cooper pond

What inspired your most recent tattoo?

I don't have any, but I lost my dad and he never was able to meet my kids and beautiful family. If I had ink, I would use it to bring them all together in one place. I would use the ink to build a bridge between my family that birthed and raised me, to the chosen family I have made.

If your ink could speak, what would it say?

It would tell the story of the journey from pain and loss of addiction and incarceration, to the freedom and love I get gifted to me every day by my wonderful wife, my beautiful, intelligent, and artistic daughters. It would illustrate the lessons I have learned along the way and serve as a reminder on days that I lose sight of the hard work and accomplishment and motivate me to push through on days of difficulty

What would you do with the $25,000?

I would make a large piece with a rattlesnake and an eel in a cosmic battle centered on a brain that would be visible inside a head or skull. I would like to use a traditional style with heavy black lines and bright colors I would like it to be on my side, connecting from my back to the side of my stomach.