Kerry Unveils Some Masterpieces

A couple weeks ago, I felt like I had won the Tattoosday lottery. In my own neighborhood, I ran into Kerry, who had a bit of a tattoo peeking out of her left sleeve. I stopped her and introduced myself, and she shared some simply phenomenal work. We'll get to that left sleeve in a second, but Kerry figured I'd be impressed with this tattoo on her upper right arm:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYKgtFB-nU7bjLdxX1gaDMhzjhtimFA6p0nqtyDw3VxWqcMi9YxV90o5cdRqcDDpt6O-ZYheqzttDokPTcOKvXrO1j8AszkLCFX04cjl2AR0nAYvSxVUXGfJMX8MuCDg0dLCiYrbX6rKI/s1600/Gupta+Butterfly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYKgtFB-nU7bjLdxX1gaDMhzjhtimFA6p0nqtyDw3VxWqcMi9YxV90o5cdRqcDDpt6O-ZYheqzttDokPTcOKvXrO1j8AszkLCFX04cjl2AR0nAYvSxVUXGfJMX8MuCDg0dLCiYrbX6rKI/s400/Gupta+Butterfly.jpg" width="370" /></a></div><br />Well, she was certainly right about that!  This is a piece by <a href="http://www.anilgupta.com/">Anil Gupta</a> at <a href="http://www.inklinestudio.com/">Inkline Studio</a> in Manhattan. The detail of this work is astonishing.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguRj-NnID-BloY6EbK56oqAUVmLIJXWueukZzKG5KuZyH6vqWJP-ZVJs_y6EQlqnNxNTSJwG0VVOnNra4uNJK313ECIcPL0s2C3iKvwdft8XHj0JLPnpU0Pq9LMi9gCILn004Xo7jlE8w/s1600/Gupta+Butterfly+detail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguRj-NnID-BloY6EbK56oqAUVmLIJXWueukZzKG5KuZyH6vqWJP-ZVJs_y6EQlqnNxNTSJwG0VVOnNra4uNJK313ECIcPL0s2C3iKvwdft8XHj0JLPnpU0Pq9LMi9gCILn004Xo7jlE8w/s400/Gupta+Butterfly+detail.jpg" width="396" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Anil Gupta is considered a master of the biomechanical tattoo. Kerry explained:</div><blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">"I'd seen Gupta's work and I really wanted something in the biomechanical style ... I just thought of a butterfly, which is usually something very feminine and soft, just made it out of parts and steel ... like a cool mix of the styles ... we just kept building and adding more stuff to the design ... he was great to work with."</div></blockquote>To get a full appreciation of the tattoo, check out the work from Gupta's portfolio. Simply stunning!<br />  <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzDb9iuw0x5-5_5ketuJljFSRvWTyQSHSDZX0j4CYMjWwyX7dz1io8pnlMhjE_y9y59183dvzZDlYYcDiijl3Hmu79RRXgEnppxIbIqF1Y_bac7T-deCHl5kO6EliTGsm2ggoaxNzWmbc/s1600/Gupta+Butterfly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzDb9iuw0x5-5_5ketuJljFSRvWTyQSHSDZX0j4CYMjWwyX7dz1io8pnlMhjE_y9y59183dvzZDlYYcDiijl3Hmu79RRXgEnppxIbIqF1Y_bac7T-deCHl5kO6EliTGsm2ggoaxNzWmbc/s400/Gupta+Butterfly.jpg" width="382" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">That's twenty-five hours of work by a master of the biomechanical.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Remember, it wasn't the Gupta tattoo that caught my attention, but this colorful section of a sleeve, on the lower part of Kerry's left arm:</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtTCS4apTC7v4r1ZtMHoSA7pKK0dZxBypwaB9DeIXL8-2AIHGZQP4-BEszO8Y5P-yqBYj-iBgX8CuJ3HLnazMZfLQYvk1V8vU9hA8W6x4XfRRCdEP2Jr4TZamNm7twv80N-TmzdUAJg4M/s1600/Samurai+monster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtTCS4apTC7v4r1ZtMHoSA7pKK0dZxBypwaB9DeIXL8-2AIHGZQP4-BEszO8Y5P-yqBYj-iBgX8CuJ3HLnazMZfLQYvk1V8vU9hA8W6x4XfRRCdEP2Jr4TZamNm7twv80N-TmzdUAJg4M/s640/Samurai+monster.jpg" width="270" /> </a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Kerry rolled up her sleeve to reveal the entire arm:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_IbGXvS6opzv8Mo2hSK8Mknkcljoom-WJGw52KW4Gt5ojwZKqi4FsIRZLq-Tj_MiVcFGZ45DuCm8p__Hq_EKJZfdgTUg1c3VkZ-h-d8k1TTOgs0Km9WE6T7fhNW10odaH1LG3IDqpIYc/s1600/Samurai.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_IbGXvS6opzv8Mo2hSK8Mknkcljoom-WJGw52KW4Gt5ojwZKqi4FsIRZLq-Tj_MiVcFGZ45DuCm8p__Hq_EKJZfdgTUg1c3VkZ-h-d8k1TTOgs0Km9WE6T7fhNW10odaH1LG3IDqpIYc/s640/Samurai.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Wgl_w20BmplqAFpP6DgLEZtI16A4yCEBoodWwRONvO4YQiLiLaSSEbE8AWzAb1ibJyC3O_2M04UaVisRgP2WpCEvc88OILv8wz9JT3nhAfJwKJh-_cvI8zfcHH-M6ND9GvOzOE7h9ps/s1600/Samurai+bottom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_Wgl_w20BmplqAFpP6DgLEZtI16A4yCEBoodWwRONvO4YQiLiLaSSEbE8AWzAb1ibJyC3O_2M04UaVisRgP2WpCEvc88OILv8wz9JT3nhAfJwKJh-_cvI8zfcHH-M6ND9GvOzOE7h9ps/s640/Samurai+bottom.jpg" width="216" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">What you see is approximately forty-two hours of work by the talented <a href="http://blog.nyadorned.com/search/kaz">Kaz</a> at <a href="http://blog.nyadorned.com/">New York Adorned</a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Kerry explained the genesis of this sleeve:</div><blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">"I saw this picture when I was looking up samurai stories, because I'm a martial artist and, initially, we were just going to do it half-sleeve, but then just decided to go whole hog. Kaz is really good, so I just let him go crazy with it."</div></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> Kerry's focus in martial arts is grappling and kick-boxing. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And to think, I would have missed all of this amazing work, had I not been intrigued by the head of this Japanese monster, peeking out from one of her sleeves!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY56vEFwQ1PJXlABNv-VP6zYxuyM85sVhtWd3nofraR6anL0wfcYiCGJxv_CaQkK19F5ZwYOMuvxfDSqSwLqDtpAeflPtrtiTU3YMYbQ61aNw99Ad3aEfJELRhovcIhRQNDLgEq90QFIY/s1600/Samurai+monster+detail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY56vEFwQ1PJXlABNv-VP6zYxuyM85sVhtWd3nofraR6anL0wfcYiCGJxv_CaQkK19F5ZwYOMuvxfDSqSwLqDtpAeflPtrtiTU3YMYbQ61aNw99Ad3aEfJELRhovcIhRQNDLgEq90QFIY/s400/Samurai+monster+detail.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Thanks to Kerry for sharing her simply stunning tattoos with us here on Tattoosday!<br /><br /><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";}</style> <![endif]--> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-small;">This entry is ©2011 Tattoosday. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-small;">If you are reading this on another web site other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://tattoosday.blogspot.com</a> and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.</span></div>

Kerry Unveils Some Masterpieces

A couple weeks ago, I felt like I had won the Tattoosday lottery. In my own neighborhood, I ran into Kerry, who had a bit of a tattoo peekin...

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Nicole Takes Us to Candyland

At the beginning of the month, I had the pleasure of encountering a young lady named Nicole in Herald Square (34th Street and 6th Avenue, for you out-of-towners).<br /><br />Nicole is heavily inked, estimating that "about 45%" of her body is tattooed.<br /><br />So with so much work, where to begin? She offered up her lower left leg, which is fully-sleeved.<br /><br />I always find photographing sleeves challenging, because it is so hard to capture all of the details accurately and perfectly in a photograph. So here's a collage of Nicole's <a href="http://www.hasbro.com/games/en_US/candyland/">Candyland</a> sleeve:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh775Bs9TyHP25ZOhXTYTkq2Fiugt2nRvthzeLdBUCnAaxFStv40LFBZqUgv1OSDuF9zYiq2kJgKnzGFpBzctrf9CgBH8qX0OJ3IbNRJG_LpJ1sTea53FScRyDn6CIRcRhE1P6ix67BIXQ/s1600/candyland+collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh775Bs9TyHP25ZOhXTYTkq2Fiugt2nRvthzeLdBUCnAaxFStv40LFBZqUgv1OSDuF9zYiq2kJgKnzGFpBzctrf9CgBH8qX0OJ3IbNRJG_LpJ1sTea53FScRyDn6CIRcRhE1P6ix67BIXQ/s400/candyland+collage.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Why a Candylamd-themed sleeve? Nicole explained, </div><blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">"Growing up, that was my favorite game in the whole world.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGSYaVXpoXxfM0hLp70iEQCbPs6mq5mDfjSYFRwW16DOOv289b5etbWT8fQk8cpWPg7qJWzsAJ4ohm5SqesR2aM-qYZBz6oEPN17aBBpP4-ecaogsxwmjlb2oC5by3WRXR_iIH64uhyU4/s1600/Candyland+Back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGSYaVXpoXxfM0hLp70iEQCbPs6mq5mDfjSYFRwW16DOOv289b5etbWT8fQk8cpWPg7qJWzsAJ4ohm5SqesR2aM-qYZBz6oEPN17aBBpP4-ecaogsxwmjlb2oC5by3WRXR_iIH64uhyU4/s640/Candyland+Back.jpg" width="230" /></a></div><br />Getting my tattoos never really <i>meant</i> anything, so that was kinda the one, like, childhood thing . . . I feel like if you're a girl, you should have pretty, colorful tattoos ... otherwise, you don't look 'girly' anymore.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Mq6EqekGH6iyiNMeJ6K8ft6H8dTVMBq5P2zLd9fJYUHRjzN29wPud5ldf4RVVhRguCW7z1r2vzCQWY0dQ-bhADDR1MRu6zoG7D1nCo1StmRUZb9Rt8-IAuiQtSjm67tKc9JPqRGNJgI/s1600/Princess+Candyland.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2Mq6EqekGH6iyiNMeJ6K8ft6H8dTVMBq5P2zLd9fJYUHRjzN29wPud5ldf4RVVhRguCW7z1r2vzCQWY0dQ-bhADDR1MRu6zoG7D1nCo1StmRUZb9Rt8-IAuiQtSjm67tKc9JPqRGNJgI/s640/Princess+Candyland.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><br />So that's why I did that."</blockquote>Nicole credited <a href="http://www.bryanrandolphtattoo.com/">Brian Randolph</a>, formerly of <a href="http://nyadorned.com/">New York Adorned</a>, with this work <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7HJLkjlS5Wyvlb0Pb4NlSGQaKq3hw7YyA8eOnAURK1K9XHh6-ZgUPlcgaIRjpysIgp4eOGBQlTO7-_pgjNbw7wLigH9p3dwt3Y9etaE6YvQi3OrM09Y_BPvke9_VZ_TzUnsVi3WqxYlA/s1600/Ice+King+Cone+detail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7HJLkjlS5Wyvlb0Pb4NlSGQaKq3hw7YyA8eOnAURK1K9XHh6-ZgUPlcgaIRjpysIgp4eOGBQlTO7-_pgjNbw7wLigH9p3dwt3Y9etaE6YvQi3OrM09Y_BPvke9_VZ_TzUnsVi3WqxYlA/s640/Ice+King+Cone+detail.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br />Nicole informed me that Brian had moved to California, but he comes back and forth every six months.  She did say that, although this work is solely from Brian, she also gets tattooed by <a href="http://www.kingsavenuetattoo.com/artist_bio.asp?id=4">Justin Weatherholtz</a> at <a href="http://www.kingsavenuetattoo.com/">Kings Avenue Tattoo</a> in Massapequa, New York.<br /><br />Thanks to Nicole for sharing her incredibly colorful leg sleeve with us here on Tattoosday!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-small;">This entry is ©2011 Tattoosday. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: x-small;">If you are reading this on another web site other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://tattoosday.blogspot.com</a> and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.</span>

Nicole Takes Us to Candyland

At the beginning of the month, I had the pleasure of encountering a young lady named Nicole in Herald Square (34th Street and 6th Avenue, fo...

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Emily's Typewriter

Last week, on Eighth Avenue, I spotted an incredible tattoo on the back of a woman's calf and knew that I had to speak to her about it. Check it out:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0rVCLB9kgK73fpwkCLDJm6qkbyB8ZOSxSFw9uYSQbzDh1F0fVqh2AXYwb1txj09gNJpZ0GWNBJZOF05da7XFqxA3DOski-5YX4vYwSQCd-u_oFyKALUiT-waHnuKDqeviYWi0u3LGv00/s1600/emily+types.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0rVCLB9kgK73fpwkCLDJm6qkbyB8ZOSxSFw9uYSQbzDh1F0fVqh2AXYwb1txj09gNJpZ0GWNBJZOF05da7XFqxA3DOski-5YX4vYwSQCd-u_oFyKALUiT-waHnuKDqeviYWi0u3LGv00/s640/emily+types.jpg" width="408" /></a></div><br />This vintage typewriter belongs to Emily, and was tattooed by one of my favorite artists in New York, <a href="http://virginiaelwood.wordpress.com/">Virginia Elwood</a> at <a href="http://www.nyadorned.com/home.htm">New York Adorned</a>. You can click the tag at the bottom of the post to see other work of Virginia's that I have been fortunate enough to spot in my Tattoosday travels.<br /><br />Emily explained that she is a writer, and wanted a vintage typewriter inked to represent her vocation. My guess she had decided on one of these <a href="http://www.machinesoflovinggrace.com/royals.htm">Royal</a> typewriters, and then Virginia worked her magic. Emily elaborates:<br /><blockquote><br />"I asked her originally to give me a little typewriter on top of the books here:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuTIP-c4rFCzfLXrpLSitwzpL1ItOjrRyU1BaqXXMgf_bkxzNH1qSS_xEmP3hpdVCgkA-cr6gScEBB6nEN_EhDEZ0nAQ0s0XXAuHxEalE59LhpMkoWQylYengp9rrAX3T_WQe3IoxGTt8/s1600/Emilys+books.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuTIP-c4rFCzfLXrpLSitwzpL1ItOjrRyU1BaqXXMgf_bkxzNH1qSS_xEmP3hpdVCgkA-cr6gScEBB6nEN_EhDEZ0nAQ0s0XXAuHxEalE59LhpMkoWQylYengp9rrAX3T_WQe3IoxGTt8/s400/Emilys+books.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />but there wasn't enough room ... [Virginia] was like <i>It'll be too small if I put it on your arm, we'll have to do a big one to get the best detail</i>."</blockquote>The rest, as they say, is history.<br /><br />Emily has nine tattoos in all, counting a half-sleeve as one large piece, and all of her work has been done by Virginia.<br /><br />Emily is managing editor for a website called <a href="http://www.xojane.com/">xoJane</a>, and has even written about her tattoos. She directed me to <a href="http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/2ABM4y/www.xojane.com/sex/my-tattoos-make-guys-think-im-easy">this article</a> she recently wrote, called "<a href="http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/2ABM4y/www.xojane.com/sex/my-tattoos-make-guys-think-im-easy">My Tattoos Make Guys Think I'm Easy</a>." She's got a smart style that really taps into the heart and soul of the subject. I'm sure many tattooed women can relate to the sentiment in that piece. She also pointed to a <a href="http://www.xojane.com/entertainment/ny-ink-megan-massacre-sexism">more current article</a> she wrote, with some input from Virginia, as well, about <a href="http://www.xojane.com/entertainment/ny-ink-megan-massacre-sexism">sexism in tattoo shops</a>, specifically with the drama in the premiere (and subsequent episodes) of the latest tattoo reality series, <a href="http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/tv/ny-ink"><i>New York Ink</i></a>.<br /><br />I, for one, certainly recommend checking out Emily's site, <a href="http://www.xojane.com/">xoJane</a>, and exploring not only her contributions, but those of the other writers, as well.<br /><br />Thanks to Emily for sharing her incredible work with us here on Tattoosday, and for talking with me, even though she was running late. I do appreciate it and hope we'll see more of her tattoos here in the future!<br /><br /><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-small;">This entry is ©2011 Tattoosday. </span></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-small;">If you are reading this on another web site other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://tattoosday.blogspot.com</a> and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div>

Emily's Typewriter

Last week, on Eighth Avenue, I spotted an incredible tattoo on the back of a woman's calf and knew that I had to speak to her about it. ...

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Tova's Mockingbird Takes Wing

<div class="MsoNormal">Late last month, I met Tova at my local Borders store. She was sporting this incredible tattoo on her upper left arm:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF0pFMSfmSfR8UKUb2jMs-rp9E_OPxQdi46abtFJHRppLn3KRzl8ebc2w7j_l0DtlTjA7yJ5Q2Ol0jEDit4wlWyb174O88z0PsBnwvmFs-bEjQqeXQx06MzEfXsxWnT0x2a3qGmsQAfTI/s1600/Mockingbird.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF0pFMSfmSfR8UKUb2jMs-rp9E_OPxQdi46abtFJHRppLn3KRzl8ebc2w7j_l0DtlTjA7yJ5Q2Ol0jEDit4wlWyb174O88z0PsBnwvmFs-bEjQqeXQx06MzEfXsxWnT0x2a3qGmsQAfTI/s640/Mockingbird.jpg" width="450" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">When she told me she had it recently inked at <a href="http://nyadorned.com/">New York Adorned</a>, I guessed correctly that <a href="http://virginiaelwoodtattoo.com/">Virginia Elwood</a> had been the artist. Virginia in incredibly talented, and seems to especially excel at bird tattoos (her work has been seen previously on Tattoosday <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2010/08/kristinas-rooster-crows-in-honor-of-her.html">here</a>, <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2010/03/stevies-tattoo-calms-and-inspires.html">here</a> and <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2011/02/melanies-marilyn.html">here</a>).</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Tova explained that she loves birds, and that this mockingbird reflects a turn of events that occurred in Southern California. She described to me how, the night before she had to take <strike>defend</strike>  her Ph.D. exams <strike>dissertation</strike>, her husband had a guest staying with them, and this individual seemed particular insensitive to the momentous occasion Tova was facing the next day, as he was playing loud music well into the night.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">Tova recalled how her anxiety and displeasure over this guest’s inconsiderate activity forced her from her home in search of a little peace and quiet. As she circled her block, she was struck by the large number of mockingbirds that were flying around.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">She successfully passed her exams <strike>defended her dissertation</strike> and associates the mockingbird with this landmark event in her life.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal">As her Ph.D. Is in English, I asked her if she was familiar with one of my favorite poems, Charles Bukowski’s “The Mockingbird”. She wasn’t, so I suggested she check it out and I thought it appropriate to share here:</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><blockquote><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">the mockingbird<br /><br />the mockingbird had been following the cat<br />all summer<br />mocking mocking mocking<br />teasing and cocksure;<br />the cat crawled under rockers on porches<br />tail flashing<br />and said something angry to the mockingbird<br />which I didn't understand.<br /><br />yesterday the cat walked calmly up the driveway<br />with the mockingbird alive in its mouth,<br />wings fanned, beautiful wings fanned and flopping,<br />feathers parted like a woman's legs,<br />and the bird was no longer mocking,<br />it was asking, it was praying<br />but the cat<br />striding down through centuries<br />would not listen.<br /><br />I saw it crawl under a yellow car<br />with the bird<br />to bargain it to another place.<br /><br />summer was over.</span></div></blockquote><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;"> ~</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">Thanks to Tova for sharing her stunning tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-small;">This entry is Copyright ©2011 by Tattoosday, with the exception of "The Mockingbird," which is </span><span style="font-size: x-small;">Copyright ©1972 by Charles Bukowski.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />If you are reading this on another web site other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://tattoosday.blogspot.com</a> and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div>

Tova's Mockingbird Takes Wing

Late last month, I met Tova at my local Borders store. She was sporting this incredible tattoo on her upper left arm: When she told me she h...

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Melanie's Marilyn

A trip to the laundromat on Saturday yielded a meeting with a young lady who had a couple visible tattoos on one of her feet and an ankle. Fortunately, my curiosity got the better of me because, when I asked her about them, she revealed much better work, namely this phenomenal Marilyn Monroe portrait on her inner right forearm:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHscEkATI48EQF7FGqJGdb-UOi77ogA-DRI-dqZ7bRKjoEAN6BAOWZbhMr1fLAthKH23eqfkYz5yK10w2cpA0osJFYfWm6DbsyThPB2z3gkHi47QA3tQHYiwN_p_aFnh16qWvQHny0tC8/s1600/Marilyn.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHscEkATI48EQF7FGqJGdb-UOi77ogA-DRI-dqZ7bRKjoEAN6BAOWZbhMr1fLAthKH23eqfkYz5yK10w2cpA0osJFYfWm6DbsyThPB2z3gkHi47QA3tQHYiwN_p_aFnh16qWvQHny0tC8/s640/Marilyn.jpg" width="398" /></a></div><br /><br />This stunning work was created by the incomparable Virginia Elwood at New York Adorned. I have been fortunate to encounter Ms. Elwood's work previously <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2010/08/kristinas-rooster-crows-in-honor-of-her.html">here</a> and <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2010/03/stevies-tattoo-calms-and-inspires.html">here</a>.<br /><br />Melanie is a huge fan of Marilyn Monroe and she is proud to wear this icon on her sleeve. Clicking on the tag for Marilyn Monrow below will reveal other Marilyn tattoos that have appeared previously on Tattoosday.<br /><br />Thanks to Melanie for sharing this phenomenal portrait with us here on Tattoosday!

Melanie's Marilyn

A trip to the laundromat on Saturday yielded a meeting with a young lady who had a couple visible tattoos on one of her feet and an ankle. F...

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Stacy's Amigo Tugs Her Back to Milwaukee

At the end of July, I ran into Stacy waiting for the <a href="http://www.mta.info/nyct/service/fline.htm">F train</a> at West 4th Street in Manhattan.<br /><br />She had a panther peeking out from under her shirt on her back, but we couldn't get the whole tattoo in a shot, so she offered up this piece on her right arm:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglG_b1Z-UPeDL5hyphenhyphenVuhEtjdgJ6HieFMey_B_tEXUNDDNUjrc9qhdMWHL_IZ4Kz_TunFSNoKu_DF4skKXtnL-blueRPK1dBRJgfr2t2-8EL6k7XCZHJZyjpU2Su5UjT_IUABiie2uxo/s1600/Tugboat+wm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglG_b1Z-UPeDL5hyphenhyphenVuhEtjdgJ6HieFMey_B_tEXUNDDNUjrc9qhdMWHL_IZ4Kz_TunFSNoKu_DF4skKXtnL-blueRPK1dBRJgfr2t2-8EL6k7XCZHJZyjpU2Su5UjT_IUABiie2uxo/s640/Tugboat+wm.jpg" width="446" /></a></div><br />Stacy is a poet and the Artistic Director of <a href="http://poetryproject.org/">The Poetry Project</a> at <a href="http://stmarksbowery.org/">St. Mark's Church</a> in New York City. She has been here five years and originally hails from <a href="http://www.ci.mil.wi.us/">Milwaukee</a>.<br /><br />Living next to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Michigan">Lake Michigan</a> has many benefits. Having always lived in a location near a large body of water, I can relate to her admiration for the beauty of a seascape, whether it be an ocean or a great lake.<br /><br />Stacy told me she enjoyed watching the tugboats in her home town, and that these small vessels are a "connective image" that draws her back to her original home.<br /><br />This tattoo was designed and inked by <a href="http://stephanietamez.com/">Stephanie Tamez</a> at <a href="http://www.nyadorned.com/">New York Adorned</a>. Work from Stephanie on Tattoosday can be viewed <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/search/label/Stephanie%20Tamez">here</a>.<br /><br />This is also the second tugboat of the summer. The first one is <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2010/07/andy-honors-hercules.html">here</a>.<br /><br />Thanks to Stacy for sharing her tugboat with us here at Tattoosday. Perhaps we'll see her panther when the <a href="http://tattooedpoets.blogspot.com/2010/03/index-of-tattooed-poets.html">Tattooed Poets Project</a> returns next April for its third year!

Stacy's Amigo Tugs Her Back to Milwaukee

At the end of July, I ran into Stacy waiting for the F train at West 4th Street in Manhattan. She had a panther peeking out from under her ...

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Under One Small Star - Two Tattoos from Anna

I met Anna earlier this month in Penn Station. I felt compelled to stop her when she walked by and I caught a glimpse of this amazing tattoo:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdkCS75W9EgVzClRs4sIXM6y4N20JtYuSYasMODqHFlS_FgE9ATlAnOIS1dXoYao8SCH9KiqLK5inxZAHm4HJnYqSfbt0J93oz4nbbVy7aB8J4XwCsdsI_aagJvdHzq8y6OZh3cO0G/s1600/Khmer+line+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/AVvXsEjdkCS75W9EgVzClRs4sIXM6y4N20JtYuSYasMODqHFlS_FgE9ATlAnOIS1dXoYao8SCH9KiqLK5inxZAHm4HJnYqSfbt0J93oz4nbbVy7aB8J4XwCsdsI_aagJvdHzq8y6OZh3cO0G/s640/Khmer+line+1+wm.jpg" width="428" /></a></div><br />I love seeing ink that is new and original, and I had never seen a line of anything run up the length of a leg like this.<br /><br />Anna explained that this was a line of poetry that reads "My apologies to time for all the world I overlook each second" that she heard on a trip to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobel_Prize_in_Literature">Cambodia</a>. Her group leader, Jan, had shared the poem, "Under One Small Star" by Polish <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nobel_Prize_in_Literature">Nobel Laureate</a> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wis%C5%82awa_Szymborska">Wislawa Szymborska</a>, and the verse meant a lot to her during her trip there. This one specific line really resounded with her, so she first "paid a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khmer_language">Khmer</a> translation site and then had a friend [she] made in Cambodia, Ponheary, check the translation just to make sure it was correct". <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoVA8syIJohJoZMPsJ0vlcW6O9u5h9Y5aHE3paGdyrFVqRTXN5B8y4mr-nIYmzWj4CxoTP5n05rZLjN9hbqmALaSf01Mfg4aQkDou6jSN8qZ4siuvFOY-XzfdoHc9DKJf1ZEJUvnm2/s1600/Khmer+line+1+detail+wm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoVA8syIJohJoZMPsJ0vlcW6O9u5h9Y5aHE3paGdyrFVqRTXN5B8y4mr-nIYmzWj4CxoTP5n05rZLjN9hbqmALaSf01Mfg4aQkDou6jSN8qZ4siuvFOY-XzfdoHc9DKJf1ZEJUvnm2/s320/Khmer+line+1+detail+wm.jpg" /></a></div><br />I love the international flavor of this tattoo - a poem originally in Polish, translated to English, then re-translated to Khmer, transcribed in flesh in America!<br /><br />The line runs from top to bottom and was inked by Jason at <a href="http://powerhousetattoo.com/home.html">Powerhouse Tattoo Company</a> in Montclair, New Jersey.<br /><br />The poem is reprinted in its entirety at the end of this post.<br /><br />Since it is Tat-Tuesday, let's look at a second tattoo from Anna, this one on the back side of her right arm:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu_N_KO83UrwxxP5t-eNGxh65hBPkZIM1r8ny3Zacp_tbkuWEl96FXV9mS3M0C1drFCbtcBibBynEt1OQ2MN5LDr3YS5jiz5d64yrc_DM49z45kfLWHj8uQJWXlbCTNafOZXWrUscw/s1600/Joan+of+Arc+wm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu_N_KO83UrwxxP5t-eNGxh65hBPkZIM1r8ny3Zacp_tbkuWEl96FXV9mS3M0C1drFCbtcBibBynEt1OQ2MN5LDr3YS5jiz5d64yrc_DM49z45kfLWHj8uQJWXlbCTNafOZXWrUscw/s640/Joan+of+Arc+wm.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><br />This is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joan_of_Arc">Joan of Arc</a>, "a hero of mine," says Anna, who admires her from the feminist perspective and finds her an "unbelievably inspirational" historical figure.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd1glGhX1g-JeyhEaS66dcRcD2z-7Ye9s-UqyctK81Q_XhS95g2B-KltEnqeaqF7aCjOIX0Vfe-on81MGUTLGP0n8SYhkeRVVecOQVJB1vLtLIMbrUc_IxtDeRq40MHnmE85lMme4b/s1600/Joan+of+Arc+detail+wm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd1glGhX1g-JeyhEaS66dcRcD2z-7Ye9s-UqyctK81Q_XhS95g2B-KltEnqeaqF7aCjOIX0Vfe-on81MGUTLGP0n8SYhkeRVVecOQVJB1vLtLIMbrUc_IxtDeRq40MHnmE85lMme4b/s400/Joan+of+Arc+detail+wm.jpg" width="306" /></a></div><br />This piece was tattooed by the wonderful <a href="http://stephanietamez.com/">Stephanie Tamez</a> at <a href="http://www.nyadorned.com/">New York Adorned</a>. Stephanie's work has appeared previously on Tattoosday <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/search/label/Stephanie%20Tamez">here</a>.<br /><br />Thanks again to Anna for sharing these two of her seven tattoos with us here on Tattoosday!<br /><br /><blockquote><span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>Under One Small Star</b></i></span><br /><br />My apologies to chance for calling it necessity.<br />My apologies to necessity if I'm mistaken, after all.<br />Please, don't be angry, happiness, that I take you as my due.<br />May my dead be patient with the way my memories fade.<br />My apologies to time for all the world I overlook each second.<br />My apologies to past loves for thinking that the latest is the first.<br />Forgive me, distant wars, for bringing flowers home.<br />Forgive me, open wounds, for pricking my finger.<br />I apologize for my record of minuets to those who cry from the depths.<br />I apologize to those who wait in railway stations for being asleep<br />today at five a.m.<br />Pardon me, hounded hope, for laughing from time to time.<br />Pardon me, deserts, that I don't rush to you bearing a spoonful of water.<br />And you, falcon, unchanging year after year, always in the same cage,<br />your gaze always fixed on the same point in space,<br />forgive me, even if it turns out you were stuffed.<br />My apologies to the felled tree for the table's four legs.<br />My apologies to great questions for small answers.<br />Truth, please don't pay me much attention.<br />Dignity, please be magnanimous.<br />Bear with me, O mystery of existence, as I pluck the occasional thread<br />from your train.<br />Soul, don't take offense that I've only got you now and then.<br />My apologies to everything that I can't be everywhere at once.<br />My apologies to everyone that I can't be each woman and each man.<br />I know I won't be justified as long as I live,<br />since I myself stand in my own way.<br />Don't bear me ill will, speech, that I borrow weighty words,<br />then labor heavily so that they may seem light.<br /><br /><i>--Wislawa Szymborska</i></blockquote>

Under One Small Star - Two Tattoos from Anna

I met Anna earlier this month in Penn Station. I felt compelled to stop her when she walked by and I caught a glimpse of this amazing tattoo...

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Claire's Hemaris Thysbe Flutters on Her Forearm

Butterfly tattoos can be a dime a dozen (no offense, butterfly fans), but moths, on the other hand often get a bum rap, taking a back seat to their more flamboyant insect cousins. To the chagrin of some inked <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lepidopterist">lepidopterists</a>, you don't see as many moth tattoos. This, however, is a lovely exception, perched on Claire's forearm:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCvDuZn0Dmyf5i6tJS9z5AsvvUFVGCKp8ssQ-HBXHEf7PIo_xs_Wa2O2rfVlp3RiZaKBulFmIXtEj9aLuTB5Xwdy3QHYU3n3JMB-UUCzJMq8luQt-E61JyBSNB8OhJY7zRITlJmuyD/s1600/hummingbird+clearwing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCvDuZn0Dmyf5i6tJS9z5AsvvUFVGCKp8ssQ-HBXHEf7PIo_xs_Wa2O2rfVlp3RiZaKBulFmIXtEj9aLuTB5Xwdy3QHYU3n3JMB-UUCzJMq8luQt-E61JyBSNB8OhJY7zRITlJmuyD/s400/hummingbird+clearwing.jpg" width="362" /></a></div><br /><br />This is <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemaris_thysbe"><i>Hemaris Thysbe</i></a>, more commonly known as the Clear Wing Hummingbird Moth, a beautiful insect that gets its name from its large size and rapid wing speed.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnTCe3sT-qL2eTSdB-cwyFVdJTtTmI0oDtCS-dHZe4wJdoa_2k7RLpTGipcsPOZSdoLIi220QJbBkILb91bk4ATg-KM7snDDyVypNbh120Xex0B-AjNkssmZYta6JUV5gilX3ZSMZF/s1600/hummingbird+clearwing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnTCe3sT-qL2eTSdB-cwyFVdJTtTmI0oDtCS-dHZe4wJdoa_2k7RLpTGipcsPOZSdoLIi220QJbBkILb91bk4ATg-KM7snDDyVypNbh120Xex0B-AjNkssmZYta6JUV5gilX3ZSMZF/s320/hummingbird+clearwing.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />Claire, who I met in Borders at 2 Penn Plaza, is originally from Vermont and this moth reminds her of back home. There are certainly no Hummingbird Moths fluttering about New York City!<br /><br />She found a picture she liked and took it in to <a href="http://www.nyadorned.com/gallery.php?id=22">Yoni Ziebler</a> at <a href="http://www.nyadorned.com/#bg=h">Brooklyn Adorned</a> where he recreated this lovely specimen.<br /><br />Work from Adorned appears here often and can be seen together under <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/search/label/New%20York%20Adorned">this tag</a>.<br /><br />Thanks again to Claire for sharing her Hummingbird Moth with us here on Tattoosday!

Claire's Hemaris Thysbe Flutters on Her Forearm

Butterfly tattoos can be a dime a dozen (no offense, butterfly fans), but moths, on the other hand often get a bum rap, taking a back seat t...

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Brian's Mat-tree-monial Tattoo

Late last month, I met Brian on the 34th Street A platform and he shared this amazing tattoo:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhL0pIFut_Xsd8Vofv4da2iMYbGEOCbZdBIRw4x2_uIO1uIHghNYvsdqDGl2D37QUDvRX1wbZl8JNFnimK9V4Cl4mtop7JneeLpRll_aS8HBhaSs2mce4RpoYnHR1nVkKpYMDSKMfS/s1600/tree+kaz+wm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhL0pIFut_Xsd8Vofv4da2iMYbGEOCbZdBIRw4x2_uIO1uIHghNYvsdqDGl2D37QUDvRX1wbZl8JNFnimK9V4Cl4mtop7JneeLpRll_aS8HBhaSs2mce4RpoYnHR1nVkKpYMDSKMfS/s640/tree+kaz+wm.jpg" width="216" /></a></div><br /><br />The piece was relatively fresh, having been inked only a couple weeks before.<br /><br />He explained that this tree represents the Tree of Life. He alluded to the roots that spread out, firmly symbolizing family.<br /><br />Brian also explained that it was an investigation piece: he added a key, hanging from a branch. This symbolizes his desire to unlock the meaning of life.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy3vi3MIgVYsO9BWwf5J7yYDsHHzpinQ8apSQPU4yEtnadq-kyL9YTUVT4h182SrBbHCpuQwBHeMwZl6li3jFWJHJqWKw854SehUTey5BRv519n9Qe6ivZ2laUj3Q7DtqPhUD5DQ_V/s1600/tree+kaz+key+wm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy3vi3MIgVYsO9BWwf5J7yYDsHHzpinQ8apSQPU4yEtnadq-kyL9YTUVT4h182SrBbHCpuQwBHeMwZl6li3jFWJHJqWKw854SehUTey5BRv519n9Qe6ivZ2laUj3Q7DtqPhUD5DQ_V/s400/tree+kaz+key+wm.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><br />What's doubly special about this tattoo is that it is also a marriage tattoo. Brian's wife has a similar tree on her right arm (Brian's is on the left), only with cherry blossoms instead of a key, and a baby in the design as well.<br /><br />The couple are linked not only by their vows, but by their similar ma-tree-monial tattoos. Sorry, I couldn't help it.<br /><br />The tattoo is by <a href="http://www.nyadorned.com/gallery.php?id=20">Kaz</a> at <a href="http://www.nyadorned.com/">Brooklyn Adorned</a>. Work from Kaz has appeared previously on Tattoosday <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2008/09/butterfly-koi-rising-on-arm-of-belquis.html">here</a>. And <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/search/label/New%20York%20Adorned">this tag</a>, links all previous Adorned work on the blog.<br /><br />Thanks to Brian for sharing this amazing tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

Brian's Mat-tree-monial Tattoo

Late last month, I met Brian on the 34th Street A platform and he shared this amazing tattoo: The piece was relatively fresh, having been in...

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Kristina's Rooster Crows in Honor of Her Son

It was funny, now that you think of it, the way everything came full circle.<br /><br />I was picking my younger daughter, Shayna, up from camp, when I spotted a woman approaching from the opposite direction.<br /><br />It was after six, on a weekday, and she had a small boy in tow, wearing a t-shirt indicating that he was in the same camp, albeit a younger group, as my child.<br /><br />She was displaying an amazing rooster tattoo, covering her upper left arm.<br /><br />Initially, Kristina seemed hesitant to let me take a photo, but as we talked, she changed her mind, and let me snap away.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyY9UciX2M32fIQi0QIrXV57SluDba_WzuhgpEr_KLCklMxIfym2Bnpq6VOyUzsAXSB2LhZz20af9sQuFnoG5rNMEeLJecCGayBWTtrvUWaNln7j7uDTMvmmPkcV6XVnH13vJVZYRj/s1600/Rooster+collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyY9UciX2M32fIQi0QIrXV57SluDba_WzuhgpEr_KLCklMxIfym2Bnpq6VOyUzsAXSB2LhZz20af9sQuFnoG5rNMEeLJecCGayBWTtrvUWaNln7j7uDTMvmmPkcV6XVnH13vJVZYRj/s400/Rooster+collage.jpg" width="315" /></a></div><br />This was inked by the incomparable <a href="http://virginiaelwoodtattoo.com/">Virginia Elwood</a>, who does incredible work, especially with bird tattoos. Work from Virginia, at <a href="http://www.nyadorned.com/#bg=h">New York Adorned</a>, has appeared previously <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2010/03/stevies-tattoo-calms-and-inspires.html">here</a> on Tattoosday.<br /><br />In all fairness, the right side of the tattoo is compromised in the photo above by the sun (and the bane of a borrowed camera), so the best view is the front part of the rooster: <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9MHxdIMFTot2rLMjqkFybiqnxKS1RVcf3JHE8555_KkgcHIqLMz1dlc4KMi4sqP6bF-S1vLBMhjCWe70BGLJTZtIwY1WcxU8C_OVYuiYSgU6f00r9Ky2KIhCmnDHNiJH2If3NEieU/s1600/rooster+left.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9MHxdIMFTot2rLMjqkFybiqnxKS1RVcf3JHE8555_KkgcHIqLMz1dlc4KMi4sqP6bF-S1vLBMhjCWe70BGLJTZtIwY1WcxU8C_OVYuiYSgU6f00r9Ky2KIhCmnDHNiJH2If3NEieU/s640/rooster+left.jpg" width="252" /></a></div><br />Kristina explained that she chose the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Year_of_the_rooster">Rooster</a> because that was the year in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_zodiac">Chinese Zodiac</a> in which her son was born. It certainly is a wonderful way to commemorate her child.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYwibJOmkGmGZ3ymxtKiA5RYoGN57c95NfkTuksxsWPCcrhKN2Bjagp2NA7ERj3LV7N0UXcoHqAqQB5U-bjifSulpXSRtJu823OG7_aDZNum9a7rSnv6VDRbv7gi8HOU1T5q0mCF8l/s1600/rooster+detail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYwibJOmkGmGZ3ymxtKiA5RYoGN57c95NfkTuksxsWPCcrhKN2Bjagp2NA7ERj3LV7N0UXcoHqAqQB5U-bjifSulpXSRtJu823OG7_aDZNum9a7rSnv6VDRbv7gi8HOU1T5q0mCF8l/s640/rooster+detail.jpg" width="278" /></a></div><br />Almost as an afterthought, Kristina mentioned that a couple years back, on a subway platform, someone had asked her if he could take a picture of her tattoo, still in progress, for his blog, but she politely declined.<br /><br />I thought about it for about a second when I smiled and exclaimed "That was me!"<br /><br />In three years, I've approached a lot of people about their tattoos, and they all blur together.<br /><br />But I still recall the disappointment I felt at 34th Street, when the woman with the unfinished rooster tattoo from Adorned politely declined my request.<br /><br />Lucky me, time solved that missed opportunity, and I got to see the finished product, in the bright afternoon soon, years after I had asked.<br /><br />And it was certainly worth the wait.<br /><br />Thanks kindly to Kristina for sharing her incredible rooster tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

Kristina's Rooster Crows in Honor of Her Son

It was funny, now that you think of it, the way everything came full circle. I was picking my younger daughter, Shayna, up from camp, when I...

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Belinda's Penny-Farthing

At the end of May, I spotted Belinda's unusual bicycle tattoo on the 34th Street subway platform during Friday afternoon rush hour:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuNO6l48xUeMUVKgV1Kyvqy6qLbeL8hoGYKCl339ea4rMqv-vMTffn8W-Pa28P1kBPwU21YXahmg-IREBVfsPG9q9jmIZeWTNvY25g1BYUIoLF713Icc2GKIwdb8-IEgiOWMVely2H/s1600/bike.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuNO6l48xUeMUVKgV1Kyvqy6qLbeL8hoGYKCl339ea4rMqv-vMTffn8W-Pa28P1kBPwU21YXahmg-IREBVfsPG9q9jmIZeWTNvY25g1BYUIoLF713Icc2GKIwdb8-IEgiOWMVely2H/s400/bike.jpg" width="357" /></a></div><br />Of course, I asked her about this piece on her left ankle, since it isn't too often you see old-fashioned bicycle tattoos on people.<br /><br />Belinda explained tha a while back she had gone on a pilgrimmage to Spain, which included a 100-mile trek on bicycles. This design is of the "high wheel bicycle" that was introduced in the late 19th century and is more commonly referred to as the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penny-farthing">penny-farthing</a>. She told me that this was a much more efficient bicycle than had been seen before. The larger wheel allowed it to travel better, although the falls from a much greater height were a problem.<br /><br />Belinda added,<br /><br /><blockquote>"The purpose of the pilgrimage was not religious but more a curiosity to see this path (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Way_of_St._James">the Way of St. James</a>) that people have been taking for hundreds and hundreds of years just because of faith. I felt it was a great way to see the real "Spain" by riding through the small villages and woods...we ended in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santiago_de_Compostela">Santiago de Compostela</a>..."</blockquote>This tattoo was inked by one of the artists at <a href="http://www.nyadorned.com/">NY Adorned</a>. Work from Adorned has appeared previously on Tattoosday <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/search/label/New%20York%20Adorned">here</a>.<br /><br />Thanks again to Belinda for sharing this cool tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

Belinda's Penny-Farthing

At the end of May, I spotted Belinda's unusual bicycle tattoo on the 34th Street subway platform during Friday afternoon rush hour: Of c...

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