Mark Bee

I agree with @Graeme - Check out Providence Tattoo. I'm still regretting not getting tattooed by Wells when I met him in Montreal this September. (I also agree with @Gregor's advice!)

I've been searching The Last Sparrows, but so far nothing turns up. :(

I sort of like the idea of mining Charles Addams' New Yorker cartoons for ideas. Addams work was, of course, the inspiration for the Addams Family TV show and movies. He is my favourite cartoonist. Here is the google images link to some of his work. https://www.google.ca/search?q=charles+addams&es_sm=91&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=yWdUUpXlAtW14AO_p4G4BQ&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAQ&biw=852&bih=439&dpr=1

Not a bad idea. I got into the online portion the other night, and it was fairly stable. I imagine it will take a bit of time for Rockstar to hammer out all the issues that come up. Hopefully sooner rather than later. I think @slayer9019 said he was going to create a Crew for LST - The Last Sparrows. I looked for it the other night, but couldn't find it. Of course, this means I'll have to go get a new mic/headset rig.

I see a few LST heists in the future! Are you on PS3 @Iwar?

I finally got online. So far, so good.

Very cool! Looking forward to seeing the results!

I'm going to throw my Bert Grimm special into the mix this month. It's by Tim Pausinger at The Pearl Harbor Gift Shop in Toronto. It may not be the most complex or largest tattoo, but I think Tim really nailed it.

I've noticed a lot of tattoos in video games recently. In GTA5 there is a tattoo shop that allows you to purchase some designs, but most are reserved as rewards for completing game content. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErTGryhsOAU The game overtly links tattooing to criminal behaviour. (Pull off five heists, get a chest tattoo, etc) I admit I'm not too fussed about it. And I'm looking forward to getting more than one in-game tattoo. Today I found this YouTube clip for Assassin's Creed 4. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UQXEX13frvE It seems to be called the "tattoo trailer." I thought it was interesting that it seems to feature more traditional style (ish) tattoos than other games which generally focus on black and gray or realistic styles.

Speaking of Amund Dietzel, the show in Cleveland featuring his work is closing next week. If anyone is in that area, I hear it is a great exhibition. I'm tempted to drive down from Toronto, but work keeps demanding that I show up there instead. I wish it was a travelling show - like the circus or sideshows of days gone by.

@TigerBlue77 While I always recommend The Pearl, the Okey Doke is turning out great tattoos as well. Plus, you get to visit Toronto, which is always good times.

Rolling along! I still can't get over that tiger you did in one sitting. Awesome.

I just pressure cooked my first whole chicken. I browned it on all sides, then added celery, carrots, onions, 1 cup of stock, star anise, and fresh oregano, thyme, and rosemary. I then put the lid on and 25 minutes later I removed a chicken dripping with juices and tender beyond all imagination. Just before doing that, I diced a butternut squash, apples, and onions. I put them in a bowl with kosher salt, pepper, and olive oil. I popped that in the oven for 35-40 minutes and it was ready at the same time as my chicken. All said and done, I was able to do the entire meal, from prep to plate in about an hour. Awesome.

Heh, I love the "take off your shirt" requests. Not gonna happen. In a restaurant, on the street, at a reception - what is going through their heads? It's like they can't see the absurdity (or the rudeness) of their demands. If I were alone (or with my wife) and a friend asked to see, I might comply, but probably not. However, if a tattooed friend asked I'd probably whip the shirt off in a second and start talking tattoos. I guess I've got my own double standard about it.

An excellent day at the convention! Nicely done and congratulations!

Indeed! Tasty, tasty, fondant. *drool*

I too am a cake enthusiast. Please feel free to share all cake related topics. Also, welcome, tatideas3!

Yup - it's likely to feel tight for a couple of days. There are differing schools of thought about aftercare. Some of us are advocates of dry healing. Basically, after the first couple of washes (usually with hot water), we generally leave the tattoo alone to heal itself. I've had very good results. As @chrisnoluck pointed out, you can also moisturize. Many people report that they heal nicely that way as well. I think you may find that trial and error will help you find which method works best for you. There are a couple of threads on these forums that deal specifically with how to heal your tattoo. Give them a read and see what you think. You'll get a lot of good advice there, even if different perspectives are offered. More than anything, keep it clean. Avoid animal dander, fur, etc. Also, don't go swimming in the ocean or a lake until its healed up.

Thanks @Johannes and @Orangutango - I appreciate it! Just got up and gave it a good wash. Feeling much better today. I don't think I realized how exhausted I was yesterday. By the way, @Orangutango, that is a brilliant little earth and rocketship. Very cool design.

After a copious helping of gin and a couple hours spent with GTA5 and Iron Man 3, here is a terrible pic of my chest. Still a whole lot to be done, but Tim did a great job. We still have to finish both shoulders and some spider-webbing that will go along the bottom. This piece is going to really bring all my tattoos together nicely, I think. @Johannes - I've heard other people say that as well. I guess I'm entitled to one difficult sitting. @mtlsam - I agree. The shading is much easier. I suspect that your neurologist friend is on to something. At least, it sounds reasonable to me.

Agreed, @Pleadco . I have never been a huge fan of the franchise, but this one has really grabbed me. The missions are better, the mechanics are better, (although as @Graeme pointed out, the driving still needs some fine-tuning) and the overall gameplay is better. Its a good way to kick back and recover after a few hours of getting poked with sharp things.

I just got back from getting my chest piece outline done by Tim Pausinger at The Pearl. Poor guy - I was the worst client of the month. For whatever reason, I just couldn't settle in. I couldn't find my groove at all. That he could still turn out such a high quality tattoo with me flailing away underneath him speaks to the talent, skill, and professionalism of the guy. It was not my best moment, but it's a truly great tattoo. I've posted it on my instagram, and I'll probably post it here as well, but not until I've battered my brain with gin. Lots and lots of gin.

I've been going pretty quickly and getting a lot of skin covered. I've loved the entire experience, even the healing. I've also been learning as I go. I found myself at the intersection of having enough time and money and so I rolled with it. As I reach the end of my current contracts, this situation will change, and my pace will have to slow. I'm ok with that too. But at the moment, I'm still thoroughly enjoying researching and finding designs, meeting awesome new tattoo-minded people. I have a couple of large areas left to fill, and I'm in no rush at all to get to them. I want something large on my back, but after 4 years of thinking about it, I'm no closer to deciding what I want. Given the pace of my other tattooing, this is perhaps a little odd. However, I don't want to settle.

I'm still having trouble finding all the missions to get through the story line. I end up driving around smashing things instead of getting through the content. Still fun, though.