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I had a spot on the back of my thigh that caused my ass to involuntarily twerk. Totally weird, but there was nothing I could do about it. I have a session later today. I don't know if we'll finish but the end is in sight. Not much left to do now.

BBC - Travel - The master of Japan

Check out this short video on one of my favorite tattooers (featuring another favorite, Bob Roberts): I've said before that Matt has a bit of a Big Liebowski vibe, but now I realize that that comes across as a bit unkind (or at the very least, sells him short). He's both passionate and compassionate, and that comes through in this piece.

@cltattooing - yes to the waist! I had like, a deep primal instinct to bat my tattooer's hand away. Like that's not supposed to be there.

Sat for about 5.5-6 hours of linework yesterday. Fuck me. I do feel like I got out easy, all things considered, but it was a challenge. None of it was particularly easy. Got from the upper-middle back to the top of the butt and around the back of the sides. Newfound respect for everyone who has done this before, newfound compassion toward clients I have previously brutalized, and solidified faith in the fact that you have to be heavily tattooed to be a good tattooer. Dunno if there is anyone else here who is extremely ticklish, but there was nothing I could do to keep myself from flinching every time the needle got to the sides of my waist, I felt like such a jerk. Wasn't even the pain that was a bother, just the heightened sensation of the spot. Um but yeah, if you want to see it, quote here with your instagram.

I won 2 tickets to see John Mayall thursday night ! very cool ! Home : Ace of Spades .. Ace of Spades Concerts | JOHN MAYALL @ Ace of Spades Thu, Jul 9 2015

Freeze those warts.

Oh no, I got it, I am just supremely lazy about digging up people's info :D

I would! But I already got an eagle on my bicep and having two eagles next to each other would look silly (I'm sure I'll get a second eagle someday, just not right next to the first one). Still, you guys are giving me some things to consider, so thanks already!

Thanks SStu and thanks for the ig follow Marley mission. Still trying to figure my way around the site

Appt set with steve Bryne at ROA . Pretty excited

^ true, there's a reason I'm getting (the majority of) my tattoos in my forties. I couldn't afford this stuff when I was younger. I did have a desire for them, but I'm glad I waited as opposed to going cheap. It's for sure a want, not a need... like so many other things we buy in life. Clothing may be a need, but do I need 20 pairs of jeans? I seemed to think so at the times of purchase. If art is a luxury product so be it. Nothing to defend. We like art. We like a certain type of art, many types of art. Art rules!

Not this forum's cup o' tea, but here is my foot tattoo done by Matt Jordan from New Zealand. This tattoo was done while filming for an upcoming episode of SullenTV's "Tattoo Collector" I also got some more work on my back by Jess Yen at Ink n Iron but we didn't get pictures so I'll take some in a few days

Girl head and rose from Paul Dobleman:

Finished up my arm with Grez last month. Here are some healed shots (that I also just put in the contest thread).

Already some tough stuff this month, but I'll give it a shot. Here's my arm from Grez at Kings Avenue. All healed up.

Well it's criminal that Alex Binnie isn't here ! Alex Binnie | Heartbeatink Tattoo Magazine There's so many great artists in this country check out some of my favourites Ian Flower https://instagram.com/ianflowernst/?hl=en Duncan X https://instagram.com/duncanxtattoos/ Tomas Tomas https://instagram.com/tomastomas108/?hl=en Valerie Vargas https://instagram.com/valeriemodernclassic/ Stewart Robson https://instagram.com/stewart_modernclassic/?hl=en Bradley Tompkins https://instagram.com/bradleytompkins/?hl=en Curly Moore https://instagram.com/curlytattoo/ Alex Reinke https://instagram.com/horikitsune/?hl=en Jimmie Tatts https://instagram.com/jimmiebss/?hl=en Lee Knight https://instagram.com/lmknight/?hl=en I'm also a fan of Claudia De Sabe's , Richie Clark and Jordan Teear but they have been mentioned already .

I think it's more like a medical procedure -- particularly cosmetic surgery, which is why I quoted both of you. Cosmetic surgery isn't often viewed as 'necessary' (though in some heinous cases of disfigurement, that point is certainly arguable), but it has the potential to add immeasurable quality of life to someone's existence. Sure, there are cosmetic procedures that the majority of the population would consider 'frivolous,' but at the end of the day, the only person who can put a value on it is the person wearing the results. People spend GOBS of money of veneers, facelifts, breast implants, etc., but those also have no exchange rate (and few people these days consider that outré, barring extreme examples). Both cosmetic procedures and tattoos are tied to our self-ideation heavily. Tattoos differ -- quite possibly from any other comparable material purchase -- because there's a whole amazing culture, with a history that feels rich, full of fascinating characters, and the time we spend actually being tattooed is as much a part of the process as anything. I know fuck-all about the history of plastic surgery, but I'm pretty sure I wouldn't consider any pre-op time with the doc to be an integral and cherished part of the experience, lol. In that sense, there's probably just no comparison!

I've just returned home from a trip to Berlin. Brought this one home with me: Done by Uncle Allan at Conspiracy Inc, Berlin. I'm pretty excited about this one. A rose by Allan has been on my wishlist for a loooong time, so it's amazing to finally check it off the list. (Picture respectfully borrowed from Allan's IG account: http://instagram.com/unclea)

Thank you @mmikaoj I hear ya, perhaps my own thoughts would not have been articulated so well ! I get the stigma too...people look at me covered in tattoos and they think I'm a high roller with a lot of disposable income. So what if it is a luxury we spend our time and money on? That's our business! What people don't get to see is that I've got an education and a respectable profession that I've earned through focus and hard work. That's part of what my tattoos represent to me (I'll explain the root of that feeling below, about my parents ultimatum) Yes, a nice house and nice things. I've been driving my one and only vehicle for the last ten years. I know exactly how much I've spent to cover myself in my tattoos and honestly if you spread that over a decade of getting tattooed it really isn't that insane. And I wouldn't change any of it. We all probably know people that spend an equal amount of time and money on their own passions...like comic books, fast motorcycles,vintage guitars, designer clothes, $50 barber haircuts every other week, cocaine habits... Tattoos are very interesting from a social perspective...you see lots of struggling folks (who we would stereotype as having a rough time putting food on their table and roof over their head) have many tattoos. Maybe not the highest quality, but nevertheless, a tattoo is a tattoo. Rich folk have many tattoos, good and baaaad quality, some that equate it as a fashion accessory like wearing a sleeve to carrying a Luis Vutton handbag. Through history, where royalty would have exotic tattoos made after trade trips to the Orient. Nomadic people have had tattoos made for centuries. Tattooing really transcends social class and I think the whole tattooing process - from the inception of the idea of "I'm gonna put this picture on my body" to the painful experience of making the tattoo and healing it - appeals to a lot of us and gets us in touch with the human experience. It makes us feel alive. I'm just as interested (if not more) in the scratchy old tattoo the friendly homeless guy on the block made on himself 30 years ago than the rig-worker who got a neo-Japanese sleeve mish-mashed with a samurai, hanya, snake and dragons that yeah sure looks dope but doesn't really mean anything. The jail house tattoos are as equally important as my extensive parlour made ones. Everyone has got a story, I want to hear and see your story! I laugh to myself...when I think back about the infamous parent-tattoo-ultimatum. They said if I could spend my money on the tattoo then I could surely afford paying my own way, living at home or on my own, cover room/board on top of saving for my tuition while I was a student. Perhaps if I would have got one little tattoo and got the taste of rebellion that would have been it for Bongsau's tattoos. So I waited. And waited. And saved. And waited. And got my first tattoo days after my last engineering exam. I worked hard, got a good job and secure profession and started making bank roll and suddenly my vision of being covered in tattooing wasn't out of reach. Thanks mom n dad ! haha (my dad also said when i was out living on my own, i could sit around and smoke as much dope as i wanted, but not under his roof lol, whoops!) One thing that has always remained very important to me about tattoos...is that NOBODY can take them away from you..(with the exception of maybe a mad man with a belt sander /jk). Once that tattoo is in your skin, it's all yours. Your parents can't undo it. The bank and the tax man can't take it away from you. The government can't take them away from you. Rich or poor that tattoo is in there! Your life can go to shit in an instant but your tattoos and the stories they tell remain.

My new record was just released today! I worked pretty hard on it, so I hope you guys like it! https://withwolves.bandcamp.com/

This is my latest tattoo. Done by my girlfriend, on me, after I tattooed her. The technical application obviously needs some work, but I think she did ok for the first time running a machine. Haha.

Some place that makes really excellent tacos should offer a Free Taco Wednesday to anyone willing to get a FTW taco tattoo. And I should live next to that place.

It means Free Taco Wednesday to me now.