I met Matt one afternoon as he stood among the masses at the southwest corner of Madison Square Garden, waiting for a bus out of town.
This is his tattoo which he shared with us, covering his upper right arm:
The message is simple: silence is golden. I love how the side skulls spill off of the front skull, and how the teeth of the primary jaw are fused together.
Matt attributes this piece to "deep life experiences" and how it serves as a reminder to keep his head on straight.
He told me he's "been low and wants to stay higher" and that "keeping what I've done to myself has given me the ability to achieve what I have in life".
Frog tattoos are extremely symbolic but additionally truly adorable and humorous. They're usually displayed as armbands, around the decrease back again, ankles, shoulders, upper back again, chest and so on. Frog tattoos are found all around the globe. Tree Frog tattoos are perfect for any youthful person's initial kind of physique artwork.
The Frog image is really a well-liked tattoo style that cuts throughout several cultures. The frog is generally observed as being a instructor, as being a manual to understanding supernatural powers and in addition as being a mentor. You'll discover that in several cultures, the frog is related to the capability to leap from 1 state of consciousness to an additional. Frog tattoos are 1 from the most magical and oldest type which stands for metamorphosis, regeneration and which provides new directions in one's existence.
Several from the indigenous Americans think about the frog to become the 'Great Rain Maker'. Using the final snowfall of spring the snowflakes touching the floor would develop into frogs announcing that the salmon would quickly arrive. The Frog tattoos is related to h2o and also the moon which is really a image of fertility, prosperity and wealth for the coastal tribes in North America. The traits naturally possessed by the frogs have created humankind revere these delightful small creatures. Several Indigenous American tribes think that the frog brings rain along with a great quantity of contemporary Christians put on a frog image because of the acronym Eternally Depend on God.
For these and several other factors, Frog tattoos are gaining quickly in reputation. Frogs which are depicted as tribal tattoos or as Celtic tattoos are extremely well-liked. Frog tattoos might not be as broadly sought out as another tattoo styles, but this might extremely nicely be a great factor as you're particular to create a distinctive assertion with this piece. Frog tattoos are as diverse and various because the several species of frogs that they visually signify.
Frog tattoos also can signify the brilliance and colour from the pure globe. They might be created having a plain outline, or you are able to let your creativeness run wild with brilliant, daring colours and much more intricate styles. Frogs could be mixed with flowers, vines, h2o lilies and much more. Toxic frogs might add some thing of an edge to those tattoos, and might be utilized as being a image from the character of its wearer - stunning however untouchable!
Some individuals might choose a much more cartoon like depiction for his or her Frog tattoos. These items frequently display the frog inside a crouching place having a adorable, dopey, or occasionally even a sarcastic appear on it is face. Several cartoon Frog tattoos display the creature with its tongue poised for flicking at flies, or sitting peacefully inside a pond on a h2o lily. Tribal and Aztec Frog tattoos are also an fascinating twist on this style.
Earlier this summer, I posted a couple of tattoos from Joe, seen here.
Needless to say, Joe became a fan, and updated me with a new tattoo, below:
Joe explains:
"The picture is fresh from the artist finishing it. It is "C077X" and is a nod to James Franco and General Hospital. He is my fav actor and I have been watching General Hospital for at least 21 years. It is the the tag that "Franco" sprayed on everything when he recently guest starred on GH as an artist/serial killer. His character's name is Franco, reflecting that art imitates life. A motto the actor and character believe, and so do I. That is why I got the tattoo. To prove art imitates life!"
Photo Credit: ABC via http://sn.soapnet.go.com
The tattoo was inked by Rob at Brooklyn Ink. Rob originally appeared here as a contributor here. And is one of several artists that has represented Brooklyn Ink over the years on Tattoosday. This label links all of the work from the shop previously seen on Tattoosday.
Thanks to Joe for sharing his new tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!
The same night I met Brian, I met Rachel, who has eight tattoos.
She shared this one with me:
This piece on her left biceps is based on the work of artist Kurt Halsey. This little bird appears in multiple works by the artist, but Rachel imagined it for her own personal situation. She got it after a break-up a couple of years ago, and the tattoo gave her the strength to "let the bird go". In this case, the bird represents the ended relationship and the tattoo is a transitional piece that helped her recover from the difficulty of moving past it.
I met Brian in Barnes & Noble, Union Square, back in August and he shared two tattoos with us. Put your thinking caps on, folks, because Brian, who is a video artist (website here), has very cerebral ink.
First up is this tattoo, on Brian's left biceps:
This tattoo is based on an illustration entitled "Every Night We Are Haunted by a Dream" by the artist Alfred Kubin (1877-1959).
Jede Nacht besucht uns ein Traum (Every Night We are Haunted by a Dream), ca. 1902-03 Pen and ink, brush, wash, and spray on paper 39.1 x 31.8 cm (15 3/8 x 12 1/2 in.) Albertina, Vienna
Brian explained that this work corresponded very closely to the publication of Sigmund Freud'sThe Interpretation of Dreams, and that Kubin's illustration represents "art between the cusp of pre-surrealism/expressionism and surrealism". It speaks to Brian's understanding of the perception of dreams and art.
Brian also had these words inscribed on his inner right forearm:
The words "Créer Dangereusement" are the French title of a 1957 essay by Albert Camus entitled "Create Dangerously". This "essay on realism and artistic creation" likewise spoke to Brian who acknowledged that "all art is a political act". It makes perfect sense, if you think about it, in that no great work of art was ever created by the artist playing it safe. It is those who created dangerously that are remembered as trailblazers and icons in their respective fields.
Brian had both of these tattoos done in Austin, Texas.
Thanks to Brian for sharing his artistic ink with us here on Tattoosday!
I met Danny in Penn Station early in August just as he was about to board a train.
Before he headed to his platform, however, he allowed me to take this photo of his tattoo-in-progress on his upper right arm:
He explained that the koi swimming upward on his bicep represented that he was still moving upstream, that is, he was "still overcoming struggles, trials and tribulations". He added that he would get another koi on his left arm, facing downstream, when he had completed his struggle in life.
Before we could talk further, however, he had to run for his train. Fortunately for me (and for you, dear Readers), he e-mailed me shortly thereafter with some more details:
"The leaves are Japanese maples...Everyone gets the traditional lotus flowers, etc. But I chose a leaf that represents no religion or significant meaning to it. I would have gone with the Korean national flower [Hibiscus syriacus] but that, too, had meaning behind it. Many flowers that are traditionally on bodies are either Buddhist or Catholic, etc. Coming from a Christian background, I chose one without any meaning. How can I live with a Buddhist lotus on my arm?
At the time I got the tattoo I was confused with life... Direction, purpose, goals, meaning.. I had obstacles and self goals I had to achieve and was in a standstill (not drug-related or any of that sort). I looked to the pain tattooing offers and how it puts your mind in a zoned-out state, which I now thrive for when I'm stressed. It's therapy to me. I'll update you when I find an artist to finish this tattoo. The windbars were left open to expand."
I met Sara on the 36th Street subway platform in Brooklyn last month during the late afternoon rush hour commute.
What can I say? I'm a sucker for words and this tattoo looked poetic:
Sara filled me in. She has three tattoos and this passage "spoke to her". She wanted something religious for her 30th birthday.
This is an excerpt (verse 4) from Psalm 37 in the Bible.
The verse reads "Delight thyself also in the Lord, and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart" [King James Version]. Sara changed the thee and thine to read me and my, respectively, making the verse more personal.
This was tattooed by Alex Franklin at Brooklyn Ink in Bay Ridge. Work from Brooklyn Ink (and much from Alex) can be seen on this Tattoosday label here.
Thanks to Sara for sharing her source of inspiration with us here on Tattoosday!
One thing regular readers may notice is that I tend to prefer singular tattoos, as opposed to larger "concept" pieces. This preference is what you see illustrated here on Tattoosday.
However, once in a while, I see work that, although atypical of our content, is irresistible.
Just check out Khalil's sleeve, which I captured one day after work in Penn Station:
Representing thirty-two hours of work by Mike Boissoneault at Black Lotus Tattoo Studios, in North Kingstown, Rhode Island, Khalil explained that this vision represents a spin on a biomechanical design, "but more organic".
To him, in a world in which people are becoming less human, this tattoo reminds him to be human.
Here's a "fresher" shot from the Black Lotus website:
I met Christina one day after work while walking outside of Madison Square Garden.
She had this incredible tattoo, which she gladly shared with us here on Tattoosday:
This tattoo that covers her upper left arm was actually done in two segments by artist Orrin Hurley, who currently tattoos at Dare Devil Tattoo in Manhattan.
As for the source material behind this beautiful tattoo, Christina chose a piece of art by Frances Olive Esme Eve:
A closer look at the tattooed owl shows how it was changed, but you can still see that there is still a lot from the original design:
The lighthouse was inspired by the Portland Head Light on Cape Elizabeth, Maine.
Thanks to Christina for sharing her tattoo with us here on Tattoosday.
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 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:
Living next to Lake Michigan 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.
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.
This is also the second tugboat of the summer. The first one is here.
Thanks to Stacy for sharing her tugboat with us here at Tattoosday. Perhaps we'll see her panther when the Tattooed Poets Project returns next April for its third year!
Last month I met Melinda on the West 4th Street subway platform, a location I came to appreciate this past summer for its diversity of interesting tattoos.
Our conversation began on the platform in Manhattan and ended in Brooklyn after a trip on the D train.
Melinda has two tattoos and she shared this one, from her inner left forearm:
She explained that this tattoo is based on the shield of Minerva (in the Roman pantheon) and Athena (in the Greek pantheon).
The shield features the head of the serpentine-tressed Medusa who, if you didn't know, could turn creatures (men, mostly) to stone with a simple gaze.
Melinda loves the contrast between the Minerva and Medusa figures and the relationship between the two mythologies.
The tattoo was inked by Kelly Krantz, of the now defunct Hold Fast Tattoo in Brooklyn. Kelly now tattoos by appointment only, and more details can be found on his website here. Work by Kelly has appeared previously on Tattoosday here.
Thanks to Melinda for her good company on the D train back in August, and for sharing her tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!
I met Liz last month on the West 4th Street platform as we were waiting for the D train.
She has six tattoos, including a really cool Brooklyn Bridge tattoo that she designed and, she proudly told me, Exene Cervenka once complimented her on.
The tattoo she shared with us, however, is this design of a Tyrannosaurus Rex, inked on her upper right arm:
The piece was modeled after the fossil displayed prominently in The American Museum of Natural History, where her brother had worked for a period of time. The tattoo is an homage to the time she spent there.
The tattoo was inked by Christopher Depinto aka The Ink Shrink at Shotsie's Tattoo in Wayne, New Jersey. Work from Shotsie's has appeared previously on Tattoosday here.
Thanks to Liz for sharing her dinosaur tattoo with us here at Tattoosday!
I met Nick outside of Penn Station and, of his "six or seven" tattoos, he offered up this one:
Nick had this AK-47 inked on his stomach to pay homage to his Russian heritage. He told me that this tattoo was done by Fernando Alvarez out in Los Angeles.
Thanks to Nick for sharing his ink with us here at Tattoosday!
I met Simona in Park Slope, Brooklyn, back at the end of July. At the corner of Prospect Avenue and Prospect Park West, just outside of the Holy Name Church.
Simona had an unusual script around her right bicep:
The line displayed is "Et Eärello Endorenna utúlien," which means "Out of the Great Sea to Middle-earth I am come".
This tattoo was inked by one of the best tattooers of script around, Stephanie Tamez at New York Adorned. Work from Stephanie has appeared previously on Tattoosday here.
She placed the tattoo there because that is where Jews who were interned during the Holocaust had been tattooed by the Nazis. It's tattooed there as an expression of solidarity with her faith and, as a reminder to never forget the horror that was the Holocaust.
Thanks to Simona for sharing her tattoos with us here on Tattoosday!
When I met Chloe back in July, I didn't think that the tattoo she offered would be saved for an anniversary, or a special occasion, but that is how it played out.
In fact, when I approached her in the Union Square Barnes & Noble, I was more interested in a design on her thigh. However, she dismissed that tattoo, one of her first, and offered up this relatively crude rendering of the American flag:
By crude, I mean unpolished, and I do not mean it disrespectfully. For Chloe disclosed that this was a "stick and poke" tattoo that she and her friend Luke had given one another when in school.
Chloe was a Visual Arts major and explained that, in college, everyone seemed to be "poo-poohing on America," and this bothered her.
It is occasionally the case where college students, from their campuses, speak out against our country.
But Chloe and Luke wanted to make their own personal statements. "We do have a lot here," she told me, and expressed her dismay at those fellow students who seemed to take our freedoms for granted.
Chloe loves American culture (especially Westerns) and is "super-jazzed about Americana".
Despite the fact that it was not professionally done, it seems appropriate that this tattoo appear here on Patriot's Day, on a day on which we give pause, and remember what America is about. Our freedom is not something to take for granted and, whereas we certainly have a right to voice our discontent with the government, we should also not take for granted the freedoms we do have, those that make us who we are.
Thanks to Chloe for letting us unfurl her flag here on Tattoosday, on this day in which we should all pause and reflect, remembering how fortunate we Americans are to live in such a wonderful country.
I also encourage people to check out previous Patriot Day posts here, here and here.
Earlier this week, author Karen E. Olson released the third installment of her Tattoo Shop Mystery series, Driven To Ink.
For those readers who may not be familiar with Ms. Olson's series, you can check out my reviews of the first two books, here (The Missing Ink) and here (Pretty in Ink).
The series features Brett Kavanaugh, a Las Vegas-based tattoo artist, and a cast of supporting characters, from her police officer brother Tim, to fellow artist and competitor Jeff Coleman, owner of the shop Murder Ink. Kavanaugh's staff at The Painted Lady, a high-end tattoo shop at the Venetian Hotel and Casino, also offers up some memorable characters, including Bitsy, the diminuitive shop manager.
Driven To Ink, like its predecessors, has an "only in Las Vegas" feel, with a well-crafted narrative that, this time around, revolves around a drive-thru wedding chapel called "That's Amore" that features a handful of Dean Martindoppelgängers crooning, you guessed it, "That's Amore".
Olson has once again spun a riveting tale, which finds Brett Kavanaugh discovering a dead Dean Martin imperspnator in her trunk, with a tattoo machine's clip cord around the victim's neck. She had just lent her car, a Mustang Bullitt, to Jeff Coleman's octogenarian mother, Sylvia, so she could get married in style at the That's Amore chapel.
What I love about Karen Olson's books is that tattoos are seen above and beyond base clues in a murder mystery. She treats the vocation with utter respect, explaining things to the reader as if they were new to a tattoo studio. Tattoos may serve as clues, but they are not regarded as these huge totems that define their owners.
Brett Kavanaugh is an enjoyable protagonist, not without faults, and the author let's the reader tag along on her adventures that start off innocently enough, but pull her into deeper and deeper water. It's no surprise that one of the recurring characters is an Emergency Room doctor, as medical attention seems to be needed from time to time, making this mystery series ring truer than one in which the hero (or heroine) dances through their adventure unscathed.
Olson's first book in the series was a novelty. A new mystery with tattoos at the center of the narrative. After three volumes, Brett Kavanaugh seems more real, more human, than ever before.
A word to the skeptics, those tattoo snobs who may scoff at the light-hearted appearance of these books: Karen Olsen has given a gift to the tattoo community in the form of Brett Kavanaugh. Driven To Ink is another great mystery, with a respectful and honest portrayal of one artist/sleuth who just happens to be a tattoo shop owner.
I have enjoyed every one of Ms. Olson's books and Driven To Ink is yet another chapter in the fascinating life of Brett Kavanaugh. I'm looking forward to her next installment which, I am led to believe, is tentatively called Ink Flamingos.
Check out Karen talking about her first Tattoo Shop Mystery here:
Here's another orphan post. I took the picture, got the name, a shred of info, and passed a flier. And even though I saw Heather, the host of the tattoo, a week later, walking by me one day in a hurry, I never got to the bottom of this tattoo. So it goes....
Heather credited this to an artist named "Joanne" with a long French name. Any guesses? Anyone?
The art of tattoo in today’s time define the attitude of a tattoo lover. It now gains popularity as a way of expressing their thoughts, beliefs, their attitudes toward life, ideals, or someone’s name very close to their heart. Despite of various trends, the most famous and in demand designs consist largely of written text. More often it’s a name, date, or scripture. There are numerous -Cool Tattoo Design- Lettering Styles for Text Tattoos that you can choose. The right tattoo lettering font depends on your preference and the length of the word. This makes your body design as unique as the person who owns it.
sexy textual tattoos
There are some considerations to take for your -Cool Tattoo Design- Lettering Styles for Text Tattoos comes out clean and just the way you want it. Don’t assume that because lettering is so common, it must be easy for any tattoo artist to do it. There are artist who excel more in lettering than the others.
sexy textual tattoos
Once you have decided the right wordings for your – Cool Tattoo Design- Lettering Styles for Text Tattoos is the next most important decision to make. There are many tattoo lettering styles and designs that are available. Choosing a perfect one for you can be a tedious job. There are two most common and maybe the most popular style of tattoos lettering-the scripture (or Cursive writing) and the lettering in block. Consequently, Celtic tattoo lettering, Japanese tattoo lettering and Tribal tattoo lettering are all popular choices. The Chinese tattoo lettering style is also very popular. Because of the beauty of its letters that are available in a variety of fonts and sizes, and also the meaning behind the words.
There is a saying “a picture is worth a thousand word”. Nevertheless, one word is enough to describe everything. Bear in mind that tattoo is a permanent body design. Not choosing the right tattoo text no matter how excellent the design is can ruin the whole effect. Your tattoo font style must be clear. It is always better to consider the advice of your artist.
It is of utmost importance to pay close attention to the skills and experience of your tattoos artist. Tattoo lettering is a very complex procedure, thus requiring professional or skillful tattoo artist. Take extra steps to check the experience of your artist. A skillful artist does not leave out various details especially the spacing between two letters. It may seems too trivial but is speaks at length about the talent and experience of the artist.
The recent and perhaps the excellent form of tattoo lettering being used today are the ambigrams.. An ambigrams is a word that is written in such a way so that it can be read from any direction. This is new but is gaining popularity and considered as the latest craze in the tattoo industry.
Of course, there is no official way of knowing this but if I were a betting man, which in fact I am, I would say that butterfly tattoo designs are the most popular tattoos for women. Other popular tattoo designs for women are flowers, namely the Rose, crosses and angels as well as cherubs which are oftentimes mistakenly identified as angels.
When you think about it it really isn’t all that difficult to figure out why women love butterfly tattoos so much. You can incorporate a huge palette of beautiful, rich colors or go with the minimalist design by using black to define the shape. And speaking of shapes, there truly is an endless array of sizes, styles and shapes, limited only by your imagination.
Let’s face it, butterflies are cool. They are beautiful to look at and thier silent grace pacifies and captivates all that see them. They are also symbolic in many ways as the otherwise unattractive larvae grows into a beautiful creature. I’m sure that that acts upon people on a deep psychological level and plays a substantial role in the popularity of butterfly tattoo designs.
And of course what woman does not want to be thought of as being beautiful, graceful and free. A butterfly tattoo is also something that will age appropriately on the person that it is inked on. Unlike many of the other tattoo designs that we see, it is pretty much age appropriate for women of all ages.
Butterfly tattoos are highly customizable as far as size, shape and colors are concerned as we pointed out earlier but they are also ideal for just about every woman in that they can be placed just about anywhere on the body and still look great. You certainly can’t say that about most other tattoo designs. They look great on the hip, upper back, lower back, arm, stomach, chest or just about any other part of the body you can think of.
Butterfly Tattoo Designs
Another very clever way to customize butterfly tattoo designs is by incorporating text in the tattoo. Some clever tattoo artists can even create the body of the butterfly by spelling out a name, usually the name of the person that the tattoo is inked on or a loved one such as a child. Names can also be incorporated anywhere within the design. Perhaps in the wing for example.
There really is an endless amount of possibilities that you can come up with. Be clever. Do something completely original and make it your own. It is suggested that you look at as many butterfly tattoo designs as you can possibly find and start jotting down ideas of how you would like yours to look. You will see it forming right before your eyes. Then all you have to do is find a good tattoo artist and make it come to life.
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, like its predecessors, has an "only in Las Vegas" feel, with a well-crafted narrative that, this time around, revolves around a drive-thru wedding chapel called "That's Amore" that features a handful of 
