Dimnova

After second sitting

[ posted at 8/03/2008 12:15:00 AM ]

The second sitting took about 2 hours once we got started.
I got there around 7:30 and we didn't wrap it up until about 11:30.
Paula and I were both very tired, but also very happy with the results.
My pain was greatly reduced thanks to percocet. I wouldn't have lasted without it.

Oddly enough... after all of that... this is my only picture of my finished tattoo.

Later that night...

[ posted at 8/03/2008 12:10:00 AM ]

During

[ posted at 8/02/2008 11:59:00 PM ]

First sitting on April 26, 2008. Took about 2 hours.
I was in absolute agony the entire time. Paula finished the outline & I insisted she keep going until the whole tattoo was finished. I didn't last past the first 3 flowers being filled in.

A rocky journey

[ posted at 4/13/2008 10:33:00 PM ]

It's been a pretty rocky & frustrating journey trying to convey my vision to an artist who has no clue what's in my head. We've had 2 meetings and have yet to come close to the same idea.

Therefore, I've decided to do the outline of the tree myself. I'm no artist. But I do know what I want and where I want it. So.... I stepped out onto my front porch and took a picture of the perfectly shaped plum tree in my front yard. Downloaded the image and made about 7 versions of the tree.

By reducing the amount of branches thru photoshop, and I believe I've come up with the final outline. I printed it several times & drew my torso around where the branches should land, then kept reducing branches to come up with the final design. Hopefully, hopefully, this will be enough for the artist to work her magic. We shall see.... meanwhile... here's my artwork....

Kanji

[ posted at 4/03/2008 10:05:00 PM ]

After hours and hours of searching... I finally found a website that offers FREE Kanji translations & compounds. I find it absolutely ridiculous that the over 500 sites I've visited, they all want to make a buck on publishing a language. I wonder if Japan needs to pay to get an online English dictionary. I'm all for making money, but it's irritating when I want something for free, and some dope sitting in his basement with a laptop wants to charge me $5 for a Kanji word. Grrr.

Anyway, if I had the time, I'd publish it all myself and make sure my site was submitted to all popular search engines weekly... but my free time is very precious at the moment.

So, the site that you can get FREE Kanji symbols is: http://www.tribalshapes.com/

Hopefully the next poor bastard that needs Kanji translated doesn't have to spend countless hours as I have.

The reason I have spent so much time is that the next step in my tattoo design is to find the accompanying language to fit my tattoo and it's meaning. I find that I not only need to have the graphic speak loudly, but then to customize it with words to describe the pivotal time in my sister's and my life when I gave her my left kidney.

This is what I've come up with so far:

Translation: Elder Sister

Translation: Love, affection

Translation: Protector, Guardian

What I really want to say is... dedicated to my older sister or forever protecting my older sister.

My New Tattoo

[ posted at 3/31/2008 08:43:00 PM ]

The Plum Blossom

The plum tree flowers in late winter, typically late January or February in East Asia,
before the leaves appear. Each flower has five petals and is 1–3 cm in diameter.
The flowers are typically white, though cultivars may have rose or deep red flowers.
The leaves appear shortly after the petals fall. The leaves are oval, with a pointed tip.
The fruit ripens in early summer, typically June in East Asia.

Ume flowers have been well loved and celebrated in both China and Japan.
In China, they are most commonly used as decoration during the Chinese New Year.
The blossoms are common subjects in Chinese art and are among the most beloved of Chinese flowers.
Unlike the Japanese, however, the Chinese see the blossoms as more of a symbol for winter rather than a harbinger of spring.
It is precisely for this reason that the blossoms are so beloved, because they bloom most vibrantly amidst the winter snow,
after other plants have shed their leaves, and before any other flowers appear.
Thus, they are seen as an example of resilience and perseverance in the face of adversity,
and have also been used as a metaphor to symbolize revolutionary struggle.

Because they blossom in winter, the ume (often translated as "plum blossom"),
the pine, and the bamboo together have been called the "Three Friends of the Cold" (歲寒三友).