Oiocha

If I win the Christmas lottery, you are on my list @Oiocha!

someone finance my back piece so i finish before four years is up

someone finance my back piece so i finish before four years is up

someone finance my back piece so i finish before four years is up

someone finance my back piece so i finish before four years is up

For traditional Japanese tattoos (I'm working on a backpiece) it's considered disgraceful not to finish, so as @bongsau said, I say finish what you've started first.

Last one for a while but going out in style. By Grez. <3

Saw that on his feed today, super happy it went on an LST member.  SoG is an amazing shop.
 

7 days away from Horitomo! I'm so excited, if anyone wants to come see a big wuss getting a big puss on his back come say hey.  I also picked up two October dates days after the Bay Area Convention for a solid 10 hours.  My first 20 hours will be over in no time it looks like.

Horitomo's newest instagram post is the start of the drawing for my tattoo. I'm so excited, just knowing its approaching faster and faster!

Saw that on his feed today, super happy it went on an LST member.  SoG is an amazing shop.
 

We're done! The previous two day session didnt' go as well as the few before it had, I ended up having a pretty bad case of hitting the wall hard enough to lump my noggin. So I was concerned about the final session... but I did much better during those 5 or so hours a few days ago and here we are! Total I think ~35 hours, maybe deduct one or two total for breaks etc. That tengu has the exasperated smarmy expression I would expect it to have having had a teenage Yoshitsune (nee Ushiwakamaru) thwack it with a wooden sword.
Horifuji's instagram has some clearer pictures from before we applied the film on it (as you can tell it was a bit ticked off and seepy by that point).
(by Horifuji @ State of Grace, San Jose , CA, USA)
Feels a bit weird plopping this on teh intertoobz but I am so pleased with my experience* that I wanted give him and the whole shop a shout-out.
 
 
*minus the hurty being- poked-with-needles part.

And here's what Mike made for me on Saturday. Next level chrysanthemum. I am so thrilled!

Rei at Inkrat Tokyo finished up my old school Japanese-American-Japanese backpiece last week.
It took around eight sessions - roughly one a month - and I couldn't be happier.
In a weird way, I'm going to miss my montly sessions under the needle. It was prickly at times but it taught me a lot about myself... j

Here's my healed mini-eagle from Grez... His name is Greagle. :) Coverup of a really, really bad tattoo...

action shot

Finished the pit rippers ! The first session lined both, this second session we finished em up. Challenging second sit but a strong finish, where's my bactine sponsorship ?! Made with expertise by Handsome Dick tatts at Champion Tattoo in the Champion City, Alberta, Canada, Earth.

Went to Smith Street about two months ago and had the opportunity to grab this NYC rat from Bert. It's above my ankle. Pretty thrilled.

Tattoo by Cody @ Black Heart Tattoo in SF.
about 3 hours. That last half hour was misery. 

I sit well. I tip well. I don’t bring drama. You know what that gets me? Back in! I’ve had artists come in hours before the shop opens, stay late and fit me into their otherwise insanely booked schedules. I’m basically commissioning a piece of art from them for every tattoo. I am more than happy to tip!

finally got the nerve to go onto the chest and decided on Walter McDonald at the Bay Area Convention. flipping thru his books of designs took FOREVER!.. the dude puts out so much work, Adam Shrewsbury called him maniacal.  i fell in love with two different designs that fit the center and chest panel well. The center eye was actually dice in Walt's original design, but i asked him to change it up and he gladly did. he's a great dude with a glowing personality! now i just have to find something to fill that empty space to the right and perhaps the collarbone... although i'm not looking forward to the pain that would bring me. even just the tips of that glow were felt in my teeth. strange sensation, but damn stoked on the result!
 

Happy Halloween! This is older but it fits the day!

Super honored to have new peonies from Henning on my right calf. Done at Kings Avenue last Friday. More than a little thrilled!

I'm in Oakland visiting family and called Black Heart on a whim. Scott was booked but Cody had a cancellation on Saturday.
 
Guess who is getting his other ribs done on Saturday......

3 hours in the chair last night. Shading is next. Maybe some coloring if time permits.