COLLABORATION WITH: MEGHAN, DAN & ANDRA

Excited to share the latest tattoo story with you, one honoring an adored son. It was such a pleasure to work with Meghan. I'll let her tell you more:

My children are my world and the reason I feel so blessed in life. I have always been drawn to the story and meaning of tattoos and knew that I wanted to put my children's "stories" in ink. Seven years ago I took my toddler to draw her own name so that I could have it inked and forever a reminder of our story & bond with each other. With the birth of my son in 2011, I knew that I wanted to also get his name in a tattoo but I was determined to make it different. I wanted something unique, beautiful and personal. Calligraphy was the only way to go because of the simplicity yet flow & beauty of the writing. I searched for almost two years before I found Mara and instantly knew that this was the answer. To me the tattoo reminds me of the pure beauty of having a child - it's something that I will cherish for the rest of my life!

Thanks so much to Meghan, Dan of Tattoos by Danny, and Andra Edwards of Andmade Photography. (Also, how great is Meghan's jewelry?!)

COLLABORATION WITH: CLAIRE, (KEKE), STUART & ERROL

Whenever a client requests a tattoo, I leave it up to them to share the motivation behind it. Some do, some don't. I'm honored that many clients choose to share the life-changing stories that have inspired them to mark that moment in their lives on their body. These stories, in turn, inspire me (and hopefully you!). Claire's is the latest. It comes at a time when I've been thinking a lot about death, having had three friends lose loved ones in the last month. How remarkable to have the strength to salvage a marriage, and the grace to honor the person who believed so fervently that salvation.

My dear friend Keke showed me the true meaning of love, friendship, patience and compassion. In the midst of the breakdown of my 13 year marriage she spoke of restoration. She spoke of my marriage being bigger and better than it was before. I couldn't see it. She diligently prayed, believed and got excited for the prospect of my renewed marriage, while I questioned and doubted.

Cliff and I had gone away with our children - things were still a little strained, but starting to get better. It was at this time that out of the blue, I received a message that Keke had collapsed and was quickly diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumor. 

Despite her own situation, she continued to champion my marriage. She never stopped believing that it would be something great. 

Keke astounded the doctors with her generous spirit, and was passionate about praying for those who were battling cancer like herself. She put others before herself daily.

My last text message from her ended, "...arohanui, keeks xx". Sadly she passed away in November 2012.

Arohanui, is a maori sentiment of encouragement and strength. It means to be large, plentiful, abundant. In its basic form, Aroha means to feel love, concern, compassion, empathy. Nui expresses a state or condition rather than an activity.

Arohanui symbolises everything that Keke was as a person. It was a privilege to know her, and it is a daily reminder and encouragement in my restored marriage.

Thank you to Claire, tattoo artist Stuart Archibald at the Family Business in London,  and photographer Errol Bennet.

WORKSHOP WITH EMPRINT PRESS, PAPERFINGER & NEITHER SNOW

I am stupendously excited to announce this collaboration with my two of my very favorite friends: Emily Johnson of EmPrint Press and Bryn Chernoff of Paperfinger at my very favorite space in Portland, Yale Union. This is such a dream come true. By some miracle we all find ourselves in Portland, Oregon this month and so we have seized the moment to teach a two-part workshop on calligraphy and letterpress. On day one (Monday, September 23) you will find me and Bryn at the beautiful, chandelier-lit YU farm table where we'll be leading a workshop on contemporary, pointed-pen calligraphy. We'll play with styles, nibs, and inks. You'll walk away with some bit of text (your name, a saying) that you love that we'll turn into a letterpress plate. Day two (Saturday, September 28) we'll head down to Emily's magical printshop in the basement of YU where you'll get an introduction to the presses and then print your very own goodies (stationery, bookplates, etc.) from the work we created on Monday. Won't you please register and spread the word?  Can't wait to see you there!

COLLABORATION WITH: CATHY, RENE & GARY

Cathy's tattoo was a fun one. And what an delightful word to have inked! Of course any mention of joy reminds me of Ingrid.  Here's what Cathy has to say:

joyful: experiencing, causing, or showing joy
Sometimes we need a little reminder of the joy that surrounds us every day. I wanted my reminder to be tangible, visible and beautiful. It brings me joy each time I look at it.

Thank you to Cathy, Rene at Liquid Amber Tattoo (Vancouver, BC) and photographer Gary Bremmer. 

COLLABORATION WITH: MIKKEL, HITOMI & ALLAN

I've been looking forward to sharing Mikkel's tattoo story with you. I'm so impressed she took the plunge and worked with a non-English speaker to translate the artwork. It came out beautifully! I'll let her tell you all about it. 

The decision to get my second tattoo was somewhat spontaneous. A week before I was headed to Japan for a two-week vacation I had a dream I got a tattoo abroad. I woke up feeling the need to follow through on the vivid image I had: “explore” in script on my neck, just above my back, in a slight arch.

I set out to find the style I wanted on Pinterest. Having tagged Mara’s work before, I found myself linked to her site knowing she was exactly who I wanted to create the piece. It was a tall order to get the design done in just 5-7 days but I reached out to Mara, hoping it was possible. To my delight, it was. 

There are few art forms that emulate the sexy, sinuous, graceful lines of calligraphy. No one does it better than Mara and I truly gravitate towards her work. I wanted the word “explore” for several reasons. Firstly, traveling is so important to me - but the word “travel” doesn't evoke as much emotion for me as "explore" does. I say this one word and my heart swells. It encompasses travel, my wonder with the world, my desire to examine things (for better or worse) and to put myself out there. What better time to get it than on a memorable trip to Japan? Secondly, I love the word’s simplicity and the potential for design with the word’s "x" at its beginning and “e” at its end. I was excited to see how Mara’s hand and creative mind translated it into artwork.

I fell in love with it once she sent me a few. So much so I needed to upgrade it to a tattoo on my arm so I could always look at it! 

Getting a tattoo of an English word in a foreign country, whose alphabet is nothing like America’s, is a challenge but I was ready to face it! I did some research before I left and found Hyperspace Tattoo. Through the use of Google Translate (they spoke no English, and I don’t speak any Japanese) we were able to communicate and discuss my tattoo. The end result is beautiful. 

I cannot thank Mara enough for her willingness to work with me and for making the process enjoyable. It truly added to the wonderful memory I’ll forever carry with me surrounding the entire experience. 

 Thank you so much for sharing, Mikkel! And for Hitomi in Osaka and photographer Allan Zepeda(!). (Also, PS, Neither Snow's tattoos were featured on BuzzFeed recently.)

Two men in separate recording booths

My cousin-in-law sent me this link to the unaccompanied track of David Bowie and Freddy Mercury's "Under Pressure." You can read the entire remarkable story of how we came to be blessed with this song here.  There is so much to say about it but the one thing that strikes me is how little we hear about genius collaborations like this being difficult and gut-wrenching. And especially with two strong (understatement) personalities like these two.  I'm so glad they slogged through it. 

COLLABORATION WITH: DEB, JAMES & MIKE

Every once in a while the internet magically brings together kindred sprits, and such was the case with Deb​, the designer and visionary behind Cococello studio. I was so honored when Deb asked me to create her tattoo, and I've been surprised by how often the words she chose cross my mind. Here's more: 

Early 2010, my husband and I found ourselves both self-employed. It was scary. It was stressful. We made the most of it by sacrificing a lot of our favorite things and the luxuries we had once believed to be necessary. It was a humbling experience.

The year I was to turn 40, I decided I wanted to do more. I had no idea what "more" meant but as if the universe was listening, I was offered the opportunity to teach design as an Assistant Professor in the Multimedia Photography & Design department at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. Teaching. Seriously, never in a million years did I ever imagine.

"Be Bold" is a phrase I share with my students, my clients and during speaking engagements for independent creatives (mainly photographers). I encourage people to be bold, be awesome and be you. It's about allowing yourself to dream, overcome fears and give yourself permission to define what success means to you.

My tattoo is a reminder for me to do the same.

Thank you to Deb; to James at Halo Tattoo in Syracuse, NY; ​and to photographer Mike Davis. What words to live by.

COLLABORATION WITH: RYLEE & JOY

It is always such a pleasure to collaborate with Rylee Hitchner and Joy Thigpen, two of my very favorite ladies. For the latest little project–notebooks for workshop attendees– we did a variation on what we've done in the past, this time a black notebook with striking gold decals. Joy has a few workshops lined up for this summer and fall. I hope to  enroll myself one of these days. Thank you, you two!

{Photo courtesy of Rylee Hitchner Photography}​

COLLABORATION WITH: KARL, GEMMA & GINA

It was such an honor to be commissioned to create this tattoo for Karl. I'd worked with Karl and Gina of Kymera Studio on this branding campaign for Cantadora Communications. I love the work they create. Here's the story from Gina: 

In celebration of our 10th anniversary, my husband Karl decided to get a tattoo to commemorate the occasion. He decided on his beloved name for me, gina bella. Even though our love began 10 years ago, it has never been stronger. We absolutely love spending every moment together, which is good since we also work together! Our life is a wonderful adventure, and we look forward to celebrating many more anniversaries together - maybe we'll mark each decade with another tattoo!

Thank you to tattoo artist Gemma Pariente at Full Circle Tattoo in San Diego, and to Gina for the photos. 

A Visit to Fattoria San Martino

This weekend we had a pretty glorious visit to Umbria, my first. The very impossible thing about this country is just when you think you've discovered the most​ beautiful place, you suddenly find another. Such was the case with Orvieto, Todi and Montepulciano. We were invited to a memorable lunch at Fattoria San Martino where Karin and Antonio have created a paradise on earth. Karin lead a tour through her garden picking wild herbs (which we sadly missed) that she then used in an lunch that highlighted each delicate flavor. Karin is a designer and artist originally from Copenhagen and her impeccable eye for beauty shines through in everything she touches, from the food to the farmhouse decor. A lot of ink has been spilled on their collective gifts. If you have the chance to pay them a visit for an overnight stay or meal, you will never forget the experience. I promise.  What became clear from this weekend, after a revelatory meal at Antica Hosteria de la Valle in Todi, where the chef is from Scotland, is that the mix of a northern European precision and creativity infused with Italian spontaneity and informality is, for me, a perfect combination that I now actively seek out. So: if you know about any northern European doing awesome things in Italy, please email me. I definitely want to meet them.  Many thanks to Karin, Antonio, Helene and all at the Fattoria. We're already planning our return visit.