I spotted Jill in the beginning of November sitting in the New Jersey Transit waiting area at Penn Station.
She has eight tattoos, five are symbols and three are word-based, including this one on her forearm:
The one she shared with us is based on the song lyrics of U2 and their song "Walk On".
The letter G and the date refer to her grandmother and the day she died, March 2, 2010.
The lyrics are "And I know it aches/And your heart it breaks/You can only take so much/Walk on".
Jill said that listening to music got her through a difficult time and this song, in particular, carried and sustained her through the mourning process.
Coincidentally, March 2 marked the anniversary of her meeting the band in 2009.
As you would expect, there was a long line to see the author, who is indisputably the most famous tattoo artist in the world.
Despite the long line, I did have a chance to chat at length with several other people at the event. We talked tattoo as we queued along 46th Street, around the corner onto 5th Avenue, up an escalator, and through a maze of book stacks.
One such fan was Melissa, a student, who was accompanied by several friends. Talking with Melissa and her friends made the two-hour wait much more bearable, indeed.
Melissa offered to share this tattoo with us here on Tattoosday:
This white feather on the inside of her right wrist is tied to the memory of her mother who passed away a couple of years ago.
Melissa's aunt often said that a floating white feather represents the soul of someone who's died. That said, whenever Melissa sees one, she thinks of her mother. By tattooing it on her wrist, she is assured that the memory of her mom will always be close at hand.
The tattoo was inked by Kerry O'Neill at Shotsie's Tattoo in Wayne, New Jersey. Work from Shotsie's has appeared previously here on the site.
Thanks to Melissa (and her friends) for keeping me company on that long day in October, and a special thanks to Melissa for sharing this poignant tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!
I met Katie on 34th Street one afternoon when I stopped to ask her about her foot tattoo:
This tribute piece on her left foot is for her cousin, whose initials are JMS. The letters sit astride the ribbon designating awareness for the disease Multiple Sclerosis (MS). The two feet represent the fact that she helps raise awareness in the fight against MS by participating in an MS Walk each year.
Katie also shared with me these wings on the back of her neck:
The initials "MCF" refer to her brother Mark, who was killed with a friend a few years back when a train struck them. This memorial piece ensures that her brother is always with her.
Katie's tattoos were inked by Spencer at Fat Kat Tattoos in Keyport, New Jersey. Work from Fat Kat has appeared previously on Tattoosday here.
Thanks to Katie for sharing two of her four tattoos with us here on Tattoosday!
Closest of my Hawai'i nieces and nephews is Lehua who, in essence, is a third sister in my Hawai'i ohana. My wife and I had the tremendous honor of Lehua dancing hula at our wedding reception in 1995, which many guests still recall as the highlight of the post-ceremony festivities.
In honor of Poppa John, who passed away suddenly on the fifteenth anniversary of our wedding and that memorable hula, Lehua had this touching memorial inked on her foot:
Lehua explains that this infinity symbol represents eternity in the context that Poppa John will be remembered forever.
What I love about this relatively simple design is that each circle contains an astrological sign, giving more significance to the tattoo.
Looking at the photo, the sign on the left is Gemini, and the sign on the right is Sagittarius. The Gemini sign represents Lehua's son Raycn (Poppa John's great-grandson) and, of course, Sagittarius was the sign of Poppa John. The tattoo thus bridges four generations and is a reminder of the eternal ties that will carry on the memory of John Ferreira.
Coincidentally, Raycn shares the same sign as my mother (his great-grandma), Diane, whose birthday happens to be today, May 23. So, even though I know the meaning for Lehua is the link between John and Raycn, through Lehua, I interpret a second unintended meaning: the love of John and Diane, woven together, 25 years in this world, and the rest of time beyond.
On my last day in Hawai'i I had some time to kill before my flight. I wanted to stay close to the airport, so I headed over to Pearlridge Center to do some last minute shopping.
One of the first people I met was Dottie, a Kentuckian who had moved to Oahu.
She had this touching tattoo on her calf:
It is a memorial piece for her father, who was a constable back in Kentucky. Sadly, he was killed in the line of duty in 1984. The rose is part of the shield he wore and she incorporated it into the tattoo design.
Thanks to Dottie for sharing this emotional tattoo with us here on Tattoosday.
Update: Dottie has filled me in on some missing details.
But, like any one of these brave men and women can tell you, they have seen their share of sorrow when they have lost fellow soldiers in the war in Iraq and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.
Earl's way to honor them has been to inscribe on his flesh "For the Fallen," and the initials of those that have died for their country, each bullet representing someone he knew.
On his right arm, he has this tribal piece with a military inscription:
The phrase "Mess with the Best, Die like the Rest" is one of those military slogans that is designed to inspire the soldier and intimidate the enemy.
I was contemplating the best way to approach a rather imposing figure who was completely covered in ink, when Darren passed me at the entrance to K-Mart in Penn Station.
When I caught up to him in the store, I introduced myself and, being a piercer in a New York City tattoo shop, he was more than happy to indulge my curiosity.
Darren has three tattoos, all on his arms and crafted by Young Cho at Monster Tattoo in the Elmurst section of Queens.
The first piece, on his lower right arm, is a pin-up depiction of Lady Luck perched on a crescent moon:
The second tattoo is a half-skull that pays homage to Boys Night Out, a band in which one of Darren's friends plays:
This is the outer forearm on his left side.
Finally, we have this piece, which is more than just a few numbers and letters: Located on his inner right forearm, this tattoo is translated as 40 degrees, 40 minutes, north latitude and 73 degrees, 9 minutes west longitude. These coordinates refer to a specific location in the world, in this case, a spot in the Great South Bay off the coast of Long Island. It was here that Darren's father loved to go fishing and the coordinates in question mark the spot where his father's ashes were scattered after he passed away.
I must emphatically state that this is one of the coolest memorial pieces I have seen. It is extremely thoughtful and creative, speaking to a point on the earth where Darren knows his father will remain, in spirit, for the rest of time.
I thank Darren for taking the time to stop and chat with me about his three tattoos here on Tattoosday!
I met Dan outside of Penn Station last week on a balmy December day.
He has 22 tattoos and shared this one from his right forearm:
It's a memorial piece for a friend who passed away in 2008.
Her initals are in the heart, which is pierced by a lone yellow rose. "She loved yellow roses," Dan told me, which led him do design this variation on the dagger-through-the-heart tattoo.
The piece was inked at Fat Kat Tattoo in Keyport, New Jersey. Work from Fat Kat has appeared previously on the site here.
Thanks again to Dan for sharing his tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!
I met Bill in mid-September on the 34th Street train platform while waiting for a downtown A train.
You may have heard of the scent known as a "new car smell". Bill had whatis known as a "new tattoo sheen," which occurs when one anoints a fresh tattoo with a healing ointment used to protect the ink.
The tattoo depicts himself, seen from the back, standing in reverence at the graves of his grandfather "Giff" and his uncle Giff Jr.
It's a nice way to memorialize his family. This was inked by Aaron at Red Rocket Tattoo East, in Levittown on Long Island.
Bill has a great tattoo on his outer right forearm, as well. Whereas his left arm is a memorial to those in his family that passed before him, his other piece pays tribute to a newer generation:
In this piece, two traditional swallows hold aloft a banner bearing the name of his daughter, Allana.
Last month, I ran outside toward the end of the day to throw a letter in the mailbox at the corner of 31st and 7th, near Penn Station.
Always prepared, I had a flier and my camera with me, just in case, and I spotted a woman ahead of me on the sidewalk with an interesting-looking tattoo on the back of her right arm.
After dropping my letter in the box, I ran up and introduced myself. She said her name was Jeanette and she showed me this chest piece which truly took my breath away:
I was however, without a pen, so she lent me hers. Fortunately, she later e-mailed me a fuller explanation of her work, reiterating what she told me in the street:
My gypsies on my chest are a representation of my open, free spirited soul, my wandering spiritual ways and my childhood. As a child, my mom moved my 4 sisters and I from place to place; never truly getting settled but gaining amazing friendships and experiences on the way.
These gypsies were created and drawn by Mo Coppoletta a tattoo artist originally from Italy but now residing in London.
He owns and operates The Family Business...He is a feisty but charming fellow who I bonded with immediately after meeting. You can view more of his work and his shop at www.thefailybusinesstattoo.com.
I also snapped a photo of the original tattoo I had spotted on her right arm:
She explained:
This tattoo is very sentimental...[in memory of] my mother who passed away at the young age of 50 in May of 2003. The words inscribed on the tombstone..."It's Gettin Chistled on yer tombstone" are from one of my favorite films, The Devil's Rejects. These words represent the things you do in life...each moment...each day you are engraving a memory for which people will remember you by, and this is how my mother lived. Always giving a hand and offering her last dollar from her pocket to a stranger. This tattoo is not completed yet, I intend to have the front of the tombstone added soon which will have my mother's name, date of birth and death and the words "Loving Mother and Loving Soul" in bold ink. This tattoo artist is Ezra [McCabe] from Sacramento, CA owner and operator of Timeless Tattoo and his work is truly timeless and remarkable. They are located at 912 J St Sacramento, CA and can be reached at(916) 443-6441.
A little more about Jeanette:
"I am a freelance fashion designer for my own clothing line "Altered Betty's," a line of clothing that comes straight from my heart. All one of a kind pieces made from all recycled fabrics and notions. What once was very special to one could be a delightful surprise for another. I recently moved to New York from California, I am still adjusting but I am beginning to really love and appreciate this beautiful city. "
It was an unexpected treat to meet Jeanette and I thank her for sharing her amazing gypsy rose tattoos with us here on Tattoosday!
I met Missy last month in Penn Station and she shared this, her first tattoo:
This is also the first Icelandic tattoo on Tattoosday!
The phrase in Icelandic, "Mér vartar kraftaverk" , Missy loosely translated as "I need a miracle". It is a memorial tattoo for a friend of hers who was killed after being hit by a car.
This tattoo not only serves as a memorial (she needs a miracle to bring her friend back), but also provides strength and prayers for any future challenges she may face in life.
The phrase was inked by Chi Chi Gunz at Silk City Tattoo in Hawthorne, New Jersey. Work from Silk City has appeared previously on our site here.
Thanks to Missy for sharing her tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!
I had just exited from the subway station in Bay Ridge when I spotted an extremely-inked couple.
I talked with both of them, but Mike was gracious enough to share this phenomenal back piece:
Mike, a musician, has been on the receiving end of the tattoo machine for many years. He is currently lead singer/bassist for The F.T.W.'s, a New York-based rock band.
He even speaks nostalgically about the mid-90's, when tattooing was still illegal in New York City. He has a critical eye and like many people with a commitment to old school tattooing, is dismayed by the skyrocketing popularity of the art, and the subsequent deterioration of the overall quality of tattoos.
For every great tattoo you see here on Tattoosday, there are two dozen others that were inked because they are trendy, and not out of appreciation of the art.
We had a lengthy discussion about this and I worried he might not be so down with the site because I don't always feature top quality tattoos, and am oftentimes just as interested in the story behind an average tattoo as I am in a convention-quality piece.
As for Mike's back piece, he credits Miss D'Jo at the fabulous Lark Tattoo in Westbury, New York for the creation of this gigantic tribute.
Mike spoke of a friend and tattoo artist, Chris Lewis, who committed suicide many years ago. Chris had given Mike a knife as a gift, and after his friend passed, Mike had this quasi-memorial back piece done. The knives in the tattoo are modeled after the blade in question.
The detail in this gigantic tattoo is simply phenomenal. Just take a look again at the handiwork on the knives: Much thanks to Mike and his girlfriend Amanda for stopping and talking tattoo with me. Your contribution to Tattoosday is much appreciated!!
I met Georgiana, owner of twenty-two tattoos, and she offered up these two pieces from her inner forearms:
Both tattoos were done by her husband, who is a tattoo artist (MySpace page here).
The first piece is a tattoo dedicated to them as a couple (Pete and Gia). The second is a memorial, for their son Blake, who passed away at five weeks old, a victim of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
Thanks to Georgiana for sharing these two very personal tattoos with us here on Tattoosday.
It seems odd and yet is not beyond comprehension that, at the last two bat mitzvahs I have attended, I came home with tattoo pictures.
The first time (documented here) was a pleasant surprise. On Saturday, August 8, however, I had no expectations, as it was my daughter's bat mitzvah.
However, much to my amazement, I noticed that one of my sister's closest friends, Avital, has two small tattoos. I was more surprised, considering that Avital is a cantor, and that whereas tattooed Jews are not as rare as they used to be, an inked cantor is still an unusual sight.
Granted, her two tattoos don't jump out at you. The omon her right ankle:
and the slender "b+" on her right wrist
are discreet enough to be overlooked by a discriminating eye, and yet these two small tattoos are large with meaning.
Avital gave me a synopsis the day I took the photos, summing up that the "b+" was a personal message to herself to always "be positive," and that it is her blood type, but she has since offered up a lengthier, more thorough explanation, which I'll share here:
" [The b+], though it is very small (1/2") represents many important parts of my life: past, present and future. When my college friend, Erica died in December from Leukemia, I was devastated. Throughout her illness, she managed to have good spirits and enjoy time with her friends and family. Her battle against cancer put life in perspective for me. I have struggled with depression most of my adult life, and when she died, I made the conscious decision to turn my life around, completely. The morning after her death, my father was diagnosed with Glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer. Double whammy. My sister and I had both been contemplating a tattoo for several years, but Jewish guilt always managed to turn me away. After several hours in the ER with our father, we ventured down to Kingdom [Tattoos] and got our matching b+ tattoos. It's incredible how much strength I find from this little symbol on my wrist.
And Avital added:
"And the B in the b+ tattoo is a flat. in music. since I'm a musician. I can't believe I forgot that part! flats are most commonly associated with minor, "sad" keys. so, there is a bit of sadness in the tattoo. too."
As for the om, she elaborates:
"One of the major changes I made in my life after E died was a regular Yoga practice. An unfortunate encounter with a sharp blade left a 1" scar on my inner right ankle. After about 3 months of drawing an OM over the scar with a sharpie (so tedious!) I decided to make it permanent. The OM, like my b+, centers me, calms me, and reminds me of the simpler, more important things in life."
Much thanks to Avital for sharing her tattoos and the powerful stories behind them here with us on Tattoosday.
I see a lot of crosses in my travels through the streets of New York City, so they don't generally grab my attention.
This one, however, did:
There's nothing necessarily magnificent about this tattoo, but it just goes to show that a crisp, simple tattoo can be as aesthetically pleasing, sometimes moreso, than an overly-wrought elaborate design.
Summer had this memorial piece done for her father, who passed away in 2005. His initials grace the center of the cross.
It was inked in Tattooville in Linden, New Jersey. This piece is on Summer's left bicep, she also has the comedy/tragedy masks on the right shoulder blade portion of her back.
Thanks to Summer for sharing her tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!
It was my boldest moment as a tattoo solicitor to date. A half-dozen or so Green Day fans were decamped in the early afternoon near the artist entrance at Madison Square Garden. Green Day was playing that night and I saw one person inked, a woman, but I chose to announce to all: "I write a tattoo blog and was wondering if any of you had Green Day tattoos?"
Sadly the answer was "no," or, I should say, not exactly.
The woman I spotted before spoke up and we chatted about her ink. She was okay having me take the following photo, one of the few I've posted in which you can identify the tattoo contributor:
Her name is Geraldine and the tattoo she is displaying is a memorial piece for an ex-boyfriend who recently passed away.
Joseph was a musician and died of a heroin overdose.
Geraldine is a huge Green Day fan and Billie Joe Armstrong, lead singer for the band, has the name Joseph on his arm, in honor of his son.
Geraldine chose the same font as Billie Joe's Joseph tattoo and noted that, in the song "Jesus of Suburbia" the first three letters of each word in the song title spell out the first three letters in the name Joseph.
She had this tattoo at Ink Inc. in Kingston, New York.
Thanks to Geraldine for sharing her story and tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!
Austin was visiting New York when I stopped him on 7th Avenue right in front of the Fuse studio.
He offered up this sleeve on his left arm:
This was inked by Amanda Grace at Truth and Triumph Tattoos. She now works at Smartbomb Tattoo. Both shops are in Dayton, Ohio. The playing cards are a tribute to his grandmother, who was a card player. She also tended roses, so these flowers also pay homage to her.
Of the other elements, Austin says he just likes skulls, artistically. Also, the words "Never Again" are there to remind him to remain strong his sobriety, and not to go down that same road of dependency.
I appreciate Austin stopping and chatting with me, and thank him for his forthrightness, and for sharing his tattoos with us here on Tattoosday!
I met Chris in Brooklyn Heights one afternoon and asked him about his ink. He has seven tattoos in all, but offered up this section of his arm:
What seems at first like an odd juxtaposition of figures makes more sense when it is explained.
The piece is a memorial based on a photograph of his father, who had worked as an editor on the original film of Woodstock, as well as the book documenting the process who worked with the team that made Woodstock (Paradigm), developing and experimenting with new film technology which was eventually used in the process of making the movie.
After searching for a while, I emailed Chris and asked if he could send me the photo. He generously obliged:
Seeing the source material on which this piece is based makes it cooler. The photograph appears in the book, and was taken up at Woodstock when the documentary was in production years laterby one of the cinematographers of the Woodstock film, Chuck Levey somewhere in New Jersey.
And the back of the arm features a quote from Chris's dad, a statement he would often make, which seems genuinely appropriate from someone so deeply immersed in the culture of the 1960s:
Chris had his tattoos inked by Nick Caruso at Fly-Rite Studio in Brooklyn. Work from Fly-Rite has appeared previously on Tattoosday here.
Thanks to Chris for sharing his work here on Tattoosday!
There are certain signs I look for when I am scanning a crowd for tattoos. Colored hair and/or facial piercings are good, but not always reliable, indicators that someone may be inked. A guitar case, you would think, also favors the theory that its possessor has tattoos, but it's not always the reality.
So when I spotted a tall woman walking out of Penn Station carrying what appeared to be a guitar case, I took notice. And, she had a neck tattoo that resembled this pattern:
Despite being in a hurry, she let me shoot this photo of her forearm tattoos:
She explained that the one on the left arm features her mother's initials (HLH) under the phrase "máthair mo ghrá" and the dates 2-23-25 - 1-5-09". The tattoo is Gaelic and translates to "Mother, my love".
She explained that her mother died earlier this year and, before I could react, she explained that the right arm is a memorial to her husband (AMS), who died thirty-three days later.
Her right arm reads "Fear chéile mo ghrá" which means, "Husband, my love".
In an attempt to express condolences, I said, "Wow, it sounds like you've had a bad year. I'm very sorry".
But she was not down about it and said that actually, despite a rough year from a family perspective, it had been a good year for her personally.
She indicated that she was running late for rehearsal and I asked her if her band had a website. She started to spell the name "L-E-Z..." and I knew instantly what band she was in. The runic tattoo on her neck was familiar because it had stood for the great drummer John Bonham. Leesa is the drummer for the all-female Led Zeppelin tribute band, Lez Zeppelin.
It was only later, after researching a bit, that I learned that the band's guitarist and de facto leader Steph Paynes, had announced on January 5, 2009, that the other members of the band were leaving, and three replacements, including Leesa, were subsequently selected.
I am assuming that Leesa's reference to a good year, personally, had much to do with her joining Lez Zeppelin, and embarking on a tour.
February is the Dead of Winter, and after the 60-degree day from last Wednesday, I have seen very few blogworthy tattoos in the Big Apple.
Fear not, dear readers, warmer weather is around the corner. I can feel it. So, in the mean time, I am relying on the kindness of readers.
Behold, Jenna's bird:
Jenna wrote: "I just stumbled across your blog one day and I'm always up for sharing my favourite tat! Here's a picture right after it was finished... only picture I've got :( Looks much nicer now that it's finally healed!".
Fresh ink isn't always the prettiest, but we here at Tattoosday like the occasional unsolicited submission, especially when we've been in such significant ink withdrawal.
That was all she wrote, however, so I asked Jenna for some more info on this avian neck tattoo.
Jenna hails from Toronto, and had this inked by Phil at Adrenaline Tattoo there.
She explains the meaning behind this piece:
"...My best friend passed away from cancer in December 2007, and I was really, really torn up about it. When my friend, Corey (who was only 17) was alive, he would see a psychic and never shared any information with her. One day out of the blue last year, the psychic called Corey's family and spoke to his sister. All the psychic said was 'Do you have a friend named Jenna?' and the sister said 'Yes, she was really close to Corey as well". After speaking for a little while, the psychic declared that Corey wanted me to know that he is always going to be there for me and if I feel anything warm on the back of my neck, that's him guiding me in the right way... So, that's why this beautiful bird is on the back of my neck. For Corey."
Thanks to Jenna for sharing this emotional piece with us. We'll update the post with a cleaner, fresher photo when she gets one for us.
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