RoryQ

1.) Personal high of 2011? In general, some point during a trip to Japan with my GF - possibly when we were drinking in a little bar called Quasimodo's in Kyoto. The guy who runs it converted his garage into a bar after he retired, and he tends bar and plays jazz records all night. Great scotch selection. In tattooing terms, probably the point at which I had the bulk of my backpiece by Ching finished and I could see how the contrasts were going to pop out. 2.) Personal low of 2011? Probably my GF breaking her hand at a martial arts seminar that I organised. These things happen, but it was pretty lousy because it's the third time she's broken her hand in two years (three different sports, three different kinds of accident). Because I was organising the thing I couldn't drop everything and go off to get it sorted out with her, which was less than ideal. 3.) Best LST Thread? The backpiece thread inspires me. 4.) Worst LST Thread? The Bubbleberry thread got pretty unsightly. 5.) Favorite tattoo (on you): My back, I suppose. I like the homeward bound design on my thigh by Chris Smith (Deluxe Tattoo) also. 6.) Favorite tattoo (on someone else): Tough one. I think probably one of Shige's backpieces - maybe the black and grey one that he did as a tribute to falconry. 7.) Favorite artist? Sorry, a bit boring but probably Shige. I think he is in a league of his own. 8.) Best/Worst movie: Drive = best. The last Resident Evil movie = worst. 9.) Best/Worst album: I didn't buy a single newly released album in 2011 - amazing, I know. I wasn't illegally downloading either... I just had a non- new music year. Listened to a lot of Avett Brothers. 10.) Biggest guilty pleasure: Craft beer. 11.) Best show/concert you did and did not attend: Alison Krauss + Union Station in Dublin - missed it. 12.) Sum up the year in one word: CRUNCH.

Made some home-made baked beans. Fry four chopped onions in a pan for about fifteen minutes, in a heaped teaspoon of paprika. Chuck in 25g of butter and then when its melted 6 cans of beans (cannellini, pinto) and 2 cans of chopped tomatos. Stir in some chilli, 3 bay leaves and cook on a very low heat for about 1.5 hrs, careful not to split the beans or make mush of them. Meanwhile blend a fistful of bread, seven slices of bacon and three sprigs of rosemary. Then chuck this mix on top of the baked beans and put the whole load in an oven (pre-heated to 180 degrees) and cook for another hour until golden brown on top. It's another Jamie Oliver recipe.

I've been seeing this novel expansion around a lot. I'm not sure if the character of the 'The Governor' will or is represented in the T.V show, though, or just the graphic novels? http://www.amazon.com/Walking-Dead-Rise-Governor/dp/0312547730/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1322685022&sr=8-1

Something a little different - a nicely made video on Andrea Furci, tattooing at the Family Business in London. I think it was done for Movember. "I've watched his work really improve even in the time I've been over and back getting tattooed in TFB - he's a super nice dude.

Found it!

@kylegrey : I saw a recent backpiece from Genko that was ultra-cool... Think it was the last issue of Total Tattoo - a giant pink crab creature running amok through a city-scape. Really gnarly. I don't have a picture, so yes, this post is totally pointless.

This is finally giving me reason to get an iPhone ... I've resisted thusfar. Instagram makes a lot more sense to me than Twitter.

Guess there's always a catch....! Booked in a shop here bringing him over in 2012, but no dates set yet.

Shawn- hopefully this is one of those occasions where it'll be a good thing if Chad is as quick a tattooist as people say he is!

I've been going back to my roots and drinking a lot of stout lately, as the winter months close in. Now, Guinness is our best-known stout export. The truth is that it's a shadow of its former self - once they started pasteurising it and serving it hooked up to the lager coolers (extra cold) it stopped being the drink our fathers drank, and became some watered-down mass-market bastardisation. If you want to drink Guinness your best best is the stronger alcohol 'special' bottle which is made for the African market (Guinness is huge amongst Nigerians and the like). If you really want serious contemporary stout from Ireland then luckily there are more than a couple of craft offerings that will hit the spot. These are mostly classic dry Irish stouts, served at cellar temperture ideally. First up: Wrasslers XXX from the Porterhouse. Our London and NYC brethren will be able to try this in the Porterhouse Brew Co. pubs in their cities. Other than that it's available in bottles reasonably widely (perhaps even the U.S?). The 'Wrassler' name comes from the nickname of Michael Collins, an Irish revolutionary figure, who was a big stout drinker. Another good one is Dungarvan brewing company's Black Rock stout. Dungarvan is one of a new generation of breweries that was set up by a guy and his brother-in-law in conjunction with their wives. It's a little lighter and not as much of a syrupy mouth-feel as you'll get with some stronger stouts. But my favourite stout at the moment, an absolute stonker with 6% alcohol content, unusually high for an Irish stout, is Carlow Brewing Company's O'Hara's Leann Folainn (gaelic for 'wholesome brew' / 'wholesome stout'). A lot of people think this is the best craft beer which has been made in Ireland over the past number of years. Mostly the Dungarvan and Leann Folainn are only available in bottles. But from time to time you see various craft stouts from Irish breweries offered on tap in some pubs. Mostly they're hooked up to conventional taps (meaning they have nitro cannisters attached, and some people reckon that fundamentally changes the taste), but occassionally they'll be there on a keg and hand pump.

Not exactly a secret in European tattooing, but I've always though Hexa from Precious Tattoo in Finland is one of the most versatile tattooists I've come across. Seems to be able to do several styles to a high level. In an interview I read the explanation was that it's a small country and there was a need to be versatile to handle all kinds of clients. That said, the traditional stuff is my favourite ... A good bit of humour and the occult injected in there. Maybe a little like Deno? This has always been a favourite tattoo of mine (not sure why)-

'The Wire' is awesome - still the most accurate police show I have ever seen, in terms of the atmosphere / attitudes. 'Game of Thrones' I haven't started watching yet - I want to finish reading the novels first.

You guys who like the T.V series, I hope you've checked out the original graphic novels (they're up to 14 volumes now in trade paperback, I think?) ... Even darker and more compelling than the T.V show, I think. When I watch the T.V series I can't get my head around the fact that the guy playing Rick is an obscure U.K actor who was in this 90s show called 'This Life'. Really bizarre to see him breaking the U.S now. I see him and I just think of him in a flat with Daniela Nardini and everyone on ecstasy.

I think I agree with Deb that in general there's little to gain by laying into an acquaintance with a new tattoo, no matter how bad it is.

The tiger and the ragnarok designs above are pretty awesome... I'm back in Chicago in 2012 sometime... Going to be spoiled for choice if I can fit in a small piece. Too many great tattooists working there now.

Ross Nagle posted this picture of a cover-up / reworking of an old tiger tattoo. The tiger becomes a panther with the cover-up ... Thought this was particularly cool for some reason. Instagram Creeping through the foliage like an assassin...

That Rock of Ages is amazing - A really nice take on it. I have considered that as an image and wondered how it would look sized like that for the calf or back of the thigh, most of the other versions I've seen have been back or chest pieces.

A few years ago I ended up with free bottle of a product called 'Mama Haze's Tattoo Tonic'. It was from the sort of operation described above, containing mainly natural oils. I believe the company producing it was run by the girlfriend of my then tattooist. It came in a small bottle, like an essential oil. I don't think it did me any major harm (in fact it was probably as if I had used nothing at all) for the one time I tried to use it, but I abandoned it because I was pretty sure it was inferior to alternatives like Bepanthen. For me personally if I apply a product like Bepanthen for the first few days (lightly) then I don't any heavy drying of the skin or scabbing - just some light peeling. When I applied the oil to the skin it just didn't seem to have the same firepower - the skin would be dry and cracking ten minutes after it was applied. I googled Mama Haze to see if they were still in business ... It appears not.

Yeah, it won't go any further down than in the pic. Recovery has been grand. I did a day, then rested, then another day for the sittings in Belfast. Then when I started flying out to Milan (which I did twice) we did two days back-to-back. Not quite full days, but 3-4 hours and 4-5 the next. I'd have preferred to leave a day in between - that worked really well. Back to back sessions are more gruelling - the swelling was noticeably worse.

Thanks guys! I actually can't believe how quickly I've been able to get it squared away (although to be honest my bank account is seriously wrecked at the moment). Looking forward to February now.

Great thread guys - really good food for thought.

Yep, we Irish are about the palest creatures on the planet.

So close to being done... Probably going to get this finished in February. Done in Trafficanti d'Arte in Milan, where Ching was guesting.

Another 3 hours on my back tomorrow evening, then 6 the next day. Nervous but this should hopefully bring it close to finished, unless I'm seriously misjudging it.

Booked The Hawksmoor Seven Dials for early December... Can't wait to go back there. I'm staying nearby (St. Martin's Lane), hope to make a little trip into Frith St. too.