From start to finish, a process of about two hours, my visit to GAH was a meld of surprise and…read moredelight.
Never having been tattooed prior, I had expected a dank and suspect back room of questionable dealings punctuated by a blend of potent spliffs and Satanic riffs. Imagine, then, my surprise when, upon opening the door, I entered the realm of SoHo cum Lillith Fair. "Parlour" as in "tattoo parlour" doesn't apply here; however, "parlour" as in "parlour house" does: The walls were decorated with a series of original pieces of art, reflecting the owner's desire to appeal to a feminine clientele and her own proclivities. Sateen couches, wood-panelled walls, and macrame creations are fastidiously arranged to conceal their spotlessly-clean tools of the trade.
And the music?! Sublime! Aida's sense of the musical colour wheel is as keen as her eye for body art. (Believe me, as this was my first time, I checked them all out--but good!) No one else I know plays William Prince, The Doors, Ray Lamontange, and ' Zepp all in the same set. Girl, I salute the musical you.
My art hostess for the morning was Marie. It seemed appropriate that my spitfire tattoo was being created by a living spitfire! Marie: very kind, very tough, very talented.
After a very warm greeting we went over the "house rules," about which I had only a couple of questions. We reviewed them while I took the cafe au lait Marie made for me. After that, we spent a half hour adding finishing touches to the potential design. All adjustments were made on Marie's iPad before the applique was printed and affixed to my back--very 21st Century.
The process began, and, with each pass of the artist's hand, Marie would express bleats of happiness with the piece and its progress. Both Aida and Chanelle, the owner of GAH, came over to admire and to offer suggestions. It became a spitfire-themed consultation and was most encouraging. Team work, indeed. Within an hour, my tribute to those who fought in the Battle of Britain was done. Pain, you ask? Not at all! None, whatsoever. It was like having someone gently scratch your back for 60 minutes.
The "post op" instructions were clearly laid out, all in simple terms. Perfect for a dullard like me.
I shall need to return in a few weeks, should the need arise, after I have lived with my new body art, to have any touchups and revisions done. It's all part of the price and the service.
If the Gypsies would like to post a picture of the piece, they are welcome.
Merci beaucoup, mes amis!
