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I was at an educators' training today with my principal and a bunch of teachers from my school. Since it wasn't a thing where any students would be, I wore clothing that showed my tattoos. My boss sat down with me on a break and wanted to see all of them. He said they were beautiful. He has the attitude that it is up to me what I want to do but understands why I cover them at work. "People can be so judgy," is what he said. I'm still going to cover them at work, but I'm just glad to know he's cool like I had hoped. He seemed to especially like the Horitomo.

I was looking through a tattooer's pics on their instagram a while back and noticed a guy getting his back done in the background and looking like he was about to die. I looked a little closer and realized that guy was me! Here's the link to the pic. The account belongs to Jennifer Lawes, now tattooing at The Pearl in Toronto. I haven't been tattooed by her yet, but she is very good. Definitely worth checking out her work. http://instagram.com/p/n02VwcuTNO/?modal=true

Looks great. I really have to check out Trophy. I heard its a nice spot right by (under?) the new Crow's Nest. I picked up a couple end of the season tattoos from Tim Pausinger at The Pearl in Toronto today. I'll post in three pictures. My left leg is really coming together now. I hope I can find good employment soon, because there is still a ton of work to be done!

Finally booked with Seth Wood for his November guest spot in L.A. to bang out more of my dragon 3/4 sleeve. Haven't been tattooed since April, but at least I had the summer to go swimming and save up some. I'm not gonna lie; it's been tough seeing all of your awesome tattoos. I've been very tempted to get work from some great artists in the meantime, but trying to stick to my self-imposed "one tattoo at a time" rule.

OK so I tried to put this post up about three days ago but whilst I was doing it a power line nearby got struck by lightning and we lost power for a while. So that was the end of that. Now that we have power again and I have a bit of time I will try again. I had the fourth session on my back last Monday. I was hoping it would be the last session of outlining but that went straight out the window when Ian started the session by asking me "How do you feel about Tibetan skulls?" Luckily enough I think they are cool and the design that Ian had drawn up was pretty killer so we went for it. The result is that I now have a Tibetan skull on my my ass cheek and the back of my leg. I love it and am very happy to have it on there and we definitely have only one session of outline left. So after 12 hours of work so far my back looks like this. I have included a close up of the skull as well.

Yesterday. Sorry if it's too big.

Hopefully this image works.. Just finished my sleeve a few months ago. Artist: Brent aka Frosty at Jackson Street Tattoo, Petone. Took approximately 35hours all up I think, hard to remember how many sittings and stuff lol. Worth it though :)

Had a good time at the expo :). Got a high five from Aaron Bell, chatted up Jaymie Goodwin about a piece, and my sister got her first tattoo from Eddie Zavala from Classic Tattoo.

Pictures taken while getting my back done. Session one: Session two: Session three. NOT FUN: Next session in a week. Can't wait, not being sarcastic there either. It seems that the more I get tattooed the more I want to get tattooed, and here I was thinking going into this that getting my back done was going to destroy me and make me want to slow down.

I grew up in Boston. When @TrixieFaux & I started to get visibly tattooed my mom was all like "Well you can't move back to the East Coast now." As if nobody has tattoos east of the Mississippi. It's true that tattoos were illegal in Massachusetts while I was growing up. (You had to drive up to New Hampshire.) But people are definitely catching up.

Interesting is the cultural acceptance. I think I may have made mention to this here previously, but it states in the Anti Discrimination Act here in Australia that a person can not be unfairly treated because of race, religion, nor because of their cultural origin. It doesn't say specifically anything in relation to tattoos although with HR it seems cultural related tattoos they don't fuck with because of bordering the discrimination card with cultural origin. Now, I work for a Govt body, in Corporate Services, at a management level dealing directly with Directorates from every stream. I rock Exec meetings in short sleeves and jeans most days and don't have a problem. A. Because I'm full time and there's fuck all they can do about it and B. Well, I just don't give a shit. My work, as in my job speaks for itself. But, in saying this, I know there's people who loathe my appearance and would have me stitched up in a heart beat. This is why I've made it very clear that my tattoos signify my cultural origin (I'm Anglo Saxon) and symbolises my religious beliefs. Haha! Who are they or anybody else to say that my symbolism isn't just as significant to my culture than say s person from Polynesian decent?they know Id take them on all the way if they tried to HR me out of my job if it wasn't performance based. I keep a running log on all my KPI's and initiatives and written feedback in my personal files also....just in case. We are discriminated against, but we become very resilient in the way we overcome mainstream prejudice. Fuck mainstream and their rules and expectations. I do know though my chances for further promotion has come to a halt. That's ok with me though, I ain't in it for the prestige, I'm in it to supplement our life style. "Booze, Blues & Tattoos"

Some of these pictures from Heartbeak Ink are pretty fun! (Like Filip Leu getting his hands tattooed.) @Eilin you're in one towards the bottom. 10th International London Tattoo Convention | heartbeatink.gr

Well . . . maybe not so "traditional" . . .

Started reading The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan. I hear it is first book in a short series [emoji6]

The guy with the koi legs? I'm pretty sure that's a Horiyoshi 3 suit.

Hah, she did well. He was a super nice guy and they were bullshitting every time I passed by.

Already got it! http://www.lastsparrowtattoo.com/blogs/hogg/395-some-my-tattoos-have-meaning.html

Your absolutely correct! The corporate system is just as corrupt as any, and even though it would never be mentioned publicly that the real reason for termination was based on our right to express our individuality/ or culture, they'd find a way to push us out regardless. That's the reason I keep an individual Action Plan based on evidence. I tell them it's for accreditation purposes as my role is based on legislative requirements, but I've used what they have taught me for my own security. Where I'm lucky is...that I work for Govt. The infrastructure has solidified their own existence through Enterprise Bargaining Agreements and unfair dismissal clauses that it's near on impossible to sack an FTE even through performance file notations, and even so, with the assistance of HR and an industry lawyer, it can take years to fuck somebody off. If it ever got to that stage, boom! I'm filling out workplace incident reports for psychological stress, that it would be me putting in a common law claim. I've seen this so many times that I know when someone has the balls to take them on, I back down and put it in the too hard basket. It's fucked in a way because even with people who have to go, the system is so tight, people with a bit of nouse work it in their favour. "Booze, Blues & Tattoos"

I really need to make it to this one year. Dave, who is doing my back, works it and he talks about how it's such a great convention. No nonsense, just loads of great tattooing. I've said it before and I'm sure I'll say it again, but stupid tattoos taking up all my money so I can't travel to get tattoos.

Thanks everyone :) And @Graeme, thanks for the encouragement - Looking for work is the balls.

Bulmers is the famous international owned cider producer here in Ireland. It's crap compared to some of the new small indie cider makers like Stonewell, McIvors and Llewellyns.... But the little guys have much bigger costs, even more than craft beer Brewers I hear, so they're pricey in comparison. Oddly in the UK Bulmers is not Bulmers.. It's Magners. And what is sold as Bulmers is a different thing altogether... Confusing to us. My favourite cider is probably from the UK: Aspalls. They do a draught, organic and a grand cru. Runner up is Old Rosie cloudy.

@rads The best way to start this process is with honesty. That way you're not canceling appointments left and right and wasting time on both ends. Have a rough idea of an image/theme/ style, and talk about the work you currently have. In reality that's all I did. I walked into the shop with my crazy idea and put down a deposit. Then showed up for the consult and first outline. i made sure to meet all appointments to show I was serious about the process and next thing you know you're over 20 hours in. I've been told many people walk in with ideas for big pieces but never go past that first talking stage. Make sure to go beyond that first step You can do it, and when it sucks this thread supports us all

I had to look up crust kid and went down a rabbit hole of web pages - welcome!

Welcome dude. So where are you at now? Are you done with tattooing or are you trying to find a shop or what? I'll take a Dos Equis in the meantime..

Newest on my calf from Ray Wallace at Sideshow Tattoo Austin. Awesome experience.

Thanks @Cork - I'm repeating that in my head. Thank you for that. @Pleadco - um, yeah! But now he's up my shoulder blade and down my ribs. He's jumped over more than half my back! I hate expecting to feel needles HERE and they come down over THERE. @Mick Weder - good times, all right! But dammit - I'm staying over with friends tonight and forgot to pack a cider for the morning! Dammit! ;)

Aye, scrumpy. I'll vouch from experience for that stuff being able to fuck you right up. I wish I could get that here, but it's probably just as well that I can't.

People in "complaining on the Internet" shocker - news at 11. (myself included, 9 times apparently, which is more than necessary)

@Breakme. Like this one. Westons Perry. Another high % cider and defo not for the sweet seeker. This stuff will curl the hairs on your big toe. "Booze, Blues & Tattoos"

Right now they are hate handles.

I got this big ol cat from Luis Campos today at Empire tattoo in Asheville. Great guy and beautiful city. Also pic pilfered from his IG

3 very excellent choices "Booze, Blues & Tattoos"

Did Andre Malcolm make it to this list? His peonies are quite nice too... ANDRÉ SKULL&SWORD: Work

And sometimes pears

just a thought but if you are willing to travel. check out Marius Meyer in Oslo, Norway. He did this koi back piece on another member here. i feel like his tattoos are bold and black enough to cover anything.

This came from the shop that you said elsewhere puts out better work than Shige, Horiyoshi, and Eli Quinters? Nice tattoo, but I feel you may have oversold the shop a little bit.

I read when getting long sessions... I started doing it when I was getting my backpiece and still do it on frontpiece sessions. If it's something I've been saving up to enjoy then it definitely helps. When I was getting my back done I remember one of the books was Dan Simmons' "Carrion Comfort". The last few things have been B-Move / super trashy but readable Larry Correia novels. The kindle works best if you only have one hand. For smaller pieces / one shots I don't bother- usually I'll see if the tattooer wants to shoot the shit.

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.

I like both but personally prefer for myself to stick to a rough same theme.

You might find this interesting: http://www.lastsparrowtattoo.com/forum/tattoo-advice/797-collecting-different-styles.html

I always wanted one dark arm and one American traditional, because that's what I thought was cool when I was 16, so eleven years later that's exactly what I have.

I got this shampoo/lotion applicator with a curved handle from bed bath and beyond that works like a charm. Was recommended to me by someone from another forum. I'll try to find pics of it, I highly recommend it. - - - Updated - - - i found it