A tattoo of a squirrel on someone's lower back might not seem to make sense, but what does it mean to the person who has the tattoo?

One Arizona Western College student, Thomas White, has a sleeve of tattoos on one arm and a partial sleeve on the other arm. A tattoo of a dove flying past a heart on a spine represents his Catholic faith.

"It represents never giving up hope, and there will always be something good to come," says White.

He has many other tattoos, but the newest one on his arm is still making his skin peel. It is his grandmother's name above two roses, symbolizing his nana's beautiful spirit and life.

Another body-art fan, Emmanuel Flores, the spouse of an AWC student, has a tattoo across his right shoulder with praying hands holding a cross necklace and writing that says, "In loving memory of my brother." He explains that the body art is for one of his five brothers who passed away.

"My brother Emmanuel was a great man, and we used to love playing basketball and football," says Flores.

Some tattoos cannot be seen as easily as others. Part-time student Jason Molus has a tattoo on his back that he got as a teenager in the Philippines. Across the left side is a cloaked old man standing on a stone in front of a demon head.

"The stone represents reality, in a worldly sense, and the old man is in a cloak and armor made of plate metal," Jason explains. "The demon behind the cloaked man standing on the stone of reality represents the evil in the world."

There are many reasons why people get art on their body for the rest of their life, and every tattoo has a story behind it. Maybe some were drunken memories in their youth or simply an homage to a passed loved one.

Tattoos are expressive art that sometimes symbolize so much more than a literal flower, cross or dragon. People are often willing to explain their body art, and some are wishing others would ask!

Photos by Tami Hinson, Elva Herrera, Jamie Ibarra, and Kimberly Sanchez