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Wednesday, March 31, 2010
The Tattooed Poets Project, Volume II
Last April, I launched, with the cooperation of poets across the country (and one across the Pond), the "Tattooed Poets Project".
In addition to the "regular" Tattoosday features, every day in April we featured the tattoos of poets. Each post featured poet-contributed photos, with a link back to BillyBlog, where one of their poems was posted on the corresponding day.
Not all the poems were tattoo-related, but many were.
This year, we are resuming the project again, featuring more poets, and a few returning ones.
I enjoyed this adventure last year and am looking forward to another successful April!
Tom's Sleeve is Based on Faith
Tom is eventually going to have a full sleeve that accentuates his faith. The top of the arm is done, with the main focus on the guardian angel on his bicep:
His grandfather passed before he was born and he has always thought of him as the guardian angel that watched over him.
This piece was inked at Aces & Eights Tattoo in Augusta, Georgia.
He also has a couple of tattoos featuring angels on the inside of his bicep and on the outer section of his upper arm as well:
These were done at Third Dimension Tattoos in Marshalls Creek, Pennsylvania
Tom is a member of HHC 1st Battalion, 109th Infantry Regiment, 28th Infantry Division.
Thanks to Tom for sharing his tattoos with us here on Tattoosday!
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Facts about African Tribal tattoo Design
1. There are some African tribal tattoo designs that are drawn to give the wearer protection from dangers. The pattern usually depicts an image that is expected to guard the person from harms throughout life.
2. African tribal scarring did not originate just as body decoration art form. They were drawn so that the wearer can take on a supernatural state, representing qualities that supersede human abilities.
3. The origin of African tribal scarring/tattooing body work dates back to 2000BC. The first few revelations depicted images of Egyptian High Priestesses with tattooed arms.
4. There is a specific African tribal scarring called cicatrisation. It is done by people with too dark skin tone for regular tattoo coloration to appear.
Tribal Tattoo- An Appealing Body Art
Tribal tattoo designs have always been an integral part of the tattoo world. A unisex pattern, tribal tattoo art is derived from different tribal regions.
Tribal tattoo designs are undoubtedly the most popular tattoo patterns that have been in existence since ages. Refined and modified over the years, these tattoo patterns are hot favorites of scores of tattoo enthusiasts. Derived from the tribal art and traditions of different tribal regions, the tribal tattoos generally depict abstract or complex patterns that look very fascinating.
Types of Tribal Tattoos
There are several tribal tattoo designs that have been popular since ages. Some of the tribal tattoos that are classified on the basis of their tribal origin are enumerated below:
Celtic Tattoos
These Celtic designs are the most popular tribal tattoos that owe their credit to the Celtic art. The design comprises several knots or loops with no starting and ending point. It is associated with the never ending cycle of death and rebirth. Animal tattoo designs like were dragon, lion etc were prevalent in the Celtic tribes.
Maoris tribal Tattoos
These tattoos owe their origin to Maoris tribe of New Zealand. The designs were used to depict ones prestige or pride and also the transition from one social status to one another.
North American Tribal Art
Among the North American tribes, the tribal tattoos denoted rank within the tribe. Different types of weapons were tattooed on their skin.
Borneo Tribal Art
Tattooing had a completely different concept for the Borneo tribes. According to them, they could actually draw energy from the spirits of the tattooed image or creature because they believed that spirits are present in everything surrounding them.
There are some other tribal tattoo arts like Samoa Tribal art and African Tribal art that do not use pigments for tattooing. Instead in these art forms the skin was carved or cut with a sharp object and the wound created was the tattoo design.
Two Tattoos from Taylor
I gave her a flier after admiring her really cool feather tattoo that was inked behind her right ear.
A week later, I was zipping by on my bike and saw her on a break outside the store. That was when I had a chance to speak to her about her tattoos and take the photos for this post.
This is one of her nine tattoos, and was done by an artist named Chris who works out of Puncture Tattoo in neighboring Dyker Heights, Brooklyn.
Taylor says the tattoo is inspired by the fact that she feels free-spirited, like a bird, and that her aunt, who died in a plane crash, used to call her a "little Indian girl". The dangling feathers behind her ear seem to capture both sentiments nicely.
Unlike the first time I met Taylor, on this occasion she was wearing a shirt that showed off this cool tattoo at the top of her back:
Taylor explained that she loves cats and her sister's gray cat Dusty passed away from breast cancer, which has also been a disease that has run in her family, as well. She had the tattoo artist, Peter Cavorsi, of Body Art Studios, model this piece based on Dusty's eyes.
As always, Peter did a superb job. He is no stranger to Tattoosday, having inked one of my tattoos (seen at the bottom of the page) and several of my wife, Melanie's. This link will show you all of Peter Cavorsi's work that has appeared on the site over the last two-and-a-half years.
Thanks again to Taylor for sharing her two beautiful tattoos on Tattoosday!
Monday, March 29, 2010
Mike's Incredible Aquatic Sleeve (and More!)
Mike is a fisherman and a loves the brightness, color and variety of oceanic life. Such things translate well to the body's canvas and make for some amazing tattoo work...
The giant octopus actually curls up over his shoulder and onto his chest, with one tentacle moving down his arm....
The deep sea diver punctuates the middle of his arm...
At the bottom of the arm are tropical motifs including a huge tiki god and a hibiscus....
On the inside of his inner bicep is this fish which is a cross between an anglerfish and a razorfish:
And we ended with this piece that was so fresh at the time, that Mike had to peel back the protective plastic covering this amazing blowfish:
The artist behind this amazing work is Steve Woison formerly of Electric Tiki Tattoo in Patchogue, and now at Studio 520 in Oakdale, on Long Island.
Thanks again to Mike for taking the time to share his amazing aquatic sleeve with us here on Tattoosday!