Introducing...Dirtbird!

Occasionally in my wanderings, I will meet not just tattooed people, but tattoo practitioners, and often those visiting from outside of New York City.

So it was no surprise, when I approached a gentleman across the street from where I work, at 31st and 7th, to learn that I was talking to an artist.

Working out of Punkteur Tattoos & Piercing in Joplin, Missouri, Derek "Dirtbird" Wieberg estimates he has 130-150 hours of work inked on his personal canvas.

With so much to choose from, he offered up this piece, on the right side of his neck:

It seemed fitting, considering his name.

Dirtbird praised the artist, Rick Pierceall at Karma Tattoo in Tulsa, Oklahoma, who has done all of his throat work.

Considering it is Two-for-Tattoosday, I'll share this photo as well:

That's not Dirtbird, but it's his handiwork! The owner of this tattoo is Shawn, who had the good fortune to be inked by Dirtbird. They collaborated on the design together.

Thanks to Dirt Bird and Shawn for sharing their tattoos with us here on Tattoosday!

Tune in tomorrow to see a tattoo from Katie, aka Mrs. Dirtbird!

Ride the Cyclone!

In college we had a game room at the Student Union.

I claimed to be a master at Arkanoid, but would occasionally play pinball. Earthshaker was fun, but there was another, carnival-themed game that would often beckon, "Ride the Cyclone!" It was, naturally, called The Cyclone.

Fast forward ten years and I would be residing in Brooklyn, home to Coney Island and the original Cyclone.

Despite having been in close proximity a number of times, I've never gone for a ride.

I was reminded of this back in September when I met Matt at the top of the escalator at the Penn Plaza Borders store.

He shared this amazing tattoo:

This is, of course, the Cyclone.

Matt is working on a Coney Island/"Carnie" theme, having lived in Brooklyn most of his adult life. Thus, the Astroland tower behind the Cyclone in the tattoo. Next up: the Wonder Wheel and the Parachute Jump, other Coney Island attractions.

He sent along a photo of the tattoo when it was initially finished:

Matt credits this tattoo to Ping at Village Rock Tattoo in Manhattan.

Thanks to Matt for sharing this great tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

Something Girly This Way Comes

I met Nadya one afternoon in the beginning of October in Borders on Penn Plaza.

She shared this tattoo, which covered up a date she had initially inscribed on her arm:

Nadya told me that she wanted something "girly".

What I found most interesting about this tattoo is that when I asked her who the artist was, she told me it was her father. I can't imagine tattooing my own daughter. I would be too nervous!

Thanks to Nadya for sharing this tattoo with us here on Tattoosday.

Julia's Pin-Up

I met Julia briefly in a Hudson News in Penn Station.

The flash of color on her foot caught my eye:

Julia explained that she is a visual artist that likes to do pin-up illustrations. This particular design she wanted to be transformed into a tattoo. She brought it to Morgan Reed at Electric Lotus Tattoo in Boonton, New Jersey, and he made some slight adjustments that resulted in this lovely tattoo.

Work from Electric Lotus has appeared on Tattoosday before. This link will show you what else we have featured from their shop.

Thanks to Julia for sharing her pin-up girl with us here on Tattoosday!

David's Traditional Hands

Last month I met David when I stopped after noticing his neck tattoo. However, it was his hands he offered up to us here at Tattoosday:

David works in construction and is a contractor. He also manages the band, Drew Nugent & the Midnight Society.

He has about thirty-five (35) hours of work done on his body, and he explained that these are traditional pieces on his hands.

He was inspired to have his knuckles read "True Blue" as they speak to his belief that our country has lost its values that need to be regained. Key among these values are loyalty and honor, in the traditional, "true blue" sense of the words.

To him, the panther represents that we need to fight to regain these ideals.

And the two roses represent the ideal (the healthy, red flower on the right hand) and what he called the "diminished," (on the left) that is, where we're headed with our loss of values.

David embraced these traditional elements because he feels that "the only way to have a future is to look at the past".

He had the panther done at a tattoo convention. The roses and "TRUE BLUE" knuckles are credited to Rick Meggison at Marked 4 Life in York, Pennsylvania.

Thanks to David for sharing these very cool hand tattoos with us here on Tattoosday!

Two for Tattuesday Saturday: Wanderful Love Under the Cherry Blossoms

In honor of the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Part 1) , we're sharing this tattoo, which I spotted back in September:

This belongs to Rich, a musician and rap artist. He's a big Harry Potter fan, as exemplified by the magic wand. The snake at the base of the wand not only symbolizes infinity, it is a nod to Severus Snape, a character associated with the House of Slytherin, of which the serpent is the mascot.

The concept of the tattoo is exemplified by the music coming out of the wand, illustrating that sounds can be magical and that Rich is under music's spell.

The piece was inked by Chris at Lady Luck Tattoo Studio in Montville, Connecticut.

When I met Rich, he was sitting with his girlfriend in Penn Station. She introduced herself as Kytti, and asked if I wanted to see her tattoo.

But of course!

She actually has two tattoos, but lifted up her shirt to show me this beautiful design:

Kytti explained that this represents her and Rich together in Japan. They've been together for over a year and they'd both love to go there together and experience the culture. The tree is filled with cherry blossoms, a flower often associated with Japan.

Chris at Lady Luck also was the artist behind this tattoo.

Thanks to Rich and Kytti for sharing their magical and romantic tattoos with us here on Tattoosday!

The Great Thanksgiving Tattoo Event!

Loyal readers may remember this past August when I called on fans of Tattoosday to choose (and generously bankroll) Friday the 13th tattoos for Melanie and me. If not, relive it here.

Well, a recent email from the good people at Skin Actives Scientific got me thinking. They asked if I wouldn't mind receiving some samples of their Troll Skin Aftercare products and talking about them here on Tattoosday.

I thought, what better way to promote something but to actually use it? The problem was, I had no immediate plans on getting a new tattoo. But then it hit me, as the good people at Hand of Glory Tattoo, who inked our Friday the 13th tattoos, announced that, starting today, through the end of next week, they have another tattoo special, in honor of Thanksgiving!

So we connected the dots and put our heads together to announce the following:

Behold the flash for the Hand of Glory Thanksgiving specials:

Now, dear readers, what tattoo should I get?

Send your first, second and third choices to Tattoosday@gmail.com. Every email (one per person please) will enter a reader into a random drawing for Troll Skin samples. Plus you'll have the pleasure of knowing you had a hand in deciding how I will be permanently honoring this most thankful of holidays.

You have until Wednesday at 9:00 AM (EST) to vote and when you wake up on Turkey Day, you can tune into Tattoosday to see which tattoo won and who will get Troll Skin samples!

Then, in a couple of weeks, you'll hear back from me about how the tattoo healed and what I think about the product.

And before some of you start scratching your heads about why I would indiscriminately get a tattoo just for the heck of it, I would remind you it is Thanksgiving, and what better to have on the human tapestry, than a reminder that we should always be thankful for the important things in life. I have a lot to be thankful for, above and beyond my awesome wife, Melanie, my kids, and my family and friends.

I am thankful for you, the Tattoosday contributors, fans and readers, for inspiring me with your stories and supporting me with your comments and emails.

And, of course, to the good folks at Skin Actives, for agreeing to support me in this Thanksgiving adventure, a special thanks this holiday season.

Stay tuned and don't forget to vote!

Tom's Homage to His Grandmother's Scottish Ancestry

I met Tom in a drug store in my neck of the woods in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.

He has four tattoos and offered to share this one with us:

This piece celebrates his lineage, honoring the family crest from his grandmother's side.

The Scottish part of him is descended from the Clan Fergusson.The clan motto Dulcius ex asperis  means "Sweeter after difficulties".

This was tattooed by Lou at Third Eye Tattoo, in the Park Slope section of Brooklyn. Work from Lou and Third Eye that has appeared on Tattoosday can be viewed here.

Thanks to Tom for sharing his family crest with us here on Tattoosday!

Katie's Astrological Ink: Cancer, with Aries Rising

One of the unexpected joys in inkspotting is approaching someone about a tattoo and having them reveal one that is so much better than the piece you approached them about. It's like receiving a bonus for being curious.

Such was the case with Katie, who I spotted in Penn Station when I noticed a tattoo on her ankle.

When I asked her about it, she laughed and said it wasn't even close to being her favorite tattoo and she took off her jacket to reveal, on her upper left arm, one of her eight tattoos:

This is an astrological tattoo and features the signs for Cancer (the crab) and Aries (the ram). Katie explained that she is a Cancer, with Aries rising.

What this means, astrologically, could take pages and pages of analysis, but Katie explained that the two personalities are both strong and that they traditionally don't get along, which is why she has this relationship depicted as the two symbolic creatures battling in a stormy landscape. It is one interpretation of an astrological description that lends itself to her personality. Here's another.

Of course, as a Cancer myself, I cannot help but love this tattoo, especially my old friend the crab:

Katie credited the artist Christian Masot at Silk City Tattoo in Hawthorne, New Jersey, for this tattoo. She estimated it took about seven hours total in three sittings to create the finished product. Work from Silk City has appeared on Tattoosday several times before (see this tag), but this is the first piece we've seen by Christian.

Thanks to Katie for sharing this awesome tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

Andy's Watership Down Sleeve

I met Andy back in September in Penn Station and he shared this incredible sleeve:

 

When I asked him about the inspiration behind this incredible work, he indicated the rabbit, which is based on his pet Fiver:

I immediately recognized the name as one of the characters in Richard Adam's wonderful novel, Watership Down.

He basically wanted something that was nature-based and gave the artist, Keller at Classic Tattoos in Pinellas Park, Florida, free reign on the design, allowing him to pretty much free-form the sleeve.

 

The collage at the top of the post consists of my shots in Penn Station, but the detailed photos are based on the pictures Andy generously sent me after the fact. These detailed photos show the brilliant colors and exquisite detail that Keller put into the tattoo, which Andy estimates represents about 18-20 hours of work.

Thanks again to Andy for sharing this amazing sleeve with us here on Tattoosday!

Arm Sleeve Tattoo

Searching for the baddest ass arm sleeve tattoo? What do you believe you will do, appear up some thing on the web and deliver it towards the tattoo store? Do you not believe Everybody has carried out that? In the event you truly want the very best arm sleeve tattoo, the very best provide tattoo band, or just a little some thing sweet for the shoulder, you should do your analysis.An arm sleeve

Bianca Kajlich Tattoos

Bianca Kajlich is an American actress, best known for her role as Jennifer on the television sitcom Rules of Engagement.

Bianca Kajlich has a couple of tattoos, including a butterfly on her right shoulder and a tiny crown on her lower abdomen.

Bianca Kajlich Tattoos

Bianca Kajlich Tattoos

Joe Jurevicius Tattoo

Joe Jurevicius is an American football player, known for a great career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Cleveland Browns.

Joe Jurevicius has a tattoo of the national symbol of Lithuania on his left bicep, the tattoo symbol is titled "Vytis".

Joe Jurevicius Tattoo

Joe Jurevicius Tattoo

Janis Joplin Tattoos

Janis Joplin was a magnificent American singer songwriter who is widely regarded as one of the top artists of all time.

Janis Joplin had two tattoos on her body, one being a flower like bracelet on her left wrist and a heart tattoo on her chest.

Concerning her tattoos she said: "I wanted some decoration. See, the one on my wrist is for everybody, the one on my breast is for me and my friends, just a little treat for the boys, like icing on the cake."

Janis Joplin Tattoos

Janis Joplin Tattoos

Michael Jordan Tattoo Brand

Michael Jordan is a legendary professional basketball player, considered by most to be the greatest to ever play the game.

Michael Jordan has a single tattoo on his body, which is actually a brand located on the left side of his chest. The brand design is of the last letter of the Greek alphabet, which is Omega.

This tattoo/brand represents Michael Jordan's commitment to Omega Psi Phi, which is the third oldest black fraternity in the United States.

Michael Jordan Tattoo Brand

Angel Wings Tattoos

Angel tattoos in general are beautiful, however a pair of angel wing tattoos are nothing short of stunning and magnificent.

Angel wing tattoos are most commonly seen on the back of an individual, however other people choose to have angel wings tattooed in various locations such as the lower back or wrist.

Have a look at these celebrities wish angel wings tattooed on their back.

And here we have even more famous people with angel wing tattoos, on the neck, lower back and wrist. Click to enlarge these angel wings tattoo pictures below.

Enjoy all these wonderful pictures of angel wing tattoos.

Angel Tattoos

Perhaps the most beautiful choice of tattoo, the angel is both enchanting and strikingly beautiful, which is why angel tattoos are one of the single most popular choice in the world of tattoos and designs.

Many famous people have angel tattoos, including David Beckham, David Blaine, Beyonce Knowles and Justin Timberlake. Also don't forget to checkout our page on angel wings tattoos. Have a look at these marvelous angel tattoo pictures below.

Angel Tattoos

Angel Tattoos

Angel Tattoos

Angel Tattoos

Angel Tattoos

Chest Tattoos

Much like back tattoos, its relatively common to see tattoos on the chest as well, some of which are small tattoo designs but more commonly you will see a large piece of tattoo artwork or numerous collaborated tattoo designs on a chest.

Checkout these celebrities with tattoos on their chest, Robbie Williams has the phrase "chacun à son goût", Ozzy Osbourne has a dragon and a skull on his chest, Lenny Kravitz also has a rather large dragon and Dennis Rodman has two bulls and some tribal tattoos on his chest.

See these pictures of chest tattoos below.

Some other famous people with chest tattoos include, Pete Doherty with "Baby ---" on his chest, Marc Anthony has small cowboy design, Eve has two well placed paw prints, and Tommy Lee has two large tribal lion tattoos on his chest.

Both NBA superstars Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James have several tattoos on their chest, Joan Jett has a unique Y shaped tattoo on her chest and Billie Joe Armstrong has a car, skull and other tattoos on his chest.

I hope you enjoy these great pictures of famous people who have chest tattoos.