Monday, June 18, 2012

Spiro Shares a Cool John Lennon Tattoo


Being that today is Paul McCartney's birthday, I thought I would share this tattoo of John Lennon, since he and Paul are considered one of the greatest songwriting duos in popular music.

This tattoo was spotted in Penn Station earlier this month, on the back of an arm belonging to Spiro.

He got this piece done by Dave Lopez at Ron & Dave's Tattooing in Staten Island. Spiro explained that he went in with a basic idea and that Dave drew up the design and had a stencil ready in no time. It should be noted that the musical notes seen above wrap around the upper arm.

Spiro told me, "I'm a huge Beatles fan ... more John Lennon and what he stood for and his message ... so I kinda try to live by that." He added, "I'm like a little hippie born in the wrong generation."

According to Spiro, the artist Dave's mother is a huge John Lennon fan, so he was super passionate about the design of the tattoo. It always helps when your artist shares your enthusiasm for a tattoo idea!

Thanks to Spiro for sharing this cool John Lennon tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

This entry is ©2012 Tattoosday.

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 http://tattoosday.blogspot.com 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.

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Happy Father's Day from Tattoosday!

In honor of the day, I am re-posting a piece I featured on Father's Day in 2009:

Last week, I posted about a trio of friends that had recently moved from San Francisco to New York, all of them inked.

Jake was the first of the three to share his tattoo with us, and it is such a good piece, I saved it for a special occasion, Father's Day:



This is, of course, a portrait of the great comedian Redd Foxx. People of my generation (X) remember him as the bristling curmudgeon in the sitcom "Sandford and Son".


For those who are unfamiliar with the series, the show is about a widower, Fred Sanford (Foxx), raising his adult son Lamont (played by Desmond Wilson), and their junkyard business. It was a breakthrough show that was one of the first on network television to feature a minority cast.

The father-son dynamic is an ongoing theme, and Jake recalls watching the show with his dad and it being a bonding experience.

His father passed away about four years ago this month from cancer. The tattoo is not only a tribute to the great comedian, but a reminder of the times Jake spent watching "Sandford and Son" with his dad. Jake added, "I'm pretty sure if [my dad] was still around, he would get a kick out of seeing Redd Foxx on my calf."

This amazing portrait was tattooed on the back of Jake's right calf by Greg Rojas at Everlasting Tattoo in San Francisco.

As we celebrate Father's Day today, I thank Jake for sharing this awesome tattoo with us here, and invite everyone to revisit the host of tattoos previously posted on Tattoosday that pay tribute to dads. Click here to see the lot.

And, as a special treat, in the spirit of the day, I present the following clip:



Happy Father's Day from Tattoosday!

If you want more dad-related ink, check out this link which will show you all of Tattoosday's posts with a "father" tag.

Have a great day, all!

This entry is ©2009, 2012 Tattoosday.

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 http://tattoosday.blogspot.com 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.

Saturday, June 16, 2012

Blaise & A Unique Sugar Skull

I met Blaise on a sunny spring day near the corner of 8th Avenue and 33rd Street.

He has a lot of ink, the majority of which was tattooed by Alex McWatt of Three Kings Tattoo in Brooklyn.


Blaise pointed out the sugar skull in the center of his arm:


This is a sugar skull with a twist - note the rainbow  spilling forth from the jaw and, in case you can't tell from the photo, that's a shark riding the rainbow wave.

Blaise singled this out because the tattoo was conceived in partnership with his little sister. It refers to a project they had done together.

Thanks to Blaise for sharing this cool tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

This entry is ©2012 Tattoosday.

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 http://tattoosday.blogspot.com 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.

Friday, June 15, 2012

An Anonymous Half-Sleeve from the Subway

This is an orphan post - I ran into the subject on the West 4th Street subway platform back in April. She consented to my photographing her half-sleeve but, before I could get any info, including her name, her train rolled in and she left me in the station with only a few photos.

I asked her to e-mail me with details, but two months later, I still have not heard from her, so I figured I'd just share what I have, which are the photos:


If anyone knows this tattoo and can get the host to e-mail me so, at the very least, I can credit the artist, please send her my way.
  The combination of skulls and flowers, including the cherry blossoms, makes this quite a lovely piece.





Thanks to the young lady who shared her ink, wherever she may be. Her anonymous contribution to Tattoosday is greatly appreciated!

This entry is ©2012 Tattoosday.

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 http://tattoosday.blogspot.com 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.

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Be Still


I love tattoos comprised of words. When done well, they are fascinating.

The phrase "be still" on the inner left forearm of Tara, above, has a simple and beautiful meaning.

She explained that she understands the phrase as the only expression that is common to the Bible, the Koran, and ancient Hindu proverbs.

The tattoo artist used the font Dear Joe 4 and this was done at Stingray Body Art in Allston, Massachusetts near Boston.

Thanks to Tara for sharing her words with us here on Tattoosday!

This entry is ©2012 Tattoosday.

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 http://tattoosday.blogspot.com 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.

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Karen's Order of the Elephant

Coming home from the New York City Tattoo Convention last month, I ran into Karen on the R train in Brooklyn. She had this unusual tattoo on her left arm:


Karen got this on a trip to Denmark from Anders Wester at Bright Side Tattoo in Copenhagen.

It is inspired by the Order of the Elephant, the highest honor bestowed by the King of Denmark on its citizens.

Thanks to Karen for sharing her tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

This entry is ©2012 Tattoosday.

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 http://tattoosday.blogspot.com 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.

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Erica Wears Her Heart on Her Sleeve

The concept of wearing your heart on your sleeve isn't completely original, but when I met Erica in the grocery store last month, I was impressed with this interpretation:


Erica said she got this, one of twelve tattoos she has, to remind herself "not to toughen up ... you go through some shit and you kinda want to be mean and nasty and callous and it's kind of a reminder to be cool and stay neutral and be nice, no matter what."

She credited John Poverty at Thicker Than Water in the East Villlage with this tattoo. Work form John has previously appeared on Tattoosday here. He now tattoos out of Goose Tattoo in Brooklyn.

Thanks to Erica for sharing her softer side with us here on Tattoosday!

This entry is ©2012 Tattoosday.

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 http://tattoosday.blogspot.com 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.

Monday, June 11, 2012

Sarah's Romance Owl

Sarah passed me as I was leaving from work one afternoon back in March, at the corner of 31st Street and Seventh Avenue. Of course I had to stop her and she kindly let me take a photo of this colorful owl tattoo on her left arm:


Sarah explained how she went to Robert Ryan at Electric Tattoo in Bradley Beach, New Jersey:
"I kinda told him I wanted a romance owl. I’m very unlucky in love. I wanted something to bring me some luck."
She sang Rob's praises ("he's awesome") and also credited him for creating the "cosmic flower" on which the owl is perched.

Sarah is in charge of sales at Parlor Gallery in Asbury Park, New Jersey.

Thanks to Sarah for sharing this awesome owl with us here on Tattoosday!

This entry is ©2012 Tattoosday.

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 http://tattoosday.blogspot.com 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.

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Madison Shares a Coming-of-Age Tattoo

I posted Friday about meeting Lex in Penn Station here. Her friend Madison was sitting nearby, and she shared a tattoo, as well:


This tattoo is located on the side of Madison's left thigh. For those who may not be familiar with the word bildungsroman, Madison explained, "it means ‘a coming of age story’ … and my best friend and I got it ‘cause we were in Europe together traveling...”.

I think it's pretty cool to get a tattoo that alludes to a coming-of-age story when getting inked, for many, is part of that growing process.

She credited an artist named "Joe" (or Giuseppe) at Hardcore Tattoo in Rome, Italy.

Thanks to Madison for sharing this tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

This entry is ©2012 Tattoosday.

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 http://tattoosday.blogspot.com 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.



Friday, June 8, 2012

Lex and The Little Prince

I met Lex in Penn Station a couple months back and started talking to her about her tattoos. She has five and offered up this piece, which was her first:


“It’s from The Little Prince [by Antoine de Saint-ExupĂ©ry]," Lex explained, "I read it when I was a kid, it’s one of my favorite books. It means a lot to me.”

She had this done on her left arm in Seattle, by a visiting artist whose name she could not recall, at Deep Roots Tattoo.

Thanks to Lex for sharing her tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

This entry is ©2012 Tattoosday.

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 http://tattoosday.blogspot.com 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.


Thursday, June 7, 2012

Kenevin's Vikings Honor His Heritage

I met Kenevin outside of Strabucks on the corner of 31st Street and Seventh Avenue a couple months ago.

He estimates he has had about seventy hours of work done on his body and he shared an amazing tattoo anchored by this hammer of Thor in the middle of his calf:


But it was the whole piece that was truly impressive:


Kenevin, who was visiting from his home in Montreal, explained, "I was born in Norway … so these are my Vikings … they just go back to my origins in Scandinavia …". He has been in North America for about twenty years and had this done by Gil Crocker at Jolly Rogers Tattoo in Montreal.

Thanks to Kenevin for sharing this amazing work with us here on Tattoosday!

This entry is ©2012 Tattoosday.

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 http://tattoosday.blogspot.com 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.

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Avery's Spider-Man View of the City

Yesterday we met Cat and her tattoos (here, in case you missed it). But you may recall I mentioned that she was not alone. Her friend Avery was standing by and she, too, had ink to share. Of the eight tattoos she possessed at the time, she offered up this piece, from the inside of her upper left arm:


Avery explained that the panels of the tattoo depict "different parts of the city from Spider-Man comics."


She got this tattoo as an 18th birthday present and it was inked by Joey at Asylum Tattoo Studio in Brooklyn.

Thanks to Avery for sharing this cool tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

This entry is ©2012 Tattoosday.

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 http://tattoosday.blogspot.com 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.

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Cat's Eyes and More!

Back in March, on a particularly warm end-of-winter day, I ran into two young ladies in Penn Station, one of whom was named Cat. I spotted three of her tattoos almost immediately, and we had a nice discussion about her ink.


Cat explains:
"the eyes were my first [tattoos] ... on my eighteenth birthday ... I thought it would be cool to base it on my best friend's cat ... I got it just because, I'm Cat ... get cat eyes on my back, why not? It was a birthday present..."


And the name of her friend's cat? Sushi. You know I just had to ask.

The next tattoo she got was this piece on her left arm:


This is based on the art by Kurt Halsey. Cat elaborates:

"It's just always been a favorite of mine. I saw [Halsey] down in Philly and that one was my favorite print." Of course, it helps that the girl in the illustration is holding a cat.

On her opposite arm is this tattoo:


This is based on the work of Garance DorĂ©, a fashion photographer. She's just a huige fan and loves this illustration in particular.


All of the tattoos were done by Nick Trammel at Transcend Tattoo in Branford, Connecticut


Of course, when I was looking back at the photos I took of Cat's tattoos, I noticed in the Kurt Halsey-illustrated piece that the word "saying" was inked on her ribs. It was peeking out from under her top. Of course, I had to ask and Cat obliged by sending me a photo of the whole tattoo:



I'll let Cat explain in her own words:
"The one on my ribs is from the Christopher Isherwood book A Single Man. The quote is 'waking up begins with saying am and now.' It's my favorite book and for me it's just a reminder to live in the moment and not get caught up with the little things. It sounds cheesy but when I got the tattoo I was in a weird place so I like having the reminder close to me."
Thanks to Cat for sharing all of these tattoos with us on Tattoosday!


This entry is ©2012 Tattoosday.

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 http://tattoosday.blogspot.com 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.


Sunday, June 3, 2012

Laura Brooks Shares Her Parents Names and Her Toe Knuckles

I met Laura Brooks outside of Macy*s on 34th Street last month. She has a lot of tattoos (she estimates 60% of her canvas is covered), so I deferred to her, asking which she wanted to share with us here on Tattoosday.

She offered up her wrists:


These are her parents names, Davis and Blythe, and they were designed by a friend of hers whose graffiti moniker is "Gamble". She credited the actual tattooing to an artist named Joe from Beelistic's Blood Money Tattoo in Cincinnati, Ohio.


Laura Brooks also informed me that she had tattoos on her toes, but she was wearing shoes when I met her. Later that day, she held to her word and sent me a photo of her toe knuckle tattoos which read "Dirty South":


She added:
"The artist was Brent Hale at No Regrets Tattoo Emporium in Memphis, TN. It was actually his idea. I wanted to get toe knuckle tattoos & couldn't decide what I wanted it to say. He came up with it while we were working on a different piece ... The significance is kind of obvious. Hometown pride. (:
One thing about toe tattoos: by far the most painful spot. And you have to get them touched up about half a dozen times before they look right. I should probably go get them done one more time but I'm procrastinating because of the pain."
Thanks to Laura Brooks for sharing her tattoos with us here on Tattoosday!

This entry is ©2012 Tattoosday.

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 http://tattoosday.blogspot.com 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.