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INKEDblog takes you beneath the skin of today's tattoo culture. Our mission is to celebrate tattooing as a modern art form which incorporates art, fashion, style, and pop culture. While paying homage and respect to the past, we look to present a contemporary take on the present and future of skin art.
Thursday Jun 29, 2006
Every BODY Has a Story: Change and Movement
"During the summer between my freshman and sophomore years in high school, my parents sent me to bible camp. I wasn’t very excited to go, but I did. My parents didn’t Force me to go or anything but they are very religious Baptists, and a lot of my life up until then had been spent engaged in religious activities and practices.
When I got there, I met a boy named Simon. He and I spent most of the time skipping classes at the camp and having long philosophical conversations about many things but particularly about religion.
I had had serious questions before, but it was at that point that I decided my faith was different than the faith of my parents, and that I was unconvinced my the idea of a dominant single deity.
After that week in summer camp, Simon began to write to each other. The letters were not your standard pen pal letters. Each was really a crafted item, beautifully composed and executed. We continued to correspond for several years without ever seeing one and other again.
After I finished with high school, I decided that I wanted to go to Vermont. Simon suggested that I come to where he lived (Danbury, Connecticut), instead. I did…
When we saw each other, it was weird, but really amazing. For three weeks, the relationship was spectacular. We both felt as if we might explode with the positive energy that we created together.
After three weeks, it stopped. It wasn’t either one of us who decided, it was a completely mutual thing. The relationship just changed. Though our friendship changed as well, we remained friends and I continued living in Danbury.
Right before I left Danbury, I was visiting friends in a dorm at Johnson State, it was late at night, and everyone was completely passed out.
There was one little lamp on, and suddenly I had the idea for this image. I needed a ruler! Paper! A pencil, right then! The image took a lot of math to figure out. I knew how wide I wanted the lines, and I knew how wide on my arm I wanted the completed image to be. The image is composed of five lines of equal length that start in different places.
I am a graphic designer because of that, I think my work is based in aesthetics more than direct meaning. However, this image is about travel and movement for me. Everything in life is always changing and moving, and that is good."
Wednesday Jun 28, 2006
EveryBODY Has a Story: “truth beauty hope & love”
I’ve moved a lot of times in my life. It seems like most of the times I have moved as an adult; I have ended up getting a tattoo right before I leave. Like my other tattoos, this one was not extensively planned, but I think the ritual is important. Body art has become a ritual for me before I leave a place.
These four sentiments– truth, beauty, hope and love are all things that I have always believed in. I think that everyone’s experiences influence how they feel about things, however. If Austin wasn’t where I decided that these four elements would be my guiding force, it’s possible that something about my experiences in Austin solidified these notions for me as a way of life.
About a month before I got the tattoo, I was really drunk at a party. I ended up talking (a lot) to a guy at the party about how important truth, beauty, hope and love were to me. It all came together– truth Is beauty, which gives us hope… And so on. Maybe in a way there was some drunk-talk involved, but the sentiments are still things I care very deeply about.
I got this tattoo from Pete Gilcrease at Steadfast Tattoo in Austin. www.steadfasttattoo.com. I wanted a guiding principal, though it has occurred to me that these principals are not very hard for me to remember. I purposely oriented the text so that I could read it, but I think it’s important that other people can read it as well. I particularly like blocky, bold tattoo images, which is why I decided on letting the text be the color of my skin against the black background.
When someone asks me what is sacred to me in my life, I have the answer for them right away.
Wednesday Jun 28, 2006
Every BODY Has a Story: Straight No Chaser
"When I was a young teen, I was really into punk music. I learned all that I could about it, and followed the histories and connections between bands. Part of my interest was fueled by my love of reading.
I used reading as a primary form of music research. One of the books that I read to learn about punk, was by Henry Rollins. The book had a section about jazz, Thelonious Monk and his contribution to Musicology and the foundations of punk.
I was first intrigued by the name Thelonious Monk. I didn't know anything about Jazz before that, and I decided to find out. I went and got a couple of albums and found them incredibly powerful. That was the beginning of my love of jazz. From Monk, I found John Coltrain, Miles Davis and a lot of the other jazz greats. I discovered something new with each album.
This tattoo is a portrait style tattoo, and it wraps around my arm.
Pictured in the tattoo are Miles Davis, Theonius Monk and John Coltrain. The banner reads "Straight No Chaser". I brought in a few different photos before I decided on this one. My friend and tattoo artist, Dominic, vetoed the first couple I brought in.
Many people (including me) who bring a photo for a portrait bring a small pic with a lot going on in the image. Bad move. If you want a photo I learned, bring a large pic, with few things in the photo so that it is possible to pick up on the smallest details. This is the secret to a successful portrait.
People always used to ask me if I was an alcoholic or something because of the "Straight no Chaser" line, but to me, this means something very different, indeed. Getting it straight, means getting something the way it comes out from the source, (like classic jazz rather than easy listening). No sweetening required."
Wednesday Jun 28, 2006
INKED Tonight on A&E
Here's a preview of tonight's episodes of INKED on A&E:
First, at 9PM/8C, "Dizzle Out to Pastor"
Down on his luck with the ladies, Dizzle is stuck without the prospect of a date for a big H&H company party. Just when it looks like all hope is lost, Lily the receptionist comes to his rescue with a secret strategy. But there's a hitch and Dizzle and ends up having a religious experience that he never expected. Meanwhile, homesick Joey Hamilton gets a visit from his son.
and then...
At 9:30 PM/8:30C - "Not Your Average Joey"
Carey announces at a morning meeting that business is booming and H&H is busting at the seams. So two new employees are coming aboard to help offset the workload. Enter Jenn Dabbs, a sexy tattooed receptionist who immediately stirs the hormones, especially Dizzle. Smitten by her beauty Dizzle tries to muster the courage to ask her out. Meanwhile Joey Hamilton pulls into town with needles in hand and hopes that he's going to land a job at H&H. But there are a few hurdles he will need to clear before Carey inks the deal with Joey.
** INKED on A&E is a sponsor of INKEDblog.com
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Tuesday Jun 27, 2006
Every BODY Has a Story: Dandelion
"I knew that I wanted a flower before I got this tattoo though I didn’t know until later that it would be a dandelion. I guess I was in love at the time, and when you’re in love, all sort of things start popping out at you and you see the beauty everywhere.
I was twenty-two when I got this, and when I was figuring out which kind of flower to get, I knew that I didn’t want something cartoonish or maudlin. My first idea was to get something that was a little violent, I thought maybe I could get a flower that if you looked closely was actually cutting into my skin. A friend convinced me against that course of action, however…
When I went in knowing that I wanted a dandelion, I knew that I wanted the image to look like a Real dandelion (rather than flash). I went to Jason at Atomic tattoo and he drew this up for me.
Later I learned about all the medicinal properties of the dandelion. My naturopath recommends it for a number of ills, and I like this aspect of the tattoo as well.
It’s funny when people ask me about what it means. I get this question more often from people without tattoos. At some point, I started telling people that a dandelion saved my life… That doesn’t leave much room for more questions!
I am in love again, and I would really like another tattoo. It seems that I am drawn towards tattoos when I am in love. This time I would like a series of shapes and colors on my arm. This is the image love shows to me now."
Tuesday Jun 27, 2006
Every BODY Has a Story: Punk Rock Jesus
I’m originally from London, England and I came to the US around ’82. I was living in the iconic punk rock crash house in London when I met this girl. She was from the US, and came to visit me about four times in London. The last time she came, she told me that she didn’t have enough money to keep coming back. I told her I didn’t have the money to go, but she ended up getting me a ticket to leave the next day. The plan was to stay two weeks, and I’m still here.
She and I were married for around five years, and after that, I was in a punk band in NYC called Nausea. During that time I met this skinhead girl, and fell in love. Her name was Andrea Elston, and she was from London as well.
She was in art school at the time, and was a talented artist. I had been getting all my tattoo work done at Elio and Shoties tattoo studios, but I was tired of paying for all my work. So… I got Andrea a tattoo gun for her birthday. I have five smaller pieces that she did on my legs and belly, but this is actually one of the first tattoos she ever did.
Since then, she went on to win the Giger award for her biomechanical tattoo work. She apprenticed at the places I went to before her, and went on to Mcdougals.
As for the image, I’ve always been interested in how people respond to Christian iconography. Especially in the punk and activist community, it becomes a sort of controversial tattoo. When I’ve worked with church groups and things though, it’s all turned around and people think that they know something about me by these tattoos.
The image of Jesus is one that I wanted to be as realistic as possible. I found a picture called “Nuclear Crucifixion” that I liked. For me, Jesus was a real person, an activist really. From there, I let Andrea do all the drawing."
Tuesday Jun 27, 2006
Dear INKEDblog: How Do I Find Wings?
Dear INKEDblog,
I have been looking for about 3 months for a pair of angel wings to go on the sides of an angel but I can’t find anything perfect enough– the tattoo is in remembrance of losing my baby.
What should I do? Also, where is a good place to get it so it is conservative?
Please help me, all your artwork is beautiful and I am hoping to actually come to your shop to have it done, but I can’t without the perfect picture.
Dear Reader,
We are so sorry for your loss. Though three months may seem like a long time to look for an image now, it will not feel like that in the future.
Be sure to take a long and measured length of time while searching for your image. No one but you will know what that perfect image will be until it appears to you. For help, look in Google images, in the library, and in the art section of bookstores rather than at tattoo flash. You will find something unique and personal that way.
Once you have found an image that you like, always know that you can ask the artist to modify any aspect of the pic to suit your personal circumstances.
As for your desire to have your tattoo in a ‘conservative’ location, we assume you mean where it will not be seen unless you choose to show it? If yes, assess your clothing style. The back or shoulder is a place that can be hidden easily in most types of weather, but also exposed at will.
Best of luck,
INKEDblog
Monday Jun 26, 2006
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
More from Mark here.
Monday Jun 26, 2006
Every BODY Has a Story: The Virgin of Evolution
"All the tattoos on this arm tell a story, and they are all part of the same story. Or perhaps instead of a story, my tattoos represent a question.
I grew up going to church, but a non-denominational church. It was very free form and liberal. I became more spiritually driven as I got older, but at a certain point, both my parents and I stopped attending church.
Why? We all decided independently that church was fomented of status-filled relationships. What became more evident to me, was that My religion was composed of my relationship with god.
One of the tattoos that I have on the other side of this arm is a chaos symbol with a cross at the top. I deeply believe that all religions are founded on the basis of love, but that the organization of this love creates division and discord.
One of the elements of discord within religious sects is the argument between science and god. This tattoo is my take on discussion: the creator made us and placed us on this earth, but he did so with the plan of evolution.
For me, science answers some of the big questions in life, religion answers others. If you ask the question in the right manner, the answers do not have to becontradictory."
Monday Jun 26, 2006
Every BODY Has a Story: The Raven
"When I was eighteen, I spent the summer with a shaman named Red Eagle, of the Chipaway tribe on the West Coast. I met him through my parents (one of whom is also Native American).
During the time we spent together, we did a lot of spiritual work. Together we did sweat lodges, which are physically uncomfortable experiences. He taught me about focusing inward and setting aside discomfort while still remaining in the moment.
I also went on a spirit journey during that time. We smoked a Native smoking mixture composed of tobacco, sage, catnip and other elements and took peyote.
I don’t remember much of the specifics of my journey except for the memory of flight. Not only was I above watching everything on the ground, I was also able to see myself from the sky and observe, soaring above.
After the completion of my spirit journey, I was given the Native name, Xebachea. My spirit animal is the Raven.
After that summer, I started a tattoo studio called Raven Ink tattoo. In Native America stories, the raven is the animal who finishes things left undone. For example, the Raven is the one responsible for bringing fire and for making man’s fingers (by cutting the webbing apart with a shell).
That is how I see my work. I finish people who feel unfinished. The odd thing about this raven tattoo is that it is not finish. The artist who did it, Nate Hudson, passed away before it was done.
I don’t think I will ever myself feel finished because there is always so much to be done."
Friday Jun 23, 2006
Every BODY Has a Story: Tee-Shirt Band
"While I was in high school, my two best friends and I decided to get matching tattoos. We had No idea what we wanted, but we just kept this in the back of our heads for a few years.
The three of us hung out all the time during high school, and we threw a bunch of different tattoo ideas around, but none of them stuck. One summer right after high school, one of my friends saw this pattern on his older brother’s tee shirt. We all really liked it. We decided to get the tattoos done on a very spur of the moment basis.
We went to the house of another friend of a friend who was a tattoo artist in Coos Bay, but he didn’t have his own shop. We checked out his portfolio though, and liked it a lot.
We gave him the shirt, and he drew out the image. We all got them done that night. It was really cool later. We hung out showing them off to people and partying. I won’t forget it.
Since that time, one of my friends passed away from a suspected drug overdose. I thought about adding something to the image to note this, but I want it to happen just as spontaneously as the time we did it together."
Thursday Jun 22, 2006
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
More photos from Mark here.
Thursday Jun 22, 2006
Every BODY Has a Story: Celestial Dragon
"I got this tattoo from one of my mentors in the tattoo world, James Smith. I had it done around 2004 when I was twenty-three years old.
I don’t know how this all happened, but James actually did his tattoo apprenticing in Japan. He wasn’t Japanese or anything, but that’s where he learned his stuff.
I had never really been exposed to Japanese art before. It is an ancient form of tattooing, and most people agree, one of the most beautiful styles of tattooing that has ever existed.
While we were working in the shop, he told me a story about dragons. A dragon in Japan begins as a Koi Fish, and after a thousand years, if it swims up the rainbow waterfall it will become a water dragon.
After some point, the water dragon is transformed into a land animal, a tiger, he said, though with the characteristics of an ox as well. The tiger becomes an eagle with regenerative qualities like a phoenix. At that point, it becomes a wind dragon and then a celestial dragon with no need for wings.
I was intrigued by this story, and decided I wanted a dragon tattoo from him. He drew the tattoo right on my skin with magic marker, and went from there. This is my favorite and largest tattoo.
I had already gotten quite a few tattoos at that point, and in a way I regret not leaving more space for large traditional pieces such as this."
Thursday Jun 22, 2006
Every BODY Has a Story: Spray Paint Angel and Devil
My name’s Jake Coffee, and I’ve always liked to draw. Though I’ve never done tattooing in a shop before, I’m apprenticing now to get my license. In order to get my license, I have to do fifty tattoos, past some kind of test and I think, do CPR or something. It takes a lot of money to get the license, and I’m not there yet.
Now, I’m a professional graffiti artist and I work the counter at a tattoo studio. I’m part of a graffiti art crew called Style Krew, based in California. We don’t tag or nothing, we do big art installations. I’ve done graffiti art all over the whole country.
I had some work up on the site artcrimes.com under the name Mask360. Now I’m working at 21st Century Tattoo in Portland, Oregon doing custom drawings. I’m the only person in the city doing custom graffiti work.
My hands are a statement about my profession. Lots of people have the devil/angel thing going on with tattoos; it’s almost a standard tattoo motif. My angel and devil are spray cans, however. The devil has an ‘S’, for Style, and my angel has a ‘K’, for Krew. :"
Wednesday Jun 21, 2006
Every BODY Has a Story: Star Belly
On my twentieth birthday the world felt both vastly complex and intimately elemental. Despite the convincing layers and sturdy scaffolds, I was sure that under everything, at the heart of the universe was a totally wild and free spirit. Not a naked woman galloping bareback on the beach (though she’s out there too), but a freeflowing magical energy: generative and divinely creative.
My tattoo is symbolic. It connects me to my own devotion to this way of understanding the world, not rational, not mechanistic, but eidetic: flowing like a river from mountain spring to ocean. My star belly is a reminder of belly work, belly dance, belly love, the arts of expression and making.
Pregnant with my first baby, I watched my skin stretch elasticly as the star grew and grew. It seemed fitting that this symbol should be dynamic, change with time and morph through the conception of new life. Not to get too heady, for a star-bellied sneetch can get trapped in her own paradigm.
My second daughter now a year old smooshed out these purple pixels again, and new folds and creases mark my years of motherhood. My love for my family is humungous and my curiosity for new ideas wide open. The star still sums much of this up for me and will continue to wear and change with age and exposure, marking a specific point in time and a timeless imperfect love of life."
Wednesday Jun 21, 2006
Every BODY Has a Story: True Love
This is my first and only tattoo. I got it a few years ago with a friend of mine. Nat is my husband, and my friend got the name of her husband tattooed on her at the same time.
We didn’t know about the curse of the name tattoo at that point. We had heard, of course, of all those people who got their partner’s name and then broken up, but we thought the gesture was somewhat ridiculous and sweet. The breakup question never occurred to us.
We got these tattoos as a father’s day present for our kids’ dads. In retrospect however, I think that I felt like I needed to do something like get a tattoo. I suppose it could have been anything, but I needed a way to make an independent decision. At the time though, I didn’t know how to do it for myself. Thus, I did it for someone else.
When I got the tattoo, my older son was about four and my twins were one and a half. My marriage was going fairly well, but I felt overwhelmed a lot. After I stopped nursing the twins, I was like a sort of second adolescence. I wanted to have time to myself, and the patterns I had made with my husband didn’t feel like they fit anymore.
Coincidentally, my friend who got the tattoo at the same time was going through a similar situation. We both ended up breaking up with our husbands, and there was a point where I felt a little silly for getting this tattoo.
My husband and I maintained our respect for each other though, during our period of separation. Just recently, we moved back in together. I am optimistic about the future of our relationship, and though it is never easy to work, live, have small children and a smooth relationship, I feel like I am progressing in a positive direction.
Wednesday Jun 21, 2006
INKED Tonight on A&E
if you haven't yet checked out Season 2 of INKED on A&E, here's a preview of tonight's episodes:
First, at 9PM/8C, "Go West, Young Diz ”
Clark thinks Dizzle, H&H's struggling apprentice, needs to get scared straight if he's ever going to become a tattoo artist. No more fooling around, no more games and definitely no more dresses. So Clark takes Dizzle to LA for a firsthand lesson in the old school ways of tattooing. But can Dizzle cut it working with the same hardcore artists that taught Clark? Meanwhile, back in Vegas Jerome gets the opportunity to make an even more permanent inscription than a tattoo when a regular client asks him to engrave a memorial tattoo on his mother's gravestone.
and then...
At 9:30 PM/8:30C - "Murphy's Law ”
Carey's GM Mark "Murph" Murphy, has a lot on his plate--getting the online order system going, running the warehouse, and dealing with a very ill-conceived large order of hats. So when things start spinning out of control, Carey lays down the law--Murph has to get it done or else. Meanwhile, when Jesse reads in the local paper that Sylvester Stallone is in town shooting Rocky 6, he puts Dizzle up to a heavyweight challenge. The heat is on at H&H in the race to see who will win the new girl's heart. On one side, there's Jesse, the self-proclaimed "male slut" of the shop. And on the other there's Joey "nice guy" Hamilton. But the competition simmers to a boil when Jesse unleashes a secret weapon from his book of love. Meanwhile the receptionists are sick and tired of all of the talk about the "Warehouse." So they set out on a stakeout that proves their theory that the managers are up to no good at the warehouse. Or does it?
** INKED on A&E is a sponsor of INKEDblog.com
Wednesday Jun 21, 2006
Dear INKEDblog: Where Can I Get Tattoo Ink?
Hi INKEDblog,
Can you tell me if there are currently any distributors of non-toxic tattoo ink in the United States (i.e. no detectable levels of lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic, etc.)?
The EU has great guidelines regarding the necessary exclusion of carcinogens, mutogens, etc. but so far, I have had no luck finding a comparable ink in the United States.
Any information greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance.
Dear Reader,
It can be difficult to find ink proven to be 100% safe, because as you mention there are very few regulations on tattoo ink in the US. That said, if you have sensitivities or other allergies, you can not be too careful.
Vegan websites are some of the best resources for finding out what is in tattoo ink in a manner that is not overly alarmist (as opposed to some sites that will leave you believing you are taking your life in your hands checking out some tat flash on the wall).
One recommended site to obtain ink is Pulse International. They will only sell in to professional artists, but your artist can get it for you.
Since most products are available to order online, another option is to order directly from another source in the EU.
Lastly, ask your artist! Many artists have definite preferences as to which sort of ink they use and a good artist will know what is in the ink.
Best of luck!
INKEDblog
Tuesday Jun 20, 2006
Every BODY Has a Story: My Wife
This tattoo is a portrait of my wife. I got it last week on what would have been her 28th birthday. She died on February 3rd of ‘05 from a rare form of Lymphoma.
We have two children together and everyday is different without her there. She was diagnosed with cancer five years before she died, and it was a long fight.
There are only about 75 other people in the US with this kind of cancer, and they don’t know very much about it. She had over 600 blood transfusions and a successful bone morrow transplant. Our daughter was the marrow donor, and my wife never left our daughter’s side while she was in the hospital ‘saving mommy’.
They treated my daughter like a princess at the hospital, and the transplant was a success but she died later, nevertheless.
We had a son during the time that she was fighting the cancer and he is a healthy five-year-old now. At the memorial service, more than 400 people were present during the ceremony. She was the sort of person that people con not help but love.
What I remember and miss most about her was her genuine warmth. Moreover, she was so compassionate! She reached everyone in our community and outside, did volunteer work even when she was so sick. She was the best woman and the best wife a man could ever hope to have."
Tuesday Jun 20, 2006
Every BODY Has a Story: Marilyn Monroe
"When I was about seventeen or eighteen, I’m not sure which, but it was right after high school, I saw a poster of Marilyn Monroe at a store. It wasn’t like I hadn’t seen pictures of her before that point, but at that moment, I had the strongest feeling. It was so weird, I felt as if I knew Marilyn in another life.
It was at that point that I started collecting all things Marilyn. I hae thousands of items in my collection including a gold-plated 24K There are many connections for me with Marilyn Monroe and my family. My father says we are related to the Kennedy’s, and that was a strange coincidence, but I think it is my mother that reminds me of her most of all.
I didn’t grow up with my dad, just my mom. She and my sisters are amazingly close. She is my life. She sparkles with the same kind of radiance that I see in Marilyn. My mother is a racecar driver, she’s beautiful, she powerful, I really feel like she is the one who gave me my world.
That’s what I see in Marilyn Monroe– the beauty and the intensity. I really really wish I could have met her, and I also wish that she didn’t die the way she did.
I have two other tattoos besides this one. I have a sister tattoo that my sister and I got together and a best friend tattoo I got with my dear friend. This one is all mine though. I just got this tattoo on May 12th (which is my birthday). This is the Only thing I wanted for my birthday– just a little bit of that beauty for myself to wear."
Monday Jun 19, 2006
Every BODY Has a Story: Wings
Oh, this tattoo! I love it now, but the weirdest thing happened at first…
I work in a tat shop, and I decided I wanted a new back piece. The thing about working in a shop is that when you say that, there you are!
I guess I didn’t have any real reason for wanting the wings, it was pretty random. I just kind of hit on them as an idea and I threw it out to my boss, Nathan at Vertigo.
He looked at me and said he’d do it, but one condition: they had to be proportionate. He wouldn’t do them unless they were big enough for me to actually fly away…
He drew these out and I love them. They aren’t totally finished yet, but pretty close. The top part Nathan drew out to look like the sort of cartilage you see in the top of wings.
The funniest thing though… Maybe I’m making excuses for the guy or something, but you know, people don’t See a lot of unfinished tattoos!
I was at the gas station, after Nathan had just done the outline, and I went inside to pay. I was wearing a tank top, and the guy pumping my gas stared at me and his jaw dropped!
He Stopped pumping my gas and followed me into the store. I turned around to see what he wanted and he said, “That’s the Ugliest tattoo I have Ever seen!”
I really didn’t know what to say! It was only just started- he didn’t know that my wings had only just started to grow!"
Friday Jun 16, 2006
Every BODY Has a Story: Cherry Blossom
I have a lot of tattoos, but this little cherry blossom is really different for me. When I was a kid, there was a cherry tree outside of my house, and each year in the spring I remember clearly the beautiful, but short-lived blossoms.
For some reason, I don’t know why, there were just a ton of caterpillars that lived in this tree. I used to hunt for caterpillars all the time, but in this tree they were always there during the blooming, you didn’t even have to look. I would watch them turn into butterflies, and it never ceased to amaze me.
Later, I read a lot about how cherry blossoms signify the fragility of a moment. Because of their momentary beauty, they are a reminder that each moment is lost after it is lived, but that there is beauty in each moment.
I had thought about getting a cherry blossom tattoo before, but the funny thing about this whole story was that my girlfriend did it. She is Not a tattoo artist, which made the whole thing pretty funny. She walked into the room, all bold and ready to do it, but when I turned the gun on she goes “This thing Shakes when you hold it”.
But it wasn’t the gun… It was her hands! It made me laugh, but she did the outline, and she’s going to do the shading later. If I think about what it means to have her do this tattoo for me, it’s sort of a weird thing. On one hand, like the cherry blossoms, relationship are always shifting and changing and they can never stay exactly in the same place. One the other, having her give me this tattoo reminds me of the beauty of this moment together."
Thursday Jun 15, 2006
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
Thursday Jun 15, 2006
Every BODY Has a Story: Suicide Guns
Suicide guns are becoming what swallow tattoos are now in classic, contemporary tattooing. They’re an imaginary kind of gun where if you pull the trigger, the gun shoots at you.
The artist I went to, made up this drawing himself, but I have seen other renditions of this same idea in tattooing.
I got these tattoos about four years ago when I was twenty-nine. At the time, I was hanging out with a bunch of people and partying way too hard. Drinking, financial crap, traveling, snowboard trips; one of the guys we hung out with actually ended up in jail.
At some point, I realized that this lifestyle was a slow suicide. Excessive drugs and the fast life were bound to catch up with me the same way they were slowly but surely catching up to all my friends.
I decided to put these tattoos on my hands because I wanted to be able to look at them when I picked up a bottle.
It worked. It took a lot of effort, and I really needed to seclude myself from a lot of people, but my life has totally changed around. I own two businesses now, and everything is looking a lot more balanced and stable."
Thursday Jun 15, 2006
Every BODY Has a Story: Day of the Dead Virgin
This tattoo isn’t finished, but I started it about a year ago. My friend Saad used to own a head shop called Looking Glass Gifts, and I actually bought it from him a year or so back. He now owns a tattoo studio called Pussycat Tattoo.
I’m a glass blower by trade, and I make smokeable art pieces for the shop. Saad and I started trading glass for tattoo work. This one time, I brought him this $250, hand-blown, double perk (filtered), water pipe. It was beautiful– all different colors, you name it. Saad brought it on a fishing trip to show some friends and actually broke it within an hour. Poor guy, he did hours of tattooing and the thing got broken right away…
Anyway, this image is the Virgin Mary, done in a Day of the Dead style. I learned about Day of the Dead art a really long time ago, though I always associated it with tattoos. I’ve never been in Mexico for the Day of the Dead, but hope to in the future.
When I was in seventh grade, a bunch of my friends and I got really into tattoos. We ended up dropping out of school and working in the lumber industry for a time. In seventh grade, someone showed us how to make a tattoo gun and we did a ton of them on each other. My mom was pissed. Some of them aren’t bad, though…
One of the things we were really intrigued by was tattoo flash. Out of all the flash we looked at, the Day of the Dead images struck me the most. I knew that I wanted something like that, though it has taken me until now to make a more cohesive design.
The tattoos I had before were more individual images, rather than a unified theme. With this tattoo, I’m working towards that standard instead of piecework tattoos.
I grew up Christian, but not Catholic, and I think that the Virgin Mary has a different meaning for me that for some people. For me, the Virgin Mary represents hope for the future and a positive outlook on life. The Day of the Dead is a holiday that represents celebrating and honoring family members that have passed away. The combination of the two images means respect for the past and hope for the future.
I found the picture on the ground, on an old band flyer. I called Saad, and described the picture. I went to bring it in, but he has a large reference library of images. When I arrived, he had drawn out almost the identical image based on my description. Amazing."
Thursday Jun 15, 2006
EveryBODY has a Story: Lucky Clover and 11
My parents aren’t superstitious people. Not at all. They might wonder why I’m so superstitious but they probably know it started in the second grade…
I play varsity baseball and hope to play college ball next year. I started playing baseball when I was in second grade. My first coach was this Irish guy, and he was crazy superstitious. He never let the bats cross, he was wild for clovers, and whatever you did when you started hitting the ball, you would have to do ever time you hit. Forever.
I still do it! The coach noticed then that I take three swings in the bat box before I hit, and he told me to keep at it. I still do it.
That’s why I have the clover on my back. I think that in a way, the coach was teaching us about personal style, but whatever it was it worked for me. I took it to heart.
The 11 is my friend’s retired number. He was one of my best friends and I played baseball with him almost my whole life. He was an amazing athlete. He also played football as a star quarterback and basketball, too.
A few months ago, he died in a car accident. He had an old Blazer, and it rolled somehow. We go to Molalla High School, and they retired all of his numbers– in all three sports.
The 11 was his baseball number, and since it was retired, I decided to wear it in memory of him. I got it under the clover so that the clover would protect me from bad things happening. I got it on my eighteenth birthday, because as soon as he died, I knew that that’s what I wanted.
Wednesday Jun 14, 2006
Every BODY Has a Story: Jesus and Mary
A lot of people have “Love and Hate” or “Angel and Devil”, or even their ‘Bad’ side and their ‘Good’ side. This tattoo is a little different.
I got this tattoo a couple of years ago from a guy named Brian at Addictions in Salem. He was on INKED in the beginning, but couldn’t stop messing with the celebrities.
Before I chose this tattoo, I had been very impressed with the work of Robert Hernandez, a Spanish tattoo artist, and I actually found these images on his site.
I got the two sides done right after each other. We printed the images off of the computer, blew them up, and used them. I love the style of these images. I like Dali and Giger (though I am not into biomechanical especially), but I am interested in the craggy, sloping detail of Hernandez’s portraiture.
Why the Mary and Jesus? I guess these tattoos aren’t religious in a traditional sense. I didn’t grow up with a profound sense of religion in my family. My parents not regular churchgoers, though my grandparents were Methodist.
I don’t really believe in organized religion, though I am struck by how so many people seem to be in a desperate struggle (costing lives) over a god that could possibly be the same one.
My wife says that my tattoo is more about the bond I have with my mother. Perhaps that’s true. She and I have always had a close bond. I hope to have a child of my own sometime soon, and I think that the love between parents and children is the closest to spiritual that we are likely to find in this lifetime. This seems like the best parallel I can find in my life for spirituality."
Wednesday Jun 14, 2006
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
More from Mark here.
Wednesday Jun 14, 2006
Every BODY Has a Story: Celtic Sheriff
I studied photography at the Brooks Institute and graduated in ’97. Currently I work at Studio Urban Soul, but at that time, my roommate, Adam Booth, was a photographer and an aspiring tattoo artist at Wildside in Santa Barbara.
We went different directions- he rode BMX bikes, and I was into skate boarding, but we hung out together a lot. He’s now a photographer for BMX Plus.
As his roommate, I was skin for his apprenticeship. The smaller tattoo on my back says my name, Dave, and it is a cross between a sheriff’s badge, and one of those old 60’s pins that says LSD. My brother thought it was really funny, and he ended up getting one too. We tried to convince our other brother, but we haven’t managed to (as of yet).
I got the Celtic tattoo on my spine from Peter Bogdanov. I had found the image ten years earlier, and had saved it until I found the perfect time to get it done. The image is three Celtic dogs, and there are three brothers in my family.
Originally, I planned to get the image from shoulder to shoulder, but Peter convinced me to put the image lengthwise. A good artist will do that.
Reminding myself of my family and my brothers is a form of solidity for me. The knots in the image all fold back into each other, and everything is connected in the end."
Wednesday Jun 14, 2006
Every BODY Has a Story: MOM Heart
This is probably one of the most popular tattoos in the world. It’s certainly one of the most classic. Though I mean the positive sentiment about my mother without question, there is also kind of a funny element about the ‘mom’ tattoo.
Classically, it’s funny because you can imagine that for some moms, a tattoo honoring them is really the last thing in which they are interested in receiving as homage. In my case however, the idea originally came from a drawing I did (pictured). I’ve had a real interest in drawing aliens for a while now. I draw all sort of other things as well, of course, because I’m a tattoo artist at Urban Soul Tattoo: www.theurbansoul.com. But aliens are a personal favorite.
I drew a lot of the aliens for myself, not just for work. I’m not sure exactly what it is that makes drawing them so fun. Perhaps because they could really look like Anything. There’s no way to go wrong.
This picture on the wall of the alien with the mom tattoo inspired My mom tattoo. There is something sweet about thinking that there are other beings who also do strange and silly things (like people).
My wife and I are very close with both sets of our parents. We wish they lived nearer, but we see them when we can. If we had tons of money, we wouldn’t spend it on a bunch of junk. We would take all four of our parents on a vacation where they didn’t have to do anything. Somewhere not too warm, and somewhere without slot machines. Mom’s too crazy about them!"
Wednesday Jun 14, 2006
INKED Tonight on A&E
f you haven't yet checked out Season 2 of INKED on A&E, here's a preview of tonight's episodes:
First, at 9PM/8C, “Jenn-uine Trouble ”
New hire Jenn Dabbs is off to a rocky start and Carey & company are quick to wonder if they made a mistake with their 26th hire in the past 2 years. Meanwhile, H&H alum Thomas and Monica start their new life with twins.
and then...
At 9:30 PM/8:30C - "Basket Case ”
The heat is on at H&H in the race to see who will win the new girl's heart. On one side, there's Jesse, the self-proclaimed "male slut" of the shop. And on the other there's Joey "nice guy" Hamilton. But the competition simmers to a boil when Jesse unleashes a secret weapon from his book of love. Meanwhile the receptionists are sick and tired of all of the talk about the "Warehouse." So they set out on a stakeout that proves their theory that the managers are up to no good at the warehouse. Or does it?
** INKED on A&E is a sponsor of INKEDblog.com
Tuesday Jun 13, 2006
Every BODY Has a Story: The Nautilus Shell
"I became a vegetarian when I was a young teenager, then a vegan a couple of years later. I guess I could describe myself as an iron environmentalist at that point. When I was about seventeen, I read a book by Daniel Quinn called the Story of B. It has to do with humans finding their place in the natural order, and our future if we do not find a balance.
In a sense, I was discovering spirituality for the first time. Though I wouldn’t call it by that name, there is a certain aspect of the spiritual involved with saving the earth. I grew up agnostic, and never attended church. I guess there was a moment when my parents asked me if I wanted to go (in the same way you might ask to join little league) but I was not at all interested.
The Story of B had a profound effect on the way I considered the various problems of life. The tattooed image is from the cover of that book. I got the tattoo right when I turned eighteen and the more that I read about the Nautilus shell the more intrigued I became.
The Nautilus has something called divine proportion, or the golden mean. This is a number that was studied by the Greek sculptor Phidias, and is also known by the number Phi. Throughout this time in my life, I was trying to figure out the divine proportion for humans in the world, but I have come to realize that I have to find the divine proportions for me, in My world.
Now, I think it is as important to smile at a person walking down the street, or relish a happy moment as it is to be conscious of the byproducts of our existence. It’s not that I don’t think it is important to protect the planet, it’s just that I am learning a way to do it more joyfully and with grace."
Tuesday Jun 13, 2006
Every BODY Has a Story: Gemini
Originally, I got this tattoo a month after my 21st birthday. It was a sort of birthday present to myself. When I first got this tattoo, I just got the Gemini sign, and today, I am adding the butterflies into the image.
I had seen people around with their signs on the back of their necks, and I decided almost as soon as I got my first tattoo (at eighteen) that I wanted to get the Gemini one, after.
Gemini is the sign for a dueling personality. It is supposed to be the twins, but one of the twins is earthbound, and the other is heaven bound. Gemini people are full of inner conflict. This suits me, exactly.
Not only do I feel both ways about most things; I feel both ways Strongly! That’s why I chose to make the top of the Gemini straight, instead of how it is usually portrayed (curved). I don’t bend easily.
Today, I’m getting butterflies around the Gemini sign. It’s been about five years since I got the Gemini tattoo, and I have thought about getting something around it since then. As soon as I got the original neck piece, I realized how stark the image was on my neck. It felt too masculine to me. It has taken me a long time to find an image I wanted to combine with it, however.
Butterflies and birds are the animal symbols for the Gemini sign. The reason is that they are half way between earth and heaven, and they flutter on each moment. After I thought of the butterflies, I was set on my image. The butterflies were drawn out by Todd at Icon Tattoo
I asked him to draw butterflies that were more lifelike than cartoonish, and he based the drawing on photos that I brought into the studio.
So do I feel more balanced than I did when I first got the Gemini sign? Guess it depends on the day!"
Tuesday Jun 13, 2006
Every BODY Has a Story: Dragon
When I was fourteen, my mother got the tattoo of a musical note on her ankle. Her sister got a treble clef tattoo. Neither one of them was a musician, but they both adored music, particularly Rush… They still listen to podcasts whenever they have the chance.
I guess I had Seen people with tattoos before, but I had never seen someone get a new one. T was amazing seeing my mother’s skin before the tattoo, than after when the ink was so fresh.
At that moment, I knew I wanted one too. I asked my mother how long I had to wait before I could get one, and she told me it was illegal before I was eighteen. So, I started planning…
When I was eighteen, I was into fantasy stuff, dragons, wizards, fairies… My mother was interested in fantasy as well, but not as much as me. She later got a fairy tattoo. My mom got this tattoo as a present for my eighteenth birthday. It was done by a woman name Mary Jane at Dermagraphics.
I knew that I wanted a dragon, and I went and looked through the flash and Mary Jane’s portfolio. She had done a similar dragon but in different colors. That was the one I decided on.
Though I like the work on this tattoo, when I think about my two other tattoos, this is the one I might try to change at some point. Now it seems like I was pretty young when I got it and it doesn’t fit my body in the way that my other tattoos do. It sticks out as a discreet image, more than blending into my skin. It was a wonderful birthday present, though!
Monday Jun 12, 2006
Every BODY Has a Story: Winged skulls
"After my mother died, I became interesting in the meanings of cemetery carvings. Actually, I became interested in the meanings behind almost Everything. Especially tattoos. Sometimes, when people are going to get a tattoo, I help them out with their choice of symbols. Many people don’t know that the images that they are wearing are meaningful in a very iconic manner.
This is the second tattoo of cemetery art that I have gotten, and for me, it represents a step forward in my grief. My mother’s death really threw me for a loop, it took a while to develop my equilibrium again.
Traditionally, a skull with a heart in its mouth means a victory over death. The wings mean that a soul has gone to heaven. Though you can’t see this in the picture, there are links around the back of the tattoo. Broken links mean the death of a head of a family, so for me, the solid links mean our family is still whole.
In general, this tattoo means victory over death. It does not mean that my mother didn’t die, but that the things that she has taught me are still with me. She would not like to leave me broken. Since I still have what she gave me, our link is eternal."
Monday Jun 12, 2006
Every BODY Has a Story: Robot in the Forest
I have a fond interest in robots. I’m not sure when it started, but at some point I started drawing them and they are still something that I really enjoy working out. It’s maybe a little unusual for me because I really like to think about myself as a having a place in the system of life.
In a certain way, I just find robots charming. Particularly the tall and gangly ones, like the one in The Jetson’s or C-3PO. I really like thinking about an object with a human shape but without human consciousness. They’re fun to think up… The Iron Giant in another giant I like a lot. In fact, this tattoo was based on some of the imagery from that film.
I have an internal struggle between the organic and the technical, in a sense. I realize that humans are animals like any other sort of animal, but we are also so steeped in the culture of technology that is has become our culture, as well.
This tattoo is an attempt to mix the two cultures for myself. I went to have it done by Corey Kruger in Goodfaith, Massachusetts. I started it in the fall of 2004. I had an initial consolation with him, and scheduled the appointment three months later. I knew that I wanted the entire sleeve to be a single image.
I’m pretty sure that he didn’t spend the whole three months working on the image. In fact, he probably drew it out right before I came in, but it was exactly what I wanted.
It isn’t finished yet, though I have had forty-five hours of work on it. It is a big commitment to get a tattoo this large, but I think if you don’t examine what it is about you that is different from a robot, there might not be that much different."
Friday Jun 09, 2006
Every BODY Has a Story: Butterfly Memorial
"I got this tattoo a week ago, and I am coming in today to add my son’s name and the date of his death. My son died of suicide at the age of thirty-nine and the pain is so strong sometimes I feel as if I am just dead inside.
I have had six children, and he was my middle child. I knew that he struggled with depression, and he asked the state at one point for resources to help him with these problems, but to no avail.
I still talk to him every day. I ask him what I could have done differently, but it is a question that never gets an answer.
I have never had, or considered getting a tattoo before, but I am happy I got this one. The pain of the tattoo seems to fit with my own pain in a sense. One of the things that has really helped me is an online community called Broken Heart, Living Hope. As I don’t think that anyone other than another mother in my position could understand what this feels like, hearing their stories helps heal my heart.
I learned on this site that the butterfly represents the loss of a child. I have added hearts onto the wings of my butterfly.
When my son died, he had a girlfriend who was pregnant. The baby is now six months old, and looks just like my son. It is an unbelievable thing to have this baby to love. I spend all the time I can with him. "
Friday Jun 09, 2006
Every BODY Has a Story: Protective Demons
"After I had been an apprentice for about a year under the direction of Carl Hanes, at International Tattoo Garden in San Francisco, I decided to do these tattoos on myself. These are the first and last, self-done tattoos. Man, did it suck doing them…
This was about ten years ago, and I had met Carl Hanes because we were both street workers for the city. He was tattooing during the time we worked together, and soon after, he started working at the shop.
I knew that I wanted to be a tattoo artist from when I was a kid. I had a couple of getto tats done by friends with India ink, and even then, I knew that I could have done a better job than they did.
I have an art background, and before I started tattooing, I worked as a professional illustrator and published many of my images in various magazines and publications. Carl accepted me as an apprentice, and I have really enjoyed the work ever since. If you want to see my portfolio, check out www.happygoluckyart.com
The mask tattoos were inspired from Japanese Noh theatre masks. I guess Noh theatre could be described as the Japanese version of ancient Greek theatre, sort of operatic and dramatic.
I started work on them, and it was really different from doing a tattoo on someone else. The pain was not the same. I found myself bearing down harder than I normally do. Since I did them ten years ago, I also worked a lot slower then. The masks took four hours each. The pain of the tattoo wasn’t that bad, but I got the worst neck cramps. Just about killed me. I did the work alternating each side in two-hour sessions.
One thing that appealed to me about these masks is that in eastern mythology, demons are not considered evil necessarily. Often they are protectors of something good, warriors defending a peaceful entity or place. Interestingly, they are most always jealous women. I’m not sure what that means about me, but I believe being protected by a jealous woman is a probably a lot of protection…:
Friday Jun 09, 2006
Dear INKEDblog: How much stretching...?
Hey INKEDblog,
I want to get a tattoo on my lower back but I want to put it where there would be minimal stretching possibilities. Also, I've heard that if you get it in the small of your back you can't get an epidural when you're having a baby...and that would be waaaaay too much pain. Anyways, do you guys have any suggestions of where the best spot would be?
Thanks!
Alex
Dear Alex,
If you are currently pregnant, you should put off getting a tattoo until after you stop breastfeeding. Though many say this is erring on the side of caution, most artists will not knowingly tattoo pregnant women because of the risk of infection and the liability issue of women fainting during the procedure. (Fainting onto a hard surface could put women at risk for early labor or miscarriage.)
As for the stretching, it is very hard to predict where a person’s body will stretch during pregnancy. The belly is where you often see stretch marks, though some women experience them on their back, legs, and even arms. Some women walk away completely unscathed. It just depends on your body type.
The tattoos will stretch along with your skin and may not look the same after pregnancy. The most obvious place to avoid would be the belly, but if you want a tattoo that won’t stretch during pregnancy, the lower legs or neck might be the best idea.
As for the epidural, there is no convincing research that tattoos on the lower back pose any greater risk for the laboring woman than the epidural alone. The truth is, Epidurals can be dangerous. The worry with a tattoo is that the ink will go through the epidural needle into your spine. This is something to discus with your doctor or anesthesiologist.
The epidural is placed in your lower back, so the back of your neck and your upper back would be completely away from the epidural area.
Best Wishes!
Thursday Jun 08, 2006
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
More from Mark here
Thursday Jun 08, 2006
Dear INKEDblog: Which One Is More Painful?
Dear INKEDblog,
I was thinking about getting a tattoo, and I thought of two places- my lower back or on my ankle. Which one is less painful? I can stand pain but just not a lot.
Do ya know??
~Tasha
Dear Tasha,
When you get tattooed on a spot with little fat, like your ankle, generally it hurts more than a fleshier place, like the outside of your upper arm. Upper arms are generally considered the least painful places to receive tattoos. The back however, although it is fleshier than the ankle, is often considered a painful spot because of the many nerve endings. In addition, parts of your skin that are more delicate, like the underside of your arms and the sides of your torso, can also be quite sensitive.
This is all relative, of course. Some people describe the pain level like that of a sunburn, for others it is more intense. People’s individual pain tolerance levels are completely unique. Many people get matching tattoos with a friend or partner, in the same spot on their bodies, and have completely different experiences with regards to the level of pain.
Wherever you chose to place your tattoo, there are several things that have been proven to help increase pain tolerance.
1. Have a light, protein-rich meal prior to your appointment.
2. Take some ibuprofen a half-hour before the session. (This is typically fine with most artists, though check with your artist before taking any medication.)
3. Drink a lot of water before going into the studio.
4. Do not drink alcohol before your session and do not come to a tattoo session hungover. It’s bad for the tattoo because alcohol thins the blood, but it also increases sensitivity in many cases.
5. Relax! This is hard sometimes, but tightening your muscles really causes increased pain. If you hold yourself tense, you may be sore the next day as well
Remember, the pain of getting a tattoo is part of the experience!
Wednesday Jun 07, 2006
Every BODY Has a Story: Ganesha
"I got this tattoo on March 22nd from Sage, at Sage-Ink. We met through a spiritual community to which we both belong, though I do not entirely commit myself to being one of the ‘Radical Faeries’ (a part of the group).
This tattoo is of the god Ganesha, who is one of the Hindi deities. According to the story, Ganesha is the son of Pavardi and Shiva. Shiva left the family, and Ganesha installed himself as the guardian of the family threshold. Shiva returned many years later and demanded entrance to his house. Shiva did not recognize his son, and his son did not recognize Shiva. Shiva killed his son in order to get into the house. After he realized what he had done, he killed a female elephant in sacrifice, and replaced his son’s head with that of the female elephant.
In the broadest of terms, Ganesha represents overcoming obstacles. This deity has been very meaningful for me in the last period of time. One reason I am interested in Ganesha, is that he is often portrayed as partially feminine and partially masculine. In my life, I am seeking a balance with respect to gender.
For a long time, I lived exclusively with men, and then I lived exclusively with women. I feel as if I am finally finding a balance in my living situation with a mix of people who concentrated less on the specificities of gender and have more interest in their personhood.
Another issue that this tattoo addresses is that I have had a very hard time in my life with commitment. Commitment to friends, work, relationships… I see getting a tattoo as a very concrete way of making a commitment. This is an image that I will have forever. I chose white because I like that organic feel of black and white and brown images on the skin. I also feel as if it gives the image subtly, however permanent the image may be. I am overcoming my obstacles."
Wednesday Jun 07, 2006
Every BODY Has a Story: Dead Sheep
"This is my silly tattoo that I love… Originally, I had this idea that I would get a tattoo based on a Native-American folk tale called The Spider Woman. I am Anthropology major, and the tale was a creation myth type story.
I was showing the image from the book (which was a children’s book) to a friend of mine, and we both happened to be really drunk.
We started cracking up looking at the images, and she pointed out that the image I wanted was a sort of tribal style. Nix on that…
We got to the end of the book, and there were a lot of sheep in this field. I don’t know why this was so funny, but my friend goes- “Look, that one’s DEAD!”
That settled it. I decided to get the dead sheep tattoo. The tattoo looks Exactly like the image from the book (which was sort of ambiguous to begin with).
The funniest thing for me is what Other people think my tattoo might be. I’ve heard ice cream, carrots, you name it. But mostly, a chicken wing. That really makes me laugh. The best part is that when I tell them it’s a dead sheep, they have to check it out for a couple of minutes before they can see it. Legs? Eyes? Body? See it??"
Tuesday Jun 06, 2006
INKEDblog Readers Share their Stories: Mickey
"I got this very famous tattoo when I was 18. That was ten years ago. It was a moment in my life when a girl decides to be on her own and feels old enough to make life changing decisions. This was mine.
As a young girl, and also as a teenager, I collected everything "Mickey". And for me this tattoo was my everyday reminder of that collection. It is on my lower back and was free handed by Oz, an artist here in Vegas.
Now comes the story of the scar.
A year ago I was in a bad car accident. (I did not own this scar pervious to the tattoo) This tattoo now has another meaning for me. The 8 inch scar goes thru Mickey and what lies under are 12 screws, 2 plates and 2 long rods. Mickey holds the secret of a very long and painful back surgery. What was once a happy memory of being 18 has now turned into a painful looking scar. I am thankful the surgeon did a wonderful job re-attaching Mickey. I just cannot stand to look at it anymore. I suppose my story is a part question.. I do not want Mickey removed but I want him morphed into something else. With the scar and tissue beneath I know it will not be soon but I do want it covered. Is it possible to cover this 8 inch tattoo/scar? My thoughts are a large heart with wings like the one off of a certian rock bands' album (Papa Roach). I have heard that if you want to cover a tattoo it would have to be something dark. Is the heart a possibility? Will it be too painful with the scared tissue?"
Do you have a tattoo with an interesting story? Tell us at getinked@inkedblog.com
Tuesday Jun 06, 2006
Every BODY Has a Story: Primo
I was born in Dallas, Texas, but spent most of the growing up part of my life in Denton. Denton is a college town, home to UNT and TWU. Skateboarding is something that I have been doing for a long time there, and elsewhere, and it is how I ended up meeting a lot of people.
In Denton, I was part of this kind of skate club called the Denton cruisers. It wasn’t super organized or anything, but we would go out together and bomb hills, skate around, it was fun.
A lot of the time I rode a long board, but my friend Bianca gave me this hilarious short board. It was so short no one else thought they could ride it… It was tiny, hot pink, and said Primo ten times in the shape of a ‘V’.
I guess it was a sort of initiation or something, but me, Bianca and our other friend all went and got this tattoo together. It reminds me of that time. "
Monday Jun 05, 2006
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
More from Mark here.
Monday Jun 05, 2006
Every BODY Has a Story: Picture a Happy Family
"I started this tattoo about nine, almost ten years ago now after the birth of our last child, Breanna. The older part of the tattoo is the sun/moon with the names of all three of my children; Breanna, Cameron, and Ava.
I got the design for the sun/moon from flash at Deluxe tattoo. I didn’t have a specific idea of what I wanted before I went in, I just knew that I wanted a celestial image. I liked the way that the sun/moon had the feeling of completion, of a Yin Yang.
Since then, I left the image pretty much alone until about three months ago. Today, I’m on my third session getting work on this arm. The image I’m getting is from a hotel that my wife and I have been going to for a long time. It is a very unusual hotel. It’s called the Edgefield, and it was originally a poor house. A poor house was a place they used to put people who couldn’t pay their debts.
The Edgefield was resurrected by the McMenamin Brothers. They have a philosophy of rebuilding old and actually Haunted buildings, and turning them into incredible artistic spaces. They have all these funny little breweries and bars, one is actually in a shed! They have pools, golf, and gardens. We try to go every other month or so.
When we first went to the Edgefeild, we couldn’t believe the artwork. Every surface of the building is covered by murals, many celebrating the antics and legends from the residents of the poor house, others simply beautiful decorations.
This tattoo comes from one of the images that struck my wife and I on one of our many visits. I took a picture of it, and Wade, from Raven Ink has worked it into my tattoo image. He also incorporated all of our children’s and my wife’s astrological signs as well. All in all, it is a tattoo of happy family memories."
Monday Jun 05, 2006
Every BODY Has a Story: Dragonfly Meadow
When I was a kid, my parents bought a piece of property a couple of miles away from our house. The idea was that it was an investment property and someday they would sell it. For me though, it was a meadow wonderland.
There was a creek to wade through, acres to romp in and old buildings to explore. I managed to spend at least a few hours there every week. Sometimes we camped out, but most of the time we just played there during the day. Because of local building codes, it is very difficult to tear down or repair very old and damaged houses in our neighborhood. So the house that was buried in stickerwood was off limits for us.
There were some amazing finds, however. After we spend a lot of time uncovering it, we discovered a greenhouse! I think my dad used it a bit, and we kids played in it as well. Next to the greenhouse was a heart-shaped pond. Someone had built it that way, dug it and lined it with rocks. It wasn’t in good enough shape to use as a real pond, but it still attracted insects of all sorts.
I think that is when I developed my interest in the insect world. I collected butterflies, the sort that you get in a box, when I was about seven. I also adored dragonflies, but I couldn’t stand to kill either kind of bug, myself.
After I had kids, my children would go there too and I saw them playing a lot of the same games I would play. They liked to take the dogs to the creek and run around.
A year or so ago, my parents sold the property. I got this tattoo remembering all of those times. I hope someday to have an empty piece of land for my children to chase dragonflies through…"
Monday Jun 05, 2006
Dear INKEDblog: Can I get a tattoo if I am underage?
Hello INKEDblog!
I am seventeen and interested in getting my first tattoo. I'm wondering, even though I am under legal age, if I can get a tattoo from a reputable artist? If not, I guess I'll just wait until I'm 18 because I want it to be safe and perfect!
Thanks so much!
~Jordan
Dear Jordan,
Your answer varies state by state. Most states will let you get a tattoo after the age of sixteen with parental permission. Some states allow tattoos with parental consent at any age; and some, not until you are eighteen without exception.
Even in the cases where a parent or guardian is amenable to the process, many artists will not tattoo underage clients. There are several reasons for this. First, if the image is one that the artist feels may not be something the client might like for life, they may chose to refuse the job. Also, when you are growing, it is possible that the image will stretch.
Finding a reputable artist is always a first good step. Then chose your image carefully. By the time you have done this, you may be eighteen!
Best,
INKEDblog
Monday Jun 05, 2006
New Episodes of INKED on A&E This Wednesday
INKED on A&E is a sponsor of INKEDblog
Friday Jun 02, 2006
Every BODY Has a Story: Scarab
"I have always been drawn to Egyptian symbols and mythology and the scarab in particular. Something about that little dung beetle rolling that sh-t around and creating life from it…
I was living in LA trying to be an actress at the time, a soul sucking life experience to be sure, and I was on set as an extra one day and there was another extra with a scarab tattoo on his calf and we started chatting about scarabs and mentioned that I wanted to get a tattoo of a scarab but I just couldn't find one that I liked. He said he'd gotten his out of a coloring book and that he'd bring in a copy of it the next day. To my complete shock and surprise he brought it the next day (actors/artist types are notoriously flaky).
As soon as I had the acceptable image I was chomping at the bit to get it done, but where??? I went to a place on Melrose, just walked in, and there I met the most dreamy tattoo artist Jesse Tuesday. He was adorable and nice, we talked about my coloring book image (no shading just outline of a scarab without wings). He suggested wings, and we talked about color. I told him about the colors I didn't want, and I left the rest to his artistic judgement. He put the temporary image on a few times to make sure it would be straight. And then he began.
It hurt a lot more than I had anticipated. The blood was kind of a shock as well. But we got through it. He is an amazing tattoo artist. I absolutely love my scarab and am so glad I will have it for the rest of my life.
That was nearly 10 years ago and I remember it like it was yesterday!
A short time after it healed, I was in line at Pavilions (supermarket) and some guy was in line behind me and just touched it. Which totally freaked me out. Since then several strangers have touched it, without asking, just compelled to touch it. Others have asked me if I'm a Journey fan. Of course, I had no idea what they were talking about, but I was informed that all Journey album covers have a scarab on it. And for the record, I am definitely NOT a Journey fan."
Friday Jun 02, 2006
Dear INKEDblog: How Do I Find The Right Image?
Dear INKEDblog,
I would like to get a tattoo of the sweet pea flower, but I am having a hard time finding a good picture of one. Have you ever done the sweet pea flower before? Thank you for any help you can give me.
PH
Dear PH,
We just ran across a sweet pea flower tattoo the other day, coincidentally. As for your own design however, we recommend that you find something that is unique to You.
First off, think about what the sweet pea flower means to you. For example, when was the first time you remember seeing a sweet pea flower? Was it a picture? Was it in someone’s garden? If the flower was from an actual garden, it will be blooming again soon, and it might be possible for you to take a digital picture of it and give it to your tattoo artist. This would make for a very original and accurate representation.
If you are looking for a more stylized version of a sweet pea, try Google images online, or look in botanical books in the library. Your artist can use any of these images as a reference to draw out your own custom version of your perfect tattoo.
Best,
INKEDblog
Thursday Jun 01, 2006
"Seen At The Clubs" - Photos by Mark The Cobrasnake
More from Mark here.
Thursday Jun 01, 2006
Every BODY Has a Story: Butterfly!
I got the first butterfly on my arm ten years ago from a place in Milwaukee that doesn’t exist any longer. Good thing really, because I didn’t end up liking it very much at all!
I got the idea to get a tattoo from my daughter, who got her first tattoo as a teenager. We are both animal lovers, and in fact, run a pet and pet supply shop called Animal Crossing. She has several dragonfly tattoos, and I decided on the butterfly but have wanted some changes since the beginning.
A couple of years later I got another butterfly, and to me, it looked like a moth! That is the one with the yellow center. It was clear that I needed to go to another artist.
About two years ago, a gal I knew had a roommate who was a tattoo artist and he had just opened a shop called Captain Jack’s. I went in to have Jesse at Captain Jack’s take a look at the work I had already and see if he could recommend anything.
It funny, everyone Else seemed to like the butterflies that I had before, just not me! After I talked to Jesse, we figured out how to extend and fill in the tattoos that I had. He made them so much better by extending the antenna, surrounding the wings with other colors and elongating the bodies.
I love them now! After that, I told I wanted a vine that wrapped around my arm. I chose the vine from flash that they had in the shop, but Jesse freehanded it, to make it custom. "
Thursday Jun 01, 2006
Dear INKEDblog: Can I get a tattoo on my thumb?
Dear INKEDblog
Have you ever heard of anyone getting a tattoo on their finger print or thumb print area? What do you all think about getting one there?
Thanks for the info,
RB
Dear RB,
Many tattoo studios will not do tattoos on the finger area, period. But, there are certainly a great many people who have had them done. The greatest problems with finger tattoos are that the ink doesn’t remain in the skin in the same way and the peeling creates a faded image.
The palm of the hand is another place that is considered a taboo area for many studios as well. Because the skin on the palm of the hand is so much thinner than the rest of your body, the risk is that the ink will actually go into your bloodstream rather than remain between the layers of your epidermis (skin).
That said, no. We don’t know anyone with fingerprint tattoos.
Let us know how it goes!
INKEDblog
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