guitguy

1 Shot Rib Tattoo (5.5 Hours) by Tim Hendricks at Gold Rush Tattoo .

Don't stand a chance but here's my tattoo from Mike Wilson, inksmith & Rogers FL
1 hour 45 min, inner arm

I'm back from my honeymoon in Chicago and it was brilliant. Chicago is a gorgeous and incredibly friendly city. I can't wait to go back. I went to Great Lakes Tattoo for a couple of sessions. The first (hand of glory) was with Chad Koeplinger and the second with Mario Desa (torch). The shop itself is stunning. It's in part dedicated to the history of Chicago tattooing and the legacy of Tatts Thomas - you feel connected to history going there. What an amazing collection of artists in this space. I was at the opening night party, though only for a little while, as my wife was ill that night and I didn't want to be away from her for long. I saw a ton of familiar faces from instagram, but being generally a little on the shy side, especially as I don't actually know many of the people there, I didn't meet as many people as I would have liked. Some, whom I later recognized from here, I wish I had introduced myself to, but oh well. It was a great time anyway. I'm already planning a return trip.

@CercleRouge - there are no words.

Haven't posted in a bit...
Session number... 7 or 8, I think, from Mike Rubendall today. Finally hit the ass, which made my ribs seem like a breeze.



About two months ago Thomas Hooper finished my torso:

And then one from Scott Campbell about 3 weeks ago:

Got started on this last week. It's going to be a long term project but at least it's finally started.

My dude is like the mastiff of the snake world; sweet, lazy, and has never bit a soul. One year we had a bad freeze with a power outage. With no heat lamp he spent the night under the covers with us, all snuggled up :)

It is sad to see someone who was once so vital and dynamic loose a few steps. I saw him in that period as well and felt the same way. While he kinda looks like hell, he is actually doing a lot better now than then. He has put on some weight and seems pretty lucid. He still has a hard time getting around on his own and he's very nearly blind (and has been for years) but, he saw my hand as I extended it to him to shake. I did not get to hear him play this time around as our shows were the day after his on both festivals. I did see him 2 years ago at my hometown's blues festival and he was fantastic. The first time I saw him was in '84. He played a club here in town and I got in with fake ID as a 16 year old hahaha.....it changed my life!

@guitguy - excellent encounter. Definitely jealous.
We saw Johnny about 5-6 years ago at a show in his hometown of Beaumont. He was so frail at the time the crew had to carry him out to center stage on a chair and then bring him his guitar. After the fabulous show they picked his chair back up and carried him away. Actually made me cry. It's amazing he's stayed alive so long.

If you ever need someone to bounce some ideas off, me and a friend had a business for almost 8 years of selling and breeding morphs of ball pythons and boas. He is still going, but I have since stepped out of the business. I could also introduce you to some people that might be really helpful as well. I absolutely love ball pythons and the various morphs. Just PM me.

In terms of awesome experiences, I had a wonderful life moment this past weekend. I'll try to cut a long story short. Wish me luck ;)
As a bit of back story, I posted in this thread last month that I am a guitar player by trade and played the Montreal Jazz Festival with the band "Soulstack" (by far my favourite band of the handful that I work with). There is a video of that show in that post if anyone cares to check it out.
Anyway, we had a road trip this weekend to play at a couple of festivals in Quebec and Ontario respectively. Our first show was in Donnacona, Quebec on Friday night but we drove up Thursday so as not to be rushed and be fresh for our show the next day. We pulled in to our 2 star motel in the middle of nowhere QC at around midnight after an 11 hour drive. We settled in and had some well deserved beers.
A little more backstory. Johnny Winter is a famed blues guitarist/singer from Texas with a long and storied career and is still out on the road at the age of 70 or so. He has been my ultimate superhero since I was 8 years old. That in itself is a long story hahaha...Let's just say that he has been one of the most important musical inspirations in my life.
We knew that Johnny was playing the same festival that evening and joked that there was no chance he would be staying at the same kinda lame motel as us. Turns out we were wrong ;) One of my bandmates was out for a smoke and sent me a text saying "Dude! Johnny Winter is here!" I ran out to the parking lot to see a modest motorhome and through the blinded window I saw the long white hair of the man. I was freaked. I am shamefully star struck I must admit, even though I fully understand the absurdity of being so. At that point, I went back to my room and kinda paced around for a while not believing the circumstances I had found myself in. I had the door propped open and I saw Johnny walk past on the way to his room 2 doors down! More freaked!!!!
I overheard their road manager tell the band that they would be leaving at 10am. I was in the lobby by 830 lol. I am very shy by nature and have missed out on a great deal of cool experiences because of it but, I could not live wth myself had I not made the effort to meet my hero, especially since the opportunity had really just fallen into my lap ( I do belive things happen for a reason and don't belive in coinsidence;)
As he fired up the motorhome, I asked guitarist/road manager Paul if there was a chance I could meet Mr. Winter. He said that Johnny would be coming out at 10 to get onboard and that once he got settled in, I could come in and say hi. I was scared shitless but so fucking stoked. I got on the 'bus', said a few words, shook his hand and got a pic taken with him. I had a million thngs I wanted to say but, I didn't wanna be that guy so I said very little and have no regrets. I just wanted to be in his presence for a moment and not be a bother. He was sweet and gracious. It felt like a dream to me and still does.
If anyone reads this far, thank you for indulging me hahaha...Writing it out has helped to digest the experince a little more;)
I'll post a pic from my meeting and also, as an aside lol, a link about Mr. Winter's cool tattoos.
If you scroll down, you can find the entire article from Tattoo mag. Pretty cool!
http://www.yee.ch/winter/Mags/winter_mags_1989.html

In terms of awesome experiences, I had a wonderful life moment this past weekend. I'll try to cut a long story short. Wish me luck ;)
As a bit of back story, I posted in this thread last month that I am a guitar player by trade and played the Montreal Jazz Festival with the band "Soulstack" (by far my favourite band of the handful that I work with). There is a video of that show in that post if anyone cares to check it out.
Anyway, we had a road trip this weekend to play at a couple of festivals in Quebec and Ontario respectively. Our first show was in Donnacona, Quebec on Friday night but we drove up Thursday so as not to be rushed and be fresh for our show the next day. We pulled in to our 2 star motel in the middle of nowhere QC at around midnight after an 11 hour drive. We settled in and had some well deserved beers.
A little more backstory. Johnny Winter is a famed blues guitarist/singer from Texas with a long and storied career and is still out on the road at the age of 70 or so. He has been my ultimate superhero since I was 8 years old. That in itself is a long story hahaha...Let's just say that he has been one of the most important musical inspirations in my life.
We knew that Johnny was playing the same festival that evening and joked that there was no chance he would be staying at the same kinda lame motel as us. Turns out we were wrong ;) One of my bandmates was out for a smoke and sent me a text saying "Dude! Johnny Winter is here!" I ran out to the parking lot to see a modest motorhome and through the blinded window I saw the long white hair of the man. I was freaked. I am shamefully star struck I must admit, even though I fully understand the absurdity of being so. At that point, I went back to my room and kinda paced around for a while not believing the circumstances I had found myself in. I had the door propped open and I saw Johnny walk past on the way to his room 2 doors down! More freaked!!!!
I overheard their road manager tell the band that they would be leaving at 10am. I was in the lobby by 830 lol. I am very shy by nature and have missed out on a great deal of cool experiences because of it but, I could not live wth myself had I not made the effort to meet my hero, especially since the opportunity had really just fallen into my lap ( I do belive things happen for a reason and don't belive in coinsidence;)
As he fired up the motorhome, I asked guitarist/road manager Paul if there was a chance I could meet Mr. Winter. He said that Johnny would be coming out at 10 to get onboard and that once he got settled in, I could come in and say hi. I was scared shitless but so fucking stoked. I got on the 'bus', said a few words, shook his hand and got a pic taken with him. I had a million thngs I wanted to say but, I didn't wanna be that guy so I said very little and have no regrets. I just wanted to be in his presence for a moment and not be a bother. He was sweet and gracious. It felt like a dream to me and still does.
If anyone reads this far, thank you for indulging me hahaha...Writing it out has helped to digest the experince a little more;)
I'll post a pic from my meeting and also, as an aside lol, a link about Mr. Winter's cool tattoos.
If you scroll down, you can find the entire article from Tattoo mag. Pretty cool!
http://www.yee.ch/winter/Mags/winter_mags_1989.html

I'm just getting into Ball Pythons and all the insane morphs you can create via selective breeding.
So far I have these 4...
This is a Sugar Ball Python

This is a Fire Ball Python

This is an Enchi Ball Python

This is a Piebald Ball Python

Wednesday I'm expecting a pair of High Contrast Albino Ball Pythons, here is the female...

and next Wednesday I'm expecting these 2 from a breeder in Montana...
Black Pastel Ball Python

Leopard Ball Python

Check this out, this is the offspring of a Leopard and I believe a Pastel Ball Python. All of these names I'm using refer to the gene they carry. This guy doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of how awesome these guys can get! I'm hooked!! :D..

@Iwar, you'll have to check them out when you come by and pick me up on the way to SF!!

Frame that!

That's awesome! Looks like the shroud of turin LOL

That's awesome! Looks like the shroud of turin LOL

As a kid I always had low self esteem and no self confidence.
That has carried over into adult hood and it's a constant battle with myself.
When I started getting tattoo's I always kept them hidden. For the first 8 years of my tattooed existence I could cover them all up by wearing a tank top.
No one knew I really had any and always assumed I was the type of person who wouldn't have them. I often enjoyed letting them in on my little secret and watching their face change shapes.
I had always wanted a full arm of tattoos but never could decide on something. I knew it had to have some sort of meaning and it had to encompass who I was. It was going to be my first full view piece. I was so scared of what people would think. What they would say. Would I be treated differently? How would I like myself with a large tattoo showing. Up until this point my tattoos were all hidden from the world.
It was a HUGE deal for me.
I kept envisioning this work of artwork on my arm and wishing for the day I could look in the mirror and gaze at it.
I kept wishing for the courage to say "F you" to the world and just do what I wanted to do with my own body and not care.
I have spent my whole life worrying and caring what other people thought about me. Letting their negativity shape the way I felt about myself.
I came across a Jeff Gouge piece and instantly knew.... that was my reference piece. I finally found the look and feel I was going for.
So I contacted my artist and we started tossing ideas around.
I was sooo scared to take the plunge. October 13th 2012 I sat down in the chair and we chatted and drew out the whole image on my tiny arm. I looked at all the marker lines and smiled. I gave the go ahead and the line work started. I remember that feeling of the first line on my forearm. There was no going back. I was ecstatic.
I remember looking in the mirror after the first line session. I remember thinking that it didn't look right on me. I didn't think I looked like it belonged.
10 months later and we have mostly completed 3/4 of it. We still need to do my inner bicep area and I have decided to continue down to my wrist (we stopped 3/4 originally).
I now look in the mirror and see it as part of who makes me, ME.
I take pride in my artwork and who it has helped me become. I am now much more confident with who I am.
I am not concerned with other peoples thoughts anymore. I did something for me, and me only. I am proud of who I am becoming and how this tattoo has helped it happen.

Both of these are by Clamore Wolfmeyer at Amillion here in Austin. I didn't get a shot of the Higgs Druid, but here is my wife's pillowcase the next morning! Haha! Boldwillhold!

Apologies for the crappy picture, I screenshotted this from IG. I'll post a better picture tomorrow, but check it out! By Sean Perkinson at FTW in Oakland. Steve Boltz flash.

Fuck Me Running!!!
Hell yeah. Backyard Of Ages!

My idea for the ROA I want on on me is to substitute the cross for this:

(My guitar, not the grill, or the trashcan) :D
It puts a personal spin on a timeless design, and still works.

Banned :cool:

Thank you mods! :)

I've done DEAD BOYS, SICK and SANE.
Two of my friends let me decide on theirs.. One was on tour with his band, just off another tour talking about how worn out he was from it all. One night at the bar, I told him he should get ROAD WORN. He said he wasn't getting his knuckles done...then he got them as soon as he returned. The other had a few ideas and...has a history with the ladies. He was about to get GIVE and TAKE and as he was walking out for a cigarette, I suggested WALK AWAY -- as a warning to the girls he meets. He came back from his smoking/thinking beak and we did it.
I have STAY TRUE on mine. Nothing original, I know. The night before I got them it was down to that, DARK DAYS or REST EASY and while I didn't get the coolest one, it's where my head was at and needed to be. I ride an old Triumph and my buddy's a goldsmith. I had him make me a huge silver ring with the T patterned after my tank badge. I wear it on my right ring finger so it still says STAY TRUE.

It's so beautiful!! 4th of July up there is also pretty amazing, you can see fireworks from at least 5 different surrounding areas, not to mention all of the fireworks people set off from their yards.