Sarah Channels Emma GoldmanI recently had the intense displeasure of discovering that my camera had broken. For someone whose spare time is spent taking pictures of other people's tattoos, this was a harrowing experience, especially since my BlackBerry's camera is flash-less and takes good pictures under only specific lightin…
Ganesh Waits for the A TrainActually, Kerry was waiting on the platform for the uptown A Train when I walked by at 34th Street.How could I not stop and ask her about this tattoo:This absolutely stunning depiction of the Hindu deity Ganesh took between eight and nine hours to complete. Guy Ursitti at Thicker Than Water is the t…
Sean Shares a Host of Traditional TattoosI ran into Sean at the Foodtown in my neighborhood and when I stopped to talk to him about his tattoos (he has nine), I ended up with photos of several pieces, all of which reside on his left arm.Most of the designs are traditional tattoo subjects, all of which were inked by Eli Quinters at Smith St…
Sugar Skull Sunday - One From RyanSince I seem to capture more sugar skulls than any other design, why not reserve a day just for these decorative symbols which, at their roots, have deep religious significance?Two weeks ago, I met Ryan, who has ten tattoos.Of that lot, he offered up this design on his left bicep, which Charlie Foos…
Katie's Tattoos: A Tribute and a MemorialI met Katie on 34th Street one afternoon when I stopped to ask her about her foot tattoo:This tribute piece on her left foot is for her cousin, whose initials are JMS. The letters sit astride the ribbon designating awareness for the disease Multiple Sclerosis (MS). The two feet represent the fact th…
Leyna's Balloon Keeps Her GroundedLeyna was leaving the Borders at 2 Penn Plaza when I spotted one of her tattoos and asked about it.This was the tattoo in question:It is located on the back of her left leg, on the calf.The design was inspired by the cover art from the Modest Mouse record We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank.Leyna…
Chris Returns with a New Tattoo Putting a Face on AddictionEarlier this month, I posted about Chris's tattoos (here) and how they represented his battle with addiction.This past weekend, Chris sent me a follow-up, showing me a new tattoo he had just had inked. It's certainly worth sharing here, as it is not only impressive work, but it continues addressing …
Anthony's Dragon (and more!)I spotted Anthony on the N train in Brooklyn and was happy to see him also switching for the local R train at 59th Street.As luck would have it, both of us were headed home to Bay Ridge.Anthony has a bunch of tattoos, and I snapped this photo of the dragon on his upper right arm:It was inked by Joe …
Jenn's Ink Celebrates a Seventies VibeOn a day that found me unsuccessful with inkspotting the 5th Avenue Festival in Bay Ridge, Fate walked me past Jenn, sitting outside a laundromat a block away from my home.She happily shared the work on her upper left arm:These stunning colors encircled her biceps.She said this piece, inked by Jared…
Lisa's Guardian AngelI met Lisa recently on the subway platform at West 4th Street.She had this cool tattoo on her right forearm:The tattoo, which took four hours to complete, is Lisa's guardian angel.Lisa told me that this is a representation of her guardian angel, a "spiritual guide," although she emphasized that she'…
A Father's Day Bonus: Janet Spots Ink on the SubwayLast month, my friend Janet (whose ink was featured on Tattoosday here) sent me the following photo: Janet reports:"I took this pic in the 1 train, 23rd Street downtown subway station. The guy was *lovely* and looked like a big construction worker. His name is James, and so is his son's, pictured."I…
Katie Carries Her Father's Heart (and Her Mom's and Brother's, Too)As a tribute to dads today on Father's Day, here's a tattoo from earlier in the week:This tattoo, on the upper left side of Katie's back, is more of a family tribute, than just a father's honor, but her dad did have a hand in the design.The words are from the last line of an e.e. cummings poem, "i c…
Belinda's Penny-FarthingAt the end of May, I spotted Belinda's unusual bicycle tattoo on the 34th Street subway platform during Friday afternoon rush hour: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.Belinda explained tha a while back sh…
Sebastian's Sugar SkullA small post about a sugar skull for a Friday.I met Sebastian on 33rd Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues last week.Among his several tattoos is this sugar skull that was inked by New York City artist Byron Velasquez: Byron now tattoos out of Abstract Black NYC. Work from Byron has appeared pre…
Hannah's Parrot is a Love BirdI spotted this avian tattoo on the right calf of Hannah one afternoon in a Duane Reade store:Hannah explained that this tattoo is romantic at its core.Married couples often have pet names for one another, or nicknames, at the very least. Hannah and her husband Kevin are no exception to this rule.The…
Kat's Mucha Tattoo, With a Twist of Lemony SnicketAt 31st Street and 7th Avenue, I stopped Kat to ask about her ink.She was happy to see me and had been wondering, having previously read Tattoosday and knowing she worked in the same area as I did, if our paths would ever cross.She has seven tattoos (and a cool blog here), but we focused on the larg…
Julie's Crazy TattooInkspotting can be impulsive, but I also like to approach each volunteer after some consideration.Rather than rush up on someone and barrage them with questions, I like to make sure the tattoo(s) in question are not only interesting to me, but will be interesting to others.When I spotted Julie's bac…
Anna's Marriage TattooWith inkspotting, timing is an essential part of the luck in finding interesting tattoos.I was about to leave the James Farley Post Office when Melanie called me on my cell. During the several minutes that we spoke, a woman named Anna walked up next to me and started preparing an envelope for mailin…
John's Tattoo Identity (With a Bonus Vendetta)I met John recently in a local drug store in the Bay Ridge section of Brooklyn.I had actually seen John once previously in the store, but had been unable to speak to him at the time, so I was happy when I ran into him again.His upper right arm is a Star Wars tribute, but I shot the left arm instead.…
Bigfoot and a Bowl of FruitI stopped Tony and Emily, an Australian couple, as they were crossing 33rd Street near Eighth Avenue late last month. No offense to Tony, but Emily's half-sleeve really jumped out at me from across the street, so I was thrilled when they agreed to stop and talk tattoos with me.First, here's a collag…
