My personal depiction of life in a mandala.
This commissioned project had an open brief with broad guidelines and I created the story of the main guidelines of a human life: Birth, growing up, and finally the wisdom that only comes with old age - all guided by a moral compass.
The base of the tattoo represents the beginning of life, like an infant leaf starting to grow.
The second stage is all about chapters. Growing up happens in chunks, you go through ups and downs and take different paths, but always in an onward direction.
And finally, the last stage is enlightenment. It's symbolized by a sunrise over the forest;
a moment of clarity and serenity.
The moral compass is your value system, the constant that guards your actions.