by the hum of the radiator

fuckyeahtattoos:

This is my Scandinavian Folk-Art tattoo, and I got it done by Tom at Evermore Gallery, in Edwardsville, IL.

The caribou is for my Swedish grandmother who passed away a little over two years ago. I chose a caribou because they’re a staple of Swedish folk-art, and because even the girls have antlers. One antler has flowers coming out of it to symbolize the beauty in imperfection, the most important thing she ever taught me, along with unconditional love, hence the “spread love” underneath.

Each flower represents a person in my life, my parents, my other pair of grandparents, my two best friends, and my partner. Eventually, I plan on adding enough flowers to cover the rest of my arm, all attached by the vine.