The Art & Magic of the Tattoo

​Oh, what interesting paths I walk with my dolls.  This newest character, Atia (who was going to be female), is now going to be Atian (a male).  This doll has taken me down a path I had yet to explore.

​Atian (pronounced At-tee-an), is the Historian for the Village on the Wall.  His character requires him to be old and magical, giving him a longevity of life as he has lived in the same spot even before the Village.  He is a character that sees more than those that have lived it.  He understands the concepts of cause and effect and how history repeats itself for those that do not learn from the past.  He is The Master of Words and loves the power they create.

​​As such, he represents a challenge for me on how to render him old without making him look wizardly.  After all, he isn't that extremely old for being a Fae.

​​T​attooing then came to mind since it has a power all of it's own.  Now, I don't own a tattoo nor does a tattoo own me.  I needed the advice of an expert, so I called my son, Greg.  He is a tattoo artist in the Portland, Oregon area.

​I understand the tribal energy connected to this art and some of the tattoo designs are truly amazing.  To me, tattooing is a process where we want to express a piece of ourselves for others to see as well as draw upon that magical element by making it a part of us.

​In talking with Greg, he explained that in the beginning tattoo ink wasn't the traditional black and colors that we have now, but a bluish-black indigo ink.  As the tattoo faded with time it could change to a different shade of blue.  That is what made me decide that Atian needed his magical tattoo.

​Atian is part of the Fae that are tribal.  Part of the whole, but yet, on his own.  As I was exploring what type of tattoo to use on him I realized that also the Winter Solstice is just around the corner.  A time of coming out of the dark and into the light.  Keep that in mind as Atian's tattooing develops... and so the process begins.