Written in Ink: Shenlong Dragon

Piece: A Chinese Dragon

Location:Back Left Shoulder blade

What collection of tats would be complete without the requisite "dragon shot"?
Getting a "clear" picture of this bad boy was difficult, given its location on my back, and my lack of desire to pose for a picture, especially since my kids were the only ones home at the time. Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on whether your viewing this after just eating a meal), my wife took some goofy shots of me tearing down the fece in our backyard. Through a series of crops, rotations and enlargements, I was able to use the original pic (upper left corner) and come up with the image to the right.

I am pretty pleased with how well this tat has worn--it still looks pretty much as it did when I got it! I remember when I first elected to get this one, I thought it would be neat to get some sort of dragon (like in the Dragonball anime/manga), minus the "balls" in the claws, so I guess this particular piece was chosen becuase it was similiar in design to the dragon from that series. (But wait--Dragonball is Japanese anime and this is a Chinese dragon tattoo, right?)

So, while this not an "official" Dragonball image, per se, my acquisition of it was directly inspired by an affection for the anime and the story behind Shenlong, literally "god-dragon," character. It has been about seven years since watching the show carefully, but I think that what interested me initially in Shenlong was the idea that after collecting the seven dragon balls, he (she?) would grant a wish from the person in their possession. It is my understanding that the premise of Dragonball is in part based on the fable of the Monkeyking, so I looked at the fairy tale bent for a real world message--if you work to attain the pieces of the large puzzle of happiness you can attain your wish, or contentment.

Its also funny to relfect on the fact that this tattoo continues my streak of monochomratic ink--varying only wiht a red accent on the Haida style tribal pieces. I like the clear contrast the black creates on the skin... or at least I did!

Breathe in, breathe out... YOU AND I ARE LIVE!