Wolf Leaves Salmon’s Tail
My Original Design
This is the real beginning of the background story on the design of my tattoo, for those interested in the long wannabe epic essays that I tend to write. I thought that a very “Native story style” title would be good, since I tend to write like I talk, and I talk like an Indian. I’ve broken the story up, however, into a series of (fairly) short posts, so that people will actually feel they can digest them.
The story is an in-depth explanation of the primary– at least the most obvious– incongruity of my tattoo design, which is the tail. Most people, seeing this will probably think something along the lines of: “What he hell’s up with the Celtic shit in the tail?” That’s not surprising, and I spent months thinking about the fact that I’m going to be faced with that question for the rest of my natural life (emphasis, emphasis).
Part of the reason for this series is to describe just that– formulate the response at length, in essay format, as a method to formulate the more concise response necessary in conversation. This is post as preparation.
The Original Design
Raven highlighted
As you can see in the image above, my original design didn’t have this European element. That design was, overall, more “traditional.” At least it was in the sense that it might more closely resemble what people would expect to see in NW tribal art. That original version still had Raven in Salmon’s body, as my current tattoo does. Raven and Salmon are so intimately linked that they are very frequently seen in this manner. However, I also originally had Wolf/Coyote in Salmon’s body as well.
Wolf highlighted
I love, and am very proud of, that design, but it just wouldn’t fit on my arm. My goal, in addition to that discussed in the previous post, was to have Salmon’s tail below my elbow so that it moved when I moved my arm– body art is so nice when it interacts with the body. Because the way the tail was angled, this design would make Salmon have to sit essentially upside down on my arm. The tattoo artist and I decided that Salmon’s tail had to be bending upward, rather than downward, for it to fit well on my arm. So I went back to the drawing board with the intention of recreating exactly this design with an upward bending tail.
I didn’t recreate the original design. But what I did was so much deeper and more meaningful than I ever thought it would be.
I’m John Metta, writer, hydrologist, programmer, Irish flute and banjo player, cyclist, brewer, and a digger of all things tech, and all around friendly guy. Nestled snugly in the Columbia River Gorge in a town called Hood River, I survey the world as my own personal playground. Connect with me 
I was lookin for a salmn design for a tatoo. I like that… may i use it?..
German.
Tough one. The thing about this all is that I'm not "an artist," in that I design art that was meant for others to appreciate. This is a deeply spiritual and personal design that was created by me specifically for me. I'd hoped that if people liked the design, they would use elements from it in the creation of their own, which would be theirs– created by them, for them. Remember, we're talking about a custom designed, one-of-a-kind tattoo here, that won't be one-of-a-kind anymore.
Of course, I don't know you, and can't know what you do. So you could, quite possibly just download it from my website and use it without knowing. I do have an open attribution license on my site, so I guess if you took the design without me knowing it and tattooed "Design by John Metta" it would be perfectly legal. Of course, that's pretty crazy.
I guess I'd at least ask that, if you did use it anyway, you would send me details on who you are, since I've no idea, and details on the tattoo studio that does the work, as well as pictures of it. I'd at least like to know that much about the person who ends up being my "tattoo twin."
So i got this tattoo, i love the design and it has a personal meaning to me as well, i hope you dont mind having a tattoo twin out in the world
What kind of Native are you if you don't mind me asking?
What kind? Bit of a weird question. Uh, the blogging kind?
dont know who joe is, but i also enjoyed the artistic way you placed the other animals inside the salmon. iv been looking for pics to modify more to my personal style of life. dont get me wrong you work needs no alteration, but i do enjoy to put my own spin on somthing that is going to be mine forever. i too was hoping to use your art for a basis to work on. like the wolf, im from idaho, but i would like to place a mule deer in place of the raven, and other minor changes obviously. my email is cheifyoyo@yahoo.com
I would like to use the general outline of the fish in your tattoo, with your permission of course. May I? Again, I would only be using the outline, I intend to fill it in using the spawning colors of a sockeye salmon, and replacing the eye with a human one. I await your response!
For some reason, I missed Danno’s comment until now. Yes, everyone, use this as a basis, but please modify it. This design was build by looking at other people’s and modifying them heavily. I’d feel pretty weird about someone taking this exact piece of art, since it’s so personal to me specifically, and entirely designed FOR me. But using this as a basis to build on is what art is all about, so knock yourselves out.
Thank you so much! And don't worry, I am planning to modify it, in fact it will probably be unrecognizable once I am through. I just wanted to use the outline as inspiration