Laman

The Tattoosday That Wasn't

A trip to New Jersey included a stop at the very-crowded Garden State Plaza on the way to see relatives.

Near a food court, I spotted an inked biker dude, and was going to approach him, but I balk at bothering people when they're eating or about to eat. And I used his SS belt buckle as an excuse to leave him alone.

Moments later, I stopped a mall employee with an interesting horseshoe tattoo on his right forearm. He was on break and seemed uninterested. He said he was in a hurry and I left him with a flier.

Moments later, in Hot Topic, an employee with numerous tattoos, including a piece based on the art of Angelique Houtkamp, took a look at a flier, but handed it back to me and said he'd remember the name Tattoosday and check it out.

So the mall was a bust (not that I went there for the sole purpose of inkspotting), but I was optimistic that I would get pictures from Beth, my wife's cousin, who we would be seeing at the family function to which we were heading. We had chatted the night before, and she was totally cool about sharing her butterfly, dancing bear, and New York Yankees tattoos.

Alas, Beth was not up for it this evening, and I came away photo-less. There was another guest at the house (one of the host's neighbors) who had a cool black cat with arched back tattooed on her chest.

I wanted to speak to her about it, but it didn't seem appropriate under the circumstances.

So this is what I meant the other day when I mentioned my blogging about the misses, in the absence of successes. What do you think? Was this remotely interesting? Let me know in the comments section.
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TOOLS OF THE TRADE

ONCE AGAIN ANOTHER COOL TATTOO THAT IS NOT A CLOWN OR A NAKED BROAD. ITS NOT EVERYDAY I GET TO TATTOO A SET OF CLIPPERS ON SOMEONES ARM. SO WHEN IT HAPPENS YOU GOT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE AND GET LOOSE.

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Currently Reading: The Tattoo Artist by Jill Ciment


Winter is not conducive to good inkspotting in the big city, so I've got nothing for you today.

Nothing, at least, in terms of tattoo photos.

I will report, however, that I am reading the book The Tattoo Artist by Jill Ciment.

A work of literary fiction, The Tattoo Artist tells the story of Sara Ehrenreich, who was born in the early part of the 20th Century, became an artist, went to the fictional island of Ta'un'uu, where the art of tattoo is celebrated as a cultural and spiritual form of expression.

I have only completed a brief section of the novel, but am enjoying the narrative immensely. The protagonist's tattoos are described by her briefly as the tale progresses. I have yet to reach the point where she becomes a tattoo artist. However, she describes early on, as an old woman looking back on her life, how she is covered fully by ink.

Here's how she describes one of her tattoos:

His portrait graces my left breast. It is the first tattoo I engraved on myself. The portrait, however, in no way resembles the face I kissed that night; an unlined, untested face of cavalier certitude that the future would be as easy to read as a palm. The face on my left breast is desecrated, pillaged of all illusions, and though it breaks my heart to admit it, it is also the weakest part of my design--the point on my flesh where my emotions exceeded my skill--and no amount of virtuosity can disguise that weakness. The face on my left breast is a living death mask, as far removed from the young Philip as I am from the girl I was.

I haven't finished the book, but would certainly recommend it to anyone who enjoys literary fiction and has even a cursory interest in the art of tattoo.

Thanks to Cynthia, my mother-in-law, for yet another inspired holiday gift!

Here's a link to a review of the book in The New York Times.

Read a preview/excerpt in Google Books here.


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TRAGEDY AND TRIUMPH

CHECK OUT THIS BACK PIECE I DID A COUPLE YEARS BACK ON A SCHOOL TEACHER. TEACHERS ARE DEFINITELY GETTING HIP, UNLIKE THOSE OLD DINOSAURS WHO USE TO TRY AND TEACH ME MATH. WHO KNOWS, MAYBE IF THEY WOULD HAVE COMBINED MATH AND ART I WOULD HAVE PAYED ATTENTION. I EVENTUALLY GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL ONLY A YEAR LATE BUT SCHOOL TEACHER AS TATTOOED AS JOE D..

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Turning the Page on a New Year, a New Month


One of my holiday gifts in 2008 was a cool tattoo calendar from my mother-in-law.

I've decided that, on the first of each month in 2009, I'll post the photo that accompanies each month.

The photo fpr January is credited to photographer Uli Niedersteiner at Mauritius Images.



Happy New Year to all!
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Creative Paper Sculpture by Richard Sweeney

UK Designer Richard Sweeney creates amazing paper sculptures by cutting, scoring and folding most ordinary material - plain recycled paper into complex geometric forms.
Sweeney’s sculptures blurs the boundaries of design, art and craft. Inspired by complex geometries, structures and patterns of growth in nature, Sweeney uses simple materials to explore both the handmade and machine manufactured multiple. Here you can find his official site: richardsweeney.co.uk





































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Wacky Saudi Car Climber

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The Boy And The Apple Tree - Really Touching Story























Everybody has an apple tree in his/her life. And that is your Parents !!

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