50PM.
Pretty much done with the perimeter shape. Two or three touches to the actual shape left to make. Then shading and coloring what's left. Water, swirls and three of the five maple leaves. And holy crap, tattoo on the ass doesn't just hurt, it's kind of not-describable. It's not like the pain on the rest of your body. All those types of pain are identifiable. Sharp, annoying, dull, whatever. But the pain on the cheek isn't even a pain, per se. It's this crazy sensation. I'm at a loss for words about what it feels like and we still have a lot of work there. It descends further than the picture shows. Please excuse the black modesty bar, I've suddenly become shy.

After the tattoo session I went to say goodbye to Alex. A great friend who is moving back to Germany. I saw a bunch of old friends from my days as Senior Producer at Atmosphere Interactive. After the party I jumped on the F train at the 2nd Avenue subway station and made my way home.

Pre-Fifteenth Session. January 30 2004. 7:45AM.
My friend Jon Loose once said I was a "Viking gone Buddhist."
True on the face of it and it got me thinking. It made me think more deeply about the connections between my heritage (Norse/Sicilian) and the cultures I enjoy studying these days (Asian.) I've spent a lot of time in Norway, Sweden and Denmark over the years and I look forward to visiting Japan in the near future.

It's rewarding to compare things like the Sagas & Sutras / Valhalla & Seppuku / Barbarians & Bushi / Shinto & Asatru / Thor & Fudo / Berserkers & Kamikazi / Mead & Sake / Thatch & Staves / Oslo & Edo / Runes & Kanji / Broad sword & Katana.

Post-Fifteenth Session. January 30 2004. 11:00PM.
First 15 minutes were a bitch. Couldn't get comfortable on the table. Couldn't get comfortable for the entire two hours. Funny, Chris said this was his "most gratifying session." He clarified by saying the coverage and seeing it come together really hit home this session in particular. I think he's gratified that soon enough, he won't be seeing me every other damn week. Bastard.

I took some pictures of the shop on the way out the door and here is a picture of the view I've had for the duration.

Again, these pictures don't do it right. The work is swollen, dried blood, glare from the ointment and the left over marker all combine to make it, well, crappy looking. But as the black fades to that wonderful sumi-e like deep grays and the blues blend into each other...