Canadian Dad Turns Son’s Doodles Into Real-Life Tattoos
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Chance Faulkner Photography(TORONTO) — Rather than hanging his 11-year-old son Kai’s artwork on the walls inside their home, Keith Anderson shows them off in a different way — by having them tattooed onto his body.
“One of my younger brothers had a tattoo done on his leg of my niece’s art and I loved the idea, so I ran with it to do my whole right sleeve,” said Anderson of Peterborough, Ontario. “We started in 2008 with the daisy when Kai was just about to start kindergarten.”
Anderson has been tattooed in shops around Toronto, he told ABC News, as well as one in Boulder, Colorado, and two other cities in Ontario.
So far, Anderson has a total of 18 tattoos.
He has even been tattooed by Kai himself.
“It is a great bonding experience for us — from choosing which piece we will tattoo to discussing the previous ones, his experience of drawing it, and even the connection of him being able to help with tattooing some small sections of the last three tattoos we have done,” Anderson said. “He’s a pretty rad kid and it’s a magical experience to share with him.”
Anderson has had his son’s drawings tattooed all over his body, including his arms, legs, chest and back. Designs by Kai include stained glass and a “robot butler.”
“They are very meaningful to me,” Anderson said. “They capture a moment in time each year of Kai’s life that take me back to how he looked, acted and sounded as a kid growing up.”
The father of one gained media attention after a session with photographer Chance Faulker went viral online.
As for more tattoos, Anderson said he’s far from finished bringing his son’s doodles to life.
“I have several ideas on the go right now to add to existing themes, and we have one of Kai’s drawings we will be doing this summer,” he said.
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