Tattoo Design: song lyrics

Showing posts with label song lyrics. Show all posts

Crystal's Ice-Bat and Gloomy Bear (with a Nod to The Academy Is)

<span id="internal-source-marker_0.36276135681059196" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">These tattoos, belonging to Crystal, date back to an encounter I had with her on the R train in Brooklyn back in June. She has 14 tattoos, and first shared this one, on her inner right forearm:</span><br />
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<span id="internal-source-marker_0.36276135681059196" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2pQ_ItEzbx-xZjR7JORuf5L74Z4u5i29wz8RVRgIcwPJ9QoaM2oGgNBSU-oCYTF9ey9hLz2kjuHnLBEV47V2upACBrKfud6xn91cah1z0FveGL4-lxerWDswV8iY9gLFENzxdX4vgp54/s1600/ice+bat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2pQ_ItEzbx-xZjR7JORuf5L74Z4u5i29wz8RVRgIcwPJ9QoaM2oGgNBSU-oCYTF9ey9hLz2kjuHnLBEV47V2upACBrKfud6xn91cah1z0FveGL4-lxerWDswV8iY9gLFENzxdX4vgp54/s400/ice+bat.jpg" width="271" /></a></div><span id="internal-source-marker_0.36276135681059196" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><br />
<span id="internal-source-marker_0.36276135681059196" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">What is this? I'll let Crystal explain: </span><br />
<blockquote><span id="internal-source-marker_0.36276135681059196" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">“It’s  an Ice-Bat  [one of the Uglydolls] with the words ‘Dream of demons / while you sleep / that make  you / stutter / when you speak’ – they’re lyrics from a song [“Down and  Out”] by The Academy Is, a Chicago band. My best friend and I actually  have the same words, different design on her arm. We met in Chicago …  it’s kind of a way to show our support for the band but also for our  friendship to each other.”  </span></blockquote><span id="internal-source-marker_0.36276135681059196" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Incidentally, The Academy Is announced just last week that, after eight years, they were breaking up.</span><br />
<span id="internal-source-marker_0.36276135681059196" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><br />
</span><br />
<span id="internal-source-marker_0.36276135681059196" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">This piece was done at The Chicago Tattooing and Piercing Company, but Crystal doesn't recall the name of the artist who did the tattoo.</span><br />
<span id="internal-source-marker_0.36276135681059196" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><br />
</span><br />
<span id="internal-source-marker_0.36276135681059196" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">She also shared this chest piece:</span><br />
<span id="internal-source-marker_0.36276135681059196" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht4ROGA_8OApcHpDBH4xKKyYRJS-vVE-EdJ9pQcc95ovb0MeoSrwws6BJbeC0BrhoaFFFqDhm_CepJFiBuRcXJ4QG9UCaIo9vIIcxTKP4tn4Z4CM-jAe-1kQk5hvBi6DudT4QktuV8t38/s1600/chest+piece.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht4ROGA_8OApcHpDBH4xKKyYRJS-vVE-EdJ9pQcc95ovb0MeoSrwws6BJbeC0BrhoaFFFqDhm_CepJFiBuRcXJ4QG9UCaIo9vIIcxTKP4tn4Z4CM-jAe-1kQk5hvBi6DudT4QktuV8t38/s400/chest+piece.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span id="internal-source-marker_0.36276135681059196" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><br />
</span><br />
<span id="internal-source-marker_0.36276135681059196" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Again, Crystal explains it best:</span><br />
<blockquote><span id="internal-source-marker_0.36276135681059196" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> “I got started  on it when I was 19 and I was in Atlanta and had just started college  and went through a rebellious phase. … I’m in love with the main  character which is Gloomy Bear … Gloomy Bear is kind of the doll that  controls the boy…..”</span></blockquote><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">More on Gloomy Bear can be learned on its designer Mori Chack's wikipedia page. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Thanks to Crystal for sharing her ink with us here on Tattoosday!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><br />
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Here's a little bonus, The Academy Is performing "Down and Out" at an in-store event:

Crystal's Ice-Bat and Gloomy Bear (with a Nod to The Academy Is)

These tattoos, belonging to Crystal, date back to an encounter I had with her on the R train in Brooklyn back in June. She has 14 tattoos, a...

7:11 AM

A Cure for Friday

It may be the first of July, but it's the end of the work week, and I thought, "What better way to end the week than with this tattoo?"<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyBWMV50otAcqIrIRkyoCmWksV1e0r_VSRFyjfRqSRKeLXRxt4NS4KLaQ7QJTISmYJBRysDoLTUdG9_hvpWPfN8_k-L7rNK8wLfpGreYUWUn8LjjIeMxy3BQP_Y6jsydQsL7Z4hUeThQk/s1600/Friday.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyBWMV50otAcqIrIRkyoCmWksV1e0r_VSRFyjfRqSRKeLXRxt4NS4KLaQ7QJTISmYJBRysDoLTUdG9_hvpWPfN8_k-L7rNK8wLfpGreYUWUn8LjjIeMxy3BQP_Y6jsydQsL7Z4hUeThQk/s400/Friday.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />This belongs to Christina, who loves <a href="http://www.thecure.com/">The Cure</a>, whose song "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friday_I%27m_in_Love">Friday I'm in Love</a>" inspired this tattoo.<br /><br />Christina is French, and she credits her friend, Tomas Lebrun, with tattooing this for her in Paris.<br /><br />For a little perspective, and appreciation, here's the Cure performing the song in New York in 2008:<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="405" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/kFfMPIulF6Q" width="500"></iframe><br /><br />Thanks to Christina for sharing her tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!<br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">This entry is ©2011 Tattoosday. </span><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">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 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.</span>

A Cure for Friday

It may be the first of July, but it's the end of the work week, and I thought, "What better way to end the week than with this tatt...

3:29 AM

The Tattooed Poets Project: Jared Singer

<a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2011/04/tattooed-poets-project-elliott-d-smith.html">Yesterday</a>, we enjoyed the tattoos and poetry of <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2011/04/tattooed-poets-project-elliott-d-smith.html">Elliott D. Smith</a>. Today,  we get to check out the work of his roommate, Jared Singer.<br /><br />I met Jared, along with Justin, last month at the Barnes & Noble  flagship store. Like Elliott, Jared's tattoo is a work "in progress" inked by the incomparable <a href="http://www.1228tattoo.com/artists/">Joy Rumore</a> at <a href="http://www.1228tattoo.com/">Twelve 28 Tattoo</a> in Brooklyn.<br /><br />Check out Jared's upper right arm:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT2SdsCjLOv3p1YUH15hej8vnTM8jKsCP1-tQ3LEwmMrxFlirIglYSdtu7Iu1CdTzTiz7_koYdhd6Ek4rhgo_D47TRXdc2A9Cp7tATAX1DZiVB6wOYvwrnpseW6YsrtnFXTkD4qiqPTfk/s1600/Jared+detail.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT2SdsCjLOv3p1YUH15hej8vnTM8jKsCP1-tQ3LEwmMrxFlirIglYSdtu7Iu1CdTzTiz7_koYdhd6Ek4rhgo_D47TRXdc2A9Cp7tATAX1DZiVB6wOYvwrnpseW6YsrtnFXTkD4qiqPTfk/s640/Jared+detail.jpg" width="436" /></a></div><br />Jared explained that this tattoo has two origins. First, it was inspired  by lyrics from a group called <a href="http://legendarymusic.net/">Living Legends</a>. More specifically, the words "I'm so fly,  even my shadow has its own friends."<br /><br />The other motif in this piece comes from the lyrics in "9-5ers Anthem," by <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Aesop-Rock/104163806285550?ref=ts">Aesop Rock</a>, that proclaim, "I tend to underestimate my own average."<br /><br />Jared says he originally conceived of the piece consisting of "shadows  with other shadows". Joy drew up the design and said, "How about this  instead?"<br /><br />The rest is history. Well, sort of. As mentioned at the top of the post, this sleeve-to-be is still a work in progress.<br /><br />Jared shared this poem with us: <br /><br /><br /><blockquote><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">The Last Love Letter from an Entomologist</b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">Dear Samantha,</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">I’m sorry, we have to get a divorce.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">I know that seems like an odd way </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">to start a love letter, but let me explain.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">Its not you,</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">it’s definitely not me,</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">it’s just, human beings don’t love </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">as well as insects do.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">I love you far too much to let what we have </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">be ruined by the failings of our species.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">So instead,</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">I’m going to leave you now,</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">while I can still remember you fondly.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">I saw the way you looked at the waiter last night,</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">I know you would never do anything,</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">you never do, but still I </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">saw the way you looked at the waiter last night.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">Did you know that when a female fly </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">accepts the pheromones put off by a male</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">It rewrites the way her brain works, </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">destroys the receptors for pheromones.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">Sensing the change, the male fly does the same.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">When flies love each other,</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">they do it so hard,</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">that they can never love anything else ever again.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">if either one dies before procreation</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">both sets of genetic code are lost forever.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">Now that is dedication.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">After breaking up with Elizabeth</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">we spent three days dividing</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">everything we had bought together</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">like if I knew which pots were mine,</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">like if I knew which drapes were mine,</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">the pain would go away.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">When two praying mantises mate,</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">the nervous system of the male</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">begins to shut down.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">While he still has control over his motor functions,</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">he flips onto his back</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">exposing his soft underbelly to his lover like a gift.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">She then proceeds to lovingly</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">and I do mean lovingly</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"> dice him into tiny pieces</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">which she  shoves carefully into mouth</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">wasting not a single morsel,</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">even the exoskeleton must go.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">She does this so that </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">so that when their children are born</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">she has a first meal to regurgitate to feed them.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">Now that is dedication.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">I could never do that for you.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">So I have a new plan.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">I plan on spending the rest of my life committing petty injustices.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">I will jaywalk at every opportunity</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">I will steal things I could easily afford</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">I will be rude to strangers</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">I hope you will do the same.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">I hope reincarnation is real.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">I hope that these petty crimes cause me to be reborn as a lesser creature.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=6058251288236499429&postID=8493457638909191833" name="_GoBack"></a>I hope we are reborn as flies.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">So that we can love each other as hard as we were meant to.</div></blockquote><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">~ ~ ~ </div>We also have the good fortune of having video of Jared performing this piece at the <a href="http://www.bowerypoetry.com/">Bowery Poetry Club</a> in 2009:<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="294" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/B3wsSdPzAuQ" title="YouTube video player" width="469"></iframe><br /><br />Jared Singer is a poet and audio engineer who lives in New York City. While he may have physically grown up with his peers, he has never forgotten the imagination, magic, and nerdiness that were  corner stones of his childhood. He hopes to remind others of these more  creative times. He has been published by <a href="http://www.downdirtyword.com/">The Legendary</a>, <a href="http://unionstationmag.com/">Union Station  Magazine</a>, <a href="http://www.facebook.com/swappoetry">The Spoken Word Almanac Project 2010</a> and has also appeared on  the <a href="http://www.indiefeedpp.libsyn.com/">Indiefeed Peformance Poetry</a> Podcast. He is the<a href="http://original.bowerypoetry.com/urbana/"> NYC Urbana</a> 2009 Grand  Slam Poetry Champion, The 2009 NYC <a href="http://www.louderarts.com/">Louder Arts</a> Individual World Poetry Slam representative and a member of the 2010 <a href="http://www.nuyorican.org/poetryslam.php">Nuyorican Poets Cafe Poetry Slam Team.</a><br /><br />Much thanks and appreciation to Jared for sharing his work with us here on Tattoosday!<br /><br />  <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: x-small;">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 </span> <span style="font-size: x-small;"><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></div>

The Tattooed Poets Project: Jared Singer

Yesterday , we enjoyed the tattoos and poetry of Elliott D. Smith . Today, we get to check out the work of his roommate, Jared Singer. I me...

3:12 AM

Jill Walks On with Her Ink

I spotted Jill in the beginning of November sitting in the <a href="http://www.njtransit.com/hp/hp_servlet.srv?hdnPageAction=HomePageTo">New Jersey Transit</a> waiting area at Penn Station.<br /><br />She has eight tattoos, five are symbols and three are word-based, including this one on her forearm:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi77vCUvB9mx9V-guDE84PLDy2bmGd8UiaqAArQxTcYzUXrNrUsf_iM37s02FymMtOdXTJkOmUpKA8fzRCTIpGqEikq1by2jx0foFAuHP4OS1OvgSMveiH4HWcnBRT_OUXTn2b7_pJtHbw/s1600/Walk+On+Collage.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="331" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi77vCUvB9mx9V-guDE84PLDy2bmGd8UiaqAArQxTcYzUXrNrUsf_iM37s02FymMtOdXTJkOmUpKA8fzRCTIpGqEikq1by2jx0foFAuHP4OS1OvgSMveiH4HWcnBRT_OUXTn2b7_pJtHbw/s400/Walk+On+Collage.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />The one she shared with us is based on the song lyrics of <a href="http://www.u2.com/">U2</a> and their song "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walk_On_%28song%29">Walk On</a>".<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSvGbH-BYN7A4MeI5XVebeL41vX0lbtT4X5eSwqx2WQow7d9D8ROmQZGOCNcffizduVuuX-g0QiYAx4K23pq4IFhpo2dqYE-bWqbKD0jp4Uf5YxDwcnwKDhVAIjdL1ddArhtMDbq_3jmM/s1600/u2+walk+on.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSvGbH-BYN7A4MeI5XVebeL41vX0lbtT4X5eSwqx2WQow7d9D8ROmQZGOCNcffizduVuuX-g0QiYAx4K23pq4IFhpo2dqYE-bWqbKD0jp4Uf5YxDwcnwKDhVAIjdL1ddArhtMDbq_3jmM/s400/u2+walk+on.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />The letter G and the date refer to her grandmother and the day she died, March 2, 2010.<br /><br />The lyrics are "And I know it aches/And your heart it breaks/You can only take so much/Walk on".<br /><br />Jill said that listening to music got her through a difficult time and  this song, in particular, carried and sustained her through the mourning  process.<br /><br />Coincidentally, March 2 marked the anniversary of her meeting the band in 2009.<br /><br />She chose an <a href="http://www.google.com/images?q=edwardian+script&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=univ&ei=kU4kTY_MBISclgeXmcmMAg&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=1&ved=0CCYQsAQwAA&biw=1024&bih=528">Edwardian script</a> and the tattoo was inked by Mike at <a href="http://fatkattat.com/">Fat Kat Tattoos</a> in Keyport, New Jersey.<br /><br />Work from Fat Kat has appeared previously on Tattoosday <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/search/label/Fat%20Kat%20Tattoo">here</a>.<br /><br />Thanks to Jill for sharing this special tattoo with us here on the site!<br /><br />A little extra treat, video of U2's "Walk On":<br /><br /><object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/gwKEdFoUB0o?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/gwKEdFoUB0o?fs=1&hl=en_US&color1=0xe1600f&color2=0xfebd01" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>

Jill Walks On with Her Ink

I spotted Jill in the beginning of November sitting in the New Jersey Transit waiting area at Penn Station. She has eight tattoos, five are...

3:03 AM

Christmas House Cleaning

Regular readers of Tattoosday will notice that, although I generally follow a chronological order when I share tattoos I have encountered.<br /><br />However, certain pieces, for various and sundry reasons, have been bypassed, and haven't made it to the blog, until now.<br /><br />I was originally going to post a dozen to represent the Twelve Days of Christmas, but I settled for eight. For the nights of Chanukah, perhaps?<br /><br />Without intending to offend anyone for not receiving a post all to themselves, I have lumped these tattoos, spanning from late August to late October, in one post.<br /><br />These are the neglected tattoo pictures that are just a little off, some not through the fault of the contributor, but for reasons beyond their control.<br /><br />The quality of the photo may not be ideal, or the host and I faced a language barrier that prevented a good back story from emerging, or I didn't find the story behind the tattoo especially compelling. And then<br />there's what is likely one of the poorest tattoos I have seen, but the story behind it is somewhat compelling.<br /><br />So, without further ado, here is a Christmas cleaning, eight posts rolled together into one gigantic one.<br /><br />~~~<br /><br />First up, we have Esteban, who shared his sleeve when I met him in September, at <a href="http://www.fairwaymarket.com/Directions/redhookdirections.html">Fairway</a> in Red Hook:<br /><br />Alas, I was still using a borrowed camera, and several shots were over-exposed and/or blurry, but I was able to salvage this one:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsvuwob4God9ifZacp7ptZI_twHkt3VsBUcYFMbSIf5ojzYkp3eHIRTF_Ie7jiUw3et3JCwvx2wuZDv0CTkWgJjKPmUGb7q7yxFvExH8LfpnopZSYRHmcs5FjQWwDBjFGidLF6vbK6C3o/s1600/esteban.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsvuwob4God9ifZacp7ptZI_twHkt3VsBUcYFMbSIf5ojzYkp3eHIRTF_Ie7jiUw3et3JCwvx2wuZDv0CTkWgJjKPmUGb7q7yxFvExH8LfpnopZSYRHmcs5FjQWwDBjFGidLF6vbK6C3o/s640/esteban.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><br />The artwork is pre-Colombian in its inspiration, and is part of a larger tropical motif. <br /><br />Next up we have Dave, who I met in Penn Station. He has over 25 tattoos and selected this one to share:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyNycGE1_8vGpekriN-KisptwFnlDNPqHE_iiX3LKN8OeAk06HUw59h8kuLOdSurR4NQbmUxD5AVnx7jiTWG4hfEXh7Onpy9xRJqUCc5oNbr-KgDukdEnllfHR6jfVllkeKiGeoFA4RCU/s1600/United+and+Strong.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyNycGE1_8vGpekriN-KisptwFnlDNPqHE_iiX3LKN8OeAk06HUw59h8kuLOdSurR4NQbmUxD5AVnx7jiTWG4hfEXh7Onpy9xRJqUCc5oNbr-KgDukdEnllfHR6jfVllkeKiGeoFA4RCU/s400/United+and+Strong.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><br />The phrase "Uniting the Strong" is the title of a song from <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victim_in_Pain">Victim in Pain</a></i>, the second album from the band <a href="http://www.agnosticfront.com/">Agnostic Front</a>. This is a friendship tattoo that stresses unity and the host's nod to the hardcore punk scene.<br /><br />Dave credits Jelena at <a href="http://www.lonewolftattoo.com/">Lone Wolf Tattoo</a> in Bellmore, New York with this piece.<br /><br />~~~<br /><br />Next we have Orlando, a Fine Arts student at <a href="http://www.fitnyc.edu/">FIT</a>, where I met him outside while walking toward 23rd Street on my lunch break, also in September.<br /><br />This ship tattoo is an homage to his father, who served in the navy for thirty years. He wanted a "classic look" in the Sailor Jerry style.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaMldgFO_m4uDnkRSaSYpUhpt3PzurHcZM7mcxd4zxxX099MFIRWL78SVtz4PdG2ge7magTn98lA0NMUus4vJn5sBv5I_lhcCllpG12lqwfXoStkfIBaYmHLMmQIIAZIERM41qKmBGXTg/s1600/Orlando+Ship.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaMldgFO_m4uDnkRSaSYpUhpt3PzurHcZM7mcxd4zxxX099MFIRWL78SVtz4PdG2ge7magTn98lA0NMUus4vJn5sBv5I_lhcCllpG12lqwfXoStkfIBaYmHLMmQIIAZIERM41qKmBGXTg/s400/Orlando+Ship.jpg" width="247" /></a></div><br />Orlando confirmed for me that his dad loves the tattoo.<br /><br />It was inked at <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz/crazy-fantasy-tattoo-new-york">Crazy Fantasy Tattoo</a> in Manhattan by an artist named Antonio.<br /><br />[Update: I got a better, crisper picture from Orlando of the ship tattoo in May 2011:]<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIWCpbSRbTJUOijxWDD3n6_cY3Dm8jBa8nBL_G3tMFrz1LnY6LbDlFHmHdIITreQQDrRRBf_09tvzaGI0KzSEd7lESBfiDqgfwpgmFBgRUOWqWTBwwbRPfE6NP2Ns32CZw-6YocE43sHk/s1600/Orlando+Ship+2011_picnik.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIWCpbSRbTJUOijxWDD3n6_cY3Dm8jBa8nBL_G3tMFrz1LnY6LbDlFHmHdIITreQQDrRRBf_09tvzaGI0KzSEd7lESBfiDqgfwpgmFBgRUOWqWTBwwbRPfE6NP2Ns32CZw-6YocE43sHk/s400/Orlando+Ship+2011_picnik.jpg" width="210" /></a></div><br />Orlando has seven tattoos in all [in May 2011, he updated this number to ten], and shared this one, as well, inked at <a href="http://www.daredeviltattoo.com/">Dare Devil Tattoo</a> on the Lower East Side.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhczreJjA_oL1AcTM6_5tm2ZRcW3uJ3BtYSt7O2r7zqiK50VqrdC0wQdHmnLWg5DeeKcwabgLXidFhveMtq2uuOTlveZTuZnzRA18RtoYxwWAkPg68GmU-4nq0RYn7kFThOOIAuBDq6nOQ/s1600/Orlando+Bon+Iver.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhczreJjA_oL1AcTM6_5tm2ZRcW3uJ3BtYSt7O2r7zqiK50VqrdC0wQdHmnLWg5DeeKcwabgLXidFhveMtq2uuOTlveZTuZnzRA18RtoYxwWAkPg68GmU-4nq0RYn7kFThOOIAuBDq6nOQ/s400/Orlando+Bon+Iver.jpg" width="258" /></a></div><br />The quote, "<span id="search" style="visibility: visible;">This my excavation and today<i></i> is Kumran"</span> is from a song called "re: Stacks" by <a href="http://www.boniver.org/">Bon Iver</a>.<br /><br />Orlando explained that he interprets this quote as a reminder that "every day has the ability to make you or break you. It just depends on what you do with it." Other interpretations are <a href="http://www.songmeanings.net/songs/view/3530822107858674649/">here</a>.<br /><br />For the record, I did email Orlando to ask for an opportunity to get clearer pictures, but I did not hear back from him.<br /><br />~~~<br /><br />I met Farkas in <a href="http://www.unionsquarenyc.org/">Union Square</a> back in October. He had this wolf on his right arm:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9uTGZ1csG8LdJNkWM6dsG5Z1zyzZNoto8piZW9UncPWGuMbxldjiKJaTyt7j1lS0A0exCLEGRwjN1NHLbvonSCEpigRpFX6nLtveWMIC2uBTYOcVDyQL0bJKu_szlqUAXYeFaucUv9KE/s1600/Farkas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9uTGZ1csG8LdJNkWM6dsG5Z1zyzZNoto8piZW9UncPWGuMbxldjiKJaTyt7j1lS0A0exCLEGRwjN1NHLbvonSCEpigRpFX6nLtveWMIC2uBTYOcVDyQL0bJKu_szlqUAXYeFaucUv9KE/s400/Farkas.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><br />He explained that his name means "wolf" in Hungarian, and that one of his friends in Hungary did this tattoo for him.<br /><br />~~~<br /><br />A couple days after meeting Farkas, I met an Israeli named Ran on 34th Street across from <a href="http://www.macys.com/">Macy*s</a>. He shared this iguana on his right leg:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWGviOLNA8kH42_VRGZMVHY12xenXiynj6VupfXXIOB-CjMDyQr4lDpfFr5WpUI92skMtO6cvEp7F5YBhTh3E9xRBuztAfRwb3n_KsS-mvZpFrWuxLtdz-VC-exX2WzO7eXOjiG6jLZt0/s1600/Iguana_picnik.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWGviOLNA8kH42_VRGZMVHY12xenXiynj6VupfXXIOB-CjMDyQr4lDpfFr5WpUI92skMtO6cvEp7F5YBhTh3E9xRBuztAfRwb3n_KsS-mvZpFrWuxLtdz-VC-exX2WzO7eXOjiG6jLZt0/s640/Iguana_picnik.jpg" width="304" /></a></div><br /><br />It's a pretty nice tattoo, but he hasn't sent me any further details about it.<br /><br />~~~<br /><br />A couple weeks later, I was in the West Village before a concert, and met Carlos, a manager at the <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&expIds=17259,27342,27642,28067&sugexp=ldymls&xhr=t&cp=9&qe=cWRvYmEgMTAwMA&qesig=ioAfmDfQL9io8qJXivfDRw&pkc=AFgZ2tn4CORECvVIyeLyU2neM3rYho1uXF-JgkCMN3WPXIASZMzsBqf9zoXZYVCZMemdAnlBQwpPIUCXg07_bR4jmJS4wGewDw&client=firefox-a&hs=mBF&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=qdoba+10001&fb=1&gl=us&hq=qdoba&hnear=New+York+10001&ei=-DoWTejMIM6s8AaP58W7Dg&sa=X&oi=local_group&ct=image&resnum=2&sqi=2&ved=0CAQQtgMwAQ&iwloc=3378200444570630634">Qdoba Mexican Grill</a> where we were having a quick bite before the show. He shared this intricate tattoo on his right arm:<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivaOnhoDRtpohBXPHtm7PdUkZsVlIIupT2wXN42OxbRKxjC0cmD5VI52pmyhP_tj8eusDD0lFnTzgzJ5BV6T3KSzaDFbnkZigEVW3XzVigZ4tUQsvLx4oWx4FPEPtEiE06T4QHcnHVN7o/s1600/puzzle+wm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivaOnhoDRtpohBXPHtm7PdUkZsVlIIupT2wXN42OxbRKxjC0cmD5VI52pmyhP_tj8eusDD0lFnTzgzJ5BV6T3KSzaDFbnkZigEVW3XzVigZ4tUQsvLx4oWx4FPEPtEiE06T4QHcnHVN7o/s640/puzzle+wm.jpg" width="234" /></a></div><br />He and friend collaborated on this tattoo together. He told me that, when he was little, he did jigsaw puzzles with his mother a lot. The tattoo reminds him of those fun times growing up.<br /><br />~~~<br /><br />The following week, I ran into Iancu in Penn Station, and he shared this piece on his upper left arm:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj2HsM9WuInCxCAFvqUQrXV3mswwY60-BSp7AriKkFwfPqdRf3d1Limj1RyE2_gMgBeFpB_4dCXBsOeSVxc1Nm0rxQtMrjIQ1WnilbwVZ_EwDAniBfUOcXLomhKyQAvPncErw9dDzyzg0/s1600/guns+roses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj2HsM9WuInCxCAFvqUQrXV3mswwY60-BSp7AriKkFwfPqdRf3d1Limj1RyE2_gMgBeFpB_4dCXBsOeSVxc1Nm0rxQtMrjIQ1WnilbwVZ_EwDAniBfUOcXLomhKyQAvPncErw9dDzyzg0/s400/guns+roses.jpg" width="266" /></a></div><br />Iancu told me he came to the artist, Rico, formerly of <a href="http://www.risingdragon.com/">Rising Dragon</a> in Manhattan, who was initially unwilling to do the tattoo. However, he convinced him to do it. It's basically a <a href="http://web.gunsnroses.com/index.jsp">Guns N' Roses</a> tribute although, he<br />noted, the guns were added about a year and a half after the original design was inked.<br /><br />~~~<br /><br />And finally, I must first say that  it is very rare that I ever criticize the quality of a tattoo.<br /><br />Even if it is inferior to the work of much better artists, I always like to believe there are some redeeming qualities in a tattoo.<br /><br />Which is why I struggled with this next tattoo, which I photographer back in August, and which I have included in this odds and ends post in December.<br /><br />I approached a guy named Danny who had a lot of interestingly-tattooed words and such on his arms.<br /><br />However, he offered to remove his shirt in Penn Station so I could photograph this:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk0d9m6nzc0urSfP61gZFzqAdbnjCnzaT18pp40EG9B45CmIpQA8RQqEqnReDhyphenhyphen6P35OWFJ1qpPLPXvItQq8uzsOk6lwocIpOQ9DwOC6vUkULGA6gJJqLd3wNg1elXeShMe-dGVSnUz74/s1600/diamonds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk0d9m6nzc0urSfP61gZFzqAdbnjCnzaT18pp40EG9B45CmIpQA8RQqEqnReDhyphenhyphen6P35OWFJ1qpPLPXvItQq8uzsOk6lwocIpOQ9DwOC6vUkULGA6gJJqLd3wNg1elXeShMe-dGVSnUz74/s400/diamonds.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br />Um, yeah.<br /><br />If this was done by an experienced artist, I would likely not have posted it. Despite its obvious flaws, it is compelling, in my opinion, because Danny told me, like all his tattoos (15 or 16, he told me), this one was<br />self-inked. Now, I can see tattooing one's arm or leg, but I cannot even fathom how challenging it would be to self-tattoo your chest. He estimated this took one and a half hours to do.<br /><br />The message is "Diamonds Aren't Forever," or, in  Danny's words, "don't take what you have for granted".<br /><br />~~~<br /><br />So there you have it, a Spring Cleaning for Christmas.<br /><br />I do sincerely thank the individuals who shared their tattoos in this entry. Happy Holidays, y'all!

Christmas House Cleaning

Regular readers of Tattoosday will notice that, although I generally follow a chronological order when I share tattoos I have encountered. H...

10:47 AM

Jackie's Bouncing Lyrics

At the beginning of the week, I posted Jackie's <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2010/10/jackies-vintage-postcard.html">beautiful tattoo</a> and didn't include some work on her wrists that I also photographed:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoyITeQ_Hiw8FfWV-cZt6YP7mTo_ZPpoIwKekiwOxq57KNeYotIRP_PTGbSS1JadaicnUWetMPe1FnG_45XBzuOJbZako7PPuGifQPw-ooU6RxxWB4QXWiyXswfVQjOXpj5jREVHt0/s1600/bouncing+souls+lyrics+wm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoyITeQ_Hiw8FfWV-cZt6YP7mTo_ZPpoIwKekiwOxq57KNeYotIRP_PTGbSS1JadaicnUWetMPe1FnG_45XBzuOJbZako7PPuGifQPw-ooU6RxxWB4QXWiyXswfVQjOXpj5jREVHt0/s400/bouncing+souls+lyrics+wm.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />These lyrics, "What are dreams for anyway/without the guts to live your life that way," are from the song "Highway Kings" by <a href="http://www.bouncingsouls.com/">The Bouncing Souls</a>, from their 2003 album <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anchors_Aweigh_%28album%29">Anchors Aweigh</a>.<br /><br /><object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/79PlE7rAHqA?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/79PlE7rAHqA?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object><br /><br />Thanks to Jackie for sharing her tattoos with us here on Tattoosday!

Jackie's Bouncing Lyrics

At the beginning of the week, I posted Jackie's beautiful tattoo and didn't include some work on her wrists that I also photographe...

2:58 AM

Sandra's Cherry Blossoms

I met Sandra at the local laundromat at the end of August and she shared this lovely tattoo on her upper right arm: <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR2_5EyIsMUsNTcb5HCbkY4RcdrPQqoeUQYIRv5O9rpU0_qP8ofsNVDJvRgWTIX5La8p9Er06nzjm3UPh3NhKS3CYsQ-MPXU4HAHNmZ0-vq6p-waz5KR-AwOAVJ9liMdo3PnuLm_fN/s1600/Jiminy+Cherry+Blossom+collage+wm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="376" px="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR2_5EyIsMUsNTcb5HCbkY4RcdrPQqoeUQYIRv5O9rpU0_qP8ofsNVDJvRgWTIX5La8p9Er06nzjm3UPh3NhKS3CYsQ-MPXU4HAHNmZ0-vq6p-waz5KR-AwOAVJ9liMdo3PnuLm_fN/s400/Jiminy+Cherry+Blossom+collage+wm.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />There are two elements to this design, the cherry blossoms and the quote. The cherry blossoms were inked after her father was initially diagnosed with cancer. The quote was added when Sandra decided to move to New York from Oregon.<br /><br />Reading "When your heart is in your dream, no request is too extreme...", this quote is from the film <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinocchio_%281940_film%29">Pinocchio</a>, in the song "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/When_You_Wish_Upon_a_Star">When You Wish Upon a Star</a>".<br /><br />The tattoo was done by <a href="http://www.myspace.com/4833400">Dragon</a> at <a href="http://www.myspace.com/12091597">Star Tattoo</a>, in Portland, Oregon.<br /><br />Thanks to Sandra for sharing her lovely tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!<br /><br /><br />Here's a little bonus:<br /><br /><object height="385" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/4cHsPCAZlP4?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/4cHsPCAZlP4?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>

Sandra's Cherry Blossoms

I met Sandra at the local laundromat at the end of August and she shared this lovely tattoo on her upper right arm: There are two elements t...

7:27 AM

The Tattooed Poets Project: Eboni Hogan

On this final day of the Tattooed Poets Project 2010, we have a double treat - the tattoos and poetry of both Jeanann Verlee (<a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2010/05/tattooed-poets-project-jeanann-verlee.html">here</a>) and her friend Eboni Hogan.<br /><br />What follows is a tat-alogue of Eboni's body art.<br /><br />She prefaces her work with the following proclamation:<br /><blockquote><br />"A Note About The Artist: A majority of the work (the shoulder piece, the peacock and the cherry blossoms) on my body were done by an amazingly talented artist named Craig Spencer out of <a href="http://www.myspace.com/whatevertattoo">Whatever Tattoo II</a> on St. Mark's Place who was also my boyfriend of almost four years until fairly recently. Yay! It's a sado-masochistic love story! Some liken this to getting a man's name tattooed across my boobs but I can say he is truly one of the only artists I trust with my flesh."</blockquote><br />And now the ink:<br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh6xFXRXrZKWcfmeQiEWhvWm6m3p78mxBmrPoQk1QInyVW9_dktklHrJmUs-jzvGmIcdpHd7bPMUwwwQHakYmhGn78De7FXzOiSzYBgUQzYf41p8Ppt4C_MN_H1Q0_Z3nm9Os23CTX/s1600/eboni+feathers+1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463266346092367506" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh6xFXRXrZKWcfmeQiEWhvWm6m3p78mxBmrPoQk1QInyVW9_dktklHrJmUs-jzvGmIcdpHd7bPMUwwwQHakYmhGn78De7FXzOiSzYBgUQzYf41p8Ppt4C_MN_H1Q0_Z3nm9Os23CTX/s400/eboni+feathers+1.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 300px; height: 400px;" /></a><blockquote>"This shoulder piece is a custom design that took the most amount of tweaking before I actually got it inked. There are three quill pens, a skeleton key and a key hole, all tied together with ribbons. I'd had a strange dream one night in which a creepy old woman handed me a set of keys, tied to three feathers and told me that if I could find the door, the key would let me out...<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCeB4Kn9MoNg5-lbhtKOVcjnzBxYNaGxo9gVP1P9QeOcGKC1Q6hPYnxcB3S1ghpT2oyrzbJOaPpkzVzgixowPKmUB1n0Rnmxc7fVJcWsZf5zZxEaMssRaQguZQ7tiwDHyS5goBZRSP/s1600/eboni+feathers+2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463266437586234706" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCeB4Kn9MoNg5-lbhtKOVcjnzBxYNaGxo9gVP1P9QeOcGKC1Q6hPYnxcB3S1ghpT2oyrzbJOaPpkzVzgixowPKmUB1n0Rnmxc7fVJcWsZf5zZxEaMssRaQguZQ7tiwDHyS5goBZRSP/s400/eboni+feathers+2.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 267px; height: 400px;" /></a><br />...In my dream, I draped the key over my shoulder for safe keeping (dream logic...) but when I finally reached the promised door, the key and the feathers were adhered to my skin. The image stuck when I woke up and I talked to the artist about designing a similar piece. He suggested that the feathers be quill pens to pay homage to my love of poetry."<br /></blockquote>Next we have an image linked inexorably to the history of tattoos in the West, with its background in naval history. It was inked by an unidentified artist at <a href="http://www.capitolcitytattoo.net/">Capitol City Tattoo</a> in Madison, Wisconsin:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7UC1Z_BFNgpaJ_LNe9zQfusSFl1KgUEcRyWFtw1wQBA_AN9sNC3XBzPhYbq-cbWPmuJrx5YQ9946BArUsgeCvlXsSs_G3RugwtaEZOkU0srrMXbpYGEd_WGH4PebJj6p8D6si7PR0/s1600/eboni+anchor.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463265878026922706" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7UC1Z_BFNgpaJ_LNe9zQfusSFl1KgUEcRyWFtw1wQBA_AN9sNC3XBzPhYbq-cbWPmuJrx5YQ9946BArUsgeCvlXsSs_G3RugwtaEZOkU0srrMXbpYGEd_WGH4PebJj6p8D6si7PR0/s400/eboni+anchor.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 376px;" /></a><br /><blockquote>"I adore old school tattoos of the Sailor Jerry variety. I am also really active in the poetry slam community and every team I have ever been coined "the anchor"- the poet put up towards the end of a slam to (fingers crossed) make a home run. At the 2008 National Poetry Slam in Wisconsin, I decided it would be suitable to get this piece on my ribs."</blockquote><br />Next up we have some cherry blossoms on the back of Eboni's right biceps:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihRVLZ8BkcsoByVZb8NFRxY-d5wWLSv4wDJZFUfu_FA-tG0DgRrbwfHv_WWhzVDXrHey21ET0Iujt8YB8cMjqRvVg6UMkLjrBq3NnE3f1hgao6BQeH7msxnp6H6YZok1RzIFkfQE55/s1600/eboni+blossoms.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463265543103624066" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihRVLZ8BkcsoByVZb8NFRxY-d5wWLSv4wDJZFUfu_FA-tG0DgRrbwfHv_WWhzVDXrHey21ET0Iujt8YB8cMjqRvVg6UMkLjrBq3NnE3f1hgao6BQeH7msxnp6H6YZok1RzIFkfQE55/s400/eboni+blossoms.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 217px; height: 400px;" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;">"Blossom on the tree you know how I feel</span>. Text by unknown artist, <a href="http://www.addictioninknyc.com/">Addiction Ink</a>, St. Mark's Place, cherry blossoms by Craig Spencer. If my life were a television series, <a href="http://www.ninasimone.com/">Nina Simone's</a> song "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feeling_Good">Feeling Good</a>" would be the theme song. On my worst days, this is the never-fail anthem. The particular phrase that I decided on just happens to be the line in the song that feels infinitely more magical when sung at the tops of one's lungs. Try it."<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><object height="344" style="background-image: url(http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/LOrqDx5dOp4/hqdefault.jpg);" width="425"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/LOrqDx5dOp4&hl=en_US&fs=1" allowscriptaccess="never" allowfullscreen="true" wmode="transparent" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" height="344" width="425"></embed></object><br /></div><br /><br />And last, but not least, this lovely peacock:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG6QLohj8P7cwMHgasodcZYlh84FEM8FsE8cjDXYXzqzEQRGCMKcUNdRd7VXUuSK5mmyM96n1r4MIjiIYqUXwy1u21e7kOZ5kE-sJyWT1HeqBwPuWdD_99ybibUfKFls5y1iODPKj7/s1600/eboni+peacock.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5463265413435337874" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG6QLohj8P7cwMHgasodcZYlh84FEM8FsE8cjDXYXzqzEQRGCMKcUNdRd7VXUuSK5mmyM96n1r4MIjiIYqUXwy1u21e7kOZ5kE-sJyWT1HeqBwPuWdD_99ybibUfKFls5y1iODPKj7/s400/eboni+peacock.jpg" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 161px; height: 400px;" /></a><br />"Peacocks are symbols of renewal and are revered by multiple cultures across the world. Furthermore, let's face it- they got a whole lotta swag. I found a vintage painting of a peacock that I loved though it's not the traditional green and blue image people are used to seeing. I got it on my left hip so that it could also serve as a cover-up for a pretty awful tattoo I got when I was 17 and foolish."<br /><br />Thanks to Eboni for sending along so many tattoos for us here at Tattoosday. Be sure to head over to BillyBlog to read one of her poems, dedicated to poet Jeanann Verlee, <a href="http://oxypoet.blogspot.com/2010/05/tattooed-poets-project-eboni-hogan.html">here</a>. Jeannann's tattoo (<a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2010/05/tattooed-poets-project-jeanann-verlee.html">here</a>) precedes this post, and <a href="http://oxypoet.blogspot.com/2010/04/tattooed-poets-project-jeanann-verlee.html">her poem</a> is dedicated to Eboni.<br /><br />24 year-old poet, actress and Bronx native, Eboni Hogan, has performed in over 30 U.S. cities and facilitated workshops from refugee camps to prestigious universities. She studied theater at New York University's <a href="http://www.tisch.nyu.edu/page/home.html">Tisch School of the Arts</a>. She is the winner of the <a href="http://wow.poetryslam.com/">2010 Women of the World Slam Poetry Slam</a>, the 2008 <a href="http://www.gotpoetry.com/News/article/sid=47993.html">Urbana Grand Slam Champion</a> and a two time representative of the <a href="http://www.nuyorican.org/Poetry/poetry.html">Nuyorican Slam Team</a>. She is published in the anthologies <a href="http://www.penmanshipbooks.com/pb/wp_b6e99345/wp_b6e99345.html">His Rib</a> and <u>Double Lives</u> and recently released her first collection of poetry entitled <a href="http://www.penmanshipbooks.com/PENMANSHIP_BOOKS/Eboni.html">Grits</a> through <a href="http://www.penmanshipbooks.com/PENMANSHIP_BOOKS/Home.html">Penmanship Books</a>.

The Tattooed Poets Project: Eboni Hogan

On this final day of the Tattooed Poets Project 2010, we have a double treat - the tattoos and poetry of both Jeanann Verlee ( here ) and he...

2:37 AM

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