DeathB4Decaf

UPDATE:
Two days of brutality on my back with Henning. This go around we started coloring in the phoenix at Kings Avenue Tattoo. 7 hours on Friday in Long Island, then 6 more hours on Saturday in Manhattan. Henning thinks we need one more full session to complete everything. I think probably 2 more including any touch ups.
By the way...I really really hate ribs...and spine....THE WORST. Enjoy the pics.

@Fala - Hahaha we rule at peer pressure! We will be happy to oblige! Virginia and Saved are so great and @Graeme and I can vouch for the "couple's tattoo" experience there, as we often bled next to each other at the same time. I think he found this very romantic. (He is weird.)

my pleasure! here's the last few...

As I upload these photos, I realize how spoiled I am to live in the Bay area and get to see all these heavy hitters creating amazing work every year. On Monday, I was bummed that I have to wait another ~362 days until the next one!!

Nice meeting you too @Pete tattoo freak. Your new shark is super clean! I think I saw you walking around on Saturday, but I have a shit memory especially after the visual and mental overload that is walking the floor of the SFO convention. Your countenance is now captured in the electronic realm of my external hard drive and LST.
Speaking of which, here's a few more shots. One of the clients instantly reminded me of the last illustration.

Promised the tattooist (Randy Muller) that I wouldn't post any in-progress pictures - and after 7-8 sessions it was finished late Sept and now is fully healed:

I'll post this onto the end of my laser treatment thread, too - just to wrap that one up for future referencing.

@a1steaks, your back looks incredible and so close to completion (I'm assuming). How long have you been working on it for?

@DeathB4Decaf - Thanks! As for how long I've been working on it, well that's a bit of a loaded question. I started it about 5 years ago, but Jason moved to Portland literally after 2 sessions. So, progress slowed down quite a bit but I'm just about done!
@Cork - Thanks! No filter. Just my wife on an iPhone and my fat ass in all it's glory!

How blessed can I be to be able to get a group picture with three GIANTS of the tattoo world (@shige_yellowblaze @gogueart @carlostorresart) who just happen to be the three artists that collaborated on my torso!?!?!?!! I am truly humbled and honored to be able to wear the work, but more importantly to be able to call these class guys my friends. Much love!!! Special shout out to @jessyentattoo and @jasonbutcher who also took part but could not be there.

- - - Updated - - -
James Tex in March at Summit Convention on my armpit to finish my torso!

Got 4 more hours in with Jason this week. So close...

The people who said they didn't think the elbow was too bad are all insane. Or they have magical elbows.

More fun stuff on the arm with Greg. Took the photo from his instagram. Feels weird to include something this little this week when there's so much crazy stuff on my instagram from the Bay Area convention, but oh well!
The trend of 'never actually doing what we previously planned on' continues. At this point I kinda hope it always does. And now I am done until the end of November!

Got this photo realistic elephant I once saw... spot on by Eli Quinters yesterday, at the Bay Area Convention.

@hogg & Mark Bee. The term "bikie" is another media term only.
Many years ago, a person would come close to having his mouth shut for even using such a derogatory term. These days with everyone becoming an expert as to what's written in the papers and what they see on the news, pfft, it just becomes another little piece of history that gets lost and some of us become a little too tired in trying to keep it alive.
Another term "gang" is also a media typo. They're "clubs". Again, if that needs to be elaborated on, then it just ain't worth the time. Those of us who had/ have origins from the Oi days know how retarded the media terms to "skinhead or punk gangs" appear. Same shit.
Back to the tattoo topic. This is what we get when we offer mainstream a glimpse into our culture. We create opposing cultures with two completely different takes on the subject, and that has been the sad part for me.
It's like the day when I was getting tattooed in High St, Fremantle Western Australia back in 93, directly opposite the Workers Club, oh, in an old time "biker" run art studio...sorry, tattoo fuckin shop...these were the days Tattooers started charging like $100 an hour!!
After we had completed our 4 pack of Rum and the 3 hour tattoo, I laid out $300 on the chair to complete our deal. Old mate looks me in the eye, handed me back half my cash and said...mate, the day I start charging top dollar for tattoos is the day I may as well be just tattooing Drs and fuckin lawyers. Fuck taking it away from the working man where it belongs.
And that was my very 1st encounter in that particular shop.

Sneak peek of my first day. Convention lighting sucks balls.

Been kinda forgetful/lazy to post in this thread. If you follow me on IG, then these are not new. I've gotten these since the Rassier baby heads.
Tuesday flash from Candi Kinyobi at Tuesday Tattoo in San Francisco, CA. Under the tutelage of Jesse Tuesday (who's a badass tattooer that's totally under the radar).
Ultimate sad girl with sad heart from happy tattooer and fellow LST'er Carolyn LeBourgeois @cltattooing at FTW Tattoo in Oakland, CA.
Tengu from Stewart Robson at Black Heart Tattoo in San Francisco, CA. Was able to nab a cancellation thanks to Ross "INSIDE SCOOP" Hogg. I unfollowed a bunch of tattooers on IG, so I totally wouldn't have known about this. Thanks again @hogg!

Fun times in New York with my newly immigrated fiancée. Bug is on her by Bert Krak, torch and rose are on me by Eli Quinters and Beau Brady, respectively.

Beyond happy with this rose from Chris Garver this week. Pic stolen from his IG

bad photos but i got the dragon yesterday from Andre Cleary and the girls head a month ago from Adrian Hing ,
both are really nice humble guys.
also sorry for the sideways pics ive tryed everything cant figure it out.

This is my main man, Rufus, probably falling asleep in the this picture, one of his favorite activities.

This is my little lady, Blue. She moved in last summer when she was around 6-7 mths old. Couldn't ask for a better snuggle buddy.

I haven't posted this on here yet. Session four on my back, we shaded my butt and thigh.

Well, we (finally) started - after almost 2 years waiting for him to move and cut down his list a bit.
Start of a full half squidpant. I wasn't going to post it yet - but he did, so I stole this image off of Thomas' instagram:

Well since Stewart posted it on his instgram.....I will repost it here. Mine is top left. I will post a bigger pic when it heals.

On another note. I have an old, old brother who is covered in home poke tattoos, mostly applied with a single needle between two match sticks wrapped in cotton.
By anyone's "standard" they're shit, but he's sported most of these since he was 15, and I gotta say they've stood the test of time...he punched them in!
I couldn't ever see him with anything else. They're him, they all tell a very particular story, he earned every single one...and you know? He today is just as proud of those tattoos as anyone of us who have had anyone of our custom shop pieces done.
When I sit with him after all these years, even some of those tattoos bring back for us a very particular incident, a time in our lives to reflect. Isn't that what tattooing is all about?
I think sometimes we forget the basic nature, that primal instinct towards why we mark our skin sometimes.
And maybe I can place this part in the "what have I learned from becoming tattooed" thread...and that's not to be so judgemental on the aesthetics alone. Everyone has a story.
There's lots of reasons to "why".
"Booze, Blues & Tattoos"

Thanks everyone, I'm going to try and be more active around here and I'll post more pictures as it progresses
@Dennis - you've got a good eye! I had a lot of fun in Cincinnati with Kore
@DeathB4Decaf - you're probably right, I'm pumped to see your back get started, I'm sure you're counting down the days