Happy Panda Tattoo Design

So I had originally started this blog a while back with the intent of writing in it every day, utilizing it for sudden strokes of literary genius that, lets face it, never come.

SO, I have scrapped my original blog idea for something more useful. Something, hopefully, more interesting.

Some time last year (2008), I was asked by my close friend and room mate to design a tattoo for her, commemorating the death of her beloved family dog, Daisy.
At first I was shocked, skeptical, mostly of my own ability to design something intended to become a permanent installment on someone elses body.
Also skeptical that my original design would be appreciated, but scrapped later in favor of something more interesting.

But I must say, I was wrong to doubt on both counts.

After a few different incarnations, I came up with a design that my room mate loved.
We had both agreed that cliche paw prints and things of that nature had no place in her dogs memorial piece, and so she opted instead for something more symbolic.

This was as far as the original design got in my own hands, as JJ insisted she didn't want me to change anything. She liked the sketchiness of it, and requested that I didn't finish it out.

This of course made me extremely fidgety at first, having a raw piece hijacked before it was finished, but that's what she wanted!
And so I let it go.

One evening, a few months later, JJ came home and ran into my room, looking slightly pekid, but beaming from ear to ear.
"Sophie, look what I got!"
I looked at her arm, and was momentarily dumbfounded.
There was my tattoo, looking vibrant in all its colored permanence on the inside of her upper arm.



The tattooist, Becky Benson, from Ben Around Tattoos in our home-town of Charlottesville, VA
had taken my design and cleaned it up with care, swapped the plaque motif
for a banner in favor of a more traditional tattoo look,
and brought the whole thing to life with some color.

I was amazed.
Still am!

Since then, friends near and far had heard of my design, and came to me
requesting designs of their own.
I didn't know what to think. Even now I am still in awe, and
deeply flattered by their requests.

And it's all thanks to my friend JJ, who thought enough of my artwork to
make me a part of a very important life decision.

In turn, I would like to invite whoever may be reading this to join me in my journey,
of which this is just the beginning!


Tattoo design © Sophia Cowan
Tattoo application and alterations © Becky Benson
Photograph © Becky Benson
( www.benaroundtattoos.com)