Two Segements of Renae's Arm

I spotted a whole lot going on with Renae's left forearm, while browsing at the Chelsea Salvation Army store, so I just had to ask.

Let's deconstruct:

The first part of this tattoo is the dark heart on the inner part of the forearm. Renae attributes this to Rob at the Orlando branch of Hart and Huntington. In over three years of inkspotting, this is the first piece on Tattoosday that has been credited to one of their shops.

Renae, who has "no idea" how many tattoos she has (which is synonymous for "too many to count"), wanted to add to her arm, so she headed to Brooklyn Ink in Bay Ridge.

Alex Franklin was given free reign, according to Renae. Her exact quote was "use your imagination and run," which must be music to many a tattooists ears.

Alex did the flourishes around the original tattoo, along with the phrase "gutta cavat lapidem," a Latin phrase by Ovid which translates to "dripping water hollows out a stone," which is a shortened version of the line "Dripping water hollows out stone, not through force but through persistence." This quote is known to many New Yorkers who have seen it inscribed underground here (with a broader description here).




And he tattooed the piece on the other side of the arm:

Work from Brooklyn Ink (and a lot by Alex) has appeared previously on Tattoosday here.

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

Feminine Lower Back Tattoos Newer

Choosing to get a tattoo is a big decision - especially for women. Because tattooing was traditionally considered a masculine activity, until recently, women who were tattooed sometimes faced social stigma. But tattooing is now something that women can safely do without casting doubt on their femininity, particularly if they choose feminine lower back tattoos.

Feminine tattoos can be almost anything, as long as it's something that is significant to you. The most important thing to remember when you're choosing a tattoo design is that it should be meaningful, because you're going to have to live with your decision for the rest of your life.

You probably have female friends, neighbors, or co-workers who have tattoos. If so, you know that feminine tattoos are incredibly diverse. Many women, for example, choose a type of flower. Roses are especially popular, and so are daisies. These flowers can be easily integrated into a larger design.

Celestial or astronomical images are also popular tattoo styles for women. Stars can be extremely feminine, especially if you have your artist embellish the outline of the shape. Suns and moons are also very popular, because they are flattering no matter where they are placed on the body.

Once you've chosen your tattoo design, you'll need to decide where to get it. Although many women choose to place their tattoos on their hips or ankles, by far the most popular tattoo site for women is the lower back. One reason for this is that the lower back can be covered if you are in a situation where a tattoo is not appropriate.

The other, and perhaps primary, reason that the lower back is popular is because of its sex appeal. By getting a lower back tattoo, you will be sure to catch the attention of all the men in the room. The female back is an especially curvaceous part of the body, and its sultry sex appeal will keep men's gazes fixed on you.

There are other good reasons to choose lower back tattoos, too. If you're not particularly concerned with increasing your sex appeal, remember that you can get a tattoo just to indulge yourself. You should never get a tattoo just to impress someone else.

When you're choosing a tattoo design, be thankful that you have so much freedom! But at the same time, you should give serious consideration to feminine lower back tattoos. They are sexy and sure to attract men, but you can also hide them if you need. Flatter your figure and yourself and choose a lower back tattoo!

John's Root People

At the end of July, I coincidentally exited the A train at 14th Street at the same time as John, who was visiting from Nevada.

I had been admiring his sleeve on the train, but didn't have the opportunity to speak to him about it until after he got off the subway.

He referred to these creatures as "Root People":

It's an abstract collaboration with the artist, Rickett, at The Ruby Lantern in Carson City, Nevada.

They started working together in January of this year, and they're not yet finished with the whole sleeve. As you can tell, it's very unusual and has a very unique approach.

These designs are all on John's right arm, and I am particular to the female tree person above on his inner forearm.

Thanks to John for sharing his Root People here with us on Tattoosday!

Gina's Phoenix

In late June, I ran into Gina in Penn Station and complimented her on a tattoo she had on her back. At the time, she was wearing something with straps that covered part of the design. I gave her a flier and she remarked that she had just recently discovered the site through this post on the tattoo of Julie Powell.

Alas, like so many folks to whom I give fliers, I didn't receive any emails or photos. But a month passed and one day I was pleasantly surprised to see an email from Gina, with the following photos of her phoenix tattoo:

I'll let her explain the rest:

"... I had completely forgotten [about sending in the photo] until I found the picture I took for you on my camera... This was done by Junii at the Diamond Club in San Francisco. [Bill Salmon, Junii's husband, is the studio owner]. She does amazing line work.  She's also incredibly conscientious about design and her clients.  For both my tattoos, she spend a lot of time talking with me, looking at the 20 pictures I had brought in of bits or aspects of what I wanted, then went off and did her own research, always coming back with exactly the right drawing.

This one - I got it after a really, really difficult year. So, obviously, not the deepest symbolism - just wanted to remind myself of the possibility of renewal."

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

Alex Shares a Floral Tattoo, Roots and All

Sometimes I see tattoos before I see people.

Back in July, for example, I approached a guy on the West 4th Street subway platform to ask him about this tattoo on his right forearm:

It was only after I said hello to him that I realized he was someone named Alex who lives in my neighborhood in Brooklyn.

In fact, Alex had a tattoo featured here back in 2009, after I stopped  him in the laundromat.

This floral tattoo is a representation of how a flower overcomes obstacles and pain to lay down roots, rises up, and blooms.

He draws the comparison to life, as nothing comes without hard work and bypassing obstacles.

The tattoo was created by Shon Lindauer at Thicker Than Water in Manhattan. Shon is the same artist that did the tiger on my calf. Other work from Thicker Than Water has appeared previously on Tattoosday here.

Thanks to Alex for once again sharing his work with us here on Tattoosday!

Kevin's Gravitational Tattoo

I love word tattoos so I couldn't help but stop Kevin at Barnes & Noble earlier this month. He had this tattoo inked on his inner right forearm:

He explained that he enrolled in school not knowing for sure what he wanted to do. He was on a path for a career in finance, but also has a keen interest in art and graphic design.

He says that the tattoo is a reminder that, although gravity is all around us, and pulling us toward the status quo, he should stay true to himself and never give up his interest in art.

He had this done by Betty Rose at Red Rocket Tattoo in Manhattan. Work from Red Rocket has appeared previously on Tattoosday here.

Thanks to Kevin for sharing his Gravity with us here on Tattoosday!

Small World, Tattoosday-Style

I have a few days off and was buying some milk at the grocery store when an older gentleman in line behind me complimented me on the tiger tattoo on my calf, which has been well-documented here, in this initial post, and subsequent ones.

The gentleman asked who the artist was and mentioned his son was an artist as well. "Who?" I asked, and he told me, Mike Perfetto, aka Designs by Michael Angelo in Brooklyn. I gave him a flier and he introduced himself as Ralph Perfetto, our Democratic District Leader here in Bay Ridge.

I know you're likely thinking, "Nice story, Bill, but is it really that much of a small world coincidence?" Actually, yes, because my backlog had brought me to posting a couple of tattoos on Peter, who I had last seen at the Matty No Times benefit back on July 17. One of those tattoos, you guessed it, is by Mike Perfetto.

Let's take a look:

Pete also shared a tattoo on his leg by legendary Brooklyn artist Tony Polito. As you can see, Pete has quite a collection of ink, and he takes pride in the work he has from "old school" New York artists tattooing in the American Traditional style.

Pete explained that "Old Calcutta" was a nickname for Tony's shop from the early '80s to the mid '90s because of the high intensity atmosphere of the shop and the people who were there.

Thanks to Peter for sharing his tattoos with us here on Tattoosday (again and again). Peter has been working hard at New York Hardcore Tattoo on Stanton Street. They have recently remodeled the shop and are working hard on producing quality art on the denizens of New York City. Be sure to stop in and meet their crew.

Under One Small Star - Two Tattoos from Anna

I met Anna earlier this month in Penn Station. I felt compelled to stop her when she walked by and I caught a glimpse of this amazing tattoo:

I love seeing ink that is new and original, and I had never seen a line of anything run up the length of a leg like this.

Anna explained that this was a line of poetry that reads "My apologies to time for all the world I overlook each second" that she heard on a trip to Cambodia. Her group leader, Jan, had shared the poem, "Under One Small Star" by Polish Nobel Laureate Wislawa Szymborska, and the verse meant a lot to her during her trip there. This one specific line really resounded with her, so she first "paid a Khmer translation site and then had a friend [she] made in Cambodia, Ponheary, check the translation just to make sure it was correct".

I love the international flavor of this tattoo - a poem originally in Polish, translated to English, then re-translated to Khmer, transcribed in flesh in America!

The line runs from top to bottom and was inked by Jason at Powerhouse Tattoo Company in Montclair, New Jersey.

The poem is reprinted in its entirety at the end of this post.

Since it is Tat-Tuesday, let's look at a second tattoo from Anna, this one on the back side of her right arm:

This is Joan of Arc, "a hero of mine," says Anna, who admires her from the feminist perspective and finds her an "unbelievably inspirational" historical figure.

This piece was tattooed by the wonderful Stephanie Tamez at New York Adorned. Stephanie's work has appeared previously on Tattoosday here.

Thanks again to Anna for sharing these two of her seven tattoos with us here on Tattoosday!

Under One Small Star

My apologies to chance for calling it necessity.
My apologies to necessity if I'm mistaken, after all.
Please, don't be angry, happiness, that I take you as my due.
May my dead be patient with the way my memories fade.
My apologies to time for all the world I overlook each second.
My apologies to past loves for thinking that the latest is the first.
Forgive me, distant wars, for bringing flowers home.
Forgive me, open wounds, for pricking my finger.
I apologize for my record of minuets to those who cry from the depths.
I apologize to those who wait in railway stations for being asleep
today at five a.m.
Pardon me, hounded hope, for laughing from time to time.
Pardon me, deserts, that I don't rush to you bearing a spoonful of water.
And you, falcon, unchanging year after year, always in the same cage,
your gaze always fixed on the same point in space,
forgive me, even if it turns out you were stuffed.
My apologies to the felled tree for the table's four legs.
My apologies to great questions for small answers.
Truth, please don't pay me much attention.
Dignity, please be magnanimous.
Bear with me, O mystery of existence, as I pluck the occasional thread
from your train.
Soul, don't take offense that I've only got you now and then.
My apologies to everything that I can't be everywhere at once.
My apologies to everyone that I can't be each woman and each man.
I know I won't be justified as long as I live,
since I myself stand in my own way.
Don't bear me ill will, speech, that I borrow weighty words,
then labor heavily so that they may seem light.

--Wislawa Szymborska

Caitlin's Pin-up with a Heart on the Sleeve

Earlier this month, I ran into Caitlin as I got off the A train at West 4th Street. She has twnety-three tattoos and, as customary, I asked if she could pick one to share with us here on Tattoosday.

She obliged, selecting this, her most recent tattoo:

This is based on the artwork of the pin-up stylings of Baron von Lind. I believe the piece that this is replicating is his work "Daphne":

I wish I could give proper credit to the artist, but it was a noisy train platform, and I scribbled down Willie Childress, Asheville, North Carolina. If anyone knows who this is, or what shop he belongs to, please let me know so I can give the artist his proper due.

Thanks to Caitlin for sharing her pin-up with us here on Tattoosday!

Be sure to head over to the Baron von Lind website to see more of his art.

Jason's Pennsylvania Devils

I ran into Jason on the West 4th Street platform back in July. He was on his way to Smith Street Tattoo, to accompany a friend who was getting tattooed by Bert Krak.

I asked him if he wouldn't mind sharing some of his work, and he gladly complied.

I snapped some photos and chatted with him all the way to Brooklyn. Check them out:

Why a devil on his leg? Jason said he was considering putting something on his leg that he was afraid to place there. When he asked himself if he should really do that, he reasoned, just by asking himself that, meant he should do it. He also gave some advice that I thought was very valuable.

Jason said that when he is looking to get tattooed, and isn't sure what he wants, he'll go to an artist and ask them what they're currently drawing. Most artists in the shop, when they're not tattooing, are either drawing, sketching, painting, or creating something. Jason reasons that if you ask for what the artist is currently doing, he or she will be that much more passionate about the work.

This logic is behind several of Jason's tattoos.

The work above was created on Jason by Ryan Westvall at Old Soul Tattoo in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania.

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

Garrett's Peacock Recalls the South

I met Garrett back in June in Penn Station when I was still reeling from the loss of my camera.

I had yet to replace my photographic equipment and I had yet to receive the loaner from my awesome friend Jill.

So, I did the best I could with a flash-less BlackBerry camera to capture Garrett's awesome sleeve:

Yes, folks, it's another peacock in our midst, in a summer during which we have been treated to a variety of peafowl.

Garrett's choice to get this tattoo stems from his love of these birds, combined with an appreciation of fashion, and how the peacock speaks to that sensibility. He also likes how the males are the fairer of the two sexes.

What's especially remarkable is that this is a black and gray tattoo, with no plans to take on any color ink.

The inclusion of magnolias, azaleas and violets, all in homage to the South, make this potentially dizzyingly colorful tattoo more remarkable in its basic palette. Rather than explosions of color, we are rewarded with subtleties of shading.

Credit goes to Myles Karr at Three Kings Tattoo in Brooklyn. Work from Myles has previously appeared here on Tattoosday.

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

flower and butterfly tattoo design back body

flower and butterfly tattoo design back body

flower tattoo and vine designs for women picture

flower tattoo and vine designs for women picture

flower tattoo and vine designs for women are terrific for creativity of both the wearer and the artist. These beautiful tiny plants are also a symbol of growth, re-growth and harmony. However, the meaning does tend to vary depending on which type of vine you use.

flower tattoo and vine designs for women picture

One of the most commonly seen vine tattoos is of the ivy plant. To the Druids the ivy was seen as a symbolization of purpose; to Christians it is a symbol of man's debility, and his need to cling for support. Most ivy flower tattoo and vine designs for women are done in a coiling style up a leg or arm, you may even now and then see this style growing up the back and shoulders. Granted that ivy is a notoriously good cultivator, you could try something a little uncommon, like wrapping it around a statue, cross, or the legs, hips and arms of a pin up girl. You could even use a individual leaf, or whole vine of poison ivy to intend both beauty and danger.

flower tattoo and vine designs for women picture

flower tattoo and vine designs for women picture

flower tattoo and vine designs for women picture

Some folks favour a wider mixture of color for their flower tattoo and vine designs for women. For this you could use large clumps of fiery red Virginia creeper over a broad area of the body; soft sprouts of purple, red, and pink and white sweet pea; or a creeping kudzu with its royal blue, or dark purple, and tail-like blossoms. given the vast array usable, your flower tattoo and vine designs for women can be an burst of colors, and feature any combination of these plants; they can be done in stripes down the back, they can be mingled together, or located in their own private part of the body.

flower tattoo and vine designs for women picture

flower tattoo and vine designs for women picture

flower tattoo and vine designs for women are terrific for creativity of both the wearer and the artist. These beautiful tiny plants are also a symbol of growth, re-growth and harmony. However, the meaning does tend to vary depending on which type of vine you use.

flower tattoo and vine designs for women picture

One of the most commonly seen vine tattoos is of the ivy plant. To the Druids the ivy was seen as a symbolization of purpose; to Christians it is a symbol of man's debility, and his need to cling for support. Most ivy flower tattoo and vine designs for women are done in a coiling style up a leg or arm, you may even now and then see this style growing up the back and shoulders. Granted that ivy is a notoriously good cultivator, you could try something a little uncommon, like wrapping it around a statue, cross, or the legs, hips and arms of a pin up girl. You could even use a individual leaf, or whole vine of poison ivy to intend both beauty and danger.

flower tattoo and vine designs for women picture

flower tattoo and vine designs for women picture

flower tattoo and vine designs for women picture

Some folks favour a wider mixture of color for their flower tattoo and vine designs for women. For this you could use large clumps of fiery red Virginia creeper over a broad area of the body; soft sprouts of purple, red, and pink and white sweet pea; or a creeping kudzu with its royal blue, or dark purple, and tail-like blossoms. given the vast array usable, your flower tattoo and vine designs for women can be an burst of colors, and feature any combination of these plants; they can be done in stripes down the back, they can be mingled together, or located in their own private part of the body.

beautiful flower tattoo and vine designs picture

beautiful flower tattoo and vine designs picture

beautiful flower tattoo and vine designs picture

flower tattoo and vine designs are superbly decorative tattoos that can cover much body space with only a little bit of ink. The most ivy vine tattoos are done in a spiraling style up a leg or arm, you may even sometimes see this type growing up the back and shoulders.

beautiful flower tattoo and vine designs picture

beautiful flower tattoo and vine designs picture

beautiful flower tattoo and vine designs picture

beautiful flower tattoo and vine designs picture

Sometimes these types of flower tattoo and vine designs are floral or leafy and may be delicate or bold depending on whether they are tropical or of the traditional English garden style.

beautiful flower tattoo and vine designs picture

beautiful flower tattoo and vine designs picture

beautiful flower tattoo and vine designs picture

flower tattoo and vine designs are superbly decorative tattoos that can cover much body space with only a little bit of ink. The most ivy vine tattoos are done in a spiraling style up a leg or arm, you may even sometimes see this type growing up the back and shoulders.

beautiful flower tattoo and vine designs picture

beautiful flower tattoo and vine designs picture

beautiful flower tattoo and vine designs picture

beautiful flower tattoo and vine designs picture

Sometimes these types of flower tattoo and vine designs are floral or leafy and may be delicate or bold depending on whether they are tropical or of the traditional English garden style.