Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Sean's Tattoo of Odin is a Tribute to His Norwegian Heritage

I met Sean earlier this week in Penn Station and he was kind enough to share this wonderfully-done tattoo of the Norse god Odin:


In the epic poems at the center of Norse mythology, known as the Poetic Edda, one key section from a collection known as the Hávamál features Odin hanging from the world tree, revealing the origins of the runes, which are seen in detail below at the bottom of the tattoo.


Sean's tattoo is a tribute to his Norwegian heritage.

This piece was tattooed in three sittings by Bobby Chichester at Empire State Studio, in Oceanside, New York. Work from that shop has appeared previously on the site here.

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

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Two for Tattoosday: Vanessa's Ink (Two Hearts Beat as One)

I met Vanessa last week and she generously shared two of her wonderful tattoos.

This piece on her inner right forearm was her first tattoo:



This design is based on the album cover of Poison the Well's You Come Before You.


Vanessa explained that this was the album she listened to when she was visiting her mother in the hospital. Her mom recovered, and she associates the record with this time of her life. The tattoo celebrates those moments.

The second piece she shared was inspired by her father:


Unlike with her mom, Vanessa does not have a relationship with her dad. The optimistic banner "may we meet again" is a glance forward, toward the possibility of someday reconnecting with him.

This large tattoo, on her right biceps, took eight hours, all in one sitting. The detail of the anatomically-correct heart is amazing. Vanessa pointed out how the artist added flowers to the design, as well as the rays of light in the upper right corner to create the shape of a figurative heart, as well.

Both pieces were created by Anthony Mealie at Tattoo Lou's in Selden, New York.

Work from that shop has appeared previously here.

Thanks again to Vanessa for sharing her wonderful tattoos with us here on Tattoosday!

Monday, March 15, 2010

Tribal Tattoos

Tribal Tattoos Designs Bring Art to Life Primitive


Tribal tattoos art looks great, but more importantly, every tribe has design deeper meaning. Tribal TattoosWhen choosing tribal tattoos, you should consider the meaning of this, and make sure that you believe in the statement you made.




Choosing A Tribal Tattoo Design




There are some tribal tattoos designs that can be chosen differently. There zodiac tribal designs, sun and stars, religious symbols, and even tribal band tattoo. Each design has a meaning, be it spiritual or community. This has been happening since time immemorial, when the tattoo is used both to mark the affiliation with a group, or religion, magic, or spiritual beliefs.




Some of the oldest tribal tattoos there are thousands of years ago. Many of these tattoos represent the sun and the stars to honor the sun god and the element of fire. Tribal sun tattoo, and the stars, can vary in size and detail. This allows them to adapt to every part of your body, even though the shoulders and back seem to be the most popular locations. If you want to get creative, you can create a chain of ethnic tribes with pictures of the sun star as center.




Tribal TattoosAnother option is the recent popularity of the zodiac tribal tattoos. Zodiac is the first known celestial coordinate system. Greek and Roman zodiac is the most popular, but the cultures around the world have implemented the astrological meaning of the stars for thousands of years. Although there is no scientific basis, many people identify with the characteristics of their zodiac sign. If you are one of these people, zodiac tribal tattoos may be right for you.




As already mentioned, the tattoo has represented religious significance for many years. Because of this, many people have chosen to represent their beliefs in the ways of primitive tribes with the design of religious symbols. Depending on your beliefs, you may want to do research Tribal Tattoosbefore you make a decision. The key is to make sure that you use the symbols most meaningful to you. From there, you can be creative in your design, or allows you to design a tattoo artist for your tattoo.




Tribal tattoo bracelet is probably the most common ethnic art forms. Armbands are usually formed from the fire, barbed wire, or the knot work, but you do not have to stay with the basics. The point of a tattoo is made private, so you can use all kinds of tribal tattoos art that you want to enter your bracelet. For example, you can use barbed wire to wrap around the arm, holding a religious symbol or a sign of the zodiac in place. Other images can be included, too, including animals or words. For something a little more personal, bracelets tattoo can even be modified to fit on the wrist, too. By Terry Daniels




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Stevie's Tattoo Calms and Inspires

Last Wednesday marked the official end to the veritable tattoo drought this winter in New York has afforded us here on Tattoosday.

In addition to the three people I met at lunch, my train ride home and, subsequently, my day, was punctuated by a fleeting encounter with a woman named Stevie on the R train.

I had just plopped down in one of the seats after having moved car-to-car between stops, in an effort to get toward the back of the train. I mention this to illustrate how fortunate I was to be where I was, when Stevie boarded the train.

She got on at one stop and, by the time she had exited two stations later, I had had just enough time to take a picture of the wonderful tattoo on the back of her right calf, and pass her the blog info so she could contact me with more details.


Stevie has seven tattoos and this one came from the incomparable New York Adorned at the talented hands of Virginia Elwood. Stevie worked over several sessions with Virginia, ironing out the details of the piece, which was completed in one sitting.

There are three elements to the tattoo: the lotus, the hamsa, and the peacock feathers.

Via e-mail, Stevie explained:


I moved out here from the West Coast to teach in inner-city schools. When I first started teaching and things would get nerve-wracking I'd tap on this hamsa hand necklace I always wore. For whatever reason it calmed me down and reminded me that I was here to infuse some change and to do some awesome work. When I became an NYC Public School teacher I decided I'd like it on me permanently. The hamsa hand is a symbol of faith and clarity and that's what I think I found in myself, like my calling. The lotus flower goes along with this idea of rising to the surface and blossoming while the peacock feathers were an aesthetic touch.

Work from New York Adorned has appeared previously on the site here.

Thanks so much to Stevie for sharing her amazing work with us here on Tattoosday!

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Two Tattoos from Devin

Last Wednesday I had a productive inkspotting lunch hour, which culminated with meeting Devin in front of Penn Station.

Devin has three tattoos, two of which are in close proximity on his left forearm:

The first of the two he shared was also his very first piece he got when he was eighteen:


This "punk rock chick" is based on an old Rancid logo. Aside from being a fan of the band, he liked the design, as well. It was tattooed by Brad Schicklgruber at Mackenzie's Tattoo in Carmel, New York.

Just above that is the sparrow design that is classic flash:

It seemed fitting, then, that Devin had this done by Eddie at Sam O'Reilly's Tattoo Parlour in Santa Cruz, California. O'Reilly's, established in 1891, is one of the oldest shops in the nation and has top-notch artists. Work from O'Reilly's has appeared previously on our site here.

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