MGblues

Hi guys. I haven't posted anything in ages, but that doesn't mean I don't stop by regularly and check out whats new. The past year was kind of a rough one for me health-wise, but I'm cautiously optimistic that things are looking up. I only got one tattoo in 2014 but that's okay, as it was the last big spot I had left open. I spaced out getting this tummy tickler done from May through October. Just now got around to getting a healed picture (and a shitty one at that) of it. Done by my local dude Paul Pearson at Bright Ideas in Murfreesboro TN. (P.S. Although we used a print of the original Pharaoh's Horses painting for reference my plainskin Missus prefers to call it a three headed horse with a gunshot wound).

Hi guys. I haven't posted anything in ages, but that doesn't mean I don't stop by regularly and check out whats new. The past year was kind of a rough one for me health-wise, but I'm cautiously optimistic that things are looking up. I only got one tattoo in 2014 but that's okay, as it was the last big spot I had left open. I spaced out getting this tummy tickler done from May through October. Just now got around to getting a healed picture (and a shitty one at that) of it. Done by my local dude Paul Pearson at Bright Ideas in Murfreesboro TN. (P.S. Although we used a print of the original Pharaoh's Horses painting for reference my plainskin Missus prefers to call it a three headed horse with a gunshot wound).

Hi guys. I haven't posted anything in ages, but that doesn't mean I don't stop by regularly and check out whats new. The past year was kind of a rough one for me health-wise, but I'm cautiously optimistic that things are looking up. I only got one tattoo in 2014 but that's okay, as it was the last big spot I had left open. I spaced out getting this tummy tickler done from May through October. Just now got around to getting a healed picture (and a shitty one at that) of it. Done by my local dude Paul Pearson at Bright Ideas in Murfreesboro TN. (P.S. Although we used a print of the original Pharaoh's Horses painting for reference my plainskin Missus prefers to call it a three headed horse with a gunshot wound).

Hi guys. I haven't posted anything in ages, but that doesn't mean I don't stop by regularly and check out whats new. The past year was kind of a rough one for me health-wise, but I'm cautiously optimistic that things are looking up. I only got one tattoo in 2014 but that's okay, as it was the last big spot I had left open. I spaced out getting this tummy tickler done from May through October. Just now got around to getting a healed picture (and a shitty one at that) of it. Done by my local dude Paul Pearson at Bright Ideas in Murfreesboro TN. (P.S. Although we used a print of the original Pharaoh's Horses painting for reference my plainskin Missus prefers to call it a three headed horse with a gunshot wound).

got my hand tattooed by max kuhn yesterday

Finished my back on Friday night (well, Saturday at 5:30 am). It was a hell of a ride - it took almost exactly a year of sessions every 2-3 weeks. We'll do a final session after this heals to tie the bow on it.
This tattoo was made by Sean Zee out of Brick, NJ from pictures I've taken while scuba diving. I gave him 50-some pictures and a wish list, and he selected about 15 shots to create this scene. These pics were taken on 4 continents from 1998 through 2013 using (mostly) a Nikonos V underwater camera with an SB-105 strobe, UW Nikkor 35mm, 28mm, and 15mm f2.8 fisheye lenses, Sea & Sea (no relation) macro kit and Nikonos closeup kit.

Sean is a great guy, dedicated and amazingly creative. It boggles my mind how artists just "see" stuff like this and make it happen. He put up with a lot of questions and "what ifs" and "why nots" from this nearly virgin canvas (as he likes to say, "this woman only had lil kitty paw prints on her shoulder before this"), explaining to me all the ways this tattoo would NOT work, and ended up just putting it on the table that it really needed to be a full back if I wanted so many references. And to prove it, he designed the whole thing superimposed on a picture of my bare back and emailed it to me. I remember the moment I saw it for the first time and it shorted out my brain. I committed to the full back about 20 minutes after I got the email. (And I admit at the time I did not understand in the least what I was in for...)
Kinda funny, thinking back on it, how all the chatter and uncertainty and 14 years of wanting some sort of tattoo with my eagle rays were completely silenced and resolved in a heart beat. Anyway...
So, the critters making appearances, starting at the top right and going clockwise are: two moon jellyfish, two Moorish idols, two clownfish and anemone, a batwing coral crab and mustard tube sponges just behind him, a leopard moray eel, two squirrelfish hiding in red sea fans that cross my lower back, a sea snake in lettuce coral (very poisonous, which I didn't realize until after I'd crawled up in his face to take the picture and then been admonished by the divemaster after the picture was developed), a queen angelfish and a hammerhead shark. In the center are two spotted eagle rays and the broken mast of the Nippo Maru, a Japanese supply ship sunk during WWII by US forces in Truk Lagoon, Micronesia.
When I look at this, I don't just see a tattoo of fish. It's a diary of my favorite diving experiences. Each part has such different memories of the location, the people I was with, and the experience on that dive. (Yeah, poisonous sea snake. Whoopsie on that one. And the clownfish was actually guarding a little ring of day-old eggs. And trying to photograph moon jellies in a surge without being hit is like playing a 3D video game. And that I really really wanted my spotted moray eels but Sean said the pattern wouldn't age well, so with resigned sadness, my handsome spotted moray had to morph into a leopard moray. Sniff Sniff.) All of this flooding my brain at the same time.
And then I get this goofy grin on my face thinking about walking around with this huge awesome back piece that anyone I know would be shocked to learn I have.
He put up a little video where you can see the ribs, too: Video of SeeSea's Back. Healed pics coming to an LST contest near you. I want a T-shirt, dammit :D

Above is a picture of me laying like a passed out pale seal on Iain Mullens table. Today was the second to last session on my back. Can't wait to see it finished. We're doing the last bit and touch ups with Rudy Fritsch at the Scottish Convention in the end of March. Going to be fun/hell. Todays session was nice except for a few bits. I can't believe how quick this piece has been. I got the idea to start my back in April last year, asked Iain about it and then we started in mid June. It really helps that both him and Rudy work super quick and make for good company + conversations during the sessions.
Secret bit of knowledge exclusively for LST (I know people love that exclusiveness, I sure do): that ain't a dark red, but actually a light gray wash looking bloodied and irritated. Haven't got a piece of color on me, except for a few patches of gray and white.

got this ganesh yesterday thanks to robert ryan @ electric tattoo in asbury park, nj

Part two of my Simpsons in Space leg sleeve!
Keep in mind that there will eventually be a black space background so the helmets do not look right yet. For example the circles will be stars.
I posted part one here a while ago but here it is if you missed it.

and here is part two on the other side.


Work is being done by Rev. J.R. out of Vicious Ink in Rochester Hills MI.
Next up, Mr Burns and Smithers!
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whoops, those are way bigger than I intended, sorry about that.

my back piece by Chris O'Donnell

Cringing for Graeme - I can't believe people would pick lining over shading! This is full back lining we're talking about; it's in a special category of mind blowing.

They asked us to post our Ink Mistakes....

I went out and got this and the Scott Walker/Sunn O))) record on the same day and still haven't listened to the latter because of what @Graeme says about Swans. But I've listened to the Taylor Swift album a ton. I know it's Okay To Like Pop Music again, but I'm still glad you pushed the boat out on this one.
I also liked the Fucked Up record, and The Both. Otherwise I've been pretty ignorant of what's happened this year. The Singles Jukebox usually steers me right re: singles.
This is embarrassing, but I don't really know how to find music since my favorite record store in Boston closed...I think 2/3 of what I own came from there. I don't like downloading and I don't like streaming. I guess I need to get out to shows more often and figure out how to listen to the music instead of thinking about how much I hate people who text constantly.

Big fan of the self titled album by Royal Blood

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6GhA5bULnA
Also Once More Round The Sun by Mastodon


I'm sure there are others but those spring to mind immediately

I posted this over in "http://www.lastsparrowtattoo.com/forum/general-tattoo-discussion/5952-thread-posting-while-getting-tattooed-page9.html#post107507" mid grind last night, but here's an update. Right ribs to arm pit and detailing out the right side. I'm still limited to what he puts on Instagram, so it's not close up and the lighting isn't great. But man this is getting me crazy happy!
Although, of course, next session was supposed to be my last one ... but now it's not again... ;) But he can detail it out all he wants - I'm just in love.

Ahhh, he just put up a detail shot. The right is finished - second pass on the blue and rays are next, and finishing the left ribs, then a final pass for whites and blacks. Stolen from Sean Zee's Instagram

Dude, you've got a massive tiger on your back! That tiger spirit is you now, you have no choice but to be brave, you got this, piece of cake ;)

It was so insane watching a bunch of tattooers talking about contracts and rules.
I hope their agents and managers approved.
Tattooists. Contracts. Agents.
Just saying.

Royboy didn't sign no damn contracts.

Cross posting from the latest tattoo thread, this is after session 1 of... i don't know how many... with Marius Meyer

#1 AC/DC Rock or Bust
My number one only because It's the only album I've bought all year. (no new Social D album this year)

#1 AC/DC Rock or Bust
My number one only because It's the only album I've bought all year. (no new Social D album this year)

Dude, you think Atlanta is bad, come to Nashville...
That said, I never get tired of the reaction.

Session five yesterday, lining and shading background on the ribs and love handles. Goddamn the love handles are a shitty fucking spot. Next session we'll shade the background on my other cheek and thigh so we'll be going into the new year with a substantial chunk of the background done. I love how it's coming together.

You can't compare a medical procedure with getting a tattoo.
...and I will add...I had my tonsils taken out (as an adult). And I would re-tattoo my stomach w/ no painkillers over the 2 week post-tonsillectomy healing period with painkillers, any day of the week !!!
Now I've tried a bunch of things to take the edge...somebody called me the Hunter S Thompson of tattoo clients (LOL) for my investigative work earlier in this thread (in the name of science!). But shit that's just bactine, nyquil, pot cookies and booze. I've never tried the numbing cream that makes you feel like your wearing a leather jacket. Maybe I will try that when I finally get going on (the ass section of) my backpiece. Or maybe I won't because I want to feel every second of that fiery fury that I've heard about (thank you LST). But I haven't even heard of half the pill cocktails people are talking about here. I can understand if people want to medicate/numb to push through long or back-to-back sessions, party on your ribs or knee ditch. More power to you. But if you need to default to numbing cream and a handful of pills to get a 2 hour banger on the side of your neck, c'mon. This is tattoo! My point is if you are that scared about the pain or can't take it, maybe reconsider why you want to go through with that tattoo in the first place...tattooing isn't for everyone, but holy shit this new age is using every trick in the book to make it accessible for everyone.
You don't need to be a hero...but you also don't need to be a pussy !
To each their own. Maybe I'm being a bit brash. My $0.02 /flameon
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I may have got into this tattoo mess much later than you Mick, but I couldn't agree more!
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7 hour session is NOTHING to feel shame about, that's a mega-sit :)
You are bang on @Swifty - we the people, we love tattoos. And people will do whatever it takes to get what they love.
peace

Yes. It's people's personal choice what they do, who are we to judge right? But, let's say not too long ago, when I started getting tattooed in the 80's, ya never heard of anyone seeking anything to manage the pain of getting tattooed. It would never have been a deciding factor. Times were so much more simpler...one either got tattooed, or one didn't, and if one didn't it was because of one of two reasons. They didn't like tattoos or they were too scared of the pain. Simple.
My personal belief is, seeking to mask the pain is kinda cheating. It's like the phrase, no pain no gain. It's like going on a diet of ice cream and cookies, it's like becoming fit by going for a stroll. We all do it at some level, seek the easy way out...every single one of us in some kind of format, it seems to be human nature. There's too many options out there. Slowly wins the race. Take the time, tough it out, the hard experiences in life earns us insight and adds to our knowledge.
Yeah, I've used opiates in the past while under the machine, but not to try mask the pain...a lot more simpler than that, just because I liked to get loaded on drugs and alcohol. That's it. On top of that, I can assure you, it does nothing for pain management. All it does is fucks you up and the local pain is the same...at times even worse because of how fucked up you are, ya can't shift the pain.
By far, I find the best way to pain manage is focus, straight with the good prep we talk about.

Like I said, do what you will do, but pain that you choose willingly, and that no matter how much we complain, we still GET THROUGH and then CHOOSE AGAIN, is not the same thing as pain that comes from something being wrong with our bodies. Like these conversations need a little goddamn perspective. If you want to dope yourself up, feel free, but don't pretend it's a necessity.