Hello from Scotland

[EmmaB]

Hi everyone. Long time reader, etc. My name's Emma, I'm 35, I live on the east coast of Scotland. I'm married with two little girls. I have always loved tattoo art but only got my first tattoos last year; they're now one big tattoo that stretches from halfway down my upper arm to over my shoulder and to the base of my neck. They're European goldfinches and apple blossom, in a colour realism style.

I'm getting my third tattoo tomorrow at the Scottish Tattoo Convention - a piece that will probably take up all of my left inner forearm. I'm a sort of queasy mixture of nervous and excited. I have seen the design (a rework of a reference I provided) and it's beautiful. A forearm piece is obviously a lot more visible than what I have: it feels like a much bigger commitment, but the placement feels right to me. I don't think it would be an issue if I lived somewhere a bit more cosmopolitan - I flew over to Portland, Oregon for my best friend's wedding last year and it seemed like every man and his dog was sleeved up - but in my little town I don't know anyone else with visible tattoos apart from faded, blurry green pin-ups on much older men, and the odd butterfly on a shoulderblade or bit of old tribal that makes an appearance on a rare sunny day.

However! I am 35 years old, surely a proper grown up by now, and it's about time I stopped being so worried about what other people think. Though he himself has no tattoos my husband is enthusiastically supportive and that's all that matters, and for job interviews and family occasions and such there are always long sleeves.

Looking forward to getting to know you all.

[tammy]

welcome emma!

[Shaun1105]

Welcome to the forum! Looking forward to seeing your new tattoo.

[beez]

Hi everyone. Long time reader, etc. My name's Emma, I'm 35, I live on the east coast of Scotland. I'm married with two little girls. I have always loved tattoo art but only got my first tattoos last year; they're now one big tattoo that stretches from halfway down my upper arm to over my shoulder and to the base of my neck. They're European goldfinches and apple blossom, in a colour realism style.

I'm getting my third tattoo tomorrow at the Scottish Tattoo Convention - a piece that will probably take up all of my left inner forearm. I'm a sort of queasy mixture of nervous and excited. I have seen the design (a rework of a reference I provided) and it's beautiful. A forearm piece is obviously a lot more visible than what I have: it feels like a much bigger commitment, but the placement feels right to me. I don't think it would be an issue if I lived somewhere a bit more cosmopolitan - I flew over to Portland, Oregon for my best friend's wedding last year and it seemed like every man and his dog was sleeved up - but in my little town I don't know anyone else with visible tattoos apart from faded, blurry green pin-ups on much older men, and the odd butterfly on a shoulderblade or bit of old tribal that makes an appearance on a rare sunny day.

However! I am 35 years old, surely a proper grown up by now, and it's about time I stopped being so worried about what other people think. Though he himself has no tattoos my husband is enthusiastically supportive and that's all that matters, and for job interviews and family occasions and such there are always long sleeves.

Looking forward to getting to know you all.

Welcome, Emma! There's a thread around here, Post-tattoo blues anyone, that discusses that sort of "queasy mixture of nervous and excited" you referenced, only the post is obvs referencing the feelings that come after you get a tattoo, but I think it might still be interesting for you!

I live in Seattle where, like PDX, there are visible tattoos galore! I'm from Oklahoma, however, where tattooing has only been legal for a few years, so I can relate to that feeling of being the only one with visible tattoos every time I go back home! (to be fair, there are a lot more tattoos popping up now that it's legal in the state).

Who's doing your tattoo at the convention?

[Georgie1976]

It was funny to read your last paragraph as I am 36 and only started getting tattooed a couple of years ago for the same reason - worrying about other people opinions, especially a dad who does not like tattoos! :)

[Brock Varty]

Welcome Emma! Being a little older just means you have to get tattooed at a little faster pace to catch up!

[EmmaB]

Thanks for the welcome! Georgie, I have one of those dads too. Basically I've decided he just never needs to know. I only see him maybe twice a year tops so that's not as impractical as it sounds!

I will definitely check out that thread beez - I went through quite the emotional rollercoaster after my first tattoo. No regret, but definitely took me a little while to adjust, and I spent ridiculous amounts of time staring at myself in the bathroom mirror!

Who's doing your tattoo at the convention?

Joe Frost from Thou Art in the UK - dunno if you'll have heard of him, he hasn't been tattooing very long but he's so talented. I'm not sure what style you'd call his work. This is one of my favourite recent pieces of his from his instagram -hope this link works Photo by hellomynamesjoe • Instagram

[EmmaB]

hello! I've tried to do a longer reply but apparently I've "triggered an auto moderation filter" - might have been due to instagram link to the artist who is doing my tattoo tomorrow, so hopefully it'll pop up soon once they realise I'm no spambot.

[hogg]

I have now realized that you are not a spambot, just a new member. :) Your post has been approved, and I quite enjoyed the photo you linked to. Nice work, and welcome to LST!