Loki... Bird Box Challenge

Lightened restrictions and a new interest in metal detecting in Denmark has resulted in many new finds in the last several years. Not only is this a great source of historical information it also provides inspiration for traditional craftsmen... woodworkers, embroiderers, silversmiths and even tattooists.

Nano gigantum humeris insidentes

However transcribing any designs into another medium requires a bit of knowledge regarding the craft. Although I really enjoy working with historical designs it is not a matter of just copying the images... it often requires that I change the design in order to make it suitable for a tattoo, while still trying to maintain the aestetics which make the piece recognizable for what it is. 

A lot of details of a three dimensional design cannot be seen when drawn on a flat surface due to foreshortening of the design and rounding of the surface. Similarily, many smaller details will not hold in the skin as they spread and fade over the years.

I try to break the image down into it's basic form using alot of negative space and strong graphics so that it will survive the test of time.

This Fibula/Brooch was found in Denmark last week depicting a bird's body with a human face. People began by calling it Odin, probably due to the All Knowing/Owl like face. However Owls were not always known as keepers of wisdom. In ancient times there were connected to the spiritual world and messengers of the dead. If I were to guess, I would say my preference is more toward Loki. The image could be one of Loki taken from the saga Þrymskviða where Loki steals/borrows Freya's falcon cloak Valshamr to turn himself into a bird. 

Loki is also depicted in other Viking artifacts as having horns as well

The Kirkby Stephen stone from the 8th Century depicting a horned Loki chained until the time of Ragnarok

 I contacted the Detectorist (Geoffrey De Visscher) responcible for the find about if he wanted it as a tattoo... however he said that he wasn't really a tattoo person. However I still really wanted to do this design, so I did up a drawing and offered a cut rate to the first person to receive it.

So within a week... Find to Flash to Finished Tattoo

(of course this was all done using tools and techniques which could have been used at the time)

We had to change the design abit from the original as most of the small patterns have been removed... leaving just a simple double negative border. The design was also done as a mirror image as in tattooing figures are usually placed facing forward... this had the added benifit of flowing better with the forearm, as the center of elbow is never in line with the center if the wrist. 

Thanks to May Britt for sacrificing her right arm for this tattoo

Under the Sea: Out of Step Books

Just wanted to thank Jinxi Caddel for including a few of my pieces in Out of Step Books new publication, "Under the Sea". I don't usually do too much Marine Life tattoos, unless you include Thor fishing for the Midgaards Serpent. Most of my Krakken designs were already used in Jinxi's first book, "Eight Legs of Inspiration" 

and a lot of my dragons in, "Slithers and Scales of Inspiration" 

so I had to dig into the archieves to find some worthy contenders.

While I am proud of my work being included amongst so many fine artists I think that what makes me even more proud is that my apprentice Just Sofie had some of her work included as well.

 Sofie had just started tattooing at the time that they were looking for submissions and due to her years sailing and diving in French Polynesia she was already directed toward marine life and Polynesian designs... but with only a handful of tattoos under her belt at the time the chances were slim. However I submitted a few of her better designs with my own just in case... and this is the result.

Enjoy!

 Under the Sea

Out of Step Books

ISBN: 978-0-9961870-7-7

Limited edition of 500... mine is number 481, so if you want one you better act fast!

(cover art by Pommie Paul)

Jinxi's own words on the book as well as the out reach projects Out of Step Books does to provide art supplies to schools... and part of the reason so many artists are willing to donate their time and work to these projects.

A few of my older marine life tattoos along side a piece by George Bardadim (again) :-)

 Herring tattoo by Just Sofie included in the book

 Sailfish drawing by Just Sofie included in the book

Sofie back at work drawing more marine life after her 7 month sailing and diving sabbatical in French Polynesia

Some of the progress in the last year... with much more to come

Blood Gods

A little collection of Blood God figures I've been working on the last while

Some are my interpretation of historical sources while others are of my own design. 

Either way, we are trying to tell a story and breath new life into the old symbols

Enjoy!

The Venus of Lespugue

Not my design... ;-) but based off of a Ivory figurine from the Paleolithic era

A Paleolithic Pinup

Tyr tattooed by hand on Tyr's Day, on an American client living in Saudi Arabia

And the Fenris Wolf bound on the other forearm the following day... looking forward to filling these next year

Rune text wrist band was done by Just Sofie at the beginning of the week and was a little scabbed up by then

This is a continuation of a Ragnarok project on Søren. Several years back we did Odin fighting the Fenris Wolf on his ribs and Hugin&Munin on his shoulder. Now it was time to add Thor battling the Midgaards Serpent on the rest of the leg. Søren is formerly in the military, so images of "The War to End All Wars" spoke to him

 Images of the Jelling Stone raised by Harold Blue Tooth with some freehand serpents as a space filler... tattooed by hand

An image of Brynhilde of my own design

Brynhilde was a shield maiden and valkyrie as well as the main character in the Völsunga saga and later in Wagner's opera, Der Ring des Nibelungen. Tattooed by hand on a kinsman born in the same region in Germany 

 Thor in his wagon pulled by his two goats Tannngrisnir&Tanngnjóstr do battle with the Midgaards Serpent... finally finished. Hope to get some healed photos at a later point

Cernunnos from the Gundestrup Caldron tattooed on a French Archaeologist using only hand tools

 

With some simple line figures between the lines of the serpent

Frost Giant also tattooed by hand

Slithers & Scales of Inspiration: The reptile book

Slithers & Scales of Inspiration:

The reptile book

ISBN: 978-0-9961870-6-0

Jinxi Caddal's series of inspirational art books from Out of Step Books has really come along way in the last few years. From the beginning with Eight Arms of Inspiration, a pet project on her love of cephalopods, titles now include, Antennae, Meows & Roars and two volume of Feathers. Jinxi has collected photos of artwork in the top artists in the tattoo community to inspire a future generation of artists. Not just in pictures only, as Out of Step Books donates a portion of all of their sales to buy art supplies to schools in need. Jinxi's latest book, Slithers and Scale of Inspiration is a collection of reptile artwork divided into 4 chapters covering tattoos, painting, drawings and other mediums.

I previously was give a 2 page "Artist Spotlight" in Jinxi's book Feathers of Inspiration which highlighted my work with Haida Indian designs and tools, and talked about the tattooing tradition from Canada's North West Coast

I talked to Jinxi about writing a short article for Slithers & Scales on Nordic Dragons which aren't actually Dragons, but were rather Orm or Serpents. Unfortunatly with hundreds of artists now sending work into Out of Step Books there was no room for text of any type in this issue :-) 

So in the words of Sailor Jerry, I'll have to... "let my work speak for itself"

Enjoy!

Rafal Wechterowicz's cover art for the book

Assorted Dragons/Serpents... 2 by hand, 2 with machine

I asked my apprentice Sofie if she could tell which was which... she nailed it!

At first I was thinking it was because I had trained her well... but now I'm thinking that there must be room for improvement ;-)

Thor "vs" The Midgaards Serpent

from the "Blood Gods" series

since this time we added Tyr & Fenris on the other arm

Series of some larger projects

... strangly a photo of the leg sleeve slipped past the editors which they show in the whole later in the book, but not surprising considering how many thousand photos are in the book.

Fills out the page nicely though :-)

 Thor's Hammer & Midgaards Serpent

On a Czech client over 2 and a half visits

 

 The Quadruple Dragon Leg Sleeve in full

This piece was placed alongside a Celtic half sleeve by George Bardadim

George is generally more known for his Japanese work, but his Celtic work always blew me away when I was just starting as a tattooist... really honoured.

And a few "Blood Gods" made it to the drawing chapter

"Thor's Fishing Tour" and "Vitruvian Thor"