Ashlee is another of my Burning Man friends; we met at SOAK (the Oregon Burning Man regional) back in the Before Times and I'm super happy she chose me to help her with this very special tattoo project. She says, "I was always enchanted with the idea of a familiar; an animal confidant, if you will. Ironically enough, before Taz even existed, when I was a child I wished for a cat that I could name just that-- Taz. In 2011 she found me. A roommate at the time couldn’t take Taz on her next adventure in life and asked if I wanted to have her. I knew at that moment that the universe had brought Taz to me. She was four years old when she came into my life and now we’ve spent eleven amazing years together. Taz is fifteen this year and recently she was diagnosed with chronic kidney failure. "All pet owners know the special bond that we get gifted with our furry loved ones isn’t forever. I couldn’t imagine life without her and wanted to immortalize her in my life for the days to come that she can’t share with me. She’s been the one constant thing in my life that has always been playful, reliable, supportive, and healing over the last decade and some change, and this tattoo symbolizes that for me. We’ve seen each other change and grow in so many ways. I am super stoked about how Victoria has been able to capture this for me in such a beautiful way so I can carry Taz with me for years to come."
Here are some pictures of the drawing, stencil, very fresh outline, gray shading and final very fresh color stages.