The Parrot Sketch

GA Day 89 (Feb 29, 2024). In celebration of Leap Day, I am posting this blog ahead of the other one in the queue...yes, I am lagging! Many readers will likely recognize the somewhat adulterated title of this blog entry - cheekiness was definitely intended 🤭 The only real parallel this story has with the famous Monty Python skit is involvement of a parrot but, I guess, one might also argue that the story line is really quite original.

When I first arrived here and experienced the first couple beach days I recognized the tattoo culture that is so evident here. I had never seen anything quite like it in all my travels - dermal embellishments aplenty. And, for whatever reason, I decided within the first week here that I simply had to have a piece of original art added to my (at the time) pasty white canvass. And it was on the third major beach walk at Praia Barra that I was resolved to have something distinctly Brazilian as the theme. It was rather comical when I told Angela and Marlene, who were with me that morning, as I was thinking of having something that included the Brazilian flag colours - I was given a dire warning not to pick green and yellow that were considered Bolsonaro’s colours.

OK…scratch the flag idea, but definitely the tattoo needed to have other symbols or themes that represent Brazil and its vibrant culture. I also quickly eliminated soccer balls, Pele, drums, and Havaiana sandals from the list of potential symbols. So my first pick was combining the features of wildlife and carnival - after all, I had my exposure to this high holiday while here in the company of new friends and old! And I have always loved parrots, so the colourful plumage of a Macaw resonated with me (a Norwegian Blue would have been beautiful, too, but not the right cultural symbol!). A close runner up was the Toucan. So I started looking on line for some examples of art with parrots and carnival masks. What I knew, for sure, was that I wanted the subtle colours of the Pride flag incorporated into the design.

Next was the hunt for a tattoo studio and artist to bring this all together. I had no idea how hard this was going to be. First point of learning for me is that artists have their own styles and areas of expertise. Some do realism and some do anime…some specialize in black and grey-scale while others use colours. And then there is a broad range from very simple strokes to very intricate work. Second point of learning is that, in the absence of Portuguese language skills, reliance on translation technology is not exactly precise - this could be why I received no responses from the two studios I contacted (who knows what my AI voice translator actually said to them). While I had my ideas on paper I had no artist.

And then serendipity and a chain of events took place. First, Tracy and Norm coincidentally were in Florianópolis at the same time as I and became my carnival companions. Tracy insisted we get into the party mood with a few bits of regalia that, for me, included a very fake stick on parrot tattoo on my upper right arm - the prototype of a Macaw parrot and placed exactly where I wanted art to happen. And then the second event happened. While resting on benches in a pedestrian thoroughfare after 6 or 7 hours of carnival someone (Vivian) came up to me and said how beautiful my tattoo was. It was so random and, yet, obvious good fate. I had to break the news that the parrot, alas, was fake but that it was my profound wish to have a real one before I left. Vivian and her partner, João, chatted with us for a bit and I noticed the intricate tattoos she had. As it turned out she had a good friend (Athena) and her husband who were both tattoo artists, and Athena specialized in animal tattoos and colour 😳 Vivian offered to contact Athena and I happily shared my collection of ideas to be passed along.

Athena, Gawdess of Tattoos, loved my conceptualization and agreed to work with me on the project. What I did not realize was that Athena and her studio were actually located in Balneário Camboriú, a beautiful city 70 km up the coast. But this turned out to be part of the chain of events, as I was already planning to head up to Joinville to hang out with my former PhD student, Maria Alice, and present at her university. So…a stop in BC on my way to Joinville fit into Athena’s schedule to have us meet, discuss the art, chat about life, and me pay the deposit. And, as it happened, Athena had time in her schedule to do the artwork on my way back from Joinville - timing could not have been any better!  And all this allowed me to spend a bit of time in BC that is the Dubai of Brazil. What a beautiful place with a huge beach, lovely promenades, many great restaurants, and a nice vibe. The hotel I stayed at on the way back was an absolute hidden gem! BRUT by Slaviero Hotéis that was well-appointed, had wonderful staff, a great breakfast, and was really cheap.

On the day of the appoint, Athena and I spent time trying to decide whether the main foci (parrot and mask) should be black/grey-scale or colour and what the size would be. Athena’s attention to detail was incredible, from the preciseness of the art work to the placement. I called in the opinions of a few people to help decide colour scheme (thank you Tracy, Marlene, and Maria Alice!) and all input was helpful for my final decision. As for size, my canvas is quite large (🙄) so we actually went much larger than originally anticipated. Athena was very humble in trying to discuss the added cost but for me it was a no-brainer…pay the difference and go big or go home. And, really, tattoo art here is relatively inexpensive compared to home so it is all a good bargain.

And then the session commenced. Athena was almost like a plastic surgeon in her preparation and technique - it was really a treat to watch as she prepared her materials, poured out the different pigments, and set up the work site. It would be a 9-hour procedure and it was really a privilege to watch as Athena did her creative magic. And we talked about a whole lot of things in that time, everything from pop culture to music to movies…and everything in between. What was particularly lovely was the background music that gave me an inside to some of the sounds of Brazil…and it was a range of acoustical delights from modern gaucho to samba. For a break, Jhonathan (Athena’s husband) ordered in cake that was so delicious! Really, the whole experience was like being at a dermal art spa!

As for the discomfort, which everyone asks about, I have to say it really was not that bad. It was like thousands of mosquitoes attacking but without the itching…and none with dengue or yellow fever. The only time it stung a bit more was when Athena was going over areas that had already been irritated…the tissue in areas was being assaulted several times given the intricacy of colour and detail. Athena remarked that I was tolerating the procedure extremely well as she worked. I am definitely not a big fan of pain, but really it was not that bad…and without a little pain I would not have gained the fantastic art I now have.

I could not be more thrilled with the final outcome and as I saw the art come together, I really felt that this was one of the best decisions I could have made. Athena had already noted how the inspiration was so original and, as she was putting the final touches on her work, we discussed how the culmination of collaboration and coincidence had arrived to something so very beautiful. Now I am taking a very unique piece of Brazilian art home with me as a remembrance of my journey here. Thank you so very much, Athena, Vivian, and Tracy, for the big parts you all played in all this ❤️