This round of Second Street’s Flash Challenge is the ever mystical Dragon Koi! Part two in our three part series. Is it a Koi? not anymore. Is it a dragon? Not yet! The image of the dragon-headed koi represents a transformation between the two - an allusion to the story of the Koi and Dragon.

While the koi is symbolic of perseverance (see round 17 for more on koi) , dragons represent strength and accomplishment. The Dragon-koi therefore can be seen as transformation, or rebirth - the journey.

The story we hear is of millions of koi struggling upstream in the yellow river - fighting the tumultuous, persistent waters, one by one the fish surrender. Eventually there is but one koi reaching the origin of the river, at the top of the tallest waterfall, the Dragon Gate. Upon passing through the gate, the gods reward our koi-friend for it’s perseverance by turning into a golden dragon! Free to roam space and time for pearls of wisdom!

Thanks for looking! These designs are all up for grabs, if you are interested please contact me at the shop through the form below or send an email to info@sarahsavage.net with your preferred email client ✌

The Second Street Tattoo’s Flash Challenge started in 2018 as a team building exercise, and a fun way to create flash tattoo designs!

Want to check out all our artists submissions? check out our hashtag on Instagram #SSTFC

Would you like to join the fun? Complete your own submissions on Insta and hit it with the hashtag!