Tattoosday (A Tattoo Blog): Divine Machine Tattoo

Ariel's Elm: Rising Upward, but Steadfast

I met Ariel last month in the soon-to-be-shuttered Borders bookstore on Penn Plaza and of her three tattoos, she shared this tree on her upper right biceps: <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCfSySP08G6Yx9C1UEqqL1uhyPErCqKSYzlTwbE6xRQdWJurOd-xVfBgsBAsn0geZGYRfUhRVouMShJ145l8PeHkyuLvvXjM0DBDls4klwVkyhkR6xOeXW1PE5rp2RgM1qt6tog3tGSD0/s1600/TREE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCfSySP08G6Yx9C1UEqqL1uhyPErCqKSYzlTwbE6xRQdWJurOd-xVfBgsBAsn0geZGYRfUhRVouMShJ145l8PeHkyuLvvXjM0DBDls4klwVkyhkR6xOeXW1PE5rp2RgM1qt6tog3tGSD0/s640/TREE.jpg" width="264" /></a></div> Ariel explained that this tattoo <blockquote>"was originally an actual photograph of a maple tree, but it was too difficult - you can see the shading is relatively delicate for it ... it looked better with a cloudier image ... so it looks more of a cherry blossom but it was originally a maple...</blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJFar-Ozfk8F8PkdjADgcV-ISdxM_NY2vZtBYZozC5uNSTb5qNBuVSfPd176kMmCBqSmYwebnui-TeM9OsNjkLG-TGYV39n5NVWUxFnx5kVOR6AUFYnzq9q97ZevOtm5_ce2w_1mt53tw/s1600/TREE+DETAIL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJFar-Ozfk8F8PkdjADgcV-ISdxM_NY2vZtBYZozC5uNSTb5qNBuVSfPd176kMmCBqSmYwebnui-TeM9OsNjkLG-TGYV39n5NVWUxFnx5kVOR6AUFYnzq9q97ZevOtm5_ce2w_1mt53tw/s640/TREE+DETAIL.jpg" width="488" /></a></div> As for the reason she included the roots of the tree in the design, she specified, <blockquote>"I really wanted it to be something that represents being rooted and grounded and steadfast, but still growing upwards and moving towards the heavens, something that is strong and can withstand the wind, but is adaptable and changes with the seasons ... so it's just kind of, who I would like to be."</blockquote>She credited Randall Muntz at <a href="http://divinemachinetattoo.com/Home_Page.html">Divine Machine Tattoo</a> in Buffalo, New York with this work. Coincidentally, Randall started full-time (according to their website) at <a href="http://www.bodyelectrictattoo.com/gallery/Randall/">Body Electric Tattoo</a> in Hollywood, California, just this week. Thanks to Ariel for sharing her lovely tree tattoo with us here on Tattoosday! <div class="MsoNormal">This entry is ©2011 Tattoosday. </div><div class="MsoNormal"> </div><div class="MsoNormal">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 <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://tattoosday.blogspot.com</a> 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.</div>

Ariel's Elm: Rising Upward, but Steadfast

I met Ariel last month in the soon-to-be-shuttered Borders bookstore on Penn Plaza and of her three tattoos, she shared this tree on her upp...

3:25 AM

The Tattooed Poets Project: Mike Sikkema's Tattoo Blends Natural with Mechanical

Today's tattooed poet is Mike Sikkema, a friend of Gina Myers (whose tattoo appeared here), who sent him my way. His piece is not fully completed, but it is still completely interesting: <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRLYJlBgezH2C7Z4-SZXIJ8JYA41qrPaz4nfDGVAVj8QsChfCdh2zwRCFBB7PiDFcWTudw4VsW7wwzNlKHOhTuU0-xvEOnfXP5JENKdFyESbpLIdHsPVlJ9RhpS_2ho7wXHfZOx1sKs88/s1600-h/mike+sikkema+1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324108304855680994" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRLYJlBgezH2C7Z4-SZXIJ8JYA41qrPaz4nfDGVAVj8QsChfCdh2zwRCFBB7PiDFcWTudw4VsW7wwzNlKHOhTuU0-xvEOnfXP5JENKdFyESbpLIdHsPVlJ9RhpS_2ho7wXHfZOx1sKs88/s320/mike+sikkema+1.jpg" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSZc06G7FMX-KW_gjrYJa_nRIzTSlzDw40QqyVknOxhXWqp29JJ8Ag8jhADb-sdxtqHQtUIO_F1Bu_VMOav5jxc9qRtIljFMC4P25jTXwIeBIBI7tzSXu5Kt9Q_tus_IQVLas5wExyCwU/s1600-h/mike+sikkema+1b.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324108137414276962" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSZc06G7FMX-KW_gjrYJa_nRIzTSlzDw40QqyVknOxhXWqp29JJ8Ag8jhADb-sdxtqHQtUIO_F1Bu_VMOav5jxc9qRtIljFMC4P25jTXwIeBIBI7tzSXu5Kt9Q_tus_IQVLas5wExyCwU/s320/mike+sikkema+1b.jpg" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" /></a> Mike explains the piece: <blockquote><a href="http://www.evahuber.com/">Eva Huber</a> began my birds at <a href="http://www.divinemachinetattoo.com/">Divine Machine Tattoo</a> in <st1:place><st1:city>Buffalo</st1:city>, <st1:state>NY</st1:state></st1:place>, in the fall of 2008. The combination of real and chrome apples, of real and mechanical birds points at where we’re at: the age of remote controlled spy beetles and “vegetarian” meat made from cloned cells. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ2KL-GSuTlz5K2RPBKex9fZ-pOUUOi4NgOj8O85XA_r2RiExVBBeGS1bhx4_HW2GPKIQrLYze47U8-dxhLMFf0qglvShfQu9vIRnzIfxhFy6z5xcRFdhSdTCqwn4X6rUinBrvqfq1f7c/s1600-h/mike+sikkema+2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324111290346140162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ2KL-GSuTlz5K2RPBKex9fZ-pOUUOi4NgOj8O85XA_r2RiExVBBeGS1bhx4_HW2GPKIQrLYze47U8-dxhLMFf0qglvShfQu9vIRnzIfxhFy6z5xcRFdhSdTCqwn4X6rUinBrvqfq1f7c/s400/mike+sikkema+2.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" /></a> The apples and particular types of birds also point to my birthplace, northern Michigan. Another fully robotic bird, as well as a musical staff are on the way.</blockquote> On a side note, Eva Huber appears to now be tattooing at <a href="http://www.offthemaptattoo.com/">Off the Map Tattoo</a> in Easthampton, Massachusetts. Mike didn't mention this, but the but his mechanical bird reminded me a lot of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haruki_Murakami" style="font-family: times new roman;">Haruki Murakami's</a> wonderful novel <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wind-Up_Bird_Chronicle" style="font-family: times new roman;">The Wind-up Bird Chronicle</a>. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb0SUAmL65CnKIojiV1BV2YTyQSZZovb7m6HLkYKSsf3RVDJxHm0r5KHy62-zRLzHqKbE9mRBesHS890hzMCMy0cADqPpcKY5cAW3ir51CenK7-_NbMZRNlCtnlRXdjsCA9uzbgNLr-Ks/s1600-h/mike+sikkema+3.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5324111509573505490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb0SUAmL65CnKIojiV1BV2YTyQSZZovb7m6HLkYKSsf3RVDJxHm0r5KHy62-zRLzHqKbE9mRBesHS890hzMCMy0cADqPpcKY5cAW3ir51CenK7-_NbMZRNlCtnlRXdjsCA9uzbgNLr-Ks/s400/mike+sikkema+3.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" /></a> Thanks to Mike for sharing his tattoo with us here on Tattoosday. Please head over to <a href="http://oxypoet.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: times new roman;">BillyBlog</a> to read <a href="http://oxypoet.blogspot.com/2009/04/tattooed-poets-series-day-13-michael.html">one of his poems</a>.

The Tattooed Poets Project: Mike Sikkema's Tattoo Blends Natural with Mechanical

Today's tattooed poet is Mike Sikkema, a friend of Gina Myers (whose tattoo appeared here), who sent him my way. His piece is not fully ...

3:15 AM

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Ariel's Elm: Rising Upward, but Steadfast

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