Tattooing has always been a form of art that captivated my attention. My first toe-dip into the tattoo pool was my high school best friend’s 18th birthday. She OBSESSED over all things Playboy, so I treated her to matching bunnies. During the twenty-minute session, I almost passed out because I was so nervous. It was not a design I would have chosen for myself, but it is still special to me because of the memory. That was almost fifteen years ago, and I have gotten many tattoos since. I am a heavily tattooed mermaid, and there seems to be very few of us in the mer-community.
Over 100 hours of my life have been spent getting the artwork on my body. I am so heavily tattooed that it is more accurate to count the hours or percent of skin coverage. I’d say I’m about 65% covered: I have a full right arm sleeve, a left arm sleeve in progress, a giant mermaid from my right hip to below my knee, four tattoos on my back, a left side piece, my chest piece, a left foot tattoo, a right ring finger tattoo, a piece on each calf, a right knee tattoo, and two pieces on my left thigh. Each of the pieces has a story or a special memory attached. Even if it was a silly spur-of-the-moment tattoo, I don’t regret it because it still represents that moment in my life.
When I first began my tattoo journey, I did not know much about the art form. There are several tattoos that would have turned out differently if I had done more research. Nowadays, I work for a tattoo convention. I have a large pool of artists that I can choose from. Each of them would safely give me a beautiful piece of art to wear for the rest of my life. Also, I have learned to look for specific things in artist’s portfolios, such as the quality of their linework, how they shade, and if their overall style matches what I am looking for in a new piece. My style leans toward the quirkier side. Included amongst my tattoos are a sci-fi book, a cartoon duck, a costumed dog, a hula hooping sugar skull, and a stuffed monkey. Quirky, indeed!
It has taken me ten plus years to amass my collection so far. I don’t see an end in sight. Every time I finish a piece that was once only an idea, another idea springs up! I am working on finishing my left sleeve, but most of my other pieces are complete. For my left sleeve, different artists tattoo black and gray flowers of their choice in whatever style they prefer. There are three other pieces floating around as ideas in my head. I’m planning to have a zombie tattooed next to my sugar skull. A black and gray portrait of my grandparents will be added on the side of my calf. Finally, a mermaid scale piece will be added on my stomach. I also plan to have mermaid scales as the filler behind my leg tattoos once I start to run out of space.
Here in Phoenix, it is not uncommon to see heavily tattooed people on a regular basis. It is a very open-minded city, and I have never had any difficulty finding a professional position regardless of how tattooed I am. That is one thing I absolutely LOVE about living here. When I travel to other places, I am used to people staring. Some people will even come up and touch me without asking. It is a very awkward experience to have strangers grab you out of the blue. While yes, I AM flattered that people appreciate my artwork, I would prefer admiration without putting your hands on me. I can usually walk down the street at home without people making a big deal about how I choose to express myself. What a wonderful thing!
Being a tattooed mermaid is a big lifestyle commitment. I try to get tattooed in the colder months so I can swim as much as possible when it’s warmer out. Once I get a mermaid tail, I’ll have to plan around swimming even more. Eventually, my vision for myself is to be mostly covered in rainbow scales. I will probably also do a sea-themed back piece that lends itself to my mermaidness. My tattoos allow me to express myself in whatever way I choose without me needing to speak. I love being able to stand out from the crowd, and swim out in the sea!