coyote blue

birds & bees & friends & flowers

kirsten — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 03:02:46 +0000

This month has been full, so far, of visitors and work and getting ripped with Lisa. Just kidding. We aren’t getting ripped but we’re going to be SO strong by April, guys, I’m serious. I’d show you a picture but no one wants to see me after cardio (worst tomatoface you’ll ever see, no lies).

Rob has been off on tour with his awesome band, The Shivas, for the last two weeks, but he’ll be home a week from today and I’m super stoked. In the meantime I’ve been tattooing my butt off, hosting a few sets of friends and friends of friends, plotting to get more done than I have, and doing my best to act like I’m sixteen and need no more than five hours of sleep a night. It’s going better than you might expect but, if your expectations are reasonable, that still isn’t very well. It’s my weekend now and time to play catch-up!

To catch up on blogging, let me show you what I’ve been up to!

I got to tattoo Chanin again and as always, she is just the most delightful person.

She made me this scarf, which is quickly becoming like a safety blanket for me (I CANNOT LEAVE THE HOUSE WITHOUT IT), and on the same day I received my copy of The End is Here, a book that has just been put out by Zach Nelligan and Ezra Haidet at Triple Crown Tattoo Parlour. They’ve released an amazing art book yearly for a few years (three?) running, and this one is no exception. I’m so stoked to own it.

I started this crow and pocket watch on Ashley, and I am SO excited to work on it again really soon!

Blaze visited from New York and got this teeny tiny little spoon. I loved doing it. Just look how cute it is!

Lisa came all the way from Austin to get her leaves finished, and visited with her friend Alison! Since we have a close mutual friend they stayed with me, and I had SUCH a blast getting to know these ladies better. Such lovely and fun houseguests to have. Y’all come back, now, ya hear!

I embellished Tianna’s lettering on her wrist and added a lovely sprig of lily of the valley – her birth flower – and a cute, fuzzy, fat little bumblebee. I had so much fun working on her and Lisa did a beautiful little tattoo on her friend at the same time! Such a fun project, and I’m really pleased with the results (though it’d be nice to get a less bloody picture of my bee friend).

I got to do a tattoo on Lisa! It’s an extra-fancy hot air balloon with a little tiny anchor and whoa, I can’t wait to work on this again.

You have to look at two photos of this tattoo because I’m so stoked about it. Alice, you are awesome.

I got this new tattoo from Betty Marie too! LOOK HOW PRETTY IT IS. I do not have a photo of my other new tattoo by the talented Jared Hunter of Anatomy Tattoo, but I will get one when it’s done looking gross because it’s healing and you don’t want to see a picture right now anyway.

Sneak peak:

Also, if you couldn’t tell, we have a new and totally amazing place to take photos of tattoos at Icon. It is totally amazing. Did I say it was amazing? It is.

Ow, Guys!

kirsten — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 00:03:33 +0000

Sometimes: I get tattooed too. Always: Betty has cute hairdos.

Sometimes I take all the pictures off my nice camera

kirsten — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 20:04:15 +0000

And then I show them all to you at one time.

This week has been incredibly rewarding and very tiring! I love the feeling of really having earned my weekend. I have a bunch of projects to show you today, and then I am going to show you some pictures I took at the beach a month ago!

I started this half sleeve of lilies on Brooke a few weeks ago. I really can’t wait to work on it again. Love tattoos with giant flowers!

My dear friend Nic came to visit me and get her sleeve worked on! Progress was made. Exploding planets, UFOs crashed into giant space crystals, the machine Maria from Metropolis as the master of the universe, and TINY ROCKET SHIPS. Wait. Let’s have a Father Ted moment: These rocket ships are small. THOSE rocket ships are far away. Moving along.

Courtney got her first tattoo, and what better sentiment for that?

Vanessa is awesome and always wants awesome tattoos. That’s really all you need to know, but I’ll go on to say I couldn’t be more excited to be doing this one in particular. I really wish we could work on it again tomorrow but it’ll have to wait a few weeks, as I only just did the linework on Friday.

I also got a better & healed photo of her anglerfish tattoo:

I’m so happy with how this guy healed. He was so fun to do! Poor guy will never catch that thing he is chasing.

Yesterday I started this giant coverup of old black stars on Justin. I’m SO pumped about this tattoo. The bird is inspired by a letterpress print and the flowers are all southern state flowers. I learned while drawing this tattoo that the giant bushes that took up my whole front yard as a kid were Carolina jasmine (the little flowers interspersed throughout). I love that about my job! I am so much better at identifying birds and flowers than I used to be. Justin has been such a breeze to work with and I’m really looking forward to our next session on this piece!

Kathryn’s birthday was yesterday and her delightful husband Michael surprised her with a tattoo. The rose is by none other than Melanie Nead, my tattoo dad, and she wanted a banner with this Tennessee Williams quote added and a pretty bird. It was so much fun to work on her (she sat like a champ!) and to chat with them both while I worked. They were also incredibly sweet about me running really behind.

A month ago, Rob and I celebrated our 2 year anniversary with five days at the coast! It was relaxing and the weather was pretty amazing for the Oregon coast in winter. We spent most of our time walking with the dog on the beach during the few daylight hours, drinking hot cocoa, and watching more movies and shows than anyone should in such a short period of time. It was GREAT.

Rob calls black and white photography “reverb for photographers” because everything looks good if you put it in black and white. I think this is pretty spot on, but also I love this picture of him and the silly dog.

I will make promises not to pick up every shell I see. I will break those promises.

Ruby’s personality is exactly like this.

We went to Cape Lookout.

The weather was amazing.

I stood on a huge log.

I will never get tired of jumping pictures. Ever.

Ruby was so tired and happy by this time. It was day 3 or 4 of long beach walks.

Beach walks.

Beach!

The last thing I took pictures of . Valar morghulis, tiny fish.

Friends & tattoos on me & by me

kirsten — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 03:27:50 +0000

I know I always say I’ve been busy, but guys, I’ve been busy.

This past weekend my dear friend Nic came to town and I’ll post photos of her tattoo we are working on soon but not yet. For now:

Before she came I met a lovely lovely lady who works for my father in Texas while she was on vacation in Portland, and got to tattoo her (I did pi, which is almost like pie, but mathier):

I worked on Candace’s PNW thigh piece again but the photos are horrible. You’ll have to deal with a little more uncertainty, friends. It was a delight and she took me on a Frank’s Noodle House date afterward. Speaking of Candace, SHE IS THE INTERNET’S HIVE MIND. By this I mean she started a bomb personal blog over at Woodgrain & Gold and it’s about the cutest thing ever. She also started an INCREDIBLE blog for Icon’s jewelry shop and general goings-on, which you must check out.

I got tattooed by the lovely Lisa Maurine, a persimmon and a cut persimmon and beautiful crystals because I love those things so why not have them all at once? You will notice a few things about these photos. 1. I have a beautiful new tattoo (will be color eventually). 2. This photo is bizarre because it looks like I only have 1 tattoo. 3. Yes, I am pretending to eat my new tattoo because I love to embarrass myself in public places by acting a fool. Check it:

Alena also gave me a tattoo which marks me forever as (this is a multiple choice question):
a. a nerd
b. a wizard
c. both a & b
d. neither a nor b
Here is your photographic evidence. Select an answer carefully.

(the correct answer is clearly b.)

I also worked on Alena’s Game of Thrones tattoo again but the pictures are still horrible and it stresses me out so I’m holding out on you. I did get to tattoo her fingers with the same Twin Peaks stuff Melanie did on me a few weeks ago:

A few weeks ago, my friend Alice let me tattoo her and it was such an honor and a blast. I am so excited to finish this piece. The photo is from her Flickr, which is why it is so much nicer than the photos you usually get (you see, Alice is actually good at photography! What a nice change for you all):

Anyway I’m sure I’ve missed some things, but this is all you’re getting for now.

Oh, also, I just had a snack of plain yogurt with maple syrup, jam Rob’s mom made, almonds, and a little teeny bit of salt. EAT THAT. Or don’t. That’s fine too.

Also also, the night before last I made a cocktail out of whiskey, orange liqueur, fresh muddled tangelo & lemon & bitters & fresh grated ginger, dash maple syrup, dash soda, shaken, ice, lemon slice garnish, go. Good evening to you all.

Dad always knows best.

kirsten — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 02:39:49 +0000

I’ve been busy lately! I always say that. I think, as my boss/tattoo teacher/tattoo dad Melanie Nead once told me of herself, “I think I’m just a busy person.” Better than bored.

Speaking of people and their awesome dads, here is the finished product of Pat’s tribute tattoo to her dad. I am really excited to have been able to do it, but I am consistently bummed I didn’t get to meet him myself. He sounds like an awesome guy. Somehow Pat’s sister Becky escaped without being photographed for the blog (probably my camera was dead. Bummer), but they got both got these tattoos together. It was really fun and they are amazing, and Pat brought us 3lbs of gummy bears. Holy gummies!

I got to start a big Pacific Northwest thigh piece on our awesome Friday counter girl & my friend, Candace. I’m really excited about this tattoo, and I can’t wait to work on it again really really soon! Pictured are Oregon & Washington state outlines, state birds & flowers from each state, Mt. St. Helens, Vista House, and native Pacific dogwood flowers all around. Lisa Maurine is pictured being really cute in the background to the left!

I started this coverup on Sam. Obviously it’s really in-progress, but I’m excited to finish it up!

I did this Portland tribute on Wesley, and I want to do more things like this! I’m so in love with doing traditional, I love the muted color scheme, and I adore the quote and banners. He sat like a champ and I am so glad we got it done in one go!

I feel so honored to have been asked to tattoo my very own tattoo Dad! I love doing script and I love Christmas and I love even more how much Melanie loves Christmas. This was so fun. DAD, YOU ARE THE BEST.

I reorganized my drawers, got new ink, and am totally stocked up! I love that feeling!

Oh, also, I made this recipe for Irish cream for Rob’s family for Christmas, taken from the Serious Eats website:

If you want to experiment with flavors, omit the vanilla and almond extracts and honey to start with a simpler base. Then add your own flavors to taste. For a darker, less-sweet version, substitute melted dark chocolate for the cocoa and 1 tablespoon brewed espresso for the espresso powder. To sweeten it up, use 1 tablespoon melted bittersweet chocolate in place of the cocoa. For a thicker and richer drink, add four eggs before blending, then serve the same day for best flavor.

Notes:

Refrigerate and shake before each use. This will keep for about 2 months.
You can substitute instant espresso or make your own espresso powder by brewing espresso and drying then crushing the grounds.

Special equipment: Blender

Ingredients

serves About 4 cups, active time 10 minutes, total time 2 hours and 10 minutes

1 1/4 cups Irish whiskey
1 tablespoon espresso powder (see notes)
14 ounces (1 can) condensed sweetened milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon real vanilla extract
1 teaspoon real almond extract
2 tablespoons honey

Procedures

Blend all ingredients together in a blender.
Transfer mixture into a glass jar or bottle and seal. Refrigerate for 2 hours. Shake before serving.

Here is a cute picture of the Irish cream and the yarn bows I made to go with. I am so into using yarn to wrap gifts. Also, this stuff tastes amazing, even if the ingredients are not the kinds of things I normally use ever.

Lots to show!

kirsten — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 06:50:23 +0000

It’s been a busy week at Icon, and I should definitely have more to show you than I do – my camera needs to be charged, so everything I have to share either came from my photo-saving coworker Betty or are low-quality iPhone and iPad photos. Be that as it may, I have some really exciting new stuff to show you!

I did these cute scissors on yet another Kirsten (the third I’ve met in Portland! All so nice!). I love these and I love her blog project from the past year, Dollar Dress Friday. The tattoo was her way of marking the project’s culmination, and I was so stoked to do it; you may or may not know I love sewing, but I do (I have 3 sewing tattoos myself!). Funnily, so far all the Kirstens have been getting tattoos that feel would eerily spot-on for me, too. How about that.

I also got to work on this super fun project. It’s on Michelle, the only other recipient of a tattoo of sewing shears from yours truly! Michelle is also my middle name, adding to some name coincidences in my life lately. This is her new tattoo, a compass with a cute pink pencil incorporating flourish from a big gold candleholder in her childhood home. The line from the pencil loops around and integrates with an extant tattoo by someone else of a heart-shaped button, and threads (ha-ha, “threads,” get it?) through into a needle on her inner forearm. It’s a little confusing to photograph but it looks so cute in real life, and Michelle is SO fun to work with. I’m really proud of this piece, and excited to get to do some black and grey!

This weird fish is an anglerfish. She now lives on my dear friend Vanessa’s inner arm, and boy, does she ever need some braces. Vanessa has a bunch of sea life tattoos from me, but this guy is kind of a creature unto herself! Not only do they look super weird, but anglerfish have some pretty strange mating habits, as we discovered while looking through reference photos. The males are far smaller than the females, and only the females have those funny little lanterns. That is not the strange thing about their mating habits. You have to go read that somewhere else because it’s kind of gross and amazing. Vanessa and I both like how they always look confused, and she pointed out that the lantern makes it look like the fish is constantly chasing a carrot on a string. Such a weird animal and so fun to tattoo – totally unlike any other creature! Well, except maybe other crazy disfigured cave- & deep-sea-gremlins. Sorry for the crappy photo quality, but I really had to share. When I look at it, I can’t stop making funny noises in my head that I imagine such a weird gnashy-looking mouth would make.

Today I covered up an old Chinese character on Megan’s neck with some lovely autumn leaves. She wanted something that reminded her of playing in the fall leaf piles with her brothers as a kid, and I love that idea! Especially since Texas has mostly pathetic autumn leaves (it has other strengths, okay?). It was so fun to work with her and hear about her awesome writing job! I really enjoyed this tattoo.

This little rose tattoo is inspired by some imagery from beautiful vintage cardstock. I did this on Nikee, and it looks like we might be doing some trade in the future! She was such a delight to tattoo and I love how these roses, if not the picture, came out. The pink is actually quite vibrant, but who’d know from the photo? Oh well – healed pictures later, I hope!

I’ll be back in a few days with a sneak peek of a big Pacific-Northwest-themed thigh piece on Icon’s lovely shopgirl and my friend, Candace! Unless I posted it already and forgot, which is actually totally possible, but I don’t think it’s the case. We also did a Friday the 13th flash day this past week, which I only half-assedly participated in (I already had appointments that day, and squeezed some in whenever I could to help out, but didn’t get a chance to do any flash myself), but it was a super fun albeit crazy day. I ended it by tattooing some really cute tiny arrows from a vintage Eames print on my extra-awesome cousin (and fellow Icon employee) Kari. And that, my friends, was also awesome. Because EVERYTHING IS AWESOME AND BEAUTIFUL (I think I just said both of those words about 14 times each in this blog post).

I do want to tell you all that myself and the ladies at the shop are plotting a Twin Peaks flash day soon. Really soon. I’ll keep you posted because I bet some of you are almost as excited as we are!

New projects for the new year.

kirsten — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 20:56:30 +0000

I have more to show you than just this, but I couldn’t wait to put it up. I’m so excited about this project! Angela wanted a big, beautiful peacock tattoo on her arm. I am really stoked to work on it again. Check it out:

I’ve been busy the last week or so, but that’s all I’m showing off for now. Other than tattooing I’ve been knitting, hanging out with my guy on New Year’s Day, seeing movies, watching soccer (Everton! Who wants an Everton crest? I’ll cut you a sweet deal), and of course eating black-eyed peas for luck on the first day of the year as well. I didn’t know until I moved up here that, apparently, that’s a southern tradition only. Don’t worry, I got some collards in too.

On the work front, I’ve got a painting date with Alice next week and lots of fun things lined up – today I’m doing a big Pacific Northwest love tattoo on one of our lovely shop-girls, Candace! Yesterday I started a big coverup, of which I will post photos in a few days.

Hope the start of your 2012 has been as good as mine. See you soon!

The blog’s been silent but life’s been a madhouse!

kirsten — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 03:05:35 +0000

Oh boy, has it ever been a long time since I wrote anything here. It’s been a whirlwind fall and winter so far, with lots of traveling, tattooing, family visits, and holidays. I am so ready for the holidays to conclude and real life to resume. You know how after awhile you just want your regular life and normal schedule to return? I’m right there.

Complaining aside, it’s been a great time. I’ve gotten a lot done, had a lot of fun, and taken about a million photos.

I went to Ireland with my sweetheart, who is from Dublin, so I got to see where he grew up. It was also the first time we’ve been on a proper vacation together, and let me tell you, it was the best.

Before I left again for Texas, I did a trade with the sweetest lady every, Ms. Channin. She knit me a sweater and I did a tattoo based on traditional Swedish folk art on her arm. She’s such a doll and it was SUCH a pleasure.

As I mentioned before, I then left for Texas for nearly two weeks. I saw friends, family, my cousin Katy’s wedding, my dad’s ranch for the first time in a year, and attended Christmas cookie decorating day at my mom’s house for the first time since I moved up to the Northwest. It was a blast. I also had the incredible fortune to be allowed to tattoo at Triple Crown Tattoo Parlour in East Austin. Scott Ellis has been tattooing me since I was 19, so it really felt pretty crazy to be tattooing at his shop! It was great. I did some exciting tattoos while I was there:

Started these lovely autumn leaves on Lisa!

I got to do this text on one of my favorite college professors!

My cousin Casey got her sweet dog Jack's name on her chest.

The beginnings of what will be a sleeve on my dear friend Nic!

Did this super fun traditional skin rip tiger on my friend Leda Celeste. LOVE IT.

I’ve been working hard since I got back, and I had a fantastic Christmas in the beautiful Columbia River Gorge with my sweetheart’s family. I hope you all had a lovely holiday season and please, ring in the new year with merriment and good company. I started some fun things this week, but I’ll save that for another post – no more 2 month blog hiatuses in 2012. There’s a resolution for ya!

“When you’re finished changing, you’re finished.”

kirsten — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 02:21:37 +0000

My dad recently quoted the above Benjamin Franklin to me. I’ve been doing a lot of tattoos and other things recently that step outside my usual comfort zones, and it seemed awfully topical.

Brian and his sister got matching black and grey ferns from myself and Betty Marie. I love to do black and grey but do more color (and love that, too), so it was fun to work like this for a change.

Apologies as usual for the godawful iPhone photo. It looks so good on the phone and so bad on the blog. I finished Scott’s gritty anatomical rib piece on Wednesday. Scott is so awesome and so fun to work with!

I covered some old punk tattoos on Alena the other day. Crystal flowers!!!! I love doing crystal flowers! Wow, this was fun. Alena is the most fun ever.

Teigen got a lovely compass rose. This one was so fun to draw and to do! I love doing compass roses. Come get some more, Portland!

I started this Harry Potter themed chestpiece on Kim. I’m really excited about it; the magical smoke will be grey and purple, and we’re doing some awesome stippling in the magical bursts off the wands. Also pictured: golden snitch, elder wand, Harry’s wand, Deathly Hallows, Ravenclaw motto. Guys. I love Harry Potter tattoos. I can’t wait to work on this again!

And I finally was able to finish Faye’s dancer. I love this tattoo and this lady! It was so wonderful to finish it, and I’m SO pleased with how the blue skeleton came out.

I’ve also been eating a little meat in the leadup to going to Ireland for a lot of reasons, and the other day I roasted a chicken. It made feel kind of sad because I am a hippie. I probably won’t continue with it once we get back, but it’s definitely a necessity for the trip. I stuffed it with thyme and garlic and rubbed it down with olive oil and salt and fresh pepper, and then roasted it with onions and potatoes. My fellow says it was good, which is excellent because I have nothing but 12 years of vegetarianism and some foggy memories of chicken fajitas upon which to base the result.

I also made this risotto from Serious Eats’ Food Lab a week or so ago. I highly recommend it. I made some edits so I’ll post my version below, even though probably it was more sticky and less saucy than the author suggests. It tasted totally great so I’m unrepentant.

Mushroom Tomato Risotto:

1 1/2 cups (about 13.5 ounces) risotto-style rice (see note)
1 quart Imagine brand “no chicken” broth (it’s just a mild vegetable stock)
1 cup diced italian tomatoes from a can, with juice
2 tablespoons butter (plus more for finishing if desired)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 medium cloves garlic, grated on a microplane grater (about 2 teaspoons)
1/2 a small onion, small dice
about 1c total fresh mushrooms (I used chanterelles that I had the good fortune to forage myself with my friend Lisa! but something else is fine. Maybe crimini? Whatever you want!), chopped
about 1/2c milk or more to taste
3 ounces finely grated parmesan
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Chopped herbs or other garnishes, as desired

PROCEDURES

Combine rice, stock, and tomatoes in a large bowl. Agitate rice with fingers or a whisk to release starch. Strain through a fine mesh strainer set in a 2-quart liquid cup measure or other large bowl. Allow to drain five minutes, stirring rice occasionally.
Heat butter and oil in a heavy 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat until foaming subsides. Add rice and cook, stirring and tossing frequently until all liquid is evaporated, fat is bubbling, and rice has begun to take on a golden blond color and nutty aroma, about 5 minutes. Add garlic,onion, and mushrooms and continue to cook, stirring frequently until aromatic, about 1 minute. Give reserved broth a good stir and pour all but one cup over the rice. Increase heat to high and heat until simmering. Stir rice once, cover, and reduce heat to lowest possible setting.
Cook rice for ten minutes undisturbed. Stir once, shake pan gently to redistribute rice, cover, and continue cooking until liquid is mostly absorbed and rice is tender with just a faint bite, about 10 minutes longer.
Remove lid and add final cup of liquid. Increase heat to high and cook, stirring and shaking rice constantly until thick and creamy. Off heat, fold in milk and cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper and stir in herbs as desired. Serve immediately on hot plates.

Yum!

Belatedly: I’ve been up to a lot of things!

kirsten — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 02:05:59 +0000

Hi friends. It’s been a busy couple of weeks settling into fall! I’ve been tattooing a lot, doing fun fall activities with friends, eating my weight in winter squash, and even got tattooed myself. Good times!

I got tattooed by the amazing Silje Røe Hagland a few weeks ago. She did a snowflake matryoshka doll on my forearm to match my snowflake hand tattoo! I’m so happy about it! I borrowed the photo from her. I can’t take pictures of my own arm like that.

My lovely client/friend Scott asked me for a gritty, sketchy, black and grey anatomical tattoo. This has been a real stretch from my usual tattooing style, and so much fun. I’m happy with how it’s coming out and it’s interesting to work in a way that is so different from my usual!

I did matching space knitting tattoos for Chanin and Erin! They were SO delightful and I wish I got to tattoo space crafts EVERY SINGLE DAY. Ladies, you can tell people you have a tattoo of a spacecraft! So funny. Or maybe only funny to me. Anyway, oh my goodness was this ever a fun tattoo. Also, I’ve belatedly realized I misspelled Chanin’s name in the photocrop. I’m so sorry, lady!

I had the privilege of tattooing a traditional eagle on my friend Tashina, who was featured in my last update too! This eagle is definitely among my favorite tattoos I’ve done to date, and good thing, because this lady is also one of my favorite people! She tipped me in shoes (she works at Buffalo Exchange), which is pretty much the most awesome thing ever, because it’s what I usually WANT to spend all my money on whether I should or not. Check these babies out:

Yeah the 90s are back. Deal with it.

I also went chanterelle hunting with my friend Lisa Maurine. We found a pretty good number of them, and then went back to my place and made delicious dinner and hung out with my gentleman friend and stoked a fire in the fireplace. Whoa guys, fall is really fun. (Photo credits to Lisa!)

Painting with pretty ladies in my living room. (Photo by Alena!)

FALL IS MY FAVORITE SEASON.