Carlos Shares a Buddha Tattoo (NYC Tattoo Convention)

I met Carlos at the <a href="http://www.nyctattooconvention.com/">New York City Tattoo Convention</a> earlier this month, and he shared this great tattoo:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyxHRd13muDtnDiigAl04Uv88ShAklIULRfqPfsoVlkVJmjbz8OYnW0w_NYFswEeWhvL6ioWOX5z2YZ2HJ-he9p4optgVPg1pi8HAeGTwLoCDBZ7uHMxTHNGZyIBy-K4uX-oeJGibxO34/w341-h659-no/IMG_0977.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyxHRd13muDtnDiigAl04Uv88ShAklIULRfqPfsoVlkVJmjbz8OYnW0w_NYFswEeWhvL6ioWOX5z2YZ2HJ-he9p4optgVPg1pi8HAeGTwLoCDBZ7uHMxTHNGZyIBy-K4uX-oeJGibxO34/w341-h659-no/IMG_0977.JPG" /></a></div><br />Carlos told me that this tattoo was inspired by his appreciation of the Buddhist way of thinking.<br /><br />It's a great black and gray piece, with that extra pop from the color from the cherry blossoms.<br /><br />He credited <a href="http://monkeymojo.com/">Needles</a> at <a href="http://eastsideinktattoo.com/">East Side Ink</a> in New York City. Needles' work has previously appeared on Tattoosday <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2013/05/head-cross-by-needles.html">here</a> and <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2012/09/marshalls-vesalius-tattoo.html">here</a>.<br /><br />Thanks to Carlos for sharing his tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!<br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">This entry is ©2013 Tattoosday.</span></span></div><b id="docs-internal-guid-388b3fbd-f08f-d08f-2828-85344d99c38b" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b><br /><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">If you are seeing this on another website other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit</span><a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/" style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://tattoosday.blogspot.com</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.</span></span></div><br />

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 wa...

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The Tattooed Poets Project: Ira Sukrungruang

<div>Today's tattooed poet is <a href="http://www.sukrungruang.com/">Ira Sukrungruang</a>. Before checking out his tattoo, here’s what Ira had to say about ink:<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">"I thought if I held off until I was thirty, it meant I really wanted a tattoo. It meant that I’ve been thinking about getting a tattoo since I was fifteen and waited nearly fifteen years to finally have one done. I’m a guy who wants things, and sometimes my wants are fleeting, like a child with a new toy; after an hour of play, I’m bored.</blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq">But after that one tattoo—an enormous dragon on my right calf—I’ve been getting a tattoo done every year, and I love every one of them. </blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq">My tattoos are a way to call attention to my body on my own terms. For most of my life, I was fat. When I got my first tattoo, I was close to four-hundred pounds, and I wanted people to look at me because of my tattoo, not because I was enormous. I think long and hard about my tattoos. I have a total of five, and I’m thinking about getting another one done soon. All my tattoos have stories, and because they have stories, I wanted a tattoo artist who I not only trusted, but was a close friend, a person who would do what I wanted, and share in my life. My artist is the poet <a href="http://ruthawad.com/">Ruth Awad</a>, and I can say with certainty, she is the best. </blockquote><blockquote class="tr_bq">I don’t give Ruth easy tattoos. On average, my tattoos take about 4-10 hours to complete. Because I am Thai-American, my tattoos reflect my dual life. It is my way of paying homage to my culture, my parents, my life as a Buddhist. There is one tattoo, however, I love most. It was the simplest one. It took only two hours to complete. It is the image of Buddha on my chest. </blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4v72Adw4J6SOCP5dfiw4DOjBB30-RNIalfZJGW-SF7eTQP2E5XOzrRc7G_ftm90gBLujNGdscjtQW2BDSY-JI68DW_izreMhoJWwydMzhEa71NcBCYZBOdBUqduzg3Ydg9hwS-AGEEq8/s1600/Ira+buddha.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4v72Adw4J6SOCP5dfiw4DOjBB30-RNIalfZJGW-SF7eTQP2E5XOzrRc7G_ftm90gBLujNGdscjtQW2BDSY-JI68DW_izreMhoJWwydMzhEa71NcBCYZBOdBUqduzg3Ydg9hwS-AGEEq8/s400/Ira+buddha.jpg" width="299" /></a></div><blockquote class="tr_bq">I used to wear a Buddha around my neck at all times. I was never without him. When I was nervous, I chewed on him. When I was scared, I’d grasp him tight in my hand. My mother gave me my Buddha. She said to keep him close to my heart. He would protect me. For most of my life, I had. Suddenly, I developed a skin allergy. I broke out in hives and rashes. I was allergic to Buddha! To fix this, to always have him with me, I decided to have Buddha tattooed on my chest. He is the first thing I see every morning and the last thing every night. There is a comfort in that. Seeing him there, in a jungle of chest hair, makes me feel lighter." </blockquote><br />Ira shared this poem with us, which first appeared in Mead Magazine, under the title "In the Keeping of Men":<br /><br /><b><i>Sleeping Venus</i></b><br /><br />               “To be born a woman has been to be born, within an allotted and confined space,                                              into the keeping of men.” –John Berger, <i>Ways of Seeing</i><br /><br />I am learning to see, letting light dance<br />within my retinas, letting it slosh<br />around orbed-pupils, like an aerating wine.<br /><br />There walked a woman today, at the grocery<br />store, who turned the heads of the meat men behind<br />refrigerated steaks. How they devoured<br />her elegant stride. How her presence was body<br />without mind. They will remember her—only<br />briefly—as the one with long legs, the one with gracious<br />hips, and she will be catalogued<br />away with infinite others, a forever list<br />of parts.<br /><br />Giorgione, when you painted Venus, reclined,<br />her hand seductively positioned above her groin,<br />what dreams did you give her? Did you fill<br />her head with the scent of olives and Tuscan<br />suns? Does painter and subject occupy<br />the same breath?<br /><br />My wife sits alone<br />in her room, the night air<br />laden with grief,<br />a guitar on her lap. How do I paint<br />her voice and the sound of pluck chords? How do I<br />capture the beating within her chest,<br />the sad song singing in her heart?<br /><br />I am learning to see.<br />First, I close my eyes.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"> ~ ~ ~</div><br />Ira Sukrungruang is the author of the memoir <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Talk-Thai-Adventures-Buddhist-Boy/dp/082621889X">Talk Thai: The Adventures of Buddhist Boy</a>.  His poems have been published in <a href="http://www.northamericanreview.org/">North American Review</a>, <a href="http://witness.blackmountaininstitute.org/">Witness</a>, <a href="http://www.riverstyx.org/">River Styx</a>, and many other journals. He teaches in the MFA program at <a href="http://www.usf.edu/">University of South Florida</a> and is the editor of <a href="http://sweetlit.com/">Sweet: A Literary Confection</a>. For more information about him, visit: <a href="http://www.sukrungruang.com/">www.sukrungruang.com</a>.<br /><br />Thanks to Ira for sharing his tattoo and poetry with us here on Tattoosday!<br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">This entry is ©2012 Tattoosday. The poem and tattoo are reprinted with the poet's permission. </span><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">If you are reading this on another web site other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://tattoosday.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.</span></div>

The Tattooed Poets Project: Ira Sukrungruang

Today's tattooed poet is Ira Sukrungruang . Before checking out his tattoo, here’s what Ira had to say about ink: "I thought if I ...

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Tattoosday Goes to Hawai'i: Reston's Expansive Ink

I've alluded, in previous posts, to a trip to <a href="http://www.alamoanacenter.com/">Ala Moana Center</a>, during which I was astounded by the amount of tattoos I saw, much more than I recall seeing on my previous trip, five years ago.<br /><br />I was in the expansive food court section of the complex when I met Reston and his uncle. I was first intrigued by the work on his left arm:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfsR9NRBaMhuG0CGx3vk9GdyF8F2Wjyp9iHxtB6OynLmiRzNJzc5-UEhOTzExYuU8KCdkzzQd2zIdLxJFatv-EGWfNNgiHO7fkCudghe24ahThQwz5eACbCbKDrmLpq4H1uRcjdkPC/s1600/Reston+Arm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfsR9NRBaMhuG0CGx3vk9GdyF8F2Wjyp9iHxtB6OynLmiRzNJzc5-UEhOTzExYuU8KCdkzzQd2zIdLxJFatv-EGWfNNgiHO7fkCudghe24ahThQwz5eACbCbKDrmLpq4H1uRcjdkPC/s640/Reston+Arm.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><br />but then, in one of those rare Tattoosday moments in which I see much more than I anticipated, his uncle convinced Reston to show me his back, which revealed this wonderful work:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOwN2PgUoDwXlSJYP83vAQXmqbp_iwQWO3GHZWY0YjtXhC2ZZUv7xLs2sNy_dE0r5o0jCp1VG2Rwomv_tSUS7GVnuSblrHxULCSanMKTsilZyK5vc43onCO-mqAei__ItbsiFX-Ih6/s1600/Reston+Back.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOwN2PgUoDwXlSJYP83vAQXmqbp_iwQWO3GHZWY0YjtXhC2ZZUv7xLs2sNy_dE0r5o0jCp1VG2Rwomv_tSUS7GVnuSblrHxULCSanMKTsilZyK5vc43onCO-mqAei__ItbsiFX-Ih6/s400/Reston+Back.jpg" width="346" /></a></div><br />For Reston, his tattoos are tributes to his heritage. The large <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gautama_Buddha">Buddha</a> on his back acknowledges the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism">Buddhist</a> faith that can be found on his father's side of the family. The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiki">tiki</a> and tribal patterns are in honor of his mother's Pacific Islander lineage. This is apparent from the merging of the two styles (and the names "mom" and "dad" at the top of his back:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdVjH2gfnrwlt83C7TGgBOfyKlUb0EOu7g62Yv4JxVL5vDlmIqN-IFPV6j47BgcQwCmIhoPQ1KWpuAFuHmY6QK9_sPToqBHHjCb2Gl9JBjjwA1Q8sIyq6T72S9PME1sA4wyn2NhhmV/s1600/Reston+back+-+detail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdVjH2gfnrwlt83C7TGgBOfyKlUb0EOu7g62Yv4JxVL5vDlmIqN-IFPV6j47BgcQwCmIhoPQ1KWpuAFuHmY6QK9_sPToqBHHjCb2Gl9JBjjwA1Q8sIyq6T72S9PME1sA4wyn2NhhmV/s400/Reston+back+-+detail.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />In addition, Reston shared this cool lizard on his left shoulder:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZCMkiEScIMqfetf4OJKi6vQTVP6eqWKW1nBj3CLNT7I7QtqLIQBkRaPm0Z8w9zIJG1ymlJgAQ3InDzRzUwyoNiFZbF8XuZgMNXI7xnnb5ZTy-IoPgS79k9tZWwwku9s2wLc_fa_H9/s1600/Reston+Shoulder.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="261" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZCMkiEScIMqfetf4OJKi6vQTVP6eqWKW1nBj3CLNT7I7QtqLIQBkRaPm0Z8w9zIJG1ymlJgAQ3InDzRzUwyoNiFZbF8XuZgMNXI7xnnb5ZTy-IoPgS79k9tZWwwku9s2wLc_fa_H9/s400/Reston+Shoulder.jpg" width="400" /></a>Actually, in Hawaiian tattoo styles, this is referred to more specifically as a <i><b>mo'o</b></i>, which can be defined (source <a href="http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/kona/historyg.htm">here</a>) as a "spirit guardian (lizard) that protects a resource, such as a fishpond, from overuse and other abuse". Mo'o are also referred to as geckos.<br /><br />There's a lot going on with Reston's personal canvas, but you can see the geographic shapes of the <i>mo'o</i> design jumping off the skin.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRh_L_tEjqgQJqJB3KLLsMNFtpLWZK6zz98_3YTqw60VP7AROH4NoQO4RHET5rBrrRq263hFPNuxQugei-A7v79SuGUVEutdInyd6ZCMpug5DUVuctxNkWSWS9idQLlsYjtcfjPng0/s1600/Reston+Shoulder+detail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRh_L_tEjqgQJqJB3KLLsMNFtpLWZK6zz98_3YTqw60VP7AROH4NoQO4RHET5rBrrRq263hFPNuxQugei-A7v79SuGUVEutdInyd6ZCMpug5DUVuctxNkWSWS9idQLlsYjtcfjPng0/s400/Reston+Shoulder+detail.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />  All the work was done in California. The Buddha back piece was inked by <a href="http://www.12monkeystattoos.com/jon-highland.html">Jon Highland</a>, owner of <a href="http://www.12monkeystattoos.com/">12 Monkeys Tattoo</a> in Tracy, California. The majority of the tribal/Polynesian work was tattooed by <a href="http://www.hbtat2.com/orly/">Orly</a> at <a href="http://www.hbtat2.com/">Humble Beginnings Tattoo Studio</a> in San Jose.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqMgHSWwSO4pKjh4Nto9xFLoRME-c8dZGTJQdhDa34T7wONWRnrMF5sXEOYpHPHSVKwBSyxrtAQZ7dJpOU_zdcnoVScY_s4-bR3zfzGGlTLAicmesOQuFmt9rNVreAHaHdps3FTCnS/s1600/Reston+Arm+-+Detail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqMgHSWwSO4pKjh4Nto9xFLoRME-c8dZGTJQdhDa34T7wONWRnrMF5sXEOYpHPHSVKwBSyxrtAQZ7dJpOU_zdcnoVScY_s4-bR3zfzGGlTLAicmesOQuFmt9rNVreAHaHdps3FTCnS/s640/Reston+Arm+-+Detail.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />A hearty mahalo to Reston for being bold enough to remove his shirt in the Ala Moana food court so we could all get to better appreciate his ink. We here at Tattoosday thank you for your contributions to the site!

Tattoosday Goes to Hawai'i: Reston's Expansive Ink

I've alluded, in previous posts, to a trip to Ala Moana Center , during which I was astounded by the amount of tattoos I saw, much more ...

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Inked Up Angels: Part 2, Kat's Incredible Buddha

Last Friday, I featured a tattoo from one of two women I met in Penn Station.<br /><br />They both are part of a group called <a href="http://www.myspace.com/theinkedupangels">Inked Up Angels</a>.<br /><br />I had first taken the photo of <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2009/05/inked-up-angels-part-1-pinks-x-men.html">the tattoo belonging to "Pink"</a>, and now it was her friend's turn.<br /><br />I looked to Kat curiously, wondering what tattoo she was going to offer for Tattoosday.<br /><br />We were standing in a corner of busy Penn Station near the subway turnstiles and she told me I needed to move. We switched spots, so that I was standing in the corner and she was between me and the crowds. Her friend Pink stood behind her and shielded Kat from the throngs of commuters. I got that she was going to show me something quite revealing, yet I had no clue what it was.<br /><br />With her left side facing me, Kat hiked up her skirt to reveal this absolutely incredible piece, that ran from the upper part of her thigh, to above her waistline:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBOfRinrsxTsUIvgIedXfQS1PLwyS5NPyizJBE9GSoYnMiOPzs4LTKeMaDgAfydWx4uQkIypnZHSKowOb21b6fl3AAiETUNT3GzJyac6bKYN19klhIHWbgRVTkLsyCkWb_FUse8Pi0LcU/s1600-h/Buddha.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334502404603355842" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBOfRinrsxTsUIvgIedXfQS1PLwyS5NPyizJBE9GSoYnMiOPzs4LTKeMaDgAfydWx4uQkIypnZHSKowOb21b6fl3AAiETUNT3GzJyac6bKYN19klhIHWbgRVTkLsyCkWb_FUse8Pi0LcU/s400/Buddha.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 225px; height: 400px;" /></a><br />That's about eighteen hours of work, folks, and it's an amazing piece. Kat had it tattooed because she is a Buddhist and loves loves the spirituality of Buddha.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib1xrmvU44bEkm23xAJpWLksvseH55Ng5MOVJtAFz7x5vw77au32N7OJ6WmY3LZ2g_O8mRs6Mj4X55-OAvD7B28msJne7pXjDCOWGbMwIegVGBOPa0S6Mr0Fukduxmd1BmwQnafuexd3M/s1600-h/Buddha+detail+1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334502156665454738" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib1xrmvU44bEkm23xAJpWLksvseH55Ng5MOVJtAFz7x5vw77au32N7OJ6WmY3LZ2g_O8mRs6Mj4X55-OAvD7B28msJne7pXjDCOWGbMwIegVGBOPa0S6Mr0Fukduxmd1BmwQnafuexd3M/s400/Buddha+detail+1.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 347px; height: 400px;" /></a><br />The detail that went into this tattoo and the vibrancy of the color is phenomenal. Take a closer loom at the lotus at the bottom of the tattoo:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh52dpq1llN9F8PwhsJFjk7lbRJaSPSu9k3nYMMYVpkSLy0iL-9k2ntxFptQy1tf-d4XLfvKXjCmQYUfuFzipxK2uOP8t0BOe8-MDslcEs_-04c4h9BDeWHlN2Njq_R3xVuP1bWVnPYakk/s1600-h/Buddha+detail+2+-+lotus.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334502508286563426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh52dpq1llN9F8PwhsJFjk7lbRJaSPSu9k3nYMMYVpkSLy0iL-9k2ntxFptQy1tf-d4XLfvKXjCmQYUfuFzipxK2uOP8t0BOe8-MDslcEs_-04c4h9BDeWHlN2Njq_R3xVuP1bWVnPYakk/s400/Buddha+detail+2+-+lotus.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 246px;" /></a><br />Equally incredible is the detailed line work, as is evidence in the eyebrows and the leaves of the tree in the background:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPLdpgjLu4_WMiD2VUpBfqWhjUY4uu8tALRci6DTetRJ-2XwmWylHJwJ6Mj7hq04siQjaMg1djVANWOyt3a7ZwYqCI0QHIjcDdew_nt0ChQBfFhIcYAHRBk5j5rtfhwL8afFst44Xjof4/s1600-h/Buddha+detail+3.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334502065064756194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPLdpgjLu4_WMiD2VUpBfqWhjUY4uu8tALRci6DTetRJ-2XwmWylHJwJ6Mj7hq04siQjaMg1djVANWOyt3a7ZwYqCI0QHIjcDdew_nt0ChQBfFhIcYAHRBk5j5rtfhwL8afFst44Xjof4/s400/Buddha+detail+3.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 226px;" /></a><br />This amazing tattoo was inked by <a href="http://www.myspace.com/dezmoon">Dez Mooney</a> at <a href="http://www.whitelotustattoos.com/">The White Lotus Tattoo & Art Gallery</a> in Toms River.<br /><br />This is definitely one of my favorite tattoos that I have seen in nearly two years of Tattoosday posts.<br /><br />I want to thank Kat for sharing her amazing work with us here at Tattoosday.<br /><br />If you head over to the <a href="http://www.myspace.com/theinkedupangels">Inked Up Angels MySpace Page</a>, you can not only see more of Kat's tattoos (including shots of the Buddha in progress), but you can catch glimpses of some additional work on a number of other tattooed women.

Inked Up Angels: Part 2, Kat's Incredible Buddha

Last Friday, I featured a tattoo from one of two women I met in Penn Station. They both are part of a group called Inked Up Angels . I had f...

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James and His Tree of Life

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUARA2U10Oz7CSYiiMCy0o0-xai2Rut_Ykc9HbPRLkSKe9yK47B96Wk-WpgpmwbAyXcYTKgGmUCYOItnk_cdpUDCfu0S6ndCRyGx8nXaWWX_hknOXp4M-2-1Z8ntIsPT685eshkv5yK96D/s1600-h/tree+of+life+1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5243275616907657650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUARA2U10Oz7CSYiiMCy0o0-xai2Rut_Ykc9HbPRLkSKe9yK47B96Wk-WpgpmwbAyXcYTKgGmUCYOItnk_cdpUDCfu0S6ndCRyGx8nXaWWX_hknOXp4M-2-1Z8ntIsPT685eshkv5yK96D/s400/tree+of+life+1.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a><br /><br />I spotted this <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tree_of_life">Tree of Life</a> tattoo on Court Street in downtown Brooklyn and started talking to James about it.<br /><br />It was inked by an ex-girlfriend of his about ten years ago.<br /><br />The tattoo consists of the tree of life, under which sits <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gautama_Buddha">Buddha</a> (or <a href="http://dgautier.com/_wsn/page11.html">The Acorn Man</a>) who is holding a chalice. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJJBWI5Oqlzw7rXknp-XCRrtUfvqWSoo186iqhIaUCvAn5mj8xX4ElAtPwvFJimaMOOxCreXGmpUgg-TTrohFnyvlpTYjPfe-DeMcinAhgfdIcviPTXnxDMS1_yqGADjIDm_jHFQoxKpxx/s1600-h/buddha+detail.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5243275486837638162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJJBWI5Oqlzw7rXknp-XCRrtUfvqWSoo186iqhIaUCvAn5mj8xX4ElAtPwvFJimaMOOxCreXGmpUgg-TTrohFnyvlpTYjPfe-DeMcinAhgfdIcviPTXnxDMS1_yqGADjIDm_jHFQoxKpxx/s400/buddha+detail.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a>James pointed out that he is surrounded by a serpent, although it's hard to tell in the piece.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><br />Below it is a rune of protection.<br /><br />Thanks to James for sharing this tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Update:</span> One of My regular readers, Livia Indica, who blogs at <a href="http://neopaganink.blogspot.com/">NeoPagan Ink</a>, pointed me to this source, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cernunnos">Cernunnos</a> on the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gundestrup_cauldron"> </a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gundestrup_cauldron">Gundestrup cauldron:</a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCyCqlrVz-GzheVXoeInAxEU0rTKI5_8hBbr2GD2SPDWJkgg1q4tXaTYn5PpRSNVafJiR9NIypWLBFWZpLQIeQUkVNK1IbXUebPBULsq7r9xLtipEFT92suCas9s8m94wbv0XVU4UJw_BV/s1600-h/cern2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5245304853372835058" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCyCqlrVz-GzheVXoeInAxEU0rTKI5_8hBbr2GD2SPDWJkgg1q4tXaTYn5PpRSNVafJiR9NIypWLBFWZpLQIeQUkVNK1IbXUebPBULsq7r9xLtipEFT92suCas9s8m94wbv0XVU4UJw_BV/s400/cern2.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a><br />James told me it was a Buddha, but the similarity between the tattoo and this Celtic god is worth noting. Thanks Livia!

James and His Tree of Life

I spotted this Tree of Life tattoo on Court Street in downtown Brooklyn and started talking to James about it. It was inked by an ex-girlfr...

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Crys Shares His Colorful Arm

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFRpyI9dW8YAG8DrO7u_6tj7T7Y_gOzup_ttflpY4JYGiPrLS1W0T8Lxlp0tP5V9FQ1UN-fDsEckCG3MZrKvFHChqPb2s5H0mtnc_8UD_usUTk0EdGvn6zHIOI4CuJKepb0KkZsWGT-cZm/s1600-h/buddha1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5235131250179386434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFRpyI9dW8YAG8DrO7u_6tj7T7Y_gOzup_ttflpY4JYGiPrLS1W0T8Lxlp0tP5V9FQ1UN-fDsEckCG3MZrKvFHChqPb2s5H0mtnc_8UD_usUTk0EdGvn6zHIOI4CuJKepb0KkZsWGT-cZm/s400/buddha1.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a> When I passed Crys on Seventh Avenue last Friday, I knew I had to stop and ask about his arm.<br /><br />Aside from the matching ohms-within-nautical stars on both elbows, Crys has two main pieces on his left arm.<br /><br />Chronologically, the dragon came first:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4VOn009XgHqh-XUTDY6yM4498513An64zOl16BwlIuXwKEWbo0VyII7KAqXnTq5dmS52MC7j5aLhr6sk6fe9f0xK_lBJpGb4gv286JF4LYyux7HR1OMuPpEtxls7PmlPNEw2aeQTyuNY4/s1600-h/buddha111.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5235130975827887570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4VOn009XgHqh-XUTDY6yM4498513An64zOl16BwlIuXwKEWbo0VyII7KAqXnTq5dmS52MC7j5aLhr6sk6fe9f0xK_lBJpGb4gv286JF4LYyux7HR1OMuPpEtxls7PmlPNEw2aeQTyuNY4/s400/buddha111.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a>He got it basically because he liked the design. It was inked by Nick at <a href="http://www.truebluetattoo.com/">True Blue Tattoo</a> in Austin, Texas.<br /><br />The kanji surrounding the dragon were added later at <a href="http://www.atomic-tattoo.com/wiki/ATO/Home">Atomic Tattoo & Body Piercing</a>, also in Austin. These were gifts from Crys' girlfriend. According to Chrys, going clockwise from the top, the kanji represnt love, honor, peace and life.<br /><br />After that, he went back later to Atomic Tattoo and added the fire around the dragon to give his arm more color.<br /><br />Finally, he added the Buddha at a shop in Houston:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6mlHYggpR1LHtH3U6F8Y0QAvGzxk-N-fXsODtWL3KA71WUu3-AdtiA2cyBy4Yex-Kwn3XOsu4EwLHuO1vCdWJ5SXQYuN_UGZHugYwNKjLbMrM0xxpO7gVYNquPlV9kYBsOzMPBDtoiC3t/s1600-h/buddha11.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5235131106991959906" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6mlHYggpR1LHtH3U6F8Y0QAvGzxk-N-fXsODtWL3KA71WUu3-AdtiA2cyBy4Yex-Kwn3XOsu4EwLHuO1vCdWJ5SXQYuN_UGZHugYwNKjLbMrM0xxpO7gVYNquPlV9kYBsOzMPBDtoiC3t/s400/buddha11.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a>Actually, a friend of his, Corey, from Austin, designed and drew up the initial sketch. Crys doesn't remember where it was inked.<br /><br />Thanks to Crys for sharing his arm with us here on Tattoosday!

Crys Shares His Colorful Arm

When I passed Crys on Seventh Avenue last Friday, I knew I had to stop and ask about his arm. Aside from the matching ohms-within-nautical ...

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