No Mud, No Lotus

Back in July, at the NYC Poetry Festival, I was awash with poetry and a wide array of tattoos.<br /><br />I met Jhani, who shared this tattoo on her arm:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGXDQTDUPDGvS7mo37GngH48KWKXVNncVNrB-hY4O_2eFUbqvdGrUbtzldVH6cat52d_3G-pN2MN2qY9JRacx6DDG3hAQvyD-QFntxBZjAiDBbbSAa08E9-NCdXJ9gTUT4Iu8Xyt7WE4E/s1600/No+mud.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGXDQTDUPDGvS7mo37GngH48KWKXVNncVNrB-hY4O_2eFUbqvdGrUbtzldVH6cat52d_3G-pN2MN2qY9JRacx6DDG3hAQvyD-QFntxBZjAiDBbbSAa08E9-NCdXJ9gTUT4Iu8Xyt7WE4E/s1600/No+mud.jpg" width="434" /></a></div><br />This lotus flower was inked by Chris at <a href="http://www.outerlimitstattoo.com/home.aspx">Outer Limits</a> in Costa Mesa, California.  It reads, “No Mud, No Lotus.”<br /><br />When I asked her what this meant, she replied, "To me, it means patience." She added, "it’s also a reminder to be conscious of my decisions and also how turmoil can create life as long as you’re open to existing in a dark and dirty position, especially if it’s in your own like cycle for a while.”<br /><br />Thanks to Jhani for sharing this fantastic tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!<br /><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 ©2014 Tattoosday.</span></span></div><span id="docs-internal-guid-39bf6e68-b9b3-6b52-9745-61fad206ae47"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></span><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>

No Mud, No Lotus

Back in July, at the NYC Poetry Festival, I was awash with poetry and a wide array of tattoos. I met Jhani, who shared this tattoo on her ar...

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Chris and His Koi (at the NYC Tattoo Convention)

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-7fdVLRA60L2S7TyhDzxISarU_H3qMkicMm-v9TiXJm2nb5HZtuXoftV9iZ7iq6hvjtarrVLSxqjR-e1vWB3eYkHIP1BVvEElSv4oQYU7vZNL8GiA5lYq_Pxx7LXJCppzVW8cq55dipw/w297-h659-no/IMG_0970.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-7fdVLRA60L2S7TyhDzxISarU_H3qMkicMm-v9TiXJm2nb5HZtuXoftV9iZ7iq6hvjtarrVLSxqjR-e1vWB3eYkHIP1BVvEElSv4oQYU7vZNL8GiA5lYq_Pxx7LXJCppzVW8cq55dipw/w297-h659-no/IMG_0970.JPG" /></a></div><br />I'll be honest, koi tattoos are pretty popular, so I don't often post photos of them. But, every once in a while, I see an exceptional one, and feel compelled to share it here.<br /><br />The photo above is of a stunning koi tattoo, courtesy of a guy named Chris, who I met last week at the <a href="http://www.nyctattooconvention.com/">NYC Tattoo Convention</a>.<br /><br />It's an exceptionally well-done piece, with the traditional Japanese carp, or <i>koi</i>, swimming upstream, along with a lotus flower at the bottom and cherry blossoms at the top. Note also the way water and movement is skillfully represented.<br /><br />Chris credited <a href="http://jeremymillertattoo.com/about/">Jeremy Miller</a> from <a href="https://www.facebook.com/screaminink">Screamin' Ink Tattoo</a> in Fair Lawn, New Jersey. Note: this is a different Jeremy Miller than the one who competed on the first season of<i> Ink Master</i>.<br /><br />I usually see something spectacular from the talented crew at Screamin' Ink every year at the convention, all of which can be seen in previous posts with their shop tagged <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/search/label/Screamin%27%20Ink%20Tattoo%20and%20Body%20Piercing">here</a>.<br /><br />Thanks to Chris for sharing this great sleeve with us here on Tattoosday!<br /><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><span id="docs-internal-guid-388b3fbd-dcc5-2d23-2137-f0f054125abb"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></span><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>

Chris and His Koi (at the NYC Tattoo Convention)

I'll be honest, koi tattoos are pretty popular, so I don't often post photos of them. But, every once in a while, I see an exception...

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Yuiko's Cherry Blossoms Ring in a New Year

As an old year ends, and a new year begins, let's celebrate with this photo of Yuiko's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherry_blossom">cherry blossoms:</a><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnPgwUnfMnDkuHeERsdIqkXQqbUjjpfe3ttVezW-w7X7Vs7EOPiS6xdRbeAy7lRypSxROM6dN_l_cxBbTHOQOZXUOOr4c8VCjH46kOEAztbHOvv1gbIH5g7WwszeEIdvNPDmU1MYaS68s/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/AVvXsEhnPgwUnfMnDkuHeERsdIqkXQqbUjjpfe3ttVezW-w7X7Vs7EOPiS6xdRbeAy7lRypSxROM6dN_l_cxBbTHOQOZXUOOr4c8VCjH46kOEAztbHOvv1gbIH5g7WwszeEIdvNPDmU1MYaS68s/s640/photo.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br />I met Yuiko at the <a href="http://brooklynlyceum.com/">Brooklyn Lyceum</a> over the summer.<br /><br />She was sitting a couple rows ahead of me during a performance of <a href="http://pipertheatre.org/">Piper Theater's</a> <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiddler_on_the_Roof">Fiddler on the Roof</a>.</i><br /><i><br /></i>After the show, we chatted about her work and she later e-mailed me more information about the work, also sending me a clearer, "fresher" photo:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUOj8hSnW_1C5zb_lfM1C_U0JeebgKls4g5lpWWyLHdC1emITutkjssNWpQd5bqFIXNfeFmbmrGDHXz-zZGvVF1YZ3XBMJIJOzv0nao698DX0Imtm04v8zX0zaurvtwQgp8R8ypV8JmGs/s373/photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUOj8hSnW_1C5zb_lfM1C_U0JeebgKls4g5lpWWyLHdC1emITutkjssNWpQd5bqFIXNfeFmbmrGDHXz-zZGvVF1YZ3XBMJIJOzv0nao698DX0Imtm04v8zX0zaurvtwQgp8R8ypV8JmGs/s400/photo.jpg" width="316" /></a></div><br />Yuiko credited this work to <a href="http://www.mytats.com/kohei.htm">Kohei Toyama</a>, an L.A.-based artist she met at the NYC Tattoo Convention a few years back.<br /><br />I also snapped this shot of the lotus tattoo on the back of her neck:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGWKmOAGtC5NXqLNJqCJJYtqUwWqLjmxvMoCrgA-sTKLb14QvMfyLaj4ru5Yni1ZIR5XeaxtuEOfMAZuvvD72kHlwYZ0EbyGmMKVt59p8TRjleVPcLpMq2YP6WRGCOk6FHn7_5bfHKeMo/s615/photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGWKmOAGtC5NXqLNJqCJJYtqUwWqLjmxvMoCrgA-sTKLb14QvMfyLaj4ru5Yni1ZIR5XeaxtuEOfMAZuvvD72kHlwYZ0EbyGmMKVt59p8TRjleVPcLpMq2YP6WRGCOk6FHn7_5bfHKeMo/s320/photo.jpg" width="299" /></a></div><br />As we move from one year to the next, let's pause and remember to cherish every moment, because life's beauty, like the cherry blossom, is fleeting.<br /><br />Thanks to Yuiko for sharing her beautiful tattoos with us here on Tattoosday, and a happy new year to all of our contributors and readers!<br /><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span><b id="internal-source-marker_0.8359710872173309" 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 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>

Yuiko's Cherry Blossoms Ring in a New Year

As an old year ends, and a new year begins, let's celebrate with this photo of Yuiko's cherry blossoms: I met Yuiko at the Brooklyn ...

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Yukio's Cherry Blossoms Ring in a New Year

As an old year ends, and a new year begins, let's celebrate with this photo of Yukio's <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherry_blossom">cherry blossoms:</a><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnPgwUnfMnDkuHeERsdIqkXQqbUjjpfe3ttVezW-w7X7Vs7EOPiS6xdRbeAy7lRypSxROM6dN_l_cxBbTHOQOZXUOOr4c8VCjH46kOEAztbHOvv1gbIH5g7WwszeEIdvNPDmU1MYaS68s/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/AVvXsEhnPgwUnfMnDkuHeERsdIqkXQqbUjjpfe3ttVezW-w7X7Vs7EOPiS6xdRbeAy7lRypSxROM6dN_l_cxBbTHOQOZXUOOr4c8VCjH46kOEAztbHOvv1gbIH5g7WwszeEIdvNPDmU1MYaS68s/s640/photo.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br />I met Yukio at the <a href="http://brooklynlyceum.com/">Brooklyn Lyceum</a> over the summer.<br /><br />She was sitting a couple rows ahead of me during a performance of <a href="http://pipertheatre.org/">Piper Theater's</a> <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fiddler_on_the_Roof">Fiddler on the Roof</a>.</i><br /><i><br /></i>After the show, we chatted about her work and she later e-mailed me more information about the work, also sending me a clearer, "fresher" photo:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUOj8hSnW_1C5zb_lfM1C_U0JeebgKls4g5lpWWyLHdC1emITutkjssNWpQd5bqFIXNfeFmbmrGDHXz-zZGvVF1YZ3XBMJIJOzv0nao698DX0Imtm04v8zX0zaurvtwQgp8R8ypV8JmGs/s373/photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUOj8hSnW_1C5zb_lfM1C_U0JeebgKls4g5lpWWyLHdC1emITutkjssNWpQd5bqFIXNfeFmbmrGDHXz-zZGvVF1YZ3XBMJIJOzv0nao698DX0Imtm04v8zX0zaurvtwQgp8R8ypV8JmGs/s400/photo.jpg" width="316" /></a></div><br />Yukio credited this work to <a href="http://www.mytats.com/kohei.htm">Kohei Toyama</a>, an L.A.-based artist she met at the NYC Tattoo Convention a few years back.<br /><br />I also snapped this shot of the lotus tattoo on the back of her neck:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGWKmOAGtC5NXqLNJqCJJYtqUwWqLjmxvMoCrgA-sTKLb14QvMfyLaj4ru5Yni1ZIR5XeaxtuEOfMAZuvvD72kHlwYZ0EbyGmMKVt59p8TRjleVPcLpMq2YP6WRGCOk6FHn7_5bfHKeMo/s615/photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGWKmOAGtC5NXqLNJqCJJYtqUwWqLjmxvMoCrgA-sTKLb14QvMfyLaj4ru5Yni1ZIR5XeaxtuEOfMAZuvvD72kHlwYZ0EbyGmMKVt59p8TRjleVPcLpMq2YP6WRGCOk6FHn7_5bfHKeMo/s320/photo.jpg" width="299" /></a></div><br />As we move from one year to the next, let's pause and remember to cherish every moment, because life's beauty, like the cherry blossom, is fleeting.<br /><br />Thanks to Yukio for sharing her beautiful tattoos with us here on Tattoosday, and a happy new year to all of our contributors and readers!<br /><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span><b id="internal-source-marker_0.8359710872173309" 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 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>

Yukio's Cherry Blossoms Ring in a New Year

As an old year ends, and a new year begins, let's celebrate with this photo of Yukio's cherry blossoms: I met Yukio at the Brooklyn ...

Read more »

Wesley Shares Two Significant Blossoms

I met Wesley in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, earlier this month, and she shared these two tattoos from her forearms:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiEIgG2H824vZu-8o8_SsxpSoDEj6t2JOadBx03R-28RyGo-PqnlYKUzY4Cg4FyJV3kodkQ7tWtEAmfHCLB3-Dzk04dKzn1SwtSDgSh_YXFCyuuENi6Agk3vHiRbuAteSSy4VGP3qd8Ys/s1600/wesley+flowers+1+rotate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiEIgG2H824vZu-8o8_SsxpSoDEj6t2JOadBx03R-28RyGo-PqnlYKUzY4Cg4FyJV3kodkQ7tWtEAmfHCLB3-Dzk04dKzn1SwtSDgSh_YXFCyuuENi6Agk3vHiRbuAteSSy4VGP3qd8Ys/s640/wesley+flowers+1+rotate.jpg" width="596" /></a></div><br />These two flowers are (pictured from left to right) a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosa_laevigata">Cherokee Rose</a>, which is the state flower of Georgia, and a Nile, or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Egyptian_lotus">Egyptian Lotus</a>.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKvhnXGBwYJunbnm-qZrhE-Dxn8oWxVCkfJj70Xt29ps-WAcdRBzaXPKclHkmz4TNrUvCenMm_tag8MI0h_devihAorWCBX88ZuImDaX6W0Q8kBR4vpigKJKm3JHawYadzkhwuMHRPUyk/s1600/wesley+flowers+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKvhnXGBwYJunbnm-qZrhE-Dxn8oWxVCkfJj70Xt29ps-WAcdRBzaXPKclHkmz4TNrUvCenMm_tag8MI0h_devihAorWCBX88ZuImDaX6W0Q8kBR4vpigKJKm3JHawYadzkhwuMHRPUyk/s640/wesley+flowers+2.jpg" width="608" /></a></div><br />Wesley explained that the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosa_laevigata">Cherokee Rose</a> is generally white in color, but white flowers don't generally translate well to white skin. Fortunately, they can occasionally grow pink, so that's the shade she chose for the tattoo.<br /><br /><br />Wesley explained the whole process of these tattoos in detail:<br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">"I was born in Macon, Georgia and my dad's from Georgia and the whole myth is that when the Cherokees were driven out ... by the white people, they cried ... <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trail_of_Tears">The Trail of Tears</a> ...and the flowers that sprang up where their tears [fell] were the Cherokee Rose. And [the flower on the left arm] is a Nile Lotus ... an Egyptian lotus, you see it a a lot on the sarcophagi ... Egyptian tombs, and it's about death and rebirth.... I got them ... in 2005 ...in Seattle by a guy ... Ian at <a href="http://www.luckydeviltattooparlor.com/">Lucky Devil Tattoo</a> in Capitol Hill, Seattle ... it was a year almost since I had been diagnosed and treated for cancer and it was sort of my celebration of 'I'm okay'  and I had some whole elaborate - I was going to have insects on the inside of my wrist and flowers on the outside, and there was a possibility of a snake, there was a whole big thing and ... the great thing about this artist was that he was like, 'here, let me do a temporary version of what that would look like,' and I was like, 'that would look really cluttered and ridiculous' ... and I realized that I really wanted them to be something I could see and I was more attuned to the flowers ... I wanted something that was close to home from my past and then something that was from another culture from farther away - there's the birth thing and the death thing. Yeah."</blockquote>Thanks to Wesley for sharing her beautiful tattoos with us here on Tattoosday!<br /><br /><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-small;">This entry is ©2012 Tattoosday. </span></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />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>

Wesley Shares Two Significant Blossoms

I met Wesley in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, earlier this month, and she shared these two tattoos from her forearms: These two flowers are (pictured...

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Kim's Floral Arm

I caught Kim in Penn Station one day after work last month, just as she was getting ready to board her train. She shared this floral tattoo that graces her upper right arm:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpz8dPd2xwvugVv6yVA0OUZS6_rZA29RpeR8Q65YqRNsc7Vyl98AgsiRymWWer0HCj0XhRrTxjIFeBgzTRc0ZoJy0lnrtfhYEsId7ZGbbCur2IupxOZDReSgHGtQNxi4ozSZ_fNOU-IwY/s1600/kims+flowers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpz8dPd2xwvugVv6yVA0OUZS6_rZA29RpeR8Q65YqRNsc7Vyl98AgsiRymWWer0HCj0XhRrTxjIFeBgzTRc0ZoJy0lnrtfhYEsId7ZGbbCur2IupxOZDReSgHGtQNxi4ozSZ_fNOU-IwY/s400/kims+flowers.jpg" width="216" /></a></div><br />This bouquet of daisies, sunflowers, and lotus, with a hummingbird thrown in, to boot, was tattooed by <a href="http://www.junioribanez.com/">Junior Ibanez</a>, who tattoos independently on Long Island.<br /><br />Thanks to Kim for sharing her ink with us here on Tattoosday!<br /><br /><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} </style> <![endif]--> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-small;">This entry is ©2011 Tattoosday. </span></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span><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><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div>

Kim's Floral Arm

I caught Kim in Penn Station one day after work last month, just as she was getting ready to board her train. She shared this floral tattoo ...

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Colleen Returns to Share Some Lovely Ink

I spotted a woman with some really great tattoos out on Penn Plaza and, after talking to her a brief moment, realized it was Colleen, who appeared on Tattoosday once before, back in 2009, as chronicled <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2009/07/behold-quadrapus.html">here</a>.<br /><br />Colleen shared two tattoos that grace her upper arms:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWNVEjP-6Nb6DW2sFbsIgXj6tYCdy2GVjFedAgDyoSamja4BXL5YreVSvoAcEFIvoY7-jVXl56zJ8CxoUZwJi6t7mKoBJTAMGH1PMcvjdrc9BE2wvMcr_VQmXPDsoYYY6ar9oZMvyb018/s1600/lotus+skull.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWNVEjP-6Nb6DW2sFbsIgXj6tYCdy2GVjFedAgDyoSamja4BXL5YreVSvoAcEFIvoY7-jVXl56zJ8CxoUZwJi6t7mKoBJTAMGH1PMcvjdrc9BE2wvMcr_VQmXPDsoYYY6ar9oZMvyb018/s640/lotus+skull.jpg" width="450" /></a></div><br />Colleen <b>loves</b> this tattoo and I can't say I blame her. As a Buddhist, she appreciates the symbolism of the lotus and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Om"><i>om</i></a> on the skull. She explained:<br /><blockquote>"the lotus comes out of the mud at the bottom of the water and blooms out of that and that's ... birth. And the skull [represents] death."</blockquote>The piece encompasses the cycle of life and death. She credits this wonderful work to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patrick_Conlon_%28artist%29">Patrick Conlon</a> at <a href="http://www.facebook.com/gracelandbrooklyn?sk=info">Graceland Brooklyn</a>.<br /><br />Colleen also has this work on her right arm:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBvgYLGhlbYRj1mm3SZUvDtucd3qZq8guNSYOmZM1zYNoALptnbahCkP-DJ98zfR4CWU6v7oCda2mac09jJNIB1Rl81O56XhWrqv9bqAJj-JlffEhJ1ci18qLA_oAj8lsddNhhYJSO3-Q/s1600/dragon+colleen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBvgYLGhlbYRj1mm3SZUvDtucd3qZq8guNSYOmZM1zYNoALptnbahCkP-DJ98zfR4CWU6v7oCda2mac09jJNIB1Rl81O56XhWrqv9bqAJj-JlffEhJ1ci18qLA_oAj8lsddNhhYJSO3-Q/s640/dragon+colleen.jpg" width="290" /></a></div><br />Colleen explained that the dragon was there first, and then Patrick added the fire and pansies, to make it a much more beautiful tattoo.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeB8blhIXbu1aaTlQnkg2-9KaFZf13Lf6ZdJ9UvmYV_wbNBJ_XWECfqC9UiY9oqt0skEkPn384bAudk2kf9op_krsbnKusAjAYIr5Y8OVE9LewfQGk7mEDnFCYtvnxiuKUbNvz-FYX30E/s1600/colleen+detail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeB8blhIXbu1aaTlQnkg2-9KaFZf13Lf6ZdJ9UvmYV_wbNBJ_XWECfqC9UiY9oqt0skEkPn384bAudk2kf9op_krsbnKusAjAYIr5Y8OVE9LewfQGk7mEDnFCYtvnxiuKUbNvz-FYX30E/s640/colleen+detail.jpg" width="342" /></a></div><br />Thanks to Colleen for sharing her tattoos with us (again) on Tattoosday!<br /><br /><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} </style> <![endif]--> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-small;">This entry is ©2011 Tattoosday. </span></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span><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><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div>

Colleen Returns to Share Some Lovely Ink

I spotted a woman with some really great tattoos out on Penn Plaza and, after talking to her a brief moment, realized it was Colleen, who ap...

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Alison's Violet Lotus

I spotted Alison's tattoo as in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, back at the beginning of July. She was kind enough to share this lovely lotus tattoo:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkmktXaX9fpkGOaACvxEQCEKRMn01kfG3jGIGAh-tX5wG5eJRwMN-L77Bj5EzOJ1UjaiIu0zaLmqzOhDTsQNNPxo8ya6zlOkUmz2KPH4ttEjm-wjap1ZBgwaVNmkN5SgJPx3Daj5Z4z2U/s1600/allison+lotus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkmktXaX9fpkGOaACvxEQCEKRMn01kfG3jGIGAh-tX5wG5eJRwMN-L77Bj5EzOJ1UjaiIu0zaLmqzOhDTsQNNPxo8ya6zlOkUmz2KPH4ttEjm-wjap1ZBgwaVNmkN5SgJPx3Daj5Z4z2U/s400/allison+lotus.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />This lotus has a spiritual meaning for Alison, and she pointed out the third eye at the center of the flower. This was also a cover-up of an older tattoo.<br /><br /><a href="http://redrockettattoo.com/longisland/artist/craig-messina/">Craig Messina</a> inked this when he was at <a href="http://www.lonewolftattoo.com/">Lone Wolf Tattoo</a> in Bellmore, Long Island. He has since moved to the Long Island shop of <a href="http://redrockettattoo.com/longisland/index2.html">Red Rocket Tattoo</a>.<br /><br />Work by Craig Messina has appeared previously on Tattoosday <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2010/08/jenns-simpsons-homage.html">here</a> and <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2008/09/melissas-biblical-footnote.html">here</a>. <br /><br />Thanks to Alison for sharing this lovely tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!<br /><br /><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style><br /> /* Style Definitions */<br /> table.MsoNormalTable<br /> {mso-style-name:"Table Normal";<br /> mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;<br /> mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;<br /> mso-style-noshow:yes;<br /> mso-style-parent:"";<br /> mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;<br /> mso-para-margin:0in;<br /> mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;<br /> mso-pagination:widow-orphan;<br /> font-size:10.0pt;<br /> font-family:"Times New Roman";}<br /> </style> <![endif]--> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-small;">This entry is ©2011 Tattoosday. </span></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span><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><br /><br />

Alison's Violet Lotus

I spotted Alison's tattoo as in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, back at the beginning of July. She was kind enough to share this lovely lotus tatto...

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Tara's Stunning Tattoos Represent Clarity and Freedom

I was riding my bike along the water and the Belt Parkway in South Brooklyn last month, when a woman passed me on her roller skates, headed in the other direction.<br /><br />I quickly reversed directions and caught up with her because I wanted to ask her about her half-sleeve:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi49tU8tiYRIpTNGuNdBKptRF9rFwx6oQpn2F0MvXX0Pa7UFC_p7xTVw9GvN1jwje1nhQIboR0znWpa0gKyxYKXCLa3Y6VZec1p8cg3D5271FxxW3SIsLEZ-hEqLDIP7jogvf6DBojEDi0/s1600/skate+ink.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi49tU8tiYRIpTNGuNdBKptRF9rFwx6oQpn2F0MvXX0Pa7UFC_p7xTVw9GvN1jwje1nhQIboR0znWpa0gKyxYKXCLa3Y6VZec1p8cg3D5271FxxW3SIsLEZ-hEqLDIP7jogvf6DBojEDi0/s640/skate+ink.jpg" width="248" /></a></div><br />It's really quite stunning, and I was interested in who was the artist responsible for this work. Tara credited <a href="http://www.silkcitytattoo.com/christian-masot/">Christian Masot</a> at <a href="http://www.silkcitytattoo.com/">Silk City Tattoo</a> in Hawthorne, New Jersey. I've seen a lot of cool stuff come out of the shop and Christian was responsible for the work on the last two people I've met having been inked there. Check out all the Silk City work that has appeared previously on Tattoosday <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/search/label/Silk%20City%20Tattoo">here</a>.<br /><br />As for Tara, she's a Roller Derby Girl, who skates under the handle PMA, with the number 24/7,  because she has a Positive Mental Attitude, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.<br /><br />She explained, "I was going through a lot of stuff in my life a couple years ago and finally I had clarity ... so the lotus symbolizes ... clarity."<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuOezKGcBQ4NwcH9o76p0YA163pjIEWe0F-n210ql18zhxPfzfMbXZyz3LomX2HRH854rlArbfNOh3cT8DjgOEr60QrXWgDzQLRVUxnFkpU7yDUdIGzn8os22ExyeGc3FIyDmBIeflAA8/s1600/skate+ink+detail+flower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuOezKGcBQ4NwcH9o76p0YA163pjIEWe0F-n210ql18zhxPfzfMbXZyz3LomX2HRH854rlArbfNOh3cT8DjgOEr60QrXWgDzQLRVUxnFkpU7yDUdIGzn8os22ExyeGc3FIyDmBIeflAA8/s640/skate+ink+detail+flower.jpg" width="456" /></a></div><br />As for the butterfly, Tara told me that her butterflies "symbolize change and freedom."<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0wHTp-iRr3TGlkpp6g7qt-Y6R7umCwDNohkWWXa0d2QAM93p7ETSkaiahRf57sD_3aPUxeBCn27zfqsg-NFgrfAlU5iyc1kShwET9qtos0MwtSgaE5Oonsg8DtOPu0GJ4ymVHodmNkZw/s1600/skate+ink+detail+butterfly.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0wHTp-iRr3TGlkpp6g7qt-Y6R7umCwDNohkWWXa0d2QAM93p7ETSkaiahRf57sD_3aPUxeBCn27zfqsg-NFgrfAlU5iyc1kShwET9qtos0MwtSgaE5Oonsg8DtOPu0GJ4ymVHodmNkZw/s640/skate+ink+detail+butterfly.jpg" width="428" /></a></div><br />Tara elaborated, saying that she brought three pictures in for reference [there's a monarch butterfly on her inner arm] and Christian "made it his own," in part by adding the design that represents the wind.<br /><br />When I asked Tara how many tattoos she has, she said, "I lost count."<br /><br />Thanks to Tara for sharing these stunning tattoos with us here on Tattoosday! Keep on skating with that positive mental attitude!<br /><br />If you want to see more of Tara's ink, you can glimpse it on various videos on her YouTube channel <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/MissLiz13">here</a>. She talks a lot about Vegan and Gluten-free recipes. I'm including one below that features her skating on the Shore Road promenade where I met her:<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="314" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/uJi1OiS8ExM" width="500"></iframe><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>

Tara's Stunning Tattoos Represent Clarity and Freedom

I was riding my bike along the water and the Belt Parkway in South Brooklyn last month, when a woman passed me on her roller skates, headed ...

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James and His Colorful Sleeve

Last month, I had the pleasure of running into James, in Penn Station. He has an incredible sleeve, which he gladly took some time to share with us:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkCm2YZ6ZuEPyLrRk_ifWzEAtHqtfzrZ4_IJHLP24E7fWCCdDo1IX4bO5Lt8P_2uHXijtvzN_DkEv5rj9IoTnKmmkElcVhJUB0TvJsm6ZmBKM8hZdLz4TouDOkq20kJiNHCKCBPGBXUGI/s1600/samurai.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkCm2YZ6ZuEPyLrRk_ifWzEAtHqtfzrZ4_IJHLP24E7fWCCdDo1IX4bO5Lt8P_2uHXijtvzN_DkEv5rj9IoTnKmmkElcVhJUB0TvJsm6ZmBKM8hZdLz4TouDOkq20kJiNHCKCBPGBXUGI/s640/samurai.jpg" width="282" /></a></div><br />James is very interested in Japanese traditions, and this piece, by <a href="http://www.silkcitytattoo.com/christian-masot/">Christian Masot</a> at <a href="http://www.silkcitytattoo.com/">Silk City Tattoo</a> in Hawthorne, New Jersey, is a stunning colorful tribute. I mean, check out this detail:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge6-ayv70jLI9XTjOr4-31BPEl9fjQZghzEU4OqFFbEvHceLiZKF9GR9_mkPvG0vPTCuPBnhrW2DdMT8SjzHZkjXme5gql8I_fK65BC6S_zM9jCCCMEKmuAkyFSKih_UGZ2ijftkrDMx4/s1600/samurai+detail_picnik.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge6-ayv70jLI9XTjOr4-31BPEl9fjQZghzEU4OqFFbEvHceLiZKF9GR9_mkPvG0vPTCuPBnhrW2DdMT8SjzHZkjXme5gql8I_fK65BC6S_zM9jCCCMEKmuAkyFSKih_UGZ2ijftkrDMx4/s640/samurai+detail_picnik.jpg" width="346" /></a></div><br />Work from Silk City has appeared before on Tattoosday, check out <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/search/label/Silk%20City%20Tattoo">these examples</a>.<br /><br />On the bottom of James' right arm is this incredible collage:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVSxNwB-poUbtZr8DTX_Upy_Zu_NEC9Tx9zEnVYxsJZkRrJ171GziSME0Kvs4ZKEEZ-JQHyWvlKUaQ2cIL0Fbkm57mCIz3ujuBAta40duUtj9KnUkvyNjB9KrlS2pnp-bfr80QSJ0ANwA/s1600/frog+collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVSxNwB-poUbtZr8DTX_Upy_Zu_NEC9Tx9zEnVYxsJZkRrJ171GziSME0Kvs4ZKEEZ-JQHyWvlKUaQ2cIL0Fbkm57mCIz3ujuBAta40duUtj9KnUkvyNjB9KrlS2pnp-bfr80QSJ0ANwA/s400/frog+collage.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />This burst of color includes a poison dart frog, a Jackson chameleon, a lotus, a mum, and a tulip.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl3UOXmlnDfZ2z9Z5uIJyAXoslr2n34cm06umK-24KGeGWWwqrnV2GNPnGA17-RK5TNQNjXJdC3TIL_abNaZgqdnkDkCJfKLV6Cd8oPhQOQskTbirBbF-GqlDzfGnuIIQ2O1Sh0lB0k-w/s1600/frog+detail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl3UOXmlnDfZ2z9Z5uIJyAXoslr2n34cm06umK-24KGeGWWwqrnV2GNPnGA17-RK5TNQNjXJdC3TIL_abNaZgqdnkDkCJfKLV6Cd8oPhQOQskTbirBbF-GqlDzfGnuIIQ2O1Sh0lB0k-w/s640/frog+detail.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br />Thanks to James for sharing his amazing work with us here on Tattoosday!<br /><br /><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} </style> <![endif]--> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-small;">This entry is ©2011 Tattoosday. <br /><br />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> <span style="font-size: x-small;"><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><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span>

James and His Colorful Sleeve

Last month, I had the pleasure of running into James, in Penn Station. He has an incredible sleeve, which he gladly took some time to share ...

Read more »

Two for Tattoosday: A Purple Lotus and the Fletcher House

In keeping with the spirit of duality, today's post is a two-for-Tattoosday Tuesday special.<br /><br />Yesterday outside of <a href="http://www.thegarden.com/">Madison Square Garden</a>, amid throngs of <a href="http://www.ironmaiden.com/">Iron Maiden</a> and <span id="goog_997700808"></span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/">Dream Theater<span id="goog_997700809"></span></a> fans, I met two guys who just happened to be there. If you want to see a great Maiden tattoo, look back in the archives <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2009/11/eddie-graces-eggheads-shoulder.html">here</a>.<br /><br />I met <a href="http://www.romanrimer.com/">Roman</a>, who conceived and performs in "<a href="http://magnettheater.com/viewshow.php?showid=35311">Evolution</a>," showing Tuesday, July 13, and Tuesday, July 20, at the <a href="http://magnettheater.com/">Magnet Theater</a> (254 W. 29th Street between 7th and 8th Avenues). With him was Louie, who directs the show which is billed as "international and comedic true stories intertwining spirituality, sex, laws, identity, drug vusts, discomfort, fear and discovery from a spontaneous road trip down south".<br /><br />Roman shared first, which seemed only fair, as it was his tattoo I noticed,creeping out from under his left sleeve:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipa7z7A6UntCY_SR-tjP_VHQEuv26GPEnzWzrJOQDiqcrnQ-UwO3DcwMENvdI74_whozOEuAz5Ck__uSftw7AQVkQiD1P1a8JzpO0IHkINEKLelZU6BVXAG59Gbk-GytPvvpKanBED/s1600/purple+lotus+true.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipa7z7A6UntCY_SR-tjP_VHQEuv26GPEnzWzrJOQDiqcrnQ-UwO3DcwMENvdI74_whozOEuAz5Ck__uSftw7AQVkQiD1P1a8JzpO0IHkINEKLelZU6BVXAG59Gbk-GytPvvpKanBED/s640/purple+lotus+true.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br />He got this purple lotus because he likes the color purple (the actual color more than <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088939/">the movie</a> of the same name). And the lotus is special because, in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buddhism">Buddhism</a>, he understands the lotus to symbolize "freedom of attachment and desire".<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR-dQIn-1wGw9_iPiKlKmBAlyQozlr_fi1EvP5Bw_KIE0mB6Itd1K3rf1STby3RPA70-OYxByNz8tFOfuOfrfY35X7JcJXR8M95LRPk_zH83An-a0VXpPGq99B-_85D16fWfbU-YLZ/s1600/purple+lotus+collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR-dQIn-1wGw9_iPiKlKmBAlyQozlr_fi1EvP5Bw_KIE0mB6Itd1K3rf1STby3RPA70-OYxByNz8tFOfuOfrfY35X7JcJXR8M95LRPk_zH83An-a0VXpPGq99B-_85D16fWfbU-YLZ/s400/purple+lotus+collage.jpg" width="353" /></a></div><br /><br />This tattoo took 3 to 4 hours and was inked by <a href="http://www.senaspace.com/">David Sena</a> when he was at <a href="http://www.risingdragon.com/">Rising Dragon</a> when they were at their 23rd Street location, although Sena is now at <a href="http://www.northstartattoo.com/index.php">North Star Tattoo</a>, the shop he co-founded in the East Village.<br /><br />Louie's tattoo was much smaller, but it had a more elaborate story:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtWRVf9jGhBKUGzib7cvRJUCT-5Skpu0sgZSj8IHdSNeNQFZ1Cuv25_jUUgmb1hf4S6lcNhHCMoQbFez0VuTH4P_QHjgsMr7yoOpArSPV7nKSPa6MX6JNs07I_UQQzYjn3Xmm3NytX/s1600/Fletcher+House.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtWRVf9jGhBKUGzib7cvRJUCT-5Skpu0sgZSj8IHdSNeNQFZ1Cuv25_jUUgmb1hf4S6lcNhHCMoQbFez0VuTH4P_QHjgsMr7yoOpArSPV7nKSPa6MX6JNs07I_UQQzYjn3Xmm3NytX/s400/Fletcher+House.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br />This small design, on the outer left ankle of, represents a house in <a href="http://vancouver.ca/">Vancouver</a>, British Columbia, in which he and seven different people lived at different times during their college days. The house and the memories they all shared together there are so important, that Louie and six other friends share the same tattoo.<br /><br />The narrative took on a more elaborate spin, as Louie explained that his group of friends came up with a family name to represent the denizens of this house. They were/still are "the Fletchers," all residing in the Fletcher House. He likened them to an extended family like <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ramones">The Ramones</a>, and they chose the name because it sounded tough.<br /><br />So, as Louie a.k.a. "Rock" Fletcher tells it, his friend "Slim" Fletcher drew up the simple design for the house tattoo, and they had it inked at <a href="http://www.addictioninknyc.com/">Addiction Ink NYC</a>. Over the years, when one of the Fletcher family came to town, they went down to the shop to have the family member tattooed with the same design, not necessarily on the ankle, like Louie/Rock.<br /><br />It should be noted that Kim Fletcher, who is a relatively new mom (congrats Kim), has avoided the tattoo, so the rest of her Fletcher family created a needlepoint design of the house for her, so that she has the tattoo in a different shape and form, needled, but not in her flesh. Yet. Now that it is written here, forever on the pages of Tattoosday, it is only a matter of time. Kim Fletcher, you destiny is calling.<br /><br />Thanks again to both Roman and Louie for sharing their tattoos with us here on Tattoosday! Be sure to catch their play "Evolution" at the Magnet. If you show up at the box office and mention this post, you won't get any kind of discount, but I'm sure that they'll be thrilled to hear that you showed up as a result of their contribution here!

Two for Tattoosday: A Purple Lotus and the Fletcher House

In keeping with the spirit of duality, today's post is a two-for-Tattoosday Tuesday special. Yesterday outside of Madison Square Garden ...

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Stevie's Tattoo Calms and Inspires

Last Wednesday marked the official end to the veritable tattoo drought this winter in New York has afforded us here on Tattoosday.<br /><br />In addition to the three people I met at lunch, my train ride home and, subsequently, my day, was punctuated by a fleeting encounter with a woman named Stevie on the R train.<br /><br />I had just plopped down in one of the seats after having moved car-to-car between stops, in an effort to get toward the back of the train. I mention this to illustrate how fortunate I was to be where I was, when Stevie boarded the train.<br /><br />She got on at one stop and, by the time she had exited two stations later, I had had just enough time to take a picture of the wonderful tattoo on the back of her right calf, and pass her the blog info so she could contact me with more details.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcwC758sQ_Ug_DQtDhnNypLdD4ktsRq0IBchlNGbqCls7RjPeBPhB_9ms7sLPdbR9J5IvKPFwY5c0yBeULoX6lCgLdYU9UNvQG8YXpNwlpUUP7DfwDAMLbIDyAlGpZ4R1DLcpNKTjy/s1600-h/Stevie+Hamsa+Lotus.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5448794928768075218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcwC758sQ_Ug_DQtDhnNypLdD4ktsRq0IBchlNGbqCls7RjPeBPhB_9ms7sLPdbR9J5IvKPFwY5c0yBeULoX6lCgLdYU9UNvQG8YXpNwlpUUP7DfwDAMLbIDyAlGpZ4R1DLcpNKTjy/s400/Stevie+Hamsa+Lotus.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 400px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 325px;" /></a><br />Stevie has seven tattoos and this one came from the incomparable <a href="http://nyadorned.com/">New York Adorned</a> at the talented hands of <a href="http://virginiaelwood.wordpress.com/">Virginia Elwood</a>. Stevie worked over several sessions with Virginia, ironing out the details of the piece, which was completed in one sitting.<br /><br />There are three elements to the tattoo: the lotus, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamsa">hamsa</a>, and the peacock feathers.<br /><br />Via e-mail, Stevie explained:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><br /><blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;">I moved out here from the West Coast to teach in inner-city schools. When I first started teaching and things would get nerve-wracking I'd tap on this hamsa hand necklace I always wore. For whatever reason it calmed me down and reminded me that I was here to infuse some change and to do some awesome work. When I became an NYC Public School teacher I decided I'd like it on me permanently. The hamsa hand is a symbol of faith and clarity and that's what I think I found in myself, like my calling. The lotus flower goes along with this idea of rising to the surface and blossoming while the peacock feathers were an aesthetic touch.</span></blockquote><br />Work from New York Adorned has appeared previously on the site <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/search/label/New%20York%20Adorned">here</a>.<br /><br />Thanks so much to Stevie for sharing her amazing work with us here on Tattoosday!

Stevie's Tattoo Calms and Inspires

Last Wednesday marked the official end to the veritable tattoo drought this winter in New York has afforded us here on Tattoosday. In additi...

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Barb's Lotuses Explode with Color

I met Barb just outside of Penn Station and she shared this lovely half-sleeve:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbXl_ttA9iHmj00CQDW3JuroKsLNGdhYCS0GvwYv1wRfmm-dO78I3kZTiytzLKBvJbETAg7Nyeos9P3TbdbNOUS12zbQ9vhQr8pnjE2TIh0o7wEwdjmvezjsB7EJNHYPBRfgHdQ9SLDa4/s1600-h/Lotuses.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378757581092607090" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbXl_ttA9iHmj00CQDW3JuroKsLNGdhYCS0GvwYv1wRfmm-dO78I3kZTiytzLKBvJbETAg7Nyeos9P3TbdbNOUS12zbQ9vhQr8pnjE2TIh0o7wEwdjmvezjsB7EJNHYPBRfgHdQ9SLDa4/s400/Lotuses.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 155px; height: 400px;" /></a><br />She has eight tattoos in all, but this one is most visible. The piece features colorful <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelumbo_nucifera">lotus</a> flowers.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj7RQAwTig0cVUV1aK5RJE1EsXQBI6KkQ0gXyQYXiJwPvFyEKCmJmyNYFxp_ih4eQCu690CJ82wW9tBOAliL62RsCd7BEhuxWMWY-pXgi-m0ZnHhqQGt9MqzKjAIDt2YHPQjnCW1Vjdvs/s1600-h/lotus+detail+1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378760074017827202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj7RQAwTig0cVUV1aK5RJE1EsXQBI6KkQ0gXyQYXiJwPvFyEKCmJmyNYFxp_ih4eQCu690CJ82wW9tBOAliL62RsCd7BEhuxWMWY-pXgi-m0ZnHhqQGt9MqzKjAIDt2YHPQjnCW1Vjdvs/s400/lotus+detail+1.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 359px; height: 400px;" /></a><br />She loves not only the beauty of the lotus, but the symbolism as well. "It's a pretty flower that grows in shitty water," she told me, implying that beauty can be found in less than ideal places.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWoD7AXYlkDte77e3neLFPC6wKI-qR-f2JLcIOP54uoCVL0HKjGzK3l6-OWnBCdZYtYzsze28OXjDHvn21DPFooJrH5at-fFof9gGPOnIoYrlaUfV0EQkbVVwuv3qGO13WPFznDZNBXn4/s1600-h/lotus+detail+11.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5378760151708795890" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWoD7AXYlkDte77e3neLFPC6wKI-qR-f2JLcIOP54uoCVL0HKjGzK3l6-OWnBCdZYtYzsze28OXjDHvn21DPFooJrH5at-fFof9gGPOnIoYrlaUfV0EQkbVVwuv3qGO13WPFznDZNBXn4/s400/lotus+detail+11.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 311px;" /></a><br />The artist was <a href="http://www.shaneoneilltattoos.com/">Shane O'Neill</a> who did this in Delaware. He works out of his shop <a href="http://www.shaneoneilltattoos.com/">Trademark Tattoo</a>.<br /><br />Barb estimated that the whole piece took about five hours in two sittings and that three of the five hours were spent coloring the flowers.<br /><br />Thank you to Barb for sharing her work with us on Tattoosday!

Barb's Lotuses Explode with Color

I met Barb just outside of Penn Station and she shared this lovely half-sleeve: She has eight tattoos in all, but this one is most visible. ...

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Sam's Lotus in Memory of a Friend Gone Too Soon

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg99P61aToDX-XzLmVd42LNRiObwB1Wljfg54wVyCWJmI4bsGPS2eq87HE6MwfJEc0NhZFKkc7o3RMrKxn4fqkStBB5v2VvzJRscc3ZmhNty1SimeWEu3MnYTQTBhX_b8CWVc2NwaJoEtTG/s1600-h/PICT0197.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5225404736758824690" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg99P61aToDX-XzLmVd42LNRiObwB1Wljfg54wVyCWJmI4bsGPS2eq87HE6MwfJEc0NhZFKkc7o3RMrKxn4fqkStBB5v2VvzJRscc3ZmhNty1SimeWEu3MnYTQTBhX_b8CWVc2NwaJoEtTG/s400/PICT0197.JPG" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a><br />I ran into Sam outside of Rite-Aid in my neighborhood, and she let me take a picture of the tattoo above.<br /><br />Sam has a handful of tattoos, all meaningful, but we selected this one, on her right shoulder.<br /><br />The lotus has an interesting look to it. She had wanted it to have a distinct pastel appearance and is happy with the way it came out. She later had a different artist ink a corresponding lotus on her left shoulder, but the ethereal effect did not quite have the same result in blue.<br /><br />Sam explained that she hails from a small town where, unfortunately, there's at least one suicide a year among the younger population. As troubling as this was, it never really hit her hard until one of her friends took his life and became one of the statistics. Complicating matters was that a handful of others followed suit, making the experience even more trying.<br /><br />She helped her own healing process by getting this tattoo. More important than the lotus' meaning as a life-affirming flower, Sam, like many people, find that being tattooed is a transformational experience, relieving her stress and pain.<br /><br />She hopes to build off of this lotus and eventually ink a larger piece, in the quarter to half-sleeve range. Any interested artists should e-mail me and I can put Sam in touch with you.<br /><br />The lotus was inked by Monique at Lotus Tattoo in Patchogue. Monique, she understands, has left that shop and relocated somewhere in Brooklyn. The shop, as well, seems to have shuttered its doors as well.<br /><br />Thanks to Sam for sharing her lotus with us here at Tattoosday.

Sam's Lotus in Memory of a Friend Gone Too Soon

I ran into Sam outside of Rite-Aid in my neighborhood, and she let me take a picture of the tattoo above. Sam has a handful of tattoos, all ...

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Tattoos I Know: Paul Part 2, or, The Traditional Japanese Sleeve

NOTE: This post was updated on March 31, 2008 with three additional photographs.<br /><br /><span style="color:black;">Here's a Tattoosday first: a repeat subject in this blog's history.<o:p></o:p></span> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="color:black;"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="color:black;">Paul appeared <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2008/02/tattoos-i-know-pauls-first-tattoo.html">here</a> first, showing off <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2008/02/tattoos-i-know-pauls-first-tattoo.html">his first tattoo</a>, a dragon. In this post, Paul returns, showing off a full sleeve on his left arm.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="color:black;"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="color:black;">The sleeve consists of traditional elements: there is a dragon, a lotus, a mask, a lily, and a koi.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="color:black;">If you went back in a time machine 8 or 9 years to visit Paul's arm, you would have seen a grim reaper holding a skull on the bicep:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7_4W5lssA1FrXg4L-4KdxDgHBvyMJyNrQK-SyVO3isigHKuOLUoh4GMNy4ni_sh8WQh4nsjS_GHPFFAjTyYQJJps35-emQH2Rt7PfDNfGHjipIeSMhT1EtDw0VbS5074Kq1xr3yr34-PX/s1600-h/scan0134.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5184049469325809730" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7_4W5lssA1FrXg4L-4KdxDgHBvyMJyNrQK-SyVO3isigHKuOLUoh4GMNy4ni_sh8WQh4nsjS_GHPFFAjTyYQJJps35-emQH2Rt7PfDNfGHjipIeSMhT1EtDw0VbS5074Kq1xr3yr34-PX/s400/scan0134.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a><br />and some roses in a pattern on the forearm. These earlie</span><span style="color:black;">r tattoos have been covered by elements in the sleeve. Even when told where the original ink lies, it's extremely difficult to see the previous work.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="color:black;"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <o:p></o:p>So I will break this down into two sections: the upper arm and the lower arm.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="color:black;">The upper arm began with the dragon cover-up:</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="color:black;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNEvTQAhJISZo04KdgZb49aaEgwtXfu7lVCa3TMDVLucs5t-9UKPb_9PGuJVkvE5EbBnw_WVudJqFkNloUd0dzD9PZHFTo6CXhW6i1YC4y28KgNXj9h0aW_NGIofUFwLYc6bFaPU93vt3q/s1600-h/100_6773.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178854584313400914" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNEvTQAhJISZo04KdgZb49aaEgwtXfu7lVCa3TMDVLucs5t-9UKPb_9PGuJVkvE5EbBnw_WVudJqFkNloUd0dzD9PZHFTo6CXhW6i1YC4y28KgNXj9h0aW_NGIofUFwLYc6bFaPU93vt3q/s400/100_6773.JPG" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a></span><span style="color:black;"><br /></span><span style="color:black;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilZJ9wvJ3ZoQ5xoQ-FSC4A9VHcMZw6Pnwj2WwlY_8JmhKqOTTajd8_soyj4nUK9UL4CDliORy0L9blNZif8S1Q2M1Uoj2wTbLPt14OsAUj0ikw4Wl1lb4aUmm9T2-TjSTpt4WaqYBqH4ZD/s1600-h/100_6774.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178854365270068802" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilZJ9wvJ3ZoQ5xoQ-FSC4A9VHcMZw6Pnwj2WwlY_8JmhKqOTTajd8_soyj4nUK9UL4CDliORy0L9blNZif8S1Q2M1Uoj2wTbLPt14OsAUj0ikw4Wl1lb4aUmm9T2-TjSTpt4WaqYBqH4ZD/s400/100_6774.JPG" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF7pmUJ5Ah5hV2abL4Nc0W1inspJdPY085gn64i8UupUb4rEiNPKixlyqSKLx3Mc34U_xGQWdnAM8-C6gJkS4zqrZfWflHY_TOzmeE4Klns-WBKEGrn9lk8P-5SC1rnHduLQZzXGE7McmJ/s1600-h/Om_siddham.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178856315185221218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF7pmUJ5Ah5hV2abL4Nc0W1inspJdPY085gn64i8UupUb4rEiNPKixlyqSKLx3Mc34U_xGQWdnAM8-C6gJkS4zqrZfWflHY_TOzmeE4Klns-WBKEGrn9lk8P-5SC1rnHduLQZzXGE7McmJ/s200/Om_siddham.jpg" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" /></a><br /><span style="color:black;">The dark rock below the dragon covered the old piece. This design, which included the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Om">aum</a> or <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Om">om</a> symbol at the top of the arm, was inked by Carlos at <a href="http://www.risingdragon.com/index.html">Rising Dragon Tattoos</a> in Chelsea back in 2001. The aum symbol is the<span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siddham_script"><b><span title="International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration" class="Unicode" style="white-space: normal; text-decoration: none;" lang="sa-Latn">Siddh</span></b></a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siddham_script"><b><span title="International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration" class="Unicode" style="white-space: normal; text-decoration: none;" lang="sa-Latn">aṃ</span></b></a><span style="color:black;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siddham_script"> script</a> version and is a mystical and sacred symbol in Indian religions. Note that this <span style="font-style: italic;">om</span> is different than the one that appeare din the first Tattoosday post <a href="http://oxypoet.blogspot.com/2007/07/introducing-tattoosday.html">here</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="color:black;"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="color:black;">Paul was not 100% thrilled with the dragon, so when he decided to</span><span style="color:black;"> finish the sleeve, the following year, he went elsewhere.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="color:black;"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="color:black;">The lower part of the arm, which is the more prominent part of the sleeve, was inked by </span><span style="color:black;">Mike Bellamy at <a href="http://www.redrockettattoo.com/">Red Rocket Tattoo</a> in Manhattan, although at the time his shop was known as Triple X Tattoo.</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="color:black;"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></p><span style="color:black;">The specific elements in the sleeve are all traditional <i style="">irezumi</i>, or</span><span style="color:black;"> Japanese tattooing,</span> elements.<br /><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="color:black;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK-QCvFK4mZpY_PJ9ZglaGx-T-zrezzn33uKgk7sCzTj-AoD6HEaiX25v24gft78eCTVnjPud9MOybo2nXxbXDf_R9JvX84NUgNSZ6dgJaMoAifUbNn51rJKbNTfrl6hGFtA7-uqdl_mbN/s1600-h/100_6765.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178859695324483250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK-QCvFK4mZpY_PJ9ZglaGx-T-zrezzn33uKgk7sCzTj-AoD6HEaiX25v24gft78eCTVnjPud9MOybo2nXxbXDf_R9JvX84NUgNSZ6dgJaMoAifUbNn51rJKbNTfrl6hGFtA7-uqdl_mbN/s400/100_6765.JPG" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a></span><span style="color:black;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJLpaQcb7kCFbbAz8XFrOelig_OXX2meiiYT4gYCBtGtNOz3A4yBDqN5XJOz6aqgd8UpADLHfxndlJ-GJfTVMwijTYNlRMkk7wQA9Acx7uG34WHqpnC8jF_CKHPaYRFRmA2maCSg39vY3o/s1600-h/100_6766.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178859463396249250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJLpaQcb7kCFbbAz8XFrOelig_OXX2meiiYT4gYCBtGtNOz3A4yBDqN5XJOz6aqgd8UpADLHfxndlJ-GJfTVMwijTYNlRMkk7wQA9Acx7uG34WHqpnC8jF_CKHPaYRFRmA2maCSg39vY3o/s400/100_6766.JPG" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a></span><span style="color:black;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8HK_9tia9oeZcu1qjK8Dh-smy5c9MBnK82XdykMxqaUkjPmUAA1mNtt2ikvVP9Hy67Amdx2pu8rVgJD0oNZrLd_Mriq1XpZO6Tg9KvFMRLPFziBAJGrrWRvfsBjhmBu3sJHvL3aRKyD4a/s1600-h/100_6767.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178859248647884434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8HK_9tia9oeZcu1qjK8Dh-smy5c9MBnK82XdykMxqaUkjPmUAA1mNtt2ikvVP9Hy67Amdx2pu8rVgJD0oNZrLd_Mriq1XpZO6Tg9KvFMRLPFziBAJGrrWRvfsBjhmBu3sJHvL3aRKyD4a/s400/100_6767.JPG" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a></span><span style="color:black;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXigpZL91Us4R8ZAyL-5XPNX62v61tW_cc4wKDcdspksKUH-UYCn4rErczWqgcmuZaJ4ytnnXQK9vPrG4S3nLdttvXt_IW_LnIk0YUSAdbMfZDbx3SLll-EPvC9ZWUffVMIQIdvkrdzrqU/s1600-h/100_6768.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178859003834748546" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXigpZL91Us4R8ZAyL-5XPNX62v61tW_cc4wKDcdspksKUH-UYCn4rErczWqgcmuZaJ4ytnnXQK9vPrG4S3nLdttvXt_IW_LnIk0YUSAdbMfZDbx3SLll-EPvC9ZWUffVMIQIdvkrdzrqU/s400/100_6768.JPG" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="color:black;">The largest piece is the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koi"><i style="">koi</i></a>. It appears to be a golden koi.</span> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnMQ4mY7PeK5wiW7DhWp1XJCQb0vFxylBiEU4Rz4m4spmYdxhkC2CyT2k3ZU0b-qJMxyqATwKL2t1G8CnHx2pXSN1av26NiAUhhP3A9ryKLy0VZNpOwuyTl1EtCLY90GbVhyphenhyphenR1UolA4_Uz/s1600-h/Koi.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178858363884621426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnMQ4mY7PeK5wiW7DhWp1XJCQb0vFxylBiEU4Rz4m4spmYdxhkC2CyT2k3ZU0b-qJMxyqATwKL2t1G8CnHx2pXSN1av26NiAUhhP3A9ryKLy0VZNpOwuyTl1EtCLY90GbVhyphenhyphenR1UolA4_Uz/s200/Koi.jpg" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer;" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="">There's a whole discussion <a href="http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_does_a_koi_fish_tattoo_symbolize">here</a> on what <span style="font-style: italic;">koi </span>tattoos symbolize.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""> </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="">In addition, one can read <a href="http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Meaning-and-Symbolism-Behind-the-Lotus-Flower-Tattoo&id=95396">here</a><span style="color:black;"> about the symbolic nature of the </span><span style="color:black;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelumbo">lotus flower</a> in tattoos.<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbtP0bc04rZcrczlXfqttqsof8soslVukfIJSAUixYwVG8VVd28HY0SmxJA6XgbLweiZP3r3TOGJIp-Z7Jt7h6GVGqG4dhP_j32ReHXTYcIFFe3jSN9RSZ23zLfslL-4YZ-75QSb3qm_Cx/s1600-h/100_6772.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178864428378443474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbtP0bc04rZcrczlXfqttqsof8soslVukfIJSAUixYwVG8VVd28HY0SmxJA6XgbLweiZP3r3TOGJIp-Z7Jt7h6GVGqG4dhP_j32ReHXTYcIFFe3jSN9RSZ23zLfslL-4YZ-75QSb3qm_Cx/s400/100_6772.JPG" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" /></a></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="color:black;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="color:black;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="color:black;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="color:black;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="color:black;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="color:black;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="color:black;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="color:black;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="color:black;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="color:black;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="color:black;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="color:black;"><br />Paul also</span><span style="color:black;"> referred to the other flower as a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crinum_pedunculatum">spider lily.</a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style=""><span style="color:black;"><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6-9YtgCcXFaSgTyZjloPetZUkEr2ZpBq9N7qGpavslJ-l7jHNKzByWfWmgcosgR_R1OZNyW_M5u45935KHxNbpIX5oES8oOaQJqS-kX7yT7TkuYAAxXpkn8m55sh6Xiv9ZP3jsZGbxIx8/s1600-h/100_6769.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178864011766615746" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6-9YtgCcXFaSgTyZjloPetZUkEr2ZpBq9N7qGpavslJ-l7jHNKzByWfWmgcosgR_R1OZNyW_M5u45935KHxNbpIX5oES8oOaQJqS-kX7yT7TkuYAAxXpkn8m55sh6Xiv9ZP3jsZGbxIx8/s400/100_6769.JPG" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a> However, there are so many different varieties of specific families of flowers, that I often have a hard time finding good pictures to represent the tattoos.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="">The additional element in the sleeve which is only a small part, but is still interesting is what Paul referred to as the "kite mask":<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhONsgo34z8rTLEvvTMc6fZUJh3kygiNLVne4TGFaUIIRWOLa3-Jd5BNScAijtY24BMqzEez6QYob_FMRALBkXIOh1QT5o82AZr5m9cV7onxVzKgy9bxg2OlIWAgJPL4hMs9H1H8jMRRyZl/s1600-h/100_6771.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178865295961837282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhONsgo34z8rTLEvvTMc6fZUJh3kygiNLVne4TGFaUIIRWOLa3-Jd5BNScAijtY24BMqzEez6QYob_FMRALBkXIOh1QT5o82AZr5m9cV7onxVzKgy9bxg2OlIWAgJPL4hMs9H1H8jMRRyZl/s400/100_6771.JPG" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="">Masks are traditional parts of Japanese tattoo design, but this specific one is hard to pinpoint for me. Here are some Chinese mask kites. Yet, the fact that I cannot easily find one on the web, just fascinates me more.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEcj4TQk8AMprcKCjgT6tbKKPYN3_L3wiXALTvRcPOMqhFj0m9fBs6-gScHFsMbBGiGkh_AK7BqXuI9xNKh80w7QHudcp06XSbp20yTESt-T_uX0tCS2BQlnYNC2v56TX75_WyqEqwPyxj/s1600-h/4.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5178866206494904050" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEcj4TQk8AMprcKCjgT6tbKKPYN3_L3wiXALTvRcPOMqhFj0m9fBs6-gScHFsMbBGiGkh_AK7BqXuI9xNKh80w7QHudcp06XSbp20yTESt-T_uX0tCS2BQlnYNC2v56TX75_WyqEqwPyxj/s400/4.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a><o:p></o:p></p><!--[if !supportEmptyParas]--> <!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="">Paul estimates that the whole sleeve (including the dragon from 2001) took about 20 hours of work, and he did it in 6-7 sittings, mostly in 2002.</p>Paul sent me the following photos from the New York City Tattoo Convention, where Mike Bellamy did some of the work on Paul's sleeve:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJH2kn5_jR-7QBcp-VqIOBIXvtqrF03g-2yUO-h9r_o6qVIQJqRPe2nFMsGxLxU1tGN6Ef56FHju0DEU9LZCG6srBkSHZfZ-qX5FlaxHkbaS2d-YTBNBhyRWkO2sCwfqN6u5sC90CME_Ft/s1600-h/scan0132.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5184049361951627314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJH2kn5_jR-7QBcp-VqIOBIXvtqrF03g-2yUO-h9r_o6qVIQJqRPe2nFMsGxLxU1tGN6Ef56FHju0DEU9LZCG6srBkSHZfZ-qX5FlaxHkbaS2d-YTBNBhyRWkO2sCwfqN6u5sC90CME_Ft/s400/scan0132.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a>That's Paul and Mike on the far left of the photo:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQOAShbn1pjlBIT1QwICh7A_EZu9vzabPiNDFikq9FFNivv7WeLWHjM8X78d_GAK7vZ1HWF25f-QFr5Jl8IJ0h1-xn8z0q-DlveQxqRMtfXzpajhLA_A8uX5raWDGK5dnhZU7bVjMcwkUC/s1600-h/scan0131.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5184049245987510306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQOAShbn1pjlBIT1QwICh7A_EZu9vzabPiNDFikq9FFNivv7WeLWHjM8X78d_GAK7vZ1HWF25f-QFr5Jl8IJ0h1-xn8z0q-DlveQxqRMtfXzpajhLA_A8uX5raWDGK5dnhZU7bVjMcwkUC/s400/scan0131.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a>Thanks to Paul for helping me update this post with additional shots!

Tattoos I Know: Paul Part 2, or, The Traditional Japanese Sleeve

NOTE: This post was updated on March 31, 2008 with three additional photographs. Here's a Tattoosday first: a repeat subject in this blo...

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Tattoos I Know: Erika's Ink (Part 2)

This is part 2 of Erika's ink (part 1 <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2007/12/tattoos-i-know-erikas-ink-part-1.html">here</a>). Erika has a lot of tattoos, so I had to split the post, since she generously offered them all up for Tattoosday.<br /><br />Tattoo #7 is actually #7 <u>and</u> #13, as one element was added eight years later. We'll focus on #7 now, which is the flower on the inside of Erika's left wrist.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSJ0OoOqjCFdfHudbstvWYpu5OJ_G-ezdxLRy_RC4OCB1pjUh0DutyLId5AODvwZHz1-x6SVAdEX5yRaHYZ85EOEBoZR7fij1gmcLEYWpDkppO6PpLtobcV21UVjIA5JF6sY7FDWGtlIge/s1600-h/ericka+flower+9.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5148228372172417650" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSJ0OoOqjCFdfHudbstvWYpu5OJ_G-ezdxLRy_RC4OCB1pjUh0DutyLId5AODvwZHz1-x6SVAdEX5yRaHYZ85EOEBoZR7fij1gmcLEYWpDkppO6PpLtobcV21UVjIA5JF6sY7FDWGtlIge/s200/ericka+flower+9.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a><br />Erika, in her own words, went through what she calls "an experimental phase" in her <a href="http://www.glyni.org.uk/assets/images/symbols_grphx/sym_les.gif" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.glyni.org.uk/assets/images/symbols_grphx/sym_les.gif" style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 70px; height: 70px;" /></a>life, during which she began dating women. To show her "true colors" at the time, Erika and her cousin, who was also dating women, got the same tattoo...a rainbow-petaled flower above a doubled female sign, to proudly display her alternate lifestyle.<br /><br />The flower was inked at a shop called <a href="http://www.murdainktattoos.com/index.htm">Murda Ink Tattoos</a>, in Jamaica, New York.<br /><br />Flashing forward to the Summer of 2006, Erika was having a cover-up done (see #8 and #12 below) and asked, as an afterthought, if the artist could cover the interlocking female insignia, as well. Erika's fiancee (now husband) didn't like the "advertisement" of the prior lifestyle. The leaves were added under the flower at Triple X Tattoo, now known as <a href="http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=116289931">Red Rocket Tattoo</a> on 46 West 36th Street in Manhattan.<br /><br />Tattoo #8 was a boyfriend's name, inked along the front of her waistline, by Joe at Between the Lines. This name was covered up (see below) in 2007.<br /><br />Tattoo #9 is a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_dragon">Chinese dragon</a> on the middle of Erika's back. Her dress at the company holiday party afforded me a great opportunity to photograph it without her having to remove any clothing.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf6VB6EN1srNOw2hDNlfh9F-bW591CwGg8hxoBL0mNxvMlsULMPK9g86dx5YzBY5MeeJFe6qO4HyFC2TM14xurJTdE449ZPdKeA-67NU5MYyQCS0M_YB1A80pA06WlHEW9R0w6S7AmyEpM/s1600-h/Erika+Dragon+2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5145485219510135282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf6VB6EN1srNOw2hDNlfh9F-bW591CwGg8hxoBL0mNxvMlsULMPK9g86dx5YzBY5MeeJFe6qO4HyFC2TM14xurJTdE449ZPdKeA-67NU5MYyQCS0M_YB1A80pA06WlHEW9R0w6S7AmyEpM/s400/Erika+Dragon+2.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a><br />Joe at Between the Lines did this piece as well. Erika recalls just hanging out at Joe's shop and talking about how she wanted a big piece for her back. Joe was happy to oblige, and drew up the dragon free-hand.<br /><br />She said that it took about ten weeks and three sittings to complete. The reason for the multiple sittings? The pain. To quote Erika, "I'll never forget how much that shit hurt."<br /><br />The other elements of the tattoo are the kanji. When I asked Erika what they meant, she said, "Well, one of them is supposed to mean "to love life":<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggHUr0E1KqPHSXOC2GXLJAOkmmEJYbKORBCQWktdpD0u_yN40LtpP4MEEQX8peeUXqpAZcu8TaEFEtxlze0HbA8Xs0Aw0aEavtrWrqbZXp5NJv87znrJGwrlfEEAGqT5z8RbBlg29nnucx/s1600-h/Erika+Dragon+2b.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5145485043416476114" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggHUr0E1KqPHSXOC2GXLJAOkmmEJYbKORBCQWktdpD0u_yN40LtpP4MEEQX8peeUXqpAZcu8TaEFEtxlze0HbA8Xs0Aw0aEavtrWrqbZXp5NJv87znrJGwrlfEEAGqT5z8RbBlg29nnucx/s400/Erika+Dragon+2b.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a>and the other is supposed to acknowledge that former lifestyle and say "to love women":<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjttJu1pS8sO40DnRoB-D8diMjSFPv6uBo7bLRwXFPK2h_gJcpO0VKpnCSy0ER8uysc1qmUff6jl9ZSOIhobTYs_NM5-ndZ6p7yE2-s3irvCDyOnl0LreqsP4CKG9G5-PHAznV_b8BfLDpq/s1600-h/Erika+Dragon+2a.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5145485112135952866" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjttJu1pS8sO40DnRoB-D8diMjSFPv6uBo7bLRwXFPK2h_gJcpO0VKpnCSy0ER8uysc1qmUff6jl9ZSOIhobTYs_NM5-ndZ6p7yE2-s3irvCDyOnl0LreqsP4CKG9G5-PHAznV_b8BfLDpq/s400/Erika+Dragon+2a.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a>Erika, when she told me this, seemed to have her doubts, and was receptive to the idea of me looking into their actual meanings.<br /><br />I went to my resident Chinese language expert, who quickly debunked their meanings. They do not mean what she thinks they do, he said. Because they don't make much sense. The best translation he could give was "good girl" for the top and "born/appear" for the bottom.<br /><br />If you look at the kanji for "love,"<br /><br /><a href="http://www.luckyicons.com/images/kanji_love_lg.gif" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.luckyicons.com/images/kanji_love_lg.gif" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" /></a><br />you'll notice it's not similar to any of the kanji in the tattoo.<br /><br />Tattoo #10 may look familiar, as it is the first one I noticed on Erika which started out this whole business. Despite "never being crazy about tattoos on arms," Erika inked this in the Summer of 2003, while on a date. She doesn't recall the name of the shop, just that it was somewhere in the East Village. Of course, the East Village is likely one of the few places in the U.S. where tattoo/piercing shops outnumber Starbucks.<br /><br />So, Erika still had a soft spot for little girl things, unicorns and fairies and such, so she designed this fairy, using several different drawings to create a composite she liked.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJiwYLu7ulLFLM7AHRnq6HNIaV9uXYSbBuw2xTrxYUnRdRGbONQ-MheOzfyaz-N08DxNJvx2wl3PNtxTXqFzHr-7UxJgVXTddeq8P0X8BhtoMIEuvnh_9SxS2JOhkXF1Htmy5IV72pyAoW/s1600-h/ericka+pixie+7.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5146627002206038594" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJiwYLu7ulLFLM7AHRnq6HNIaV9uXYSbBuw2xTrxYUnRdRGbONQ-MheOzfyaz-N08DxNJvx2wl3PNtxTXqFzHr-7UxJgVXTddeq8P0X8BhtoMIEuvnh_9SxS2JOhkXF1Htmy5IV72pyAoW/s400/ericka+pixie+7.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a><br />She designed the wings and changed the outfit color to red. Why red? As a tribute to her younger brother, who was in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bloods">the Bloods</a>, a gang whose colors are red. I, for one, appreciate the irony of a pixie sporting gang colors. This is definitely a tough, New York fairy, not some wimpy woodland nymph!<br /><br />Tattoo #11 also has a pretty interesting story. Erika got married in the Spring of 2007, but she met Lance, her husband-to-be in February 2004.<br /><br />They dated for a couple of weeks, but she knew he was still dating another woman. Erika thought that this other woman, who had been seeing the guy first, was going to be a problem and that, as long as she was still in the picture, their relationship wouldn't go anywhere.<br /><br />Erika made a conscious decision to "steal him away" once and for all. Because he had kids from a previous relationship, she plotted to surprise him on Father's Day with a surprise trip to Florida. He had never been to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Beach">South Beach</a> in Miami and she wanted him to experience it. And so she did.<br /><br />The day before they were set to return to New York, they were walking around South Beach and they stumbled upon a tattoo shop. Lance already had one small tattoo with some kanji, so Erika suggested that he go in and get a new one. The subject of tattoos had come up before (how could it not when you already had 10 pieces?), so they went in and he got a new piece on his<br />arm, a huge lion with a crown, representing his <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Singh">last name in Hindi</a>.<br /><br />It's incredibly hard to be an inked person and watch someone get a tattoo and not want one for oneself. Therefore, Erika found a piece on the wall that she liked and had it done on her back, below the bluebird, above the dragon.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglhah9H5ZNFCHOiTv0CP1NdECF0gVyseiM82cuEoamJ7eZmp0ZXgYPxGevMasjkerjHHj_oWKqPIdbF-1QOt6f_8jJw5qITMPc0UYy8HcWMHdZ6HLvL4JXDHfQstco1M98WnYg0wCBRAhk/s1600-h/Erika+Heart+w+wings+5.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5145484184423016866" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglhah9H5ZNFCHOiTv0CP1NdECF0gVyseiM82cuEoamJ7eZmp0ZXgYPxGevMasjkerjHHj_oWKqPIdbF-1QOt6f_8jJw5qITMPc0UYy8HcWMHdZ6HLvL4JXDHfQstco1M98WnYg0wCBRAhk/s400/Erika+Heart+w+wings+5.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a><br />Sorry, the name of the shop and the artist are not recalled.<br /><br />Tattoo #12 came in the early Summer of 2006, around late June/early July. She and Lance were engaged, and she wanted to cover up the name of an ex-boyfriend tattooed across her lower abdomen.<br /><br />A co-worker recommended Red Rocket Tattoo, and it was there that she had this lotus inked on her waistline:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_pl4CGmo-ySS44PHrwjTdw0XsqdhXfqaMTZv1j1GhEsJqGM_w8m56UEb7tKS75pETe2b3KfLqoW5WNvE1A0OS10zO-EPDNo26nIesUsurkEHpJUWotb2ftPmqgFzYQHOhjwX9cQ5tlpmT/s1600-h/100_6014.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5149876084835920594" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_pl4CGmo-ySS44PHrwjTdw0XsqdhXfqaMTZv1j1GhEsJqGM_w8m56UEb7tKS75pETe2b3KfLqoW5WNvE1A0OS10zO-EPDNo26nIesUsurkEHpJUWotb2ftPmqgFzYQHOhjwX9cQ5tlpmT/s200/100_6014.JPG" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a><br />Yep, no name anymore!<br /><br />Now, for some disclosure. Erika is the first Inked Person to let me photograph her stomach for Tattoosday. I did have a mutual friend present, <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2007_07_01_archive.html">Sephora</a>, who was the first person who hosted a tattoo here.<br /><br />Erika wanted the lotus for two reasons. In addition to wanting something pretty to cover up an old name, she had heard that the lotus was a <a href="http://www.lotusfertility.com/aboutlotus.html">symbol of fertility</a>, and she hopes to have kids some day. She hopes the lotus will be lend good luck for future procreative purposes.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFkBl38kuL1ND_eHdQ8hQzBinpSvTzWxhARaIEUP3-zz4NIxy-IEZ39SYNyLSudRi3MPghhr0gJ8WTejuvzn1HIsK1vH-rRXic23gCyywAufsNY5Gztc_Q4LSooYYlTsFkkE99SQhecMLs/s1600-h/100_6015.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5149877051203562210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFkBl38kuL1ND_eHdQ8hQzBinpSvTzWxhARaIEUP3-zz4NIxy-IEZ39SYNyLSudRi3MPghhr0gJ8WTejuvzn1HIsK1vH-rRXic23gCyywAufsNY5Gztc_Q4LSooYYlTsFkkE99SQhecMLs/s400/100_6015.JPG" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer;" /></a><br />There are over one hundred various types of lotus, so I can't pinpoint the exact one this is modeled after.<br /><br />Once this cover-up was done, Erika asked for the leaves on the flower mentioned above to cover up the double female insignia.<br /><br />Well. a hearty thanks to Erika for her participation here! She definitely holds the record for most tattoos offered up to the Tattoosday masses. Her ink is closing out the year for Tattoosday. Here's hoping that her lotus will spawn a healthy blossoming of tattoo posts here in 2008!

Tattoos I Know: Erika's Ink (Part 2)

This is part 2 of Erika's ink (part 1 here ). Erika has a lot of tattoos, so I had to split the post, since she generously offered them ...

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