UglyButProud

In progress with Shige, finishing with Shakamuni to complete my triad ....

Haven't been too active around these parts recently, but I got some more work done on my thigh. We did the black and gray shading a couple days ago, lines are healed. Set to do some (if not all) color March 1st!

Currently on my nyc tat-cation. First up was Eli Quinters. Next is Hillary Fisher White.
When I first got to jfk airport, I was charging my phone at an outgoing terminal and the loudspeaker guy at the desk was listing people that needed to come see him and named Richard Stell. Didn't see him though.

I got this from Tony Nilsson at Blue Arms Tattoo in Oslo today. It's based off an old Percy Waters drawing that Tony had wanted to do for a while, and I had no specific requests so we just went for it.

I'll admit that I did cheat a bit, after the outline we did use a numbing spray or something like that, which basically made me not feel a thing until we started doing the colors. Happy we did, since then we got to finish it so I don't have to wait until the next time I'm home.

got this from lee knight today, first of 2016!

planning to tie it together along with some other elements to the walking panther he put on my shin last year. had a shift at work straight after so the top part is looking real angry right now, hope it hasnt goofed with the healing too much
think i forgot to post the last few i got,
these two are from one of my mentors curtis pettigrove


and not a good photo really but i also got these two kissing nuns from rose whittaker. having big legs rule caus ive got tonnes of space still.

getting tattooed by joe chatt next week with any luck. years starting off well!

just got this from mark cross at rose. honestly best experience I've ever had. great shop. coolest people. mark was so nice. this family came in because their little kid wanted to see a tattoo shop and mark stopped zapping me for a few minutes to hang with them and put a temporary tattoo on the hand of the little kid. so sick. backtard

Was supposed to have my next session on Christmas Eve-we got halfway down there and had to turn back around, the snow and ice were just too much. I'd felt like such a wuss, but they ended up w/a bad storm so I guess I was glad we went back home. But on the way home I called and called and the line was busy--so when I finally got thru to cancel, I said I understood how hard it is to get in to see my artist, and I would just take whatever I could. The guy says "Well, I actually just got off the phone w/someone cancelling for next Sunday-you want it?" Uh-YES! So, we trekked back down yesterday. He ended up adding some stuff to the right side top and bottom, where I thought we were done, more waves and such, added some wind to that side too, and whatever, I'll deal w/it if it means it will be an even better piece.
Hurt like a bitch this time. Not sure if it's b/c it was such a big area this time, or b/c of what time of the month it is..guys you don't care but girls you understand.

I finished my backpiece on December 30th ! Then I did a victory lap and had my tattooer/life-coach cap my wrist off with a magic dragon. It ended up on my hand with the beard on the knuckle whoops! Turned out awesome !!

Healing is a total bitch, haven't bent my wrist since last Wednesday and my hand is really raw.
I'll post a less cryptic pic in the future...my arm now is all Steve Batt 2003 / 2007 / 2015 yipee really cool to see a timeline from the same tattooer blended one into the other.

I love the fact that EVERY ONE of my tattoos have imperfections...I'd choose character over a body full of perfect "stickers" any day but that's just me...... :)

Little awesomeness from Robert Ryan @ Electric Tattoo in Asbury NJ

took a trip down to richmond for the weekend. my buddy joe nickley was guest spotting at all for one so i had him tattoo this jesus head cobra and skulls over an old shitty skull on my shin.

then the next day i got my neck tattooed by max kuhn

my last one, gipsy lady head on my forearm by Mikael De Poissy (sorry for the "shiny" Bepanthen pics!)

Got this today...
Marie Sena.
Lousy picture.

awesome time with Shannon Pagliarini @ Crown and Anchor in Pt. Pleasant NJ
little collarbone action

And then the following Friday, i headed over to Leeds in England for a pre-planned trip with a mate who was getting his first piece from Lukasz Christopher. I was booked in with Tom Flanagan - both in Oddfellows.
I got a trad ship on my shin and a mandala on my foot (a Tom Flanagan staple). I have to sat, the foot was horrendously sore and not gonna go through it again any time soon!
We had a great time in Oddfellows, Tom is a great guy and the other lads in the shop made us feel right at home.




And the next morning. Swelling on the foot wasn't actually too bad

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The next weekend I was in Boston and in a very hungover and jet lagged state, I landed into Redemption in Cambridge to get a little piece done to fill in an awkward gap on my left sleeve.
Very luckily, Todd Noble (who I love) had a free spot to take the walk in. After some deliberation he drew on this little snake head.
Again, not a great snap...

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So, I've had a busy couple of weeks tattoo-wise. First, Paul Aherne in Dublin started extending me 3/4 sleeve on my right arm down to the wrist. Got the lining of the koi, water and peony done as well as the wind bars in.
Paul is guesting in Salon Serpent in Amsterdam coming up to Christmas so will get the bottom portion finished in early Jan. Then we'll look at relining the old sleeve, touching up the wind bars and just general tidying up the shitty parts (of which there are plebty!).
Apologies for the bad pics...


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Session 2 on Monday with Philip Szlosek at Kings Avenue Tattoo for my Gustave Dore inspired sleeve. Loving the way it's coming out so far!

This happened Saturday:

Went to see Delphine and Laurent in London, it was intense but completely amazing at the same time, those guys are the best! 12h in the shop, around 7h of actual tattooing simultaneously on both knees, ill admit it was rough. It was such a great experience though so we decided im just going to let them have the rest of my lower legs at least.
Pic is from Laurent's instagram (https://www.instagram.com/darkbabamaina/) and theres a bunch more on Delphine's https://www.instagram.com/delphinenoiztoy/

Just got this bad boy from Shaun Martinson. https://www.instagram.com/pantherreaper/
6 hour sit. so painful.

haven't been on here in a while. I enjoyed seeing all the great work everyone has gotten recently!
Had an appt with Chad Koeplinger on 11/14. I thought I was in for one more painful, albeit short, back appt for some touch ups in case he felt they were needed. After taking a look at my healed back, he said some very wonderful words "rob, I think we are done". I emphatically replied back, "thank GOD!"
So, I had him do some filler on my wrist. He tattooed a flail and a fly and I am absolutely loving them both. I really enjoyed getting these, but I will admit, the ball of the flail, on the inside of my wrist was a bit more painful than I would have thought. Felt like it was sending electric shocks into my hand! Still, easier than the back for sure!
Included a pic of my healed back, and a photo off of Chad's instagram of myself and a seemingly GIANT Andrew Stortz . Andrew's back piece is insanely good.

This is a bit of a joint effort. The Dagger, Collar, Angel and Reaper (2-6 weeks old) are by Fergus Simms - Melbourne Tattoo Company, and the Eagle Snake fight (2.5 months old) is by Jess Swaffer - Chapel Tattoo.
Wanted to wait until the whole spot was done before i posted them up! Super happy with them, and two of the nicest tattoo experiences (bar the pain!) I've ever had.

Robert Ryan!

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

Artist is https://www.instagram.com/woodzart/
Thank you!