The Girl With the Birdy Tattoo

In the last year I have mentioned getting a third tattoo. It has been close to seven years since my second one (a seagull). Perhaps unsurprisingly this one will also be of a birdy, and I'm looking to return to the same studio-called Leviticus because that’s a great name-I went to in 2016. That latter bit might be somewhat of a surprise given that I now have two tattoo studios within walking distance of my condo, something that wasn't a thing the last time. The artist I worked with before does not appear to be working at the studio, so I'll be getting paired with a new artist. Oh, and thanks to COVID, the process for getting a tattoo from Leviticus is more complicated than the last time. What a difference seven years makes.

First things first: the tattoo concept. While I'd kicked around a third tattoo for a bit after getting my Olympic gull, the decision to get a third one came about in 2021. At the time, I was already getting needles in my arm thanks to the COVID vaccines. Getting the initial vaccinations came about during the Chauvin trial, which was a grueling experience for those of us yes in the Twin Cities metro but especially so for the residents of Minneapolis. Do keep in mind that businesses shut down and Minneapolis Public Schools moved to virtual learning in anticipation of the verdict. To say the city was on edge is a huge understatement, and it felt like we were one misstep away from spiraling out of control. Getting vaccinated in that moment felt like a lifeline where we could get some control back. I am not kidding. The vaccines meant something more in April 2021. As a result, I wanted to commemorate that moment...

with a corvid tattoo! Yes, I'm that devoted to the COVID/corvid pun. And yes, I'm getting this tattoo in the spot where I've gotten all my COVID vaccines thus far: my left delt! It'll pair nicely with the gull on the right side. It took me quite some time to decide which corvid to include in my tattoo. After a bit of hemming and hawing, I decided to be somewhat simple (basic) about it and selected the blue jay. I kicked around the idea of including a Steller’s jay but decided that rendering that bird in tattoo form might not work quite as well since I do want a fair bit of color in this piece. Steller's jays have a lot of gray in them, and I admit I'm not totally on board with gray as a tattoo color. So blue jay it is. In addition to the birdy I will be getting the months and year of my vaccinations included as text around the avian centerpiece. This is the idea that I came up with way back in 2021. We'll see how close I stick to it.

Why? Well, as I said, I'll need to get a different artist, and Leviticus now plays a more active role in matching the tattoo artist to the client. In order to get started, I had to fill in a 24 question consultation form, and the studio is a bit behind on responding to their emails. By a bit, I mean a month or so (although I got my initial response within two weeks). I decided to be a bit flexible on my artist since I want this tattoo done before we go to Europe. Thus, I said to pair me up with anyone that enjoys making birdy tattoos. Apparently that's something a lot of their artists enjoy doing, so I had to provide more reference photos (on top of the ones 3-4 I initially sent). I sent those this past Tuesday, so we'll see when I hear back from them. I do want a fairly realistic looking blue jay, so that might help narrow things down. I'll see who they recommend.

As you might have guessed, I'm pretty excited about getting this tattoo. I'm also excited about leaving the country for a bit (even though there's a ton of crap to do in preparation for that). Guess it's good to have things to look forward to in the interim. And who knows? After this, I may opt to get a fourth tattoo. Maybe on the right shoulder blade to balance out the one on the left? It's certainly a possibility. I just know it will be some time before that happens.