Today marks the culmination of 50 hours of tattooing to create this set of sleeves and now the chest piece. All based on Pictish key patterns and spirals, they represent the highest expression of my goal of bringing the ancient patterns to life in skin. Tribal? This is my kind of tribal.
Pictish Geometric Spiral Tattoos by Pat Fish
Here is a link to the previous blog post about this client's sleeves in the same style:
Recently a happily married couple came to have the pattern on their wedding rings made into permanent symbols of their devotion. His arm band matches her anklet, both replicating an ancient nautical knot that is a favorite used to form a decorative loop at the end of a lanyard. It is variously known as the double diamond, Carrick bend, and Josephine knot. In heraldry it is the Wake knot, and figures on the badges of many families.
Their rings were crafted by the esteemed jeweler Wilfy Mac Manus, of Mac Manus & Sons, who I recommend unhesitatingly for Celtic jewelry.
Recently a woman had an unusual request: a tattoo with a Celtic dragon and a phoenix, interacting in flames. To create the dragon I made an infinity symbol of Celtic knot lines, weaving in and out of the Tibetan flame, which forms the pyre for the rising phoenix above.
A writhing Celtic dragon climbs through a Tibetan flame, intent on snagging the immortal Phoenix, forever beyond his grasp.
Today I finished a body for this dragon begun a year ago. To give it a serpentine form that filled the front of his arm I made an abstract undulating shape, and added a small eel to create a thin line for an extra level of interest.
Here is a link to the previous session with just the head:
http://www.luckyfish.com/blog/viking-ryder-dragon-tattoo
