Latest tattoo lowdown.....

[tacifone]

Just got this one done a couple of hours ago. Done by Nik Moore at Scarab Body Arts in Syracuse, NY. You guys might not be a big fan of it but I told him I wanted a unique koi that not many other people have. i think he nailed it and I love it! Gonna go back in a few weeks for him to make a few minor changes if need be.

[pidjones]

Just got this one done a couple of hours ago. Done by Nik Moore at Scarab Body Arts in Syracuse, NY. You guys might not be a big fan of it but I told him I wanted a unique koi that not many other people have. i think he nailed it and I love it! Gonna go back in a few weeks for him to make a few minor changes if need be.

Love it! Different and yet so good in so many ways.

[moistwizard]

Hi, just joined LST and thought i'd share my latest tattoo.

Done by Tony Hundahl at the London convention, great guy who does awesome tattoos.

[Breakme]

We completed my arm last month (last pics I promise). Added a dark grey wash background and a few more floating petals, coloured in the sun, went over my elbow again and some minor touch ups. The sun needs a couple of touch ups, will do these next year when I am back in with Clare to continue with my other arm.

[cltattooing]

@marley mission dude!! Epic! Was oogling that on ig yesterday, figures :roll:

@Iwar thank you! Hey, anything you want from the convention this year?

[el twe]

@marley mission saw that on IG too and couldn't stop staring at it! I'm a real big fan of Robert Ryan's work, but that piece really stands out.

[marley mission]

@marley mission saw that on IG too and couldn't stop staring at it! I'm a real big fan of Robert Ryan's work, but that piece really stands out.

thanks man me too

the other cool thing is that Robert is a really cool guy - was a pleasure getting tattooed by him - I had been in Electric with Sheila Marcello for a few other ones but finally got around to getting something from Rob - his work is amazing - so many pieces I would love to have on me

I'll be going back in December I think but still have to set it up with him

[blujax01]

The Watcher on the backside of my left arm, elbow to armpit by William Murray in Columbus. Sorry for the crappy cell phone pic. I have a friend who is a professional photographer and is coming for a visit this December and we will get proper shots of my tattoos.

[Petri Aspvik]

Its now about week old.

We will expand it to a sleeve and then start another sleeve. Next up is Carl Sagan.

https://instagram.com/lekkeri_wct/

Now Hicks is healed, need to add stuff and boost color etc. Sleeve will continue in few months with Baphomet.

Here's the Sagan, also need more work obviously and will continue to a sleeve. We didn't finish all as you can tell. Now few months old. Pictures aren't that great, sorry.

[bongsau]

"Yknow what's awesome about this budd?...you have a whole bodysuit of tattoo and MY tattoo is going to be the one everyone is gonna ask about haha"

Keepin' it real w/ King Len, guest spot at Champion Tattoo in Edmonton, AB

Deadly placement, deadly evening, deadly tattoo. But holy fack did this one sizzle and rattle.

[hogg]

Looks great, @bongsau, but the very sight gives me a sympathy headache.

[bongsau]

shake rattle n roll baby!

[polliwog]

Uggghhh that hollow at the back of the neck is tender when you just *press* on it. That's beautiful, though.

[bongsau]

Thought I would also upload and share this dope action shot. Plus you can catch a peak at my backpiece that's about 5 months settled in as well as Len's great hair lol ;)

Another reminder that it is the tattoo experience as whole - that truly makes the tattoo. that's what matters. Tattooing is a very powerful, deliberate and permanent act and series of events.

Last Wednesday was an incredible day. My work in the morning. Popping into the tattoo shop to just to say what's up and casually flipping through Len's book - I have 3 tattoos from Len now and each one was a spontaneous act with permanent results. Going and getting a dope haircut so I didn't get a cheap $25cent razor fade (found a new barber, an older black gentleman, he shared his cool snake tattoo on his dark skin, he got in 1967!). My tai chi practice in the park. An encouraging doctor's appointment. The boys keeping the shop open into the evening to accommodate me (shout out to Champion Tattoo Edmonton). The stencil and re-stencil to get the placement just right. The first 30 seconds when I thought holy shit man, this is brutal have I gone too far? Bishops Green on the stereo. Tattoo talk with the boys. Sweating through the table. Feeling my nose about to get crushed sideways on the table. the post-tattoo newport smoke, the vulnerability and the satisfaction with the end result. The morning after when the shower water hit the back of my raw tattooed skin. Even today walking down the street, walking proud and tall with this new tattoo. Hearing the lady behind me in the crosswalk whispering out loud 'damn that's a nice tattoo' to herself. Seriously, I am really buzzing off how this one turned out.

The butterfly symbolism is pretty obvious.

But also this:

I dreamed I was a butterfly, fluttering about, to all intents and purposes a butterfly. I was conscious only of my happiness as a butterfly. Soon I awakened, and there I was, myself again. Now I do not know whether I was then a man dreaming I was a butterfly, or whether I am now a butterfly, dreaming I am a man. -Master Zhuang

I became aware of this taoist quote the morning after receiving my tattoo, and I too had the butterfly dream leading up to this spontaneous tattoo. I found it very fitting, not just in the context of the rest of my tattoos, but in terms of some personal growth I have been making over the last few months. And here comes this profound tattoo experience from a simple design that carries some complex symbolism to me, providing enlightenment when I needed it the most.

Thank you LST for providing a medium to share the tattoo experience together !

[el twe]

Very well put. Thanks for sharing @bongsau!

[rufio]

@bongsau Looks like youre smiling in the pic. Happy smile or pain smile?

[sourpussoctopus]

@bongsau That was great read! Thank YOU for sharing your experience with us!

[Hands On]

The first 30 seconds when I thought holy shit man, this is brutal have I gone too far?

great post overall, but this line cracked me up!

[bongsau]

@bongsau Looks like youre smiling in the pic. Happy smile or pain smile?

I'm always smiling :)

The linework was clench your teeth gnarly, but after that we were having a laugh and i was trying to keep still. Until Len went back to the liner to fill in the yellow dots at the end. lol.

[jheaps]

have an apt. w/ bailey hunter robinson next sat. he's guesting down here at rock of ages in austin... getting one of his trademark buffaloes to start off my right arm. ~2excited~

just need to be sure not to get confused and call him heather bailey (which i've already done in my head a dozen times)

:o :cool:

[sourpussoctopus]

Here's my latest, courtesy of Karrie Arthurs: https://instagram.com/p/9NAjS4Iwu-/

[hogg]

@bongsau That was great read! Thank YOU for sharing your experience with us!

Agreed! And I'm a Chuang Tzu fan myself.

[tc3500]

Skull "brought to life".... Sooooo happy with this and my Michael. This is on the inside of my forearm. 3rd tattoo over/in the same spot is NOT fun (Esp. with some bad scars)!

From this:

To this:

WOW! That skull tune-up is amazing!! Really like what he was able to do with that, congrats.

[Lochli]

Thank you! The artist is really good at his craft. :)

Unfortunately, it's healing like shit and yesterday my shirt caught, and peeled a scab off, leaving a nasty scar in the eye, and the whites didn't seem to take well. No fault of the artist, just bad skin and tattoos underneath. It is a 3x cover up.

Using a small dab on vitamin e oil on the scarred spots, and he's going to hit it again in December when I go in for the last forearm piece.

Even scarred/losing some whites, still looks 1000% better!

[DavidR]

Finally lost my cherry today. A great experience and I love my new tattoo.

By Bradley Tompkins at Frith Street.