Getting Gaudior

one last note on the unicorn tattoo.

i had given some thought to what kind of unicorn i wanted on my back. the obvious choice was to get one just like the last unicorn. 

however, google images of unicorn tattoos and most of the ones that will pop up first are exactly like the last unicorn. i love the last unicorn, but the sheer ubiquity of her as a tattoo turned me off. and i knew leon wasn't the artist to go to if you wanted an exact copy of something -- it would be a total waste of his distinctive point of view.

finally i decided that i wanted my unicorn to capture the spirit of gaudior, the unicorn from a swiftly tilted planet by madeleine l'engle -- one of my most favorite books ever.

i wanted a unicorn that was powerful enough to travel through time and ride the wind, rear up on its hind legs and fight, yet be gentle enough to sing with the stars and carry a young boy on its back. and while i didn't tell leon this idea or show him any pictures, that's exactly what i got anyway -- from the strong, thick lines of its body down to the wisps of wind and tiny dotted stars in its tail.