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Inspiration | ||||
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Perhaps you wonder how one learns to tattoo. I was remarkably fortunate to get the attitude adjustment and technical grounding that set me on my way in this career in 1984 from Cliff Raven, who gave me just the image of what I wanted to grow up to be like. His guidance and advice was always pertinent, direct to the point, accurate, and while unfailingly kind was often more true than I was prepared to hear. His recent death on my birthday leaves a void in my life that can never be filled; he was my spiritual mentor and artistic avatar. If my work ever approaches his, it is to honor his memory, and I work hard to live up to the faith he placed in me by welcoming me into this craft. After Cliff retired from tattooing he spent the last years of his life running Raven's Bookshop in 29 Palms, California. The bookplate above is a Victorian design I found and gave him to use as the logo for his online bookselling. This portrait of Cliff Raven was taken by the amazing Charles Gatewood who seems to me to take the most refreshing delight in being naughty, and inspiring others to be so for his camera. Click on his name to enter his adult world. | ||||
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Saint Dymphna, the Irish Patroness of Mental Illness and Nervous Disorder My favorite Saint is Dymphna, a martyred Irish girl from centuries ago. I discovered her on my first trip to Ireland, when I wanted a votive card to place in my rental car to help me drive on the wrong side of the road. Since then I have read a lot of the Catholic hagiography about her, and she seems like she's a good Saint for me. Last thing I want is to go crazy or for my hand to start to shake! If you feel like you're going a bit mental, read up on Dymphna, her life story may speak to you. | ||||
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It seems to me that if you ask most people in the tattoo industry, particularly women, they will tell you a big story about how difficult it was for them to break into the trade. Thankfully, it wasn't that way for me. In recognition of my dumb luck and good fortune of often managing to be in the right place at the right time, I chose to name Ganesha the Patron God of my tattoo studio. When sitting in the chair getting tattooed, your eye will detect many sculptures of Ganesha throughout the studio decor, most gifts from grateful clients. He promises abundance and indulgence, enthusiasm and enough. My kinda God. | ||||
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