A Word of Thanks.....

With the onset of Fall, I compose this note as the month of September is coming to an end.

I look around sadly at the long pants, long sleeves, and covered frames that, just a few weeks ago, were so much more interesting to behold.

I am filled with sadness.

The past month has been a record-breaker for Tattoosday. When we first spun off from BillyBlog, we garnered 120 hits in the first three weeks of our infancy.

Last year, I was amazed by my progress, in September '08 we racked up 13,351 hits.

And this September, when I anticipated a drop off from a record August, Tattoosday soared into uncharted territory, on pace to top 38, 000 hits on the last day of the month. This may not seem like a big deal, but blogging is often lonely, and the number of hits is often the only measure of recognition we receive.

So, the summer ink is running dry, but despair not, I will continue to spot tattoos, although perhaps not at the dizzying rate of the past few months.

I have a backlog of posts and a head full of ideas to keep us entertained as the leaner months loom.

I thank you all for your continued readership and participation. I am very appreciative of your support!

Bill Cohen

Upper Back Pisces Tattoo Koi Fishes Yin Yang

Upper Back Pisces Tattoo Koi Fishes Yin Yang designs

Yellow Koi Pisces Designs Tattoo

Yellow Koi Pisces Designs Tattoo

Body Painting - Bra - Series #2

Photo of body painting of a blue bra on a middle-aged woman.



Related posts:
*Body Painting - Bra - Series #1

Little Dead Riding Hood

I met Amy in Penn Station earlier this month and she agreed to share this, one of her eight tattoos:


Actually, she has since e-mailed me about her ninth, and I am waiting for a photo.

This tattoo represents an undead version of Little Red Riding Hood, which is Amy's favorite fairy tale.


She also likes zombies, so it seemed like a good match.

This tattoo was inked by T.J. Mcinnis at Mcinnis Tattoo Company in Providence, Rhode Island.

Thanks to Amy for sharing this cool tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

cherry Fion Body Tattoo art on breast very sexy

breast with cherry Fion Body Tattoo art

Zack's Spectacular Foot Tattoos

I met Zack earlier this month as he was walking north on Broadway. But, like many Tattoosday encounters, the ink I spotted (on his leg) was not what ended up here on the blog.

Behold, Zack's feet:

These incredible foot tattoos were created by Beef Stu at Bleed Blue Tattoo in Lexington, Kentucky. Zack recently moved to New York from the Bluegrass state.

Zack told me that the idea for these tattoos came to him in a vision. His right foot tattoo is comprised of a DNA strand, the key to life.
And the left foot. with the skull, represents death.


The word "LIVE" is spelled out above the pieces, with "LI" on the right foot and "VE" on the left. The tattoos, together, Zack told me, serve as a "reminder not to get caught up in the shit" and to "make the most of what you can between life and death".

It took three or four sessions (the feet are not easily inked) for these tattoos.

Thanks to Zack for sharing his amazing foot tattoos with us here on Tattoosday!

Body painting - Flower - Series #5

Full body painting of flowers on a nude women with her breasts used as flower petals.



Related posts:
* Body painting - Flower - Series #4
* Body painting - Flower - Series #3
* Body painting - Flower - Series #2
* Body art - Flowers

Stephanie's חַי

It was a string of elephants marching above Stephanie's right ankle that first made me stop and talk to her, but she offered up this, her first tattoo, as well:


She started with the Chai at the top of her left breast. At the time, Stephanie was dating a guy who was covered in tattoos., She was 35, uninked, and going through a mid-life crisis. The shop was in Brattleboro, Vermont, but it has been gone for years.

She liked the tattoo so much, she later added the Star of David and the leaves. The Jewish theme was a tribute to her cultural identity as a Jew.

It somehow seemed both suiting and slightly inappropriate to post these tattoos on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the year on the Jewish calendar.

I am waiting to hear back from Stephanie for clarification on her string of elephant tattoos. But, in the mean time, I thank her for sharing this deeply personal tattoo with us here on Tattoosday.

Fresh Tattoo Art - Locating Galleries With Good, New Tattoos

Has all of the fresh tattoo art been taken and dragged off of the internet? It sure seems that way, because it's becoming increasingly difficult to find any galleries with good, new tattoos. While it might seem like a never ending ocean full of generic tattoos, the good artwork is still out there. I will give you a fantastic way to get a hold of the fresh tattoo art you are after.

When you start looking for things on the internet, what do you use? 95% of men and women will say "search engines". Yes, it's true that they are the one tool that everybody uses to find hat they want. It's just that these are the very tools which are leading all of us to so many low end galleries that don't have fresh tattoo art. All you get now is this gigantic, random list of low end websites and they are all stuffed full of generic, cookie cutter designs. To top it off, a majority of their inventory is over eleven years old!

That's as far away from fresh tattoo art as you can get. The sad part is that many people think this is all there is to choose from and end up settling on one of those generic designs. Instead of searching on to find the fresh tattoo art, they simply settle on something they don't even 100% like. I don't know about you, but I don't think any sane person should "settle" on tattoos. Your skin is too precious and it is a design that will be inked somewhere on your body for a very long time.

Now that we have that out of the way, let's concentrate on a subject that is a bit more upbeat. You want to find fresh tattoo art, so what can you use to get to the galleries that have it? Well, the easiest and best way to accomplish this would be to dive into the larger internet forums. I know, it doesn't sound like much of a plan, but it is. You see ,the large forums of the web are absolutely perfect for getting a good peek at where folks all over the world are uncovering fresh tattoo art.

You can find so many quality tattoos and galleries this way, because you will find that people pots link after link to the wonder places they have somehow found. Fresh tattoo art is out there for the taking and forums have your path right to many of them. It's a small detour and it's a detour that can lead you to the right place.

When you are looking for fresh tattoo art, please don't make a rushed decision and settle on something that you are not 100% sure about.

J.R.'s Five Elements

At the end of August, I spent a couple of minutes on the R train with J.R., who has quite a few tattoos. I didn't have time to take notes, just photos, and I hoped that she would e-mail me with all the details of her work. Fortunately, she did. So, what follows is her explanation of the tattoos, with a little bit of friendly editing.

"My left arm? Dedicated to the five elements...as I see them to be. Earth, Air, Water, Fire and Friendship.

The ants (done by Roni from Hidden Hand Tattoo in Seattle) represent Earth.


Ants are the closest social structure to mirror humans. They have no real strength individually, but together can achieve so much. As a human, I feel it is destined to feel lonely and when I got the tattoo, I came to terms with that and even found beauty in it. I want to feel less like an ant in the sense that there is something that I'm "supposed" to do and if I don't do it I'll be punished or kicked out of the colony, so to say. I want to feel more that there is a greater purpose for my life (or at least one that reflects me as an individual and not what society tells me to be) and that with the help of others I can realize that to it's fullest potential.

The clouds and birds (done by Jeff Cornell owner/artist at Hidden Hand Tattoo) represent Air.


There is a Leonard Cohen song called "Bird on the Wire" that I think is one of the most beautiful songs ever written. I feel the lyrics of the song so deeply and feel that they express such a core sense of who I am. Always, trying to be free. I aspire to someday be free instead of always trying and the tattoo is an attempt to remind myself that the feeling of trying is also a choice just as easy as the feeling of being free is a choice. The past tense nature of the words remind me to be light and free as a bird...

The blue tattoo on my inner arm (done by a girl in her apartment 10 years ago and I can't even remember her name) represents Water.


It is a play on yin and yang as well as a the symbol for Cancer, which is my astrological moon sign. Cancer is ruled by the moon and your moon signs make up your emotional nature. So, I feel this sign very strongly and luckily balances my Leo sun sign which I will get to more later. The symbol has stars instead of circles like a traditional yin yang because I wanted it to represent the universe within myself versus me questioning the universe around me. I got the box around it to express the feeling of being limited due to the human mind. I wanted to remind myself that any limitations are just an illusion and the healthy balance is one in which I'm learning from my experiences but also pushing my own boundaries.

The red and orange tattoo on my outer arm was done by the same forgotten artist though I will mention I was one of her first clients and that she was the perfect person for the job due to her own self-exploratory nature. She provided a healing space in which I was able to have an out of body experience.


The tattoo represents Fire. It captures my before mentioned fire sign of Leo, which is ruled by the sun. It is also Buddhist themed using a Tibetan mantra Om Mani Padme Hum which roughly translates to "the jewel is in the lotus," which to me is a beautiful way to live life. The lotus roots reach far into the muck and swamp but emerge with a beautiful flower on top. The tattoo is an attempt to capture the notion of living in the world yet being separate from it, as to not get burned or be consumed by it. The circle in the tattoo represents the sun and myself and the red is the part of myself that struggles to find my way in the world.

The beehive (done by Louis Barak here in NYC) is a tribute to Emer and Naomi, two best friends of mine, and the tattoo as a whole captures what I consider to be the fifth element, Friendship...It bears the lyrics of The Beatles' "With a Little Help from My Friends." We lived together in Seattle and called our lovely house the Beehive. We used to listen to The Beatles A LOT...though now I'm more of a Stones fan.

There are two bees buzzing to represent them


and the three forget-me-not flowers represent each of us. Emer and Naomi have known me the longest and have seen me through thick and thin. They mean the world to me and I love them both like sisters. I know in my heart that we will know each other forever."

A big thanks to J.R. for sharing her tattoos with me on the subway and then writing so eloquently about them for us to read here on Tattoosday!

love Fion Body Tattoo on breast very sexy image

love Fion Body Tattoo on breast very sexy image

Cogito Chuck Robbins (Literary Ink)

Sometimes I abbreviate post titles and they seem nonsensical, like one of those captcha messages, or a subject line in a morsel of spam.

So I'm sticking with this title "Cogito Chuck Robbins" because I like the way it sounds. So there. It will all make sense eventually.

I met Chris outside of Penn Station one Friday afternoon, intrigued by his forearm tattoo:


"Cogito ergo sum" is a Latin phrase that means, in English, "I think, therefore, I am." It is attributed to the 17th Century French philosopher René Descartes.

This was the first of Chris' three tattoos. He is a philosophy and creative writing major at SUNY New Paltz. This phrase is the "missing link in a belief system," or, in his words, "what I always knew, but never knew".

The tattoo was done at a shop in East Meadow, New York.

Chris also has this dead bird near his right elbow:


Inked at Skin Deep Tattoo in Levittown, this is inspired by the art on the cover of Chuck Palahniuk's Lullaby.

Work from Skin Deep has appeared previously on Tattoosday here. Palahniuk also has quite a cult following, and his work is the most often represented in ink here on Tattoosday. Check out other Palahniuk tattoos here.

And Chris' third tattoo is based on the cover art from one of my favorite authors, Tom Robbins:


This echoes the front of the great book Still Life With Woodpecker, which has made many people a fan of the writer.


The piece, which was inked by Mike Vlad at Triple X Tattoo in Manhattan, is a subtle nod in appreciation of Robbins and his great book. Work from Triple X has appeared previously on Tattoosday here.

If you like these pieces, and are a fan of literary tattoos, you should certainly check out Contrariwise, a site dedicated solely to contributors' literary ink.

A hearty thanks to Chris for sharing his tattoos with us here on our site!

Colin's Left Leg is Traditionally Flash-y

I spotted Colin one afternoon while I was waiting for another tattooed individual to get off of her cell phone.

(Not only have I come up with individual terms for things that are associated with inkblogging, but I follow a code, as well. One of its tenets is to never bother someone talking on a cell phone.)

Colin ambled by and I bounded after him, stopping him and asking about his tattoos.

His left leg is covered with traditional flash, from swallows and bombs, roses, death's head moths,


and a pin-up girl, done in the Sailor Jerry style.


He explained that the sleeved left leg is a result of being "overzealous and excited" about tattoos.
Usually I try to talk about one or two pieces, but because most of his work is just flash, I captured most of his calf.

No fascinating stories to tell, just tattoos.

Thanks to Colin for sharing his ink with us here on Tattoosday!

Shoulder Pisces Tattoo Single Fish

Shoulder Pisces Tattoo Single Fish

Neck Pisces Tattoo Design for Girls

Girl's Neck Pisces Tattoo Design

Sweet Pea Shares More Classic Brooklyn-Style Ink

My last tattoo (here) was inked by Pete who uses the moniker "Sweet Pea".

I stopped by to say hi a few weeks back and I got a glimpse of him tattooing a koi on a client's leg.

Sweet Pea invited me to snap a shot of his own leg, recently inked by legendary tattoo artist Tony Polito:


This piece of classicly-inspired flash, signed by Polito himself, is another fine work of body art on Sweet Pea's canvas. See the original post featuring his ink here.

Thanks to Sweet Pea for sharing this tattoo with us here on Tattoosday.

Cool Tattoos For Girls - Hunting For Good Designs

I have no doubt that you are excited to find some of the cool tattoos for girls that the web has to offer. Many women will quickly change their demeanor and become frustrated with the huge amount of generic artwork that is out there. I will tell you how to avoid this, as well as how to find tons of the cool tattoos for girls that you may have been bypassing.

Let's start things off by talking about why so many women (and men) and running into so many galleries with nothing but generic, cookie cutter designs. It all boils down to search engines, which we all use (95% of us) to find tattoo artwork online and you are probably using to find cool tattoos for girls. This would be fine if they actually showed you where the high quality artwork is, but they don't. It's usually a long list of low end galleries that make you sift through thousands of generic designs just to find one diamond in the rough. Most of the time, you will be lucky to find that "one", let alone a dozen cool tattoos for girls.

Since this happens so often, many women will give up on looking for cool tattoos for girls and will end up choosing something they don't even completely like. It's a shame that so many people will make an impulse decision like that and get something inked that they don't 100% like. This tattoo will be on your body for a very long time, so why wouldn't you want to take your time to find exactly what you want, no matter how long it takes?

With that said, there is a way to find a lot of the hidden artwork out there, which tends to be far better than a lot of the artwork you find through search engines. The way to do this is by using internet forums. They are fantastic community, which can easily be used to find out where so many other tattoo enthusiasts are locating great artwork. The bigger forums are always sizzling with past topics on this subject and you can pull up years and years worth of them to pin point cool tattoos for girls. It;s the best way to find the world on artwork out there that search engines just don't show you.

No matter where you ultimately end up looking for cool tattoos for girls, if you take you time ot find the perfect one, you will thank yourself in the long run.

Let;s start things off by talking about why so many women (and men) and running into so many galleries with nothing but generic, cookie cutter designs. It all boils down to search engines, which we all use (95% of us) to find tattoo artwork online and you are probably using to find cool tattoos for girls. This would be fine if they actually showed you where the high quality artwork is, but they don't. It's usually a long list of low end galleries that make you sift through thousands of generic designs just to find one diamond in the rough. Most of the time, you will be lucky to find that "one", let alone a dozen cool tattoos for girls.

Since this happens so often, many women will give up on looking for cool tattoos for girls and will end up choosing something they don't even completely like. It's a shame that so many people will make an impulse decision like that and get something inked that they don't 100% like. This tattoo will be on your body for a very long time, so why wouldn't you want to take your time to find exactly what you want, no matter how long it takes?

With that said, there is a way to find a lot of the hidden artwork out there, which tends to be far better than a lot of the artwork you find through search engines. The way to do this is by using internet forums. They are fantastic community, which can easily be used to find out where so many other tattoo enthusiasts are locating great artwork. The bigger forums are always sizzling with past topics on this subject and you can pull up years and years worth of them to pin point cool tattoos for girls. It;s the best way to find the world on artwork out there that search engines just don't show you.

No matter where you ultimately end up looking for cool tattoos for girls, if you take you time ot find the perfect one, you will thank yourself in the long run.

Any Port in a Storm: Chris Wears His Clipper Ship with Pride

I spotted this beauty of a tattoo in Bay Ridge on the calf of Chris:


He explained that it is a cover-up and took Alex Franklin at Brooklyn Ink about four hours to complete. Work from Alex and the other artists from Brooklyn Ink have appeared previously on Tattoosday here.


Chris is originally from Boston and he said the clipper ship tattoo just "seemed like the New England thing to get". He later elaborated, in an e-mail:

"I wanted to get something true to where I've grown up and my heritage. A clipper ship is a very New England type tattoo and I was born and raised in Boston before setting off to NYC. Ships also mean a lot to me as 3 of my relatives left England for NYC on the Titanic and 1 of them perished at sea with the ship. In addition, my grandfather was aboard the Navy's USS Allagash in the Korean War. Any Port in A Storm is an important saying for me, because I am a cop in Brooklyn. Essentially it means, when you're in trouble, any way out is a good way out, whether or not you like the decision.

Thanks to Chris for sharing this wonderful tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

Claire's Tree of Memory and Strength

On a drizzly day in late August, I ran into Claire, a woman on my block in Bay Ridge, with this tattoo on her upper right arm:


When I asked Claire about the tattoo, she explained that her mother is mentally ill and that, despite being present, she really has not been there as a parent to her, due to her illness.


She remembers, as a child, that her mom often wore a suit with a floral pattern. When deciding upon this, one of her five tattoos, the design reminded her of that suit, and subsequently, the tattoo came to represent the absent parent.

This tattoo was inked by Charlie Foos at Fly Rite Studio. Charlie apprenticed there and is now working in Baltimore at Read Street Tattoo Parlour. Work from Fly Rite has appeared previously on Tattoosday here.

Thanks to Claire for sharing this powerful and beautiful tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

Tattoo Design Ideas - What's the Big Deal About a Tattoo Design Anyway?

If you are looking for ideas for your first or a new tattoo, you need to know what design you want as much as you know that you want a tattoo. Besides, getting great tattoo artist the design of the tattoo is very important as well. Keep in mind you need to live with that design for the rest of your life. Believe me, the last thing you want to do is choose a design from the flash book just before getting work done. Here's why.

When I got my first tattoo in the early 90s, I was 21 years old. I wasn't thinking too clearly and looked at the most five minutes into the future. So when it came time to get my tattoo, I didn't know what to get. I scrambling through the books to see what the tattoo design I liked. However, I didn't like anything. Also, I was putting pressure on myself, because I felt like everyone was waiting for me, my friends, the other customers and most importantly the tattoo artist.

However, when it came down to it I made the luckiest decision in my life. Fortunately, I was wearing my baseball cap, and I decided to get the logo of my favorite baseball team tattooed onto my shoulder. Even though this wasn't the best situation for me to be in, I still have a tattoo today and still enjoy showing it off very much. However, I realized how important is to prepare the next time I get a tattoo. That's exactly what I did. Here are some tips to help you find the right tattoo design to avoid being the same situation I was.

Don't be impulsive when it comes to getting a tattoo. You may wind up regretting it. Take your time looking for a tattoo artist and looking for a tattoo design. After you find an artist you should be looking through thousands of designs, because there are many to choose from such as tribal tattoos, sports team logos, or even animals such as butterflies and dolphins.

A tattoo design is a very personal choice and you should get a design that is very meaningful for you. After all, the tattoo will be there for the rest of your life. So you need to make a decision that will make you the happiest. Furthermore when you narrow it down to a few designs, you may want to test them out by asking of your friends opinions. They should be able to provide good feedback.

Finally, I like to add that researching a design for your tattoo should be fun and should not be looked at as a daunting task or something that you "have to do." If you do feel that way, you may not have thought it through. You may want to rethink if you wanted tattoo or not. Otherwise, have a great time researching tattoo design ideas and getting the tattoo you always wanted.

Tessa's Tattoo Illustrates the Battle of Head Versus Heart

Yesterday, I wrote about two of Lindsay's tattoos. After talking to her, I spoke to her friend Tessa, who had this amazing piece on her left shin:


First, I need to commend Tessa on the quality of this tattoo, which looks crisp and fresh, as if it had just been inked a few weeks ago. She actually had this done in 2005 by Adam Barton at Samuel O'Reilly's Tattoo Parlour in Santa Cruz, California. The quality of the tattoo is judged not just on how well it is done, but how it sustains its vibrancy over time. Tessa won the lottery with this piece.

The theme behind this tattoo is head versus heart. The struggle between logical thinking and emotional feeling are universal, and Tessa acknowleges that this tattoo reminds her of the ongoing battle between the two sides telling her what to do.

Thanks to Tessa for sharing this, one of her nine tattoos, here on Tattoosday!

Christina's Flawed Tattoo is Just Right

I spotted this interesting tattoo while in Penn Station last month:


Christina, to whom this piece belongs, called this a "reverse tattoo," in that the main focal point of the piece is the word "Flawed".

The word is empty of ink and is created by the artist using negative space.

But why "flawed?" Christina explained that "we all have a weakness" and that "only God is perfect." It"s a reminder that "everyone has need for improvement" and that no one is ever perfect.

This is one of four of Christina's tattoos.

Thanks to Christina for sharing this with us here on Tattoosday!

Flower Tattoo Designs - Timeless Symbols of Expression

Flower tattoo designs allow you to express in symbolism what you want to say or cannot say out loud. The Japanese call it "Hanakotoba" - the "Language of Flowers."

Roses for instance have long symbolized love and passion. Each color with it's own unique language. A dozen red roses speaks volumes to the one you love. Even the different varieties of lilies have their own meaning. The Tiger Lily speaks "I dare you to love me." Their timeless language and eternal beauty have made flowers one of the more popular tattoo designs.

Their popularity is due to a variety of reasons:

• They can be used as a stand-alone tattoo.
• They can be woven together and incorporated into other designs like butterflies or angels.
• They come in a large variety of designs, shapes, & sizes, allowing you to be discreet or make a bold statement.
• They distinctly enhance the beauty of a woman's body.
• They can be designed in a Celtic or Tribal form giving them a more masculine appeal.

Given the reasons above and the exotic meanings of flowers there's no reason why you couldn't find a tattoo design that clearly illustrates the message you want to convey. No need to worry about a cookie-cutter design either. The common rose has thousands of shapes, sizes, and styles to choose from giving you an endless choice in expressing your individuality. The possibilities become even more endless when you combine a flower design with other popular tattoos like a fairy, butterfly, or angel.

Flower tattoo designs capture what you cannot say with words and are infused with symbolism and meaning. Popular styles include roses, hibiscus (especially Hawaiian), orchids, lotus, lilies, ivy, and more. Take time to consider the meaning behind the tattoo design you choose. Don't just go for the most popular or what your friends are getting. Think about the meaning the flower represents and choose a design that embodies your distinctive character traits and the unspoken message you have to say.

prayer valley forge

prayer valley forge

Nine Little Foot Tattoos and a Prayer for Peace

It is embarrassing to admit, I don't remember the name of today's contributor.

Normally, regular readers may know, I'm a bit more diligent about contributors to the site, but in this case, Z, as I will refer to her, gave me her card, which included her email address and website (she's an artist that works mostly in oils), and I subsequently put it somewhere safe. So safe, I forgot where.

In other words, I lost it.

But let's talk about how I met Z and came to know her tattoos.

Fate spilled me out on the 36th Street platform in Brooklyn. An express train (N) came before the local, so I hopped on, with the intention of riding to 59th, one stop away, and then grabbing an R train.

Standing on the N, I looked down and saw a tattooed foot. Not your normal tattooed foot, with a rosary (like this one), or flowers, or whatnot, but a foot with tattooed marks on it. Just the right foot. The left foot was bare, although there were symbols circumnavigating the calf, just above the ankle.

As luck would have it (Luck loves Tattoosday), Z exited the train at 59th Street and I started talking to her on the platform.

We both caught the R and talked tattoos all the way to 95th Street. Upstairs, at street level, I snapped some photos.

This is her foot:


Up close, one can see that the marks are ants.

Z grew up in New Orleans and always remembers the big, black ants that scurried about.

One day, she was bored, and drew some ants on her foot with a Sharpie. She went several days with her foot be-speckled by these ants, and they grew on her. She wandered into Cherry Bomb Tattoo in Brooklyn, and had them permanently tattooed.

There are nine ants in all.

The following tattoo is above her left ankle:


The Tibetan prayer is "om mani padme hum". She told me that this is the prayer for universal peace.

Thanks to Z for sharing her tattoos with us here on Tattoosday!

UPDATE: It took a while, but our paths crossed again, on July 2, 2010, I was hanging outside of the laundromat near home when I saw a woman with black spots on her foot crossing the street across the avenue from me. When I saw the ring of Tibetan around her left ankle, I knew it was the same person. I scurried across the street and re-introduced myself. The subject formerly known as "Z" is actually named Jeanette, and I was finally able to update this post, with her proper name attached.