Ashley's Wish upon a Dahlia

Some tattoos are chapters, and some are best read over.

Some tattoos are souvenirs. Some are chapters. And some eventually become reminders of something you would rather stop carrying around on your skin. Ashley came in with one of those.

Her original tattoo was tied to a band that, over time, became impossible to separate from some truly disappointing behavior and comments. The kind of behavior that makes you look at an old tattoo and think, “Nope. This does not get to live here rent-free anymore.” So the goal was not just to cover an old tattoo. The goal was to reclaim that space completely.

And that is exactly what happened.

The Collaboration | Client & Artist

Ashley’s old band tattoo wrapped around her forearm with dark lettering and a red star shape in the center. It had history, but not the kind she wanted front and center anymore. For the cover-up, we built a bold, colorful dahlia flower over the existing piece, using the natural complexity of the petals to break up and disguise the older shapes underneath. Cover-ups are not magic, despite what the internet keeps pretending. They are strategy, structure, color theory, and patience. Humanity survives another day through planning. Barely.

The dahlia became the centerpiece: layered, detailed, bright, and full of movement. The reds, pinks, oranges, and deeper shadows gave the flower enough strength to cover the original tattoo while still feeling soft and alive. Around it, we added rich green leaves, flower buds, and flowing botanical shapes to help the new tattoo feel intentional instead of looking like something simply placed on top of something else.

This piece came together over three sessions. That gave us time to build the cover-up properly, let the tattoo settle, and return with more detail, more saturation, and more refinement each round. Ashley also happens to be in the middle of recent motherhood, so these sessions became a small, well-earned break from the beautiful chaos of new mom life. A few hours in the tattoo chair, no bottles, no diapers, no tiny human demanding immediate emotional tribute. Just art, color, conversation, and a forearm getting dramatically upgraded.ked into the design.

We also kept some playful, personal magic in the design. The shooting star near the wrist gives the whole tattoo a sense of motion, almost like the dahlia is blooming out of a little burst of light. Around the upper section, we added Disney-like pixie dust particles, with a few softly hidden shapes suggesting Mickey’s head in the loose silhouette. Nothing too loud, nothing gimmicky, just a little wink of joy tuc

Starting with the head also gave Logan something big to look forward to. Every session after that we’d sit down, look at what we’d already built, and talk about where the next part of the story was going. That’s the part of long projects I enjoy the most.

Session 2: The Body

Realizing the legend

By the final session, the transformation was complete. The old tattoo disappeared into a vibrant floral piece that feels fresh, feminine, powerful, and deeply personal. What used to carry a sour association now reads as beauty, growth, and movement forward.

That is the best kind of cover-up. Not just hiding the past, but replacing it with something stronger. Ashley did not just cover an old band tattoo. She turned it into a full-color dahlia, surrounded by leaves, stardust, hidden magic, and a little breathing room from motherhood.

A proper upgrade. The skin deserved it.

Click below to see the journey!

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/786fb3_5ef3ac76deac4c0eb3ac5eacbd3ca1fe/1080p/mp4/file.mp4

On a personal note, this was an absolute joy to work on. Ashley brought such a great spirit into each session, and somewhere between layering petals, hiding old lines, building color, and making her floral dreams a reality, we also managed to cover the important cultural work of chatting about internet celebrities, because apparently this is what civilization has become and honestly, I’m not mad at it. I’m grateful she trusted me with such a meaningful transformation, and I loved watching this piece become something bright, personal, and completely new for her.

Thanks for reading and following along with Ashley’s cover-up journey. If you’re ready to turn an old tattoo, a new idea, or a long-overdue dream piece into something fantastic,

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Isaiah Bogdanov