TATOO TALK THURSDAY: Ice-Cream Boi

It's been a while since I did a Tattoo Talk Thursday update and since I just got some fresh ink while I'm out and about on my mini-tour/mental health holiday, I'm just gonna share it with you guys now. I headed to DaVinci Tattoo in Stockholm (don't worry I'll link their info below) to get a tattoo that I've been thinking about for at least a year. It's rare that I hold onto an idea that long; usually I get the idea and rush to get it. (Holy fuck, I guess I did learn a few lessons.) I dunno why, but for some reason, it was imperative that I spent time working out the logistics of the tattoo, draft it and make it absolutely perfect.
I've been a fan of the Smashing Pumpkins since was a young teen, maybe even a bit earlier. As I grew older I came to love the melodies in new ways and related to the lyrics in both wonderful and distressing ways. I already have a tattoo for the popular song "Ava Adore" where I have a vial of mercury with funny like text floating around it that reads, 'Drinking mercury to the mystery to the mystery of all you should ever seek to find.' The lyric really spoke to me, because I've always been a seeker; seeker of excitement and truth. I love the visual concept I was able to create with the lyric and capture my love for the song. The same goes for my second Pumpkins tattoo, this one falls down my ribcage in a sad, macabresque style. The song 1979 hit me in so many different ways; the pain and tribulations of depression, the hopelessness that I've often felt in life and the obsessive thoughts I've had with death. The chorus is centred down the side of my left ribcage, allowing room for add-ons, but will be a focal piece as the words, 'And we don't know just where our bones will rest, to dust I guess,  forgotten & absorbed into the Earth below.' take centre stage. The reasons are little different for this latest Pumpkins piece. I've always loved the slow, rock, yet happy, cynical song 'Today'. It's resonated with me throughout the years. It's never failed to spark my interest. I connect to the story behind the song as well. I too have thought about suicide and have attempted it several times. I've never failed to be inspired by Billy's struggle and endurance that led him to create the soundtrack to the 90's. I wanted something to remind me that despite the pain, I can still find reasons to be creative and laugh. I wanted something to capture the humour, irony and seriousness depicted in the song-then it hit me. I've always loved the video, the ice-cream truck. I could combine that with the iconic lyric, "Today's the greatest day I've ever known" to create the perfect tattoo. And I did.

I got to the shop a little early, but that was no trouble at all. A tall, slender figure appeared before the door as I stood looking through my phone, waiting for the shop to open up; he kind of reminded me of a young, punkish DaVinci.  He held the door for me and I stepped into the smallest tattoo studio I'd ever been in. It's warmth and friendly atmosphere washed over me in an instant. 
Despite me being 15 minutes early, my artist already had my drawing ready to show me. He'd taken the sketch that I'd sent him and had been playing with fonts on his iPad pro and asked me what I thought of the various text layouts. I was told the second I saw the version he'd done with the text above and below the ice-cream truck. Perfection. Why didn't I think of that? It's simple, clean and artistic. Perfect balance too. I wanted to keep all the detail in the original drawing so I knew it would have to be rather large to do so. It as a bit larger than I wanted it to be and it wouldn't fit in the space that I'd planned to have it in, but I was happy to start filling up the back of my right thigh. He laid the stencil on me, leaving room for me to work around or even build onto the piece if I decided to later on. (Which I will. I've already got plans being drawn up to finish the backs of my thighs.)
They let me connect my iPad to their Apple TV so that I could listen to my music without headphones; the hospitality here was just something else. I've been tattooed in 9 countries and by far, the Swedish shops have been the most welcoming. (I'm getting tattooed in Norway soon, so we'll see) I hate not being able to watch the artist as he works. It's me giving over complete trust and not being able to see it until it's done. Sometimes getting a tattoo can raise my anxiety levels, even if I know the artist is good. We all can have off days and I don't want to be the person they have an off day with. 


I told the artist that he could choose the colours, do what he felt comfortable with, but I was really hoping that he'd go with the colour scheme of the video. Part of me wanted that and his own take on it. I know he'd watched the video; I'd seen the stills on his iPad from where he was drawing inspiration I suppose. He took his time with the outline, going over parts, wiping and ensuring that he'd gotten everything just right. He started with the black shading and moved into the grey. He worked silently and with complete concentration, occasionally humming at one of the songs.
Ha. That reminds me. When I first connected my iPad to the Apple TV play I told the guys that I have a wide variety of tastes and they just laughed; I was the one who was laughing after I'd played a Rammstein track and followed it with a Rhianna one. Punk DaVinci was like "Well that was a complete change!" The disbelief coated not only his voice but his face. My smirk radiated through me. It took him about two hours to do the outline and the black and grey shading. I stretched slowly and carefully on the body table as he poured out his colours. He did so wordlessly, not showing me what colours he was going with. I glanced back and saw the familiar pale powder blue of the ice-cream van from the video. Bingo. I think he might be the first mind reading tattoo artist I've come across. He starts the colour shading with the blue, working into the orange. He starts to speed up a bit as he hears other customers entering the shop. I guess he lost track of time; I know I did. He wipes the tattoo down two times before deciding that the colour is done and asks me to take a look before he wraps it. I'm in awe when I see the tattoo. It's perfect. He's captured the complete vibe of not only the video but the song as well. It's clean and detailed. He bandages it up while his co-worker welcomes the other appointment into the shop. He tells me that he doesn't need to give me a sheet or tell me how to take care of a new tattoo because I obviously do. (Goddamn, I love that when it happens in shops; I mean, I should know how to take care of them by now; It's been 9 years and I'm pretty well covered.)



Honestly, it was one of the best tattoo experiences that I've had in a long time. The guys in the shop are polite, funny and talented artists. It definitely wasn't my last trip to see the guys. Hopefully, I can return soon. If anyone is looking for a good, clean and friendly shop in or around Stockholm, DaVinci tattoo is the place to go. Great talent, great atmosphere.

CONTACT:
http://davincistudio.se/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Davincitattoo
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davincistudio/