Julia’s Druid Sleeve

I had my sacred animals tattoo done by Lizi over 2 days. Its built on 3 tattoos that I have had for many years of a lunahare, a moon sequence and a wolf in grey silhouette. These are of sacred significance to me as a practicing druid. They are all animals who are associated with the moon and with Druidry. I wanted to add a badger as my druid grove are building a badger altar. I also wanted to bring it to life with colour and some native flowers and fruits. I met with Lizi and we exchanged ideas and images. She completely understood the significance of these images and added her own unique artistry to the design.

The badger is borrowed from a pagan artist Wendy Andrews. I have her picture of the Welsh goddess Ceridwen tattooed on my back (by Luna Wilde at Ritual Art tattoo). Wendy is delighted that I used her artwork as inspiration for my tattoos. The whole piece took 2 days. Lizi was brilliant and made me feel totally at ease. As any tattoo enthusiast will appreciate, it is not only about the finished product but the process of being tattooed. It is an intense experience and like a rite of passage and a positive relationship with the artist is key. I am delighted with the finished piece and cannot thank Lizi enough for her support and inspiration throughout the process. I am already planning my next tattoo! Julia

I love to work with natural forms, especially animals in their natural surroundings. This took a while for me to construct on paper layering on top of the grey silhouette tattoos Julia had already. Sometimes it’s tougher to work on a project with existing tattoos, but it’s always a challenge! The two day sit is a tough one, and not for he faint hearted! Julia sat so amazingly well, she’s a tough cookie for sure! Pain management is always from the mindfulness and mindset of the client. I am a trained hypnotist, so can offer help with mindful pain relieve, but Julia and I discussed the pain and both agreed that it’s intrinsic to the experience and she touched it out. It’s challenging but always so empowering after the event if you get to maintain strength through th stat too process! As we were working on. A spiritual sleeve it made sense to endure the two days and boy did she sit well for me! My favourite bit isn’t the badger in his set. I love playing with scale and there’s a big ol strawberry outside for him to eat! I wanted to represent different seasons as I know this is an important part of a Druid’s life. I can’t wait to hear Julia’s next idea! Lizi