A husband and wife traveled far to acquire a set of symbolic tattoos to celebrate their mutual 50th birthdays. The Celtic triquetra with a knotwork ring now graces the wife's hip, and it forms the center of the cross now installed on the husband's calf. The best sort of matching tattoos: each is unique, and stands alone, but they are obviously a set when seen together.
Matching triquetra ring tattoos by Pat Fish
Triquetra ring tattoo by Pat Fish
Triquetra ring cross tattoo by Pat Fish
The beauty of butterflies is unquestionably one of the inspirations for tribal tattoo design. This pattern captures the swooping lines of butterfly wings in a simple tribal graphic.
Tribal butterfly tattoo by Pat Fish
The Huld manuscript, dated to 1860 but sourced from earlier traditional oral sagas, says: "Carry this sign with you and you won’t get lost in storms or bad weather, even though in unfamiliar surrounds." A permanent compass to keep the wearer on track. No Viking adventurer should be without it! This client is a follower of the old ways, and now wears this most potent of symbols proudly on his chest.
Viking vegvisir tattoo by Pat Fish
This claddagh tattoo needed to include many custom elements at the request of a fireman eager to show his loyalty to his profession, his ethnic background, and his family. We started with a subtle Maltese cross as a shield in the background, the traditional symbol of firemen. Then we added the shamrock and Irish ring of the claddagh, to include the traditional symbols for luck, love, and loyalty. Then inside the shield we put his wife's name, and on the sides the names of their children, thus bringing together all the family in one tribute. Then we put it on his ribs, a challenging spot.
