I’ve had this idea for several years now (because that’s my rule with a tattoo) and I finally had it come to fruition. I like seeing my New Mexico state outline and Zia sun on my arm when I play guitar, and so I thought…why not add a little more of home to the mix? The thing you think about when you think about New Mexico is adobe and blue sky. We’re really good at that. I wanted to have a little bit transferred to my arm, so even when I’m walking around big scary Los Angeles, I know where I come from.

I knew the color work had to be stunning to pull this off, since we’re dealing with two main colors and one is similar to my skin tone. After hunting for months, I finally found Zulu. Interestingly, he is based in L.A. but is moving his business to Austin, so he spends a lot of time here now. His portfolio is amazing, and I knew he was The Dude. (Also, his life story is fascinating…read this NPR article about him!)

I took my friend Katie along for moral support and documentation, and it took about 2.5 hours from start to finish.

The outline and placement test:

Zulu used a few photos I had taken but adapted the buildings into something that doesn’t exist in real life, so I didn’t get an actual landmark tattooed on my arm.

The finished work:

The artist and the recipient!