Tattoosday (A Tattoo Blog): NYC Urban Tattoo Convention

Showing posts with label NYC Urban Tattoo Convention. Show all posts

Sunday, February 28, 2016

Netty and Huey (at the NYC Urban Tattoo Convention)

Seeing as Black History Month is winding down, and I still have some leftover 2015 photos to share, this tattoo seems appropriate as February comes to a close:

I spotted this tattoo of Huey Freeman, from the comic strip The Boondocks, on the arm of Netty, at last June's Urban Tattoo Convention in Brooklyn.

What's remarkable about this tattoo is that it's not all tattoo. Netty explained that she had the tattoo inked around her birthmark. Look again:

Huey's hair is mostly birthmark. She credited Nelly, a travelling artist from L.A. (Instagram here), with skillfully blending Huey's hair into the pre-existing mark on her arm. Pretty nifty job.

Why Huey Freeman? Netty explained, "I love him and what he represents."

Thanks to Netty for sharing her cool tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

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Friday, September 11, 2015

Celebrating Steve's Tattoo on Patriot's Day

September 11 is always a difficult day here in New York City, and I always want to honor those who lost their lives in 2001 with an appropriate tattoo. I have tended to repost a couple of lasting images in the past, but back in June, at the NYC Urban Tattoo Convention, I met Steve, who had just recently had this piece done:

Steve told me he belongs to a bike club, which inspired this tattoo which features a bald eagle perched on a Harley Davidson engine, with the United States flag flying in the background.

I noticed at the time that the twin cam engine bears a resemblance to the two towers of the World Trade Center, which Steve acknowledged was part of the appeal of the design.

This patriotic tattoo certainly seems appropriate for Patriot Day.

Steve credited the artist Rudy Sciarra from Underground Tattoo Studio in Cranston, Rhode Island.

Thanks to Steve for sharing this work with us here on Tattoosday. And thanks to the men and women who gave their lives on September 11, as well as all of those that have served and continue to serve and protect us.

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Melissa Wows Us with a Sarah Miller Tattoo

Last month at the NYC Urban Tattoo Convention, I met Melissa, who was kind enough to let me take a photo of this astoundingly beautiful thigh piece:

This veritable stunner of a tattoo was inked by Sarah Miller, who is co-owner of Wyld Chyld Tattoo in Pittsburgh. Many may remember from her appearance on season two of Ink Master. Sarah was runner-up that year and produced stellar work throughout the series.

Melissa told me that Sarah finished this amazing tattoo in six sittings and Miller took her original artwork that she adapted to fit onto Melissa's leg.

This vibrant and colorful tattoo was one of the high points of the convention for me.

Thanks to Melissa for sharing this gorgeous tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

This entry is ©2015 Tattoosday.

Thursday, October 23, 2014

Katrina and the Headless Victorian

One of the last photos I took at the NYC Urban Tattoo Convention back in June was this tattoo on Katrina:

The work is by Tig Quest at Big Bang Ink in Brooklyn.

When I met Katrina, it was very loud, so I didn't get much information, other than her artist's info.

The message of the tattoo is clear, however - "The idea is to die young as late as possible." flows across the banner behind the decapitated woman in a ball gown. The quote is attributed to British anthropologist Ashley Monatgu.

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

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Luis and The Tattooed Monk

Last month, I met Luis at the NYC Urban Tattoo Convention and he shared this cool sleeve:

Luis's artist is David Styles, who works out of House of Styles Tattoos & Body Piercing in the Bronx.
He is one of Styles' best customers and says he has about 40 hours of work all told on his canvas.

As for this section of sleeve, Luis explains:

"This is The Tattooed Monk. Basically The story behind him is that he's drunk and belligerent, so he's all over the place ... He was actually a crime lord in ancient China - the Chinese and Japanese have different stories - so basically he tried to redeem himself by joining a monastery and becoming a monk so he could find inner peace and everything ... he just really found out that he couldn't take life without liquor. So he ... just kinda went and took on some monster - he beat the monster but, in turn, destroyed the monastery. so he ended up getting kicked out ... you see a lot of Japanese yakuza members running around with this tattoo, [like a] big back piece or something like that."

Here's a larger perspective from the House of Styles Facebook page:

Photo courtesy of House of Styles Tattoo & Body Piercing

Thanks to Luis for sharing his awesome sleeve with us here on Tattoosday!

Thursday, July 17, 2014

Brigid, Ornate (at the NYC Urban Tattoo Convention)

I met Brigid last month at the NYC Urban Tattoo Convention in Brooklyn. I was intrigued by the unusual tattoo on her upper left arm:

This work is by Philip Milic, who tattoos out of Old Crow in Oakland, California. According to the shop site, Milic has a two-year wait for clients, so Brigid was very lucky to get tattooed by him when he did a guest stint at NY Adorned in Manhattan.

Here's a closer look:

It's simply stunning work.

Thanks to Brigid for sharing her awesome tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

Monday, July 7, 2014

Kalossal's Colossal Tattoo by Al Fliction (at the NYC Urban Tattoo Convention)

Last weekend at the 5th Annual NYC Urban Tattoo Convention, I met Kalossal, who shared this magnificent Egyptian back piece:

Kalossal explained that this is all about royalty, saying "every king should have a queen that's got his back."

I love the expressiveness in the face:

This piece was created by Al Fliction, who is a central figure to the UTC and is an Ink Master alumnus.

Thursday, July 3, 2014

Edward Scissorhands (at the NYC Urban Tattoo Convention)

Simple and to the point. I met Alexandria at the NYC Urban Tattoo Convention last Saturday. She shared this tattoo on her left thigh:

She credited this to an artists named Milton somewhere in SoHo. She got it because she loves Johnny Depp and his character Edward Scissorhands.

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

Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Four Tattoos by Eon (at the NYC Urban Tattoo Convention)

On Saturday at the 5th annual NYC Urban Tattoo Convention, I asked a guy about his back piece and who his artist was. The artist was Eon, owner of Mr. Tank's Tattoos in Denver, Colorado, and he happened to be standing right there. In fact, Eon was with four of his clients, so I just snapped away.

This is the back piece that first caught my eye:

This is a variation on the Hear No Evil, See No evil, Speak No Evil motif. I commended Eon on his style and he proudly showed off the work that was around him, like this Voodoo-themed "Black Magic" calk piece:

And this rib piece that celebrates the legalization of marijuana in his home state of Colorado:

And, finally, this killer "Money on My Mind" head tattoo. Eon explained how he used the white highlights on the darker skin to really make Ben Franklin jump off of the skull:

Thanks to Eon and his friends from Denver for sharing their ink with us here on Tattoosday!

Monday, June 30, 2014

Three from Christina at the NYC Urban Tattoo Convention

This past weekend at the NYC Urban Tattoo Convention, I met Christina, who has all of her work done by a Phoenix-based artist named Mike Claypool.

She had traveled from Arizona with him and shared some of her work with me. First, this piece on her stomach:

I like this classic-style piece with the nautical elements, with the anchor, compass rose and ship's wheel. The diamond, heart and wings are a nice touch too.

Then she shared this rose on her knee:

And finally, I snapped a quick pic of this circus elephant, still shiny as it had been inked the day before:

To really appreciate Mike Claypool's work, follow him on Instagram @ClaypoolTattoos.

Thanks to Christina for sharing her tattoos with us here on Tattoosday!

Sunday, June 29, 2014

Dispatch from the 5th Annual NYC Urban Tattoo Convention

Today marks the third and final day of the 5th Annual NYC Urban Tattoo Convention and if you haven't gone, be sure to head down to 233 37th Street in Brooklyn in "Industry City" (across from Costco). The show opens at 11 AM and closes out at 10:00 PM.

I had a whirlwind day yesterday, meeting artists and vendors, checking out tattoos, interviewing people for upcoming Tattoosday posts, and enjoying a second Saturday in a row of body paint.

It was great seeing Ink Master contestants in action, like Jackie "Ink Bitch" Jennings

and "B-Tat"

It was great meeting new talent from other locations, like Josh "Eon" Johnson out of Denver, who did this back piece:

There's never a dull moment at the show, with plenty of paint, ink, and power to entertain.

Thanks to Chis Styles and the Awesome Al Fliction for being such great hosts and putting together such a great show!

Thursday, June 26, 2014

The 5th Annual Urban Tattoo Convention Starts Tomorrow!

Tomorrow marks the launch of the 5th Annual Urban Tattoo Convention, in Tattoosday's home boro of Brooklyn.

Located across from Costco at 233 37th Street, the show opens Friday at 3pm and runs to midnight, reopening Saturday from 11AM to midnight and Sunday from 11AM to 10PM.

The URBAN Tattoo Convention’s (UTC) mission is to empower tattooist from diverse cultural heritages to showcase their art and tattooing skill set. UTC is committed to the recognition of experienced tattooists, the development of up-and-coming tattoo artists and the cultivation of the growing urban art community.

I attended last year's expo and had a blast. I wrote about it here and featured work I spotted through many posts over the summer (link the tag here).

You can get tickets here: http://www.eventbrite.com/e/5th-annual-nyc-urban-tattoo-convention-tickets-10304339557?aff=efbevent

I plan on live-blogging from time to time and look forward to seeing readers there!

There is nothing quite like this show, and I am thrilled to be going again!

Hope to see you all there!

Friday, December 27, 2013

Alfredo's Back Piece Honors Mexican History (from the 4th Annual NYC Urban Tattoo Convention)

One of our lost posts of the summer was from the NYC Urban Tattoo Convention. I met a guy named Alfredo who shared this back piece:

Alfredo explained, “It’s all Mexican history … all about independence about Mexico … from Aztecs … to the independence from Spain.”

He credited Marco Rodriguez from Inked City Tattoo in Trenton, New Jersey with this amazing work.

Thanks to Alfredo for sharing this with us here on Tattoosday!

Friday, August 30, 2013

Cecilia's Spiritual Dreamcatcher (at the NYC Urban Tattoo Convention)

Even though the 4th annual NYC Urban Tattoo Convention was at the end of June, I'm still reliving the experience through posts of tattoos I saw there.

While speaking with one attendee named Cecilia, she pulled her shirt up to reveal this dreamcatcher tattoo on her ribs:

I recently followed up with Cecilia and asked her specifically about the tattoo.

First, she credited this lovely work to Kristin Lowery, owner/artist at South Seas Tattoo in Hilo, Hawaii, who used a feather Cecilia had found in New York as reference material. She said she was "pretty sure, after researching, [that] it's a hawk feather."

Cecilia was very detailed, explaining the spirituality behind this dreamcatcher:

"... I wanted to incorporate something like a dream catcher using the symbol of the 3rd chakra ... the hawk - in animal spirit medicine/as a totem in Native American tradition means

-messenger of the spirit world
-focused power
-power to see/clear vision
-connection to spirit, spiritual awareness

I got [the tattoo] on my left side which represents the feminine and I got it on my rib cage for it to land close to my heart and aligned with the 3rd chakra solar plexus and heart chakra.

Chakras are energy points in the human body.

3rd chakra is a energetic center for empowerment, where your ego lives, where your inner warrior develops and where you decide who you are and project it out unto the world. It is from this place that our principles are born and developed, and where our codes for living get created and maintained. It is from here that we assert our will and stand up for 'who we are.' Self-esteem is the result of the third chakra.

[This tattoo] represents for me a rite of passage to connect with my true nature, to gain spiritual awareness, to own my power and to become the person I was meant to and fulfill my purpose in this lifetime!"

Cecilia's spirituality should come as no surprise, as she is an New York-based artist, whose photography can be seen here. You can also visit her Etsy shop here.

Thanks to Cecilia for sharing this lovely tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

Monday, August 26, 2013

Jenny's Tattoo Speaks No Evil (at the Urban Tattoo Convention)

Last week I posted Erika's cheetah tattoo from the NYC Urban Tattoo Convention at the end of June. When I met her, I also met her friend Jenny, who had this cool piece on her inner arm:

This piece was also done by Splinter.

This is a take on the whole "See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil" motif, but Jenny said it has the extra meaning for her of "To each his own ... no judgment."

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

Friday, August 23, 2013

Erika's Cheetah by Splinter (at the Urban Tattoo Convention)

This is another post about some cool work I spotted at the 4th Annual New York City Tattoo Convention.

Check out this cheetah:

This piece was done by an artist named Albert Martinez who tattoos under the name "Splinter."

When I asked why she got a cheetah, Erika indicated it really fit her personality. "I just got it 'cause I'm wild and ... I do what I want," she told me.

Thanks to Erika for sharing this wild and colorful tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

Wednesday, August 7, 2013

Arielle's Lion of a Tattoo (at the Urban Tattoo Convention)

I posted last month about attending the 4th Annual New York City Tattoo Convention here.

I've been periodically posting some of the amazing tattoos I saw there, and wanted to share this one as well:

This incredible lion tattoo is on the left arm of Arielle, who credited the work to the artist Dee Whitcomb at Wyld Chyld Tattoo in Merrick, New York.

Arielle told me her name means "Lion of God," so she went with this design which Dee drew up and tattooed on her. It's really a beautiful tattoo that certainly captures the grace of this majestic animal.

Thanks to Arielle for sharing her lion with us here on Tattoosday!

Sunday, August 4, 2013

Taylor's Colorful Thigh (Tattoosday at the NYC Urban Tattoo Convention)

I posted last month about attending the 4th Annual New York City Tattoo Convention here.

I wanted to share some of the amazing tattoos I saw there, starting with this one, on the left thigh of Taylor:

Here's another angle:

Taylor credited this colorful hummingbird to the artist Richard "Made Rich" Parker at Think Before You Ink in Long Island City. Made Rich is currently vying for the title of Ink Master on the show's third season.

Taylor said that Made Rich free-handed the drawing directly onto her skin, and that it took four sessions, because, as she put it, she was a "cry-baby."

This tattoo was one of the highlights of the convention for me, and I am happy Taylor allowed me to share it here on Tattoosday! Thanks, Taylor!

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Born on the Third of July (Dispatch from the Urban Tattoo Convention, Part 2)

When I went to the NYC Urban Tattoo Convention last weekend, I was expecting a lot, but I wasn't anticipating walking out with a fresh new tattoo. It was an early birthday surprise, to say the least.

My night changed for the better when, turning a corner, I ran into Phil Phlash aka Phil Sheridan aka inkone aka Flex Sinatra. Phil and I worked together years ago, before he left for bigger and better things. He left the office and picked up a tattoo machine, but before he did, we had many office conversations about tattoos, and he was an early fan of Tattoosday.

Fast forward to Saturday night at the UTC, Phil and I were catching up, and he asked me if I wanted to get tattooed. I knew he had recently started working at Tuff City Tattoos and was trying to figure out how to make it to the Bronx, when he clarified, "No, tonight."

I've been following Phil's work on the various social media and have seen his talents develop over the years. It had always crossed my mind that, one day, he might be adding to my collection, but it was not in my immediate plans. Until now.

Phil brought me back to his booth, and he showed me a flash book of some classic old-school traditional designs. If you check him out on Instagram (under Flex_Sinatra), you'll see that his traditional work is solid, and his tattoos are done with confidence and passion. My head was spinning as he suggested designs, I kept wanting to defer to his better judgment. This wasn't going to be a tattoo with great, complicated meaning. It was, however, going to be my first tattoo inked by a friend.

He turned a page and showed me an eagle. His face lit up. Mine did as well. It was decided. We figured out the particulars and the placement, and when I came back a bit later, the stencil seemed to have grown. This was no little Sailor Jerry shark; this was a big piece going on the side of my calf.

When all was said and done, this was the final result, a traditional American Bald Eagle:

What better way to celebrate my upcoming birthday, on the eve of Independence Day, than with a traditional piece of American flash?

I even captured a snippet of the convention chaos while getting tattooed:

And, after we were done, Phil and I went around showing our work off to fellow convention-goers. Despite his expression below, he was fairly pleased with the end result:

Self-Inflicted Photo with Phil Phlash

I still have lots more to report from the UTC, so stay tuned. This moment, however, was the high point of the show, for obvious reasons.

Thanks to Phil Phlash for this awesome new tattoo in my collection!

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Dispatch from the 4th Annual NYC Urban Tattoo Convention (Part 1)

This past weekend, the 4th Annual Urban Tattoo Convention (UTC) was held for the first time in Brooklyn, in a cool refurbished factory space that is part of the up-and-coming "Industry City" section of my fair borough.

After chatting with organizer, Al Fliction, don't be surprised if the UTC returns next year to the same venue. He was really happy how things had been going after the first two days of the show.

I didn't know what to expect, honestly. But I had a really great time on Saturday, when I spent the most time at the show.

Walking in, I was very impressed by the bright, open space that the venue afforded:

The booths were laid out nicely and there was little feeling of claustrophobia. Behind the main room was a huge courtyard that allowed people to congregate, eat, drink, and take a break from the visual overload in the main convention room:

You may have noticed in the top photo that there appeared to be a topless woman standing on the convention floor, with someone attentively staring at her chest. Actually, there were a handful of models being body-painted by several artists, culminating in a competition on Saturday evening.

The Model on the Left Was a Favorite for Many

The UTC is an event that really celebrates and showcases work from a lot of artists and tattoo enthusiasts who are from communities not always represented by the mainstream tattoo media.

Case in point, I had a great discussion with K.C. Washington, owner of Brooklyn-based Noir A-Go Go, a company dedicated to "selling Black pinup girl-themed compact mirrors, greeting cards, magnets, and more." Her business "puts the black in the magic that is 50's Americana." When I stopped to think about it, I realized that the standard idea of the pin-up model is predominantly White. I love how Noir A-Go Go is committed to breaking down this cultural stereotype and celebrating a look that has previously been associated mostly with one segment of the population. You can check out their products at http://www.noir-a-gogo.com/.

I also ran into my old friend, Ry, who was working the bar for the show. People may remember him as the human canvas who was a pivotal plot point in the "Botched Head Tattoo" episode of Inkmaster, on which we both appeared.

But, as you might expect, the high point of these shows are the tattoos. I will have a bunch of stand-alone posts later this month from people I met at the show. Plus, I'll have more comments from Al Fliction about the success of the show.

The high point of the evening for me, was running into my friend Phil, who I knew before he took up a tattoo machine, and started working as an artist. Let's just say, he and I spent several hours together at the show, and I will share what he worked on tomorrow.

Stay tuned!