Ow, I rather be tattooed!

By Laurie on Thursday, June 19th, 2008

Wednesday evening, sometime around 6pm, I showed up at Tattoo Technique for a consultation appointment with Andy Casali regarding a tattoo design I’d created.  This design was to be an anklet tattoo with a mermaid focal point.  It was inspired by the Dethklok song, Murmaider.  I showed him the new design and he asked me when, then asked me if now would work.  Well!  Okay then!  A sucker for the unexpected, I said “Sure!”, signed my form, paid my monies, and let him rub my leg down.

Haha, we decided to wait on the anklet part and he began preparing me for the mermaid focal.  This being my first tattoo, I was unprepared really, for how it would feel.  Sure enough, it does hurt like a bitch.  S’cuse the French.  I didn’t tear up or cry or wince, I just swore a lot.  A lot.  We took a couple of breaks - me stretching and he smoking.  During the first break, a couple was walking by the shop and I came up in conversation, as getting my first tattoo, and she took a look at it and asked me what the mermaid’s name was.  I was astounded!  I had not even thought about it!  I told her that I would have to think about it and that it was nice to have met her!  What a chance encounter!  Some time last night, between aftercare cleanings, I chose the name “Aleena”.

Anyway, back to the story.  He finished up around 10pm and I took off after an appreciative handshake.  I knew I was coming back.  Not just to finish this tattoo, but to get at least one or two more.  I chose Andy and Tattoo Technique because the owner had wonderful things to say about Andy, and I’ve seen his previous tattoo work, as well as the awesome art hanging inside the studio.  I think he did a totally kickass job of taking my art and making it his tattoo.  It almost feels like an unintentional collaboration between two artists.  I’m going to bug him when I’m all healed up to see if he can help me figure out the anklet part(ocean waves of some sort!), and to thank him again!  So far, I have to say that the pain of aftercare and general soreness when a tattoo is completed is worse than the actual tattoo procedure.  Guh!