Tom Shares His Escher and Hokusai-Inspired Sleeves

Back in June, I rode my bike out to the Coney Island boardwalk and did a little inkspotting. One of the several tattooed individuals I met was Tom, who had some cool work to share.<br /><br />It was his <a href="http://www.mcescher.com/">M.C. Escher</a>-inspired sleeve that first caught my attention:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipilEf1KvnMRVC67MI_G1rZXQauixeuN7Zv36TLuJ4KbYa-WZZM_TgumzMY-IydIimiPVZgNdb2rM-0E9488bVA71T1WpJbJmYT1RCjhZzKDOI15BKr45lV7nD96o2fwLxLbZX50ltWmY/s615/IMG_0361.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipilEf1KvnMRVC67MI_G1rZXQauixeuN7Zv36TLuJ4KbYa-WZZM_TgumzMY-IydIimiPVZgNdb2rM-0E9488bVA71T1WpJbJmYT1RCjhZzKDOI15BKr45lV7nD96o2fwLxLbZX50ltWmY/s640/IMG_0361.JPG" width="305" /></a></div><br />Among the designs from which Tom drew inspiration were Escher's "12 Birds"<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mcescher.com/Shopmain/ShopEU/facsprints-uk/data/1000/16%20Twelve%20Birds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://www.mcescher.com/Shopmain/ShopEU/facsprints-uk/data/1000/16%20Twelve%20Birds.jpg" width="295" /></a></div><br />and his "Lizard."<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.mcescher.com/Shopmain/ShopEU/facsprints-uk/data/1000/12%20Lizard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.mcescher.com/Shopmain/ShopEU/facsprints-uk/data/1000/12%20Lizard.jpg" width="296" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Tom credited his artist Haun Duong, located in Queens, with this work.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">His other arm has a compilation of the works of the Japanese artist <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hokusai">Katsushika Hokusai</a>:</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM1pgiiy0s7bmE1KEfIU8I-RYp07_dM3Y-bgGt6QZK8Kum-auPS_wFZFKT9luFJEUmqn4uDL33d7_IZ-3j69sxqEjTDt0Mg5vtPsUnS1Q1EN7c11ZKhLMzKykay647sSvYUg9_9Hh8fBU/s614/IMG_0362.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM1pgiiy0s7bmE1KEfIU8I-RYp07_dM3Y-bgGt6QZK8Kum-auPS_wFZFKT9luFJEUmqn4uDL33d7_IZ-3j69sxqEjTDt0Mg5vtPsUnS1Q1EN7c11ZKhLMzKykay647sSvYUg9_9Hh8fBU/s640/IMG_0362.JPG" width="356" /></a></div><br />This is based primarily on his most recognizable work, <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_Wave_off_Kanagawa">The Great Wave of Kanagawa</a></i>:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://wiki.brown.edu/confluence/download/attachments/75703088/KanagawaWave.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="275" src="https://wiki.brown.edu/confluence/download/attachments/75703088/KanagawaWave.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Tom told me that the <i>koi </i>fish represent the fact that he is a Pisces and that he has a twin sister. And there are additional elements from the Japanese master lower on the arm that represent him and his wife, along with three turtles (not pictured) which represent his kids. And inside the bicep:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO-rrANKXgfUdyJd1l7fZB1TVXUETeeGjSPQ9zNwduy9zPTrXaZZyA_Ytox9KDRPU7IjxfQjuOpW-rrfqKUq7Q2Egi5_9RvKnFX4mxGMiIpDxJbN7ad-SFAoRBEsP4EfVzUCU2U_2XtFs/s615/IMG_0365.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO-rrANKXgfUdyJd1l7fZB1TVXUETeeGjSPQ9zNwduy9zPTrXaZZyA_Ytox9KDRPU7IjxfQjuOpW-rrfqKUq7Q2Egi5_9RvKnFX4mxGMiIpDxJbN7ad-SFAoRBEsP4EfVzUCU2U_2XtFs/s640/IMG_0365.JPG" width="258" /></a></div><br />The falcon and the snake represent the good and the bad within him.<br /><br />Thanks to Tom for sharing his great work with us here on Tattoosday!<br /><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span><b id="internal-source-marker_0.9506956902332604" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">This entry is ©2012 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 reading 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: none; 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>

Tom Shares His Escher and Hokusai-Inspired Sleeves

Back in June, I rode my bike out to the Coney Island boardwalk and did a little inkspotting. One of the several tattooed individuals I met w...

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The Tattooed Poets Project: Raffaella Ciavatta's Trio of Amazing Tattoos

<span style=";font-family:verdana;font-size:100%;" >Today's tattoos were submitted by Brazilian-born, New York-based poet <a href="http://ineuphorictrance.blogspot.com/">Raffaella Ciavatta</a>. She heard about the Tattooed Poet's Project earlier this month from <a href="http://getangrywithme.com/">Jackie Sheeler</a> at a local reading. Jackie's tattoos were featured earlier this month <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2009/04/jackie-sheelers-swirling-tribal-tattoos.html">here</a>.<br /></span><div style="font-family:verdana;"><div><span style="font-size:100%;"><br />Raffaela sent three photos:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie_BJI7qXA8B49_ZiwSSqlvJYlgt-860BCS2VrIJEYW-v63IcdMTyCQHNr-a2V2abMLMhTuYzlYrs2wB-sFuiyV1YsMw3x-NsLNsDFL20U8Hrdrnas1S1G5qqCkJFqlhW7uY8_JJRgkqU/s1600-h/liz.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325676748356519458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie_BJI7qXA8B49_ZiwSSqlvJYlgt-860BCS2VrIJEYW-v63IcdMTyCQHNr-a2V2abMLMhTuYzlYrs2wB-sFuiyV1YsMw3x-NsLNsDFL20U8Hrdrnas1S1G5qqCkJFqlhW7uY8_JJRgkqU/s400/liz.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 191px; height: 331px;" /></a><br /></span><span style="font-size:100%;">Raffaela says that this is "my own design mixing a Chinese dragon, representing strength, and the lizard, for the soul's search of awareness, so that it could protect me and guide me through the eternal pursuit of knowledge.</span><span style="font-size:100%;">"<br /><br />This piece on the lower left side of her back/hip was her first tattoo, done at <a href="http://www.tat2.com.br/">Studio Tat 2</a> in Brazil.<br /><br />Next is a piece on the right side of her chest, near the collar bone:<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh94dQLhxbP-kaznt5oqCQcLlK76i4gW00YCYHqDjoSHhj2JvkKxT1JI5eXXxjRW1pYckTR8EuJF1Vmr99uCu9ZSBiikU7-GBKesy0mTG4oqjF_279eZGc5KZI2A97-OIluL8VK8bQU-9M/s1600-h/Mater.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325676711914479954" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh94dQLhxbP-kaznt5oqCQcLlK76i4gW00YCYHqDjoSHhj2JvkKxT1JI5eXXxjRW1pYckTR8EuJF1Vmr99uCu9ZSBiikU7-GBKesy0mTG4oqjF_279eZGc5KZI2A97-OIluL8VK8bQU-9M/s400/Mater.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 268px; height: 288px;" /></a><br />The "mater" is the Latin word for mother who, Raffaella proclaims is "</span><span style="font-size:100%;">done for the most important person to me in this world, my mother, father, best friend!</span><span style="font-size:100%;">" This piece was inked at <a href="http://fabiotattoo.blogspot.com/">Fabio Tattoo</a>, also in Brazil.<br /><br />And finally, this last tattoo, which you get a small glimpse of in the first picture above, is just breath-taking:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_jnO_8utgPkuZ68SBF6CxghhiptK-GShz7giTQNRKlzOGMSE4qfxufFCEdHsa-ViYIOHMquQRuvrw8keM3TjXirCYedy_xXEa7z5v2lCiLyG1ZgQdz42JV6kn77wp63GE3apqj-LgPHI/s1600-h/wings.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5325676668463249538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_jnO_8utgPkuZ68SBF6CxghhiptK-GShz7giTQNRKlzOGMSE4qfxufFCEdHsa-ViYIOHMquQRuvrw8keM3TjXirCYedy_xXEa7z5v2lCiLyG1ZgQdz42JV6kn77wp63GE3apqj-LgPHI/s400/wings.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 298px; height: 400px;" /></a><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size:100%;">These are her angel wings, "done to achieve my dream of reaching New York." She adds, "I definitely flew from Brazil to NY." They were tattooed over six months. The tattoo was started by</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> Eric Codo ("just the outline...he had to move to Rio de Janeiro) at <a href="http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM2VFH">Steel Star Supply</a> in Sao Paulo and was finished by the "<a href="http://www.fotolog.com/fabio_renato/">Amazing Fabio Renato</a>".<br /><br /></span></div></div><div style="font-family:verdana;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Head over to <a href="http://oxypoet.blogspot.com/2009/04/tattooed-poets-series-day-17-raffaella.html">BillyBlog</a> to read <a href="http://oxypoet.blogspot.com/2009/04/tattooed-poets-series-day-17-raffaella.html">one of Raffaella's poems</a>.<br /><br />Thanks to Raffaella for sharing her amazing work with us here at Tattoosday!<br /></span></div>

The Tattooed Poets Project: Raffaella Ciavatta's Trio of Amazing Tattoos

Today's tattoos were submitted by Brazilian-born, New York-based poet Raffaella Ciavatta . She heard about the Tattooed Poet's Proje...

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