Laura's Two Tattoos

I met Laura in October after I spotted this tattoo on her foot:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaTR1Ymv2xFc3oOWn3RS64I8GOrvRArPHIF08x749cytzMKi255hYycc9E4sBSp5RSw0cZxhvRrEjPmiUCkkUpffvVe2_lqsibaYDCjC_llhnnyjRyAVB0Zcd5FjcaeSFjy3lyd6vXP64/s1600/Leopard+Frog+wm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaTR1Ymv2xFc3oOWn3RS64I8GOrvRArPHIF08x749cytzMKi255hYycc9E4sBSp5RSw0cZxhvRrEjPmiUCkkUpffvVe2_lqsibaYDCjC_llhnnyjRyAVB0Zcd5FjcaeSFjy3lyd6vXP64/s400/Leopard+Frog+wm.jpg" width="360" /></a></div><br />This is a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leopard_frog">leopard frog</a>, which reminds her of growing up, when she spent time in <a href="http://www.shawmere.com/">Shawmere</a>, near <a href="http://travelingluck.com/North%20America/Canada/Ontario/_6062309_Lyndhurst.html#local_map">Lyndhurst</a>, in Eastern Ontario, Canada. She nostalgically recollects her summers as a young girl,  fishing and catching frogs.<br /><br />Laura has a second tattoo, just above her waistline, which she generously shared with us, as well:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpxvogrLz44ocQa8JqrtUyeGTonESnBg1l4A-Wa3YqeQKV1HB_Pi_vjPZIfJRnhwBqRxHk8UJIwmKEuCbDSiqUd9bE-cY61Wo0xmOedU4erCkfKnOQqd-CWjxlZ4OqU59TZc52FOB-z1c/s1600/edelweis+wm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpxvogrLz44ocQa8JqrtUyeGTonESnBg1l4A-Wa3YqeQKV1HB_Pi_vjPZIfJRnhwBqRxHk8UJIwmKEuCbDSiqUd9bE-cY61Wo0xmOedU4erCkfKnOQqd-CWjxlZ4OqU59TZc52FOB-z1c/s640/edelweis+wm.jpg" width="442" /></a></div><br />This floral tattoo depicts a bouquet with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geranium">geraniums</a> and the white <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edelweiss"> edelweiss</a> flowers. The edelweiss is the unofficial national flower of <a href="http://www.switzerland.com/en.cfm/home">Switzerland</a> and this tattoo commemorates not only the month she spent there as a visitor, but because she loves the Swiss culture and it is her favorite country.<br /><br />Both tattoos were done by Patrick Dean at <a href="http://www.myspace.com/neptunetattooville">Tattooville</a>, in Neptune, New Jersey. Work from Tattooville has appeared previously on our site <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/search/label/Tattooville">here</a>.<br /><br />Thanks to Laura for sharing these two cool tattoos on Tattoosday!

Laura's Two Tattoos

I met Laura in October after I spotted this tattoo on her foot: This is a leopard frog , which reminds her of growing up, when she spent ti...

Read more »

John Shares More Than Just a Fly on the Wall

I met John walking down 7th Avenue in the upper 20s back in the beginning of September.<br /><br />He has six tattoos, but it was this one, on his left side, that I spotted through the hole cut in the side of his t-shirt:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglHbXDLeYLp5HS8tiiDAougnmabL3eu0FLeDgG4VNHoq6ycO7zhx31miniFQepMV7D8ajUb1_MHTdAnFS8H7V5c6nNARy3yvSPsReELMyeMJf8p_MDBNWQXe6N-uWvc3wHfe661oIKlKg/s1600/Banksy+wm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglHbXDLeYLp5HS8tiiDAougnmabL3eu0FLeDgG4VNHoq6ycO7zhx31miniFQepMV7D8ajUb1_MHTdAnFS8H7V5c6nNARy3yvSPsReELMyeMJf8p_MDBNWQXe6N-uWvc3wHfe661oIKlKg/s640/Banksy+wm.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><br />Fans of the popular British graffiti artist <a href="http://www.banksy.co.uk/">Banksy</a> will recognize this as a tattoo based on his work. Another Banksy-inspired tattoo appeared <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2009/10/you-gotta-go-there-to-come-back-sarah.html">here</a> on Tattoosday in October of 2009.<br /><br />Why this design? Aside from the fact that John likes the imagery, he especially likes the dripping effect at the bottom of the piece, as if it was spray-painted on. He also related to the ape's sign that reads "Laugh now but one day we'll be in charge".<br /><br />The piece was inked at <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Neptune-NJ/Neptune-Tattooville/295323493183?v=wall">Tattooville</a> in Neptune, New Jersey.<br /><br />Here's a shot of the original Banksy work:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglAlZnXbfqM38v7aMGZJ7KcINIA1NPc0ltojdtH-O1bh2V982opr6H3vFgFNxNNKDn4HsoWD-Ob0kF5RRqkOPyeGpTVbm9NZU8tWrhiNSrBqBVpwnaQcqFRsaUBxwFZhodYG_etgvWsmQ/s1600/banksy_laugh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglAlZnXbfqM38v7aMGZJ7KcINIA1NPc0ltojdtH-O1bh2V982opr6H3vFgFNxNNKDn4HsoWD-Ob0kF5RRqkOPyeGpTVbm9NZU8tWrhiNSrBqBVpwnaQcqFRsaUBxwFZhodYG_etgvWsmQ/s400/banksy_laugh.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />John offered up, an additional tattoo, as well:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1MGVIxfJzzTyouI0cEsaJr2kRrJC4NdKEee3_DVuO90SWcLlIsT8X5NBIbI4pWfn6GLXJ1sd9No0gPbyXZWszvVoX-v6FarXBwzRXKVlov6TxDYPqZ2v7RzrxKPKNI-Lfym8FmnBDKII/s1600/Flyday+wm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1MGVIxfJzzTyouI0cEsaJr2kRrJC4NdKEee3_DVuO90SWcLlIsT8X5NBIbI4pWfn6GLXJ1sd9No0gPbyXZWszvVoX-v6FarXBwzRXKVlov6TxDYPqZ2v7RzrxKPKNI-Lfym8FmnBDKII/s320/Flyday+wm.jpg" width="212" /></a></div><br />Yes, that's a fly tattooed under his right armpit.<br /><br />John explained that this was tattooed by an artist under the moniker "<a href="http://www.porktomic.com/">Porkchop</a>" at Asbury Park's <a href="http://www.parlor-gallery.com/">Parlor Gallery</a>. It was part of an occasional event called "Fly Day Friday".<br /><br />If that sounds bizarre, it gets even crazier. If you present Pork Chop with an item that was bought for under $5.00, and he finds it valuable, he will trade it for one of his fly tattoos.<br /><br />John successfully presented an item and got the tattoo in exchange.<br /><br />"What did you offer?" I asked.<br /><br />"A <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pets.com#The_Pets.com_sock_puppet">Pets.com sock puppet</a>," he replied.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfM7OnMNxFg8UkN5zIh3zXzwO0szyD1IIACRwi0Bgu-saSPvpk-6e-iOYcYMQAYXLYD2JIIZjXYu2zXxnEmGmbMBRv6hzCkf15dZWI7WUy1hCH3tPN3rVBSGX-2BTRyPQWHWPh6JFutu4/s1600/petscom.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfM7OnMNxFg8UkN5zIh3zXzwO0szyD1IIACRwi0Bgu-saSPvpk-6e-iOYcYMQAYXLYD2JIIZjXYu2zXxnEmGmbMBRv6hzCkf15dZWI7WUy1hCH3tPN3rVBSGX-2BTRyPQWHWPh6JFutu4/s320/petscom.jpg" width="318" /></a></div><br />Cool.<br /><br />Thanks to John for sharing these unusual tattoos with us here on Tattoosday!

John Shares More Than Just a Fly on the Wall

I met John walking down 7th Avenue in the upper 20s back in the beginning of September. He has six tattoos, but it was this one, on his left...

Read more »