24th April 2008 @ Chillies - Immortal Nite.
This is the very first sponsored event by Immortal Tattoos @ Chillies.
Swallow tattoos once common among sailors years ago now seem to have been rediscovered and transformed into a new school style of tattoo. It is not uncommon to see some retro chick with swallow tattoos emblazoned across the chest, abdomen or even on the arms.
Sailors would have swallows tattooed as a sort of metaphor for finding their way, because the legend goes that if you were ever lost at sea if you saw a swallow you could follow it home. There are different versions of why people get swallows and can also mean a person has done time in prison or 'bird'.
Swallow tattoos seem to be popular with those into Rockabilly and are usually tattooed on either side of the neck for guys or across the chest or abdomen for chicks. The most famous person with this style of tattoo is Marc Almond of SoftCell fame a British group popular in the 80's and early 90's.
The traditional tattoo means: A sailor gets a set of swallows on his chest. The story goes if he or she drowns, the swallows come down and lift his soul to the heavens.
Had a customer coming in the other day, wanting to get something with hearts and wings and with his wife's and daughters' name with it. So I set up an appointment with him and... these are the results.
Enjoy !!
This is what we get at the end of 3rd hour... Peace out !!
My long time customer who is in progress of completing her blackwork sleeve, came in today to do another potion. I was given the green light to do what I feel like and that is every tattoo artist's dream come true.
Most times, its the customers who want to have certain kind of design on them, but on rare occasions, the tattoo artist gets to choose and do something they feel which is right for that individual.
I decided to mix 2 flavours into one - Polynesian and a Mandala to signify "wholeness" and used for ritual purposes.
Even though their beginnings may be linked to specific religious purposes, mandalas are popular with tattoo connoiseurs of all faiths.
I modified the Dharma Wheel: the eight hubs are a symbol of the Eightfold Path*, leading to perfection -
1. Right Belief
2. Right Resolution
3. Right Speech
4. Right Action
5. Right Living
6. Right Effort
7. Right Thinking
8. Peace of Mind through Meditation
Mandalas are particularly popular in henna tattoos. By definition, a mandala is any one of a variety of geometric designs that symobilize the universe. These designs are ritualistically used by Hindi and Buddist during to aid in meditation.
