Repost: Keikikalani

Today my daughter Shayna had her bat mitzvah. In honor of Shayna, and in light of the rabbi commenting on angels and cherubim during the service, my sister Alicia suggested I repost my second tattoo, in honor of my youngest daughter.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPmhfwqV_mLH8Wbm2BhknOxnnB71W7Fkf53Wu4zz9bqf-lAKJGLcP1XU3IHl-uIB6w50ZweNX2TK-9VjUnpzWXo27f17es4FXw21DiwSzPeA-qhyphenhyphenLIYQ8rDPb9TUOBkDtB2ysuEtmcV5_q/s1600-h/100_0903.JPG"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218733889519704066" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPmhfwqV_mLH8Wbm2BhknOxnnB71W7Fkf53Wu4zz9bqf-lAKJGLcP1XU3IHl-uIB6w50ZweNX2TK-9VjUnpzWXo27f17es4FXw21DiwSzPeA-qhyphenhyphenLIYQ8rDPb9TUOBkDtB2ysuEtmcV5_q/s400/100_0903.JPG" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />You may recognize this from the bottom of the page (or for long-time readers, it once served as the masthead).<br /><br />This is my second tattoo, inked in July 2005, by Peter Cavorsi at <a href="http://www.bodyartstudios.com/">Body Art Studios</a> in Brooklyn. I brought him this art as reference, and he ran with it, customizing it to more closely reflect my younger daughter's blonde hair, and her affinity for Green Day, at the young age of six.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii4z15XIkXzG18aGiznTKa784u23JEsloT9xR27IslGPDI-MCUSUwADV-gvTueQCzYVzh2VOKztpRKLCajCHrLZe6SQPx96HjX8LFzpCGK78p7-tZuImUkDW4LVmlnmGH9DSVqkT7ZulZK/s1600-h/CherubGuitar.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218734466683112066" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii4z15XIkXzG18aGiznTKa784u23JEsloT9xR27IslGPDI-MCUSUwADV-gvTueQCzYVzh2VOKztpRKLCajCHrLZe6SQPx96HjX8LFzpCGK78p7-tZuImUkDW4LVmlnmGH9DSVqkT7ZulZK/s400/CherubGuitar.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a>Thanks for reading Tattoosday!

Repost: Keikikalani

Today my daughter Shayna had her bat mitzvah. In honor of Shayna, and in light of the rabbi commenting on angels and cherubim during the ser...

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Two Tattoos from Taylor

I met Taylor where she works at <a href="http://gocitykids.parentsconnect.com/attraction/kaleidoscope-toy-store-8722-3rd-avenue-btwn-87th-88th-street-brooklyn-ny-11209-0000-us">Kaleidoscope</a>, a toy store in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.<br /><br />I gave her a flier after admiring her really cool feather tattoo that was inked behind her right ear.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS9CeHURUALukJXmkzRl6mH1BxtIdA0b69HyQzhVl45oj08nYuN_Fhh8rsG96c-rXwU4S6ArNHhWLO0ZK1PZQ5mjCSJWSc1kglolRNMTD-KSn9ia8u9qUm7sd5-JSd8BoJIKdbzpak/s1600/Taylor+Feather.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454365751776478610" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS9CeHURUALukJXmkzRl6mH1BxtIdA0b69HyQzhVl45oj08nYuN_Fhh8rsG96c-rXwU4S6ArNHhWLO0ZK1PZQ5mjCSJWSc1kglolRNMTD-KSn9ia8u9qUm7sd5-JSd8BoJIKdbzpak/s400/Taylor+Feather.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 266px; height: 400px;" /></a><br />A week later, I was zipping by on my bike and saw her on a break outside the store. That was when I had a chance to speak to her about her tattoos and take the photos for this post.<br /><br />This is one of her nine tattoos, and was done by an artist named Chris who works out of <a href="http://www.myspace.com/puncturestudio">Puncture Tattoo</a> in neighboring Dyker Heights, Brooklyn.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwyWYU0dbajGzXVCsuxB0a8nH6LpBVqB7PT4xBNVOnPk5X4YIMhx2y9WjGtnmm79jylVbPGBNIQzEXttlxTPh5FyHCazkreW_QfPE-YpXCBCuWPErU0asredf7hlIQbpt5g8PJk0q7/s1600/puncture.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454366684708720962" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwyWYU0dbajGzXVCsuxB0a8nH6LpBVqB7PT4xBNVOnPk5X4YIMhx2y9WjGtnmm79jylVbPGBNIQzEXttlxTPh5FyHCazkreW_QfPE-YpXCBCuWPErU0asredf7hlIQbpt5g8PJk0q7/s400/puncture.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 170px; height: 306px;" /></a><br />Taylor says the tattoo is inspired by the fact that she feels free-spirited, like a bird, and that her aunt, who died in a plane crash, used to call her a "little Indian girl". The dangling feathers behind her ear seem to capture both sentiments nicely.<br /><br />Unlike the first time I met Taylor, on this occasion she was wearing a shirt that showed off this cool tattoo at the top of her back:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0qkM54_7BzuyduGLboZ_ooBzvppe5Am3nzsanS1qP_g6JI4bQBkx684_A9obBjIigz8Us3sXr93eVuzvhsiSlv-nfPoWE6uHXR0dABEMlB82fTWYW9lpgFSGOZS9vKJ0RE8SSKBan/s1600/Taylor+Cats+Eyes.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454365333060265138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0qkM54_7BzuyduGLboZ_ooBzvppe5Am3nzsanS1qP_g6JI4bQBkx684_A9obBjIigz8Us3sXr93eVuzvhsiSlv-nfPoWE6uHXR0dABEMlB82fTWYW9lpgFSGOZS9vKJ0RE8SSKBan/s400/Taylor+Cats+Eyes.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 150px;" /></a><br />Taylor explained that she loves cats and her sister's gray cat Dusty passed away from breast cancer, which has also been a disease that has run in her family, as well. She had the tattoo artist, <a href="http://www.bodyartstudios.com/peter.htm">Peter Cavorsi</a>, of <a href="http://www.bodyartstudios.com/">Body Art Studios</a>, model this piece based on Dusty's eyes.<br /><br />As always, Peter did a superb job. He is no stranger to Tattoosday, having inked one of my tattoos (seen at the bottom of the page) and several of my wife, Melanie's. <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/search/label/Body%20Art%20Studios">This link</a> will show you all of Peter Cavorsi's work that has appeared on the site over the last two-and-a-half years.<br /><br />Thanks again to Taylor for sharing her two beautiful tattoos on Tattoosday!

Two Tattoos from Taylor

I met Taylor where she works at Kaleidoscope , a toy store in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. I gave her a flier after admiring her really cool feather...

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Tattoos I Love: Melanie's Hybrid Flower

This is another special edition of Tattoosday, a variation on the Tattoos I Know series. First seen on <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2010/02/tattoos-i-love-sweethearts-for-my.html">Valentine's Day</a>, this is an episode of Tattoos I Love.<br /><br />This category is reserved for the ink on my wife, Melanie, who turns 40 today.<br /><br />Several years ago, I bought her a gift certificate for <a href="http://www.bodyartstudios.com/">Body Art Studios</a> in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. The owner and artist, <a href="http://www.bodyartstudios.com/peter.htm">Peter Cavorsi</a>, is a talented tattooer, and he proved it in this case.<br /><br />Melanie's favorite flower is the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iris_%28plant%29">iris</a>. She wanted something pretty along those lines, and gave Peter a couple of samples of artwork as a reference.<br /><br />What he came up with was a lovely interpretation of the iris, but with other floral elements thrown in. So, although based on her favorite flower, it is a hybrid that is uniquely hers:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVfcGdXss2Iv-F1JwFDdsRVySMURjfKRYkdlH1qfL7_6pGgBn9kyMS6te1Stfx9e8tpQHX073NiC6Wn2JExwJ4bqdlwUaokytvQjRmd3pWGwkI31QYu86fQOeyKJA5ekjDtZKyAAtS/s1600-h/PICT1926.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5447913977664189970" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVfcGdXss2Iv-F1JwFDdsRVySMURjfKRYkdlH1qfL7_6pGgBn9kyMS6te1Stfx9e8tpQHX073NiC6Wn2JExwJ4bqdlwUaokytvQjRmd3pWGwkI31QYu86fQOeyKJA5ekjDtZKyAAtS/s400/PICT1926.JPG" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 326px;" /></a><br />I surreptitiously snapped this photo of the tattoo on her right ankle last year at a little league game in which our younger daughter was playing.<br /><br />Work from Peter at Body Art Studios has appeared previously on Tattoosday <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/search/label/Body%20Art%20Studios">here</a>.<br /><br />Happy Birthday, Melanie!

Tattoos I Love: Melanie's Hybrid Flower

This is another special edition of Tattoosday, a variation on the Tattoos I Know series. First seen on Valentine's Day , this is an epis...

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Aaron's Skater Days Represented in Ink

Aaron has this very unusal piece tattooed on the back of his right bicep:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdxURHirkJX9tJZcLKSv6zY0ILULeNCbBCepTwPQmP-f7GnzRTH0M37zUyDxu6191Qn8sIuKtIK5EEyC-AukZnQfjShSaWOje2SHgRa5ILt3mxdP4L8OzjIMc-RmSFoJCbQ8us_pi1-jY/s1600-h/Skater+Days.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5341182351540602562" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdxURHirkJX9tJZcLKSv6zY0ILULeNCbBCepTwPQmP-f7GnzRTH0M37zUyDxu6191Qn8sIuKtIK5EEyC-AukZnQfjShSaWOje2SHgRa5ILt3mxdP4L8OzjIMc-RmSFoJCbQ8us_pi1-jY/s400/Skater+Days.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 244px; height: 400px;" /></a><br />When I stopped to speak to him on 7th Avenue in Manhattan, I was happy to hear this tattoo, along with many of his nine others, were inked by Peter Cavorsi at <a href="http://www.bodyartstudios.com/">Body Art Studios</a> in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. Peter has done three tattoos on my wife and me and he comes highly recommended by us. To see all of Peter's work that has appeared on Tattoosday, click <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/search/label/Body%20Art%20Studios">here</a>.<br /><br />This particular tattoo is based on work entitled "Shater Days" by the professional skateboarder and artist <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Templeton">Ed Templeton</a>. Templeton designs and sells skateboard products through his website <a href="http://www.toymachine.com/catalog/">Toy Machine</a>.<br /><br />Aaron felt that the design was perfect for a skater, with the image of a helmeted person hitting himself over the head with his board.<br /><br />The inner skater never goes away, even as one gets older and spends less time on the board. The inner persona still courses under the skin and this particular art piece, can be, like all art, interpreted in different ways.<br /><br />The act of hitting oneself over the head with one's skateboard is the ultimate expression of frustration, a sentiment that doesn't go away in life.<br /><br />There are always people and things that frustrate individuals. I like how this specific work of art speaks not only to Aaron, but spoke to me as well.<br /><br />Thanks to Aaron for sharing this unusual tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

Aaron's Skater Days Represented in Ink

Aaron has this very unusal piece tattooed on the back of his right bicep: When I stopped to speak to him on 7th Avenue in Manhattan, I was h...

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The Tattooed Poets Project: My First Tattoo

I'm going to be a greedy little poet/blogger today and share one of my tattoos (and a tattoo-themed <a href="http://oxypoet.blogspot.com/2009/04/tattooed-poets-series-day-27-william.html">sestina</a> on BillyBlog). We're in our final week of National Poetry Month, and I thought it would be a good time to hop on the bandwagon.<br /><br />I was hoping to post a tattoo that I've recently had done, but the artist has respectfully requested that I wait to post it until after it has been fully completed.<br /><br />So we'll head back to 2003 and my first tattoo, on my right bicep:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC_z3pRMLObddiZSr_avexx6Ywj8C3mc2GX5K_lCqECCAmBVeXyskW8ZySAec372GaIFwvUt9mxRgaBLPHZdN4UTJ-zvVd3uFm43Di6lqYvpLJdyqRJnKwJyMLElOW6BBBHZ5zguIGrhs/s1600-h/Lineka.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5329077085506422722" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC_z3pRMLObddiZSr_avexx6Ywj8C3mc2GX5K_lCqECCAmBVeXyskW8ZySAec372GaIFwvUt9mxRgaBLPHZdN4UTJ-zvVd3uFm43Di6lqYvpLJdyqRJnKwJyMLElOW6BBBHZ5zguIGrhs/s400/Lineka.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 281px; height: 400px;" /></a><br />Back then, I was not so involved in tattooing, and I didn't really understand the process. I thought you just went to a shop, picked some flash, and had it inked. Had I known then what I know now, I may have approached the experience a little differently.<br /><br />The first tattoo is a representation of my oldest daughter, Jolee. She has a Hawaiian middle name, "Lineka," which one English-Hawaiian, Hawaiian-English dictionary told me means "lynx". Not that there are any lynx roaming around Honolulu, but she certainly has the personality and beauty of a lynx, and it just seemed right.<br /><br />A tattoo artist named "Sickie," who was working out of <a href="http://www.bodyartstudios.com/">Body Arts Studio</a> in Bay Ridge, took the flash, modified it by removing all the extraneous bamboo and other background art, and created this version of the wildcat.<br /><br />He was very proud of himself over the way the eyes came out. I tend to agree. They're pretty cool. Lest you think my younger daughter feel left out, she is also represented on me in the form of a tattoo, previously posted <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2008/07/keikikalani.html">here</a>.<br /><br />Thanks for indulging me. Now head on over to <a href="http://oxypoet.blogspot.com/2009/04/tattooed-poets-series-day-27-william.html">BillyBlog</a> and read my <a href="http://oxypoet.blogspot.com/2009/04/tattooed-poets-series-day-27-william.html">sestina</a>.

The Tattooed Poets Project: My First Tattoo

I'm going to be a greedy little poet/blogger today and share one of my tattoos (and a tattoo-themed sestina on BillyBlog). We're in...

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Only God Can Judge Him

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHD10UXUWOvH2LvtsuqzGdpV4OsQMEorun_7kz34lJmfBQU5oHGolvx-U_trmyUHqHqESzqrdpbiR_N9Wb1t8NvDFC_H2s8XyVervSIi9_y1g7LG-WkCsPdDZ9AtNHBk5tHlkIqKIVyt33/s1600-h/DSC01958.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5314748078446294754" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHD10UXUWOvH2LvtsuqzGdpV4OsQMEorun_7kz34lJmfBQU5oHGolvx-U_trmyUHqHqESzqrdpbiR_N9Wb1t8NvDFC_H2s8XyVervSIi9_y1g7LG-WkCsPdDZ9AtNHBk5tHlkIqKIVyt33/s400/DSC01958.JPG" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 205px;" /></a><br />A nice surprise last night when, out of the blue, a previous Tattoosday subject, John, sent me his latest tattoo.<br /><br />I met John initially at the 3rd Avenue Festival in Bay Ridge, back in the earlier days of the blog, where he displayed a leg piece in progress <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2007/10/3rd-avenue-festival-bay-ridge.html">here</a>.<br /><br />He later had the piece finished and we featured it, in all its glory, <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2008/05/johns-koi-then-and-now.html">here</a>. In addition, he sent me photos of his other three tattoos <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2008/05/johns-other-three-tattoos.html">here</a>.<br /><br />But here is something new from John, who I haven't seen in a while. He explained this new tattoo via e-mail:<br /><blockquote><br /><div>[It] says "<span style="font-style: italic;">Solo Dio Puo Giudicarmi</span>" ... which means [in Italian] "Only God Can Judge Me"... I got the tattoo for religious reasons and for another one ... nowadays people give a shit too much about what other people think and try to conform to be like everyone else just to blend in. [The tattoo] is a reminder to me and to all that read it, regardless of belief: just be who you are. Because, in the end, it does not matter what anyone else think of you, but you.</div></blockquote> Thanks again to John for sending this my way! We always appreciate return visits from previous Tattoosday subjects!

Only God Can Judge Him

A nice surprise last night when, out of the blue, a previous Tattoosday subject, John, sent me his latest tattoo. I met John initially at th...

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Keikikalani

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPmhfwqV_mLH8Wbm2BhknOxnnB71W7Fkf53Wu4zz9bqf-lAKJGLcP1XU3IHl-uIB6w50ZweNX2TK-9VjUnpzWXo27f17es4FXw21DiwSzPeA-qhyphenhyphenLIYQ8rDPb9TUOBkDtB2ysuEtmcV5_q/s1600-h/100_0903.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218733889519704066" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPmhfwqV_mLH8Wbm2BhknOxnnB71W7Fkf53Wu4zz9bqf-lAKJGLcP1XU3IHl-uIB6w50ZweNX2TK-9VjUnpzWXo27f17es4FXw21DiwSzPeA-qhyphenhyphenLIYQ8rDPb9TUOBkDtB2ysuEtmcV5_q/s400/100_0903.JPG" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a><br />You may recognize this from the bottom of the page (or for long-time readers, it once served as the masthead).<br /><br />This is my second tattoo, inked in July 2005, by Peter Cavorsi at <a href="http://www.bodyartstudios.com/">Body Art Studios</a> in Brooklyn. I brought him this art as reference, and he ran with it, customizing it to more closely reflect my younger daughter's blonde hair, and her affinity for Green Day, at the young age of six.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii4z15XIkXzG18aGiznTKa784u23JEsloT9xR27IslGPDI-MCUSUwADV-gvTueQCzYVzh2VOKztpRKLCajCHrLZe6SQPx96HjX8LFzpCGK78p7-tZuImUkDW4LVmlnmGH9DSVqkT7ZulZK/s1600-h/CherubGuitar.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5218734466683112066" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii4z15XIkXzG18aGiznTKa784u23JEsloT9xR27IslGPDI-MCUSUwADV-gvTueQCzYVzh2VOKztpRKLCajCHrLZe6SQPx96HjX8LFzpCGK78p7-tZuImUkDW4LVmlnmGH9DSVqkT7ZulZK/s400/CherubGuitar.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a>It's my birthday today, and I'm fresh out of new material, so I thought I'd fall back on me. Thanks for reading Tattoosday!

Keikikalani

You may recognize this from the bottom of the page (or for long-time readers, it once served as the masthead). This is my second tattoo, ink...

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John's Other Three Tattoos

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvtwuXr0gSGJg5PN_hTgcERakdbZ6X6ZZGoUhaIlj4hG-dwnJYNUR1Zab8DnOIF0pctZi9RWfzBeXZEezgumMWWXospHLrki3X8NBHtqKsF5sSp0Qpv3MVEGNmPVXHjalUZspKOhcVHQ9W/s1600-h/Cheech.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203154216122927394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvtwuXr0gSGJg5PN_hTgcERakdbZ6X6ZZGoUhaIlj4hG-dwnJYNUR1Zab8DnOIF0pctZi9RWfzBeXZEezgumMWWXospHLrki3X8NBHtqKsF5sSp0Qpv3MVEGNmPVXHjalUZspKOhcVHQ9W/s400/Cheech.JPG" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a> Last week, <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2008/05/johns-koi-then-and-now.html">I posted</a> the "after" version of a tattoo I spotted early last Fall. The host, John, e-mailed me the updated photos after I spotted him in at the grocery store.<br /><br />He also sent me shots of his three other pieces, posted above and below.<br /><br />Via e-mail, John gave me the run-down on the tattoos, all inked at <a href="http://www.bodyartstudios.com/">Body Art Studios</a> in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.<br /><br />"The tattoo with the knife through the heart is a memorial tattoo for my grandmother who passed away in 2000. I drew it and Peter [Cavorsi] tattooed it. It took me a few years to get it because I wanted to get the tattoo done on her birthday... October 13, but I wanted to wait for a Friday the 13th 'cause that was her lucky day."<br /><br />"As for 'Cheech,' it is another memorial tattoo for my Uncle Patty, my grandmother's brother. That is why it is in red, so it looks like the blood dripping from the knife [that] wrote out his name. He got the name 'Cheech' in World War II. It was his nickname, which is weird, because we are Italian and 'Cheech' in Italian is a nickname for Frank. Both of the tattoos are on my left forearm...".<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOJxs75vgoVGXu0cvvJ9H9vh1WxM-9HwPdzxJtIqZNQkNpbijV9vguDRVJgfGqRfJWM1En7WaAtzhvTNf2bGmCAG894y1NNYyqAN-8TgYlJih_tjQlfaXTvvIELxH_oWLdOFjYYzVJoYvU/s1600-h/DSC00439.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203152261912807698" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOJxs75vgoVGXu0cvvJ9H9vh1WxM-9HwPdzxJtIqZNQkNpbijV9vguDRVJgfGqRfJWM1En7WaAtzhvTNf2bGmCAG894y1NNYyqAN-8TgYlJih_tjQlfaXTvvIELxH_oWLdOFjYYzVJoYvU/s400/DSC00439.JPG" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a> The black and gray piece is a Chinese character [kanji] with ... fire. The symbol means 'art as a skill' and the fire around it represents my passion for the art, as I am practicing to be a tattoo artist myself. It was...my first tattoo, inked by Peter in 2002/2003".<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNELreiN8ufBHhMfqagotDBh1g89utbPMlOyHSsaF5KHFGXz6QZNVil0H1fAwmotq1sVQ-lsSvcxIsuq2ijvnqPgugzG20IiJv91GNdQMpXEOqYtMV35JEAFQh0jQDl-iKVBDFjiykeWTU/s1600-h/DSC00453.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5203151991329868034" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNELreiN8ufBHhMfqagotDBh1g89utbPMlOyHSsaF5KHFGXz6QZNVil0H1fAwmotq1sVQ-lsSvcxIsuq2ijvnqPgugzG20IiJv91GNdQMpXEOqYtMV35JEAFQh0jQDl-iKVBDFjiykeWTU/s400/DSC00453.JPG" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a>"...Last is the one on my left calf, which in Chinese means "fear no evil". I got that in 2002-2003, as well. It was tattooed in Body Art, but was done by someone who worked for Peter at the time. I think his name was Sig or Zig...".<br /><br />On a side note, the guy who worked for Peter did my first tattoo, and he went by the name of "Sickie". I think we're talking about the same guy.<br /><br />Thanks again to John for coming through and sending me the photos and the back stories on his tattoos!<br /><br />Editor's note: John's comments are 99% verbatim. I took a little editorial liberty with some punctuation and spelling, along with an occasional edit, for the sake of clarity.

John's Other Three Tattoos

Last week, I posted the "after" version of a tattoo I spotted early last Fall. The host, John, e-mailed me the updated photos af...

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John's Koi: Then and Now

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHJrVFCvPPbyhRYqDKfPjbVmyWYkjhGYVo673x7c4VAPHuArhbVT4Jih4SSAGuEjTNGEkBrXUL4t3pyowWl2BcQT4TmhAvQvnx9mygwonqInCJVdz_gkDam1cMJKCVxBKB_Iih10FS2noU/s1600-h/John's+Koi+1.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202240805360209906" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHJrVFCvPPbyhRYqDKfPjbVmyWYkjhGYVo673x7c4VAPHuArhbVT4Jih4SSAGuEjTNGEkBrXUL4t3pyowWl2BcQT4TmhAvQvnx9mygwonqInCJVdz_gkDam1cMJKCVxBKB_Iih10FS2noU/s400/John's+Koi+1.JPG" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a><br /><br />It was only a matter of time.<br /><br />I wondered when, just buy the nature of my talking to so many tattooed people, I would approach someone about Tattoosday, having already featured them on the blog.<br /><br />The answer: seven months.<br /><br />Here's an excerpt from October 2007:<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyoRASuREHb14MWZMrxsPJsEXgMsOO6XFtwJ9SRSKjV0IAug5F9JbEebWM5BCF9O7yGRo2CanQDoq3HyJWZJaW16kKV3d8zloELz5Z3LE02HFIRjBG4S_5E6gBIaJoF_vL4kaYl6NuFEOz/s1600-h/100_5246.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5116210110045820738" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyoRASuREHb14MWZMrxsPJsEXgMsOO6XFtwJ9SRSKjV0IAug5F9JbEebWM5BCF9O7yGRo2CanQDoq3HyJWZJaW16kKV3d8zloELz5Z3LE02HFIRjBG4S_5E6gBIaJoF_vL4kaYl6NuFEOz/s400/100_5246.JPG" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a><br />Does that look familiar? I wrote in October 2007:<br /><br /><blockquote>The first piece is a classic <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koi" style="font-style: italic;">koi</a> tattoo, done on the front of the calf. There is a dragon on the back of the leg but it is not finished yet, as color still needs to be added.<br /><br />The host, John, is from the Bay Ridge area and had his koi inked at <a href="http://www.bodyartstudios.com/">Body Art Studios</a> on 3rd Avenue. We know the artist, <a href="http://www.bodyartstudios.com/peter.htm">Peter Cavorsi</a>, who also runs the shop, because he is responsible for one of mine and three of my wife's pieces. I strongly recommend his shop if you live in southwest Brooklyn. His shop is clean and he does very nice work, as you can see from John's <span style="font-style: italic;">koi</span>.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Koi </span>are a traditional part of Japanese tattoo, and are very common subjects n body art because they represent good fortune. Despite their being regular subjects, they seldom are ever one in the same. Like snowflakes, they tend to differ from body to body, and unlike tribal pieces, I don't think I could ever get bored of koi tattoos.<br /><br />John estimated that this large leg piece, including the dragon on the back of the leg, not pictured and not yet colored, took 13 hours so far. A lot of people don't realize how much time goes into elaborate pieces like these. On shows like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miami_Ink" style="font-style: italic;">Miami Ink</a>, a ten-hour project can be compressed to five minutes of screen time.<br /><br /></blockquote>Well, last Sunday, I saw the finished work, not realizing that John had been here previously. I handed him a flier at the grocery store, and he reminded me who he was. He was busy with groceries, but he promised me he'd send photos of the finished work. He estimates that Peter had spent an additional nine hours on the piece since October, making it about 22 hours in total. <br /><br />That's one thing about the whole "_____ Ink" television experience, the work is edited down so much that many people don't realize how much effort goes into the large quality pieces.<br /><br />And of course, John came through with these updated shots:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyJSii3WxbnCrXnZd5uXGD4wkN5Cts_0BmzGMlj83J1LkBFn3BWFBwTDk_syxg4A18kGo9dOnXzcNVJuLXjzHSYBvbC9pIw12j5s-25B0-ufoo8MZT10lKjhJwh8ExcOmcmtvTjxGWPEHL/s1600-h/John's+Koi+1.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202240453172891618" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyJSii3WxbnCrXnZd5uXGD4wkN5Cts_0BmzGMlj83J1LkBFn3BWFBwTDk_syxg4A18kGo9dOnXzcNVJuLXjzHSYBvbC9pIw12j5s-25B0-ufoo8MZT10lKjhJwh8ExcOmcmtvTjxGWPEHL/s400/John's+Koi+1.JPG" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguz3jo7nl6kvOwedR4VeJzAd9-4v50gVhS-5xP0sF2EefL5ikr0XgRTADrM-z62FcTjdPYNKunuZm-_uJbnGhle-OdwZnkfhL-gOzAioDS8oEEVEH81ad2e5sK8UQELU9ciHe6D5Ib4eCP/s1600-h/John's+Koi+2.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202240285669167058" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguz3jo7nl6kvOwedR4VeJzAd9-4v50gVhS-5xP0sF2EefL5ikr0XgRTADrM-z62FcTjdPYNKunuZm-_uJbnGhle-OdwZnkfhL-gOzAioDS8oEEVEH81ad2e5sK8UQELU9ciHe6D5Ib4eCP/s400/John's+Koi+2.JPG" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi11DegcN6lDa9VbpKxRA0xA8lw_wj9M4IXVSMm8lM1tPAZcBKtFxHSdLipTwSm3dRVmBg7DVZkMW09wVHdeuxZvTNF2NCmfx1d3fhs1nnBUS1tjnISZ2QQ96TkgVfdI_qryoalXOYEKvI8/s1600-h/John's+Koi+3.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202239366546165698" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi11DegcN6lDa9VbpKxRA0xA8lw_wj9M4IXVSMm8lM1tPAZcBKtFxHSdLipTwSm3dRVmBg7DVZkMW09wVHdeuxZvTNF2NCmfx1d3fhs1nnBUS1tjnISZ2QQ96TkgVfdI_qryoalXOYEKvI8/s400/John's+Koi+3.JPG" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKj5HkJTtij0jDhr9wchoV8EX4BM-L-ZcVYEIyo7_b1abBJ7Ae4KN5e41K09qVBIp_N9eyNYSEtAjLzpbxQ1fkYIxyZp6VLRPsC3oQUp-mtB6SR80A9veNcFCyF1BeEun0Zr7yJnly0uQk/s1600-h/John's+Koi+4.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202239194747473842" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKj5HkJTtij0jDhr9wchoV8EX4BM-L-ZcVYEIyo7_b1abBJ7Ae4KN5e41K09qVBIp_N9eyNYSEtAjLzpbxQ1fkYIxyZp6VLRPsC3oQUp-mtB6SR80A9veNcFCyF1BeEun0Zr7yJnly0uQk/s400/John's+Koi+4.JPG" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a><br />Thanks to John for sharing his finished leg piece with us! Stay tuned!! He also sent me photos of his other tattoos, which will be featured in a later post.

John's Koi: Then and Now

It was only a matter of time. I wondered when, just buy the nature of my talking to so many tattooed people, I would approach someone about ...

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All Aboard! Susan's Train Tattoo Honors Her Son

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY4yqu5oy9OPmmDaDfK-3rRmrUpHVVxKgMow9FVrUFipTdSYv9vAMoMYNYFuOLCib9ck7JMSg9JJKZ_4Hcs7TLD6mDnCc-OHg3heaLB13N40ESv1TE_Wa-doGRUIoTJqgFhAsx0Yz7IFM6/s1600-h/100_7194.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5201820791918399298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY4yqu5oy9OPmmDaDfK-3rRmrUpHVVxKgMow9FVrUFipTdSYv9vAMoMYNYFuOLCib9ck7JMSg9JJKZ_4Hcs7TLD6mDnCc-OHg3heaLB13N40ESv1TE_Wa-doGRUIoTJqgFhAsx0Yz7IFM6/s400/100_7194.JPG" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a><br />I ran into Susan, walking south on 3rd Avenue last Saturday. She sports nine tattoos in all, but the one that jumps out at you is the piece above on her lower left calf.<br /><br />I have yet to master the art of photographing a wrap-around piece, so bear with this one (although I think I did ok).<br /><br />First the story behind the ink. Susan is a proud parent and, like most parents, her body art reflects her love of her child. She has been getting tattooed since her son was 3 (now he's 10) and he has even collaborated on designing some of her work.<br /><br />If memory serves, her son's name is Nicholas, which explains the "N" on the locomotive.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4mjxGC9C82b2f8FeYqj6JG5pp_zeOk70-ZIs6QWBFXSwEkiYnvdJBwfm7Hl4kbvVQU8qc4d-UFYLJXsATdz26IveGEI4oYPYUW-go4ShXVRR2XJFCy4oh0eEIPXp8cLAe34lTQ8HfNAxc/s1600-h/n+train.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5201821169875521362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4mjxGC9C82b2f8FeYqj6JG5pp_zeOk70-ZIs6QWBFXSwEkiYnvdJBwfm7Hl4kbvVQU8qc4d-UFYLJXsATdz26IveGEI4oYPYUW-go4ShXVRR2XJFCy4oh0eEIPXp8cLAe34lTQ8HfNAxc/s400/n+train.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a><br />He is a HUGE fan of trains, to the extent that he knows subway lines and is adept at giving directions and the <a href="http://www.mta.info/nyct/maps/index.html">MTA</a> routes. Thus, the central element of the piece.<br /><br />In front of the train is a railroad crossing signpost<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijYZ4CRnQjtiPJFcUWFpHjR3W8kx1TIU9bSfTWglSRYHy8N_PT9o-uhNowyXCBIZ081L2cq7Q2qo7RBDWrd7-dHikzeaA-2V-wckYno334wcYxDyM3_sFPBGzPSNacQ5ydYFwff6-NRBTb/s1600-h/100_7195.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5201820650184478514" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijYZ4CRnQjtiPJFcUWFpHjR3W8kx1TIU9bSfTWglSRYHy8N_PT9o-uhNowyXCBIZ081L2cq7Q2qo7RBDWrd7-dHikzeaA-2V-wckYno334wcYxDyM3_sFPBGzPSNacQ5ydYFwff6-NRBTb/s400/100_7195.JPG" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a><br />and at the back is the caboose,<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilstyf5Ay4teNsl4BO-F1hyWS6VBaKliHXywHj9_GUl7AYLh1eBMUzIHOeRlsCp1RNxE0qixzNSiBYqaxjxK1DuZ906vzNgWVpIdH_8Vt9LErmXLYwRRKmiytyVIy3rZRTOx7a2929zSXI/s1600-h/100_7196.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5201820439731080994" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilstyf5Ay4teNsl4BO-F1hyWS6VBaKliHXywHj9_GUl7AYLh1eBMUzIHOeRlsCp1RNxE0qixzNSiBYqaxjxK1DuZ906vzNgWVpIdH_8Vt9LErmXLYwRRKmiytyVIy3rZRTOx7a2929zSXI/s400/100_7196.JPG" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a>complete with hearts and a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pac-Man">Pac-Man</a> symbol to reflect her son's love of video games.<br /><br />His love of rainbows, as well, is reflected by the multi-colored arc over the train. The piece is completed by the rising sun (a play on "son").<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Ue1xa-2zjWAYyYi52tQisV-BBrgDrcGqtk-_9TigUMaNOOzyKQk3am6wr1jiC9WsLzp6o5dGBk_FGZTy_yhE_0dK3wH76fGnLp6LXdZF9cKlquW1v92lRluWUD1n260K1WkaNplfMYXF/s1600-h/sunbow.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5202671624939737090" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Ue1xa-2zjWAYyYi52tQisV-BBrgDrcGqtk-_9TigUMaNOOzyKQk3am6wr1jiC9WsLzp6o5dGBk_FGZTy_yhE_0dK3wH76fGnLp6LXdZF9cKlquW1v92lRluWUD1n260K1WkaNplfMYXF/s400/sunbow.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a><br />The end result is a vibrant, wonderful piece of body art which is poignant and visually-appealing.<br /><br />This tattoo, along with all her other work, was inked be <a href="http://www.bodyartstudios.com/peter.htm">Peter Cavorsi</a> at <a href="http://www.bodyartstudios.com/">Body Art Studios</a> in Bay Ridge. Peter inked my guitar-cherub (at the bottom of the page) and has appeared on Tattoosday many times before (click <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/search/label/Body%20Art%20Studios">here</a> to see the various pieces).<br /><br />Thanks to Susan for bringing some colorful maternal ink to us here at Tattoosday!

All Aboard! Susan's Train Tattoo Honors Her Son

I ran into Susan, walking south on 3rd Avenue last Saturday. She sports nine tattoos in all, but the one that jumps out at you is the piece ...

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Dana's Stargazer Lily

At the beginning of November, I found a cool tattoo where I least expected to: <a href="http://judaism.about.com/cs/barbatmitzvah/f/batmitzvah.htm">a<span style="font-style: italic;"> bat mitzvah</span></a>. Such occasions are not generally tattoo-displaying events, especially with the misconception that tattoos and Jews do not go together. However, we here at Tattoosday know better and I, with my two, and my spouse with her four, are always appreciative of a finely-inked piece.<br /><br />The <span style="font-style: italic;">bat mitzvah</span> girl was too young to be tattooed, but her older sister wasn't, and she had something on her back that I noticed in the <a href="http://www.yourdictionary.com/shul" style="font-style: italic;">shul</a>. Nonetheless, she was not the person who ended up here on Tattoosday.<br /><br />During the cocktail hour, post-service, pre-dinner, my lovely wife spotted a be-flowered bicep of a woman at the party.<br /><br />However, she disappeared once we are all seated, and I figured that was that. Besides, I had no printouts of the blog with me, just the camera.<br /><br />Later in the evening, post-dinner, post-performance (the <span style="font-style: italic;">bat mitzvah</span> girl did a song and dance for the guests' entertainment). A bit after that, I spotted the woman on the other side of the<br />ballroom, seated at a table. I hate interrupting people while they are conversing with others, so I waited.<br /><br />A bit further on, I saw her just outside the entrance, smoking a cigarette. Smoking may be hazardous one's health, but it seems to be Tattoosday's Best Friend. I've found the Smoking Tattooed among the most approachable, as they are standing around and not necessarily in a hurry anywhere. And by talking to them, I am not interrupting anything (generally speaking).<br /><br />So, out I went to introduce myself and tell her about the blog. And, of course, she was totally cool. It turns out she had been the <span style="font-style: italic;">bat mitzvah</span> girl's choreographer. Her name is Dana Athens, and she is a singer as well (check out <a href="http://www.danaathens.com/">her website</a> or <a href="http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=18080138">her MySpace page</a>). I finally got a good look at the flower on her right biceps:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj48olI_ZCI9SaAo_x2WR3IhGK0qh2C-3TZ6hUE4CZ4oCyivhF6TzTutkw095PN8HLaGe-mM-F324AveTwEgutDo77PVa8JGWvk5NGcz4_V6n__PyNmiwyt4CyOG07f9K1WIh8qQYI7odYK/s1600-h/100_5748.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5128975362747444770" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj48olI_ZCI9SaAo_x2WR3IhGK0qh2C-3TZ6hUE4CZ4oCyivhF6TzTutkw095PN8HLaGe-mM-F324AveTwEgutDo77PVa8JGWvk5NGcz4_V6n__PyNmiwyt4CyOG07f9K1WIh8qQYI7odYK/s400/100_5748.JPG" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a><br />Dana explained that the tattoo is a stargazer lily, inked for inspiration as it represents "always reaching for your dreams". It is one of five tattoos she has.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJhZI_bb-9vHMRHe97aFOyEPrATBQLQFJshTtIIINFKG0Pu6-IOg8Jvgo_EpfhQRjfpKP_VZQcK4r8sRU-RGoS3vQ4tMBum-k7KJ5mB7zhAWgJCFgYOv3LMH2M9wucVYV4dAS6CYDVXvj_/s1600-h/StargazerLily.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5146590112731933218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJhZI_bb-9vHMRHe97aFOyEPrATBQLQFJshTtIIINFKG0Pu6-IOg8Jvgo_EpfhQRjfpKP_VZQcK4r8sRU-RGoS3vQ4tMBum-k7KJ5mB7zhAWgJCFgYOv3LMH2M9wucVYV4dAS6CYDVXvj_/s400/StargazerLily.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a><br />When I asked her where she had it inked, she started, "A great artist named <a href="http://www.bodyartstudios.com/peter.htm">Peter</a>...."<br /><br />I cut her off...."At <a href="http://www.bodyartstudios.com/main.htm">Body Art Studios</a>?"<br /><br />There's something about having been mutually tattooed by the same artist. It's more than just both knowing the same person. You both have let the same person artistically alter your respective bodies for life. I think it's a bond only the tattooed truly understand.<br /><br />So we chatted and I took pictures of her lily. After we went back inside, I tracked down my wife, Melanie, and brought her over to Dana to introduce her.<br /><br />Again, there was that connection between the mutually-tattooed. Melanie has had 3 of her 4 tattoos inked by Peter. She showed Dana her tattoos and we chatted awhile.<br /><br />It was an unexpected bonus to an already festive evening.<br /><br />My apologies to Dana for the delay in posting this sweet tattoo. Thanks again, Dana, for sharing your lily with us!

Dana's Stargazer Lily

At the beginning of November, I found a cool tattoo where I least expected to: a bat mitzvah . Such occasions are not generally tattoo-disp...

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3rd Avenue Festival, Bay Ridge, Part 6

The last of the 3rd Avenue Festival tattoos belongs to Tracy, who boasted a beautiful floral piece on the left side of her back.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsO7ZAJaUrA_bR4BpbffuLXsGe5R4kpHBtZ6nVZ6H05eMop0AJfB08bp5ehTH_F0JYbIbpB7xfM1WzrOh4YuN-mXUtHesY8i-YNYo2eDky_vEdQa4U_mUZ-KXG_-7zyIXYPthI_GGPRMDI/s1600-h/100_5290.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5116217110842513490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsO7ZAJaUrA_bR4BpbffuLXsGe5R4kpHBtZ6nVZ6H05eMop0AJfB08bp5ehTH_F0JYbIbpB7xfM1WzrOh4YuN-mXUtHesY8i-YNYo2eDky_vEdQa4U_mUZ-KXG_-7zyIXYPthI_GGPRMDI/s400/100_5290.JPG" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a><br />It's a bright, colorful tattoo that definitely catches one's eye. This was inked about five years ago by <a href="http://www.bodyartstudios.com/peter.htm">Peter</a> at <a href="http://www.bodyartstudios.com/">Body Art Studios</a>, whose work appeared previously <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2007/10/3rd-avenue-festival-bay-ridge.html">here</a> on Tattoosday, and can also be seen at the bottom of the page in the form of the cherub playing the green guitar.<br /><br />What makes this piece particularly interesting is that it is a cover up, the first to appear (as far as I know) on Tattoosday.<br /><br />When Tracey was 17, she got a wizard tattooed on her back. At first glance, you really couldn't tell and, one might argue, if she didn't disclose it was a cover up, it might not be even remotely visible. As it is, I think I see where the wizard was.<br /><br />Tracy said that the tattoo was very similar to that of a woman she knew who had survived breast cancer. She had some scarring, and had a similar tattoo, which Tracey admired. This piece was inspired by this woman, and carries with it an extra meaning, as a result.<br /><br />Seems appropriate, then, that this post was written and posted on <a href="http://www.denimday.com/">Lee National Denim Day</a>, one of the nation's largest fund raisers for the <a href="http://cms.komen.org/komen/index.htm">Susan G. Komen for the Cure</a> fund.<br /><br />Thanks to Tracy for sharing this beautiful tattoo!<br /><br />So that wraps up the Third Avenue Festival tattoo onslaught. Stay tuned as I have two more tattooed volunteers in the pipeline, and it's unseasonably warm here in New York as the weekend approaches.

3rd Avenue Festival, Bay Ridge, Part 6

The last of the 3rd Avenue Festival tattoos belongs to Tracy, who boasted a beautiful floral piece on the left side of her back. It's a ...

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3rd Avenue Festival, Bay Ridge

On Sunday, September 30, the community of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bay_Ridge,_Brooklyn">Bay Ridge</a> held its annual <a href="http://thirdavenuebayridge.com/">Third Avenue Festival</a>. Every Fall, there's a street fair on 3rd and every Spring, one on 5th Avenue.<br /><br />The weather was beautiful and there was a plethora of tattoos, as I had anticipated. I had kids in tow, however, and despite their appreciation of body art, I have found myself less inclined to approach people when they are around.<br /><br />Nonetheless, as people familiar with New York street fairs know, the kids love the big, inflatable bouncy rides. You know, when they jump around with a bunch of other kids on a huge inflatable pad, surrounded by netting and inflatable walls.<br /><br />Thanks to their love of such attractions and the leniency of the operator, the kids had unlimited fun in the hour or two we spent at the festival, and I got to talk tattoo.<br /><br />I am proud to report that I met and spoke with seven different folks who agreed to let me photograph their ink and get a little history of the work gracing their flesh.<br /><br />In fact, until post-street fair, when I asked a guy in <a href="http://www.foodtown.com/">Foodtown</a> about his shoulder piece, and was rebuffed, I was batting a thousand, 7 for 7.<br /><br />So, thanks to all my inked volunteers. Due to space constraints and time as well, I'm going to roll them out gradually, a day at a time. Unless, I find more cool tattoos this week and start to further backlog. Oh, to have such problems!<br /><br />Enough of the talk, here we go.....<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyoRASuREHb14MWZMrxsPJsEXgMsOO6XFtwJ9SRSKjV0IAug5F9JbEebWM5BCF9O7yGRo2CanQDoq3HyJWZJaW16kKV3d8zloELz5Z3LE02HFIRjBG4S_5E6gBIaJoF_vL4kaYl6NuFEOz/s1600-h/100_5246.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5116210110045820738" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyoRASuREHb14MWZMrxsPJsEXgMsOO6XFtwJ9SRSKjV0IAug5F9JbEebWM5BCF9O7yGRo2CanQDoq3HyJWZJaW16kKV3d8zloELz5Z3LE02HFIRjBG4S_5E6gBIaJoF_vL4kaYl6NuFEOz/s400/100_5246.JPG" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a><br />The first piece is a classic <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koi" style="font-style: italic;">koi</a> tattoo, done on the front of the calf. There is a dragon on the back of the leg but it is not finished yet, as color still needs to be added.<br /><br />The host, John, is from the Bay Ridge area and had his koi inked at <a href="http://www.bodyartstudios.com/">Body Art Studios</a> on 3rd Avenue. We know the artist, <a href="http://www.bodyartstudios.com/peter.htm">Peter Cavorsi</a>, who also runs the shop, because he is responsible for one of mine and three of my wife's pieces. I strongly recommend his shop if you live in southwest Brooklyn. His shop is clean and he does very nice work, as you can see from John's <span style="font-style: italic;">koi</span>.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Koi </span>are a traditional part of Japanese tattoo, and are very common subjects n body art because they represent good fortune. Despite their being regular subjects, they seldom are ever one in the same. Like snowflakes, they tend to differ from body to body, and unlike tribal pieces, I don't think I could ever get bored of koi tattoos.<br /><br />John estimated that this large leg piece, including the dragon on the back of the leg, not pictured and not yet colored, took 13 hours so far. A lot of people don't realize how much time goes into elaborate pieces like these. On shows like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miami_Ink" style="font-style: italic;">Miami Ink</a>, a ten-hour project can be compressed to five minutes of screen time.<br /><br />Thanks to John for getting me off to a great start at the Third Avenue Festival! Tune back throughout the week to see the tattoos on Tracy, another guy named John, Jaimie, Helen, Chris and Lolita Ford.<br /><br />Happy October!

3rd Avenue Festival, Bay Ridge

On Sunday, September 30, the community of Bay Ridge held its annual Third Avenue Festival . Every Fall, there's a street fair on 3rd an...

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