Ritis Tattoo

When I finally decided to get my tattoo (thanks to my sister-in-law :-)
I had a slight idea what I wanted it to look like...but I couldn't have imagined this!!



Mother's Day (May 2001)

This first image you see, is after about 3 1/2 hours of set up and 4 hours under the needle.
Now, by set up, (for those who don't know :-) I mean the drawing up of the images, stenciling on the body, plus the ink setup and arranging proper equipment.
This is a very special, personal image. Completely Unique!!! But, unique is Tim's speciality!!

It is kind of hard to see here, but what was done was all the outline detailing and shading.
There are asters and violets through out, a single perfect red rose raising out of the 'wildflowers.'You see 2 rings intertwined, surrounded by an aura of light.
I'm not going to get into the personal significance for each item...
lets just say that it IS very meaningful...to me at least!
It took me about 3 weeks to find the right pictures for him to use...

One thing you should realize before you get a tattoo, is personal meaning.
It shouldn't be something you take lightly. You are going to have it on your body for the rest of your life!!
It should truly mean something. Another thing, make sure they are Health Dept certified (not all states or areas require such things, but a tattoo artist usually will have some kind of health inspection 1 or 2 times a year) and that they use sterilization equipment!
If you are lucky enough to find an artist knows what he/she is doing (as Tim does :-) its not as painful as you may think, it feels like something is scratching you...(again though, it DOES depend on what part of your body your having tattooed, the more muscle or flesh, the less 'discomfort' you feel)
But, I personally found it more annoying than painful, it felt like a bad sunburn when he was finished with each session...and it takes an average of 10 days to 2 weeks to completely heal.

June 2001
This next image, is after another 4 hours under the needle, adding the coloring!!
Its a little easier to see all the detail now. There are about 6 different shades of green in the foliage, along with different tints of purples and pinks in the petals of the flowers. The rose, well, you can see it for yourself!!

And heres me, proudly displaying it!!!

July of 2002
I survived 'the chair' once again! Another 4 hours...phew!
Here is the finished product as promised!
This is a very large image file and might take a while to load up, but you have to see it to really appreciate the amount of detail that Tim has put into this piece.
I'm thrilled that it is finished! (At least I think it's finished, my husband says so, he's next..lol)
Hummm...but, Tim is an artist as well as a perfectionist, so we'll see.


Photo compliments of Tim Reid
I am in the planning stages of another one, however, that one will be quite a while yet, as my hubby is getting his done first :-)
(Gluttens for punishment you say? Nah, this will have a lot of personal meaning as well!)



The Artist's name is Tim Reid and he has won numerous awards and does safe, outstanding work!!
His specialities range from nature to portraits and cover-ups, but he revels in custom works.
His website is:
http://www.internalexpressions.com

If you decide to get a tattoo...
Please, be safe and investigate your tattooist!!!

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