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I figured it was time to contribute! I've really enjoyed all your pics/post the last couple years...good stuff. This is my mountain goat piece. I'm into it 60 of estimated 70hrs but who we kidding...I'll keep going. I've been flying down to Guru Tattoo in San Diego from the Pacific Northwest every other month since March. The artist is Aaron Della Vedova. I've been doing two 6 hour sessions each visit accompanied by a miserable flight home. I had an existing shoulder piece/mountain scene that he tied into. I'm heading down next week for another beating. This is where I'm at so far...

Somewhere between 5 or 6 hours of outlining today with Sam Warren. He ended up going just the tiniest bit bigger than I thought he would, but I am so stoked to get this started. Oh, and this goes into the dreaded butt crease, which had me seeing stars.

Chad Koeplinger, Rose in the elbow ditch, done at Smith Street mid Aug '15, done in an hr and half (I couldn't believe how fast it was), Why? Why not. Getting some work by Eddy Deutsche next month. Thanks for looking!

Thanks for mentioning that, @bongsau, and here's another pic of the person with the tattoo. This is a person who just sat for 6 hours or so in constant pain, hour after hour, but looking pretty dang fresh in the end, and you know why? A FUCKIN GOOD TATTOO! That puts a smile on one's face, no? Good tattoos are worth it, and you know it when you've got it! @CultExciter, speaking of Rodney Raines, this is his photo below, from his IG. He and Darcy have been collaborating on pieces lately and he was next to us the whole time working on an EPIC foo dog that would have been a major contender for the prize that night if he'd have been finished in time. He's a great guy and does awesome work himself. I was certainly in the presence of greatness that day. He threw in a suggestion or two here and there, so I'd like to say he has a little bit to do with this tattoo as well. Oh, and I think I need to march right out and get myself #1) more tank tops and #2) Platform shoes or stilts or something.

(Pardon my overly enthusiastic post but I've just recently started getting tattooed, and I've never been tattooed at a convention - this is all pretty new to me so I'm gushing a bit!) Not great pics, and no good clear ones of the tat yet, but am SO STOKED (and still a bit wonky) from my epic day yesterday with Darcy Nutt at the Richmond VA Tattoo Arts Convention. We emailed about ideas beforehand, but she decided not to draw anything up, wanting to meet me first and collaborate on something after we spoke in person. She had no other appointments, so my simple Japanese koi idea turned into my own freshwater angel fish from pics off my phone, and my beloved peonies. She freehanded it onto my arm, and including that part of it and one potty break, it was 6 hours in the chair. That is why I look a bit cross-eyed strung out by the last pic! I ate an omelet at 9 am and hubby tried to get me to eat along the way, but I could not do it - endorphins from pain suppress the appetite, I guess. I tried to stay hydrated, though, and found my happy place. It is all about breathing. I knew I'd be leaving with something wonderful that I'd enjoy forever, and it would be worth it. She won Tattoo of the Day (I guess I won too, but I didn't do anything but sit there), and that was pretty sweet! She finished at 9:25, the contest was at 9:30, and the pic was taken at about 10, at which point I didn't know my own name, lol. That is definitely a long session, I don't care who you are, but I had an opportunity that was not to be passed up, and Darcy is a genius. When I went up to the judges, they looked at each other, shaking their heads and grinning as they all exclaimed, "Fuckin' Darcy..." cuz they KNEW this tattoo was going to win, lol. Anybody who has the chance to get some work done by this sweet, wonderful, brilliant lady you should definitely do it. She made this design up on the fly, without ever having done this type of fish before. I'll post pics when I get the ones done by the photographer at the show, or the ones she'll post on her IG, showing the fish better towards the back of my arm. From Darcy's IG: https://www.instagram.com/p/-ZQEJVMdTl/

not black friday...colour saturday...finished up today... scott's the best..i'm sooo happy :)

Hello and welcome! Here's a link to your back piece post for those interested (check it out, it is incredible). http://www.lastsparrowtattoo.com/forum/tattoo-designs-books-flash/492-full-back-piece-thread-post122759.html#post122759

Here's one that's all ready healed, hairy, a bit dry and shiny: Chad Koeplinger made this at the Stockholm Inkbash in august this year. I wanted a meditating figure but not in buddhist or hindu style and send him a bunch of different ideas of present and historical cultures/religions to get him started. I was very happy when I arrived for the appointment and he decided to not draw one of my suggestions, and instead made this hopi indian in a thunderstorm. Also this is the first tattoo with tattoos that I have my body, and the first swastika. Happy about that

I'm not even sure where to start. Let alone do I even remember my last post on here. But I found the site again, and have done a lot since the last time I was in here. Pretty sure it has been almost 3 years, I'll blame two of those years on paramedic school. But any who.. Just finished this: Took me about a year to finalize the drawing before taking it to a completely new artist and shop. Once it was all cleaned up and sized correctly it was a 2 year project between a chaotic work life. But I couldn't be happier

Time for color!!

Kore posted a picture so I thought I'd share it here Shou from 36 Ghost by Horiyoshi3 Made by Kore Flatmo About 30 hours so far

Old left knee and new right knee from Chad Koeplinger. If feels good to finally have this shit out of the way.

I had a couple of jammers done by Franklin Reeves at The Pearl Harbor Gift Shop on Thursday. Awesome guy. It had been a few months since my last tattoo, and it felt good *you know what I mean* to get back to it. I'm running out of room on my lower right leg. Hopefully getting a larger piece done on my thigh in the near future. Franklin did the cat and the chalice. Other visible work my Tim Pausinger (The Pearl), Franz Stefanik (Okey Doke), Mario Desa (Great Lakes) Chad Koeplinger (Rock of Ages), and Glennie (The Pearl).

Today's work was intense, and we still have a bit left to go! Yoni Zilber at NY Adorned. https://www.instagram.com/p/-Cj6--MGq7/?taken-by=yonizilber

my pieces from Jamie:

Each session imo.

I am looking into Jamie Sawyer right now thanks again. The more I research Chris' work the more it blows me away. Awesome stuff! - - - Updated - - - Any additional artists are greatly appreciated folks. I'm looking for quality, detailed art and would like all the opinions I can get!

Thanks for the kind welcome. I'm glad you like the backpiece @The Tig

Just don't pick at them! You may turn "nothing" into something...

Very, very nice!!

On Thanksgiving, @TrixieFaux & I recorded the first episode of our brand spankin' new podcast. It started out as a joke – as all the best things do – but now it's an actual thing that we're doing. Hope to put up a new one sometime next weekend. You can check it out at the link below. It's short and funny (I hope). And please "like" our Facebook page if you do. https://soundcloud.com/theholidayguy/the-holiday-guy-podcast-001-thanksgiving-2015 https://www.facebook.com/TheHolidayGuy/

Incredible work, and likely the best second post on LST ever!

Hello and welcome!!

@jayking welcome! check out the interviews - you will dig good luck with your career pursuits and stay free!

Long story-- I wanted to get it in 2013, then I started doing paperwork with my recruiter, who said "don't get any tattoos, that will make this harder." Then it took me until 2014 to get to boot camp. I wasn't going to get it on leave after boot camp, because there was no time. Since it's a memorial tattoo, I didn't want to get it without my other siblings. So I didn't get it at my first duty station (and there was only one tattoo artist within an hour and a half drive anyway, and not many more in two hours). After my first unit I was at A school, and I could have got it then, but life was busy enough with school. Then I only took a week of leave before my next unit, and again no time. Then I got sent somewhere with 1 (seasonal) tattoo artist within a three and a half hour drive, and again my siblings unavailable. (Note: There are now two tattoo artists. Yay.) This is my only leave between now and August at the earliest. I've been procrastinating for going on three years since I made the decision that I actually wanted the tattoo. So I just said "fuck it" and pulled the trigger. Which yes, is a lot of factors completely unrelated to my tattoo design, artist, shop, etc. Probably foolish of me. But it WILL end with me actually having my tattoo, so there's that. That would make sense. They were initially saying I would have to come in, talk to them, and make the deposit just to make the appointment. They let me do it all over the phone when I said I was coming in from Alaska. I'm not sure if Bethesda counts as a military town, though. I mean, sure, the Naval Medical Center and Walter Reed are there, but it's always seemed more like "Pricey DC suburb #164/50 billion" to me. To everyone else, thank you for the rationales. They do make me feel mildly better. I'm a cheap SOB, so I'm still kind of uneasy, but on the other hand... when someone is sticking needles in my skin to make permanent artistic alterations to my physical appearance, being cheap seems like an AWFUL idea.

Sorry, I meant next session. There is some red in the cloud shading, but it's hard to see in those pics.

got this dietzel-birdie last week from the nice dude johann. https://instagram.com/sign_of_the_wolf/ healed - not settled.

I've been too busy/lazy to post these...... from the last 5 weeks: Wrist and Left Ankle/Achilles - Jon Larson @ Harlequin Couple little guys on the bicep- Lightning Bolt and Flying Eyeball - Tony Caporusso @ Lucky Monkey Right Ankle - Greg Christian @ Tattoo Faction

Birthday sticker from Bert Krak at Smith Street...I think what space I have left on my leg, I'm going to let him fill it.

First session from my long and humbling journey with Horitomo, in August. Ignorantly assumed that I'd be able to schedule within 90 days and was sadly mistaken. Won't have my next appointment until July. It's probably for the better, I needed to pump the brakes.

I just finished this on my back calf, with Rob Ryan at Temple. Having him do a Divine Mother in the presence of Freddy was a bet. Friends don't understand why I'd want this as an agnostic... shrug.

Well it's been a year since I've had my back worked on and per our usual fall schedule, Henning was in town and this time we FINISHED my back! Some of you might have seen the updates via Instagram. So happy with this collaboration between Henning and Rubendall being completed! WARNING, PIC HEAVY!!! Put your browser on FULL SCREEN! The master himself, Henning Jorgensen. Such a great artist and humble man. Filling in the phoenix...tail feathers, breast, head and a few touch ups here and there. Such a pleasure watching Henning work. I was so stoked with the zebra/tiger striped pattern he chose for the remaining tail feathers. Touch up on a tender spot...the spare tire. Slowly getting there. Details details details... Close-up of the phoenix...beautiful! Full view from my right side. There was poor lighting inside since it was dark out, so they propped me up on a table and surrounded me with lights. A quick reminder of the work Mike Rubendall did on the lower half of this collaboration. LOVE his water! Another angle of my lower half. Here's the finished top half. Finished full back in all it's glory. My back is a sea of colors! Hope everyone enjoyed my show and tell! (don't mind the feet on the left or right, hahaha)

Second session this month. Scales are now all done and every little thing we do is just making the whole thing pop a little bit more. Super happy.

Nice mindful response and I think you made a great decision to weigh-in on this one, thanks!