Two Segements of Renae's Arm

I spotted a whole lot going on with Renae's left forearm, while browsing at the Chelsea Salvation Army store, so I just had to ask.Let's deconstruct:The first part of this tattoo is the dark heart on the inner part of the forearm. Renae attributes this to Rob at the Orlando branch of Hart and Huntington....

John's Root People

At the end of July, I coincidentally exited the A train at 14th Street at the same time as John, who was visiting from Nevada.I had been admiring his sleeve on the train, but didn't have the opportunity to speak to him about it until after he got off the subway.He referred to these creatures as "Root...

Gina's Phoenix

In late June, I ran into Gina in Penn Station and complimented her on a tattoo she had on her back. At the time, she was wearing something with straps that covered part of the design. I gave her a flier and she remarked that she had just recently discovered the site through this post on the tattoo of...

Alex Shares a Floral Tattoo, Roots and All

Sometimes I see tattoos before I see people.Back in July, for example, I approached a guy on the West 4th Street subway platform to ask him about this tattoo on his right forearm:It was only after I said hello to him that I realized he was someone named Alex who lives in my neighborhood in Brooklyn.In...

Kevin's Gravitational Tattoo

I love word tattoos so I couldn't help but stop Kevin at Barnes & Noble earlier this month. He had this tattoo inked on his inner right forearm:He explained that he enrolled in school not knowing for sure what he wanted to do. He was on a path for a career in finance, but also has a keen interest...

Travis and Another Perspective of Ganesh

People who are familiar with being featured here on Tattoosday know that there is a process, in which I generally go chronologically, and it often can be several weeks before I post their work.But there are always exceptions.Take, for example, Travis, who I met on Monday near the corner of 32nd and...

Small World, Tattoosday-Style

I have a few days off and was buying some milk at the grocery store when an older gentleman in line behind me complimented me on the tiger tattoo on my calf, which has been well-documented here, in this initial post, and subsequent ones.The gentleman asked who the artist was and mentioned his son was...

Under One Small Star - Two Tattoos from Anna

I met Anna earlier this month in Penn Station. I felt compelled to stop her when she walked by and I caught a glimpse of this amazing tattoo:I love seeing ink that is new and original, and I had never seen a line of anything run up the length of a leg like this.Anna explained that this was a line of...

Caitlin's Pin-up with a Heart on the Sleeve

Earlier this month, I ran into Caitlin as I got off the A train at West 4th Street. She has twnety-three tattoos and, as customary, I asked if she could pick one to share with us here on Tattoosday.She obliged, selecting this, her most recent tattoo:This is based on the artwork of the pin-up stylings...

Jason's Pennsylvania Devils

I ran into Jason on the West 4th Street platform back in July. He was on his way to Smith Street Tattoo, to accompany a friend who was getting tattooed by Bert Krak.I asked him if he wouldn't mind sharing some of his work, and he gladly complied.I snapped some photos and chatted with him all the way...

Garrett's Peacock Recalls the South

I met Garrett back in June in Penn Station when I was still reeling from the loss of my camera.I had yet to replace my photographic equipment and I had yet to receive the loaner from my awesome friend Jill.So, I did the best I could with a flash-less BlackBerry camera to capture Garrett's awesome sleeve:Yes,...

Jessica's Chest Piece and a Tale of Two Tigers

There may be eight million people in New York, but it's still, at times, a small world town.Last month in the Amtrak section of Penn Station, I spotted Jessica, a young woman with a beautiful tattoo across her chest:This piece even was our banner here for a few weeks, thanks to Jessica.The inscription...

Kristine's Globe and a Memorial for Mom

Kristine has seven tattoos, two of which she shared with us late last month in Penn Station.The first one I  noticed when she walked by was this piece from the back of her calf:This is an homage to her travels, having recently returned from ten months in New Zealand. The Latin phrase below the...

Claire's Hemaris Thysbe Flutters on Her Forearm

Butterfly tattoos can be a dime a dozen (no offense, butterfly fans), but moths, on the other hand often get a bum rap, taking a back seat to their more flamboyant insect cousins. To the chagrin of some inked lepidopterists, you don't see as many moth tattoos. This, however, is a lovely exception, perched...

Carrie's Astonishing Peacock

Last year at this time, it seemed as if everywhere I turned I was photographing gypsy tattoos. Let's call this season, the Summer of the Peacock.At the end of July, I ran into Carrie outside of Madison Square Garden and she shared this breathtaking tattoo:This piece isn't yet complete, but represents...

Brian's Mat-tree-monial Tattoo

Late last month, I met Brian on the 34th Street A platform and he shared this amazing tattoo:The piece was relatively fresh, having been inked only a couple weeks before.He explained that this tree represents the Tree of Life. He alluded to the roots that spread out, firmly symbolizing family.Brian...

One Last Friday the 13th Post, for Melanie

So one of my friends Jenise had contributed to the Great Friday the 13th Tattoo Experiment and her votes for my tattoo were not along the finalists.She was also keenly aware that we collected $31 in donations for my tattoo, $11 more than needed. Ginger, another friend, had added a dollar to the kitty...

Tattoosday's Trip to Hand of Glory

As alluded to in the previous days' posts, I got a little carried away with a Friday the 13th tattoo experiment and opened up the idea to readers who contributed the funds for a tattoo ($13 special plus lucky $7 tip).I had seven people send me money (thank you Ginger, Jen, Sean, John, Jenise, Janet...

Update on the Great Friday the 13th Tattoo Experiment

Well, many generous souls allowed me to reach the goal and now we're halfway to a tattoo for Melanie. You can still donate, though. It will allow you to vote for what I get, and all proceeds go to the artist(s).Here's where I'll be:And here are our choices. Sponsors can pick the top three choices, along...