Virginia's Flowers Forecast Spring

This is a quick one for Monday morning, on the last day of February, with spring looming just around the corner. Here's one of Virginia's tattoos:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwuC9kWUGLFii85lEYZkPUinLyO8EKxPlhObSfoE6G414zMthXzGgBeku9JtI_lKn_sFXBtvENOLmLFxhupFhSoEeS-BHDjXYD1O9-ioHZ6tng26dv6nbp02QqKyLvriMzepSMM5_HW4s/s1600/Gingers+flowers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwuC9kWUGLFii85lEYZkPUinLyO8EKxPlhObSfoE6G414zMthXzGgBeku9JtI_lKn_sFXBtvENOLmLFxhupFhSoEeS-BHDjXYD1O9-ioHZ6tng26dv6nbp02QqKyLvriMzepSMM5_HW4s/s640/Gingers+flowers.jpg" width="412" /></a></div><br />Virginia is a long-time reader and fan of Tattoosday who I have met on anumber of occasions. This is the first piece she has shared with us.<br /><br />This floral tattoo is at the top of her right shoulder and was done by <a href="http://www.handofglorytattoo.com/pages/craig.html">Craig Rodriguez</a> at <a href="http://www.handofglorytattoo.com/">Hand of Glory</a> in Brooklyn.<br /><br />She explains further, "We are all hoping for an early spring. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narcissus_%28plant%29">Daffodils</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forget-me-not">forget-me-nots</a>. It is a memorial tattoo. I always bring yellow flowers to the cemetery when I honor my family members."<br /><br />Work from Hand of Glory has appeared previously <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/search/label/Hand%20of%20Glory%20Tattoo">here</a> on Tattoosday. A piece of Craig's was featured <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2009/06/marks-gypsy-tattoo-pays-tribute-to.html">here</a>.<br /><br />Amen to the early spring! Thanks to Virginia for sharing this lovely tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

Virginia's Flowers Forecast Spring

This is a quick one for Monday morning, on the last day of February, with spring looming just around the corner. Here's one of Virginia...

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Jessica's Floral Half-Sleeve

A trip to the Fairway market in Red Hook last month was not only remarkable for the experience with the cheese monger, but because I met Jessica, the owner of this beautiful tattoo:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL1bzDVLibfKCktszn_HlPXgBauSwN5QSKvCNFvvN2R5sMsl44eXemHmnd6ppyytcj41IiUp2UV7q5r3H_P4Nh_BATqD9hwz6NwZ_N5XF9YmtWv74KpMK8EeYF9VsWLc85o_d1f9_g/s1600/Floral+Fairway+wm+rotate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL1bzDVLibfKCktszn_HlPXgBauSwN5QSKvCNFvvN2R5sMsl44eXemHmnd6ppyytcj41IiUp2UV7q5r3H_P4Nh_BATqD9hwz6NwZ_N5XF9YmtWv74KpMK8EeYF9VsWLc85o_d1f9_g/s640/Floral+Fairway+wm+rotate.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN2RH-pPOCJaTbSTN8-n04yKBWg6EGNZcfohllo4BOXl47OW1m0sn6ibuC08klakWo5ogrJ_sVScUfySmxPz1YD6_P9q2NB9vFY1eK65CCuxOWQGHeVuQgn4liSzZUvBdJZWxCoWgw/s1600/Floral+Fairway+2+wm+.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN2RH-pPOCJaTbSTN8-n04yKBWg6EGNZcfohllo4BOXl47OW1m0sn6ibuC08klakWo5ogrJ_sVScUfySmxPz1YD6_P9q2NB9vFY1eK65CCuxOWQGHeVuQgn4liSzZUvBdJZWxCoWgw/s640/Floral+Fairway+2+wm+.png" width="306" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">I love the variety of flowers, colors, and textures: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFITE-bDVK720cfnAfseXm2_hE2COGls0Tk-2-mF8fUVMzrdRutMAmS0ZkePtd89-DmbHx-w89I79Fuw3KQlHfz9pXhGuxayfYJYw7KefGUOVUB-W-omphIbBzDiXQeSgjF_9FBYUs/s1600/Floral+Fairway+2+detail.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFITE-bDVK720cfnAfseXm2_hE2COGls0Tk-2-mF8fUVMzrdRutMAmS0ZkePtd89-DmbHx-w89I79Fuw3KQlHfz9pXhGuxayfYJYw7KefGUOVUB-W-omphIbBzDiXQeSgjF_9FBYUs/s640/Floral+Fairway+2+detail.png" width="424" /></a></div><br />Jessica credited this work to Greg at <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Poughkeepsie-NY/Planet-New-York-Tattoo/149896683154">Planet New York Tattoo</a> in Poughkeepsie.<br /><br />Thanks to Jessica for sharing this beautiful tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

Jessica's Floral Half-Sleeve

A trip to the Fairway market in Red Hook last month was not only remarkable for the experience with the cheese monger, but because I met Jes...

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Two Segements of Renae's Arm

I spotted a whole lot going on with Renae's left forearm, while browsing at the Chelsea Salvation Army store, so I just had to ask.<br /><br />Let's deconstruct:<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Zl2vnzFiPnUg1Vf2RFMD48Uedvb7vEeI-uijrmVKvrkdPvniGpyxQ7pVG922f-HxBusTElj2_l3VQ4CDIKgUml9nJD1g5a1ZSYMAL6Jduowme3Y7Qcte-Upo2y603EWA8pYAWyI5/s1600/Renae+Collage+wm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Zl2vnzFiPnUg1Vf2RFMD48Uedvb7vEeI-uijrmVKvrkdPvniGpyxQ7pVG922f-HxBusTElj2_l3VQ4CDIKgUml9nJD1g5a1ZSYMAL6Jduowme3Y7Qcte-Upo2y603EWA8pYAWyI5/s640/Renae+Collage+wm.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><br />The first part of this tattoo is the dark heart on the inner part of the forearm. Renae attributes this to Rob at the <a href="http://www.myspace.com/hartandhuntingtonorlando">Orlando branch</a> of <a href="http://www.hartandhuntingtontattoo.com/">Hart and Huntington</a>. In over three years of inkspotting, this is the first piece on Tattoosday that has been credited to one of their shops.<br /><br />Renae, who has "no idea" how many tattoos she has (which is synonymous for "too many to count"), wanted to add to her arm, so she headed to <a href="http://www.brooklyninktattoo.com/">Brooklyn Ink</a> in Bay Ridge.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.brooklyninktattoo.com/alex_tattoos.html">Alex Franklin</a> was given free reign, according to Renae. Her exact quote was "use your imagination and run," which must be music to many a tattooists ears.<br /><br />Alex did the flourishes around the original tattoo, along with the phrase "gutta cavat lapidem," a Latin phrase by Ovid which translates to "dripping water hollows out a stone," which is a shortened version of the line "Dripping water hollows out stone, not through force but through persistence." This quote is known to many New Yorkers who have seen it inscribed underground <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/anniemole/2867842328/">here</a> (with a broader description <a href="http://www.mta.info/mta/aft/permanentart/permart.html?agency=n&line=D&station=4&artist=1&img=1&xdev=240">here</a>).<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />And he tattooed the piece on the other side of the arm:<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn4g72pc4MZKa1PO-ABTy84CPagEfR0FUJj0VQ-CNNEyXbIyaE3yer6vj1rlZ4LLV2lKyF0V3YV0Pn0V1X-3TeGMSvnS_IfACeB6-i6wigTPZ1-jGGUOmbLlwYQGo48HmsHoBILJSj/s1600/Renae+floral+wm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn4g72pc4MZKa1PO-ABTy84CPagEfR0FUJj0VQ-CNNEyXbIyaE3yer6vj1rlZ4LLV2lKyF0V3YV0Pn0V1X-3TeGMSvnS_IfACeB6-i6wigTPZ1-jGGUOmbLlwYQGo48HmsHoBILJSj/s640/Renae+floral+wm.jpg" width="250" /></a></div><br />Work from Brooklyn Ink (and a lot by Alex) has appeared previously on Tattoosday <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/search/label/Brooklyn%20Ink">here</a>.<br /><br />Thanks to Renae for sharing her tattoos with us here on Tattoosday!

Two Segements of Renae's Arm

I spotted a whole lot going on with Renae's left forearm, while browsing at the Chelsea Salvation Army store, so I just had to ask. Let...

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Alex Shares a Floral Tattoo, Roots and All

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Sometimes I see tattoos before I see people.<br /><br />Back in July, for example, I approached a guy on the West 4th Street subway platform to ask him about this tattoo on his right forearm:<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJGe2eJewFRzsOU2jkt9toyTSa17GtDG8Qij3BZoy-dFX3u8I3rQWQVCDguSY27XhRkEFcFXwWlbFDQlxJpcEUTVx_cH9bEcWwxAQpfk3SB0WPuJ4fKaFBeP05J3-siCdfHou-6meo/s1600/alex+floral+1+wm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJGe2eJewFRzsOU2jkt9toyTSa17GtDG8Qij3BZoy-dFX3u8I3rQWQVCDguSY27XhRkEFcFXwWlbFDQlxJpcEUTVx_cH9bEcWwxAQpfk3SB0WPuJ4fKaFBeP05J3-siCdfHou-6meo/s640/alex+floral+1+wm.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>It was only after I said hello to him that I realized he was someone named Alex who lives in my neighborhood in Brooklyn.<br /><br />In fact, Alex had a tattoo featured <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2008/07/honoring-his-son.html">here</a> back in 2009, after I stopped  him in the laundromat.<br /><br />This floral tattoo is a representation of how a flower overcomes obstacles and pain to lay down roots, rises up, and blooms.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJtPsLi8iID5bk5ZDlVI8lY2YXxCrnmv7jceQmcS-nfTrYU8FniIns1LDOynYqGZseL3oGBL7NHolgHtMql7rVqBS0PJqE2QYI2MQQTOP9ee8-5poJDEMQ325LXwBIMqtTGuJXTGc0/s1600/alex+floral+1+detail+wm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="383" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJtPsLi8iID5bk5ZDlVI8lY2YXxCrnmv7jceQmcS-nfTrYU8FniIns1LDOynYqGZseL3oGBL7NHolgHtMql7rVqBS0PJqE2QYI2MQQTOP9ee8-5poJDEMQ325LXwBIMqtTGuJXTGc0/s400/alex+floral+1+detail+wm.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />He draws the comparison to life, as nothing comes without hard work and bypassing obstacles.<br /><br />The tattoo was created by Shon Lindauer at <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/New-York-NY/Thicker-Than-Water/225369517165#%21/pages/New-York-NY/Thicker-Than-Water/225369517165?v=wall">Thicker Than Water</a> in Manhattan. Shon is the same artist that did the <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2010/01/tyger-tyger-burning-bright.html">tiger on my calf</a>. Other work from Thicker Than Water has appeared previously on Tattoosday here.<br /><br />Thanks to Alex for once again sharing his work with us here on Tattoosday!

Alex Shares a Floral Tattoo, Roots and All

Sometimes I see tattoos before I see people. Back in July, for example, I approached a guy on the West 4th Street subway platform to ask him...

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Shaina's Back Piece Blooms

A post-work errand had me walking down 6th Avenue to 23rd Street where, to my delight, I ran into Shaina, whose large back piece stopped me dead in my tracks. Lucky for me, and all of our Tattoosday readers, she had no problem sharing it with us here:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2BxNWi5W7_98FoIQ_OCb-Sz32zWMlPL8JzXP7LpAqRidTJJ2xrX5zFckaAS0EhlhPqn8D4J3s8OKJAf_i56XMmlHXyAf6tCACLVaUFrTkP0ByDwJKbQnG4a3_OfYbnKwI4Yd3TBmG/s1600/Shaina+Back+wm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2BxNWi5W7_98FoIQ_OCb-Sz32zWMlPL8JzXP7LpAqRidTJJ2xrX5zFckaAS0EhlhPqn8D4J3s8OKJAf_i56XMmlHXyAf6tCACLVaUFrTkP0ByDwJKbQnG4a3_OfYbnKwI4Yd3TBmG/s400/Shaina+Back+wm.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />This piece is a cover-up (more on that later) and initially was born out of a desire for a large bunch of purple flowers. Shaina explained that, at six feet tall, her size can sometimes take the edge off of her feminine side. "I try as hard as I can to be girl-y," she said, and she embraced her floral design as "a sign of girliness".<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs45eqL_VQzOzyDNJZUrUVBDg8pfqvHcIXy-Q3uZJCnOVeoyVjzYxUwQq9XJ8keukmuDgeC1jhgHu7UlQvGBKzH79ClJO_k5HSkHD65Ja4xyCpV-ooOryTAVubFNpGkTW5NA67r9mq/s1600/Shaina+Back+detail+wm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="307" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs45eqL_VQzOzyDNJZUrUVBDg8pfqvHcIXy-Q3uZJCnOVeoyVjzYxUwQq9XJ8keukmuDgeC1jhgHu7UlQvGBKzH79ClJO_k5HSkHD65Ja4xyCpV-ooOryTAVubFNpGkTW5NA67r9mq/s400/Shaina+Back+detail+wm.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />As time passed, the whole tattoo, which Shaina estimates was composed in five four-hour sessions totaling twenty hours, took on additional elements. When her grandmother passed away, she added a memorial line for her ("In Loving Memory of Eleanor Vespie) along with the red carnations, which were her favorite flowers.<br /><br />She later added the additional memorial on her neck, for her cousin Tasha.<br /><br />The tattoo was created by <a href="http://www.myspace.com/cliff_evans">Cliff Evans</a> at <a href="http://www.hellhoundmusic.com/fuzionink/">Fuzion Ink</a> in Norfolk, Virginia.<br /><br />Of course, I had to ask about the tattoo she covered up. Shaina looked at me, and I'll give her points for honesty, she confessed, the original tattoo had been a portrait of the Icelandic singer <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bj%C3%B6rk">Björk</a>.<br /><br />She looked at me. I looked at her. "Don't take this the wrong way," I cautioned her, but what would possess you to do that?" Shaina had good humor about it. Like a lot of eighteen-year olds, what seemed cool at the time, in retrospect seemed ill-chosen. But there are many amazing tattoos out there that might not exist had they not been needed to cover up an earlier, less memorable piece.<br /><br />Thanks kindly to Shaina for not only sharing her lovely back tattoo with us here at Tattoosday, but for taking the time to chat so candidly about her body art.

Shaina's Back Piece Blooms

A post-work errand had me walking down 6th Avenue to 23rd Street where, to my delight, I ran into Shaina, whose large back piece stopped me ...

Read more »