Kristen's Trilogy of Knots

The 34th Street Platform for the A Train has been very kind to us here at Tattoosday, even more so this summer than in years' past.



Take Kristen, for example. She generously offered up this small portion of her corporeal canvas:

Estimating that she is at least a quarter covered by ink, this "trilogy of knots" was the artist's response to Kristen's request to attach the cobwebs on her elbow to the end of her wrist.



The artist, identified only as "Batman" near Canal and Broadway, was also asked to incorporate a Celtic pattern, as well.



The final result was to Kristen's liking and we here at Tattoosday thank her for sharing the tattoo with all of our readers!

Happy Bloggiversary to Me!

Three years ago today, Tattoosday was born.



On July 31, 2007, I put up a post on BillyBlog, featuring a tattoo on a co-worker named Sephora.



The idea was to post a weekly tattoo on Tuesday, and use this is a vehicle to expand my horizons a bit; meet interesting people and learn about tattoos.



There was one problem. I enjoyed it too much. There weren't enough Tuesdays in the week. I was impatient and wanted to post right away, not wait until Tuesday. And so, as Kurt Vonnegut would say, it goes....



So a month later I threw the previous months post up on the stand-alone blog, Tattoosday. And BillyBlog faded.



It's still there, but Tattoosday is my passion and I couldn't have even imagined, back in 2007, how easy it would become for me to talk to strangers about their ink.



The once-a-week project produced forty-five separate interactions in July, we have a 30-day backlog of material, and this past week we registered our 650,000th hit. Not too shabby.



Go see the original post here to see how far we've come.



And a hearty thanks to all our contributors, all our fans, and all the tattooists out there creating wonderful, interesting, portable art. Without all of you, Tattoosday would have been a blip of an idea, and nothing more.

Nick Remembers Billy, I Remember Siki

My first tattoo was modified from a piece of flash at Body Art Studios by an artist who goes by the moniker "Siki". Shortly thereafter, Siki left the shop and went on his way.



My friend Pete knows who he is but, until recently, I hadn't met anyone with ink from Siki, other than myself.



Then, I met Nick on the R train one day after work and, while discussing his many tattoos (he "lost count after 45," they've all connected) , I heard him talking about Siki.



So today's tattoo is by Siki and was, like my lynx, modified from an old piece of flash. Although he adapted it a lot more fully and developed a more unique tattoo.

Siki and Nick had a mutual friend named Billy, who Nick would often go with to get tattooed. When he passed away, they added Billy's name to the bottom of the tattoo as a tribute to their departed friend.



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

Jessica's Feather for her Mother

I met Jessica on the express platform at 34th Street earlier this month.



She shared this gorgeous peacock feather tattooed on the upper right section of her back:

The piece is an homage to her mother, who loves everything peacock, and has countless items, like bracelets and other jewelery, that emulate the vivid colors of these beautiful birds.



She credits this tattoo to an artist known only as Allison.



Thanks to Jessica for sharing this wonderful tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

Michelle's Tattoo Takes Your Breath Away

Michelle has a lot of ink, twenty-one tattoos, all told, but when I stopped her in Penn Station, she chose to share this one with us:

Boldly planted on her upper right arm, Michelle explained that she paraphrased and pared down a longer quotation to read, more simply, "Live for the moments that take your breath away". I believe she was referring to the saying, "Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away."



The flowers in the photo are cherry blossoms that were done in blue, rather than the traditional pink because, as Michelle tells it, she's "not really a pink kind of girl".

This tattoo was inked by Fat Tony at Hobo's Tattoo Shop in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.



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

Henna Tattoo Contemporary

Henna Tattoo Contemporary

Timmy's Sophisticated Owl

Earlier this month, Melanie and I took advantage of having my sister's car while she was out of the country and we made an unusual shopping trip to the Fairway Market in the Red Hook section of Brooklyn.



There was a gentleman in the produce section with a lot of tattoos, and Melanie pointed out one to me that she thought was cool, this owl on his calf:

Turns out that the guy was Timmy from Timmy Tattoo, an artist whose name rang a distant bell. Work by Timmy appeared in one of Tattoosday's earliest posts, when I met Jackie,an FIT student whose tattoos appeared here.



Timmy's owl was inked by Garrett Ostrowski of Garrett's Tattoos.



Thanks to Timmy for sharing one of his many tattoos with us here on Tattoosday!

Hawk Tattoos Hawk Tattoo

Hawk Tattoos Hawk Tattoo

The Falcons are birds of prey that are often confused with the eagles in the world of tattoos, when they are two completely different animals eagles being a symbol of America and freedom, while hawks tattoos represent power, determination and victory .



In Hindu tattoos, hawks symbolize good luck, especially if a looming battle or a difficult decision.

It is also an animal quickly, both mentally and movements, making it one of the more tattoo designs chosen by athletes and intellectuals looking for a tattoo of animals.

Hawks tattoos normally do not distinguish between men and women at the time of tattooing, but usually are found in people aged 30 years.

As for areas for tattoos, these designs are usually done on the back or chest, as they are broad areas that allow properly express the level of detail of these animals.







Photos of Chinese characters tattoos

Photos of Chinese characters tattoos

The Chinese characters certainly have managed to become one of the most popular tattoo designs, and can be found all over the world, tattooed men and women, young and old, because the meaning can be anything you want to, only in a much more decorative.



Tattoos of Chinese characters are often tattooed in black ink, left as a classic, retaining the style and elegance that have made this type of letter is where it is today in the world of tattoos.

Usually, the tattoos of Chinese characters are used to remember names and people, although they can be seen with important words for people like "love" or "hope" that with this style are also a nice way decorate the body.







Unicorn Tattoos

Unicorn Tattoos

Unicorns are mythical beasts that are characterized by the figure of a horse but with a horn coming out of his forehead, and are known around the world as magical creatures and intense splendor that is consistent with its beauty and elegance, being a symbol of mysticism and good luck.



Unicorn tattoos are popular among women to express imagination, elegance and beauty, and are often tattooed in different styles to add or define meanings, such as unicorns realistic to enhance elegance and mysticism, while if it is tattooed as cartoons, rather express magic and innocence.

In gay communities, the unicorns are accepted as one of its symbols, so that gay men are doing this tattoo as a way of expressing their sexual identity.

The main areas for tattoos used are shoulders and back, but the tattoos on the arms may also be a viable alternative.

Niki's Memorial for Elizabeth

Last week I was down in Chelsea when I spotted Niki from a distance. She appeared to have a colorful Madonna-like tattoo on her right shoulder, so I changed course and caught up to her only to discover this lovely tattoo instead:

This lovely photo was supplied to me by Niki, as my own camera's battery had run out of power and my BlackBerry photo seemed inadequate:

Niki explained that, after her beloved cat Elizabeth passed away, she wanted a memorial tattoo to honor the friend she had for fourteen years.



She went to artist John Reardon, then at Saved Tattoo, and told him she wanted a memorial in the style of the Virgin of Guadalupe, and the look of Mexican shrines and altars.

One can see Reardon hit the ball out of the park, as proven by my mistaking the piece from a distance as a religious icon.



John Reardon is no stranger to Tattoosday. His work has appeared previously here and here.He now works out of his private studio in Brooklyn.



Thanks to Niki for sharing her beautiful tattoo with us on Tattoosday!

Jim Commemorates a Trip To Greece with His Brothers

I mentioned yesterday that I had gone up to Woodstock on the 4th of July weekend, where I spotted some upstate ink.



At a flea market, I met Jim, who had this amazing tattoo on the back of his calf:

And a wider, three-paneled view:

Jim had gone on vacation to Greece for thirty days with his brothers and he wanted to commemorate the experience.



They had stayed on the island of Ios, and Jim took several photos he had into Jake Parrington at Lowell Ink in Lowell, Massachusetts.



The end result was this amazing tattoo that captures the scene of their vacation. One of Jim's other brothers got the same tattoo. Note the three figures hiking are meant to represent Jim and his two brothers.



Thanks to Jim for sharing this great tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

Larry's Tattoo Burns at Both Ends

Occasionally, but not too often, I do venture out of the city to places far, and not so far, away.



Fourth of July weekend, I was up visiting friends in Woodstock, New York.



On July 3, we found ourselves at an outdoor flea market and I met a couple of inked folk, including Larry who has "a lot" of tattoos.



When asked to choose one, he offered up this piece on his forearm:

The image, of a candle burning at both ends, reminds him that life goes by quickly. The "No Tomorrow" is a spin on the carpe diem, or "seize the day" philosophy.

The tattoo was done by JR Maloney at Vanguard Tattoo in Nyack, New York.



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

Lil' Miss Sunshine

I spotted Christina on a subway platform and she let me take a photo of this tattoo above her outer right ankle once we got on the train:

Our time to chat was limited, so all I learned from Christina was that this was a self-drawn self-portrait that a friend tattooed on her four years ago.



"Lil' Miss Sunshine" is her nickname.And yes, the sun refers to her as "That Crazy Ass Bitch".



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

Foot Tattoo Pictures Foot Tattoo

Foot Tattoo Pictures Foot Tattoo

The tattoos on the feet, especially the tattoos on the tops are one of the most sought after tattoos lately, and this is due in large part because it is one of the most common tattoo, creating the extra note of originality and the beauty of tattoos.



Another point in favor of tattoos on the feet, is visible only when you want it to be, making them excellent for people who can not do tattoos at work or in Logar where they can be well regarded.

Foot Tattoos have become very popular within the female audience, who are these tattoos can look to use open shoes, which also left with some nice decorative details by tattoos.

Keep in mind that the skin is very thin on the instep and is very close to the bone, so these are very painful tattoos.

Popular tattoos: star tattoos

Popular tattoos: star tattoos

Undoubtedly the star tattoos are the most popular modern tattoo today, or are between them, having an incredible amount of star tattoo designs and continue to grow more and more, since they are very versatile and can tattoos star tattoo alone, a single star or may be just the accompaniment of another tattoo.



Mainly popular in women's bodies, the stars have put aside their ancient symbolism of mysticism about a much more sensual current, being the star tattoos tattooed today with meanings of innocence and sensuality between otors in areas for tattoos reinforce the latter, such as shoulders, groin, lower abdomen or lower back.

Star tattoos the tattoos remain popular, mainly because they are increasingly found in the bodies of young people who carry them throughout their lives.

Popular Tattoos: Japanese Tattoo Lyrics

Popular Tattoos: Japanese Tattoo Lyrics

There are many popular tattoos that can be found almost anywhere in the world we go, such as tattoos or Kanji Japanese letters, which have become popular mainly in Japan but not in Europe and America mainly.



The kanji are the famous Japanese letters that represent many Western alphabet at the same time to represent an idea or concept and not a word, so that even one of these "letters" can have a tattoo of the word "love" for example.

Cooking Tattoos

Cooking Tattoos

All professions and occupations have their fans, and an art as it is the kitchen has millions of fans around the world, and that is why they are becoming more tattoos cooking, dinners and dressings, as for many people these are their passions.



The topic of tattoos with the culinary arts are fairly modern as it is not too that this activity also became a hobby grew from a need or a purely commercial activity to be a much more massive and anyone can practice.

Contrary to popular belief that women are the only ones who cook, most of the tattoos that a chef would tend to be men, and all ages, although the number of tattooed women is also high, particularly those already have left their teens behind.








Pete's Tribute to a Magical Grandfather

Last month, as I wandered despondently down my street, mourning the loss of my camera, I saw Pete standing on his stoop in the afternoon heat, without a shirt. He had a really cool tattoo and I talked to him about it, taking a picture with my BlackBerry.



Alas, the image quality wasn't good enough, I thought, to post here, so I waited until I saw Pete again, almost a month later, when I had my new camera in hand.



So here, without further delay, is Pete's tattoo:

Pete explained that this tattoo is a tribute to his grandfather, a magician who went by the name "The Great Merlini". The tattoo was designed by Kiki at Tattoos by Lou in the South Beach section of Miami, Florida. Pete went to him and explained what he wanted and Kiki drew it up and inked it.



On a sidebar, the Great Merlini wasn't just your run-of-the-mill magician. The man behind the persona was Clayton Rawson (click name for full biography). Rawson wrote four mystery novels that featured the character also known as The Great Merlini. And as this YouTube clip shows, Merlini also was a noted illusionist:







Thanks to Pete for sharing this magical tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

Preston's Invaders Take Tattoosday

I met Preston in early May on the train platform at West 4th Street.



I spotted his tattoo and we talked about it.After along wait, we finally get to see this, one of Preston's five tattoos, here on Tattoosday:

These are,of course, images from the original Atari Space Invaders, one of the forerunners that was the first video game to truly take the world by storm.

Preston told me that these symbols represent space invasion. The neon green color makes them stick out even more and, he added, they make a "great ice breaker".



As a result, he continued, "people invade my space" when they question him (as I was doing) about his tattoo.



Preston is a musician by trade, who goes by the moniker Press Reset. Check out his website here. And this link will take you to his new record <3 on iTunes, where you can listen to (and hopefully, buy) his music.



Preston credits the tattoo to an artist named Ziggy who tattoos out of South Florida.



Thanks to Preston for sharing his alien neck tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

Rockabilly Tattoos

Rockabilly Tattoos

There are many relationship between music and tattoos, especially as regards the rock and its variants, since both have been known since birth as symbols of strength and rebellion, so have gone hand in hand since before popularizing use of tattoos.



The rockabilly is a style that best represents the tattoos, because it has a unique style that differs from other styles of rock. Among the most popular tattoos rockabily have the skulls, dice, flames, guitars, tattoos, hearts, old American cars, mainly the bass and pinup, which are the main representatives of this music.

This style of music born in the 50s in the United States is experiencing a renaissance, known as "Rockabilly Revival," and that is why today are more and more symbols of rockabilly and rockabilly tattoos, either men and women of all ages, but that these tattoos have a vintage or retro aesthetic.