I happened to mention that David Beckham must have been a boon for the tattoo trade and that’s when the conversation became very animated. I can’t repeat the exact words here but Raph was totally scathing about the designs worn by Beckham – I totally agree. After the initial wariness had evaporated, Raph was more amenable to having his photo taken. It was now time to resume work on his client’s arm. Raph is a feisty young man with significant vital energy and there’s nothing wrong with that, I hope to have captured some of his personality here.
Footnote:
Raph’s path and mine have since crossed on a number of occasions, sometime we just have a brief conversation, sometimes I ask for another portrait, here is one I prefer.