Tattoosday (A Tattoo Blog)

Sebastian's Sugar Skull

A small post about a sugar skull for a Friday.<br /><br />I met Sebastian on 33rd Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues last week.<br /><br />Among his several tattoos is this sugar skull that was inked by New York City artist <a href="http://www.abstractblacknyc.com/-.php">Byron Velasquez</a>: <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOAV0ZG3XjHB3ZU7tSJPHtRKDLMazfyuOeG6SZ3QurVd3HkmtP_rFe0L9UYwr7G7mJQoiBFnB8bi30vn2B-P6fu9WNqGar1svNVCMAM8cGgFGn5HsJFXxKV2vtkZaO0WTAZ_x3XyBT/s1600/Sugar+Skull+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOAV0ZG3XjHB3ZU7tSJPHtRKDLMazfyuOeG6SZ3QurVd3HkmtP_rFe0L9UYwr7G7mJQoiBFnB8bi30vn2B-P6fu9WNqGar1svNVCMAM8cGgFGn5HsJFXxKV2vtkZaO0WTAZ_x3XyBT/s640/Sugar+Skull+1.jpg" width="220" /></a></div><br /><br />Byron now tattoos out of <a href="http://www.abstractblacknyc.com/ABNYC_NEWS.html">Abstract Black NYC</a>. Work from Byron has appeared previously on Tattoosday <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2009/03/jorges-attabeira-tattoo-pays-tribute-to.html">here</a>.<br /><br />Loyal readers will know how I seldom tire of sugar skull tattoos and, whenever I post one, I like to link the tag (click <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/search/label/Sugar%20Skulls">here</a>) that unites all previous Tattoosday sugar skulls appearing on the blog.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVhjvzsOQ6GkOsbz8vkndsi0jGovdxYvKOEA-PQJfNSnTI3od762alUsD26VE7oAF3rvEHvi1GN_dy0uYV1G2H5Ve9xcCat8NLX-UgatN0Gy6Na49k0eyxhs9JJQ3tEnxyc0cJvSTJ/s1600/Sugar+Skull+1+detail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVhjvzsOQ6GkOsbz8vkndsi0jGovdxYvKOEA-PQJfNSnTI3od762alUsD26VE7oAF3rvEHvi1GN_dy0uYV1G2H5Ve9xcCat8NLX-UgatN0Gy6Na49k0eyxhs9JJQ3tEnxyc0cJvSTJ/s640/Sugar+Skull+1+detail.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />Like snowflakes, sugar skull tattoos are never identical.<br /><br />Sebastian appreciates his sugar skull mostly for the way it represents both life and death.<br /><br />Thanks to Sebastian for sharing his sugar skull with us here on Tattoosday!

Sebastian's Sugar Skull

A small post about a sugar skull for a Friday. I met Sebastian on 33rd Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues last week. Among his several...

3:21 AM

Hannah's Parrot is a Love Bird

I spotted this avian tattoo on the right calf of Hannah one afternoon in a Duane Reade store:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEIPlSlwRUJ1TcZmS7xON8UUHOxiEPk4TSNpk44DMZuUkiTQj91FwfKUROUcV4jBqF80Qfliyr9PVLofQVcANjpBNGDTqgpcYBQRgrI4nsv-3sozlr_Ztxtrsm0vJfbZC11vEGm79n/s1600/Hannah+Parrot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEIPlSlwRUJ1TcZmS7xON8UUHOxiEPk4TSNpk44DMZuUkiTQj91FwfKUROUcV4jBqF80Qfliyr9PVLofQVcANjpBNGDTqgpcYBQRgrI4nsv-3sozlr_Ztxtrsm0vJfbZC11vEGm79n/s640/Hannah+Parrot.jpg" width="332" /></a></div><br />Hannah explained that this tattoo is romantic at its core.<br /><br />Married couples often have pet names for one another, or nicknames, at the very least. Hannah and her husband Kevin are no exception to this rule.<br /><br />They refer to one another as birds, extending the metaphor to calling their apartment their "nest" and their car as the "moveable nest".<br /><br />So Hannah wanted a bird tattoo, with the plan for Kevin to get an owl tattoo to give them an avian set.<br /><br />She took a photo of a blue and gold macaw with her to the artist <a href="http://www.inkstoptattoonyc.com/artist_gal_nalla.cfm">Nalla Smith</a> at <a href="http://www.inkstoptattoonyc.com/index.html">Inkstop NYC</a> on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. This lovely parrot tattoo was the end result. Work from Inkstop NYC has appeared previously on Tattoosday <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/search/label/Inkstop%20Tattoo%20NYC">here</a>.<br /><br />Kevin's owl is on hold while he finishes a Capricorn sea goat tattoo in progress on his right arm.<br /><br />Thanks to Hannah (and Kevin) for talking tattoo with us here at Tattoosday and sharing their work. We're looking forward to sharing Kevin's finished tattoo in the future!

Hannah's Parrot is a Love Bird

I spotted this avian tattoo on the right calf of Hannah one afternoon in a Duane Reade store: Hannah explained that this tattoo is romantic ...

4:26 AM

Kat's Mucha Tattoo, With a Twist of Lemony Snicket

At 31st Street and 7th Avenue, I stopped Kat to ask about her ink.<br /><br />She was happy to see me and had been wondering, having previously read Tattoosday and knowing she worked in the same area as I did, if our paths would ever cross.<br /><br />She has seven tattoos (and a cool blog <a href="http://www.katofalltrades.com/">here</a>), but we focused on the large tattoo on her upper right arm:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmEjTUKWJtIoeVr5q2TSbgll-wx_21tqYYJ852j-ZOFXImg9msXKmIploVXk206625BsoOGfokF2sVPVFLL4cYlUWEHz_3u-PTxOXkF80oF39PC8S82drJxY4Ke8ieXmsruhHggmjz/s1600/Kat+Sleeve+c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmEjTUKWJtIoeVr5q2TSbgll-wx_21tqYYJ852j-ZOFXImg9msXKmIploVXk206625BsoOGfokF2sVPVFLL4cYlUWEHz_3u-PTxOXkF80oF39PC8S82drJxY4Ke8ieXmsruhHggmjz/s640/Kat+Sleeve+c.jpg" width="288" /></a></div><br /> Or, looking at it as a whole:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoh0KzaB6x9fATcC9RufsVggBBKrlYuPBCr1mJdbDop39qdR5NfafW8VRWEt-p78ZewtGAmXutPc34ZgkmK3jgrnB_xTDq1e0grYvSzXmsYQFGqPv1UMjK0DtZude2PMLFQ1VrLMfr/s1600/Mucha+collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="397" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoh0KzaB6x9fATcC9RufsVggBBKrlYuPBCr1mJdbDop39qdR5NfafW8VRWEt-p78ZewtGAmXutPc34ZgkmK3jgrnB_xTDq1e0grYvSzXmsYQFGqPv1UMjK0DtZude2PMLFQ1VrLMfr/s400/Mucha+collage.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />The art is based on the work of <a href="http://www.muchafoundation.org/MHome.aspx">Alphonse Mucha</a>, who has inspired a couple of other tattoos appearing previously on Tattoosday <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2009/06/sarah-shoulders-her-slavic-heritage.html">here</a> and <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2009/09/delissa-reveals-little-bit-of-monaco-on.html">here</a>.<br /><br />If that second link looks familiar, it is because both Kat's tattoo and Delissa's are inspired by the same work, "Monaco".<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBfmUUZzmdBeOiIZ_UUAEcx5WlMRpCPGZ3w-zb7soWcxA7RiJqLKmsjygY1uBA30bBw2iSr5PbUEiDmyyfaIup6saj3pftJd8d32riaCgvWpiU2qkyAPOfYP5p7AAEXcnJfzQCFfGM/s1600/Mucha_Monaco_Monte_Carlo_1897.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBfmUUZzmdBeOiIZ_UUAEcx5WlMRpCPGZ3w-zb7soWcxA7RiJqLKmsjygY1uBA30bBw2iSr5PbUEiDmyyfaIup6saj3pftJd8d32riaCgvWpiU2qkyAPOfYP5p7AAEXcnJfzQCFfGM/s400/Mucha_Monaco_Monte_Carlo_1897.jpg" width="296" /></a></div><br />Kat's tattoo is interpreted a little differently, translated with brighter colors, which, in Kat's words, were "amped up to be on my arm".<br /><br />The plan is eventually for this tattoo to expand to be a half-sleeve.<br /><br />The phrase "the world is quiet here" is a nod to a motto for a secret organization known as <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V.F.D.">V.F.D.</a> in <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Wreck-Unfortunate-Events-Books/dp/0061119067?ie=UTF8&tag=bill03-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank"></a><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Wreck-Unfortunate-Events-Books/dp/0061119067?ie=UTF8&tag=bill03-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">A Series of Unfortunate Events</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=bill03-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0061119067" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" /><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=bill03-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0061119067" style="border: medium none ! important; margin: 0px ! important; padding: 0px ! important;" width="1" />by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemony_Snicket">Lemony Snicket</a>. These books are favorites among Kat's list of much-loved titles.<br /><br />Her work was created by the artist <a href="http://www.google.com/profiles/the.milkmaid#buzz">Joy Rumore</a> at <a href="http://www.1228tattoo.com/">Twelve 28 Tattoo</a> in Brooklyn.<br /><br />Kind thanks to Kat for sharing her work with us here on Tattoosday!

Kat's Mucha Tattoo, With a Twist of Lemony Snicket

At 31st Street and 7th Avenue, I stopped Kat to ask about her ink. She was happy to see me and had been wondering, having previously read Ta...

3:50 AM

Julie's Crazy Tattoo

Inkspotting can be impulsive, but I also like to approach each volunteer after some consideration.<br /><br />Rather than rush up on someone and barrage them with questions, I like to make sure the tattoo(s) in question are not only interesting to me, but will be interesting to others.<br /><br />When I spotted Julie's back in Penn Station, for example, I hesitated:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyH_AuJMZAVGMGPF4HOsjpWru61x-CB1ZbFS6ZW1cTk4-WKUFfKFYkL9dghlRSLlh2nd93XWXg6kpKGPyiyFSsmmDrbYWdMoqJ5I6RALDyeV0J7XwVwG1OqQn59Nz6duCRY33HkzMx/s1600/Loufoque.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyH_AuJMZAVGMGPF4HOsjpWru61x-CB1ZbFS6ZW1cTk4-WKUFfKFYkL9dghlRSLlh2nd93XWXg6kpKGPyiyFSsmmDrbYWdMoqJ5I6RALDyeV0J7XwVwG1OqQn59Nz6duCRY33HkzMx/s400/Loufoque.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />It wasn't initially clear what her tattoo said and I was struck by its uniqueness. A huge fan of word and type tattoos, I couldn't recall ever seeing anything quite like it.<br /><br />So my curiosity got the best of me and I introduced myself to Julie.<br /><br />The tattoo "<a href="http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/loufoque">Loufoque</a>," which is a slang term in butcher jargon for "crazy person". Julie explained that she apprenticed with a butcher shop for six months and it was a word she often heard tossed about by the staff, occasionally used when referring to a customer who might be difficult or, let's say, insane.<br /><br />The term Loufuque derived from 19th Century butcher slang and it became part of the vernacular. Julie thought that this tattoo would be a great way to commemorate her experience.<br /><br />The tattoo was done by <a href="http://www.brooklyntattoo.com/RYOKO.html">Ryoko</a> at <a href="http://www.brooklyntattoo.com/WELCOME_2.html">Brooklyn Tattoo</a>. I asked the artist where she came up with the letter design and she kindly gave me a little more perspective: <br /><br /><blockquote>"I recall Julie requesting the letters themselves to express lunacy. The final design in the photo is my own interpretation of what she had asked for and I think my intention here was to make the phrase look chaotic and disorderly, yet somewhat maintaining it's legibility. It's what I was able to put together by trying to depict what she might have been imagining in her head at the time."</blockquote>So, this post was written and prepped and I was online doing some final research when I stumbled upon this tidbit of information from "<a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/blogs-and-stories/2009-12-03/of-meat-and-men/2/">Of Meat and Men</a>" by <a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/author/bussel/">Rachel Kramer Bussel</a> over on <i><a href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/">The Daily Beast</a></i>:<br /><br /><blockquote>Her goodbye present from the <a href="http://www.fleishers.com/">Fleisher’s</a> staff is a set of knives inscribed with her name and “Loufoque,” French-butcher Pig Latin for “Crazy Lady,” a term she now has permanently tattooed across her back. Yet Powell now sounds much surer of herself than the lost woman whom we find in the early pages of <i>Cleaving</i>. Next up is a stab at a novel: “I’ve written quite enough memoirs for a 36-year-old.” </blockquote><br />Was this coincidence? Or were we talking about the same person?<br /><br />Scrolling back in the article, I discovered that the Powell here and the Julie that I met in Penn Station were one and the same person.<br /><br />The same person who crafted <a href="http://blogs.salon.com/0001399/2002/08/25.html">The Julie/Julia Project</a>, in which the author blogged her way through Julia Child's <a href="http://www.randomhouse.com/knopf/authors/child/making.html">Mastering the Art of French Cooking</a>, which became a book, which in turn became the film <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1135503/">Julie and Julia</a>. All of this Julie never once mentioned. Then again, I never asked. And it is all about the tattoo, after all.<br /><br />That being said, thanks to Ryoko for sharing her thoughts about creating this tattoo, and a hearty thanks to <a href="http://juliepowellbooks.com/">Julie Powell</a> for sharing this interesting tattoo. I'm glad my curiosity got the better of me!<br /><br /><iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=bill03-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0316003360&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=bill03-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=031604251X&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe></div>

Julie's Crazy Tattoo

Inkspotting can be impulsive, but I also like to approach each volunteer after some consideration. Rather than rush up on someone and barrag...

3:32 AM

Anna's Marriage Tattoo

With inkspotting, timing is an essential part of the luck in finding interesting tattoos.<br /><br />I was about to leave the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Farley_Post_Office">James Farley Post Office</a> when <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2010/03/tattoos-i-love-melanies-hybrid-flower.html">Melanie</a> called me on my cell. During the several minutes that we spoke, a woman named <a href="http://annamumford.com/">Anna</a> walked up next to me and started preparing an envelope for mailing. Had Melanie not called, I would have been out on the street, completely missing her.<br /><br />Anna has a remarkable tattoo that travels up her arm, over her shoulder, onto her back, and down her side. Representing a species of kelp, the tattoo which honors her father, a marine biologist, was both too large and partially covered, for her to share with us here at Tattoosday.<br /><br />Rather, she allowed me to photograph this tattoo on her right biceps:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMMY6acCON7yz9w8-geG3d4dCCVUlpi7h72UIFCrj76o9TDlse8GVueMEGufoiIZ02PwdTZ8fbiuqBTHDnW0S3KuxUeuu6oa1fjeQlSwKMMjRBoq9rxlyPR3XKU1YNcKU9K5OcDfDM/s1600/Farmer+in+the+city.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMMY6acCON7yz9w8-geG3d4dCCVUlpi7h72UIFCrj76o9TDlse8GVueMEGufoiIZ02PwdTZ8fbiuqBTHDnW0S3KuxUeuu6oa1fjeQlSwKMMjRBoq9rxlyPR3XKU1YNcKU9K5OcDfDM/s640/Farmer+in+the+city.jpg" width="339" /></a></div><br />This tattoo, which looks a lot like a woodcut, is a representation of an ink drawing of a farmer in the city which, in turn, was inspired by the <a href="http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:0pfpxql5ldke">Scott Walker</a> song "Farmer in the City (Remembering Pasolini)" from his album <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tilt_%28Scott_Walker_album%29"><i>Tilt</i></a>.<br /><br />Take a listen:<br /><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/zIJzTWk6bSw&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/zIJzTWk6bSw&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x006699&color2=0x54abd6" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Rather than exchange wedding bands, Anna and her husband instead got matching tattoos. "Farmer in the City" is their song, and the tattoos are matrimonial bonds that are in their flesh, rather than on their hands.<br /><br />It's quite a lovely idea and reminds me of what our friend Carrie and her husband did (read about it <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2009/02/carrie-returns-with-some-matrimonial.html">here</a>) after their wedding.<br /><br />This tattoo was inked by <a href="http://www.studiozee.com/aboutstudiozee.html">Zee</a> at <a href="http://www.studiozee.com/">Studio Zee</a> in New Haven, Connecticut.<br /><br />Thanks to Anna for sharing her matrimonial tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

Anna's Marriage Tattoo

With inkspotting, timing is an essential part of the luck in finding interesting tattoos. I was about to leave the James Farley Post Office ...

11:34 AM

John's Tattoo Identity (With a Bonus Vendetta)

I met John recently in a local drug store in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bay_Ridge,_Brooklyn">Bay Ridge</a> section of Brooklyn.<br /><br />I had actually seen John once previously in the store, but had been unable to speak to him at the time, so I was happy when I ran into him again.<br /><br />His upper right arm is a <i><a href="http://www.starwars.com/">Star Wars</a></i> tribute, but I shot the left arm instead. He was laughing because he had just been questioned by several people at a <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/century-21-brooklyn">nearby department store</a> and now that he had escaped to a different shop, here I was questioning him about his work.<br /><br />This is a shot of his left arm:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmoWksxNl6Gtr3Zt6IB0j4pBqUAElkXY7gBI99IJ7exSez-BWYSR4XQtogo3hNRKOOfC5x9A0-_0FvHgM8z0T_UxcYuMWR1M3kwVehUzEvQ37240yzCR86oVbfW4xWpVyRuKg9v1Ew/s1600/alien+collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmoWksxNl6Gtr3Zt6IB0j4pBqUAElkXY7gBI99IJ7exSez-BWYSR4XQtogo3hNRKOOfC5x9A0-_0FvHgM8z0T_UxcYuMWR1M3kwVehUzEvQ37240yzCR86oVbfW4xWpVyRuKg9v1Ew/s400/alien+collage.jpg" width="297" /></a></div><br /><br />Like the <i>Star Wars</i> theme on his right arm, the left arm embraces outer space, what John called his "tattoo identity".<br /><br />He did note that this had been reworked and represented the repairing  of a much smaller piece. He sung high praise to Alex Franklin of <a href="http://www.myspace.com/brooklyninkbodypiercing">Brooklyn Ink</a>, who did the majority of this work and made the piece what it is today. Alex and Brooklyn Ink are no strangers to Tattoosday. <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/search/label/Brooklyn%20Ink">This link</a> takes the reader to all posts tagged "Brooklyn Ink".<br /><br />Before explaining that tattoo to me, however,  he had shown me something that had not been visible in the department store. He pulled up his shirt to reveal this awesome <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V_for_Vendetta">V for Vendetta</a> tattoo in the top center section of his back:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX4NKx7DRBvwb9O1vst96_KWrMGbMd5GSapfNPRooS-bL5FtAfx3MYIgBQZm6ACY60GSgUzAd11u_To_AiDZBjq_yKaC5cLlwIIoPM8eVZZuzQzQtaFqb7ayOGcaIF5do8FKSIYzb5/s1600/V+for+Vendetta.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX4NKx7DRBvwb9O1vst96_KWrMGbMd5GSapfNPRooS-bL5FtAfx3MYIgBQZm6ACY60GSgUzAd11u_To_AiDZBjq_yKaC5cLlwIIoPM8eVZZuzQzQtaFqb7ayOGcaIF5do8FKSIYzb5/s400/V+for+Vendetta.jpg" width="341" /></a></div><br />John loved the graphic novel and the movie as well. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiERTYnLkr6BIfQW7s3iJ6tsBZsMEDUnIEoQhZg-Vufc-iY4NEWfG8tay7RE7u8zO3SJg5kJLE_6dmPj0ZEcXeXA7ntgHFDE1gty4hXmfi7JxAbbBXwD46N9eWsODY0d2Ybef894-Dy/s1600/V_for_vendettax.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiERTYnLkr6BIfQW7s3iJ6tsBZsMEDUnIEoQhZg-Vufc-iY4NEWfG8tay7RE7u8zO3SJg5kJLE_6dmPj0ZEcXeXA7ntgHFDE1gty4hXmfi7JxAbbBXwD46N9eWsODY0d2Ybef894-Dy/s320/V_for_vendettax.jpg" /></a></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio3GvfksZ_JxnZVVp24DMdRioHwsKyieMK401BiHc7enswXkjyLlgozCvGyxk0tceQnagHdth5MeEY6QKpD_h-WtrOlInMvNzIHF74bTLDqCdHHZuZezergWS-mAH5R6DMPpUZ12UV/s1600/v-for-vendetta-6-800.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEio3GvfksZ_JxnZVVp24DMdRioHwsKyieMK401BiHc7enswXkjyLlgozCvGyxk0tceQnagHdth5MeEY6QKpD_h-WtrOlInMvNzIHF74bTLDqCdHHZuZezergWS-mAH5R6DMPpUZ12UV/s320/v-for-vendetta-6-800.jpg" /></a></div><br />The character of V makes a striking tattoo. This was inked by the incomparable <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/place?oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=designs+by+michael+angelo+brooklyn&fb=1&gl=us&hq=designs+by+michael+angelo&hnear=Brooklyn,+NY&cid=10589599892127857747">Designs by Michael Angelo</a> in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn. Work from his shop has appeared previously <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/search/label/Designs%20by%20Michael%20Angelo">here</a> on the blog.<br /><br />Thanks to John for sharing his incredible tattoos with us here on Tattoosday! We hope to bring his Star Wars sleeve to the site some time in the future.

John's Tattoo Identity (With a Bonus Vendetta)

I met John recently in a local drug store in the Bay Ridge section of Brooklyn. I had actually seen John once previously in the store, but ...

8:53 AM

Bigfoot and a Bowl of Fruit

I stopped Tony and Emily, an Australian couple, as they were crossing 33rd Street near Eighth Avenue late last month. No offense to Tony, but Emily's half-sleeve really jumped out at me from across the street, so I was thrilled when they agreed to stop and talk tattoos with me.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj9zN_A-J5iUIfYJaI6HGjbVSgwkz7SljlcVcM_uVbOdoNA3FLqIZbtzZPaxYMqlebCT4W57tOtCFBQkBVaE78YihvNPYwNfr-kd8aRRDvC9KdckGwhx6fh11oaS_aTPBLJ1n5uH81/s1600/fruit+shot.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/AVvXsEgj9zN_A-J5iUIfYJaI6HGjbVSgwkz7SljlcVcM_uVbOdoNA3FLqIZbtzZPaxYMqlebCT4W57tOtCFBQkBVaE78YihvNPYwNfr-kd8aRRDvC9KdckGwhx6fh11oaS_aTPBLJ1n5uH81/s640/fruit+shot.jpg" width="436" /></a></div><br /><br />First, here's a collage of Emily's upper right arm:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzmeRzzMaY207Uadjeto03czSoD7-ICXSEYbIFbzvg0MlsPnKmyk68i4rDZqEmxkGeQKFPHP5k01hQwdTs_rXYPlK9WuAfMc1DPIOP01EGDkxCjXBFi86_muH3I4Lcu-uwjAHk2ZGo/s1600/Fruit+Basket+collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzmeRzzMaY207Uadjeto03czSoD7-ICXSEYbIFbzvg0MlsPnKmyk68i4rDZqEmxkGeQKFPHP5k01hQwdTs_rXYPlK9WuAfMc1DPIOP01EGDkxCjXBFi86_muH3I4Lcu-uwjAHk2ZGo/s400/Fruit+Basket+collage.jpg" width="346" /></a></div><br />Emily explained she wanted a colorful tattoo, and she loves fruit, so this was the path she chose. What I like is that, since she is Australian, we get some more exotic fruit here, like dragon fruit and passion fruit in the culinary collage.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyxjKyXAHGP0oU_pYZgtyda6Rmxc013LcBlCQBrbpvcbhdpe7kCxqtJH0kc0pp_zGhB3sASBrRiMUQ5mbpRHrQdfKp_PdNOqo3MYnQ7hIHz8eWaKirHjomWrHym620vgYMFbB-2PhK/s1600/Passion+Fruit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyxjKyXAHGP0oU_pYZgtyda6Rmxc013LcBlCQBrbpvcbhdpe7kCxqtJH0kc0pp_zGhB3sASBrRiMUQ5mbpRHrQdfKp_PdNOqo3MYnQ7hIHz8eWaKirHjomWrHym620vgYMFbB-2PhK/s400/Passion+Fruit.jpg" width="285" /></a></div><br /><br />This is one of seven tattoos Emily has and was inked by Josh Plum at <a href="http://www.yakuzatattoo.com.au/">Yakuza Tattoo</a> in Sydney, Australia.<br /><br />When I showed the photos to my wife, Melanie, she wanted to know more. Aside from being colorful, why the fruit basket? I e-mailed Tony and he sent the following reply:<br /><br /><blockquote>"...She said she wanted fruit for a few other reasons other than colourfullness....1) she is really into nutrition and a healthy living style; 2) she had never seen anybody else with a fruit basket tattoo; 3) fish, flowers, etc. are way too common (which is true when you think about it, everyone has koi fish..." </blockquote>Speaking of Tony, let's not forget him. He had nine tattoos when I met him. He may have another now from New York, I'm not sure. SO, of course I asked him if he would share, as well. He offered up this rendition of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bigfoot">Bigfoot</a> on his right forearm:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh31BQjG3F5K1PY7ruJAfdyycOzbt_twvGdWngB4gRck6CPhdM0ETEmw8IEGkzS1QuYgmMqkOBw9_cN0xQ5Jg6awQb3OEp1I1uQ4t_O456Vuqs_I0gZDQdqo4oG__1-iOWiMKDevhsV/s1600/bigfoot+collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh31BQjG3F5K1PY7ruJAfdyycOzbt_twvGdWngB4gRck6CPhdM0ETEmw8IEGkzS1QuYgmMqkOBw9_cN0xQ5Jg6awQb3OEp1I1uQ4t_O456Vuqs_I0gZDQdqo4oG__1-iOWiMKDevhsV/s400/bigfoot+collage.jpg" width="372" /></a></div><br />This tattoo was the artist's rendering of Bigfoot, as interpreted by <a href="http://www.steellotus.com/?page_id=68">Sanchez</a> at <a href="http://www.steellotus.com/">Steel Lotus Body Arts</a> in Darlinghurst, in Eastern Sydney.<br /><br />Why Bigfoot? Tony is a huge fan of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cryptozoology">cryptozoology</a>.The tattoo took about four and a half hours to complete.<br /><br />Thanks to both Tony and Emily for taking the time to share their tattoos with us here on Tattoosday!

Bigfoot and a Bowl of Fruit

I stopped Tony and Emily, an Australian couple, as they were crossing 33rd Street near Eighth Avenue late last month. No offense to Tony, bu...

3:28 AM