Introducing...Dirtbird!Occasionally in my wanderings, I will meet not just tattooed people, but tattoo practitioners, and often those visiting from outside of New York City.So it was no surprise, when I approached a gentleman across the street from where I work, at 31st and 7th, to learn that I was talking to an artist…
Ride the Cyclone!In college we had a game room at the Student Union.I claimed to be a master at Arkanoid, but would occasionally play pinball. Earthshaker was fun, but there was another, carnival-themed game that would often beckon, "Ride the Cyclone!" It was, naturally, called The Cyclone.Fast forward ten years a…
Something Girly This Way ComesI met Nadya one afternoon in the beginning of October in Borders on Penn Plaza.She shared this tattoo, which covered up a date she had initially inscribed on her arm:Nadya told me that she wanted something "girly".What I found most interesting about this tattoo is that when I asked her who the artis…
Happy Thanksgiving!In honor of the holiday, I am sharing this, my newest tattoo, located above my knee on my right thigh:This was done at Hand of Glory in Brooklyn yesterday as part of the shop's $75 Thanksgiving Tattoo Special and was sponsored by Troll Skin, produced by Skin Actives Scientific.For those of you just…
Mari's Prayer, with a Twist of MathI met Mari in front of Madison Square Garden on a sunny day in October. How could I not stop and ask her about this tattoo?Mari explained that this is an Ananda prayer, that her friends were meditating on it for a week.The text, which is attributed to Sri Paramhansa Yogananda, reads:Make me thy butt…
Julia's Pin-UpI met Julia briefly in a Hudson News in Penn Station.The flash of color on her foot caught my eye:Julia explained that she is a visual artist that likes to do pin-up illustrations. This particular design she wanted to be transformed into a tattoo. She brought it to Morgan Reed at Electric Lotus Tatt…
David's Traditional HandsLast month I met David when I stopped after noticing his neck tattoo. However, it was his hands he offered up to us here at Tattoosday:David works in construction and is a contractor. He also manages the band, Drew Nugent & the Midnight Society.He has about thirty-five (35) hours of work done on his…
Two for Tattuesday Saturday: Wanderful Love Under the Cherry BlossomsIn honor of the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Part 1) , we're sharing this tattoo, which I spotted back in September:This belongs to Rich, a musician and rap artist. He's a big Harry Potter fan, as exemplified by the magic wand. The snake at the base of the wand not only symbolize…
The Great Thanksgiving Tattoo Event!Loyal readers may remember this past August when I called on fans of Tattoosday to choose (and generously bankroll) Friday the 13th tattoos for Melanie and me. If not, relive it here.Well, a recent email from the good people at Skin Actives Scientific got me thinking. They asked if I wouldn't min…
Tom's Homage to His Grandmother's Scottish AncestryI met Tom in a drug store in my neck of the woods in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.He has four tattoos and offered to share this one with us:This piece celebrates his lineage, honoring the family crest from his grandmother's side.The Scottish part of him is descended from the Clan Fergusson.The clan motto Dul…
Katie's Astrological Ink: Cancer, with Aries RisingOne of the unexpected joys in inkspotting is approaching someone about a tattoo and having them reveal one that is so much better than the piece you approached them about. It's like receiving a bonus for being curious.Such was the case with Katie, who I spotted in Penn Station when I noticed a tatto…
Andy's Watership Down SleeveI met Andy back in September in Penn Station and he shared this incredible sleeve: When I asked him about the inspiration behind this incredible work, he indicated the rabbit, which is based on his pet Fiver:I immediately recognized the name as one of the characters in Richard Adam's wonderful novel…
James Shares a Tattoo, Inspired by The Walking DeadI met James, along with his two friends (whose tattoos were shared here and here) as they were headed to Comic Con in New York last month.James shared this, one of his five tattoos:This tattoo is the an interpretation of a scene from The Walking Dead.The tattoo was done by Scottso at Matt's Tribal D…
Tim's Bleeding RoseI mentioned in my last post that I met three guys on their way to New York Comic Con when they stopped and shared their tattoos.Below we have Tim's contribution, one of his nine tattoos: This piece, on his forearm, is a bleeding rose.It was tattooed by Christopher Wilkie at Peter Tat-2 in West Hemp…
Not Your Typical Knuckles TattooLast month I was trying to figure out why so many interesting people were walking around the Penn Station area when a trio of tattooed guys enlightened me: it was the Friday commencement of the New York Comic Con.Now, I realize, I could go to one of these events and have a field day with some amazin…
Tattoos I Know: Tracy's Tributes (Re-Post)Let's take a moment and pause from our regularly-scheduled programming this Veteran's Day to remember the men and women who serve our country bravely. I've dug into the archives and reposted a friend's tattoo, which appeared originally here on Tattoosday in January 2008. Be sure to thank a Veteran t…
One of Timothy's Leg TattoosI spotted Timothy one afternoon near the intersection of 31st Street and 7th Avenue.He has thirteen or fourteen tattoos and shared one from his right leg:One can see some of the work on both legs. In the background, you can get a fairly good idea how nice the dragon is on his left, Japanese-themed…
Gavan's Hands, Folded in PrayerThis past Sunday, tens of thousands of runners gathered for the ING New York City Marathon. As luck would have it, yesterday I had the good fortune to run into Gavan, an Australian runner who had completed the marathon (his 24th!).And where the rest of New York seemed bundled for a chilly, drizzly…
Megan's Empress ImpressesI spotted Megan at the end of September walking down West 23rd Street in Chelsea.She has an amazing sleeve-in-progress but, because it is still unfinished, she offered up this tattoo, on her upper right arm, instead:This tarot card is significant because her mother is from the Caribbean and she gre…
Brandice's Family InkI met Brandice in Penn Station back in August, as she sat on the stairs by the New Jersey transit terminal. She shared her half-sleeve-in-progress on her right arm.This is the inside of the arm:Brandice explained that her work is a tribute to her family. The Confederate Flag is a nod to her family f…
John Shares More Than Just a Fly on the WallI met John walking down 7th Avenue in the upper 20s back in the beginning of September.He has six tattoos, but it was this one, on his left side, that I spotted through the hole cut in the side of his t-shirt:Fans of the popular British graffiti artist Banksy will recognize this as a tattoo based on…
