It was a dark and stormy night...or was it a bright and sunny day? I woke up at the crack of mid-afternoon with a pounding in my head as well as my stomach. Not the sort of pounding I get after a "binge" but an unusual pounding like my soul was trying to escape my body. My eyes hurt. I felt like gnomes were behind them trying to extract them from my head. I do not get headaches usually so this was strange to me. I checked my machine and had the typical call ( are you alright? are you there? are you dead?). I'm not sure who it was but they sounded as if they were about in the same shape I was in. I looked out the window and my motorcycle was there so I guess I rode it home(Idiot). I really needed to clean myself up.
At A Glance Author Eric Nihilist Contact snowbuddah@hotmail.com Artist Erika Stanley Studio Art and Soul Location Los Angeles My arm had a scrape on it as did my elbow. My clothes looked a little dirty, but they always did. Phone rings. I screen. It's Tom telling me to pick up the phone. I do and he explains to me that everyone is pissed at me. "Well fuck them, they get drunk too. Peter and Alex have both tossed their cookies on my couch/floor and I didn't care. I mean so what if I got a bit loud or said a few things I shouldn't have. It has hapened to all of us" That's when Tom explained to me that yes, I did get loud and yes I did say mean things to people and then he mentioned the fact that I got in a fight with some guy at the bar. (no recollection) They pulled me off of him and then tried to drive me home. I got into the backseat and as they drove me down the street I proceeded to open the door and get out. This was at about 25 miles an hour. Tom said I rolled to a stop and then got up and was fine. I then said I needed a bathroom and went to use one at the bar. I guess instead of the bathroom I headed for my motorcycle and drove home?
So after this excursion, unfortunateley one of too many, I decided to get my back inked. I had two other tattoos but this one was to be special. It was my send off to the way of life (DRUNK)that I had known for the past ten years. No more waking up with strange women. No more waking up in strange houses, cars, sidewalks, fast food restraunts, bus stations, etc. I was now going to rid myself of my last demon...Alcohol. I needed to think about what to get. I had wanted to get something that was very symbolic of my experiences or the choice to clean myself up. I chose the Fu Dog. It was and is a statue of a guardian dog(usually in pairs)who guarded the palaces in China. I decided on it seen as though I couldn't find a tasmanian devil tattoo I liked. In any case, I came in with my idea to Art and Soul. Erika had done work on me before and is very talented and really works with you to make the piece the way you want it. She makes sure it is a piece of art that you will enjoy for a lifetime.
After the initial meeting, she sent me away and said to return in about a week and she would have something for me. I returned and the piece blew me away. It was amazing. It would definiteley cover my entire back. I then had to decide on color or not. I had never wanted to have any color but this tattoo wouldn't seem right if it was monochromatic. She gave me a few suggestions and said that I didn't have to decide right away. She informed me that the outline would probably take a few sessions to do. I was very eager to start so I asked her when she was available. Sha works 6 days a week and always is booked. I scheduled and came back.
Before we started she told me this first session we would go until I said stop or I needed a pain break. I then reminded her of the fact that my pain receptors are wired wrong. I don't feel pain the same way everyone else does. It can be a problem too. I have had broken bones for 6 months and not known it. So the first session lasted approximateley 91/2 hours! Erika had to stop because she had already been working for 6 hours prior to my appointment. Her hand was cramping and the outline was done! She said if she had my pain tolerance it would be dangerous and that she would probably have her entire body covered. So I left and came back in two weeks.
Over the two weeks I had time to decide which colors I wanted and I settled on green and purple. It looked the best on paper so let's see how it will go. Erika agreed that those colors would look good and gave me different shade choices. Once the colors were chosen she went to work. I had no idea how long the shading took. I was there for another 7 hours and then when I looked at my back I was like, that's it? I then realized, like life,anything that is worth doing well takes time. Patience is required on such big projects. Each time the work was done so well that I didn't scab up and there was very little work that needed to be gone over more than once. In all it took about thirty or so hours and when it was done it looked amazing. I still look at it and think it looks great every time. I am very proud of the work that was done and several people have asked where I had it done. So as for the sobriety thing...It will be one full year tommorrow(july 15th 2001) since my last drink and I do not believe I will ever drink again. Just because people said I couldn't do it...
Eric