Day 58

I've always said that my step dad influenced me strongly in art. He is a master with oil color. I LOVE his works. LOVE them. I just could never understand why he mostly copies other artists works. He reproduces them, to a "T". He was asked by the Smithsonian National Art Gallery to sit in the museum during open hours with his set up and reproduce whatever painting he'd like. I wanted so badly to see an original. I never thought less of his work, not for a second, and I appreciate his individual artistic process. But man, with all that talent, "show me something from your soul" is what part of me wanted to demand of him.

What I never got, was that he WAS showing me something from his soul. He was being himself. He was living life thru his painting and enjoying it. So why did I always want something more?

And this is important because I have been torturing myself a lot with thoughts of how I "SHOULD" be doing original designs for tattoo work. Many people expect this of me. And it pains me to do it. What brings me joy instead is the challenge of reproducing a piece of art or a photograph. (I haven't tried scenery yet... hmmm I should do that.)

When people bring me pictures of exactly what they want, I am thrilled to make it happen on their skin. It makes me feel like a Polariod Camera. haaaha that's funny. I mean cause, who doesn't love a Polariod? But for real. Now if they bring me something that doesn't thrill me, oh well it's still a challenge to reproduce and I dig it.

So, I'm a lot like him in that respect. Figuring out how to once and for all, brush off my care of anyone thinking I should be a different type of artist, would be pretty sweet.