More F-Holes For Your FridayEarlier this month, I posted (here) about a young woman named Ariel who had F-Holes tattooed on her inner left forearm.Last week in my local Staples, I met Brian, a musician and recording engineer, and he shared his similar, and much larger tattoo:Brian didn't give me much more information (i.e. art…
Mark's Sculpture by Jinx Comes to Life (NYC Tattoo Convention)In this, our last post from the 2013 New York City Tattoo Convention, we're looking at a huge rib piece offered up by Mark:Along with Mark, I met the artist, Jinx, from Gameface Tattoos in Orlando, Florida.The piece represents about 48 hours of work and, as for its meaning, Mark said that he and Jin…
Carlos Shares a Buddha Tattoo (NYC Tattoo Convention)I met Carlos at the New York City Tattoo Convention earlier this month, and he shared this great tattoo:Carlos told me that this tattoo was inspired by his appreciation of the Buddhist way of thinking.It's a great black and gray piece, with that extra pop from the color from the cherry blossoms.He c…
Barbara's Back, Courtesy of Leslie Reesen from Mad Science in The Netherlands (NYC Tattoo Convention)One of the great things about tattoo conventions is that you get to see more back pieces than you would say, walking the streets of New York.I've always managed to capture at least one great back tattoo from my trips to the New York City Tattoo Convention each year, and here we have another one to a…
Reposting Mike's Marine in Honor of Memorial DayThe following post is from four years ago, and was shared then to commemorate Memorial Day. It seems appropriate to revisit it again:It only seemed fitting that, on this Memorial Day, we feature a tattoo that honors our men and women in uniform.A week ago, I was fresh off of my experience at the New…
Head Cross by NeedlesThere's a guy I've seen around for the past couple of years who I've been dying to ask about his tattoo.I finally inquired last week and he agreed to share the tattoo, but wished to remain anonymous:He credited this Celtic cross to Needles at East Side Ink, in New York City.We'll have something else…
Chris and His Koi (at the NYC Tattoo Convention)I'll be honest, koi tattoos are pretty popular, so I don't often post photos of them. But, every once in a while, I see an exceptional one, and feel compelled to share it here.The photo above is of a stunning koi tattoo, courtesy of a guy named Chris, who I met last week at the NYC Tattoo Convention…
Jeffrey's Jimi Hendrix Portait (at the NYC Tattoo Convention)I met Jeffrey at this year's New York City Tattoo Convention last weekend, and he shared the above tattoo, one of a dozen famous portraits he has adorning his body.That is, of course, Jimi Hendrix.Jeffrey told me, "I just love black and gray portraits," and that the shading was so intense on this pi…
Celebrate the Brooklyn Bridge at Brooklyn Tattoo and Urban Folk Art® Gallery!The Brooklyn Bridge, an icon that represents our borough, was completed 130 years ago and the good folks at Brooklyn Tattoo and Urban Folk Art® Gallery are hosting their fourth annual celebration in honor of the anniversary.Owners Willie Paredes and Adam Suerte (who recently tattooed yours truly - h…
Gina Shares Two Amazing Tattoos by Bugs! (NYC Tattoo Convention)Every year I attend, one of the highlights for the NYC Tattoo Convention is seeing the artist Bugs in action. He has taken tattoo art in a new direction, and his style is not only unique, but positively mind-blowing.That said, it was a wonderful moment when, while wandering about Roseland, I chanced…
Jessica Wears Sylvia Ji (from the NYC Tattoo Convention)At the New York City Tattoo Convention on Saturday, I saw a lot of wonderful work, including this bright and colorful piece on the upper arm of Jessica:This tattoo is based on the artwork of California artist Sylvia Ji.© Copyright, Sylvia Ji 2012 Jessica is an admirer of Ji's work and she collaborat…
Hannah's Skull by Shawn Barber (NYC Tattoo Convention 2013)As I briefly mentioned in my initial post from this year's New York City Tattoo Convention (which concluded yesterday), I met a woman named Hannah, who I spotted near one of the many booths. It was her tattoo on her upper right arm that really jumped out at me:My curiosity about the tattoo was not u…
Dispatch from the 16th Annual NYC Tattoo Convention, Part 2The second day of the 2013 New York City Tattoo Convention flew by in a blur of images, fueled by the unlimited supply of free Rockstar energy drinks.So Many Energy Drinks, So Little TimeWhat follows are some of the highlights, for me.Hanging out at the Sacred Tattoo booth, I chatted at great length…
Dispatch from the 16th Annual NYC Tattoo Convention - Day 1There's just something about the NYC Tattoo Convention that makes me smile.For the last five years I have attended and, despite the fact that a large majority of the booths are occupied by many of the same companies, there are always new changes and a grungy intimacy that make me happy I attended.I'…
Dave Shares A Davy Jones TattooI met Dave recently in a department store at the Manhattan Mall. His forearm tattoo jumped out at me and I just had to ask about it:"I'm going with a nautical theme on my arm," he explained, and this depiction of the fictional sea captain Davy Jones anchors what is sure to be an awesome sleeve of th…
Tattoosday At the New York City Tattoo Convention, 2013 Edition (Preview)Well, it's that time of the year again!It may not be the biggest, but it's OURS, and I've never had a bad time there.This will be my fifth consecutive year attending and I'm never disappointed by the variety of artists and the sheer entertainment of the event.And I've always seen some amazing work, …
Contest Updates!Congratulations to our reader Amy, who won the Brooklyn Tattoo contest!Amy gets this cool tee from Brooklyn Tattoo:You can check out all the shop merchandise here.And, remember, we are giving away copies of Phil Padwe's Mommy Has a Tattoo and ">Tattoo Coloring Book #2.You have until Thursday to ente…
