Holidays are for Eating.

Louderhorn Inn hosted a smallish vegan thanksgiving this year,

and as always, Meryl made so much great food.

(that is one sexy vegan blueberry pie)

There was five of us sitting at the dining room table,

but enough mashed potatoes to feed 20.

(i made the potatoes)

The next day was back to work,

and we celebrated Black (Tie) Friday.

We didn't buy anything,

we just wore ties.

Adam M also has been wearing normal pants all week

(in lieu of his super tight sexy man jeans)

in order to help heal the first sit of his alligator tattoo we did on Tuesday.

Looking forward to working on this again soon.

(and yeah, that's a thigh. not a wrist, not a forearm. a thigh.
the tattoo is 11 inches tall.)

Winter Weather

There's rain, there's snow,

and then there is freezing rain,

that icky cold mess than makes you want to stay inside.

Meryl and I ventured out to the Seward Cafe, of course,

and then to Riverview Theatre for a $2 showing of Depicable Me

(the best $4 I ever spent)

and then stayed inside the rest of the day doing art,

cooking, eating, and staying warm.

Here's a cell phone camera shot of what I worked on

while Meryl was carving a linoleum block

for her letterpress class tomorrow.

Hyenas and hand puppets.

I finished the boar skull painting the other day,
and immediately started a few new ones.

There's going to be a big to do come March,

and I need to get a move on if I'm going to be ready in time.

Adam W is leaving tomorrow morning for a NYC trip,

and he wanted to get a new tattoo before he left.

I drew up this hyena head for him,

which he didn't see until he got to the shop tonight,

and once he saw the angry face,

he wanted it a little "toned down".

(like adding the teddy bear to ryan's elephant)

So we ran through a few ideas, and settled on hand puppets,

which I then markered on.

We didn't get too far, since we only got started at 8pm,

but I'm super excited about it,

and wanted to post the progress photos.

We'll work on it again some time after Thanksgiving.

New Orleans, Part 2 (ish)

I know, it's been a little bit since NOLA.
But when Meryl and I lost the camera,
we lost some of the photos from the trip as well.
Luckily this tattoo was on Erica Flannes,
a rad tattoo artist in New Orleans,
and she was kind enough to send me a photo.

I added another guest spot to the travel plans section.

I'll be headed West this time.

I'll be in Grant's Pass, Oregon from February 14-19th,

and am starting to book up now.

It's actually an amazing opportunity that fell into my lap-

thanks to Off the Map's Mary Bowen.

(in case you didn't know, she's the best ever)

Gogue Art and Tattoo, Jeff Gogue's studio,

has kindly offered to have me guest spot there for the week,

and I couldn't possibly be more excited.

(he's so dope)

6 hours South of Olympia, and 4.5 from Portland.

Sexy Tattoo Design with the Best Tattoo Ink in Black

Sexy Tattoo Design with the Best Tattoo Ink in Black

Delivered.

Mail art.
I don't ever talk about it on the internet.
It just doesn't really belong there, you know?
Except today.
11-11, kids.
Never Quiet Never Soft is printing, stamping and mailing for the holiday.
Just ask, and it's yours.
Both of them.
And for free.
Go get em.

not bad for a wednesday.

Here's Tony's new stormy lighthouse tattoo.

I woke up this morning and ran a couple miles with Meryl,
went to work and tattooed all day long,
and then came home and went to work on some NQNS stuff.
Thursday is, after all, 11-11.
It was a full day,
and now that it's past 2 am,
I am headed to bed.
I'm tired, my knees hurt, I even tattooed by own thumb.
(by accident, unfortunately)
But it was all pretty great.
(except the thumb part)
I also got halfway through a really fun owl tattoo,
but didn't finish before 8pm rolled around.
Another day....

No time for logic.

Adam M has been getting a bunch of work added to his cuckoo clock tattoo.
It now has a background,
but still doesn't make any sense.
Apparently this clock defies gravity.

The photo is pretty crappy,
since, thanks to DST, the sun now sets before 5pm,
so an outdoor shot was impossible.
But we're extending it all the way onto his foot,
so there's lots of opportunity for better shots later.
This is just a blog, after all, and not a portfolio,
which I have to remind myself all the time.

Tomorrow I'm doing a lighthouse tattoo for the first half of the day,
and then a baby owl tattoo till close.
Awesome.

Danielle Lloyd Tattoos

Danielle Lloyd is a stunning English glamour model, who was also crowned Miss England 2004 and Miss Great Britain 2006.

Danielle Lloyd has two visible tattoos which we know about, including a Hebrew inscription located on the back of her neck reading "Only God can judge me".

Ms. Lloyd also has a Latin phrase on her back left shoulder which reads "Quis attero mihi tantum planto mihi validus" and translates into "To diminish me will only make me stronger".

Freddie Ljungberg Back Tattoos

Freddie Ljungberg is a Swedish professional footballer and model, who has spent most of his career with Arsenal F.C. and Halmstads BK.

Freddie Ljungberg has two rather large black panther tattoos, one located on each side of his lower back. Freddie has also been spotted with another black cat tattoo on his right hip, however this is believed to be a temporary design.

Weekending.

This week's Painting Monday wasn't as productive as I was hoping.
I started painting this warthog skull as practice,
but I only got a couple hours into it before I was needing certain spots to dry
before I could go back into them.
I guess it's a lot like tattooing.
If you do a spot orange,
it's going to be a bitch to try and change it to white a couple minutes later.
So when I went to tighten up the mouth area,
I realized it'd have to wait till another day.
(of course, the skull is being painted from life,
since I Ryan keeps finding me the sickest skulls around,
and working off of google images is not dope at all)

I also had a bunch of drawings to do for this work week starting tomorrow.
As long as everything goes as planned,
it should be a full week of tattoo photos for the blog (portfolio?).
It's funny the waves that exciting tattoo projects come in.
Sometimes it's awesome all week long,
and sometimes it's......not.

What is Maori Tattoo Design

In this maori tattoo design article i am going to let you know a few things about Maori Tattoo Art and what you should try not do.



 This is important especially if you are looking at having a unique and great looking maori tattoo design



Maori Tribal Tattoos found here





 There are many mistakes people make when getting traditional maori tattoo designs and i hope that by the end of this article you will avoid the most common mistakes made by most people these days.



  These days with the ever growing popularity of tattoo art amongst all cultures through our increasing multi cultural society, traditional maori tattoo designs seem to be the choice of tattoo at the moment, almost like a fashion statement.



 In fact traditional maori tattoo designs are some of the most popular tattoo designs around and there's a valid reason why traditional maori tattoo art is so popular in our current multi-cultural societies.



  In today's world with so many tattoo artists and so many people looking to get tattoo art, you will find them going through and looking at other cultures in the hope of borrowing or worse of stealing other peoples designs to come up with their own tattoos. This can lead to artistic flair, but not so when choosing traditional maori tattoo designs .





To understand traditional maori tattoo designs you need to understand traditional maori terminology. As you know if you were learning about science or any field there will be terms associated with that particular study and so it is with  traditional maori tattoo art. The ta moko is the name of the family identification of Maori that form part of the group known as whakapapa.



 The reason it is important for maoris to know their family history is important especially when they were waring amongst each other over the centuries and before their arrival of the shores of new zealand.



  There are still Maoris that can trace their history with these maori tattoos, some chiefs can look at a Maori tattoo design, read it like a book, they do this by feeling the texture, looking at the design and the precision that went into getting the tattoo and will be able to trace back some of these Maori family trees. There are designs that date back over a 2,000 year period in maori history, these chiefs have the skill and ability by looking at the design and are able to tell how far this tattoo dates back to or this particular design origins.



 What most people don't realise when looking at a design is that they tell a story, though they look like a swirl or twirl to us, they actually tell a full story when you know how to read these tattoos.



  So you have learnt about the "ta" form of the maori language now its time to introduce the "moko" part, that is the important part as it involves the chiseling of the tattoo into the skin.



  So you think that getting a tattoo by today's standards is painful, well traditionally the maori made deep cuts into the skin using brutal tools and yes also the bones of albatrosses, for the maori to be able to distinguish themselves from the other tribes they used the color of the ink to tell the family history and the patterns on the skin would then allow someone to interpret the family history of these patterns.



 What this would essentially do for some one, is that they would, if they were an elder be able to tell the history by looking at the design the moko and of course the patterning of the skin. There is a common misconception around the world thinking that maori tattoos in their original sense were only done on the faces, however this is not true, they were also done on peoples bodies, what this allowed them to do was distinguish their chiefs or leaders by having these markings on their faces



 There are so many people copying maori tattoo designs these days, many people think there is no harm in doing this, at first sight but is it really ok to steal other cultures identities?



One should never just take words, images or symbols from the maoritanga or Maori culture without knowing what they are doing, as to the Maori this is seen as an insult, can you imagine walking around with some maoris family history? One thing not to do is to go out into the world of maori tattoo designs and just start copying any design, this could lead to a situation of stealing some maoris family tree



  How would you like to know what maoris really think about other cultures and especially now the western cultures stealing their identity and culture?



  The word "pakeha" might not mean anything to you as a westerner however in the maoris language it is associated with negativity, those that never ask for anything and simply take.......



..........without asking! Wouldn't you say that this sounds more like stealing someones culture? Well this is what the maori think of other people and especially the western world for taking their tattoos, they feel that not only did they loose their land but also now they are loosing their culture of tattoo designs



  One thing that is annoying many traditional maoris as mentioned, is the stealing of these tattoo designs and the reason that it is annoying them, is the fact that they foresee a day when the maori will have lost everything, they believe they have lost their land, now they are loosing something that makes the maori for who they are today, and that is the maori through their tattoo designs, they feel that this is the last thing to go in terms of spirituality before they have lost all to the west, which is quite sad as all cultures on earth are only bound as a culture through their individual rituals and unique flair such as tattoos in the maoris case.



  So how will this effect your decision when getting Tattoo Maori Designs?



  The safest thing for anyone like you to do is to perhaps look at a few designs for inspiration but try never ever to copy the design like it is on maoris in newZealand.



The quickest way to get a traditional maori tattoo design would be to contact someone in new zealand who is in charge of a tribe or a tribal tattoo artist and ask if the design that you are looking at is not someones design already, though this might seem dumb as mentioned we have to be sensitive to a culture that has shrunk over the last 200 years, with the internet this could be done in a matter of hours Maoris are really only annoyed when you just take, they might even grant you a special maori tattoo for asking, do you want to know how many people would actually ask for a design?



Not many! That's right if you ask you will more likely be given the go ahead for a special maori tattoo design, this way it will be even more unique and you will have a one of a kind maori tattoo design that you can be proud of.



Reference:

[1] http://www.articlesbase.com/art-articles/what-you-should-know-about-maori-tattoo-designs-1516874.html

The gift that makes the other gift stop giving.

Justin's birthday is October 31rst,
which is pretty awesome.
A little less awesome, however,
is the pumpkin tattoo he got on his birthday a few years back.
Ouch.
Justin's mom wanted to help make the pumpkin go away,
so this year for his birthday,
she bought him a big cover up tattoo.
(what? i know! such a nice mom)

You'll have to click on the photo to see it in a not itty-bitty size.
It's the 3 stages of making a pumpkin disappear.
Stencil/maker stage, then session one, then second/final sit.
I believe it was about 6 hours total.

Tips for Choosing Cool Tattoo Design

Selecting images for tattoos are more challenging than deciding whether you even have to get a tattoo. That's because the tattoo is the picture you will live with for a very long time. It is important that you like your tattoo and that he has some kind of meaning to you. While it takes some people a few days to pick a tattoo idea, it takes another few months.



To select a cool tattoo idea, began to remember what you want to express through tattoos. In this way, you can narrow your search and find the perfect image. Other things to consider is the location of the tattoo, your gender and resources for inspiration.





There is something unique about every person who can turn into a picture. Here are some cool tattoo ideas:





* If you enjoy the outdoors, you can choose a picture or a very interesting abstract from a tree or flower.

* If you are an artist, you can select images from an important tool the artist uses. Better yet, you can tattoo any part of your favorite art on your body.

Many people * have a particular artist, poet or famous people they look for inspiration. You could tattoo an artwork from other artists or a quote from a writer.

* Another idea popular tattoo is the graffiti can be very creative.

* Tribal or Celtic tattoos are cool ideas that could turn into creative art pieces. Tribal tattoos can be Chinese, Indian, Native American, Latin American, African in origin.

* Look into the history of art can provide creative ideas tattoos are also cultural.

Abstract pattern * is always unique tattoo idea for the body.

* Offer is written in other languages are not only beautiful but also interesting.

* Combine two different tattoos to make one image.





Design Your Own Tattoo



Anyone can go to a tattoo parlor and see the tattoo image gallery for ideas. These images may have a tattoo on someone else and not as original. You can see other tattoos for inspiration, but the artwork really shines when you own.



It has become very popular for people to create their own designs for tattoos. This adds a personal touch and make the tattoo more meaningful. To create your own design, it is helpful to think of a theme that reflects your personality or your life. Then, you can come up with images that express these ideas.





Tattoos are works of art created in the body, which is a type of canvas. A place in the mind or in the real world, there is inspiration and creativity cool tattoo idea that you can display on your body. Take time to choose a tattoo that you like and see a lot of sources for ideas.



Reference:

[1] Emanuel Vang, http://www.articlesbase.com/art-and-entertainment-articles/choosing-cool-tattoo-ideas-1287357.html

Back at it.

Hannah came to me with a 10 line poem she wanted tattooed on her,
and wanted some images to go with it.
Somehow, we started an entire half-back-onto-butt piece,
and still didn't even put the words in there.
We're going to have to do it in a bunch of sittings,
but I'm really excited about it.
I wanted to show the beginnings,
and I'll post some progress shots along the way.
(it's a statue with morning glories climbing up it)




It's nice being back at Identity Tattoo,
with things like arm rests, and lights,
and a photocopier that has sizing options.
Conventions are fun and terrible at the same time.
I'll be in the shop all of November,
and have plenty of openings.
Just let me know.

Tattoo Wedding Ideas

This is often regarded as an idea that is not satisfactory to find the name of a future spouse a tattoo on the body. In the event of divorce, the tattoo will stay there forever. Many people choose to get a wedding ring tattoo, but it may also be eternal and most people prefer to get a wedding ring. However, there are a number of other tattoo idea for engaged and married couples. Here are some wedding ideas tattoos.



Song Lyrics or Quote Tattoo Ideas



The best tattoo ideas weddings for couples who get married are the lyrics of songs. If there is a specific song that relates to the relationship, both from the people in relationships can choose to use one of the lyrics for a tattoo. Lyrics may only be from your wedding song to be used for the first dance. Another one of the tattoo idea is to each take the lyrics of every song that represents their feelings to others.



Another option is for couples to get a tattoo quotes that are important to both of them. It's probably about how exactly they feel about their love or life in general. To make this one of the best kind of tattoo ideas, it could be a good suggestion to consider a quote developed in other languages that can be specialized for the second person in the relationship.



Expressive Wedding Tattoo Ideas



There are various ideas that often sentimental tattoo fantastic choice for a new bride who is getting married. If the wife shares her husband and children, they can choose to get a similar tattoo their children or daughters name. A couple can also choose to get a special tattoo that carries meaning, like a star if they consider one another to be their shining star. Tattoos marriage may also represent how the couple first met. For example, if your spouse met while doing The Wizard of Oz play together, they can choose to have a tattoo of a red ruby slippers.



Love Symbol Tattoo Ideas



Relationships based on love. So, would sound appropriate to think of the tattoo is a symbol of love marriages. For example, a Chinese symbol for love or marriage can be a good choice for lovers of the tattoo to be married. Some newlyweds may find other symbols that remind them of the love, like a heart surrounded by roses wine, for example.



Reference:

[1] Veronica Tank, http://www.articlesbase.com/weddings-articles/one-of-a-kind-wedding-tattoo-ideas-2174270.html

Lucy Liu Tattoo

Lucy Liu is a fabulous American actress, featured in films such as Charlie's Angels, Chicago and Kill Bill.

Lucy Liu has been photographed and photoshopped with fake tattoos in the past, however the actress is believed to have a real tiger tattoo, located on her lower back.

New Orleans (part 1)

New Orleans.
Yeah.
I'm going to have to split it up into two parts,
mostly because Halloween in the Big Easy got so crazy
that we lost our camera,
and all of the holiday photos.
No kidding.
So if you were there,
send me your photos.
(or maybe our camera?)

I have some of the convention shots,
but the big action wasn't inside the hotel ballroom.
I've never seen a place get so into getting dressed up,
and I promise to bring the thunder to every Halloween to come.

Meryl was the biggest help ever,
and it was super nice to have her there.
Here's us dressed up.



I had a tail, too.
Which was forgotten about,
and since I sit down to pee,
it ended up in the toilet later on that night.
Luckily, I had another costume for when we hit the town.



I didn't have a light while tattooing,
which wasn't too bad,
but the photos came out weird in the dark.





A ton of thanks to Li for showing us around,
and bringing us to the center of all the chaos.

Thanks, also, to a bunch of super nice tattoo artists
(they do exist!)
for their hospitality and generosity.
A shout out to Eye Candy Tattoo, Mid City, and the Body Shop,
thanks for taking care of the out-of-towner without a car.

I'll hopefully have New Orleans part II up soon,
with more tattoo photos.

Some Popular Tattoos Design

Tattoos are common today. They are more popular than ever. Research has shown that nearly 1 in 4 people have at least one tattoo. There are many designs to choose from, giving the opportunity to be creative. Below, we will see some of the most popular tattoo designs.



Tribal tattoo designs are one of the most popular. They have been there for hundreds of years and they are always evolving and becoming more and more complex in design and style. Tribal tattoos can be traditional black style that covers the arms and legs or more colorful styles that can cover every area of the body. Display, more modern colors become more and more popular when compared with other styles.



The "old school" style tattoos are also popular. Anchors and things like that make a great comeback today and not just with sailors. This style is very common and very popular back in the 60s. They quickly get their popularity back, as women and men are getting anchors and swallow designs tattooed on them more and more.



Lower back tattoos are the most common for women. Lower back is one area that most sexual and sensual in women, makes an ideal place for a tattoo. Tribal designs are most popular, although flowers, dragons, and other symbols make great tattoos as well. Lower back offers plenty of natural curves as well, which can create an innovative tattoo. Often times, women tend to include tribal that spreads, covering base their hips.



Dragon designs are another popular type style of tattoos. They are very popular in the past, and now starting to get their popularity back. There are a lot of different dragons to choose from, including dragon and ancient Chinese dragon myths. A large dragon on the chest to the back of men and for women. Dragon tattoos can be virtually any size, although most men tend to have them cover one side of their chest or upper region of their arms.



Celtic tattoos are also popular as well. They are mostly seen with those who have a Celtic heritage, although some with no Celtic heritage have them as well. They offer a variety of symbols and designs, providing universal meanings for everyone. Often they are mixed with tribal tattoos to create a more innovative tattoo.



Reference:

[1] http://www.articlesbase.com/art-and-entertainment-articles/popular-tattoo-designs-814141.html

Skull Tattoo Designs - Frightening Yet Popular

Skull tattoos have a various symbolic interpretations. It is a universal symbol that can be adapted to literally any meaning, from religious to political to simply a creative design with aesthetic merit.

Skull tattoo designs come in all shapes and sizes and some are unexpectedly beautiful. Another reason for its popularity is that its dramatic lines lend themselves well to art, and it includes tattoo art.

CUSTOM SKULL DESIGN have become so popular that the art behind them has evolved notably. For women, a popular skull design is a pink skull with a bow pierced on top.

GRIM REAPER DESIGN have been used a lot in medieval art to remind us that life is infinite and that there is life after death. It does not affiliate with Satan, as some people believe he is the symbol for death.

SUGAR SKULL DESIGN- This is often used to honor someone dear who died. The tattoo can be a symbol of mourning as well as celebration of life. This tattoo is popular with women because of the skull and color blending.

BULL AND DEAR SKULL DESIGN- There is a number of animals' skull that also makes interesting tattoo designs. Bull skull tattoos represent their own style and the area that they love. The tattoo features the skull and prominently displayed horns, sometimes combined with a feather. Deer skull tattoos are popular to those who enjoy hunting; this can be antlers, though the antlers are the best way to display the type of animal skull.

SKULL AND CROSSBONES DESIGN - One of the best known skull design. On a tattoo, the skulls and crossbones are on its original form, with the image on a black flag. The said design is also recognized worldwide as a symbol for poison.

Men chose this design because they correlate it with masculinity. However, it has other meaning than that concept. This design represents change, particularly great change in life because skulls are associated with death, a reminder that death happens to everyone.

There are some common associations with these tattoos, one must think about those meaning before you get your tattoo. Do not get it because it represents change you must think that many people are going to read it, as you are dangerous. That however should not stop you from getting a design like skull tattoo. Tattoos are very personal experience, choice, and one that is also private.

Skull Tattoo Designs - Frightening Yet Popular

Skull tattoos have a various symbolic interpretations. It is a universal symbol that can be adapted to literally any meaning, from religious to political to simply a creative design with aesthetic merit.

Skull tattoo designs come in all shapes and sizes and some are unexpectedly beautiful. Another reason for its popularity is that its dramatic lines lend themselves well to art, and it includes tattoo art.

CUSTOM SKULL DESIGN have become so popular that the art behind them has evolved notably. For women, a popular skull design is a pink skull with a bow pierced on top.

GRIM REAPER DESIGN have been used a lot in medieval art to remind us that life is infinite and that there is life after death. It does not affiliate with Satan, as some people believe he is the symbol for death.

SUGAR SKULL DESIGN- This is often used to honor someone dear who died. The tattoo can be a symbol of mourning as well as celebration of life. This tattoo is popular with women because of the skull and color blending.

BULL AND DEAR SKULL DESIGN- There is a number of animals' skull that also makes interesting tattoo designs. Bull skull tattoos represent their own style and the area that they love. The tattoo features the skull and prominently displayed horns, sometimes combined with a feather. Deer skull tattoos are popular to those who enjoy hunting; this can be antlers, though the antlers are the best way to display the type of animal skull.

SKULL AND CROSSBONES DESIGN - One of the best known skull design. On a tattoo, the skulls and crossbones are on its original form, with the image on a black flag. The said design is also recognized worldwide as a symbol for poison.

Men chose this design because they correlate it with masculinity. However, it has other meaning than that concept. This design represents change, particularly great change in life because skulls are associated with death, a reminder that death happens to everyone.

There are some common associations with these tattoos, one must think about those meaning before you get your tattoo. Do not get it because it represents change you must think that many people are going to read it, as you are dangerous. That however should not stop you from getting a design like skull tattoo. Tattoos are very personal experience, choice, and one that is also private.