The Adorned Life: A Session with Darnell Waine

The unkempt beehive, the dramatic wingtip eye, and a smattering of pin up tattoos inked on her tiny frame. At the height of her US fame, Amy Winehouse's appearance was almost as iconic as her haunting vocals. Almost.

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On my previous site I took the most pleasure in doing the pieces for The Adorned Life series, and I can't think of a better way to resurrect it than to give an interview with my tattoo artist , Darnell Waine, as well as a detailed look into my most memorable tattoo session to date. You can view the full interview with Darnell as well as a in depth look into the session here.

"Having tattoos....it's a way of suffering for the things that mean a lot to you"

-Amy Winehouse

I went back and forth on whether or not to get this piece, the placement, and which picture it would be of for quite some time. I knew for certain towards the end of 2012 that I was going to get it, but at the time I thought I would put it on my leg , then I moved it to the inside of my arm. The picture changed about five times. I wanted to capture her light and her pain.

As I write this, I'm now had the piece for five days and for the most part the reactions have been shock and awe at what an amazing job Darnell did on the tattoo. A few people have asked "Why her?" and one particularly dense person asked me "You like Amy Winehouse?" as if I would permanently etch the face of someone I disliked prominently on my arm. I offer you a few bits from her 2007 interview with The Guardian as a gateway to my connection to Ms. Winehouse.

Aside from a property, what's the most expensive thing you've ever bought?

My heart back from someone who may or may not have deserved it. I paid a lot.

What does love feel like?

A disease that consumes you eternally.

What keeps you awake at night?

Being sober.

What is your guiltiest pleasure?

Having my cake and eating it, too.

My love for Amy is one I don't quite fully understand myself. It began long before she was the subject of ridicule and tabloid fodder that eventually overshadowed her talent in the eyes of general public. Her voice penetrated a wall erected between myself and the world long ago. Her lyrics evoke sensuality, resolve, happiness, and pain, and over the years these words have allowed me to undress my inhibitions. When she died I found myself that overcome by a sadness that surprised me. I knew that she was my favorite singer, but I felt as if a friend and someone that truly understood me was gone even though we had never met and she didn't even know I existed in my quiet corner of the world. That was the only time I actually didn't listen to her at least once a day, the sound of her voice would instantly bring me to tears. For many her lyrics bring a sense of sadness and only hit home during heartbreak, but I find surges of energy and inspiration through her music. In her lyrics I can sometimes find the things I can't say aloud to myself.

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The day of the session my apprehension was tangible as Nikki kept asking me if I was ok. I'm no stranger to needles, but some reason this piece felt different. ~~The fact that I was doing my first ever video interview with someone may have contributed to the nerves, but that is neither here nor there.~~ It was the most intense session I've ever had because I was so emotionally invested in the tattoo. The portrait took five hours and I'd never stared at something so intently for such an extended period of time. It was in this session, more than others, that I became truly aware of the intimacy of a tattoo. I've had sessions where I've had to take off my shirt or pull down my pants, but it was in this session, fully clothed, when I got the face of stranger I feel an intense connection to, permanently inked on my body, that I truly appreciated the trust that is put into the artists' hands to bring the vision to life. Photo-realism is a completely different process from other styles of tattoos, and I really enjoyed watching him bring the piece to life, and I could sense that he understood how much the piece meant to me. I found myself choking back tears. When we were finished, I couldn't stop staring at my arm and thanking Darnell for perfectly completing such an important part of my as of now unfinished sleeve. He told me to enjoy it for the rest of my life, and I know that I will.