Daniela's Memento of San Francisco

Yesterday we featured a tattoo on Arnold (here) but neglected to mention the young lady with him when we met. Her name was Daniela, and she also hailed from Baia Mare, in northern Romania.

Daniela also shared a tattoo with us, this whimsical piece that sheds warmth on a winter's day:

Daniela told me she got this in San Francisco, and the simple symbols for sunshine, palm trees, and the ocean serve as memories from a lovely vacation. Every time she looks at this, she said, "I am going to remember I went to San Francisco, the month that I spent there, the memories ... I just go back in time, the people you meet, the things you do."

Unfortunately, she did not tell me who did the tattoo, but it is a lovely, whimsical tribute to her time in California.

Thanks to Daniela for sharing this cool tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

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Where Gabe Johnson Comes From (The Tattooed Poets Project)

Our next tattooed poet is Gabe Johnson, who sent us this photo of a very interesting tattoo:

Gabe explains:

"This tattoo represents how where I come from influences my being and writing, as well as my relationship with writing. The ink flowing into my veins is a metaphor I’ve often thought about as a young writer – feeling like my poems were something coming out of me that had laid dormant inside. Within the ink are two symbols of where I come from. The Viking ship represents my Icelandic heritage, which seems to me like my poetic lineage. The Icelandic people value poetry incredibly highly, and most of my direct relatives along that part of my family are or were involved in poetry in some fashion, whether as writers, publishers or teachers. The oak tree represents Northern California in general, where I grew up and where I have spent all of my life. The landscape, flora, and fauna of oak grasslands especially feel like home to me, and influence my writing greatly. I chose the specific design because I wanted a very simple look of a pen and ink drawing, which a friend of mine drew, and the tattoo artist (Sam McWilliams @sammcwilliams of Mermaids Tattoo @mermaidstattoo in SF) reproduced beautifully."

Gabe also sent us this short poem:

Rehabilitation

Begin again with all your breath. Trace the coast’s soft shoulders, the fogless cove and columbine. Your knee will follow, kiss the sand—shards like nettles on new skin. The highway lined by tiger-lily, oak like moss on slumping hills becomes sequoia, thimbleberry trails. You know each river rock was named, saw scaled bodies leap against the flow. You’ll set your newest scar against lost particles.

~ ~ ~

Gabe Johnson lives in Oakland, teaching English and US History to 8th graders. He is a graduate of the MFA program at Saint Mary’s College of California and his work can be found in Switchback, Philadelphia Stories, White Stag, and Poecology.

Thanks to Gabe for sharing his tattoo and poem with us here on Tattoosday's Tattooed Poets Project!

This entry is ©2017 Tattoosday. The poem and tattoo are reprinted with the poet's permission.

If you are reading this on another website other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit 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.

Shakespeare in the Park with Mark

Earlier this month, I was at the Delacorte Theater in Central Park to see The Tempest.

Before the show, I ran into Mark, who had some phenomenal work, like this, on his right arm:

Mark is from San Diego and he got this work about eight years ago, and it's held up quite nicely.
The structure at the bottom of the tattoo is the Ocean Beach Pier.

He didn't remember the artist's name, but recalled he was visiting the US from Darklite Tattoo, located in Albany, Western Australia.

Mark also has this incredible mermaid tattoo, on his left arm, inked by the great Chris O'Donnell:

Thanks to Mark for sharing his awesome tattoos with us here on Tattoosday!

This entry is ©2015 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.