This is my koi and dragon tattoo done by my friend, Dan of Graphic Images in West Haven, CT. This whole sleeve took a little more than 16 hours and completed in 3 sessions. The picture is taken right after the 3rd and longest session of 9 hours during one of the biggest snow storm in CT last winter.
This Japanese themed sleeve represents many things to me. It took about a whole year to compile the final details and designs that I wanted incorporated on my arm. The koi represents elegance and perseverance while the dragon represents strength and wisdom. The two also represents the duality of life (one cannot exist without the other), water vs. fire, fragility vs. strength, but together symbolizes the intricacies of humanity.
The two lotus flowers (one visible in the picture) in between the koi and the dragon represents my two younger sisters. I wanted them incorporated in my tattoo because they have been the back bone of my being. The lotus stands for beauty, inside and out.