Pugilist

@Graeme - I just love that design - one of my favorite so far. And I'm not just sayin' that because your Instagram bare butt is cute ;-) j/k! Really really nice.

Step off, woman! I thought this backpiece was supposed to make him LESS attractive to the opposite sex?! ;)

@BrianH - I know, right? Those were already done when I arrived at the shop and were the first thing I noticed - brutal.

Hahaha so comfortable.

I have an ass/back of thighs lining session tomorrow. I'm going to try to keep this "magic" and "mystical bond" in mind while I'm getting tattooed to try to convince myself that I'm not the stupidest person in the world.

Don't worry honey, I'll help you feel that mystical bond by making fun of you on the internet. Xo.

Me and @Pugilist had a running competition for a while about who had the most hours under the needle. I've since lost track of how many hours I've been tattooed for, but the answer is "a lot of hours". I have no idea how much money I've spent on tattoos, nor do I care to know because I'm sure if you gave me the sum of money I've spent on them...without even talking about cost of travel and hotels, time off work, etc...I'd be stunned and perplexed how I even came up with that kind of money. People wanting to know hours so they can roughly calculate how much you've spent is weird anyway, because it isn't about money, and anybody who cares about the cost of tattoos, especially heavy coverage, is never going to get tattooed like that because it's not like getting tattooed like this is something that comes from a rational decision-making place. You don't sit down with a personal or household budget and see that you can fit a bodysuit in there. It comes from a more primal place, it's closer to a need than a want. That's where the tattoo magic is.

I think I stopped keeping track because you're winning. :(

It was super nice to see you guys, and I am sure you will be a master yogi in no time. :)

@TrixieFaux - glad it went well! I feel like you should start a thread of cute things your students have said about your tattoos, because kids' reactions to tattoos is one of my very favourite things. :) And re: my own tatjam, check instagram!

Glad I am not the only one who is anal about strategic shirt sleeve lengths.

How'd it go, @TrixieFaux? Haha.

So this weekend I finally put something on one of my arms, and then promptly went out and bought a couple of very light blazers/cardigans to cover my upper arms in warm weather. Our workplace has very inconsistent AC, so warmer months will definitely be tricky. It's funny how over the weekend half of my work tops suddenly became a problem... It also makes me laugh to think how all of my students always seem so proud to show off their tattoos, but I spend so much energy covering mine up! Ah, to be young again... :)

Anyway, I have a couple of male colleagues who wear suits every day, year round, which is something that I have always found baffling about male dress (how do you DO this and not melt?) So I figure I should survive needing to wear shirts that go down to my elbows.

The goal of my collection is to display the caliber of tattooing in Southern California

You seem like a thoughtful guy with great taste, so please don't read this as me calling you out but rather being curious to unpack the above statement and understand it - what do you mean by this and how did you come to this "goal"? I have never thought of having a goal to the tattoos I get other than getting stuff I love, that speaks to me, and that feels right on my body. And it sounds like the Southern California black and grey stuff does that for you, which is awesome. So I am curious as to what you perceive the difference to be between getting tattoos you love and having a collection with a particular goal and theme in mind, like an art gallery?

PS Chris Brand's backpieces are incredible, so I can see why you'd want one! I think focusing on finding a story/image that feels right for you might solve the problem that you were worried about in your OP.

Dudes, I need a weekend from my weekend. We conventioned HARD this year. I am done.

I just watched that Q&A and it's the kind of thing that gives me the warm fuzzies about this weird world of tattooing. Amazing, thoughtful people with so much integrity and insight.

We'll miss you guys too, Mark! Hope we have a reason to hang out soon.

Looking forward to hanging with you nerds.

Holy crud that is a cute fish!

OMG yes that is exactly what I was picturing. :)

@Graeme Yes. Troll.

And, why is it that so so so many people think that knowledge and information should be spoon fed to them? No work, no research, no investment or time spent on their end; yet they expect others to provide what they want to know with no questions asked. I blame it on the internet.

Welcome to teaching for a living...

But for serious, I want to turn this thread into pictures of coy fish tattoos.

I think I will go get a coy fish

I would like to see this tattoo!

To answer the initial question, this link may be helpful.

I just said that Matrix tattoos aren't particularly special? You're not finding anything because tattoos like that rarely look good, which is why it's not a great idea.

I love it so much when people do that!!! Looks great, @abees

Dude, the Matrix is like the #1 movie for 30-something white dudes who think they're deep. There's no danger of people not "getting" it. People are trying to give you advice because you're sacrificing something that will look good for something that you perceive as meaningful and unique. Get whatever you want and what makes you feel good, but this shit ain't special.

Well, our employer, a major educational institution, couldn't manage to pay us for our labor, even though they had more than a month.

Our Montreal trip is cancelled, deposit lost, irritation levels are high.

This sucks!!! I know Ron guests at the Pearl often enough, so hopefully you guys can make up the appointment then, but we will miss you!

Yaaaaaaah!

Cool! We will come cheer you on with snacks.

Hey, what day are you getting tattooed, @BrianH ?

I love this, and thank you for sharing it! I appreciate the call for treating people like adults.