The Tattooed Poets Project: Seth Berg Returns

Last year on the Tattooed Poets Project, the best ink we saw belonged to Seth Berg, hands down.If you don't believe me, check it out <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2010/04/tattooed-poets-project-seth-berg.html">here</a>.<br /><br />Seth has the honor of being the only previous tattooed poet to return to the site this year. And he has sent us a quintet of tattoos, choosing the theme of "<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">tattoos which have faces on them." And away we go:</span><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGiTR3P-gGuOOZB5MQC29KrqYLw5TPb6GG3MIR_2DqQu-K0KEttMBIccBS1qObomOCs8uGdItkSQOSvUj42zwRmNZGsXarAk8-OI5bxMjx927qgMdtxlCx0sc2Fs50E0mXElp87LPQS4I/s1600/seth+lady+one.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGiTR3P-gGuOOZB5MQC29KrqYLw5TPb6GG3MIR_2DqQu-K0KEttMBIccBS1qObomOCs8uGdItkSQOSvUj42zwRmNZGsXarAk8-OI5bxMjx927qgMdtxlCx0sc2Fs50E0mXElp87LPQS4I/s640/seth+lady+one.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">Ashley at <a href="http://ashleybergphotography.com/" target="_blank">http://ashleybergphotography.com/</a></span></td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRR_8eUISd2HYZ6QreiEWDqV01H087FlhgRTGmZiPHL_DTYhtD-Cp8oF1VxpwQEYw0tn5749MpTaiHHTkAmYtOvhLcaSs9Jf3Lb9RNxguQLMks7d_TsCvSq9dxguVe8JqOB_wAV7QHlRw/s1600/seth+lady+two.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRR_8eUISd2HYZ6QreiEWDqV01H087FlhgRTGmZiPHL_DTYhtD-Cp8oF1VxpwQEYw0tn5749MpTaiHHTkAmYtOvhLcaSs9Jf3Lb9RNxguQLMks7d_TsCvSq9dxguVe8JqOB_wAV7QHlRw/s640/seth+lady+two.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">Photo by Ashley at <a href="http://ashleybergphotography.com/" target="_blank">http://ashleybergphotography.com/</a></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">Seth explains that "the two faces depicted in <a href="http://www.audrey-kawasaki.com/">Audrey Kawasaki</a> paintings are part of a half sleeve on my right arm."  Why does he have Kawasaki art inked on his flesh? "</span>Audrey Kawasaki is one of my favorite living painters and the half sleeve is a tattoo combining two of my favorite paintings of hers," says Seth. "I have seen other Kawasaki tattoos," he continues, "but I am quite impressed with this double-painting-half-sleeve blend."<br /><br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">Next up is this <a href="http://www.lego.com/en-us/Default.aspx">Lego</a> piece:</span><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuYSCU30NQxVBr5kPy8ZSimidCkZPRPQFQboSI31mp5LTHjaTBphdI3-86REd6w3fmnl744SJj70w2gibHbWNyJQ9a5bDg6k0nswlemNKk3ZiX8flxW3rmMa9p-HpqLyD9D71xMowmXe4/s1600/seth+lego.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuYSCU30NQxVBr5kPy8ZSimidCkZPRPQFQboSI31mp5LTHjaTBphdI3-86REd6w3fmnl744SJj70w2gibHbWNyJQ9a5bDg6k0nswlemNKk3ZiX8flxW3rmMa9p-HpqLyD9D71xMowmXe4/s640/seth+lego.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">Photo by Ashley at <a href="http://ashleybergphotography.com/" target="_blank">http://ashleybergphotography.com/</a></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">Seth says "the Lego head is on the back of my left calf ... [and is]  </span>one of the few 'walk-in' tattoos I have. I had just purchased an <a href="http://www.lego.com/en-us/default.aspx?domainredir=exoforce.lego.com">Exo-Force Lego</a> set and was quite amazed at the progression of facila expression." He adds, "I decided to honor the old school original on my leg. I grew up wanting every Lego piece on the planet. I couldn't <i>not </i>get a Lego tattoo."<br /><br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">Next up is this piece:</span><br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAD0PF5r5EF7wchpS9Gyc-PsGelb1u6aY6w6Go0eTPVSsNwvYh0TqcEX_iRSOf088-wTRtRwZVygGsv8mYQ_r4eEeDril3W9_62ZjCN-1MbUjbFvgCzusYBA3CtMYBSgttVbQuN9bhbeA/s1600/seth+skull.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAD0PF5r5EF7wchpS9Gyc-PsGelb1u6aY6w6Go0eTPVSsNwvYh0TqcEX_iRSOf088-wTRtRwZVygGsv8mYQ_r4eEeDril3W9_62ZjCN-1MbUjbFvgCzusYBA3CtMYBSgttVbQuN9bhbeA/s640/seth+skull.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">Photo by Ashley at <a href="http://ashleybergphotography.com/" target="_blank">http://ashleybergphotography.com/</a></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"> Seth says "the skull is on the lower front of my left bicep...</span>I had always been drawn to a refined black and gray skull and cross bones."<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA2Nbu3b79NuwHsRzYD7becSDyZ87sP-DhRBiEd12zl0sD7IWhBZCFB_ZnfP4FwVWltrfXPzK3YTn_FVLjk4RNQOBcdFVMAGg3CJw9-7H-ZMtn-AVf89SF2qa3JKbG_9E_9EYYDMAEq2w/s1600/seth+skull+detail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA2Nbu3b79NuwHsRzYD7becSDyZ87sP-DhRBiEd12zl0sD7IWhBZCFB_ZnfP4FwVWltrfXPzK3YTn_FVLjk4RNQOBcdFVMAGg3CJw9-7H-ZMtn-AVf89SF2qa3JKbG_9E_9EYYDMAEq2w/s400/seth+skull+detail.jpg" width="295" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">Detail of photo by Ashley at <a href="http://ashleybergphotography.com/" target="_blank">http://ashleybergphotography.com/</a></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">"Plus," he adds, "</span>pirate flag depictions are pretty cool."<br /><br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">Finally, we have a jack-o-lantern on the inside of  his left bicep:</span><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl2k_CxUvR-H1_RlOf_5bZ9jwY7_yKMJmyb6Gfcl4g_SldLcqTeOTdd-oJfQJbFC4F7by0DoDuZVGxs0ke2unvwlJ4dBXfAfx5e80kTUCZ7H-E0Y6-Ly3r0afaBmRzbZ-zrL_ulyrwpgs/s1600/seth+jackolantern.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl2k_CxUvR-H1_RlOf_5bZ9jwY7_yKMJmyb6Gfcl4g_SldLcqTeOTdd-oJfQJbFC4F7by0DoDuZVGxs0ke2unvwlJ4dBXfAfx5e80kTUCZ7H-E0Y6-Ly3r0afaBmRzbZ-zrL_ulyrwpgs/s400/seth+jackolantern.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">Photo by Ashley at <a href="http://ashleybergphotography.com/" target="_blank">http://ashleybergphotography.com/</a></span></td></tr></tbody></table>Seth explains: "I am a sucker for Halloween--my wife and I had a Halloween-themed wedding the Saturday of Halloween weekend and we host a Halloween bash every year--thus, the Jack-o-lantern was a natural addition to the collection." In case you're wondering about the word "rain" in the photo, it is <u>not</u> a word in <a href="http://www.ineradicablestain.com/">Shelley Jackson's</a> <a href="http://www.ineradicablestain.com/skin-quilt.html">Skin Project</a>, he just loves the rain, and this is one of a "multitude of font and literary tattoos" that he possesses, so we know what Seth is giving us next year!<br /><br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">Seth explains that "all of the tattoos, with the exception of the skull and bones, were completed by <a href="http://bijoustudio-atx.com/artists/?page_id=14">Claudia "Billy" Baca</a> at <a href="http://www.saintsabrinas.com/">Saint Sabrina's</a> in Uptown, </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">Minneapolis</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">." He notes, "however, she currently works in </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">Austin</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">, </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">Texas</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"> at <a href="http://bijoustudio-atx.com/">Bijou Studio</a>."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;">As for a poem, this is what Seth has offered to share with us:</span><br /><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><br /><br /><blockquote><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">"Constructing a Proper Torch"</span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">Douse the head of a cat tail</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">into a soapy mixture</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">of Dawn brand dish detergent</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">and gasoline;</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">reinforce the stem</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">with a steel rod or femur;</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">set the head ablaze;</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">open your face to the air.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">When paper cranes</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">spill from your mouth,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">remember to light the dark,</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">  </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">sew feathers to your fingertips.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">When the cranes,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">spilling and multiplying, </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">request grain and berries,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">snacks of rodents and amphibians,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">tell them that hunger is an essential</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">component of flight.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">When, from the ground,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">they are unable to ascend,</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">lend them your stitched fingertips</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10pt;">and take to the sky on fire.</span></blockquote><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"> ~ ~ ~</div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFN5gq6IvO3Z5xV_mdO5bF5nE0Ja8OxvqsXGOm4MBVF__2y9tCtVsQF5A2FPF8esDb_slp0cPu-KjyTU48LQ4iuwCsR2ic9-mOCHTXsH4E5xuWUL9dgEMgSnwldGv5rYO5Tw7IK8dovxg/s1600/Berg.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFN5gq6IvO3Z5xV_mdO5bF5nE0Ja8OxvqsXGOm4MBVF__2y9tCtVsQF5A2FPF8esDb_slp0cPu-KjyTU48LQ4iuwCsR2ic9-mOCHTXsH4E5xuWUL9dgEMgSnwldGv5rYO5Tw7IK8dovxg/s1600/Berg.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFN5gq6IvO3Z5xV_mdO5bF5nE0Ja8OxvqsXGOm4MBVF__2y9tCtVsQF5A2FPF8esDb_slp0cPu-KjyTU48LQ4iuwCsR2ic9-mOCHTXsH4E5xuWUL9dgEMgSnwldGv5rYO5Tw7IK8dovxg/s320/Berg.png" width="200" /></a>Seth Michael Berg earned his MFA in poetry from <a href="http://www.bgsu.edu/">Bowling Green State University</a> in 2003 and since has been bouncing around the country teaching, tending bar, sculpting, writing, and occasionally snowshoeing. His poems and fiction can be found in <a href="http://www.ctstateu.edu/ctreview/">Connecticut Review</a>, <a href="http://www.pserie.psu.edu/academic/hss/lakeeffect/index.html">Lake Effect</a>, <a href="http://www.wordriot.org/">Word Riot</a>, <a href="http://jmww.150m.com/">JMWW</a>, <a href="http://www.asteriusonline.com/13thWR/">13th Warrior Review</a>, <a href="http://www.chironreview.com/">Chiron Review</a>, <a href="http://www.blazevox.org/">BlazeVOX</a>, <a href="http://www.myspace.com/pikemag">Pike Magazine</a>, and <a href="http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=10375519983">Disappearing City Literary Review</a>, among others. His first book, <i><a href="http://www.blogger.com/%3Ca%20href=%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0615357172/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=bill03-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0615357172%22%3EMuted%20Lines%20from%20Someone%20Else%27s%20Memory%3C/a%3E%3Cimg%20src=%22http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=&l=as2&o=1&a=0615357172%22%20width=%221%22%20height=%221%22%20border=%220%22%20alt=%22%22%20style=%22border:none%20%21important;%20margin:0px%20%21important;%22%20/%3E">Muted Lines From Someone Else's Memory</a>, </i>was winner of <a href="http://darkskymagazine.com/books/">Dark Sky Books</a> book contest in 2009 and rolled off the press summer of 2010. He has since been city-hopping on lecture book tour and will next be in Chicago at the end of April. Berg lives in Chaska, MN with his photographer wife, Ashley, their supernatural son, Oak, and their Saint Bernard, Icarus. When not working, Berg can most likely be found indulging his addiction to hot sauce or slowing down somewhere in a forest. Here is a book link with audio poems and other goodies: <a href="http://darkskymagazine.com/books/seth-berg-muted-lines/" target="_blank">http://darkskymagazine.com/books/seth-berg-muted-lines/.</a><br /><br />Thanks to Seth, once again, for his invaluable contribution to the Tattooed Poets Project! </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=bill03-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=0615357172" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe></div><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">This entry is ©2011 Tattoosday. The poem is reprinted here with the permission of the author.<br /><br />If you are reading this on another web site 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 <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">http://tattoosday.blogspot.com</a> 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.</span> </span></div><span style="font-size: x-small;"></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"></div>

The Tattooed Poets Project: Seth Berg Returns

Last year on the Tattooed Poets Project, the best ink we saw belonged to Seth Berg, hands down.If you don't believe me, check it out her...

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Catanya

It's not often that I get someone to share facial tattoos here on Tattoosday, but the occasion arose last month while I was browsing at one of my favorite inkspotting locales, the Borders in Penn Plaza.<br /><br />I was lucky to meet Catanya, who I noticed had interesting markings on her face, and I was compelled to ask her about the ink. She gladly posed and told me a little about the designs.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1tCzqhwfocnE3FsO2BqSswp5ZdMoph5TcFrVTypejAFp0PR_kfEvD53nYH8-GQgdkp68GBsls3_2re5h4hBeSNXzLEwfHe8fog6MmQSN_Mm1IYZL5wFeUJJlCzo9kQoBqA3TLvdIKsNE/s1600/Catanya+wm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1tCzqhwfocnE3FsO2BqSswp5ZdMoph5TcFrVTypejAFp0PR_kfEvD53nYH8-GQgdkp68GBsls3_2re5h4hBeSNXzLEwfHe8fog6MmQSN_Mm1IYZL5wFeUJJlCzo9kQoBqA3TLvdIKsNE/s400/Catanya+wm.jpg" width="327" /></a></div><br />Catanya explained that she got her tattoos in the 1970's in New York. She was involved as a dancer in the art scene and eventually married a photographer and relocated to New Mexico and currently resides in Baja, California.<br /><br />She referred to herself as a "gypsy tribal belly dancer hula hooper" and explained that the design on her forehead is a yin-yang, the tattoo on the right side of her face is Apache feathers, and that the left side and chin are Moroccan in their origins.<br /><br />Catanya also told me that she had been photographed by someone named Stanley Stellar many years ago here in New York, and that he might have photos from those early days.<br /><br />Thinking it would be great to have a photo of Catanya from when she was much younger with these tattoos, I tracked down Mr. Stellar and asked if he still had access to his photographs. He completely came through and forwarded this shot:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs_0FH520BEKg1YGfL34bDru2YxCH20iQFRh-JBtViD8Y3Wm1fXieMquZHfxXXzg8BTbQf1PEsHyvGdQmaswYF8gNmLfgHnS98dsYLQh9JyG54qjQna40sH4rXIm-2UbkbT0TNr9FU9F4/s1600/1977_Catanya02++.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs_0FH520BEKg1YGfL34bDru2YxCH20iQFRh-JBtViD8Y3Wm1fXieMquZHfxXXzg8BTbQf1PEsHyvGdQmaswYF8gNmLfgHnS98dsYLQh9JyG54qjQna40sH4rXIm-2UbkbT0TNr9FU9F4/s400/1977_Catanya02++.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />I certainly feel  fortunate to be able to share photos of the same tattoos, separated by thirty-three years.<br /><br />Such an opportunity allows us to see an example of how one person has aged gracefully, along with her tattoos.<br /><br />Catanya subsequently emailed me and elaborated on her tattoos and their history:<br /><blockquote><br />Back in the early 1970's I was part of a "tribal style" group of dancers and musicians from all over the world. The main things we had in common were our love of the Dance, world music, colorful costumes and even more colorful life styles. That included Henna, Kohl rimmed eyes and LOTS of Tattoos! We also sported plenty of nose jewelry!   The tattoos for all of us were personal and also tribal, (as can be seen in India, Morocco and other  exotic places around the world.) I do not think that any of us took our tattoo ceremonies lightly.  <br /><br />I received my first tattoos in Venice, Calif. in 1973.<br /><br />I like to think of it as an initiation ceremony. It was wonderful! Lots of music and dancing and plenty of red wine and good herbs.<br /><br />My tattoos were applied the "old fashioned" way. India Ink, a needle and a broken pen.<br /><br />They were done by two brothers from Cuba. They were also fantastic Conga drummers!<br /><br />A few years later, I had a few more tattoos added to my collection. These were executed by a wonderful tattoo artist, Boyd, in Taos, New Mexico.<br /><br />I do not regret any of my tattoos and find as the years go by that I am actually "earning" them. I am becoming them. They ARE a personal manifestation of my journey in life.<br /><br />As my friend Walter once said to me, (referring to my Eagle feathers tattoo), "Catanya, when I look into your eyes, I see that you are growing your real Eagle feathers."</blockquote><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4B4tDMWi5BFOdcIZ69zXpr1pXmG5l7lEA3Xvuyn9vn16asPtuhARpOBkVbUdlAFEBseAPY6s8JwUbMlypenWsio5dHonjqVpw_X4oCd4Dz4CJ1Zq3IUN5GejNkTEJu5LHt2S5Soo0hxM/s400/pic07240.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="256" /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Walter Chappell and Catanya, Santa Fe, New Mexico, 1985<br />© 1985, 2008 Robert Saltzman</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4B4tDMWi5BFOdcIZ69zXpr1pXmG5l7lEA3Xvuyn9vn16asPtuhARpOBkVbUdlAFEBseAPY6s8JwUbMlypenWsio5dHonjqVpw_X4oCd4Dz4CJ1Zq3IUN5GejNkTEJu5LHt2S5Soo0hxM/s1600/pic07240.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>The photo above was taken by Catnya's husband about eight years after Mr, Stellar's photo, with the late photographer <a href="http://walterchappell.com/">Walter Chappell</a>, their friend quoted by Catanya in her testimony.<br /><br />I want to profusely thank Catanya for allowing me to photograph her and for sharing her tattoos with me, and all of us here on Tattoosday! It's an encounter like this that really stands out among the hundreds I have had over the last few years. To be able to see how someone has so gracefully and proudly worn their tattoos over time is truly an honor and a blessing.<br /><br />I also want to thank Stanley Stellar for sharing his photograph of Catanya from so many years ago. You can see more of Mr. Stellar's photography <a href="http://www.stellarnyc.com/HTML/home.html">here</a>. Be sure to check out his wonderful tattoo photos under the "images" section.

Catanya

It's not often that I get someone to share facial tattoos here on Tattoosday, but the occasion arose last month while I was browsing at ...

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