Cork

It's not uncommon to show up on the day of and not know what you're getting.

got my first tebori from Toshi(Bunshin Horitoshi) the other day. Great experience, and Toshi is a great guy.
Went with something simple and classic for my first japanese tattoo

 

So my wife got in on the Chad Koeplinger world tour when he was at Aloha Monkey in Minnesota. Obviously I'm happy for her but also I am a little jealous. 

Got the pig to go with the chicken from Chris Partain.
 

Ha nah I wish.  My tattoo budget for the next year or so is already on allocation.

@Gingerninja @marley mission @polliwog
Wait, what the hell?  Todd is at Redemption full time?  I live 10 minutes from there.
 

@Gingerninja @marley mission @polliwog
Wait, what the hell?  Todd is at Redemption full time?  I live 10 minutes from there.
 

Just got my first tebori from Bunshin Horitoshi. Tosi is a great guy! Highly recommended.
I went with something classic and simple for my first japanese tattoo

@Gingerninja @marley mission @polliwog
Wait, what the hell?  Todd is at Redemption full time?  I live 10 minutes from there.
 

@marley mission Thanks! Chelsea Kotzur at True Blue in ATX. She stays really low key, but is really an incredible painter, in my opinion. She really got me comfortable with serious tattooing and I love love love her lady heads. So I asked her if she would do a big piece on me. I gave her the elements and let her go nuts. Means a lot more to me than if it was from a big name I was getting as a collector that I didn't have a relationship with. 
 
https://www.instagram.com/chelseakotzurtattoo/

Started this little fella: 
 

I got this little one shot eagle yesterday at the Quebec City convention from Trevor McStay.

It wraps a lot because it takes up most of my thigh so here are a couple of pictures.

It's not uncommon to show up on the day of and not know what you're getting.

Here's the lowdown: this weekend my wife and I are heading to Denver to see The Cure, a band I haven't seen since 1987, and then we are each getting tattoos from Destroy Troy at Til Death. Any advice on how to survive the next three work days is appreciated. 

Finally finished this huge thigh piece a few days ago, loosely based on the cover for one of my favorite metal albums! Pictures taken a couple hours after when I was still ridiculously red and swollen. I'll be sure to post better pics once it's done peeling. Done by Sam Warren at Dreams Collide in Lancaster, PA. 

Pic from the front/side:


From the back:

Finished my lower leg with Grez at King's Ave NYC. He added the (bloody and swollen) lighthouse and ROA piece to go along with the clipper ship from Russ Abbott.  I couldn't be happier with how he was able to tie it all together. Sorry for the giant pic, I'll post healed shots in a couple of weeks, there's a video on my IG: wedge45.

 

Here is some full frontal nudity from my Lived In Tattoos - Sunday takeover, wanted to share on LST though...

Falcon - Bobby Tripp 2009
Escher Dragon - Steve Batt 2005
Polkadot Dragon - Scott Rusnak 2012
Psych Tiger - OllieXXX 2012
Dragon Eyes - OllieXXX 2013
Collar Snake - Shawn O'Connor 2013
...this illustrates how it looks when tattoos from multiple artists blend together. also what happens when you tattoo your ribs first and then the front after (i.e. space squeeze) - 2 questions that have been asked on this forum in the past.

Got this good lookin' little guy yesterday from Ron Wells.

Next stage of my Japanese dragon sleeve was completed today. 5.25 hours of black and shading for the background. Artist: Scott Ellis, Triple Crown Tattoo, Austin Texas.



 

I had my first sitting on my knee with Grez the other night. We ended up sorta running out of time because he had to leave right when the shop closed and it took a while for him to draw a lot of things on when we started. But he got done the outline and shading and it looks fuckin killer.
The real highlight of the trip was after we wrapped up though. He had told me last year that he was going to show me his tattoos from Hardy, Higgs, and Conn (his three favorites). So Thursday night he showed me tattoos he has from all three of them. Then he asked me if I wanted to see the art he keeps at the shop (aside from all the insane shit he has on the wall). He showed me a shitload of originals from all three of them, from flash sheets to commissions to sketchbook pages. He also showed me a bunch of originals from Sailor Jerry, Mike Malone, Timothy Hoyer, Tim Lehi, and a ton of others. It was absolutely bonkers.

Good review, but all I really got out of it is I want a schnauzer now.
 
But seriously, good job in keeping your arm covered and protecting that investment!

Good review, but all I really got out of it is I want a schnauzer now.
 
But seriously, good job in keeping your arm covered and protecting that investment!

Good review, but all I really got out of it is I want a schnauzer now.
 
But seriously, good job in keeping your arm covered and protecting that investment!

Snake sleeve in progress by Yoni Zilber @ NY Adorned

Received my first tattoo "Saint Christopher" on this day 13 years ago from the one-and-only Steve Batt (Edmonton, AB).
"Look kid, I'm not going to draw the Last Supper. You want a tattoo today or not?"

I can still smell the speedstick scent he used to apply the stencil.
And in an ironic twist of fate, with the fresh tattoo of the patron saint of travel on a swollen arm, we got in a car accident 5 minutes after leaving the shop.
The tattoo is as rich, bright and colourful as it was the day it was made. In fact it keeps looking better each year as it ages.
Dropped in this afternoon to see Sensei Steve and thanked him for 13 years of capital "Q" quality tattoos he has made for me.
cheers everyone !