11.16.2010

The New Mexican-Japanese Style







Dia de los muertos skull and marigolds with Asian style butterflies and clouds.
The elbow is a traditonal spider web.
2010

10.25.2010

Two Nosferatu Go Into A Bar...

This one was done using original Nosferatu artwork by Albin Grau.


The second one is my version.
Both tattoos are from 2002.

10.11.2010

The Second Most Asked Question


"Who would get a Paris Hilton tattoo?"
This August 2008 In Touch magazine article below should help answer that question.

I am "the tattoo artist" in the above article.

The most asked question is how long have I been tattooing? Which is really uninteresting and has nothing to do with celebrities.

The Legoland Stormtrooper Excuse


A lot of times family men need a good excuse to get a tattoo. This one is to help commemorate the family's 2010 Legoland vacation.
I had my doubts about the Lego Death Star and can now say any further requests for Lego tattoos will be denied.

Lady Luck

Lady Luck
2010
Been awhile since I'd done of these.

8.18.2010

Mrs. Mojo Rising


The customer's grandmother sitting on top of a park bench, 1942.
Jim Morrison's throat is in the upper right.

Know Your Rights


Internment Camp Buddha
2010
The original art for this tattoo was made of cut paper by the customer's great grandfather, one of more than 100,000 Japanese-Americans who's rights and property were taken by our federal government.
Executive Order 9066 from Feb. 1942 allowed military commanders to declare California, Oregon and Washington 'exclusion zones'. With a little help from the Census Bureau, Japanese-Americans were 'excluded' from the west coast and placed into desert prison camps for the remainder of the war.
The tattoo is a negative version of the original design but is otherwise unchanged.

8.16.2010

Harley-Schwinn Reversable


Pin-up girl posed on a 1930 Harley-Schwinn Reversable, a motorcyle that could be turned around and ridden as a bicycle. Only a few were made.
The tattoo was finished in one 6 hour session.
2010

7.23.2010

The Pumpkin Hibiscus Problem



Here's a really nice cover-up, that pink just hides those letters like magic. Now she has a pumpkin, that is supposed to a hibiscus, that says "Daddy's Girl" on it.

Cover-ups don't actually cover the old ink, it's still in there sharing the same space and most colors aren't going to hide black ink.

The new design must be larger and more complex to hide what you don't want anymore.


This cover-up failure is going to become the center of a sun flower...



First session complete, outlined and a black and brown shading over the old tattoos.



and after two sessions of color.

2010



Pretty in Pink [a lot of pink]




Gilette Elvgren's Aiming To Please cowgirl and a dog with matching pink scarf. That's a lot of pink. The girl's right arm is also changed to make the gun at blowing level. The lip-shaped smoke rings were denied.

2010

What I did on my summer vacation...


a Calico Bass reproduced from a Chuck Byron print brought in by the customer. Done in three sessions over the last six weeks.
People who work for comission don't get vacations.

7.01.2010

The Sugar Skulls Have Eyes






Dia de los muertos skull circled by two swallows and one of them is...

DEAD


2010


The eyes make this one a little different than the rest.

6.30.2010

Pirated Artwork


Dead Men Tell No Tales
2010
Outline and black shading completed on my rendition of a design by Danger S. Jones.
My new liner from Micah Caudle ran perfect and made this tattoo almost effortless despite my overly complicated drawing. Color to come soon...

6.13.2010

He Went Down To The Sea




Sailor Jerry designed mermaid and ship
2007
The tattoos are about 6 months old in these photos.

6.12.2010

And as I shot down the youthful Richardson...

it was St. Sebastian I thought of and his arrows.
O'Malley's Bar by Nick Cave begins and ends my knowledge of St. Sebastian. I do know the drawing I did for the tattoo was based on Andrea Mantegna's Sebastian of Vienna [1456-59] and the stylized tree was added at the customers request.
2008

Sheena's in a Goth Gang


Some rabid looking Roth style bats on Kelly. Looks like we did the left one last.
Dec. 2008

Lord Hoody


Chris G's Holy hand panther
2008

Return of the Living Sugar Skulls



Left and right shoulder skulls
2007


5.26.2010

Pennie Shoots Paul at Paladium


The Clash's London Calling cover photo by Pennie Smith.
2006
Paul Simonon [not Joe Strummer] at the New York Paladium 9/21/79.
I didn't get to do as much of the background as I would have liked but she was done.
The tattoo photo is from 2008.

5.08.2010

Heart and filigree



2010
Color-only heart and golden lettuce.
Needs another hour of work, I don't know if that's going to happen though.
I hear it hurts there.