Tattoosday (A Tattoo Blog): Ships

Showing posts with label Ships. Show all posts

Daisy Shares Some Lovely Work from East River Tattoo

This past fall, I ran into Daisy as she was exiting a subway station on the Upper West Side. She was displaying some interesting tattoos and she was kind enough to take a few minutes to chat with me about them.<br /><br />Daisy explained that she had only just recently started getting a lot of tattoos "all in the last year and a half." She elaborated "[I] just very quickly became this extremely tattooed person ... it just felt so right to meet these amazing people ... I love Sue and Duke, they're just so cool."<br /><br />She was referring to two of the artists responsible for the majority of her new work, <a href="http://www.dukeriley.info/">Duke Riley</a> and <a href="http://eastrivertattoo.com/artists/sue_jeiven.php">Sue Jeiven</a>, from <a href="http://eastrivertattoo.com/parlor/">East River Tattoo</a> in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.<br /><br />This amazing piece from Duke graces her upper left arm:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmpXChj6BpJTSjkWwZJxlCcIR4jVStADIpFOOwvxRRyyuKiMaAUUJpHtWPv2V5FdkDqNqyXayer3nFFLrxOVUHE_PEWO8WRAm-NHjfcQhegnMitIOQiZXjTWXoGeFV-vzkJPtkT5b26Uk/s614/photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmpXChj6BpJTSjkWwZJxlCcIR4jVStADIpFOOwvxRRyyuKiMaAUUJpHtWPv2V5FdkDqNqyXayer3nFFLrxOVUHE_PEWO8WRAm-NHjfcQhegnMitIOQiZXjTWXoGeFV-vzkJPtkT5b26Uk/s640/photo.jpg" width="244" /></a></div><br />Daisy explained that this is based on a tarot card of the moon. She explained, "this card just speaks to me a whole lot - I brought in ten different versions of it and this is the one [Duke] came up with."<br /><br />A small tattoo from Duke appeared previously on Tattoosday <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2009/02/lizzs-tattoo-anchors-her-to-her-brother.html">here</a>.<br /><br />Daisy also shared some work from Sue Jeiven, including these pieces on her forearms:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKO7kiftmf_0fluF9G8OM6cic61Pwcuop44WtzLBFx1z74qJXcIdgzRjuLyLxM_mcEV_VD5VlP2f3RZ_aROsVk0TS0ypf7F79dcD-wXf-ADN2hmj0AHKFfsAaQrjDf8b6mxmWnZ9A_Ic4/s774/photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKO7kiftmf_0fluF9G8OM6cic61Pwcuop44WtzLBFx1z74qJXcIdgzRjuLyLxM_mcEV_VD5VlP2f3RZ_aROsVk0TS0ypf7F79dcD-wXf-ADN2hmj0AHKFfsAaQrjDf8b6mxmWnZ9A_Ic4/s400/photo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Daisy explained that the piece on the left (her right), which she called the "Tiger Lady," is emblematic of Sue's work. Sue has been battling cancer. I'm not up to speed on her current condition, but she appears to still be going strong.  "She has the emblem <i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/149227128516284/">fight the good fight</a></i> underneath this and a lot of her closest friends have this tattoo," Daisy told me. She added, "She has it on her cards now and she has a stamp of it, but she just came up with it one day and it sort of became, this is like illness, the girl is... we don't know whether she is getting swallowed or she's coming out or she's peeking out or making peace with the tiger, you don't really know."<br /><br />And the tattoo on the other arm? Daisy said, "It's just kind of a companion piece ... I just sorta liked the girls looking at each other, with the tiger and the fox."<br /><br />Daisy also shared this tattoo from her upper right arm:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSEl5I2EiooDz68CAZGeS8eF704vSQfCvV4Jixp9_knAqZ7WG3pcdp024ZpMCzPqU2jGWqJ7jUqB-QKgXGhyDAP30W6eO_FqYCgHw5J7u8JWchIb0qD6lFOxgPhmkLQ1S-18CVZ2kfqDI/s615/photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSEl5I2EiooDz68CAZGeS8eF704vSQfCvV4Jixp9_knAqZ7WG3pcdp024ZpMCzPqU2jGWqJ7jUqB-QKgXGhyDAP30W6eO_FqYCgHw5J7u8JWchIb0qD6lFOxgPhmkLQ1S-18CVZ2kfqDI/s640/photo.jpg" width="322" /></a></div><br />Daisy explained:<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">"Ship lady is one that Sue drew. She was just drawing some flash up and sometimes she'll start drawing something and be like, <i>oh this is my friend, and this is my other friend</i>, and so she said this one was me."</blockquote>What was particularly nice for me, in meeting Daisy, was that I had met Sue Jeiven previously, by chance, at Penn Station, a year earlier. In fact, Sue shared a tattoo she has, a phenomenal piece by the artist Deno, <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2011/10/sue-shares-werewolf-by-deno.html">here</a>.<br /><br />It was truly a pleasure meeting Daisy, and I'm happy we were able to highlight some of the fine work from Sue and Duke at East River Tattoo! Thanks Daisy!<br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">~ ~ ~</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div><b id="internal-source-marker_0.2264321311376989" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This entry is ©2013 Tattoosday.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; 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/"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; text-decoration: initial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://tattoosday.blogspot.com</span></a><span style="font-family: Arial; 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></b>

Daisy Shares Some Lovely Work from East River Tattoo

This past fall, I ran into Daisy as she was exiting a subway station on the Upper West Side. She was displaying some interesting tattoos and...

6:14 AM

Sierra's Mayflower in June

Last month, I found myself at the corner of 86th Street and 5th Avenue in Manhattan, waiting for the crosstown bus.<br /><br />I looked over to my right and saw a tattoo with incredible line work:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSWQCqo1HdMcY9bMNm3uHYAMbzlzIVT8CnsYtvC1KQGM2PmSXVko4Wmk79ldZn6b4TqITfNZM_c2uYCP-MZGk8xpu6vOd64CjyUtiblcmOioz-e1IkYteVmlyd5nnLDO4L36LoKpGKrGc/s320/photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSWQCqo1HdMcY9bMNm3uHYAMbzlzIVT8CnsYtvC1KQGM2PmSXVko4Wmk79ldZn6b4TqITfNZM_c2uYCP-MZGk8xpu6vOd64CjyUtiblcmOioz-e1IkYteVmlyd5nnLDO4L36LoKpGKrGc/s400/photo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />This tattoo belongs to Sierra, who was kind enough to send me a photo of the tattoo later that evening. She also told me a little more about the piece:<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">"<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">My tattoo is of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mayflower">Mayflower</a>. My parents took me to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plymouth,_Massachusetts">Plymouth</a> a lot as a child and it fostered a great love of American History. I wanted something to commemorate that. I chose this scale drawing because I wanted something 'antique-ish' and not to 'pirate-y'."</span></blockquote><span style="background-color: white;">Sierra credits the talented <a href="http://markharada.com/">Mark Harada</a> at <a href="http://eastsideinktattoo.com/">East Side Ink</a> with this amazingly well-lined work. "I love [his] work," she wrote me, "and </span>do plan to have him do another for me in the future."<br /><br />Thanks to Sierra for sharing her Mayflower with us here on Tattoosday!<br /><br /><b id="internal-source-marker_0.3607417030725628" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This entry is ©2012 Tattoosday.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">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</span><a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://tattoosday.blogspot.com</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; 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></b>

Sierra's Mayflower in June

Last month, I found myself at the corner of 86th Street and 5th Avenue in Manhattan, waiting for the crosstown bus. I looked over to my righ...

3:45 AM

Anna's Ship, With a Nod to a Favorite Song

Yesterday I posted Bjorn's Michael Jackson Thriller tattoo. When I met him, walking on the Coney Island Boardwalk, he was accompanied by Anna, who also had quite a few tattoos. She offered up this one on her left thigh:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk3eQVoQe5lq10ZgvcXVmzc_rw8RrOcbi_LTJ4tiS-EMBMBetnJlZGOeV3moAgmUS9fp2UJt_DDWXD5ygSk4KN5jRPbJs1lmY4ZkKWCDVqmG4EPun4jY4i_i_lAc11ge86Qc0gG9IRwuI/s614/photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk3eQVoQe5lq10ZgvcXVmzc_rw8RrOcbi_LTJ4tiS-EMBMBetnJlZGOeV3moAgmUS9fp2UJt_DDWXD5ygSk4KN5jRPbJs1lmY4ZkKWCDVqmG4EPun4jY4i_i_lAc11ge86Qc0gG9IRwuI/s640/photo.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br />The banner around this classic ship tattoo reads "<span style="font-family: inherit;">Yo no soy marinero soy el <span style="line-height: 19px;">capitán.</span></span>"<br /><br />This is a refrain from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ritchie_Valens">Richie Valens</a> song "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Bamba_(song)">La Bamba</a>," and is translated as "I am not a sailor, I am a captain." This was Anna's favorite song when she was a kid.<br /><br />She credited this cool tattoo to Nick Caruso, when he was at <a href="http://www.flyritetattoo.net/">Flyrite Tattoo</a> in Brooklyn. Nick has since left Flyrite and opened up <a href="http://www.boundforglorytattoo.com/home.html">Bound for Glory Tattoo</a> in Staten Island.<br /><br />Thanks to Anna for sharing this awesome tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!<br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><br /><b id="internal-source-marker_0.8984340629540384" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This entry is ©2012 Tattoosday.</span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">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</span><a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">http://tattoosday.blogspot.com</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: Arial; 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></b>

Anna's Ship, With a Nod to a Favorite Song

Yesterday I posted Bjorn's Michael Jackson Thriller tattoo. When I met him, walking on the Coney Island Boardwalk, he was accompanied by...

3:38 AM

Holy Ship! Isaac's Vessel and a Biblical Quote

There are a few tattoo artists whose work is so good that, when I'm lucky enough to stumble upon one of their clients, I consider it a great day.<br /><br />Such was the case on a Monday in August on the Upper West Side, when I stopped Isaac in Trader Joe's as he walked past me. I knew, even before he told me who the artist was, that this piece was special:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfA7MqFL_Cv-qcuGFsAlqsE1hZ7Tm9UlPPve9MTmkOx7RlCsDGPOViVhAK9EYxdHH11RFrjrgZSnC5mkl4MeyG6Bs1DnS1AOZfVHh1D8-7byXlNjCvgyMNWkqtADRY8pP8SLz2a-anAwo/s1600/Amanda+Ship+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfA7MqFL_Cv-qcuGFsAlqsE1hZ7Tm9UlPPve9MTmkOx7RlCsDGPOViVhAK9EYxdHH11RFrjrgZSnC5mkl4MeyG6Bs1DnS1AOZfVHh1D8-7byXlNjCvgyMNWkqtADRY8pP8SLz2a-anAwo/s640/Amanda+Ship+1.jpg" width="498" /></a></div><br />Isaac explained that this ship was inked by the amazing <a href="http://www.amandawachobtattoo.com/">Amanda Wachob</a> of <a href="http://www.daredeviltattoo.com/">Dare Devil Tattoo</a> in Manhattan. Amanda was featured in a small post in the <i>New York Times</i> earlier this year <a href="http://6thfloor.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/05/23/who-made-that-tattoo/">here</a>. I have been fortunate enough to stumble across her work personally once before, as documented in <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2010/10/jackies-vintage-postcard.html">this post</a> from last October.<br /><br />Isaac explained that this ship was inspired by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flying_Dutchman">The Flying Dutchman</a>, a painting by Albert Pinkham Ryder.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3yNnBDdZOtbBWnGCa1Occ75StqcPOXFo3SeCP1cMyYI4AZVvmDr6L-p3l8xkOG8KyEkFdH9BiZG3O5zMAHi3idk-IrTRb4crn6uFBvDPDLabsqrmt4NQ6dRAaiBJdftIK6Zuh3ibiO_k/s1600/724px-Flying_Dutchman%252C_the.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3yNnBDdZOtbBWnGCa1Occ75StqcPOXFo3SeCP1cMyYI4AZVvmDr6L-p3l8xkOG8KyEkFdH9BiZG3O5zMAHi3idk-IrTRb4crn6uFBvDPDLabsqrmt4NQ6dRAaiBJdftIK6Zuh3ibiO_k/s320/724px-Flying_Dutchman%252C_the.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />One of the amazing things about Amanda Wachob's work is how her tattoos look like they are painted onto the skin. Check out the front of Isaac's ship:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjogO6k4H_KBUZ5X-3qcZNkHoaO93SzEPS6ahwRCGt-wIHj2xAzdDwUqUfDOUaqGA72C_exM3AaUWClk8BgF9w85waiLJx7bw9rNlRWRjFr7TMmry-0gSyOmuZDJ1wJJOC6SJPGV-rT-jk/s1600/Amanda+ship+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjogO6k4H_KBUZ5X-3qcZNkHoaO93SzEPS6ahwRCGt-wIHj2xAzdDwUqUfDOUaqGA72C_exM3AaUWClk8BgF9w85waiLJx7bw9rNlRWRjFr7TMmry-0gSyOmuZDJ1wJJOC6SJPGV-rT-jk/s640/Amanda+ship+2.jpg" width="393" /></a></div><br />"I used to write 'I'm a Son' on my arm all the time," Isaac told me, "as in a son of God," so he refers to this as his sonship.<br /><br />He also shared this piece on his left biceps:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisHyLLiHkzn3GSIpyS488su0mWizkFDBxsJUjGmLuZK7x6Wk-UpYiZpGSJmC9AsrZx6lY7aVRQUVyKQpG7_kOrY-E4ZH-xjouR0DgFMBlIE2tSfgwcwufDr5qcIQyKBkTBh6DpAPyHfZM/s1600/love+is.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="325" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisHyLLiHkzn3GSIpyS488su0mWizkFDBxsJUjGmLuZK7x6Wk-UpYiZpGSJmC9AsrZx6lY7aVRQUVyKQpG7_kOrY-E4ZH-xjouR0DgFMBlIE2tSfgwcwufDr5qcIQyKBkTBh6DpAPyHfZM/s400/love+is.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />This is a Biblical reference, from 1 Corinthians 13, Verses 4-8. The passage is<br /><blockquote>"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease;  where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge,  it will pass away." </blockquote>Isaac and his wife have the same piece, with hers being on her right arm. I love the font that the artist used. He attributed it to Kelly at <a href="http://www.eastsideinktattoo.com/">East Side Ink</a>. Kelly is absent from the shop website, so must have been a former or visiting artist.<br /><br />Thanks so much to Isaac for sharing these wonderful tattoos with us here on Tattoosday!<br /><br /><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-small;">This entry is ©2011 Tattoosday. </span></div><span style="font-size: x-small;">  </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><span style="font-size: x-small;">  </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><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 <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.</span></div>

Holy Ship! Isaac's Vessel and a Biblical Quote

There are a few tattoo artists whose work is so good that, when I'm lucky enough to stumble upon one of their clients, I consider it a g...

3:47 AM

Tattoorism: Sean Returns, Part 2

Last week, I shared more of reader Sean's vast tat-alog <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2011/01/tattoorism-sean-returns-part-1.html">here</a>. It's time to finish off our inventory of this very generous fan o' the site. Let's see what we have: <br /><blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzIpGPH3xzAblYM7aig2dzbzysKSWTjKexREnpzgqLR-LqY13g2BJMQZpvXWKRTQkhMal0hNHK0BjS4CMFeEmhRye3HPg0c0XNogR2BrRlNdUTGWVXgrBEqrV6zzQwaM1rGk2MxpbvCQI/s1600/Hope+ship.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzIpGPH3xzAblYM7aig2dzbzysKSWTjKexREnpzgqLR-LqY13g2BJMQZpvXWKRTQkhMal0hNHK0BjS4CMFeEmhRye3HPg0c0XNogR2BrRlNdUTGWVXgrBEqrV6zzQwaM1rGk2MxpbvCQI/s400/Hope+ship.jpg" width="190" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">...I got a clipper ship on my upper arm.  The ship is navigating    through a background of clouds and lightning bolts and has a banner    underneath reading “Hope.”  Its meaning follows the same idea behind my    anchor tattoo.  Hope is a huge part of having a positive mental    attitude, which I try (sometimes with little luck, of course) to hold at    all times.  It’s a reminder that you can make it through stormy parts   of  your life, no matter how bad they get.  It’s also done in the    traditional style I love so much.  The tattoo was done by <a href="http://electrictattoonj.com/section/6907_MIKE_SCHWEIGERT.html">Mike   Schweigert</a> at <a href="http://electrictattoonj.com/home.html">Electric Tattoo</a> in Bradley Beach, NJ.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">While  attending [the 2010] <a href="http://www.myspace.com/philadelphiatattooarts">Philadelphia Tattoo Arts Convention</a>,  I decided to  get a  tattoo to commemorate my first convention.  For as  many years as   tattoos have been a part of my life, this was my first  convention...I got a blue rose with a candle spouting out of it in    between my sparrows and flower on my outer elbow. </div></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG9pbSI1EFMUcAgoP0kkWXx8lRkhyHvJfxI8ry4h37sPjH3Z1Z_G6zYog7fbHyGxjBZam3_zzGB9lm9z5dehvsSNQsezcCYwskmGrmxPoZ_kSsnX4M7GLg5hbi-n821U9F0_qdux-SEYM/s1600/rose.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG9pbSI1EFMUcAgoP0kkWXx8lRkhyHvJfxI8ry4h37sPjH3Z1Z_G6zYog7fbHyGxjBZam3_zzGB9lm9z5dehvsSNQsezcCYwskmGrmxPoZ_kSsnX4M7GLg5hbi-n821U9F0_qdux-SEYM/s400/rose.jpg" width="180" /></a></div><br /><blockquote><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I’m a firm believer   in everyone  having a different reasoning for getting tattoos.  Some are   used as  place markers in one’s life, some are used to remember an  event,  some  have deep profound meanings and some are just aesthetically   pleasing. I  could probably come up with some in depth meaning behind  the  tattoo,  but in the end, I got it to commemorate my first tattoo   convention and  that’s pretty much the only reason.  Done by Rocco at   <a href="http://www.deathorglorytattoos.com/">Death or Glory Tattoos</a> in Westbrook, Maine.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Finally,  I got my outer elbow to forearm  done with a snake  coiling through a  skull and dagger and impaling itself  on the dagger’s  blade.  </div></blockquote><br /><blockquote><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb_vim3huwfUmkRHuWCYx2dSAG1cD0jXArk4z8ViMZsIg5a61Tf6uGC-IGNX4iCEOsjJ_tLahU9xPjXl8cRG5q6ZBD4rxY2uey2qsOnuH4FDTreUjVsYtFkNz9Dk3-27i4Xp-CQmMhPXw/s1600/convention+collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb_vim3huwfUmkRHuWCYx2dSAG1cD0jXArk4z8ViMZsIg5a61Tf6uGC-IGNX4iCEOsjJ_tLahU9xPjXl8cRG5q6ZBD4rxY2uey2qsOnuH4FDTreUjVsYtFkNz9Dk3-27i4Xp-CQmMhPXw/s400/convention+collage.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I usually try to go out of my way to ensure  that my   friends/family/other people in general are happy, more often  than I   would like to admit, putting their happiness before my well-being.    This tattoo serves as a reminder for me not to do that so much,  and to   focus on myself sometimes.  The snake can be viewed as a  protection   figure, coiling around and through the rest of the tattoo,  but has also   caused injury to itself by doing so.  Basically, its my  reminder that   as much as I would like to help others, I need to keep my  own  happiness  and well being in mind before I choose which action to  take  or I’ll  end up injuring myself in the process.  Done by Mike   Schweigert at  Electric Tattoo in Bradley Beach, NJ. </div></blockquote><br />A hearty thanks to Sean for continuing to share his tattoos with us over the years!

Tattoorism: Sean Returns, Part 2

Last week, I shared more of reader Sean's vast tat-alog here . It's time to finish off our inventory of this very generous fan o...

2:33 AM

Out With the Old.....

As we wind down 2010, and look ahead to 2011, I wanted to take care of one of my several loose ends from the past year.<br /><br />Back in July, I met a guy named John on the D train. He had tattooed arms and we chatted a bit. He said he'd send me photos and he did a few weeks later.<br /><br />I never posted the photos because the resolution was low, and when I tried to increase the size, they blurred. I was going to include these in the Christmas housecleaning post, but the work is just too good.<br /><br />So hear you have them, small photos, but recognizably amazing:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3-hzlN93Jnz2vYVhBBmmDv9p9y8iwBrHUbLNYsRjzKi5EWrAUAfhXhUPiKB-T0btdozcL2MTqd8_RIPFCw2MZfvTtRw_eyZs6c3BQ4Eovt9VY5jo8b8PS9QT1zFP3_G6K9i668hUIG50/s1600/john+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3-hzlN93Jnz2vYVhBBmmDv9p9y8iwBrHUbLNYsRjzKi5EWrAUAfhXhUPiKB-T0btdozcL2MTqd8_RIPFCw2MZfvTtRw_eyZs6c3BQ4Eovt9VY5jo8b8PS9QT1zFP3_G6K9i668hUIG50/s1600/john+2.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUe27nkIRFiA67O6YO4x0bPL01SOfDZxZB9YdwIRd30z_HmSjkeFfkjxe_PTB2MwVor_VxqxUwmSjcVI9-SQOsh23GuegJ_ZtB3t7R1_DvhuZAp5PxPrpttWKSQAYPZhyphenhyphenGNo8GIaTqtL0/s1600/john.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUe27nkIRFiA67O6YO4x0bPL01SOfDZxZB9YdwIRd30z_HmSjkeFfkjxe_PTB2MwVor_VxqxUwmSjcVI9-SQOsh23GuegJ_ZtB3t7R1_DvhuZAp5PxPrpttWKSQAYPZhyphenhyphenGNo8GIaTqtL0/s1600/john.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-5LvL074JtMzgzJFblhyphenhyphen8MXv4QHzUcABmyhZrxgRBpImSvrcfirHzVPFdH4BZJXUL4paEgPJsziDbbYBaEh8Mq3VWGqU2Wmhy_WOXcmoElgf41gZAhrmfjHe77F6hMWkoGPDcw5ZhOOk/s1600/john3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-5LvL074JtMzgzJFblhyphenhyphen8MXv4QHzUcABmyhZrxgRBpImSvrcfirHzVPFdH4BZJXUL4paEgPJsziDbbYBaEh8Mq3VWGqU2Wmhy_WOXcmoElgf41gZAhrmfjHe77F6hMWkoGPDcw5ZhOOk/s1600/john3.jpg" /></a></div><br />I mean, what is there to say? This work is quite excellent. The koi, the tiger, the sailing ship, sugar skull, nautical stars - it's all quite a body of work!<br /><br />The artist is Nacho, who appeared once before on the blog <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2009/06/matt-wears-his-heart-of-bacon-on-his.html">here</a>. You can check out Nacho's work <a href="http://www.nachotattoo.com.ar/home_eng.htm">here</a>. in New York, he tattoos out of <a href="http://www.studioenigma.com/">Studio Enigma</a> on Avenue U.<br /><br />Thanks to John for sharing these amazing tattoos with us here on Tattoosday!<br /><br />And thanks to all of our fans and contributors for making 2010 a successful year of inkspotting!

Out With the Old.....

As we wind down 2010, and look ahead to 2011, I wanted to take care of one of my several loose ends from the past year. Back in July, I met ...

3:18 AM

Christmas House Cleaning

Regular readers of Tattoosday will notice that, although I generally follow a chronological order when I share tattoos I have encountered.<br /><br />However, certain pieces, for various and sundry reasons, have been bypassed, and haven't made it to the blog, until now.<br /><br />I was originally going to post a dozen to represent the Twelve Days of Christmas, but I settled for eight. For the nights of Chanukah, perhaps?<br /><br />Without intending to offend anyone for not receiving a post all to themselves, I have lumped these tattoos, spanning from late August to late October, in one post.<br /><br />These are the neglected tattoo pictures that are just a little off, some not through the fault of the contributor, but for reasons beyond their control.<br /><br />The quality of the photo may not be ideal, or the host and I faced a language barrier that prevented a good back story from emerging, or I didn't find the story behind the tattoo especially compelling. And then<br />there's what is likely one of the poorest tattoos I have seen, but the story behind it is somewhat compelling.<br /><br />So, without further ado, here is a Christmas cleaning, eight posts rolled together into one gigantic one.<br /><br />~~~<br /><br />First up, we have Esteban, who shared his sleeve when I met him in September, at <a href="http://www.fairwaymarket.com/Directions/redhookdirections.html">Fairway</a> in Red Hook:<br /><br />Alas, I was still using a borrowed camera, and several shots were over-exposed and/or blurry, but I was able to salvage this one:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvp8e6J7Hd9pfq_6vvgTkeCn74iO_uzfqGCGh0iPOl53oA4NWwr3yL5NV-X8oNljRTp6V9-XYlDwmhbddb-jLSUW8GapnJplpsoV8CcXsEmEX60zqREDHPRlkKkvmM6DrNNGINzw6QnnM/s1600/esteban.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvp8e6J7Hd9pfq_6vvgTkeCn74iO_uzfqGCGh0iPOl53oA4NWwr3yL5NV-X8oNljRTp6V9-XYlDwmhbddb-jLSUW8GapnJplpsoV8CcXsEmEX60zqREDHPRlkKkvmM6DrNNGINzw6QnnM/s640/esteban.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><br />The artwork is pre-Colombian in its inspiration, and is part of a larger tropical motif. <br /><br />Next up we have Dave, who I met in Penn Station. He has over 25 tattoos and selected this one to share:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHTHVHVhlbZB6053VFSFN3A4ML-Nurar7Amo5cP0ZQ1EJ_hfTpQ0sEyoiZtjPh6MFBkZSoZnGAZK5sK5N-arq4mSzS65_2qcZM0QvU8k1jRlLvZZUa4aLx0-dAEevJaAkCul0YHnlQSqY/s1600/United+and+Strong.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHTHVHVhlbZB6053VFSFN3A4ML-Nurar7Amo5cP0ZQ1EJ_hfTpQ0sEyoiZtjPh6MFBkZSoZnGAZK5sK5N-arq4mSzS65_2qcZM0QvU8k1jRlLvZZUa4aLx0-dAEevJaAkCul0YHnlQSqY/s400/United+and+Strong.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><br />The phrase "Uniting the Strong" is the title of a song from <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victim_in_Pain">Victim in Pain</a></i>, the second album from the band <a href="http://www.agnosticfront.com/">Agnostic Front</a>. This is a friendship tattoo that stresses unity and the host's nod to the hardcore punk scene.<br /><br />Dave credits Jelena at <a href="http://www.lonewolftattoo.com/">Lone Wolf Tattoo</a> in Bellmore, New York with this piece.<br /><br />~~~<br /><br />Next we have Orlando, a Fine Arts student at <a href="http://www.fitnyc.edu/">FIT</a>, where I met him outside while walking toward 23rd Street on my lunch break, also in September.<br /><br />This ship tattoo is an homage to his father, who served in the navy for thirty years. He wanted a "classic look" in the Sailor Jerry style.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip7R0xQZVMOMQrI9vusHKp8ocyXNvEDX9lFWhLhz1An5Uw1bAXMCSblg3VsrOJWHi09MMu5y7SSdvp49IddT2NAYztiGqNNymsjnhUOxYBDaT25PYJ2tbgaxLYi75NyowarwPgWxxAHZA/s1600/Orlando+Ship.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip7R0xQZVMOMQrI9vusHKp8ocyXNvEDX9lFWhLhz1An5Uw1bAXMCSblg3VsrOJWHi09MMu5y7SSdvp49IddT2NAYztiGqNNymsjnhUOxYBDaT25PYJ2tbgaxLYi75NyowarwPgWxxAHZA/s400/Orlando+Ship.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><br />Orlando confirmed for me that his dad loves the tattoo.<br /><br />It was inked at <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/crazy-fantasy-tattoo-new-york">Crazy Fantasy Tattoo</a> in Manhattan by an artist named Antonio.<br /><br />[Update: I got a better, crisper picture from Orlando of the ship tattoo in May 2011:]<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8yRs_ivkZzpafkQjgNcDYcZxz-lqw8HJkwyRGl5bCIK3uQIkZmmjDi1xMvRxiiCVuFY7lhOCwLLtC6reRkjD14g1s6a8fEreOEsL3xgmdjINIWl0HlFxeX8oyJ4hQTPQbNT2NcsFm4-E/s1600/Orlando+Ship+2011_picnik.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8yRs_ivkZzpafkQjgNcDYcZxz-lqw8HJkwyRGl5bCIK3uQIkZmmjDi1xMvRxiiCVuFY7lhOCwLLtC6reRkjD14g1s6a8fEreOEsL3xgmdjINIWl0HlFxeX8oyJ4hQTPQbNT2NcsFm4-E/s400/Orlando+Ship+2011_picnik.jpg" width="210" /></a></div><br />Orlando has seven tattoos in all [in May 2011, he updated this number to ten], and shared this one, as well, inked at <a href="http://www.daredeviltattoo.com/">Dare Devil Tattoo</a> on the Lower East Side.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuEyMmDc-5672sYivpzEUpPIG70j5cus8m3FiJQNZqeDxA3fNB68lYJMSWWDF0cQiD_9IrWwsC0jux6NxvneuW4cayna7hoI1wHsJPAQT6yQB4pr928MkojYX7-BstJIY10zFFcnFHxxc/s1600/Orlando+Bon+Iver.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuEyMmDc-5672sYivpzEUpPIG70j5cus8m3FiJQNZqeDxA3fNB68lYJMSWWDF0cQiD_9IrWwsC0jux6NxvneuW4cayna7hoI1wHsJPAQT6yQB4pr928MkojYX7-BstJIY10zFFcnFHxxc/s400/Orlando+Bon+Iver.jpg" width="258" /></a></div><br />The quote, "<span id="search" style="visibility: visible;">This my excavation and today<i></i> is Kumran"</span> is from a song called "re: Stacks" by <a href="http://www.boniver.org/">Bon Iver</a>.<br /><br />Orlando explained that he interprets this quote as a reminder that "every day has the ability to make you or break you. It just depends on what you do with it." Other interpretations are <a href="http://www.songmeanings.net/songs/view/3530822107858674649/">here</a>.<br /><br />For the record, I did email Orlando to ask for an opportunity to get clearer pictures, but I did not hear back from him.<br /><br />~~~<br /><br />I met Farkas in <a href="http://www.unionsquarenyc.org/">Union Square</a> back in October. He had this wolf on his right arm:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXhCK3KhLVIHIgTe1qT8wDNdkDdSQ76v2LCc5mdzcaI9ELBYDkovxeTl8GyBWMe18LL0d-J6bASc0zGE4Suid84joM6hGiQ00xLMzXFnzNBoI5UqdyUVtRXfhgzdQdz-q8vnCYyBiJsOY/s1600/Farkas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXhCK3KhLVIHIgTe1qT8wDNdkDdSQ76v2LCc5mdzcaI9ELBYDkovxeTl8GyBWMe18LL0d-J6bASc0zGE4Suid84joM6hGiQ00xLMzXFnzNBoI5UqdyUVtRXfhgzdQdz-q8vnCYyBiJsOY/s400/Farkas.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><br />He explained that his name means "wolf" in Hungarian, and that one of his friends in Hungary did this tattoo for him.<br /><br />~~~<br /><br />A couple days after meeting Farkas, I met an Israeli named Ran on 34th Street across from <a href="http://www.macys.com/">Macy*s</a>. He shared this iguana on his right leg:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlbqIBUHQRWZkHJDeUiLwxAQiE4OTa7GGb_X_AapNHW_GovqABZaYpfh23XlV4jYd72lTglhyphenhyphenXYvfMSkKjx4puRY2W4RFBhdA-cBLGW2wGDUB9gFN5a9ujwGiQWU_O40sCKlK5LnPz5Bw/s1600/Iguana_picnik.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlbqIBUHQRWZkHJDeUiLwxAQiE4OTa7GGb_X_AapNHW_GovqABZaYpfh23XlV4jYd72lTglhyphenhyphenXYvfMSkKjx4puRY2W4RFBhdA-cBLGW2wGDUB9gFN5a9ujwGiQWU_O40sCKlK5LnPz5Bw/s640/Iguana_picnik.jpg" width="304" /></a></div><br /><br />It's a pretty nice tattoo, but he hasn't sent me any further details about it.<br /><br />~~~<br /><br />A couple weeks later, I was in the West Village before a concert, and met Carlos, a manager at the <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&expIds=17259,27342,27642,28067&sugexp=ldymls&xhr=t&cp=9&qe=cWRvYmEgMTAwMA&qesig=ioAfmDfQL9io8qJXivfDRw&pkc=AFgZ2tn4CORECvVIyeLyU2neM3rYho1uXF-JgkCMN3WPXIASZMzsBqf9zoXZYVCZMemdAnlBQwpPIUCXg07_bR4jmJS4wGewDw&client=firefox-a&hs=mBF&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=qdoba+10001&fb=1&gl=us&hq=qdoba&hnear=New+York+10001&ei=-DoWTejMIM6s8AaP58W7Dg&sa=X&oi=local_group&ct=image&resnum=2&sqi=2&ved=0CAQQtgMwAQ&iwloc=3378200444570630634">Qdoba Mexican Grill</a> where we were having a quick bite before the show. He shared this intricate tattoo on his right arm:<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_S5HSffUGcfK5efTYIX1Jx1IrPjD3ZcjX83CcxgA8aIZAKbPESXr2B8n0xFMFtDraQZ820BRlI-YvcI_Dnym5TYRdMTtPj9m9vRAzf1vd280M_UBALNAugxPZv8pQY5zfGfSnNZqPtU8/s1600/puzzle+wm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_S5HSffUGcfK5efTYIX1Jx1IrPjD3ZcjX83CcxgA8aIZAKbPESXr2B8n0xFMFtDraQZ820BRlI-YvcI_Dnym5TYRdMTtPj9m9vRAzf1vd280M_UBALNAugxPZv8pQY5zfGfSnNZqPtU8/s640/puzzle+wm.jpg" width="234" /></a></div><br />He and friend collaborated on this tattoo together. He told me that, when he was little, he did jigsaw puzzles with his mother a lot. The tattoo reminds him of those fun times growing up.<br /><br />~~~<br /><br />The following week, I ran into Iancu in Penn Station, and he shared this piece on his upper left arm:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOo62DvDZ45_mELmbfORaWjSc5jozc8sozq2YuxnDpk-3K7WVxqRAUswNacldZAz14-JURY_IMCBqBDVRcU3duVLeNDMzjJZjH5wAKhQ5HrFQ6DheDJnp_q_IDq6MXl1LQY3zmyynpdqA/s1600/guns+roses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOo62DvDZ45_mELmbfORaWjSc5jozc8sozq2YuxnDpk-3K7WVxqRAUswNacldZAz14-JURY_IMCBqBDVRcU3duVLeNDMzjJZjH5wAKhQ5HrFQ6DheDJnp_q_IDq6MXl1LQY3zmyynpdqA/s400/guns+roses.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><br />Iancu told me he came to the artist, Rico, formerly of <a href="http://www.risingdragon.com/">Rising Dragon</a> in Manhattan, who was initially unwilling to do the tattoo. However, he convinced him to do it. It's basically a <a href="http://web.gunsnroses.com/index.jsp">Guns N' Roses</a> tribute although, he<br />noted, the guns were added about a year and a half after the original design was inked.<br /><br />~~~<br /><br />And finally, I must first say that  it is very rare that I ever criticize the quality of a tattoo.<br /><br />Even if it is inferior to the work of much better artists, I always like to believe there are some redeeming qualities in a tattoo.<br /><br />Which is why I struggled with this next tattoo, which I photographer back in August, and which I have included in this odds and ends post in December.<br /><br />I approached a guy named Danny who had a lot of interestingly-tattooed words and such on his arms.<br /><br />However, he offered to remove his shirt in Penn Station so I could photograph this:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8TJ86dAVaJj3OZ9N-m-FY9UCwr4TKxaU__hlDdCbNkA42iqi55WzmxDi-O2KnfzjV36HTVfr26bUIFm7Y0Ia31tcghWICzJPh-kUKMr_VPIQnwSnuOetAiOzLnKGcpTOr4ZP8I5sycjs/s1600/diamonds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8TJ86dAVaJj3OZ9N-m-FY9UCwr4TKxaU__hlDdCbNkA42iqi55WzmxDi-O2KnfzjV36HTVfr26bUIFm7Y0Ia31tcghWICzJPh-kUKMr_VPIQnwSnuOetAiOzLnKGcpTOr4ZP8I5sycjs/s400/diamonds.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br />Um, yeah.<br /><br />If this was done by an experienced artist, I would likely not have posted it. Despite its obvious flaws, it is compelling, in my opinion, because Danny told me, like all his tattoos (15 or 16, he told me), this one was<br />self-inked. Now, I can see tattooing one's arm or leg, but I cannot even fathom how challenging it would be to self-tattoo your chest. He estimated this took one and a half hours to do.<br /><br />The message is "Diamonds Aren't Forever," or, in  Danny's words, "don't take what you have for granted".<br /><br />~~~<br /><br />So there you have it, a Spring Cleaning for Christmas.<br /><br />I do sincerely thank the individuals who shared their tattoos in this entry. Happy Holidays, y'all!

Christmas House Cleaning

Regular readers of Tattoosday will notice that, although I generally follow a chronological order when I share tattoos I have encountered. H...

10:47 AM

Any Port in a Storm: Chris Wears His Clipper Ship with Pride

I spotted this beauty of a tattoo in Bay Ridge on the calf of Chris:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEzjIe2BGkhPTtG3Zlm8DeLF4eo7MMYDedGA9OeX7hsBdnJ749MdUs9qTVUqaKpWxhFeXYkvFzPOk2qXpRyQgMiNa_Da0a6zULwBmCbOHCyOlhZk6wY4mbjusQUMaX7_iDnqv5Mew2s_U/s1600-h/clipper+ship.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5384600224112391570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEzjIe2BGkhPTtG3Zlm8DeLF4eo7MMYDedGA9OeX7hsBdnJ749MdUs9qTVUqaKpWxhFeXYkvFzPOk2qXpRyQgMiNa_Da0a6zULwBmCbOHCyOlhZk6wY4mbjusQUMaX7_iDnqv5Mew2s_U/s400/clipper+ship.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 211px; height: 400px;" /></a><br />He explained that it is a cover-up and took Alex Franklin at <a href="http://www.myspace.com/brooklyninktattoo">Brooklyn Ink</a> about four hours to complete. Work from Alex and the other artists from Brooklyn Ink have appeared previously on Tattoosday <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/search/label/Brooklyn%20Ink">here</a>.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghuO742ihhyphenhyphenNP1J_rl9BoBHr0FBeZ1nbMjVQdtsWtDeOO_7Rv2vLilsGipKjkju_B2wZ6HjrDi1ZPVn9JOFmGqIAMBfPFPL757aF2fIekFsVnMRydb1NQnNTfp_guHoqRakUH0fpI3dBs/s1600-h/clipper+ship+2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5384599619804794770" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghuO742ihhyphenhyphenNP1J_rl9BoBHr0FBeZ1nbMjVQdtsWtDeOO_7Rv2vLilsGipKjkju_B2wZ6HjrDi1ZPVn9JOFmGqIAMBfPFPL757aF2fIekFsVnMRydb1NQnNTfp_guHoqRakUH0fpI3dBs/s400/clipper+ship+2.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" /></a><br />Chris is originally from Boston and he said the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clipper">clipper ship</a> tattoo just "seemed like the New England thing to get". He later elaborated, in an e-mail:<br /><br /><blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;">"I wanted to get something true to where I've grown up and my heritage. A clipper ship is a very New England type tattoo and I was born and raised in Boston before setting off to NYC. Ships also mean a lot to me as 3 of my relatives left England for NYC on the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RMS_Titanic">Titanic</a> and 1 of them perished at sea with the ship. In addition, my grandfather was aboard the Navy's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Allagash_%28AO-97%29">USS Allagash</a> in the Korean War. </span>Any Port in A Storm<span style="font-style: italic;"> is an important saying for me, because I am a cop in Brooklyn. Essentially it means, when you're in trouble, any way out is a good way out, whether or not you like the decision.</span></blockquote>Thanks to Chris for sharing this wonderful tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

Any Port in a Storm: Chris Wears His Clipper Ship with Pride

I spotted this beauty of a tattoo in Bay Ridge on the calf of Chris: He explained that it is a cover-up and took Alex Franklin at Brooklyn I...

2:29 AM

A Ship and An Owl Sail in from California

I ran into Lindsay and her friend Tessa as they were coming out of Penn Station last month.<br /><br />Between them they have seventeen tattoos, many of which are fairly amazing. Lindsay shared two of her pieces with us here at Tattoosday.<br /><br />First up is a traditional ship tattoo on the front of her upper left arm:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC3BWE0WOY-BIycP-5bpDhxAUJAVTpluctSMo8ToTNSfR1bPkD7ATpXZroBw30bfXXUf2PxR-oQIqCu0kYWj29vLPx110NEbW3aNRBMNOAxEuloJ2VwWZ-ga80wgtJb33hci8xQpldSpE/s1600-h/Ship.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383494255957179202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC3BWE0WOY-BIycP-5bpDhxAUJAVTpluctSMo8ToTNSfR1bPkD7ATpXZroBw30bfXXUf2PxR-oQIqCu0kYWj29vLPx110NEbW3aNRBMNOAxEuloJ2VwWZ-ga80wgtJb33hci8xQpldSpE/s400/Ship.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 268px; height: 400px;" /></a><br />Aside from the aesthetics, and the nod to the classic style of traditional tattooing, Lindsay told me that this piece is a steady reminder for her to "stay the course" in her life.<br /><br />It was inked by <a href="http://integritytattoosj.com/Site/SHAWN_PHELPS.html">Shawn Phelps</a> at <a href="http://integritytattoosj.com/Site/HOME.html">Integrity Tattoo</a> in Campbell, California.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiISAtTAuUA3s9YXF8AgFBbE1kXmdyw2MzRV0aZQLaVIvvQ8MOmMmMAlJH3uEY-LzvaeezvJiDmLZb7bZksZQV-tJCM0Ems-6pKbWHYq7QVkcoDzLVUPsgmKNbIzhI6G5zqppUI7vOqtKU/s1600-h/integrity.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383495101901941154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiISAtTAuUA3s9YXF8AgFBbE1kXmdyw2MzRV0aZQLaVIvvQ8MOmMmMAlJH3uEY-LzvaeezvJiDmLZb7bZksZQV-tJCM0Ems-6pKbWHYq7QVkcoDzLVUPsgmKNbIzhI6G5zqppUI7vOqtKU/s400/integrity.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 291px;" /></a><br />The back of Lindsay's arm hosts this incredible owl tattoo:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEwkqMG0efJn78jwNL49RD0itNssBbUIf9R5k3gRCd3JWtzk5_NBSOtQxHfbqTNhWJKUiPWG393eERvKl_bUS0-QqSK8sfYHhFmb-7tTe5ohhp5fpIV2v8ie-NCoHDvlFhjF33uxdE_zM/s1600-h/Owl.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383494091735178594" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEwkqMG0efJn78jwNL49RD0itNssBbUIf9R5k3gRCd3JWtzk5_NBSOtQxHfbqTNhWJKUiPWG393eERvKl_bUS0-QqSK8sfYHhFmb-7tTe5ohhp5fpIV2v8ie-NCoHDvlFhjF33uxdE_zM/s400/Owl.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 268px; height: 400px;" /></a><br />Owl tattoos are a popular tattoo motif. I've mentioned before <a href="http://owltattoos.blogspot.com/">this great blog</a> dedicated solely to <a href="http://owltattoos.blogspot.com/">Owl Tattoos</a>. On the far side of her upper left arm, she says her owl, aside from its decorative strengths, "watches [her] back". This great tattoo was done by <a href="http://www.tattoo13oakland.com/bio.cfm?Artist=KarlFisher">Karl Fisher</a> at <a href="http://www.tattoo13oakland.com/contactinfo.cfm">Tattoo 13</a> in Oakland, California.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQdE8F0vJreVOOz9NYX1aHxEPgQHSMTE_7o4S-SBDeosKi_KtLrav_n-lc3m6fzwVawS-ugf7Sa9FMeEcMzmGdTSYzT_V8D_-zesuPskR_eP7u2LawYu1tIqiaNmWNaEoAbSTdptQERwU/s1600-h/i_inner_logo.gif" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5383496823619664386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQdE8F0vJreVOOz9NYX1aHxEPgQHSMTE_7o4S-SBDeosKi_KtLrav_n-lc3m6fzwVawS-ugf7Sa9FMeEcMzmGdTSYzT_V8D_-zesuPskR_eP7u2LawYu1tIqiaNmWNaEoAbSTdptQERwU/s400/i_inner_logo.gif" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 154px; height: 161px;" /></a><br /><img alt="" src="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/Bill/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot.png" /><img alt="" src="file:///C:/DOCUME%7E1/Bill/LOCALS%7E1/Temp/moz-screenshot-1.png" />I humbly thank Lindsay for sharing her a little bit of her body art with us here on Tattoosday!<br /><br />Be sure to check <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2009/09/tessas-tattoo-illustrates-battle-of.html">here</a> to see what amazing piece Lindsay's friend <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2009/09/tessas-tattoo-illustrates-battle-of.html">Tessa</a> offered up to the blogosphere!

A Ship and An Owl Sail in from California

I ran into Lindsay and her friend Tessa as they were coming out of Penn Station last month. Between them they have seventeen tattoos, many o...

3:22 AM

The Ship Keeps Sailing Along (Revisiting Carrie's Ribcage)

Last September, I posted this amazing tattoo:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLl8ic6IglQLNdKckRtkh0SI_m6hg4MebtSJr-ITN9g_eE2pcnGC0wKf7xiNc7NuhruygXwev3S8AhJPZKIxna6RCjRXaRlR-kMc05FfHdX5oEoxjcEhQtrurtA1MWy18qOakqvXl3l6s/s1600-h/ship+close.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332919814533905842" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLl8ic6IglQLNdKckRtkh0SI_m6hg4MebtSJr-ITN9g_eE2pcnGC0wKf7xiNc7NuhruygXwev3S8AhJPZKIxna6RCjRXaRlR-kMc05FfHdX5oEoxjcEhQtrurtA1MWy18qOakqvXl3l6s/s400/ship+close.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 211px; height: 400px;" /></a><br />If you missed it the first time around, go back and read <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2008/09/series-of-nautical-stars-guide-me-to.html">the full post</a> <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2008/09/series-of-nautical-stars-guide-me-to.html">here</a> before proceeding...<br /><br />There.<br /><br />Did you read/reread it? Good.<br /><br />This is what it looks like now:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEBDYBeHgQ73v0BBePs7rJVwfBSem0IQS2kSXbvwVdUrwOf1FJQUeMxBovGOubZ5Tx8rYeylO-008E0u5ztLh8dR_T0L-P_AuTYL3nQdgeah4cjaWCcVsj5U_5dHwll_7MloMMpVEqBzw/s1600-h/carrie+update.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5332920130160166450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEBDYBeHgQ73v0BBePs7rJVwfBSem0IQS2kSXbvwVdUrwOf1FJQUeMxBovGOubZ5Tx8rYeylO-008E0u5ztLh8dR_T0L-P_AuTYL3nQdgeah4cjaWCcVsj5U_5dHwll_7MloMMpVEqBzw/s400/carrie+update.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 248px; height: 400px;" /></a><br />One of the great things about writing this blog, besides meeting people with incredible tattoos, is that some of the tattooed subjects become friends. Carrie and I have stayed in touch and we chat from time to time. She even submitted the tattoos she and her husband received as wedding gifts (this post <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2009/02/carrie-returns-with-some-matrimonial.html">here</a>).<br /><br />As for this updated version of the pirate ship, the first post was done in two sittings and she has had two more to add the color, about 4 hours worth of work on the color. She estimates (and hopes) that one more sitting will take care of filling in the rest of the ship and the top sail.<br /><br />As mentioned in the first post, this piece is the work of <a href="http://www.revolvertattoo.com/artists.php">Charles "Chuck" Denise</a> at <a href="http://www.revolvertattoo.com/">Revolver Tattoo</a> in New Brunswick, New Jersey.<br /><br />Thanks again to Carrie for updating us here at Tattoosday on the progress of this phenomenal tattoo!

The Ship Keeps Sailing Along (Revisiting Carrie's Ribcage)

Last September, I posted this amazing tattoo: If you missed it the first time around, go back and read the full post here before proceedin...

3:00 AM

A Series of Nautical Stars Guide Me to an Amazing Tattoo

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ou144nYlGIy0YRDA7MjkdjyRfiW4B-wIRSDwwftDV1-LnRnY797BqfUwsxd1ho1auL9sMd1LnbzaFcOCLrYGTGjF9aP1ArDrr-uZ-KklBWQ4cUPEqgusvTePdu0OH_C6tyVdshak9DzD/s1600-h/nautical+stars.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248468713661964210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8ou144nYlGIy0YRDA7MjkdjyRfiW4B-wIRSDwwftDV1-LnRnY797BqfUwsxd1ho1auL9sMd1LnbzaFcOCLrYGTGjF9aP1ArDrr-uZ-KklBWQ4cUPEqgusvTePdu0OH_C6tyVdshak9DzD/s400/nautical+stars.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a><br />I've said it before and I'll say it again: sometimes asking about a common tattoo reaps great visual rewards.<br /><br />Carrie is a prime example. I spotted her nautical stars gracing her right arm near <a href="http://www.39thandbroadway.com/">39th Street and Broadway</a> and I asked her about them. Had she only had one, I may have passed her by, but she had five running up the length of her inner arm, and I had to ask.<br /><br />Well, like <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2008/03/whole-lotta-rosary.html">this tattoo</a>, I knew when Carrie stood up from the chair on which she was sitting, that I would be seeing something more interesting than stars. And, well, let's say she took my breath away on Broadway:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI8-6iFq1RKhitMoZ3x4uBByy4Si-jc4sv98dWxKcvaIM9S3glKXJoG525D7_sQBzojYEnUTK-rMoifl1hm14pDMKtIQttW2TxQ72s07uMhjyb21Jd7Rnn7viyTCJCtwPp7KmR6KLfcrus/s1600-h/ship+close.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248468518297342818" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI8-6iFq1RKhitMoZ3x4uBByy4Si-jc4sv98dWxKcvaIM9S3glKXJoG525D7_sQBzojYEnUTK-rMoifl1hm14pDMKtIQttW2TxQ72s07uMhjyb21Jd7Rnn7viyTCJCtwPp7KmR6KLfcrus/s400/ship+close.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a><br />This reminded me of <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2008/06/syndys-windjammer-in-honor-of-nanny.html">this windjammer tattoo</a>, but Carrie, who has always loved pirates, and is going to have this colored in at some point, specified that this is a pirate ship.<br /><br />The detail is incredible:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixT3nDWV22sxY1NatCuXpRXx2m-BBX9W4orhTOno5OlrqGA1ydV7KcsFV0gGNboa0ug1KnCS6OiHtg92lPfXtzdw_sOr8ewRBx7LNfhu6eWZHnlkIPR8G3I0jZfhrhr4aaNSidXaXmLiPj/s1600-h/ship+detail.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248468175445662194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixT3nDWV22sxY1NatCuXpRXx2m-BBX9W4orhTOno5OlrqGA1ydV7KcsFV0gGNboa0ug1KnCS6OiHtg92lPfXtzdw_sOr8ewRBx7LNfhu6eWZHnlkIPR8G3I0jZfhrhr4aaNSidXaXmLiPj/s400/ship+detail.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a><br />and Carrie was particularly  happy that the moon came out in the photo:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3r7yvtZr_TtsX_qQPBEBzYKCqn7ewBtbfTq9qlTbAGNL4TWj5Bg8mZHDmzUuuEA_t4n7RsVBQ9OHl-gCIfbrikTxrX9MGVutMWHRDLf_P3UVvFsPbb-_IIffhxguikFtQVhA9XjGI66FL/s1600-h/moon.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5248468278427254770" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3r7yvtZr_TtsX_qQPBEBzYKCqn7ewBtbfTq9qlTbAGNL4TWj5Bg8mZHDmzUuuEA_t4n7RsVBQ9OHl-gCIfbrikTxrX9MGVutMWHRDLf_P3UVvFsPbb-_IIffhxguikFtQVhA9XjGI66FL/s400/moon.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a><br />The brilliant piece was inked by <a href="http://www.revolvertattoo.com/artists.php">Charles "Chuck" Denise</a> at <a href="http://www.revolvertattoo.com/">Revolver Tattoo</a> in New Brunswick, New Jersey. Carrie told me he was voted one of the top 10 tattooists in the country. The stars were done at <a href="http://philadelphiaeddiestattoo.com/">Philadelphia Eddie's Tattoo Haven</a> by Topper in Philadelphia.<br /><br />Thanks to Carrie for sharing her awesome ship on Tattoosday (and for being confident enough to reveal so much in the middle of Broadway). She works in the same building where I have a regular Friday meeting, so I hope to feature progress on her work in the future. She also mentioned that her boyfriend has some cool ink too, so we may see some from him as well in the months to come.

A Series of Nautical Stars Guide Me to an Amazing Tattoo

I've said it before and I'll say it again: sometimes asking about a common tattoo reaps great visual rewards. Carrie is a prime exam...

6:00 AM

Syndy's Windjammer in Honor of Nanny

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN98fDeFAsepaPCKXO2MFRQAQo-1sTLrSblVTbKgvhJWX8vxTl8J2qgJqIml2dmd1MjbTzwuvSxoDP5wPRVbTI4NzSlUIWRAff4zmvqFEKQxDKRSb_ovGy-xiiPQ1P4tUGrE_fJigke_4D/s1600-h/100_7675.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213922752121327330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN98fDeFAsepaPCKXO2MFRQAQo-1sTLrSblVTbKgvhJWX8vxTl8J2qgJqIml2dmd1MjbTzwuvSxoDP5wPRVbTI4NzSlUIWRAff4zmvqFEKQxDKRSb_ovGy-xiiPQ1P4tUGrE_fJigke_4D/s400/100_7675.JPG" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a>It was the swallows on her back that I noticed. But they were covered partially by the straps of her top, so I was just going to give her a <span style="font-style: italic;">Tattoosday </span>flier and go on my merry way.<br /><br />But, Syndy, a first grade teacher visiting from North Carolina, blew me away by peeling up her shirt on the sidewalk in front of Penn Station to reveal this stunning black and gray Polish <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windjammer">windjammer</a>.<br /><br />This tattoo was inked in honor of her late grandmother, with the banner inscription "Forever -n- Ever, Nanny".<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijdO-iAATWCLPBiX4dE-3ECtA06KMH-uJjp8seMjkkzAIjlHy57BLkuh-ZTAqQxyDPIHSONFOKdZJe1FNI-VaK7jfNrBCOsfXXcHIy_0Uppgunm84POvzdF1B04CQqOJ2_JsONUXdI4hyphenhyphend/s1600-h/100_7676.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5213922583767576130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijdO-iAATWCLPBiX4dE-3ECtA06KMH-uJjp8seMjkkzAIjlHy57BLkuh-ZTAqQxyDPIHSONFOKdZJe1FNI-VaK7jfNrBCOsfXXcHIy_0Uppgunm84POvzdF1B04CQqOJ2_JsONUXdI4hyphenhyphend/s400/100_7676.JPG" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a><br />Syndy says her Nanny was a remarkable woman who always encouraged her to "be free," and loved going sailing.<br /><br />This piece was inked in two sittings by <a href="http://www.skinwerks.com/craigfoster_tat01.html">Craig Foster</a> at <a href="http://www.skinwerks.com/about.html">Skinwerks Tattoo & Design</a> in Atlanta.<br /><br />Thanks to Syndy for sharing her beautiful tribute here at Tattoosday!

Syndy's Windjammer in Honor of Nanny

It was the swallows on her back that I noticed. But they were covered partially by the straps of her top, so I was just going to give her a ...

4:10 AM

Tattoosday (A Tattoo Blog)

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