Latest Ink

It's tattoo #54 for me. A memento mori piece and a running tattoo.

A memorial for author Ray Bradbury and for my running friend Angela Ivory. Both died recently, within the same week. Bradbury lived the full life of a famous author. Angela was famous in her own way, well known in the regional runners community, but cancer took her life early.

Bradbury's story "The Sound of Summer Running" was part of the novel DANDELION WINE; which was one of the first Bradbury novels I ever read. His books were a gateway to a lasting affinity for science fiction and fantasy for me. lol..I also remember (unsuccessfully) attempting to brew dandelion wine in a crock in the basement one summer. ;)

"Summer running" is also the connection to Angela. At the 24 hour race I did in earlier this month, Angela was remembered with the runners wearing ivory ribbons. It was also a timed event (which are my favorite sort of ultras), which holds with the hourglass symbolism. Life is a "timed event", but we just don't know when that last grain of sand will fall.

Had Laura at Blue Rose ink the design; I have a couple other pieces from her, and her father is also one of my ultra running friends. Got the design on my left calf. Took about 2.5 hours. I was a bit of a crybaby with this one; for one thing, getting certain spots poked made my muscles involuntarily twitch, and other parts of it just plain hurt! I may get a couple details touched up in a few weeks, but overall I'm happy with it; it was the right tattoo for the time.