JordanMTB

New Sacred Heart From Steve Soto of Goodfellas in Orange, California

I asked today, and was told that once it's over on the 14th - it's over for good. I hope that I'm mistaken!!
- - - Updated - - -
I finally made it today - and my mind was blown. Such a beautiful exhibit - down to the last detail. That genuinely made me decide to donate to JANM because it was so amazing. It's kind of small, and yet I spent two hours walking in circles looking at everything.
Kip did a great job - It was truly breathtaking. The majority of people I saw there were not visibly tattooed and seemed so impressed with the quality. I officially think Kip is one of the greatest ambassadors of the tattoo community today.

I asked today, and was told that once it's over on the 14th - it's over for good. I hope that I'm mistaken!!
- - - Updated - - -
I finally made it today - and my mind was blown. Such a beautiful exhibit - down to the last detail. That genuinely made me decide to donate to JANM because it was so amazing. It's kind of small, and yet I spent two hours walking in circles looking at everything.
Kip did a great job - It was truly breathtaking. The majority of people I saw there were not visibly tattooed and seemed so impressed with the quality. I officially think Kip is one of the greatest ambassadors of the tattoo community today.

The term is actually a play on words: Tritsch-Tratsch-Polka. Look it up.
I actually like some of it... good solid art work that you usually see in galleries, but on skin. If its executed into solid tattoo work, I can see it catching on.
Rob

I don't even think his graffiti is that good.

One thing I have really come to appreciate, especially since being here, is that great tattoos know very few borders. Even more so with how freely art is exchanged on the Internet, and how often artists travel/relocate.
It's cool that you are showing an interest and pride in something. It kind of feels like you are entering into a one man regional contest though.
But hey, it sounds like you are out to get quality work, so whatever is clever.

I asked today, and was told that once it's over on the 14th - it's over for good. I hope that I'm mistaken!!
- - - Updated - - -
I finally made it today - and my mind was blown. Such a beautiful exhibit - down to the last detail. That genuinely made me decide to donate to JANM because it was so amazing. It's kind of small, and yet I spent two hours walking in circles looking at everything.
Kip did a great job - It was truly breathtaking. The majority of people I saw there were not visibly tattooed and seemed so impressed with the quality. I officially think Kip is one of the greatest ambassadors of the tattoo community today.

Great description.
It feels like my back has been waiting years to get this piece done, and it's finally getting its way.

That's kind of my goal with my collection too. I used to want to travel all over the world to collect tattoos. But nowadays, I know I'm lucky to be living in a part of the world where there are so many talented tattooers.
My goal is to have a collection that represents the Bay Area. I realized this half way through collecting, so there will be some non-Bay Area tattoos in there. I also realized that I want to go black and grey from this point on, too.
I hope you do get that Chris Brand backpiece though. Looking forward to it.

Thank you to everyone for your input - I think everyone had a really really valid viewpoint.
One thing I did forget to mention - The goal of my collection is to display the caliber of tattooing in Southern California - via my favorite artists - the majority of which happen to be past or present Tattooland artists or loosely affiliated with the shop or the Beatniks.
I have a little work from Jack Rudy, and when my torso is done, I hope to have work from Ben Grillo, Corey Miller, Espi, Lil Roy, Chuey, Robert Atkinson, and Tim Hendricks. I think that a Chris Brand backpiece would be a perfect compliment to the collection.
Based on the input....I think I'm leaning towards going for it

Well, the SOLE purpose of my collection is not to showcase a certain style. The fact is, the southern california black and gray style really speaks to me, and I find it timeless and beautiful. I found that the majority of artists I really looked up to were guys from Tattooland, so really the list of artists came first - and the realization that the collection would be a great example of southern california tattooing came second.
I also really think California is the mecca of tattooing, and want to show off what we have to offer.

Well, the SOLE purpose of my collection is not to showcase a certain style. The fact is, the southern california black and gray style really speaks to me, and I find it timeless and beautiful. I found that the majority of artists I really looked up to were guys from Tattooland, so really the list of artists came first - and the realization that the collection would be a great example of southern california tattooing came second.
I also really think California is the mecca of tattooing, and want to show off what we have to offer.

Thank you to everyone for your input - I think everyone had a really really valid viewpoint.
One thing I did forget to mention - The goal of my collection is to display the caliber of tattooing in Southern California - via my favorite artists - the majority of which happen to be past or present Tattooland artists or loosely affiliated with the shop or the Beatniks.
I have a little work from Jack Rudy, and when my torso is done, I hope to have work from Ben Grillo, Corey Miller, Espi, Lil Roy, Chuey, Robert Atkinson, and Tim Hendricks. I think that a Chris Brand backpiece would be a perfect compliment to the collection.
Based on the input....I think I'm leaning towards going for it

I would ask Chris Brand. May not be the best advice, but he's the only person whose opinion will really matter when it comes to getting the tattoo.

Late to the game but here's .02
I feel as though you are coming from a place of respect, and that alone gives you a pass to wear it in my book. I love his work also and while I prefer the traditional japanese imagery, I understand the draw. The piece with the dude double wielding the smoking shot guns is amazing, as are the many others.
I see it less Chicano now as I do "California culture" it's your history now too in a way.
Whatever goes down show off your progress in the backpiece thread

I would go this route.
I agree with this too.
My two cents, you don't have to be a sailor to get sailor tattoos. You don't have to be Japanese to get Japanese tattoos. Plus, living that close to GTC, it makes sense to want to get tattooed in that style there.
I'm also saving my back for last, because I am truly putting a lot of thought on what to get back there.
Good luck!

You need to be confident in the imagery you choose for something as powerful as a backpiece IMO. The tattoo will give strength because of that personal connection to the imagery or it may end up making you feel uncomfortable and awkward after the novelty wears off. I think it is great that you are having this dialogue - on this forum - but more importantly with yourself. You need to listen to yourself if you are feeling conflict about the idea, because that conflict could become greater when you are in the midst of the project.
To relate to my own experience. I am about to start my backpiece journey. We are doing something chinese themed, I've been training kung fu for a decade and have many experiences to compliment the image we are choosing to work with. I feel it represents my passion, loyalty and devotion - to both my kung fu discipleship and my commitment to tattoo. On the contrary I have a new student at my school. Super nice guy with a fresh looking dragon sleeve, some very nice work. He told me he is starting his backpiece of Guan Yu (sic). We were suspicious of him understanding Guan Yu's history or the weight of having a tattoo of the chinese diety "God of War" on his back after training kung fu for only 1 month. After all he called him a warrior-guy-with-a-guan-do-blade. But in the end it it is his journey and his tattoo he has chosen to wear. And the sketch he showed me looks great, going to be an awesome tattoo. So you can either "own it" and live, breathe the tattoo, aspire to the imagery or you can just have cool wallpaper art on your back. I think both trains of thought are ok, but *you* need to be ok with it. And the tattooer needs to agree to put it on you in the first place.
Sometimes a tattoo, is just a tattoo. But for something big and bold on your back, well I for one just don't want any old tattoo, I want something powerful with a personal connection.
I stumbled on some excellent info re: japanese style tattooing on Clark North's website. There is some excellent insight here on wearing a big powerful tattoo image that I think can be extrapolated beyond the japanese style and about tattooing in general.
THE JAPANESE STYLE TATTOO EXPLAINED - Clark North Tattoo & Art - Las Vegas

I asked today, and was told that once it's over on the 14th - it's over for good. I hope that I'm mistaken!!
- - - Updated - - -
I finally made it today - and my mind was blown. Such a beautiful exhibit - down to the last detail. That genuinely made me decide to donate to JANM because it was so amazing. It's kind of small, and yet I spent two hours walking in circles looking at everything.
Kip did a great job - It was truly breathtaking. The majority of people I saw there were not visibly tattooed and seemed so impressed with the quality. I officially think Kip is one of the greatest ambassadors of the tattoo community today.

Go to the Asian Art Museum!!! A must see! Go have sushi at Isobune in the Japan center, and go drink like 5 fresh-squeezed grayhounds at Cafe Van Kleef in Oakland. The botanical gardens in golden gate park are free, and quite gorgeous. The California Academy of Sciences is one of my favorite places in San Francisco, definitely worth spending half a day over there.
And if you do go to Oakland, go visit Temple Tattoo, walk around Lake Merritt (super beautiful and romantic and stuff), and end your night at Van Kleef's. Also in Oakland are Tattoo 13 and FTW, and if you can make it half a mile north from FTW, George Campise's shop Warhorse Tattoo is definitely worth a visit.
The Mission has the best tacos and dive bars in the city, along with the best street art. Haight is also worth a visit, and if you're down there, you might as well pop into Idle Hand.
Hope that helps!

I don't want to jinx anything by saying who but I will say that he's in San Francisco ;)

Here is my submission for this months contest.
My whole backpiece has been done in a 6-month period (just 31 hours in total) by Bonel from Corazon Santo, Arnhem, The Netherlands.

I also have a full size picture available HERE

I hope to have my back done by Grime one day! I'm sure it's amazing.

finally found an example of this when I wasn't even looking for it...

Dang.......you could get work from Jack Rudy, Tim Hendricks or Chuey for less than Cartoon!