Fatti Maschi Parole Femmine

jadephelle:

This is a tattoo design I made for my best friend as a symbolic reminder of her college years spent in Seattle. The snail represents her personal mantras of “slow and steady” and “carrying your house on your back”, while the salmonberry is a wildflower species native to the Pacific Northwest. She hasn’t gotten the ink job done yet, but I’m looking forward to how its all gonna turn out!

I often feel this internal dilemma over my style sometimes. For some reason, a part of me really wants to have ONE definable artistic style, but every time I think I’ve settled in on a signature style, I do a piece that completely breaks it. Prior to doing this painting, I drew figures with dark, heavy outlines and loose messy brush strokes. This piece, I approached in a very restrained manner. I think I must have done several sketches of it and traced the final piece from the roughs over a light-box ever so carefully. The problem in my head is that I adore BOTH approaches, and for some inexplicable reason I feel torn over it!