Tattoosday (A Tattoo Blog): May 2013

Friday, May 31, 2013

More F-Holes For Your Friday

Earlier this month, I posted (here) about a young woman named Ariel who had F-Holes tattooed on her inner left forearm.

Last week in my local Staples, I met Brian, a musician and recording engineer, and he shared his similar, and much larger tattoo:

Brian didn't give me much more information (i.e. artist, shop, etc.), but I appreciate him allowing me to share these F-holes here on Tattoosday!

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 http://tattoosday.blogspot.com 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.

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Mark's Sculpture by Jinx Comes to Life (NYC Tattoo Convention)

In this, our last post from the 2013 New York City Tattoo Convention, we're looking at a huge rib piece offered up by Mark:

Along with Mark, I met the artist, Jinx, from Gameface Tattoos in Orlando, Florida.

The piece represents about 48 hours of work and, as for its meaning, Mark said that he and Jinx "just really wanted to do a sculpture."

Thanks to Mark and Jinx for sharing their work here on Tattoosday!

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Carlos Shares a Buddha Tattoo (NYC Tattoo Convention)

I met Carlos at the New York City Tattoo Convention earlier this month, and he shared this great tattoo:

Carlos told me that this tattoo was inspired by his appreciation of the Buddhist way of thinking.

It's a great black and gray piece, with that extra pop from the color from the cherry blossoms.

He credited Needles at East Side Ink in New York City. Needles' work has previously appeared on Tattoosday here and here.

Thanks to Carlos for sharing his tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

Barbara's Back, Courtesy of Leslie Reesen from Mad Science in The Netherlands (NYC Tattoo Convention)

One of the great things about tattoo conventions is that you get to see more back pieces than you would say, walking the streets of New York.

I've always managed to capture at least one great back tattoo from my trips to the New York City Tattoo Convention each year, and here we have another one to add to the mix:

This huge tattoo belongs to Barbara, who was working at the Mad Science Tattooing booth at Roseland.
She credited the piece to one of the artists Leslie Reesen, who was working the convention. Mad Science is located in The Hague in the Netherlands.

She was happy to share this back tattoo which represents about 55 hours of work (and extends below the waist line). Barbara explained a little about its origin.

"I wanted to do the Leaf Man, the face with all the leaves ... I really like it ... I gave him [Reesen] a free hand about the design, so it's really his own drawings ... There's one detail that I really like, because I used to be a ballet dancer and, in Wicca ...the leaf man is the god of the dance so maybe that's why I always liked the Leaf Man, I don't know, or it's more coincidence...".

Here's a shot I took of Reesen in action during the Convention:

And, in case you were wondering what he was tattooing on this woman's mohawked head, Mr. Reesen was kind enough, after the convention, to share the completed tattoo with us here on Tattoosday:

Photo courtesy of Leslie Reesen

Thank you to Barbara for sharing her Leaf Man back piece with us and, in so doing, helping introduce me to the talented artists from Mad Science in the Netherlands, especially Leslie Reesen!

Monday, May 27, 2013

Reposting Mike's Marine in Honor of Memorial Day

The following post is from four years ago, and was shared then to commemorate Memorial Day. It seems appropriate to revisit it again:

It only seemed fitting that, on this Memorial Day, we feature a tattoo that honors our men and women in uniform.

A week ago, I was fresh off of my experience at the New York City Tattoo Convention, and everything I saw on the street was uninteresting. Until I passed by Mike and did a double-take.

This is the tattoo on Mike's inner right forearm:

Mike explained that, as a United States Marine, he was choosing to honor the corps by building a sleeve of iconic military photographs.

If you think this is an impressive tattoo (which it is), seeing the source material further magnifies how phenomenal a replica the artist has created on Mike's flesh:

A page on About.com explains this image further:

"While units of the U.S. Far East Air Forces Combat Cargo Command made an all-out effort to aid embattled units of the First Marine Division and Seventh Infantry Division, the men fighting in Korea were trying desperately to link up in their battle for survival. This marine is shown just as he reached the crest of the ridge at the link-up point. Wet, stinging snow and ice made the operation the most difficult sort, as unleashed hordes of communist troops charge again and again into the United Nations forces. (circa December 1950) "

In addition to this tattoo, Mike has a Vietnam-era photo of a Marine sniper inked on his right biceps.

This astonishing tattoo was created by Randy Prause at Permanent Buzz Tattoo, in Denville, New Jersey.

A hearty thanks to Mike for sharing this tattoo with us here on Memorial Day. More importantly, Tattoosday expresses even more gratitude to Mike and all his fellow soldiers and who have so bravely served our country to ensure the freedoms we enjoy each day.

Have a safe and pleasant Memorial Day!

Sunday, May 26, 2013

Head Cross by Needles

There's a guy I've seen around for the past couple of years who I've been dying to ask about his tattoo.

I finally inquired last week and he agreed to share the tattoo, but wished to remain anonymous:

He credited this Celtic cross to Needles at East Side Ink, in New York City.

We'll have something else later in the week by Needles, as well.

Thanks to the gentleman above for sharing his head tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

Saturday, May 25, 2013

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 exceptional one, and feel compelled to share it here.

The photo above is of a stunning koi tattoo, courtesy of a guy named Chris, who I met last week at the NYC Tattoo Convention.

It's an exceptionally well-done piece, with the traditional Japanese carp, or koi, 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.

Chris credited Jeremy Miller from Screamin' Ink Tattoo in Fair Lawn, New Jersey. Note: this is a different Jeremy Miller than the one who competed on the first season of Ink Master.

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 here.

Thanks to Chris for sharing this great sleeve with us here on Tattoosday!

Friday, May 24, 2013

Jeffrey's Jimi Hendrix Portait (at the NYC Tattoo Convention)

I met Jeffrey at this year's New York City Tattoo Convention last weekend, and he shared the above tattoo, one of a dozen famous portraits he has adorning his body.

That is, of course, Jimi Hendrix.

Jeffrey told me, "I just love black and gray portraits," and that the shading was so intense on this piece, that at one point he passed out in the middle of getting it, which took about nine hours to complete.

He credited the artist Kris Busching at Undead Ink in Oceanside, New York.

Thanks to Jeffrey for sharing this amazing portrait with us here on Tattoosday!

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Celebrate the Brooklyn Bridge at Brooklyn Tattoo and Urban Folk Art® Gallery!

The Brooklyn Bridge, an icon that represents our borough, was completed 130 years ago and the good folks at Brooklyn Tattoo and Urban Folk Art® Gallery are hosting their fourth annual celebration in honor of the anniversary.

Owners Willie Paredes and Adam Suerte (who recently tattooed yours truly - here) are hosting the Brooklyn Bridge tattoo special - $30 Brooklyn Bridge tattoos - today, from 12 Noon to 7PM. From the shop's event page on Facebook:

"Those interested in receiving a Brooklyn Bridge themed tattoo can show up at the shop-Brooklyn Tattoo®, 99 Smith Street, Brooklyn, and pick from several flash (pre-drawn) images that evoke the spirit that has defined New York’s iconic skyline. Tattoos will be done by several of the Brooklyn Tattoo® staff on a first come, first serve basis. Also, for those not committed enough to join ink to skin, copies of the flash design sheets will be available for purchase as well as a limited edition book Adam Suerte put together showcasing 50 Brooklyn Bridge tattoos he’s done in the past."

Here's what you can expect from past year's designs:

If you're not down for a new tattoo, you should definitely consider attending the opening of the art show, tomorrow, May 24, 2013.

Again, from the Facebook event page:

"Urban Folk Art® Gallery will be honoring the 130th anniversary of the opening of the Brooklyn Bridge with a group show of over 30 local artists of varying mediums. In their third show of this type, artists will be showing their homages to the bridge with one common element. In February 2013, curator and contributing artist Adam Suerte aquired five 5 gallon buckets of surplus paint from the NY Department of Transit that was used to do touch ups on the Brooklyn Bridge (http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/05/surplus-paint-from-the-brooklyn-bridge-now-could-be-yours/).

As an undying fan of the Brooklyn Bridge that is evident in his artwork, he was compelled to get some. Each artist in the group show will be using the 'Chocolate Brown Enamel' in some way within their piece. Painters, comic artists, graphic designers, photographers, screen printers, tattooers, graffiti artists, toy designers and artists of other mediums will be contributing. Suerte, as one of his pieces, has repackaged some of this paint in a limited edition quart size cans that will be for sale at the show.

If you ever wanted to own a piece of the bridge, this could be considered pretty close.

The show opens May 24th from 7-10."

Here are a few of the pieces on display:

by Dave Tree

by Steven Weinberg

by Paul St. Savage aka Angry Eel

Even if you can't make the opening, the work will be on display through the end of June, so, if you find yourself in the Cobble Hill section of Brooklyn, you should definitely stop by and check out the amazing art!

Also, if you get a tattoo, feel free to e-mail us a photo at Tattoosday@gmail.com, along with a sentence or two about why you wanted to get this Brooklyn icon inked on you, and we'll share it on the site some time in the next few weeks.

Happy Birthday, Brooklyn Bridge!

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Gina Shares Two Amazing Tattoos by Bugs! (NYC Tattoo Convention)

Every year I attend, one of the highlights for the NYC Tattoo Convention is seeing the artist Bugs in action. He has taken tattoo art in a new direction, and his style is not only unique, but positively mind-blowing.

That said, it was a wonderful moment when, while wandering about Roseland, I chanced upon one of his clients, in the form of Gina.

Gina initially selected this piece from her inner arm to share with us:

I mean, really, how amazing is that?

Gina is a huge fan of Bugs' work and has, in her words, "donated my body to him."

This piece is in honor of her mom. She told Bugs the concept and she "let him take it any direction he wanted to go."

I was so happy to be able to meet one of Bugs' clients, that I asked if I could take a picture of the piece on Gina's upper arm as well, and she happily complied:

When I asked Gina about this piece, she elaborated, "

It's actually for me ... it's my interpretation of myself ... a Rubenesque woman ... and that's what he came up with."

Bugs works out of Los Angeles, but he frequents many conventions, and is a regular at Roseland. Gina makes a point of seeing him every year he is here.

Thanks to Gina for sharing her amazing work by Bugs here on Tattoosday!

Be sure to visit Bugs' website here to appreciate more from this amazing artist!!

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Jessica Wears Sylvia Ji (from the NYC Tattoo Convention)

At the New York City Tattoo Convention on Saturday, I saw a lot of wonderful work, including this bright and colorful piece on the upper arm of Jessica:

This tattoo is based on the artwork of California artist Sylvia Ji.

Jessica is an admirer of Ji's work and she collaborated with tattoo artist J.J. Claudio to recreate this piece on her arm. J.J. Claudio just recently joined the crew at Tattoo Frenzy in Lindenhurst, New York.

Thanks to Jessica for sharing her lovely tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

Monday, May 20, 2013

Hannah's Skull by Shawn Barber (NYC Tattoo Convention 2013)

As I briefly mentioned in my initial post from this year's New York City Tattoo Convention (which concluded yesterday), I met a woman named Hannah, who I spotted near one of the many booths. It was her tattoo on her upper right arm that really jumped out at me:

My curiosity about the tattoo was not unfounded, when Hannah informed me this was the work of famed artist, Shawn Barber.

Hannah hails from Southern California, and got this tattoo at Memoir Tattoo in Los Angeles.

Hannah talked about her appreciation of the art of Shawn Barber, his influence on her own work, and his creation of her tattoo:

"He was a huge influence ... I was never into oil painting until I saw his oil paintings and I'm obsessed ... I'm really into skulls and succulents ...that's my main choice of what I like to paint ... I told him what I wanted and let him go with it ... probably one of my favorite parts is the little squiggle [above the eyes] ...

... and the cactus flowers coming through the cheekbone ... I didn't really ask for flowers or anything and he put those in and that's one of my favorite parts... they're all succulents, like aloe plants and cactus ...".

It is always a thrill to share work of people I meet who have been adorned by the creations of artists at the top of their game. If you want to see an amazing array of Shawn Barber's work, visit his web page here.

Thanks to Hannah for sharing this incredible tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Dispatch from the 16th Annual NYC Tattoo Convention, Part 2

The second day of the 2013 New York City Tattoo Convention flew by in a blur of images, fueled by the unlimited supply of free Rockstar energy drinks.

So Many Energy Drinks, So Little Time

What follows are some of the highlights, for me.

Hanging out at the Sacred Tattoo booth, I chatted at great length with Adam France, who tattoos out of Red Tree Tattoo Gallery in Columbus, Ohio. Adam was tattooing earlier in the week out of Sacred, in a guest spot, and was soaking in the atmosphere of the show. Aside from appearing in a recent episode of America's Worst Tattoos (in which he covers up something bad with something amazing), Adam is part of the organization that hosts the Hell City Tattoo Convention.

Here is the cover-up that Adam completed on the Worst Tattoos show:

Adam is a third-generation tattooer, whose father and grandfather also worked in the business, albeit in much different times.

As a disagreement between some a couple of female convention-goers broke out nearby, we laughed at the 21st century novelty of everyone's instinct not to intervene, but to document, as camera phones popped up like prairie dogs in the vicinity, trying to capture a whole lot of nothing, while convention security quickly diffused the situation.

Such activity was very minimal and high spirits abounded.

One of the first booths you see when you come in to Roseland is that of Brent McCown, of New Zealand.

He always has a crowd about, watching him tattoo in a traditional tapping style:

Close up, it's amazing to see...

Before the tattoo judging was held, there was a lot of activity up on stage, which included a lot of sideshow activities, like a woman dancing with a large albino boa snake

and this young lady, who had the crowd transfixed:

In case you couldn't tell, this performer is suspended and swing from hooks in her thighs and back. Ouch!

What is so often lost in these events, is that you can really invest time in watching talented artists at work. Of course, in the real world, tattooists don't have the luxury of editors to abbreviate their performances for the viewing audience. So, it is great to come back and see your own time-lapse version of a tattoo's transformation over the course of a day or, is some cases, years.

Take, for example, one of my favorite highlights from last year's convention - watching New York City's own "Bad News Becca" Roach at work on her client Kate. This was Becca in action last year:

I got a chance to say hi to Becca and then got a hug from Kate when we ran into each other later on. Kate has a back tattoo that was featured here last year on Tattoosday.

Yesterday, Becca had moved to filling in the top of Kate's back:

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Can't wait to see the final product! Bad News Becca tattoos out of North Star Tattoo in Manhattan.

Of course, one of the things I love to do is to interview people about their work, and there will be no shortage of convention profiles in the week to come. I captured a lovely back piece by Dutch artist Leslie Reesen, who works out of Mad Science Tattoo in The Hague, Netherlands, and was honored to interview a collector of body art by the mind-blowing Bugs, out of Los Angeles. Here's a taste:

I'll end on that stunning note and remind everyone that today is the final day of the NYC Convention, and Roseland is open from 12 Noon to 8 PM. It's a rainy day here in the Big Apple, so what better way to spend it than heading indoors and seeing some amazing tattoo work!

Saturday, May 18, 2013

Dispatch from the 16th Annual NYC Tattoo Convention - Day 1

There's just something about the NYC Tattoo Convention that makes me smile.

For the last five years I have attended and, despite the fact that a large majority of the booths are occupied by many of the same companies, there are always new changes and a grungy intimacy that make me happy I attended.

I'm normally a "Saturday only" attendee, but I thought I'd give it an early go, and check it out Friday evening when things were just getting started. I still plan on spending a larger chunk of time there today, but I still wanted to get the lay of the land.

No fancy convention center here, the Roseland Ballroom is a storied venue and its "lived-in" feeling contributes immensely to the intimacy of the event. As always, Saturday's contests are a highlight of the show.

There are trophies to be won!

I was very excited to see the latest incarnation of the Jack Rudy-designed show tee, in both gray and white:

Not to mention that this year, the convention is a stop on the Inked Up World Tour, co-sponsored by Inked Up, Rockstar Energy Drinks and the Sullen Art Collective. There's a booth on the main floor where you vote interactively with a heavily-decorated model vying for "Miss Inked Up 2013" on which artist designed the best can for Rockstar Energy Drinks (I chose Nikko Hurtado's design), after which you get to spin their prize wheel.

I got lucky and won a t-shirt!

Front of the shirt

And the back:

I swung by a whole slew of booths and will be back today to spend more time with the convention-goers.

Of note, I met a nice woman at the booth of Independent Tattoo, who now has me thinking about getting a crab tattoo. And it was great reconnecting with Kevin from Sacred Tattoo and catching up.

There is plenty to see, and I have only begun to covet my neighbor's tattoos! If there's anything that will give you a sense of ink envy, it's attending a show where the majority of the people are so dedicated to decorating the skin of others, or filling up their own personal canvases.

Of course, for me, it is also about finding great people to interview for upcoming installments of Tattoosday.

Here's one photo I took which will be part of an upcoming feature:

This PHENOMENAL piece belongs to Hannah, and was created by the amazingly-talented Shawn Barber. I will devote a separate post to this in the coming week, but talking with Hannah, and having her so generously share work from a talent like Barber, was just one of the reasons I left Roseland last night with a huge grin on my face.

There may be bigger and brighter conventions, but the New York City Convention will always hold a place in my heart.

I will be there today, as well, and will be posting on Facebook and Twitter (@Tattoosday). Doors open at 12 Noon and close at Midnight. The show also runs Sunday, May 19, from Noon to 8:00 PM.

Thanks again to the organizers of the NYC show for always doing such a great job in putting together the event!

Friday, May 17, 2013

Dave Shares A Davy Jones Tattoo

I met Dave recently in a department store at the Manhattan Mall. His forearm tattoo jumped out at me and I just had to ask about it:

"I'm going with a nautical theme on my arm," he explained, and this depiction of the fictional sea captain Davy Jones anchors what is sure to be an awesome sleeve of the high seas.

This excellent work was done by Steve Woisin at Studio 520 in Oakdale, New York, out on Long Island.
We have previously featured this amazing work by Steve three years ago on the site.

Thanks to Dave for sharing this awesome tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Tattoosday At the New York City Tattoo Convention, 2013 Edition (Preview)

Well, it's that time of the year again!

It may not be the biggest, but it's OURS, and I've never had a bad time there.

This will be my fifth consecutive year attending and I'm never disappointed by the variety of artists and the sheer entertainment of the event.

And I've always seen some amazing work, like this piece by David Sena, in 2012:

This piece by Echo in 2011:

This uncredited piece in 2011:

And this amazing work by Ian Shafer at Screamin' Ink:

You can see all convention-related posts under this tag.

All convention details can be found on their website here. Or their Facebook page here.

Stay tuned this weekend for more coverage from the show!

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Contest Updates!

Congratulations to our reader Amy, who won the Brooklyn Tattoo contest!

Amy gets this cool tee from Brooklyn Tattoo:

You can check out all the shop merchandise here

.And, remember, we are giving away copies of Phil Padwe's Mommy Has a Tattoo and Tattoo Coloring Book #2.

You have until Thursday to enter by leaving a comment on the original post here, or on the Tattoosday Facebook page (here), or by e-mailing tattoosdaycontests@gmail.com.

Tattoosday (A Tattoo Blog)