Requiem Body Art

I don't live in FL anymore, but this is the one place I trusted my body mods to when I did. Great talent here. DeeDee does AMAZING color work, Michelle is a great black/white artist (both do everything well, but those seem to be their specialties to me). Paul is about the nicest and most knowledgeable piercer I've been to. I got my ears stretched there from start to current (10g to 10mm), and my Bioshock wrist tattoos done by Michelle. Pricing has always been fair, and their jewelry is always top notch.

If you're in Spring Hill, or anywhere near it, and you plan on having body mods done this needs to be your destination. Paul is usually available for walk ins, but you're going to want to get an appointment for DeeDee or Michelle.

Until April 4, 2011, I was completely tattoo-free. With the passing of two of my most beloved pets, my dog Murray-Foo and more recently, my cat Orlando, I felt that I wanted to honor them is the most special way I could think of.

I have know Dee Dee Seruga since September of 1991, when we became roommates in Fort Lauderdale, both starting the graphic design program at the Art Institute. From day one, I was amazed with her artistic ability. I fancy myself a pretty good artist, but she blew the doors off me. A very uniquely talented chick. Seriously.

Years later, I saw her at a mutual friend' s wedding and found out she was a tattoo artist, which made so much sense as she not only was so talented, she is very FAST. This was about six years ago and I still wasn't ready to be tattooed. In fact, I thought I never would be.
Fast forward to this year. We were texting back and forth when  one of her sweet kitties was very sick and I mentioned in passing that I thought I was finally interested in getting some work done, namely, a tribute to my sweet guys. I initially had said that I wanted to do a Day of the Dead-style dog and cat head. Dee Dee said she would be honored to do my first piece. I sent her photographs of my pets and she took that and ran with it. She came up with the most beautiful representation of them (I knew she would). Totally not what I had expected, but exactly what I wanted.

I was on the east coast of Florida for a visit anyway, so I rented a car and drove over to her super-cool shop on the west coast and just did it! It took about seven hours and hurt like hell, but I have got to say, it is the most beautiful tattoo I have ever seen. Everyone that sees it is blown away and almost teary-eyed and the likeness to Orlando and Murray, their faces decorated for Day of the Dead in celebration of their lives, not sorrow for their deaths.

I am so happy with it in fact, that I have already planned my next tattoo, and as far as I am concerned, there is only one person for the job, Dee Dee.