Lately, I’ve been captivated by Season IV of LA Ink (inane shop manager Aubry Fisher notwithstanding). The tattoo artists on the show have the most incredible technique — their color tattoos shimmer like gems, and their black-and-white tats look like photographs. Annnnd High Voltage Tattoo proprietor Kat Von D ain’t too tough on the eyes.

I have no immediate plans to go under the needle, but at some point in my life I’d like to get inked up. In the meantime, it’s fun to contemplate various options …

{ Oscar Wilde }

Oscar Wilde exemplifies everything that I aspire to be — charming, witty, well-dressed, well-traveled, socially beloved and artistically prolific. Who better than Oscar to adorn my upper back? I’d incorporate one of his most famous quotes — “We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars” — as a reminder to balance humility with hope.

{ “Keep Calm and Carry On” }

I’ve got a vinyl replica of the British Ministry of Information’s “Keep Calm and Carry On” poster in my kitchen — the clean lines and simple message of this whimsical WWII propaganda poster never cease to make me smile. As the BBC reports, the poster was “all but forgotten” until ten years ago, when a bookseller from Northumberland bought the original design at a secondhand shop. I wouldn’t mind having this timeless motivational mantra somewhere on my body — perhaps beneath Mr. Wilde? I think he’d approve.

{ Cubes }

I’ve always been fascinated by equilateral geometric shapes — especially the 6-sided cube. There’s something refreshing and stabilizing about a nice, clean cube. I’d be down with a couple of ‘em on my ankles or wrists. But should I go for a Necker Cube, or an Impossible Cube? And while I’m at it, why not a Penrose Triangle? Math + optical illusions = kewlness!

So, what do you fantasize about getting inked onto your skin for all eternity? Or if you already have a set of tats, what do they represent? Do tell!

(Photo via CTV)