Gala's Arm
[ 18 July 2008 ]
Fun with ink. Pictures from yesterday, as promised!
The backstory: I got a half-sleeve with siamese twins & candy done in New Zealand a few years ago. I wasn’t entirely thrilled with it at the time, & when a couple of years later Tim Kern did my other half-sleeve, I realised the massive discrepancy in quality between the two. Since I got to NYC he & I have been talking about fixing up the twins & making the whole thing look better. Yesterday was the day we started.
Gilda came by when we were almost done for the day, dazzled us with her sequinned harem pants & cute sailor hat, & took these photos for me!
How my arm looked, six & a half hours later. I am still really swollen (as you can see from the pictures). We really only had time to re-work the girls — when I come back to NYC, we’ll do the rest of it (brighten the colours, give it some depth, make the candy bigger & better). Can’t wait!
I was so happy that Tim was able to fix the eye of the twin on the front, because I was always unhappy with it & thought it would look terrible for the rest of my life! GLEE!
Here is a video for your viewing pleasure! This was pretty much the extent of my day — sitting around, talking about music & taking breaks to eat Tings & drink strawberry Kombucha!
Thanks to Gilda for her marrrrvellous camera work!
Super-love & cupcakes,
Gala 
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eee! damn good i say. the shading! the colours!
Beautiful. Very creative. Loving all the colors.
Are those Siamese twins?
Carolina — Yes ma’am!
Wow Gala, that’s looking beautiful! If you have time in the near future you should tell us the story of the cover-up & the old tat! I’d love to hear about some of the symbolism behind your ink.
Annah — There is no symbolism! Well, at least, there wasn’t when I got it. Same goes for the swanboat, actually, I just got them because I liked the idea of it. I have realisations pretty regularly about what I have & why I got it in the first place, & that evolves & changes as my life does. It’s not the sort of thing that I can explain to anyone else, though ;>
I’d love to to see a before picture as well!
Totally random, but the fact that you drink Kombucha just made my day.
Ooh does it hurt? I really want an ankle tatoo but i’m worried it will cause me soooo much pain! Tell the truth… you looked so calm in the video!
p.s. give us a picture of before, if you have one! and i would love to see the Swan, too.
Beautiful! I was also wondering if there were any ‘before’ pictures, since as far as I can recall you’ve never really posted a full-on close-up before!
p.s. It almost looks like you and Nubby ;)
Laura — There are about a billion ;D Try flickr.com/photos/galadarling/... flickr.com/photos/galadarling/... flickr.com/photos/galadarling/... !
Erinn — Haha. It’s yummy!
annika — I don’t think tattoos hurt. There are a couple of spots which are sensitive (armpit) which aren’t so much fun, but it’s very tolerable. The thing is, everyone has a different pain tolerance, so for you it might be excruciating… or it could be a walk in the park. You’ll never know unless you try!
Spaceboo — I don’t have any close-ups, really. But check out those links above. & maybe it’s a marriage tattoo… in DISGUISE! Haha. (It isn’t!)
OH new tattoo excitement!
I love the zen feeling that you described, my tattoo experiences taught me to “be with” the sensation. If I tried to ignore it, I get all agitated. And when you fear the pain, it’s a negative sensation of pain. And the euphoria is amazing, shows what you’re own body can produce all by itself! Well, with a little mechanical stimulation!
Congratulations on your zooped-up twins!!
Mwah!
Looks great! My tattoo needs some re-working too – it’s lacking the colour and depth that I really wanted it to have. Was it done at Tribulation Tattoo?
Wow!! Such depth!! Nice sparkly ‘kini ;)
I’m about to start on fifth tattoo, a quarter sleeve (I’m not as hard core as you heh) and I’m so excited to start it!
The girls look gorgeous! Erhm, your tattoo girls, but their girls and yours look fabu as well I’m sure :)
Nic — It’s quite amazing, huh? For a relatively long period of time I just sat there, my mind totally empty. No thoughts of ‘ow’ or ‘I wonder how it looks’ or anything like that. Just… nothing. Very peaceful :>
Lesley Denford — Yup, by Tim Kern. My personal hero, haha.
Joanne — They’re the “shimmering ta-tas” I spoke of recently! ;D
Freya — Thanks very much!
oh, gala, that looks amazing! such an improvement. i want a new tattoo, my finch needs company.
xxx
Ooh! I love it.
The twins look much more intense now. (:
SO AMAZING! I have always had a thing for pirates! It looks breathtaking!
In all honesty, I’ve never been crazy about sleeves on girls. Your tattoos are a big exception though. They’re stunning, and they look even better now.
wow! it looks so much more “alive” now!
They look great! Lovely colouring (especially the white ink!). I know exactly what you mean about not having a whole symbolic back-story for them, yet still knowing the deeper (and ever-changing) meaning behind why you got them. I feel the same way about mine! Sometimes when people ask, I just say “I dunno, but they’re pretty, don’t you think?”.
Oh, I love them! I want to get one on the small of my back once I’m no longer under my parents’ roof. Or one on my toe that looks like a toe ring. I guess I have some time to decide, though.
Wow the change is massive, mega love!
I can’t wait until I’m old enough to get a tattoo, I’m getting three stars in three different colours on the bit between my thumb and my wrist.
Anyway, back to you, the tattoos do look much better, much more 3D.
Thats is amazing, beautiful, wonderful and awesome. I had my side done on the 3rd (my b-day!). It tickled at first, then I thought I was going to fall asleep, then after he had started the second stage (he had to do everything in 3 stages, and go over the entire thing 3 times) I realized I was in the most excruciating pain of my life!!!!!!!!!! I love my new tattoo, but I will never do my side again!
But like I said, yours looks just amazing!
Yay tattoos! The new work looks great :D I’ll be getting my 5th tattoo next month and then will begin planning my upper half sleeves.
your bra/bikini top is amazing! where did you get it? :) B x
great work!
my back hurt so bad (i have a backpiece that fills up from my butt to my bra strap… but seeing yours makes me want another… lol..
The purple is amazing, and pretty much the perfect shade of purple ever.
Omg I LOVE them, the colours are so amazing.
I’d love to get a tatoo but I have to wait until I know for sure for sure, exactly what I want because I’ve changed my mind before…
Side note. TUNAGE! what remix is that?!
They look fantastic, Gala! & only someone as sensational as you could pull it off.
My bad, found out it’s by girl talk (from your flickr):)
Amazing Gala! I recently got a tattoo done. It is a cupcake with sugar clouds and candy. Here is the link if you want to check it out….
www.flickr.com/photos/28196439
Love the tattoo Gala! I have something to send you…where should I send it?
WOW!!!!
I love what he Tim has done. He’s added so much depth and character to it. The furry hats are awesome. Reminds me of Where the Wild Things Are. Well done Tim!
I went to a conference recently and spent every available non-conference related moment with my eyes glued to Discovery Travel and Living channel. I was watching Miami Ink (I love Ami), LA Ink and London Ink. Have you seen them? The back stories behind why people get tattooed are amazing.
I don’t have pay TV… Can you tell?
I can tell it looks a lot better. Way more detail. Congrats!
BIG difference! I like what he did with the twins. Quality work :]
My gosh those are beautiful…
I want to get a tattoo… and I know what I want it to be of… but where can I get it that won’t get me fired from a corporate job?
Also, how can I make really sure I’m not sick of the design before I get it inked? (I tried the putting it on my headboard thing, but I rarely looked at it… gah.)
Wow! Tim is incredible! It was adorable before, but this is just out of the world! I love his shading, and the colours look so rich and deep! What a big difference!
In a couple months, I loved to get my crown fixed up again. I think I’ll be taking a drive down to see Tim! :D
That looks INCREDIBLE! You can definitely tell there’s an improvement in quality. Tim Kern must be amazing! Just – wow!
it looks so good! I love how bright the colors are…
could you please someday talk about how you got your tattoos done? I have been thinking about getting my own for a little while and I’m kind of not sure where to start when I’m sure…
Bianca — It’s from Patricia Field! I love it so much!
Natalie — He is soooo good with colour it hurts. Literally. Haha.
Stephy — I’m leaving NY in 10 days so my post box in Wellington is the best address! [redacted]! Mwaaaah!
Denya — I’ve never seen any of those shows… I don’t have a TV in my apartment! Haha.
Marie — Anywhere where clothes normally cover you?! There are lots of places that are “work-safe”. If the headboard thing doesn’t work for you, maybe try setting the design as the background on your phone or computer. You’ll see it a lot that way!
Retro.Bunny — He’s the shiiiiit. As he was working on me, I was like, “Okay! I get it! I promise I’ll never go anywhere else again!” :D
Meg — Ta-da! galadarling.com/article/how-to-get-a-great-tattoo
You guys should all link us some pics of your tattoos, they sound amazing!! :)
Lovely work, Gala. :D
Lovely!
I get my first tattoo on the 23rd! I’m really excited and terrified! Ahhhhhh, I am just dying of anticipation, I’ve wanted tattoos since I was so young, and now after years of dreaming, I’m almost there!
That’s looking amazing! I hope the final product is everything you want it to be :) I can’t wait to get tattooed again, I just can’t get the design right!!
First off, amazing ink! Your tattoos are so bright and popping, they make me really wiggly! It’s not at all surprising, given Tim’s excellence, which leads to my question..
I’ve been trying desperately in vain to reach Mr. Kern since the new shop opened to schedule an appointment to fix my own sleeve. I’ve left a message and called several times since, never to get any answer. Any idea how I can track him down?
xoxo
Emu. — As far as I know, he’s not taking any new clients for a while, he is booked solid for ages. But if you really want to reach him, my best advice is just to be persistent ;>
WHAT A DIFFERENCE! The colors are so much richer, and the shading is astonishing. And, obviously, it is so much more aligned with your other half-sleeve now. You must be floored! Can’t wait to see the final final.
I am due for a touch-up on one of my back tattoos, but nothing that’s gonna take 6.5 in the chair. You’re a trouper, Ms. Gala.
Wow – the colors!! They are beautiful. What a lovely tat. I have one on my foot – a scarlet begonia (but everyone thinks its a red rose…). I LOVE mine, everytime I look down at my feel I smile. Mine didn’t hurt nearly as much as I thought it was going to. The needle vibrates so fast your foot kinda goes numb, at least that’s how I felt. Although some places on the foot felt more uncomfortable then others. I’m thinking about getting more but its hard to find a good place to get them – do you have tattoos anywhere other then your arms?
I was going to link to a picture but I don’t think I have any on my computer – you can kinda see it in this blog post – www.thefashionhead.com/2008/07…
Have a lovely weekend, Gala!
wow. that’s amazing how well he was able to modify & enhance it!
it looked good before, but now it is just stunning. & i think the eyepatch looks so much better on the girl on the right & just adds to the theme of the piece even more.
i’m putting my friend who recently got a horrible, drunken tattoo, on a plane to new york city to see tim! haha
oh wow, tim’s work is amazing! i really like the detail he puts in~
Wow the tat looks rad. the colours are so vibrant and the shading looks great. and the image itself looks really interesting!
I am impressed, that tattoo artist is pretty incredible! I’ve been toying with the idea of a tattoo for a while, but the thought makes me a bit nervous!
how wonderful, gala! congrats!
Very, very pretty tattoos! So happy for you that you finally got the eye fixed. Simply beautiful.
Like anything relating to art and beauty, sometimes they need a little sprucing up. Good makeover of the twins!
I have a friend who is literally erasing great portions of her tattoos with laser removal. It’s so strange to see blank spots on her body.
Lookin’ très fab, mme. And what is the song in the video? I’m a fan of mashups, but this one is new to me!
I like it alot. It I looking alot better.SO not only am i diggin the tat. But i have a confession. I am so jelous of your visit to new york. I am in love with the images of new york and the culture I read about. I hope I get to go one day. So My point. Your lucky :)
mmm they look faabulous!! so much depth and the color really POPS. I’d loove to get a tattoo..the idea of tattoos in UV blacklight ink is so cool to me. bmezine has a gallery: www.bmezine.com/tattoo/uv001.h…
oops sorry haha did i stare too much! i was just kinda fascinated!! :D
he did such a fantastic job! they look amaaaazing.
so brave!
I Love tattoos and things, and I am trying to find my 4th tattoo, but its hard to choose! Any ideas? I normally go for random things so far I have a butterfly on my hip and panda and a wolf on my back :p As I said random!
That must be painful!
I have to be lame and ask…did it hurt or does it always just feel funny when you’re getting a tattoo?
My lameness aside, I always liked tattoos and I love the way yours’ looks too.
AlisonF — It doesn’t hurt until about the 5th or 6th hour, in my experience, but everyone is different :>
wow,that’s gorgeous.What a creative design!
Wow definately a big difference compared to the original. it looks amazing now! the colours are great :) and the eye is very pretty.