My first tattoo done in 2008, by Honest Jon at Slave to the Needle in Seattle, WA.
It represents a scene from the children’s book Emir’s Education in the Proper Use of Magical Powers, by Jane Roberts:
“Then there’s a god of landscapes, who supervises the making of grass, trees, mountains, and so forth,” SkyMaker said. Emir nodded. He remembered to be very polite when he met the gods, but he was also, understandably, quite excited. He got so flustered when everyone gathered around that he backed up too far and almost lost his footing.
“Don’t brush up against that sky. It isn’t dry yet,” SkyMaker shouted. But it was too late. Emir got so upset at SkyMaker’s booming voice that he stumbled, turned too quickly, and brushed his arm against the very lowest part of the painting where the horizon touched the ground.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Emir cried. “Did I ruin anything?”
“No. I can touch up the painting,” SkyMaker said. “But I’m afraid that you’re going to carry a bit of sky around on your arm for the rest of your life.”
Emir looked down. There on his bare arm was a patch of bright blue, a good two inches long and an inch wide. “But you can wipe it off, can’t you?” Emir asked. “Or hasn’t paint remover been invented yet?”
SkyMaker shook his head ruefully. “Nothing will remove sky,” he said. “I use living paint. That’s a patch of real sky on your arm. Small, it’s true. But most likely it will develop its own tiny moon and stars. It’s like a living tattoo. You’ll just have to get used to being a boy with a patch of sky on his arm.”
(My artist suggested it’d look better if it looked like a brushstroke rather than a smear. I love the effect.)
I always wished they’d make animated tattoos, so I could get this with moving clouds and moon phases and such. Maybe someday. :)
