Tattoosday (A Tattoo Blog)

Friday, July 10, 2015

Eugenia and A Letter (Tattooed Poet of the Week)

Our tattooed poet of the week is Eugenia:

Eugenia explains:

"I had been thinking for some years about getting a tattoo using sacred text of some kind. I believe it is the path of the poet to serve as an alchemist of language, so I felt myself drawn as a writer more toward a language-based tattoo rather than a strictly art-based one. I was thumbing through a book by John Stevens entitled Sacred Calligraphy of the East, when I saw the Siddhaṃ letter A, and I knew I had found my tattoo. Siddhaṃ is the name of a script used for writing Sanskrit during the period ca 600-1200 CE, and is descended from Brahmi and Gupta script. Of my particular seed syllable the text states:

'A is the first and most important of the Siddhaṃ characters. It is the source of all vowels and consonants; it includes and is included in every sound produced by human beings. Hence, in both a physical and spiritual sense it is the origin of all elements. It is the seed character of Mahavairocana (Dainichi Nyorai), the supreme Buddha who manifests the unity of all phenomena. A is uncreated, the primordial form of existence.'

I received my tattoo by a young man working at Lovedog Tattoo in Soquel, California in 2000."

Eugenia sent us the following poem, which said her "relates best to this tattoo [and] is a poem of transformation, with images that are Buddhist in nature ... previously published in Chiron Review.

Shing*

I used to believe I was worthless
repeated mantras to turn my blood black
my skin lusterless

I came to believe in darkness
the tumbling down to truth

a silver pearl at the center of each battered heart

I wanted to believe in one God
Ahimsa
Atman
the great returning after death

I still believe the world is round
a black hole
denser than Pound’s Cantos
too heavy for its own fortunes

still
now

I watch the stars grow heavy with light
multiply into twos and fours
a million butter lamps spilling over

golden fish throw their marks
across a thousand seas
gilding stagnant pools in their wake

magpies gather on moonlit nights
chanting their secret
oracular tomes

a lotus blossom blooms in the mire
pulling itself from Cimmerian darkness
into the shing of this pendent world

*“Shing”: Tibetan for “field,” “good place,” or “realm,” and sometimes refers to a Buddha’s paradise.

~ ~ ~

Eugenia lives and writes in the Pacific Northwest. Her work has appeared in MonkeyBicycle, Cascadia Review, The Gambler Magazine, The Found Poetry Review, Literary Orphans and elsewhere. A chapbook of her prose poems, Pamyat Celo/Memory Village, was published in 2007. She is also an analog photographer and loves working with Mod Podge.

Thanks to Eugenia for sharing her tattoo and poem with us here on the Tattooed Poets Project on Tattoosday!

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 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, July 9, 2015

"What, Me Worry?" Said Fred

We're approaching our eighth anniversary here on Tattoosday and there' something we've never posted, at least as far back as I can remember. One of these:

Yes, my friends, that's an ass tattoo. I generally don't see them, for obvious reasons, but this year at the Coney Island Mermaid Parade, I spotted Fred posing with some New York City cops on the boardwalk, and then, as he walked away saw the tattoo from afar.

I figured, what the hell? and stopped Fred, who happily obliged a picture of the tattoo on his butt.

For those that don't know, "What, Me Worry?" was the catchphrase of Mad Magazine's Alfred E. Neuman.

Fred credited this to an artist named "Astro" on one of the shops on Manhattan's 6th Avenue, quite possibly Crazy Fantasy Tattoo.

Thanks to Fred for baring and sharing his cool tattoo for us 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.

Wednesday, July 8, 2015

Elonna's Skeleton Represents Two Paths

Last month in Central Park, I met Elonna, who is a friend of my daughter, Jolee. Elonna was joining us in seeing The Tempest at the Delacorte Theater.

It didn't take me long to notice one of Elonna's tattoos on her left arm:

Elonna got this about four years ago during her sophomore year in college, at Fat Ram's Pumpkin Tattoo in Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts.

Elonna explained the origin of this tattoo:

"My freshman year of college I was at ... Simmons College studying biology and pre-medicine, and then I transferred to Boston University for costume design. So, I did a huge life shift at that point and I wanted to commemorate my time, both as costume designer and also as what my previous life was going to be ... I was thinking, a dress form, a mannequin, something like that ... and then I realized how popular that was a tattoo in my field of business, it's very very common to have dress forms and mannequins, I don't really know why, but I didn't really want to have just that. I wanted something that incorporated the previous life that I was going to choose in it ... so I chose the skeleton because it's the human form and the human figure is what draws me in to these careers and that's kind of what interests me in both of them ... even though I don't want to work on the inside of bodies, I want to work on the outside ... and then I also thought him holding a doctor's bag, that's more really like to incorporate the dead dreams of becoming a doctor ... I told [the artist] that I didn't want it to be a very animated skeleton, I wanted it to be like one that's hanging in science classrooms that you had all throughout middle school."

Out of curiosity, I asked Elonna if the skeleton had a name. She replied, "My mom calls him Mr. Bones, or Rex, because she hates the tattoo, but I don't really have a name for him.

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

Monday, July 6, 2015

Justin's Racecars by Bugs (at the NYC Tattoo Convention)

In years past at the NYC Tattoo Convention, A staples has been seeing the artist Bugs in action. I didn't see him at the convention this year, but I was thrilled to stumble upon his work on a guy named Justin. At first, I didn't immediately recognize it as Bugs' style, but once I really looked at it, I was reminded of his palette and quality:

Justin is a fan of racecars and told me this is "a piece that is continually being worked on, with plans to complete the sleeve of antique 1920's racecars."

He got this tattoo started with Bugs about three years ago when the artists was doing a guest stint at Screamin' Ink Tattoo in Fair Lawn, New Jersey.

Thanks to Justin for sharing this cool work with us here on Tattoosday!

Friday, July 3, 2015

Rating My Ink, A Birthday Celebration

Often, when I meet someone with tattoos and, knowing the limitations of a blog post, ask them which one they want to share, I will get that “You gotta be kidding me” look. Ask a parent who their favorite child is and they give the same look.

So, in an exercise of pure narcissism, I’ve decided to rank my tattoos from least to most favorite. Not worst to best, nor least meaningful to most meaningful. Just which ones I like, and the order in which I like them.

Hell, if I ask people to do this occasionally, I should be required to do the same. This also is a snapshot of how I feel about my tattoos as I begin my 48^th year.

So, without further ado, and the disclaimer that I love all my tattoos, to varying degrees, here is the 2015 ranking, with links to the original post when it appeared on Tattoosday. Do note, I am a collector, my fourteen tattoos were inked by thirteen different artists.

14. Sailor Jerry Shark by Jason Monroe (2013)

This one’s the tattoo with the least meaning. I got it because it was free and I was unemployed at the time. I still like it, but it even looks out of place next to the larger tattoo. In hindsight, I would have placed it elsewhere. A fun exercise, for sure, but the one with the least emotional attachment. Read about the Sailor Jerry event that got me this baby here.

13. Friday the 13^th Anchor by Brian Faulk, 2010

Photo from July 2015

This was my first Friday the 13^th tattoo and it’s memorable because I had readers of Tattoosday vote for the flash I would get. Their votes were accompanied by contributions. So, it was a tattoo chosen and paid for by fans of the site. Money was tight at the time, and I appreciated the interest from a whole group of people that helped me get this piece. Read about the Great Friday the 13^th Tattoo Experiment here.

12. The Hand of My Back by Peter Caruso, 2009

The only reason this is so low on my list is because, being on my back, I sometimes forget I have it. The origin story is lengthy (read about it here) so I’ll spare you. However, it is a piece that stems from my work on Tattoosday, and it remains the only tattoo I have that took multiple sittings. Also, that flower still hurts when I think about it.

11. Thanksgiving Betrayal by Brian Faulk

Another experiment with reader voting. This one was paid for by a sponsor, Skin Actives, whose tattoo cream remains my healing product of choice. I was this close to having the readers vote for a Native American shivering under a smallpox-infested blanket. This piece on my right thigh has held up remarkably well. Get the whole story here.

10. American Eagle by Phil Phlash aka Flex Sinatra, 2013

Inked on the side of my right calf at the 3^rd Annual NYC Urban Tattoo Convention, this classic traditional image was tattooed by Phil Phlash, a friend who had worked at my old company. We stayed in touch after he left the company and I watched Phil develop and hone his skills via social media. When the opportunity presented itself for him to tattoo me, I jumped at the chance. The design is classic traditional Brooklyn flash. Recap here.

9. The Knight Templar by Alex McWatt, 2012

When I reached out to Alex McWatt at Three Kings Tattoo about a Friday the 13^th Piece, he told me their shop was no longer doing those events, but he offered to draw something up for me, special. I love the knight’s image and the helmet recalls the origins of my first name, William, which meant “helmet” in its Germanic origins. Read about it here.

7 (tie). Keikikalani Rocks by Peter Cavorsi, 2005

My second tattoo, representing Shayna, my younger daughter. This really should be tied with #7, but it’s here by virtue of being newer (sorry, Shayna). Read the story here.

7 (tie) The Lynx, by Sikki the Kid, 2003

My first tattoo, back when I thought all you had to do was pick a design off a wall. Predates Tattoosday by four years and was done in July 2003 as a tribute to my older daughter Jolee, whose Hawaiian middle name may or may not mean “Lynx.” Read about it here.

6. I’m Just a Bill, by Adam Suerte, 2013

This was a birthday gift and just suits me to a tee. Everyone raised in the 70's knows Bill from Schoolhouse Rock. Recent appearances in popular culture reinforces Bill as a cultural icon. The original post about the tattoo is here.

5. Samoan Crab, by James Delzel, 2015

My newest tattoo, ranked as high as it is by virtue of its newness and because I think it's an awesome tattoo, I believe. The story recounted here.

4. Anniversary Ink by Gunny, 2015

If this were a most meaningful list, this would sit atop all others, just based on what it represents. But there are more factors at play here, and it's still top 4, so we'll let time determine how the rankings change.

In honor of my twentieth wedding anniversary, this is another 2015 tattoo. My only chest tattoo, which made me respect people who have their whole chests done even more. The full story here.

3. Honu Tribal, by Heather Sinn, 2011

If you never knew I was a human canvas on a "reality" TV show, you do now. Inked on the second episode of the premiere season of Ink Master (before the show became a formulaic juggernaut) by a talented artist who hated being on the show. My biggest tattoo and near favorite. I often wish it was positioned lower so more people could see and appreciate it. Read about it here.

2. The Year of the Tiger, by Shon Lindauer, 2010

The story is here. My most recognizable piece and a symbol on the back of my left calf.

1. Golden the Rooster, by Megan Massacre, 2011

From an episode of NY Ink. What could have been a boring solid tribal silhouette had Ami James done the tattoo turned into my favorite piece. Second smallest on my body (upper right arm, inner side), Megan went above and beyond and whether she meant to or not, showed up the other artists who just did basic solid silhouettes. Because the inspiration for this was a deceased pet rooster of my parents in Hawai’i, Megan went the extra mile and layered in plumage and shaded this piece spectacularly. Also, provides endless hours of entertainment for my friends who ask me to show them my cock. Cock jokes aside, this is indisputably my favorite tattoo. Get the whole story, soup to nuts, here.

So that's it folks, my tatalog, my body of work, my own personal celebration. Thanks for indulging me!

This entry is ©2015 Tattoosday.

Thursday, July 2, 2015

Dale's Legs (at the NYC Tattoo Convention)

Last month at the NYC Tattoo Convention, I met Dale, whose colorful calves jumped out across the room:

That Day of the Dead sugar skull is pretty darn spectacular. And the Day of the Dead art on the back of the left calf is equally awesome:

Dale said she loves olorful work and just happened to be in the company of her daughter, Mandy Fabrizi, the artist "who did most of [the work]." Mandy works out of Clockwork Tattoo in Lyndhurst, New Jersey.

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

Wednesday, July 1, 2015

Merette's Sleeve Stuns With Its Beauty

On the last day of May, I met Merette, walking on 4th Avenue in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.

I'll be honest, I spotted her fifty yards away and stopped dead in my tracks, because I knew she had an incredible tattoo sleeve. Some work you know is great, even before you can see the details.

Thankfully, she let me take pictures of her amazing black and gray sleeve. Here's hoping these shots do justice to the work:

Merette credited artist Soner Turan, formerly of Citizen Ink Tattoo in Brooklyn, and now at Bang Bang Tattoos in Manhattan.

This beautiful work features roses, sunflowers, and a half-skull, half-face with a pop of color in the one green eye.

Thanks to Merette for sharing her stunning ink with us here on Tattoosday!