A Woman and a Wolf

On Friday evening, I was standing on the subway platform at Columbus Circle, headed to Central Park, when I looked over and saw a young woman with a stunning tattoo on her thigh.

As the train approached, there was not much time for discussion. I gave her my card and asked if I could take a picture of the tattoo. She consented:

Even though the top of the wolf headdress is covered by fabric, you can still see what a stunning tattoo this is.

I did not get the name of the woman who shared the tattoo, but she did have time to credit her artist, Marc Fischer (@marcfischertattooist) who works out of PechSchwarz Tattoo (@pechschwarztattoo) in Berlin.

I would add that this seems an appropriate tattoo to share on this special day, July 31, for we are marking our 9th anniversary today. Nine years blogging about tattoo spotted on the streets of New York City!

It is exactly for encounters like this, a brief exchange of praise and information about someone's tattoo, that this site was conceived and it is the friendliness and willingness of strangers to share that has sustained us over the years.

I humbly thank all of our contributors, and all of our fans, who continue to support and sustain this little tattoo blog as we march onward toward our tenth anniversary next summer.

This entry is �2016 Tattoosday.

If you are seeing this on another website other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://tattoosday.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.

Cover Up Tattoo

Before

After

Luke's Death's-Head Moth

I met Luke on Pearl Street in lower Manhattan this month. I spotted his tattoos as he was walking toward me and I flagged him down.

Luke was visiting on vacation from Australia, and he had just recently received this Death's-head Moth tattoo on his thigh:

"I knew I wanted the Death's-head moth," Luke explained, "I just got divorced ... and it represents just the old and the new."

He credited the work to Joseph Bryce (@josephbrycetattoo) at Allied Tattoo (@allied_tattoo) in Bushwick, Brooklyn, adding, "he's a fine line artist and he did really well."

Thanks to Luke for sharing his transformative tattoo with us here on Tattoosday! Wishing you well on the new chapter in your life!

This entry is �2016 Tattoosday.

If you are seeing this on another website other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://tattoosday.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.

Anna's Colorful Map

I met Anna earlier this month on Wall Street, after spotting her colorful map tattoo:

No huge story here. Anna just likes to travel and has this colorful world map on her arm to illustrate that.

She credited the work to Tom Yak at Electric Tattoo (@electrictattoonj) in Asbury Park, New Jersey.

Thanks to Anna for sharing this cool, colorful tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

This entry is �2016 Tattoosday.

If you are seeing this on another website other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://tattoosday.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.

Marta's Tattoo Sustains Her

Earlier this month, at the entrance of Battery Park, I met Marta, a tourist from Spain. I saw this tattoo on her back and asked if she would share it. She graciously agreed.

Marta described this as a "floral crown," with the phrase "I will sustain you" within.

Marta told me that the phrase is from the book of Isaiah, in the Bible:

Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you. (Isaiah 46:4, New International Version)

Marta explained to me what this meant to her, but later wrote me and expressed in writing:

"... I was passing a really bad moment, and I was in bed for weeks. Then I realized that there was something more, something helping me. And this strength I was receiving through the love of my sister, parents and aunts should be the reason to start fighting again. I don't know how, but my faith appeared in this very moment. 

And this sentence from Isaiah has been essential in my life. These four words are what I say to my students when they feel upset or worried and these four words were the first said in my wedding." 

It's such a lovely tattoo and a beautiful story, and I am happy that Marta agreed to share the tattoo with us.

She credited Zeila Ruiz (@zeilaruiz) with the tattoo work at Italiano Diablo Tattoo (@italianodiablo) in Madrid, Spain.

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

This entry is �2016 Tattoosday.

If you are seeing this on another website other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://tattoosday.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.

A Colorful Mask, with a Dagger (at the 2016 New York Empire State Tattoo Expo)

Today we're checking out a cool mask tattoo that I spotted at the New York Empire State Tattoo Expo earlier this month in Manhattan:

This is on the back calf of Chuckie Needles (@chuckieneedles), a tattoo artist out Bomber Crew Tattoo in Carbondale, Illinois.

This devil mask, with a dagger through it, was inked by Brad Fink (@bradfink), at Iron Age Tattoo, in St. Louis. Fink is also one of the proprietors of New York City's DareDevil Tattoo (@dardedeviltattoo).

Thanks to Chuckie Needles for sharing his cool tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

This entry is �2016 Tattoosday.

If you are seeing this on another website other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://tattoosday.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.

TATTOO OF THE DAY...

Sarah Bartlett, Tattooed Poet of the Month

As we swelter through July, it's time for another tattooed poet of the month! We are continuing with our Tattooed Poets Project with a monthly taste to get us through to April 2017!

Our july contributor is Sarah Bartlett, who shared this lovely tattoo:

Sarah explains:

"For me, the ouroboros represents the cycle of rebirth and wholeness. I've wanted to get one for awhile, and finally arrived at the right design and placement a few months ago. The magnolia flower at the center offers the same basic idea of regeneration. Outside the first apartment I lived in alone, there was an incredibly beautiful magnolia tree. It bloomed furiously right up against my picture window. So, that particular type of flower is an important character in my life story."

Sarah credited this lovely tattoo to Alena Chun (@alenachun) at Icon Tattoo Studio (@icontattoo) in Portland, Oregon, adding, Alena's "very talented and the studio is fantastic."

Sarah sent us the following poem, from her new book, Sometimes We Walk With Our Nails Out:

All The Little Lights Turn On

I wake up with a forest growing

on my back, and instead of being alarmed,

I open my window and lay

very still so the birds will move in.

Cutting it down was a possibility

early on, but the birds sing to me

all day while they make their nests,

and I use their feathers to plump

my pillows. My friends are concerned,

but I tell them not to touch it.

They sweep up fallen leaves

and bring me high-energy snacks.

They worry about how fast it�s growing,

whether or not they should try and move me

before the room becomes overgrown,

and about the fox tail they see disappearing

into thickets. Paws make me feel

like I�m holding something.

They start sleeping over in tents.

Your body is going to be a killing field,

they warn. But I don�t care

about hypocrisy anymore.

~ ~ ~

Sarah Bartlett lives in Portland, OR. Her debut poetry collection, Sometimes We Walk With Our Nails Is Out, was released in 2016 from Subito Press. She is the author of two chapbooks, My Only Living Relative, published by Phantom Books in 2015, and Freud Blah Blah Blah, published by Rye House Press in 2014.

Thanks to Sarah for sharing her tattoo and poem with us here on Tattoosday's Tattooed Poets Project!

This entry is �2016 Tattoosday. The poem and tattoo are reprinted with the poet's permission.

If you are reading this on another website other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://tattoosday.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.

Sarah, The Master and Margarita

Yesterday I highlighted Sarah's tattoo inspired by a cover of a Neil Gaiman collection.

Normally, I wouldn't split a post unless it was long, but I felt Sarah's other tattoo that I took pictures of on the Broad Street platform warranted its own post.

First, the tattoo:

Inked on Sarah's inner arm, this is an image of a large black cat, swinging from a chandelier. It appears to be holding a gun. Below is the inscription "manuscripts don't burn."

The explanation is simple, this is another literary tattoo inscribed on Sarah, hearkening this time to Mikhail Bulgakov's The Master and Margarita. The cat is named Behemoth and the scene depicted is one of the more memorable in the novel. The phrase "manuscripts don't burn" is uttered by a major character and is an integral message, both literally and figuratively, that permeates the text.

Before proceeding, a shout-out to Gerald Feliciano (@geraldfelciano) at East Side Ink (@eastsideink), who captured this scene so wonderfully.

When Sarah told me it was inspired by Bulgakov, I was familiar with the author's name, but had not read anything by him. Sarah emphatically insisted it was one of the great novels of all time. Not a huge fan of Russian literature, I was skeptical, but intrigued. Anyone who shares tattoos with me gives us something, but when that tattoo opens the door to curiosity and a feeding of the mind, it is truly something special.

By the following week, I was into the book, but I read it slowly. It is multi-layered and fantastical, peppered with history and satire. I'd point to one review that helped with perspective (here) and encourage reading the Penguin Classics edition which speaks to the history of the novel, published decades after Bulgakov had died, and includes pages of notes to assist with obscure references, making for a clearer reading experience.

This is one of those novels that changes you. Would I say it is the greatest novel of all time? No, probably not, but it's the first one I've read in a while that has threatened to break into my top twenty. And I think further consideration warrants inclusion.

The character Behemoth is a shining point of dark comic humor in The Master and Margarita. When the chandelier scene finally danced in front of my eyes, I was euphoric. I felt fulfilled. The novel is masterful and carries a wallop.

And quite honestly, with all the amazing books in the world, past and present, I don't know if I ever would have cracked the cover of this one had my path not crossed with Sarah's, had she not been so kind as to share her tattoos, to share them with us here on Tattoosday.

So thank you, Sarah, from the bottom of my book and tattoo-loving heart, for sharing this special tattoo with us here on Tattoosday. I hope that at least one Tattoosday reader will follow my lead and pick up the book and see why Behemoth is so special, why this novel is so important, and how a stranger's tattoo can change lives.

This entry is �2016 Tattoosday.

If you are seeing this on another website other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://tattoosday.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.

Japanese Devil (To be continue)

TATTOO OF THE DAY...

Sarah, Smoke and Mirrors

At the beginning of June, I met Sarah on the Broad Street platform in Lower Manhattan, and had a nice conversation about her tattoos. This was the one that sparked my interest:

This is a tattoo adapted from one of the cover versions of author Neil Gaiman's Smoke and Mirrors: Short Fiction and Illusions.

I'm a sucker for a good literary tattoo, and Gaiman (@neilhimself) is Sarah's favorite writer. She wears this art, adapted and tattooed by Gerald Feliciano (@geraldfelciano) at East Side Ink (@eastsideink), with pride.

Now, I'm going to do something unusual here. Instead of sharing Sarah's other tattoo that I photographed, I'm going to make you wait until tomorrow. It's likewise literary, but it had a much greater impact on me, and I want to devote a fuller post to it. Come back tomorrow to see what the fuss is about!

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

This entry is �2016 Tattoosday.

If you are seeing this on another website other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://tattoosday.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.

Allie's Tiger is Rip-Roaringly Lifelike!

Another quick update from this past weekend's New York Empire State Tattoo Expo.

On Friday, I met Allie, who had just finished receiving this stunning tiger tattoo:

This bengal tiger, ripping out of Allie's thigh, was completed by artist Amber Joy (@AmberJoyTattoo) from 546 Tattoo Studio in Sandusky, Ohio.

Not much else to say, except wow! Beautiful work from a talented tattooist!

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

This entry is �2016 Tattoosday.

If you are seeing this on another website other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://tattoosday.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.

Brewsday Tuesday: Flying Dog Edition

It's time for another installment of Brewsday Tuesday on Tattoosday!

If you missed our initial post, this new feature highlights the body art of someone from an American brewery and shares, not only their tattoos, but a little bit about their company, their role, and a little beer talk, as well.

Today we are honored to be featuring Flying Dog Brewery (@flyingdogbrewery) in Frederick, Maryland!

Meet Heather Ault, who is Flying Dog's Director of National Accounts and Export:

Photo courtesy of  Jessica Patterson Photography 

Before we talk about Flying Dog, let's first take a look at some of Heather's tattoos.

We see she's got quite a bit of ink on her back, so let's take a closer look:

I asked Heather about the lilies on her back and she replied:

"...The lilies are ... Stargazer Lilies ... Funny enough, lilies actually represent purity�..which I would say I lost a long time ago. However, the Stargazers represent prosperity..and well�who doesn�t want to be prosperous? They are actually also my very favorite flower."

As cool as these lilies are, she shared this awesome owl tattoo, as well:

Heather explained the origin of this tattoo:

"There are few reasons behind the owl. First, my grandmother loves owls and has them around her house. Knick knack owls, not actual owls of course. Also, Athena, Greek Goddess Wisdom, warfare, and courage is often depicted with an owl on her shoulder. And, well, I would like to be wise and courageous. So it�s just a little reminder. I added the MD flag shield because I am born and raised in Maryland and I love my state and my flag."

Heather credited Gary Gerhardt (@ggtattoos) at Classic Electric Tattoo (@classicelectrictattoo) in Frederick, MD with both of the lilies and the owl.

Heather has been with Flying Dog Brewery for 11 years. Initially, it was Frederick Brewing Co, which was bought by Flying Dog about a year into her tenure there.

I first took notice of Flying Dog because of their labels. They stand out like works of art on the beer aisle, thanks to the brewery's partnership with the great Ralph Steadman. Steadman is most famous for his collaborative illustrations with the late great Hunter S. Thompson; his artwork for Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas is epic, and that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Heather raves "I would totally NOT be doing our brand justice if I didn't say something about our label art and Ralph Steadman, our artist." It's hard to disagree when she says, "I would argue that our labels are the best in craft beer because we have Gonzo Artist Ralph Steadman, an icon!"

Just take a look at the six-pack of Raging Bitch I bought:

I've had quite a few of the Flying Dog brands over the years, but Raging Bitch has become one of my favorites, and definitely tops among my favorite IPAs.

Heather was happy to sing its praises and explain why it's such an outstanding brand:

"Raging Bitch is a pioneer beer in the Belgian Style IPA category. Actually, THE pioneer. First of its kind. We were the first to use a Belgian yeast in an IPA and many other breweries have tried to make this style but I don�t think anyone has nailed it like we did yet. She�s very special to me."

I like it because it's not too hoppy, right in the mid-range of the IBU scale and it just has an amazingly pungent robust flavor. And at 8.3% ABV, it packs a good punch, like you would expect of something called Raging Bitch.

I encourage Tattoosday readers to head over to Flying Dog (www.flyingdogbrewerry.com) and check out all their brands, and the great labels, as well.

Honestly, when I first thought about Tattoos and Beer together on Tattoosday, Flying Dog was one of the first to come to mind, because their visual art seems ideal for tattoo enthusiasts. In fact, Flying Dog just celebrated "National Tattoo Day at the Brewery" on Sunday, July 17. Customers visiting their tasting room receive a 25% discount for life, just by showing a Flying Dog tattoo. They even had artists on hand to ink customers. See the flash, and the details about the event here. Maybe I'll drop in next summer!

I want to thank Heather Ault from Flying Dog for sharing her tattoos and her thoughts on working at the brewery. "My favorite part about working with Flying Dog is that I can be myself," she told me, and then added one of their mottos, "Flying Dog is made up of a small, dedicated band of craft beer mavericks who stand tall and never eat shit."

Also thanks to Rohry Flood, Flying Dog's "Master of the Content Universe," for helping me assemble this feature with Heather.

And as a thanks to Tattoosday readers for visiting Brewsday Tuesday, Flying Dog is giving away a special gift pack with a t-shirt, koozie, and bottle opener. All you have to do to enter is either a) comment on the post naming your favorite Flying Dog Brand; b) comment on the post on Tattoosday's Facebook page here, or on Tattoosday's Instagram (@tattoosday); or c) re-tweet this post. How cool is that!?

Cheers!

This entry is �2016 Tattoosday.

If you are seeing this on another website other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://tattoosday.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.

Red Indian Potrait Tattoo

Aleisha's Stunning Tattoo (at the NY Empire State Tattoo Expo)

This past weekend marked the 2016 NY Empire State Tattoo Expo (@nyempirestatetattooexpo) in Midtown Manhattan, and I spent a nice chunk of time on Friday and Saturday soaking in the sights. In years past, I have reported on tattoo conventions in greater detail, but this time around, I just wanted to meet people and talk about their work. So no big recap here, folks. Rather, I'll be doing the regular Tattoosday thing - small posts about specific tattoos with links to the artists and their shops.

That said, I will start off with what is likely one of the most amazing pieces I photographed.

This. Just this:

This amazingly breathtaking work belongs to Aleisha, who was kind enough to share with us. Tattoo shows are generally wall-to-wall spectacles of fabulous body art. This piece, by Ron Russo (@ron570tattoos) at 570 Tattooing Co. (@570tattooingco) in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, was quite possibly my favorite (among a long list of astonishingly great works) from the weekend.

"I just wanted a nature-type of theme," Aleisha told me, "I pretty much let Ron decide." She noted that this stunning ocelot and the green hornet below it were actually a two-portrait cover-up.

I have found that, when you give your tattoo artist free reign to do what they want, giving yourself up as a canvas, the artist's appreciation for the freedom to create often yields the most breathtaking results.

Thanks to Aleisha for sharing this wonderful tattoo with us here on Tattoosday! We'll be seeing more from the Expo in weeks to come!

This entry is �2016 Tattoosday.

If you are seeing this on another website other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://tattoosday.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.

TATTOO OF THE DAY...

Kevin's Flower on Water Street

Check out this cool tattoo I spotted last week down on Water Street in Lower Manhattan:

This cool flower, in the "ditch" of the forearm, belongs to Kevin, who was kind enough to share his tattoo with us.

He credited Alice Carrier (@alicerules) at Wonderland Tattoo (@wonderlandpdx) in Portland, Oregon with the design and execution of the piece.

It's a lovely tattoo and we here at Tattoosday thank Kevin for sharing it with us!

This entry is �2016 Tattoosday.

If you are seeing this on another website other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://tattoosday.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.

David's Winged Tattoos

I met David on Broadway last month and asked him about his tattoos, two of which rested colorfully on his inner forearms:

"I wanted a knight," David told me, "and I found an image of a knight with wings and thought that was cool."

And on the other arm, some snakes, the Eye of Horus and a goddess:

"This is the Egyptian goddess, Isis, and she's got wings," he noted, remarking that the two pieces and their wings provide a certain symmetry.

David credited Kris Magnotti (@krismagnotti) at New York Adorned with these tattoos.

Thanks to David for sharing his winged body art with us here on Tattoosday!

This entry is �2016 Tattoosday.

If you are seeing this on another website other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://tattoosday.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.

TATTOO OF THE DAY...

Bobby's Memorial for His Mother

Earlier this month, I went for a bike ride out to Coney Island and, while on the boardwalk, I stopped to introduce myself to a much-tattooed gentleman named Bobby (@thisfellow), who was out taking photos.

He offered up the following tattoo of his mother:

This is a memorial portrait of his mother. Simply put, Bobby told me, "I love the piece ... it is a classic photo of my mom when she was in her twenties."

Bobby credited the artist Legion Avegno (@legion_avegno) at Fallen Sparrow Tattoo Company (@fallensparrowtattoos) in Kissimmee, Florida.

Bobby's website, This Fellow, offers a glimpse into some of his other tattoos, as well.

Thanks to Bobby for sharing this lovely tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

This entry is �2016 Tattoosday.

If you are seeing this on another website other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://tattoosday.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.

Riding the Flamingo - Lacey Chooses Her Own Path (at the Coney Island Mermaid Parade)

I met Lacey at the Coney Island Mermaid Parade and her tattoo really jumped out at me. I was happy when she agreed to share her work with us here:

The bottom of the tattoo reads "We are made of Star Stuff," and the image is a stylized version of herself, riding her flamingo through outer space,

The quote is from Cosmos, and is an allusion to the fact that we are all products of The Big Bang, and that there is elements of the vast universe inside of each of us. It also represents, in Lacey's words, "being able to choose my own path."

The flamingo is also a nod to her home in Baltimore, especially the "kitschy" side of Baltimore. The Baltimore of John Waters.

The tattoo was created and inked by Andrea Vitale-Lathe at Have Fun Be Lucky Tattoo (@havefunbelucky). in Baltimore. Lacey said she "connected immediately" with Andrea and that this made getting tattooed by her all the more meaningful.

Thanks to Lacey for sharing this cool tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

This entry is �2016 Tattoosday.

If you are seeing this on another website other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://tattoosday.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.

Louis and His Life Behind Bars

I woke up this morning and the Tour de France was on the television, which reminded me today would be a good day to post the following tattoo, which I spotted on Broad Street last month:

This tattoo is on the forearm of Louis, a bike messenger. It reads "Life Behind Bars" and features two hands gripping a set of handlebars. The hands have knucle tattoos themselves that state "Ride Hard."

Louis explained, "I'm into cycling a lot and it's taken a big part of my life." He added, "I'm in a racing team and I race track and road and I basically got this tattoo to represent how much I love bikes."

I ride a bike myself, but not as avidly. Nonetheless, I appreciate the tattoo for what it represents, not to mention the clever play on words.

He credited the work to Xavier Alvarez (@xavier000xx) at Crazy Fantasy Tattoo in Manhattan, but said that the artist had moved to Sins and Needles nearby. Xavier is currently tattooing out of Ink Couture (@inkcouturenyc) in Staten Island, but informed me he will be back full-time at Sins and Needles in two weeks time.

Thanks to Louis for sharing this cool tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

This entry is �2016 Tattoosday.

If you are seeing this on another website other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://tattoosday.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.

Chi-Lin Statue

TATTOO OF THE DAY...

Our Lady of Guadalupe on Marco by Mariza

A couple weeks ago I met Mariza and Marco and walking down Broadway in the Financial District,

The couple was visiting from Portugal and, as it turns out, Mariza is one of the artist-proprietors at Ink & Wheels, a tattoo and motorcycle establishment in Lisbon.

Marco shared a tattoo that Maritza had done on his inner arm earlier this year:

Mariza told me she is always busy and rarely has time to tattoo her boyfriend.

However, Marco explained, the shop was closed for Good Friday, so she finally had some time to tattoo him. Given the holiday, it seemed appropriate to get Our Lady of Guadalupe.

Thanks to Mariza and Marco for pausing during their trip to New York City and sharing this tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

This entry is �2016 Tattoosday.

If you are seeing this on another website other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://tattoosday.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.

Japanese Dragon Sketch

TATTOO OF THE DAY...

Brewsday Tuesday on Tattoosday - Ninkasi Edition

We're launching a new feature here on Tattoosday - "Brewsday Tuesday"!

From time to time, we'll be checking out the tattoos of someone at a brewery and talking about their product. Beer and tattoos are two of my favorite things, and I'm happy to celebrate them together!

Our first partner in the series is Ninkasi Brewing Company (@ninkasibrewing) in Eugene, Oregon.

Meet Nick Yarger, Creative Director at Ninkasi:

Photo by Rob Sydor

After seeing this photo, I was eager to talk to Nick and had the opportunity to have a little chat with him about his tattoos, as well as his role in Ninkasi. Not to mention the glass of Ninkasi's Helles Belles he's enjoying in the photo.

First of all, let's look at the black and grey tattoo on Nick's upper arm:

Nick explained that this piece depicts "a ship going out to sea, and there's a kraken grabbing at it as it goes out to a stormy sea ... but it's also an image of a skull, so when you stand back, the back of the ship is its teeth and the eyes are the sails and the storm in the background is the back of the skulls's head."

Nick added that it was inspired by original art by Phil Roberts. Roberts is a well-known surf artist that Nick had the pleasure of working with in Southern California. Here is the Roberts piece that inspired the tattoo:

The tattoo was translated from Roberts' concept to Nick's skin by Tim Mcalary (@tim_mcportcity) at Gold Rush Tattoo (@goldrushtattoo) in Costa Mesa, California. Tim currently works out of Port City Tattoo in Costa Mesa.

When I asked Nick if he saw a relationship between tattoos and what he does for Ninkasi, he responded:

"Oh, absolutely. Some of the brands embody that tattoo feel. If you look at our Helles Belles, that one is specifically geared toward that culture, that tattoo style. That one is more my style than any of our other brands...

If you look at [the label] it's got the traditional sparrows in it, the lettering, all the elements are taken from traditional tattoo style."

Now, let's talk about the beer.

In the photo above, Nick's holding a Helles Belles, a truly magnificent lager, and he acknowledged in our conversation that this particular brew is the favorite Ninkasi crafts. Before compiling this post, I was mostly familiar with the brewery's stronger and darker brews (Vanilla Oatis, Tricerahops, and Total Domination) but, after talking to Nick, I sought out, and found, a few bottles of Helles Belles to enjoy, and enjoy them I did.

Over the years I have tended to drift to the dark side, dismissing lagers because I prefer bolder and thicker brews. Of course, when you have a good, well-crafted lager, that viewpoint shifts, and I was really blown away by how flavorful Helles Belles is. Crisp, light, yet deeply delicious, I was reminded how tasty lagers can be when they're just done right.

As part of this inaugural Brewsday Tuesday post, Ninkasi has generously offered to give away a Helles Belles t-shirt (like the one Nick is wearing in the photo above) to one lucky Tattoosday reader. All you have to do to win, is "like" this post on social media, or post a comment below. We will randomly select a winner in a week and announce it on Tattoosday.

Thanks to Nick Yarger at Ninkasi for being our inaugural tattooed Brewsday subject, as well as to Ali AAsum, Ninkasi's Communications Director. They really were a joy to work with and made this post a lot of fun to compile!

You can check out all Ninkasi has to offer at their website here: www.NinkasiBrewing.com.

This entry is �2016 Tattoosday.

If you are seeing this on another website other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://tattoosday.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.

Celebrating the 4th with Rohan's Tattoos

Happy Independence Day, readers!

What better way to celebrate than with this tattoo, from Rohan?

I met Rohan outside of my building on Broad Street. He lives in New York but originally hails from Australia. He got this awesome Statue of Liberty tattoo on his leg back in November 2012 from Joshua Mason (@excelsiorrr) when the artist was doing a guest spot at Smith Street Tattoo (@smithstreettattooparlour) in Brooklyn. Josh currently works at Old Soul Tattoo (@oldsoultattoo) in Canonsburg, Pennsylvania.

Rohan also shared this cool bulldog tattoo on his right arm inked by Reece Mobbs (@reeece_mobbs) in Sydney, Australia.

Rohan explained,  "I love dogs and my grandfather, my pop, passed away - he was a big supporter of a rugby league team that were called the Bulldogs (@NRL_bulldogs), so that was just sort of a tribute to him, as well."

Thanks to Rohan for sharing these cool tattoos with us on Independence Day!

This entry is �2016 Tattoosday.

If you are seeing this on another website other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://tattoosday.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.