Koi Tattoo Three Years Old in 2007

The top half of my back piece taken summer 2007 (it continues down to just above my knees). At this point it's three years old (previous photo to compare it to a shot when it was just a few minutes old).

Jason Phillips at FTW Tattoo on Telegraph in Oakland Ca is the artist. I chose the non-traditional combination of cherry blossoms with Koi, opting for it over maple leaves or other flowers as I was drawn to the symbolism of the sakura.

I had always loved koi fish, having fond memories of the koi ponds in the Japanese gardens of San Francisco and San Jose. Later when I learned more about tattoos I became enamored with the idea of getting a koi tattoo - partly due to the symbolism and largely simply because I like koi fish.

I specifically asked the artist, Jason, to design a tattoo that was extremely bold and clear - not too complicated but instead something that would leap out at you when you look at it. While I love viewing ultra complicated & intricate Japanese style tattoo's I was aiming for something that combined that style while still clearly being about the koi - hence the size of the fish.