Jeos First Tattoo

I got this as my first tattoo at Garrett's in Centereach, N.Y in August 2009, shortly after my 20th birthday. The cross has a little bit of a Celtic edge as I was going for a more Gothic design, and is wrapped within the flowering and budding roses, the banner contains the name Kaz, which was my mother's nickname, stepping away from the stereotypical "mom" tattoo and the common full-name spelled-out approach. While the four-year-old me might have protested, the fifteen-year-old me would have asked why I waited so long, and after finally getting inked can't say one bad thing about the experience. Upon reaching the shop I was a little nervous but 90% of the emotion was excitement. Nick, the newest artist in the shop greeted me and got right down to business; asking specifically what I wanted and the story behind the idea, before going to sketch my description from scratch. After showing me the original sketch we did a little brainstorming on how to put a personal edge on it, ensuring I was a part of the creative process before transferring the outline of the drawing to my arm. Once everything was sterilized and prepared, including my scrubbed arm, I stepped up to my chair where Nick gave me a first taste of the needle to see how I'd handle it. With a minor pinch followed by an inquiring voice, I agreed to continue what would be a two hour job. Despite what many people think, the experience was not bad at all, and I almost fell asleep in the chair listening to Nicks iPod over the shop speakers as he did every detail free hand with grace and artistic passion. Once we were done and my arm was wrapped like a deli-sandwich, I was good to go and quite satisfied with my first tattoo.

By Jonathan Neary