What would you think of this as a tattoo?

[pegkerr]

It's something I've been thinking about for awhile. For years, I thought, "No way." Then, I thought, "Well, maybe. If I found the right design, something that summons up a powerful idea for me, and if it was something I could see living with for the rest of my life." Lately, I've been thinking that it would be the Tree of Life, the Holy Tree. This would evoke Yeat's poem, "The Two Trees," and of course Tolkien's tree mythology. This, of course, also all ties in to the hearts of stone and flesh, too. See my entry here.

Yesterday, I finally found a design that made me think, "Wow. Maybe."



I'm not sure I'm going to do it yet, but for the first time, I'm really seriously thinking about it. What do you think?

Edited to add: Of course, friends list, you must accept that I may still like the idea, and you may all think it's beautiful, but I may still NOT get it. As kijjohnson and I say all the time, "You can make different decisions than I do." This would be a huge thing for me, and I'm not quite sure I have the courage to do it.

But I must admit, the idea is looking more and more attractive. For the first time, I can actually imagine myself doing it.

As for WHERE I would put it, well, that is a problem that requires some thinking. How big do you think it should be? I think I would really like it centered. The back is one option, except I would like to be able to SEE it. I think I would like it to be covered much of the time, making it private for me, but somewhere I could also show it if I like.

The poem speaks of the holy tree growing within the heart, so over the heart makes sense, and it feels like the most right position to me. Kij tells me, however, that since there is little fat over the breastbone, it can be a very painful location. I think if I did it, I would do it right, getting it with colors instead of black and white.

Here is an article about the artist. I like the fact that his art has a Christian emphasis. I found the design on a cover of a quarterly devotions guide handed out by our church.

Rob, by the way, is rather appalled at the whole idea.

Edited to add again: rarelytame, who should know, tells me that the flowers are a bit too small and fiddly and would have to be adapted to something else that is simpler, which doesn't surprise me. I would be willing to see what an artist could do to simplify it but still keep it lovely. redbird warns me that perhaps these specific colors wouldn't be best; paler ones don't show up as well. I would be willing to consider other colors.

Comments

[drewan.livejournal.com]

That's a really nice design! Where are you thinking of placing it?

I can't quite picture you with a large tattoo across your back (which would look amazing), but maybe a smaller one somewhere between the base of your neck your shoulder blades would look good.

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

Where are you thinking of placing it?

That's the problem, isn't it?

It might make sense to put it on my back, except I would like to be able to see it. The point about the poem is that the holy tree grows within the heart, and so over the heart makes sense, and that way I would be able to see it, but cover it up much of the time, making it private for me, which is what I think I would prefer. I understand, however, that over the breastbone is much more painful.

Hmmm . . .

[slashkilter.livejournal.com]

Well, I'll very probably be getting a tattoo next spring, and I'd love a tree of life on my neck (not what I'm going for this time, though), so of course I'm all for it.

I think the design you found is stunning, because it has such a lightness and elegance to it. The tree of life can look clunky because it really needs all the branches in order to be expressive (IMO), but this design is the opposite of clunky. I love it.

If you are sure that you want one and that this design has specific significance for you, go for it. But make sure you do some research first and find a good tattoo artist whose style fits what you are looking for. I hear there are quite a few good ones in your area.

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

Yes, I definitely like the elegance and simplicity of it.

I would be very careful about picking the most skilled artist I can find.

[magentamn.livejournal.com]

I think it's very beautiful, and seems very appropriate for you.

I used to know a tattoo artist who said that before someone got a new tattoo, she recommended that they put the art on their bathroom mirror and looked at it every day for six months. If they still liked it, they should get the tattoo. I don't know about six months, but putting it somewhere where you would see it every day for a while, at the same size you would have the tattoo, would make sense to me.

You also might want to ask a couple of local tattoo artists about what sizes are practical, and how much they would cost.

It would be a wonderful gift to yourself once you are through this bad patch.

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

That is an extremely sensible suggestion, and if I am serious about it, I think I will implement it.

[maribou]

I think that a) it's lovely, and b) if, after rolling it around in your head for a month, you can still picture yourself as an 80 year old with this tattoo, and be pleased, you should TOTALLY go for it.

It's not like you're an 18-year-old prone to lifeswings at this point; I always think one of the advantages of growing up is that you get closer and closer to truly knowing one's own mind:).

[unanon.livejournal.com]

Oh! That's a lovely design. :) Are you thinking of getting a full-color tattoo or a grayscale or black ink version?

Honestly, I'd say go for it. You've obviously found a design that has many layers of personal meaning for you, is pleasing to the eye, and will make you happy. Tattoos are only tacky if there is no depth of meaning attached to them or if they're taken on lightly.

This is a deliberate choice to transform the landscape of your body; it is one of the most personal and potentially satisfying choices you can make. I'm glad you're putting so much thought into it.

Good luck, hun, and best wishes no matter what you decide.

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

If I am going to do it, I would do it right, with color.

I may decide it is right for me, but still lack courage to follow through. The pain involved scares me. And Rob always teases me about my tendency toward buyer's remorse. What if I got it but decided I didn't like it? However, I must admit, I really adore this design.

[splagxna.livejournal.com]

it's beautiful and i would go for it.

i have a butterfly (my usericon, actually, in black) not /quite/ over my heart, but a little below my collarbone - and it peeks out depending on what i'm wearing, and wasn't that painful.

[nmsunbear.livejournal.com]

It's beautiful.

I know you said centered, but the ankle/calf area makes sense to me too -- closest to the earth.

[aome.livejournal.com]

As long as you're sure you'd still like to be wearing that design (possibly faded) when you're a grandmother, then I say you should do what moves you. (I've often considered a tattoo, but I'm afraid of that "permanent" thing. Instead, I've drawn on myself with marker from time to time. :P) It's certainly a beautiful design. Perhaps center it over your abdomen, with your belly button at the center of the design? How big would it be?

One thought - might you consider getting it henna'd on you, as a trial? Henna will last a week or so, I believe, so you'd get to try out the feeling of having the design ON you, all the time, but it wouldn't be permanent in case you change your mind.

By the way, completely off topic, but I just discovered a recipe I think you would like. It's not dirt-cheap, but not particularly pricey, either. Alas, I think only you will like it, but if you want a fairly quick, warming, low-fat (though not low-carb) soup: Ginger Carrot Soup. I just made it for the first time and YUM. Add a hard boiled egg or a little shredded cheese for protein, and you've got a meal.

[pariyal.livejournal.com]

I'll probably like it too. And at least two of my three daughters. Thanks, filed in recipe bookmarks!

[bethynyc.livejournal.com]

It is very beautiful, and would suit you very well.

A tattoo is a very personal decision, so don't let anyone talk you in or out of it! That being said, I'm very happy with my tattoos (faery on calf, fox on thigh) and would get another.

Definitely get it where you can see it. Calf would be good with this, though it you want it centered, depending on how large it is, perhaps lower abdomen? Below the belly button? However, that area is prone to stretching and weirdness--at least mine is!

I agree with the commenter who suggested putting the design where you can see it every day, and find an artist you feel personally comfortable with, as well as with their style and artwork.

*hugs* I think it is beautiful and meaningful!

[sternel.livejournal.com]

Hmm. If you'd like to give it a "test-drive", so to speak, how about trying the design done in henna? It wouldn't convey the colors of the original, of course, but I think the tone of henna would meld very well with the organic nature of the design.

I agree with the suggestion of the ankle/leg, as well -- rooted in the earth, but sprouting upwards.

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

Another very sensible suggestion! Thanks. That's an excellent idea.

[http://users.livejournal.com/anam_cara_/]

I strongly agree with putting it where you can see it, I have a special one on my back, but I never get to see it, except in front of a mirror. My one on my ankle however, I love dearly and love just getting glimpses of now and then throughout my day.

My sister got one on the inside of her wrist, which I was horrified about, but... really, I've grown to really like it there, and she says she's gotten endless compliments on it as well. She does have large bracelets and such to cover it if necessary, but rarely does.

Pain-wise, I will say, that is what deterred me for far too long. And, yes, it was painful, I have a woefully low tolerance for pain, but I could handle it, so really anyone can! I had two really great artists that were really sensitive to my sensitivity and took it slow when needed, quick when needed, and gave me breaks if needed.

Overall, I adore the design you've discovered, I think it would translate beautifully as a tattoo. Due to the detail, I don't know how small you could go, but any good tattoo artist will be really upfront with you regarding what will work well and what won't.

[loup_noir]

I thought I wanted a tattoo back in the eighties or maybe it was the nineties. Anyway, I spent a long time thinking about what I wanted and where to put it. I didn't do it. Why didn't I do it? Well, I used to be a gym-goer. In the locker room, I saw a lot of sad butterflies, flaccid roses, oddly-faded fish and a host of other tattoos that did not age well. Skin sags and takes the design with it.

The design is lovely. It could be embraced in any number of other personal ways, but if you've got your heart set on a tattoo, be prepared to spend a fair amount of money and put up with the pain and possibly multiple visits to the artist.

Sorry to be a drag.

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

Oh, you'd better believe it that if I did it, I would think it through verrrrrrryyyyyyy carefully. This would not be an impulsive decision at all.

[rarelytame.livejournal.com]

My day job is as the office manager for a tattoo studio, so this post caught my attention.

The design is beautiful, but you should know before you set your heart into this design that there are parts of it that make it truly difficult, perhaps impossible depending on certain factors, to render as you have it in this image.

Your choices would be for the tattoo to be extremely large, or for the petals in those tiny rings/flowers to be done a little differently. Let me draw your attention to the tiny gaps of space between each "petal" on the colored rings that make the flowers. Even if it were possible to render the tattoo from the beginning to leave those tiny gaps, the pigment under the skin will, in time, disperse until you only have tiny colored rings with the circles in the center. The petals will blur together. Most reputable tattoo artists wouldn't even try to tattoo this design exactly the way it is in this image unless it was enlarged a great deal (on my screen it is roughly 3 inches by 4 inches).

That's not to say that something couldn't be done to make the design work, but this exact design probably wouldn't. Not as it is.

It's a beautiful design though. A good tattoo artist could definitely use it as a starting point for something that would work. I have no clue where you are located, but tattoo artists are a bit like writers, mostly familiar with one another's work. Our shop is in Atlanta, but chances are, I might be able to get a recommendation for a trustworthy and talented artist near you, wherever you are, with whom you could consult.

Ideally, you could work with them to come up with a design that would work perfectly, then you could stick that one to your bathroom mirror for six months or so. *grin*

(I always feel terrible for people who come in with designs they've thought about for months or years, and then some detail of the design is too small to last, or for some other reason won't quite work in a tattoo. That's the reason why I felt the urge to say something.)

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

No, no, this is extremely helpful, and I really appreciate your comment. I has already suspected the flowers would be the most difficult part of the design, and that it would have to be adapted to be useable.

And actually, I think that I would like to see how a tattoo artist would adapt it, because that would give me a better idea of the artist's skill.

I live in Minneapolis, and I understand that there are a number of talented artists here. I have lots of friends who have tattoos, so I think I would be able to find someone with some of their recommendations.

And I'm glad that you think it is beautiful--since you speak as someone who has probably seen many many designs, your opinion is reassuring.

[dd-b.livejournal.com]

It's a lovely design. It looks to me like so many people have tatoos at this point that it can't go really seriously out of style, or at least out of acceptability, anytime soon.

[weaselmom.livejournal.com]

Very pretty! If you can resolve the technical issues rarelytame brought up and decide on the location and work out the financial aspect of it (they're expensive little buggers), and if it resonates in your heart, do it and to hell with what anybody else thinks. At worst, many years from now you will look at it and say, "This marks a time in my life when I was courageous and did something I wanted to do and carried a beautiful, meaningful symbol in the very cells of my being." As for the pain, I got mine on the fleshy part of my back where there was lots of padding, and it just felt like a kitten was digging in with its tiny claw over and over and over. I wanted to smack the artist out of sheer irritation, but it wasn't painful per se - and I'm a pain weenie. Shawn had four hours of work done in one sitting, but he's a viking, so that doesn't help.

Here's something funny - I've been looking at your three "Tolkien Tree" user icons and thinking how much I'd like to have one of *them* as a tattoo!

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

Which one? I've thought of using one of them, too, but I could never decide which one.

[handworn.livejournal.com]

I would imagine that the Tree of Life would look as untidy and asymmetrical as life itself is, but it's a pretty design.

On your upper arm, maybe? That would be coverable and uncoverable as desired, and visible to you.

[kijjohnson.livejournal.com]

Peg, it's beautiful. I agree with everyone: let it sit on your monitor for a few months (my most recent tattoo was on the bulletin board in my office for four months; I have another one there now, waiting to see if I want it); try it in henna if you can; get it simplified (a good tattoo artist can do this for you).

My friend Lorelei, who has many many tattoos, says: Don't get it where your skin is going to sag (neck) and don't get it where your skin will be fragile when you're older (back of hands). As if you would! Those are pretty edgy places for tattoos, anyway.

Lorelei also says everything doen the fron along your center line hurts like crazy. Breastbone sucks, but so does the belly -- she got a huge black orchid on her belly to cover her C scar, and she said it worse than having the baby. So I would think about either aligning it along a meridian, or putting it on an arm. Or the back. You wouldn't see it every day, but you would have it embracing you.

[kijjohnson.livejournal.com]

I'm sorry, that post was completely illiterate. Something's wrong with my brain today.

[aelfsciene.livejournal.com]

That's a really lovely design, and the most important thing is that it resonates with you. My first piece, over 10 years old now, a lovely little knotted Celtic dragon that I'd fallen for immediately,I did almost on a whim, which wasn't the brightest idea. I still love it, but wish I'd talked to an artist beforehand, because it's faded and mushy after a decade, since there's so much detail, and I'm not sure how to fix it. rarelytame's advice is worth gold, and hopefully you can find a local artist you could talk to and work with before having anything permanent done.

Placement, it would be a beautiful back piece, but that does set it apart from you somewhat; I wouldn't put my Great Wave anywhere but my lower back, but I sometimes wish I could see it directly, and up close. A friend with a small piece over her heart says it looks fairly different depending on whether she's wearing a bra or not, and oh, do the breasts sag as we age, so take that into account, too.

I second the idea of a trial run--if you have an artistic friend, have them draw the design on you with washable markers, in a variety of places. That's what I did both for the wave and the kelp on my foot I'm having done in a week (a week and an hour, in fact!), and it's a great way to get a feeling for the whole thing.

Best of luck with it, whatever you decide!

[aelfsciene.livejournal.com]

Oh, I'm a dork, and forgot to say this:

The way I'm getting my tattoos is that friends have donated money to my perpetual ink fund for birthday and Christmas and the like. It's made the work even more meaningful to me, in that it's a physical (and permanent!) representation that there are people who love me, even if I feel alone a lot of the time. It's the gift that keeps on giving! o.O

I also did a "reward" thing to sock a bit away myself, where I'd put a virtual dollar in my Hello Kitty bank if I put down some nifty thing I wanted to buy, or accomplished something I'd been dreading. Not expensive, but good motivation, and it's the sort of thing you can start now but wait until the money situation's a little brighter ("Oh, I just sold that thing for $20 on eBay? $5 of it's for my last few reward-points!") to actually take the cash anywhere.

[nmalfoy.livejournal.com]

I love it! What about on your shoulder? On the back? Or on your upper arm, up near the top, so that you could wear sleeves that hid it if you wanted.

Here's a tip: get the outline done first. Then go back and get the colors done.

[lilisonna.livejournal.com]

That is utterly beautiful, and I think it would make a lovely tattoo should you choose to go for it.

I liked the suggestion of putting it on your bathroom mirror and looking at it for six months, and really echo the henna suggestion.

[mamculuna.livejournal.com]

Wonderful! I used to keep that picture in my kitchen, and it always made me feel so good.

I've been planning a tattoo also, and glad someone else over 20 is thinking about it. I want tattoos on the arches of my feet which I know will hurt but is the one place on my body that still looks OK at 65. The tats will be Sanskrit words for Patience and Determination (which I need at every step)Also a tiny bird on my shoulder, but haven't seen a design I like, yet.

Please post a photo if you get it.

[cheshyre]

Wow.
Gorgeous design.

I can offer no advice on this, but it's beautiful.

[redbird]

Another technical note: pale colors can be more difficult (you're fairly light-skinned, so they're possible for you, but they won't stand out as much, and that sort of gray-green may be hard to get right), and fading is more noticeable. Of course, my monitor's colors may not match what you have, or want.

Somewhat private locations, depending on size: thigh, upper arms, abdomen (or back, but as you say, that would be hard for you to see).

[baka-kit.livejournal.com]

Oh, that's gorgeous!

It seems like everybody's already given you all of the advice, except for this one warning: tattoos can be addictive. I only intended to get the one. Ten tattoos later ...

[elessidil.livejournal.com]

It is a beautiful design.

This is completely off topic but I thought you would enjoy, since you turned me on to his music. Its not code monkey but its still hilarious.

http://www.zefrank.com/theshow/archives/2007/03/030808.html

[pegkerr.livejournal.com]

That was . . . bizarre!

But you're right, very funny!