Last summer I told you the story behind my Sarajevo tattoo. Last weekend I spent over five hours under the tattoo gun to get my newest tattoo. As with the Sarajevo tattoo, I again collaborated with an artist in hopes of capturing my feelings about a place in a tattoo designed by a true artist. While I wish I was artistic myself, my skills end with coloring books and crayons! I leave art to the real artists.
Those of us that travel the world seem to have those things which we collect or buy as souvenirs to remind us of a place and the time spent there. For some it is art or jewelry. For others it is clothing, or food and drink from the place to take home and share with others. I do those things from time to time, but mostly try to focus on spending money towards the experiences I want to have in the places I visit. To me it’s about being fully present in the moment and making a memory that I can hold for a long time. I journal to capture and hold those memories in the event that my mind fails me.
Then there are places that set their hooks in my heart and soul and that become a part of me. Sarajevo is one of those. Now Turkey has become one. I will probably have to make a trip back to Mongolia at some point to get a tattoo for UB as it absolutely is a place that I loved, that molded me, that prepared me for my next iteration of being.
I am not going to explain the meaning of this latest tattoo with you here in this post; however, I will at the end provide a link to a PDF “legend” that explains it, as requested by family members. In the end a tattoo really only means something to its owner which is as it should be. I will say that the day after I got my tattoo I met with a Turkish woman, living in Germany but visiting Izmir, whom I had met through a mutual friend via Facebook. Harika asked if she could tell me what she saw in my tattoo. I said, “by all means, please.” And you know, she saw most everything I meant to be seen. If you have been here to Izmir and seen just a bit of Turkey, you should be able to see what I endeavored to have the artist capture. God bless you Harika–that “reading” was so affirming for me!!
Here in this post I want to share about the process I have engaged in with for these recent tattoos. It begins with a desire for a tattoo that represents a place and all the emotions/feeling it evokes within me. For Sarajevo I found the best rated tattoo parlor and then the artist that worked in the style I wished for AND that spoke English. For Turkey I was fortunate to have a friend that was an artist, who was from Izmir, and whose art already captured some of the images I thought I’d like to have. You can check out his work via Facebook or Instagram (art: saditekin; tattoos: minink). I met him at the end of July to see if he would be open to the idea of creating something for me; if he said yes, then we’d see if he thought he should do the tattoo work himself, or have someone else do it.
In this first meeting I simply expressed what I felt for and about Turkey–that after my challenging times in Mongolia, and living in its harsh climate–both cold and air pollution–I had experienced life in Turkey to be a sort of paradise. That I experienced a very safe landing here and loved so much about this place–its history, stunning nature, the sunrises and sunsets, all the colors of the water, the smell of the sea, the good friends I am making, the fun I am having. I also talked about wanting to capture some iconic images that are representative of Turkey and/or Izmir. He immediately had a concept he wanted to work with and drew a rough sketch. I liked it and said, yes…..please run with that idea!
We met a month later to look over a more detailed sketch in size and color. We discussed some alterations, additions, as well as the intended size and placement on the body. And we set the date to meet in the studio and make it a reality. He had decided he could and would like to do the tattoo himself.
After some final adjustments on the day of, we went to work. Or rather he went to work and I worked to be still and comfortable. The outline (black) took one hour and 20 minutes; then we spent 3.5+ hours doing the color. I have to tell you–color HURTS! I could have napped last year while getting my Sarajevo tattoo. But then, it was ALL black and on the underside of my forearm. This new tattoo was on my left shin and had a LOT of color! I learned that a different size needle is used for color–size 7 as opposed to the size 5 used for black/outline. It was intense! (As you will see below, I seized this chance to consume my “impulse buy” from October of 2018–the little bird–all future tattoos will be INTENTIONAL and thoughtful in design and application, as this one was.)
We wrapped things up after 8 pm–though we know we will have one final session to check color and make any adjustments or updates. When you spend that much time under the gun your skin puffs up and bleeds a lot, AND it’s hard to tell what the actual color will be. It needs to heal and then we will meet again to finalize.
While the tattoo is my souvenir, it is also important to me to make the day memorable in all ways. As you may recall I enjoyed a beer with the artist, Himzo, last year in Sarajevo. This time I treated the artist to beer and a burger–we were both VERY hungry after so many hours of working/sitting. And that burger–a blue cheese burger–was fantastic! It was nice to talk and decompress after so many hours of concentration on his part (this man draws faces on leblebi for goodness sake!!). It was a wonderful, almost end, to a long and productive day.
As we left and prepared to go our separate ways I heard my named called out. This is strange as I don’t know so many people here in Izmir, and certainly not many in Alsancak as most of my colleagues live in my neighborhood which is a ways around the bay. But there was Mustafa, the man I dated last fall and winter and remain good friends with, having tea with a friend. I joined them and we spent a lovely couple of hours catching up on life since COVID and plans for the future. I parted ways from them just before midnight.
The day had been fruitful and fun! A memorable and unique day–like no other–and one that I will hold dear always. My new ink couldn’t have asked for a better series of events to accompany it into existence.
Now, for those that wish to see it and know what it all means, here is the legend which I made for my family, please note that this document should be read from the BOTTOM to the TOP: Tattoo with Legend
I wore a “second skin” for the first four days. I had never used that as aftercare before. It was convenient in that I didn’t have to think about my tattoo or do anything. Showering was simple–there was nothing to do but wait. It did feel good to peel it off and allow my skin to breathe. It’s been a week now and the healing is happening–it itches like crazy!!!
In a week and a half we’ll meet for the final session. I’m thrilled to carry Turkey with me wherever I go. As with my Sarajevo and Enjoy tattoos before, when I look upon these works of skin art I smile and feel joy! And that’s what it’s all about, my friends!