Tattoo

On one of my photographic wanderings this past winter I ended up taking some photos in the Skincraft Tattoo and Piercing studio on Hamilton Avenue in Northside, an experience I found to be rather fascinating. I had been in the area shooting an assignment for a photography class and when the sun went down and outdoor light was scarce, I quickly began to brainstorm ideas for an interesting indoor environment to photograph. I decided to walk into Skincraft and see if there was anyone willing to let me take some pictures. It was around 9 pm on a weeknight so I figured there wouldn't be many people in the studio but I was lucky because shortly after I walked in, a woman came in for a tattoo. She was a young lady, probably in her early 20s, and she was accompanied by a friend and her baby. She didn't mind being photographed so I was able to document the tattooing process as a tattoo artist named Bryan engraved "Romans 8:28" onto her skin.


As Bryan got together the tools necessary for the tattoo, he educated me about body art and how he first became interested in it. The young lady had come into the store knowing that she wanted a tattoo of the title of a bible verse but she was unsure of how she wanted it to look so Bryan sketched out a couple possible designs on a sheet of paper and she found one she was happy with. After she settled on her design, Bryan went straight to work.

The whole process took about forty minutes, which seems to be a decent amount of time for something that's only 2-3 inches in length. When the tattoo was finished, the young woman walked into the lobby and showed it off to her friend before they headed out the door and straight to bible study.

A Part of Me Will Always Be a Forest Child

Although my attention has recently drifted towards urban living, my love for nature and wildlife will always remain. The majority of my fondest childhood memories took place in the outdoors, as I grew up in an area outside the city of Cincinnati consisting mostly of trees and undeveloped land. While some kids sat in front of the television or went to swing at the park for entertainment, I was spending much of my time with friends in the woods climbing trees, going on hikes or making forts and teepees. Such natural environments feed a child's imagination and appetite for adventure, and while I often pined to live closer to the city, I truly enjoyed the freedom that rural areas provide.

When I wasn't pretending to be a Native American on a quest to gather food or playing in the creeks of Cincinnati, I was having more epic adventures in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, where my family spends their summers. Without television, cell phone service or internet, we escape each year to a small island accessible only by boat where my sister and I would band together with our cousins and family friends to become what I can only describe as a troop of forest children. The daylight hours were spent swimming, fishing and hiking, and in the nighttime we retired to the campfire to make smores and admire the thousands of stars that were suddenly so visible. I've always thought of it as my favorite place on earth-- the place I can return to at any age and re-live my childhood adventures.

Now I live in the city, and I no longer have the opportunity to walk out my door and into the woods. After a year of living here, I was even more anxious to return to the island this summer, but commitments in Cincinnati made it unlikely that I would be able to spend as much time in Michigan as I have in the past. At the beginning of August, I finally found a week that would work, and my friend Louise and I headed up. Having grown up a lot in the past year, I've become less interested in making "indian tree forts", shooting BB guns, and having chicken fights in the lake, so I was a little nervous about what I would think of this Michigan trip. I'm no geezer, but growing up and becoming inundated with various commitments has seemed to snuff out some of that childhood imagination I once thought I would have forever.

But as I stepped out of the car and inhaled a whiff of that piney Michigan smell, I knew I didn't have to worry. We grow up and our interests and personalities change, but some things are so deep-rooted that they'll stay with us forever. I may not have the desire to go on pirate picnics or play "capture the flag" anymore, but I'll forever feel a sense of adventure every time I take a walk in the woods.

I'm happy to know I'll always be a forest child.

Redefining the Street Musician: "Play Me, I'm Yours" Comes to Cincinnati

Cincinnati, Ohio
Anna Bentley | The News Record


Beginning August 9th, people of the Greater Cincinnati area will have an opportunity to expand their musical realm to the streets thanks to an interactive art installation called "Play Me, I'm Yours". Started by British artist Luke Jerram in 2008, "Play Me, I'm Yours" is a project in which artfully decorated street pianos are being installed in cities all over the world for any member of the public to play. The project was developed by Jerram in an effort to build communities and to provide an instrument to people who do not have the opportunity to own one. As of today, Jerram has installed pianos in over 10 different cities, including New York City, London, Barcelona, and his hometown Bristol.

In celebration of the anniversaries of Cincinnati radio stations 90.9 WGUC, 91.7 WVXU, and 88.5 WMUB, 35 pianos have been installed throughout Greater Cincinnati in parks, libraries, streets, and squares. The installation lasts until September 17th, when the pianos will be removed from the streets and donated to local art centers.

To view a map with locations of the installed pianos, click here.

The kickoff event for the "Play Me, I'm Yours" installation, held at Fountain Square on August 9th, brought both professional and amateur musicians downtown to celebrate the start of the street piano installation. People of all ages gathered and waited for their turn to play the two pianos that have been placed at opposite ends of Fountain Square.


View audio slideshow here


Joy Burch of Hamilton encourages spectators to sing along as she plays a piano at Fountain Square for the kick-off of the "Play Me, I'm Yours" installation.


Maya Stockman, 12, of Oakley plays "Notturno" at Fountain Square on August 9 during the kickoff event for the "Play Me, I'm Yours" piano installation.

Suzanne Bona of WGUC plays the flute while Sandra Rivers of CCM accompanies her on one of the "Play Me, I'm Yours" pianos at Fountain Square.

Businessmen and women who chose to spend their lunch break at Fountain Square on Monday, August 9 got a pleasant treat while they listened to local musicians play the "Play Me, I'm Yours" pianos at the kickoff event for the installation. One musician, Suzanne Bona of WGUC, even brought her flute to play.
Dean Herron plays The Beatles' "Lady Madonna" on one of the "Play Me, I'm Yours" pianos at Fountain Square during the kickoff event on Monday, August 9. So far Herron has played at least 10 of the 35 pianos that have been installed in Cincinnati and he hopes to play at least 15 before they are removed from the streets in mid-September.

Nathaniel Grogan, 7, of Northern Kentucky plays "The Lonely Traveler" at the kickoff event for the "Play Me, I'm Yours" piano installation on August 9th at Fountain Square.

A little boy pauses while reading a book to listen to a song being played on one of the "Play Me, I'm Yours" pianos at Fountain Square.

Beth and Steve Hofferber of Springfield Township perform Billy Joel's "Piano Man" at the kickoff event for the "Play Me, I'm Yours" piano installation at Fountain Square on August 9.

Cincinnatians gather at Fountain Square on Monday, August 9 for the kickoff event for the "Play Me, I'm Yours" piano installation.

Local Blues/Jazz pianist Ricky Nye plays "Summertime" on one of the "Play Me, I'm Yours" pianos at Fountain Square while spectators sing along.