Repost for Father's Day: Memorial for a Father

It only seems fitting that, on Father's Day, I repost a special tattoo for a father. I had several to choose from (here and here), but settled on this one, from December 4, 2007:

On a cold morning in the beginning of November, I spied a tattoo on the bare left calf of a guy at the corner of 31st and 7th in Manhattan. He crossed the street, walking the same direction I was headed and, lo and behold, headed into the Starbucks in my office building.

He was ahead of me in line and after he ordered, I expressed admiration for his tattoo:


Obviously, it's a memorial tattoo. The host's name is Jim and, as he explained, his father had passed away 3 years ago. I didn't notice until later when I uploaded the picture, the dates 1961-2005, making his father 43 or 44 when he died. The inscription reads "In Loving Memory James R. Frederickson".

Jim explained the tattoo for me. His father wanted to be cremated, so the tattoo is an ersatz grave site. He also added in the cheap, wooden cross, because his father always had been critical of people who spent a ton of money on grave markers.

Jim explained that the piece took him 2 1/2 years to design and get just right, so it must have been completed in the past year. It was inked at Lake Geneva Tattoo.

Thanks to Jim for sharing his tattoo with me!

Matthew's Celestial Neck Tattoo

To be completely honest, it was Matthew's arm tattoo that I noticed first - the black and grey lotus flower with the word "HAUNTED" inked below it.

But, as Fate would have it, Matthew's most meaningful tattoo is the piece on his neck, and there is a compelling story behind it, so that is what we have above.

The tattoo was inked in Florida, at a now-defunct shop called Body Language. It is comprised of two elements, the name "Celestia" designed in Matthew's own handwriting. The other piece is the planet, which looks a lot like Saturn. This part of the tattoo was based on a sticker he had found, and the tattooist gave it a water-color look, which is why it appears slightly drained.

The story behind the tattoo is even more fascinating. Matthew has a belief system, in which he not only thinks aliens exist, but that they live among us.

Matthew is also a huge supporter of the actress Ann Heche. Ann wrote a compelling biography several years back entitled Call Me Crazy: A Memoir, in which she publicly discussed her childhood, and the abuse she suffered.

Heche relates how she survived the trauma of her childhood by developing, or obtaining, depending on one's perspective, a split personality.

Her other self was named "Celestia" and this "alien self" helped her survive the destructive forces in her life.

Matthew admires Heche for her being an example of a woman who "could overcome abuse and live a normal lifestyle".

He, too, has suffered from abuse and trauma in his life, and he relates to Heche's belief system, and feels that he has survived by the grace of that part of him that's from another world.

This is a theme about which he feels very strongly and it manifested itself in this tattoo, which he carries with him and displays in a very visible location. It's not somewhere he can hide it, so he has it a constant reminder of his belief and his reason for survival.

Thanks to Matthew for sharing this very personal tattoo with us here at Tattoosday!

Jenny's Interpretation of Yin and Yang

I was camera-less on Sunday when I breezed through day 2 of the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art (MoCCA) 2008 Art Festival. The whole time I kept thinking wow, cool, awesome, as I beheld the expectedly fantastic body art on multitudes of comic artists, fans, and publishers.

As fate would have it, two days later I ran into Jenny, who was in attendance at the same event.

I spotted the above piece, and when we started talking, and she mentioned her comic, Too Negative, did I think to ask her if she was at the MoCCA event.

This tattoo was designed by Jenny and inked by Sophie Crumb (daughter of the legendary master of comix R. Crumb and Aline Kominsky-Crumb), when she was apprenticing at Suerte Studios, in Brooklyn. Sophie has moved on and Adam Suerte moved his shop (Brooklyn Tattoo) from State Street to Smith.


The yin and yang symbols, a staple in Chinese philosophy, are popular emblems for countless people, and Jenny's design infuses the recognizable art with her own dark spin.

The circles in the standard yin and yang have been replaced with X's, a nod to one of her main characters in her comic, whose eyebrows are represented with a set of X's, as Jenny elaborated, "like a Manson girl who got over-zealous".

The flames surrounding the symbol refer to the devils that populate her comic. The blood dripping down is a nice touch, as well, definitely heightening the tension between Jenny's vision and the popular interpretation of the yin and yang harmony. Jenny's work is dark and twisted, and her influence on a design often associated with peace and balance, is unsettling and perfectly tailored to her artistic style.

Be sure to check out Jenny's site here. Her work Too Negative appears in the Comix section.

Thanks to Jenny for pausing during lunch on a blisteringly hot day to share her ink here on Tattoosday.

Billy's Reminder to Himself - Life is Half Full

Billy has several tattoos, but he chose this set of eight, each letter spelling out the message.

"It's the endless question," he mused, "of the glass being half-empty or half-full."

"So," I interjected, "you're an optimist?"

On the contrary, he informed me, optimism does not come naturally to him. He "would like to be" more of a "glass half-full" person, but he has had his share of challenges, to say the least.

Billy has been clean for two years, after a long struggle with heroin addiction.

The letters on his fingers come together when he makes fists, and he acknowledged that he often has "to beat it into [his] head to think more positively".

"By ourselves, we are not complete," he said, and explained how this simple interaction, two strangers meeting and discussing a tattoo, it's this kind of event that is what life is all about.

Billy was very positive, talking about a tattoo that grounded him and gave him the strength to live his life in a more fulfilling way.

The fingers were inked at Cliff's Tattoo of Long Island.

Thanks to Billy for sharing his ink and taking the time to talk tattoo!

Nicole's First Tattoo: Free as a Bird

I spotted this traditional sparrow tattoo on Nicole's left shoulder as I was walking down Broadway on Friday.

She got this piece to commemorate turning 21, celebrating her independence as represented in the freedom of a bird in flight.

This was inked by Guy Pranstatter at Body and Soul Tattoo 2 in Jersey City.

Thanks to Nicole for sharing her first tattoo here!

Appe-tattoo for Destruction

Sorry. I couldn't resist.

Spotted this very well-done piece honoring what many consider one of the greatest hard rock albums of all time, Guns N' Roses Appetite for Destruction.


Edward didn't mind stopping in front of Madison Square Garden and sharing his tattoo that was inked three years ago at Omega Tattoos in Queens.

This is Edward's only tattoo. Thanks to him for sharing it with the rest of us here at Tattoosday!

Heeeeeeeeere's Victor's Tattoos!

As awesome as the tattoo above is, it was The Who tattoo that first jumped out at me from the back of Victor's right arm when he passed by me on the sidewalk near Penn Station:

He had a few minutes before he had to catch a train to New Jersey, and was waiting for a friend, so he proudly showed me his gallery of tattoos, on both arms and his right leg. He has 13 in all, and here are 8 of them.

Generally we here at Tattoosday like to focus on one or two, but he had so many cool pieces, and he was totally game for sharing them, I just kept taking photos.

I'm going to divide them by the artist that did the tattooing.

We'll start with the "Soozie tattoo" because it was his first tattoo, drawn by Victor's favorite actress, Angela Bettis, who has quite a following among her fans. She is best known for her role in the film May, and works primarily in independent films.

Victor explains how this tattoo came about:

“I met her at a horror convention, and on an autographed poster she gave me, she drew a ‘Soozie doll’, which is one of the characters in the film. I went home and said this would be great for my first tattoo. So I did it, just as it is drawn on my poster”.

Victor adds that this tattoo "is one of my favorites because it looks like it was drawn on with a sharpie (it was supposed to)". And, like most of the tattooed can relate, once he got this inked, he became “addicted”.

This was inked by Kurt Fagerland at Empire State Studio, in Oceanside, New York.

Fagerland also inked this black heart:

This piece, done in tribute to Joan Jett and the Black Hearts, is on his left forearm, below the Soozie piece.

Victor didn't mention this, but I would interject that the Joan Jett tattoo could also symbolize that one wears one's heart on their sleeve.

Another piece from Empire State is a tip of the hat to the film Donnie Darko, on his inner left forearm:

Finally, the last tattoo inked by Fagerland is a portrait of Pee Wee Herman, the character portrayed by actor Paul Reubens. This piece is on Victor's right leg (calf):

One may have noticed, near the "Soozie" tattoo, there are some other lines drawn below and to the right of it. If it looks like an autograph, it is.

Nikki Sixx, the bass-player for Mötley Crüe, signed his arm. He then had the signature permanently inked by Chantal at Sparrow Tattoo in Franklin Square, New York.

Believe it or not, this is the second Nikki Sixx tattoo I have seen since the dawn of Tattoosday. The other is on the back of a woman who lives in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. I saw her on the R train one afternoon last Fall, but didn’t have my camera with me at the time.

Why did he tattoo the autograph? Again, he elaborates:

“I have been a Motley Crue fan for a while, but I always loved Nikki. He's dreamy. I went to his book-signing for The Heroin Diaries, and got him to sign my arm, because the asshole security guards would not let me get anything else signed. So I said ‘Fuck it, I want to engrave Nikki Sixx in my arm forever’ ”.

The three remaining tattoos were all inked by Vinny Romanelli at the House of Colour, in Bay Shore, New York.

He did the Mod symbol, appropriated by The Who, as seen above on the back of Victor's right bicep, above, and the New York Dolls pin-up on the inside of his right bicep.

Most impressive is the awesome Nicholson portrait, commemorating the famous “Heeeeere’s Johnny!” scene from the Stanley Kubrick film, The Shining. It’s worth a second look:

One might question why someone would get these various tattoos like Victor has chosen to do. People get tattoos for various reasons: as memorials, as decoration, and as commemorative pieces. Victor explained poignantly why he has chosen to decorate his body with such a variety of images from popular culture:

“The reason I get tattoos is because I pay tribute to the things that inspire me. Mostly movies & music, and certain people. I am a filmmaker myself, and one day hope to have a scene from one of my movies tattooed on some weirdo’s body.”

Well-put, Victor, and thanks for sharing the sources of your inspiration here on Tattoosday!

Maria's Family Tree, Flowering

The second tattoo from the 5th Avenue Festival on June 1 belongs to Maria.

Maria's tattoo on her right bicep, was one of the nicest pieces I saw all day, and I saw quite a few. The simple elegance of the artwork was striking, and a perfect example of a "less is more" outlook toward tattoos.

The concept is simple: a tree, abstractly drawn with flower blossoms. Each flower represents the birth month of a family member.


The top two blossoms are for her parents, born in May (Lily-of-the-Valley) and September (Aster).

The next two represent Maria (December - Narcissus) and her husband (November -
Chrysanthemum).

The next two are for her son (April - Daisy) and daughter (January - Carnation), and the one on
the bottom, "because we couldn't leave him out," is for Lucky, the family dog (October - Cosmos).

This stunning piece was tattooed by Rob at Brooklyn Ink. Work from Brooklyn Ink has appeared on Tattoosday previously here.

Thanks to Maria for sharing her tattoo with Tattoosday!

Krystynna Shares Her First Tattoo

Krystynna walked by me on 7th Avenue on Monday, and her tattoos on her wrists, behind her right ear, and her left bicep were totally cool.

When I realized a sidewalk photo of her quarter-sleeve wouldn't do it justice, which she confirmed when she later told me it ran up onto her shoulder, I asked if she would rather have me take a picture of a different tattoo.

Kristynna surprised me by offering up her first tattoo, a large lower back piece. Remember, folks, I never take a lower back tattoo unless its offered, according to the Tattoosday Code of Conduct.

Kristynna got the initial piece on the lower back, some flash art on the wall at Armageddon Tattoo when she was 17, ten years ago. She subsequently added little bits and pieces to make it into a larger piece over the years.

She has 9 tattoos in all, all done by Iann at Armageddon. Kristynna works as a Special Needs Educator for kids and acknowledges that the children love her tattoos, and the parents have no issues with them, either. This is good news, because the tattoos she has visible are extremely well-done, and I am looking forward to her sending me shots of the arm that do the piece
justice.

Thanks to Kristynna for sharing her ink with us here on Tattoosday!

Pursuit Until Capture

An unplanned trip to the Penn Station K-Mart yielded this awesome tattoo.

Sometimes, even if you can't initially see the whole piece, you can recognize high quality work. This was one of those times.

Chris, who works in independent film, more specifically the horror genre, wanted to pay homage to the film, John Carpenter's Halloween, that inspired him to follow the career path he chose.


The phrase "Pursuit Until Capture" was not from the film, but is a motto that guides him through life. Although applicable to the horror genre (that seems to drive every villain - the relentless pursuit of the victim), it holds a larger meaning for a life philosophy. Translation: follow one's dreams until they are attained. Chris recalls first seeing the "Pursuit Until Capture" phrase in old Sailor Jerry flash art.

This amazing piece was inked by Darren Rosa at Rising Dragon Tattoos in Chelsea. It really is superb work - click the photo to enlarge, and one can almost feel the texture of the pumpkin, the sharpness of the blade. Tattoos from Rising Dragon have previously appeared here.

Darren also inked Chris' first tattoo, a back piece, in January 2006:


Chris always imagined a tattoo with blue wings, and the phrase "Live Life Stronger then Death" exemplifies the ongoing struggle for good over evil.

Certainly words to live by.

Thanks to Chris for sharing his awesome tattoos with us here at Tattoosday!

Nancy's Dragon at the Fifth Avenue Festival

Last Fall's 3rd Avenue Festival in Bay Ridge was a watershed moment for Tattoosday. I came out of the block like gangbusters, tallying up a half-dozen tattoos, enough to carry me through into the cooler days of October.

With the Fifth Avenue Festival on Sunday, June 1, and nine months of tattoo-spotting under my belt, not to mention a sunny day in the 80s, I anticipated even greater success.

Instead, I found myself being more selective. I ran into Tani from this post and stopped by Groove Tattoo and introduced myself to Marc Redbeard (who inked these pieces).

By the end of the day, I only took pictures of two tattoos, and I was okay with that. I focused on quality, not quantity.

The first person I spoke to, Nancy, let me photograph her left leg, above.

This tattoo is about ten years old and was inked by the great late Huggy-Bear Ferris in his shop in Park Slope.

Nancy said that this was not flash, but a custom piece. She went into Huggy-Bear's shop, told him what she wanted, and he drew it up.

This piece is one of five of Nancy's tattoos.

Thanks to Nancy for sharing her ink! , and thanks to the memory of Huggy-Bear Ferris, who meant so much to the New York tattoo community.

UPDATE August 28, 2009. I have been informed that Mr. Ferris is still with us, despite several people telling me he had passed. I apologize to Mr. Ferris and wish him a long, happy life!

The Return of Danielle's Ink

I first ran into Danielle here, back in the Fall of '07.

Her upper arm tattoo jumped out at me then, as it isn't often you see Hawaiian words in Broolyn, and it jumped out the other day, when I had just come off the subway.

Last time I saw her, she had a burn on her right forearm, close to her other tattoo. So I took a rain check and cashed it 7 months later.

What looks initially like a few squiggles is actually a more complex piece she designed herself.

Danielle is the feminine form of the name Daniel. She appreciates the meaning of her name, in Hebrew, which is "God is my Judge." She elaborated on her name by transforming it in a stylized fusing of the Hebrew and Aramaic script. One familiar with either language can see, deep down, the daled, nun, yud, lamed.

Very cool design.

This piece, like the Hawaiian inscription, was inked at Funcity Tattoo in the East Village. The artist was Joe.

Thanks again to Danielle for sharing her ink here on Tattoosday!

Erin's Tattoos for Loss and Healing

Back in Tattoosday's infancy, when it was a weekly feature over at BillyBlog, I neglected to ask someone about their tattoo, and it had continued to nag at me, months later.

I had just come back from taking pictures of James's tattoos (here) and stopped in Rite-Aid for something. Ahead of me in line, a woman had an incredible black and grey piece that was complex and, I was sure, had great meaning.

But I had yet to successfully get pictures from someone that I didn't know previously, although I did manage to break the barrier and compliment her on the work, which to me was a small
victory in itself.

So, last Saturday, I was walking down my block when two women passed me and there it was, there she was, and this time, after 9 months of talking ink with complete strangers, I had no problem asking what this was all about.

Erin even vaguely remembered my compliment in Rite-Aid from the summer before. Her right biceps actually is comprised of three pieces, all of them inked by Todd at Hardwire Tattoo in Wilmington, North Carolina.

Her first element is the phrase "Until we meet again".
Erin's father passed away when she was very young, and the quote is a phrase that resonated with her in an obituary written for her father by one of his close friends.

Words can be healing, across the years, and the phrase is a powerful reminder of her father's memory.

The piece was enhanced by the tree and, an element that I didn't notice when I first saw the tattoo months ago, the dandelion, which is on the inner part of the arm.


Erin loved the tree design and had it placed in a way that the "until we meet again" phrase runs in the foreground, creating the impression that they were part of the same design.

The dandelion is a flower that is often associated with childhood. What kid hasn't made a wish and blown on a recently-plucked dandelion to watch the seeds scattered by the breeze? The dandelion on the inner arm wraps around and the seeds blowing away actually drift into the other element of the tattoo, making the two pieces become one.

The part that, I believe, binds the whole tattoo together is the piece above the tree:

This is a depiction of a heart that has been ripped in two. However, it has been mended, held together by thread that binds it. Note the needle still sticking out of it in the upper left corner of the heart.

The image is inspired by the fact that Erin's mother was a seamstress by trade, and despite the tragedy of her husband's (Erin's father) death, she kept the family together. It's a nice tribute and a fitting homage to the woman who held the family together, in the face of great loss.

Many thanks to Erin for sharing her amazing tattoos with us here on Tattoosday!

Jennifer's Butterfly, 2 Weeks out of the Cocoon

Standing in line waiting to buy a Lotto ticket, I noticed a bright fragment of ink peeking out from the top of Jennifer's shirt.

I struck up a conversation with her and she unveiled the whole piece, a bright butterfly that, as they say, "popped" off the skin.



She told me she just liked the coloring of the piece, and she and her husband were both getting tattoos by Michael Angelo (featured previously here).

The butterfly was inked only about two weeks ago. This explains why it is still so vivid, and also accounts for a little of the residual peeling that is evident on the piece.

She talked about how incredible the artist is, how he doesn't take appointments, that he is first-come, first-serve, and that his clients line up hours before he opens to get a spot later in the day.

Jennifer said her husband got a portrait of their son done by him, and that they are very happy with the work. Hopefully, we will feature more ink from Jennifer and her husband in the future.

Thanks to Jennifer for sharing her new butterfly with Tattoosday!

Fertility Goddess on the N Train

I met Patricia on the N train to Brooklyn. Generally, I am less inclined to ask people on the train about their ink, but Patricia's tattoo was so interesting, I couldn't resist.

She seemed very interested in Tattoosday as she explained that she got this piece in Puerto Rico. Based on the brief snippets of our conversation (she rushed off the train at the next stop), this is a likeness of a fertility goddess in Taíno culture. Note the similarity to this petroglyph:

According to this website, this petroglyph represents "the chief female diety Atttabeira, the fertility goddess. Her image is carved on a large stone in the main ball court of Caguana, Puerto Rico."

Thanks to Patricia for sharing her ink on the train!

Editor's note: Patricia, feel free to e-mail me a clearer picture of your tattoo, when you can. Thanks again!