Susanna Parker is a 24 year old college student and singer/musician from Bethesda, Maryland. She currently sings with a group called Situation Normal and also enjoys photography. She’s my Twitter/Livejournal buddy and agreed to answer some questions about her ink.
Carrie: What are you doing with your life?
Susanna: I’m currently enrolled in community college, working towards an Associates degree in General Studies. After I get the associates, I plan to enroll in a four year, but I don’t know my major yet. I play guitar, and several friends and I are working on a band together.
Carrie: Which artist/shop did your feet? When?
Susanna: The fish were done by Wes at Ambrotos Tattoos in Silver Spring, Maryland in November of 2007. The flowers were done by Rachel at the Bethesda Tattoo Company in Bethesda, Maryland in May of 2008.
Carrie: What did you use for healing? How long did it take to heal? And was wearing shoes during healing a pain in the ass?
Susanna: The tattoos took about three weeks to finish peeling. Wearing shoes was manageable, but annoying. Most of the time I wore shoes that left the top of the feet uncovered, such as ballet flats and flip flops. Walking was painful for the first day and a half after the tattoos were done.
Carrie: What does the work on your feet mean to you?
Susanna: The fish represent my sisters and I. Kind of silly, but we all stick together, yet go our own ways. When we fight, it can be vicious, hence the Siamese Fighting Fish. The flowers represent me- each flower has a distinct meaning according the Victorian practice of assigning meanings to flowers. The sunflower means optimism, the day lily means enthusiasm, the Star of Bethlehem (white) means hope, the hyacinth (purple) means sorrow, the amaryllis (pink and white) means dramatic, and the delphinium (blue) means boldness.
Carrie: Do people comment when you wear sandals?
Susanna: Yes- anytime I wear sandals several people stop me to compliment or comment on my tattoos. Sometimes they’re mistaken for socks, which always makes me laugh. I get asked about the pain alot, and often people will quiz me because they are about to get their first tattoo. I also get a lot of stares walking down the street. Who knew people looked down so much?
Carrie: Do you regret any of your tattoos?
Susanna: Not really- the Yin and Yang I thought may have been a mistake- I originally got half of a Yin-Yang with a friend of mine, and shortly after that we had a falling out, which is why I got the other half. But even so it marks a period in my life that I don’t regret, as it taught some valuable lessons about who to trust.
Carrie: Do you plan to get more tattoos?
Susanna: Yes! I have at least five more planned. I want a phoenix on my back, a crow on my right shoulder/upper arm, an elephant on the inside of my left upper arm, ivy and zinnia flowers on my leg, a bass and treble clef on my wrists… the list goes on and on, and keeps getting longer.
Carrie: Have your tattoos ever caused you problems with strangers, friends, family, or bosses?
Susanna: When I worked at Starbucks I was not allowed to wear cropped pants because my ankle tattoos were visible, which was a problem in the humid DC summers. And at first my family was displeased with me for getting any tattoos at all. Now my parents are, if not happy, accepting of my tattoos.
Carrie: Is there anything you want to tell somebody who is thinking about getting their first tattoo?
Susanna: Think about your design for a good amount of time. I tend to wait for at least six months, more often a year, before getting a tattoo done. The one time I didn’t resulted in the ill-advised Yin-Yang tattoo with my friend.
Someone about to get a tattoo should also shop around until they find an artist compatible with them. My two favorite tattoos are the ones on my feet, and I had an excellent rapport with both artists- they listened to what I wanted and worked with me to get a design that was attractive and easily done.
When getting your tattoo, for the love of all that is holy, hold still! Flinching can cause the artist to mess up the design, and will make them annoyed at you if it happens too often. If you feel that you must move, tell them so they can remove the needle from your skin.
Finally, if the pain is bad, talk. Talk to your artist, distract yourself with conversation and jokes. I did that through both feet and managed to deal with the pain easily.
Posted in Entertainers, Interviews, People, Tattoos Tagged: ambrotos tattoos in silver spring maryland, anti-tattoo employers, bethesda maryland, bethesda tattoo company in bethesda maryland, college students, fish tattoos, flower tattoos, foot tattoos, friendship tattoos, Interviews, maryland tattoo artists, maryland tattoo shops, musicians, photographers, singers, situation normal, starbucks, susanna parker, talkin' tattoos!, tattoo prejudice
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