The Friday Follow-up

Can you believe the second week in February has come and gone already?  Well, with the end of another week comes another scarification follow-up.  This week’s scar is not only a follow-up, but it is also a preview for a future Friday Follow-up.

About three months ago, John did this series of flowers Froggifairy‘s leg and hip.

To see how it looks today, keep on reading.

So, it’s been three months.  Now when it comes to scarification healing, this isn’t fully healed, but it does allow you to see how things have been progressing.

As you can see, the scabs are off, but it’ll still be some time for it to settle in completely.  Given how the other scars on her legs have healed, it’s a safe bet to assume that they’ll lighten up as more time passes.

Now I mentioned earlier that there’s also a sneak preview of a future follow-up post.  Well, Froggifairy didn’t just go in to get her scars photographed; she went in to have a second session done on her legs and rear.

There are several more photos of the scars from the first and second sessions.  You can find them in John’s BME scarification portfolio gallery.

Oh, and if anyone’s been keeping track, this is the 20th edition of the follow-up.  I want to quickly thank all of the scarification artists and those with scars that keep sending in their photos.  Because of how scars heal, and that they heal differently on everyone, these follow-up posts give people a better idea of what a healed scar looks like, which is sometimes hard to tell from a fresh cutting.  So keep sending in those photos everyone, and lets go for another 20 weeks of incredible scars.

Octopus!

Now this is awesome.  John Joyce sent this is in a couple of days ago and I haven’t been able to stop looking at it since.  But that could be just because I’m a Lovecraft fan, so anything resembling C’thulhu catches my eye.

Now John asked me to pass on a message to the ModBlog readers.  The Philly convention is only a couple of months away and he does have some spots available for scar work, so if you’ve ever wanted to get a scar done by John, now is your chance.  You can get in touch with him through IAM, or at his studio, Scarab Body Arts in Syracuse, NY

The Friday Follow-up

It’s Black Friday which means you’re either out brawling in store over the best deal on overpriced electronics, or you’re curled up at home nursing your food hangover.  In either case, it is still Friday which means it’s time for another scarification follow-up.

This week we’re looking at another scar by John Joyce.  Now there are two fresh pictures as the cutting was done in multiple sessions, which means you’ll get a chance to see how the initial cutting healed up in the time between the two sessions.

Fresh

Fresh

Keep on reading to see how it healed up.

Well, it’s been 15 months now since the scar was cut, and here’s how it looks today.

It’s interesting to see how the scar healed differently in the area by the knee as opposed to the upper thigh.  I’m guessing that has to do with there being more movement in that area.  To check out more of John’s work, head on over to his scarification gallery.

If you’ve had scar work done, or are a scarification artist, please send in your fresh and healed scar photos for the Friday Follow-ups.  One of the most popular requests I get whenever a fresh scar is posted is for a follow up photo.

Fresh and Clean

With the Friday Follow-up we get a chance to see scars and brandings months and years after the initial session.  It allows us to see the result of scarification process over time, which for many can be a contributing factor in their decision to get a scar.  Of course everyone heals differently, but it can give people some ideas of what to expect from the process.

What we don’t often see is the early stages of healing.  Those first few days before the scabs start to form, when it is just an open wound.  Last week we saw a scar of the BME heart logo by John Joyce on a young woman named Casey.  We got to see the cutting as it was being done, and completed, just moments before the dressing was applied.

Casey was kind enough to send in another image which was taken just after the first cleaning of the scar.  It’s interesting to see the scar this fresh, but without the blood that is present when the cutting first takes place.  Hopefully Casey continues to send in images of the healing process so we can all see some of the steps involved in the healing of a scarification piece.

Heart at work

It’s always interesting to see a master at work, and when that master is John Joyce, you can expect to see something fantastic.

Curious as to what John is cutting?  Keep on reading to find out.

Casey Nichols sent in these pictures of her BME Heart cutting, and the larger versions can be seen in the BME Logo Scarification gallery.  Also, if you’re interested in seeing more of John’s work, check out his own gallery.

Hopefully we get some pictures of the scar down the line for a Friday Follow-up post.

Bird of Paradise

The myth of the bird of paradise stems from an old Sufi fable about the Huma bird.  It is said that the bird is always in flight, never coming to rest, and is often believed to not even possess legs.  Tales of the Huma bird can be traced throughout various cultures, and in all cases the bird is seen as a good omen, bringing wealth, prosperity, and good health.  Stories go on to describe the bird as having both male and female attributes, while others link it directly to the myth of the phoenix.  The meaning of course can shift depending on the culture, yet themes of eternal life and renewal tend to be the strongest.

As for the real birds of paradise, these beautiful animals are still alive in the world, although they are considered a threatened species due to hunting and deforestation.

Given the beauty of the birds, and the link to a myth about rebirth and transformation, it should be no wonder that this scarification piece by John Joyce looks fantastic.

bird of paradise

The reasons the person chose to get this piece are their own, yet something can be said to the process of the cutting and the scar that will follow.  In essence the person is becoming reborn with a new sense of being.  The skin that was removed is gone forever, yet something new and beautiful will take its place.  Like the phoenix, the person has undergone a rebirth, coming out on the other side a transformed person.

John himself is no stranger to creating brilliant pieces of art, as you can easily see in his own gallery on BME.