Charles - Art and Science, Together in Ink

Last month, on a journey to the Fairway market in Red Hook, Brooklyn, my daughter Jolee was begging me for a couple of Snapples. "Only if you find me a cool tattoo," I teased her. She dashed off and, within seconds, it seemed, she was back, beckoning me to the next aisle.

There, I met Charles, who shared this interesting tattoo on his left arm:

I find this piece fascinating. I asked Charles to describe what went into its creation. He said it represents

"that rare occurrence when art can meet science ... The dancers are the expressive artist part of it and then this is the anatomical heart at the bottom ... this kind of green foliage-looking stuff behind the dancers is a representation of a brain neuron. I'm not a scientist by trade, but I'm a scientist by heart."

This "intersection of when expression can meet science" was inked in two sessions of two to two and a half hours each by an artist named Guido Baldini. Guido's work has appeared on Tattoosday before, here and here. Guido is based out of Santa Fe, New Mexico, but also spends quite a bit of time in New York doing guest stints at local shops.

Thanks to Charles for sharing this fascinating tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

(And yes, Jolee got her two Snapples).

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Two Amazing Tattoos from Patrick of Needles & Sins

It isn't too often that I chance upon someone inked who knows who I am. So, imagine my surprise when I introduced myself to Pat in Borders, Penn Plaza, and his face lit up with recognition when I handed him a Tattoosday flier.

I had just happened to stop one of the contributing writers from my favorite tattoo blog that isn't my own, Needles & Sins. What with our sites mutually appearing on each other's sidebars, we're practically cyber-related.

So Pat was totally game to pull up a chair with me in the cafe and share a couple of his numerous tattoos that traverse his chest, arms, and legs.

First, on Pat's left shoulder/upper arm is this colorful piece:

This tattoo represents the dichotomy of the good brain versus the bad brain. He wanted something in the New School style of tattooing and Matt Lautar, formerly of Great Southern Tattoo in College Park, Maryland was happy to oblige. Matt is now tattooing out of Marlowe Ink, in Fairfax, Virginia.

For the sake of symmetry and practicality, we then looked at his right shoulder/arm for this take on the Virgin Mary.

Complete with snake and dagger, and burning heart, this amazing tattoo was beautifully inked by Eli Quinters at Smith Street Tattoo Parlour in Brooklyn. The shading and color on Mary's face are just brilliantly done.

Of course, I had the misfortune to run into Pat as my lunch hour was winding down. With more time, we likely would have talked much longer and documented a few more tattoos.

Pat added later that "I would be remiss if I didn't mention the other tattooers who I've gotten work from:  Dave Wallin has easily done 25-30% of my tattoos. Chest, most of my left arm, a few on the right. I've also been tattooed by Todd Noble, Kelly Krantz, Jake, Andy Perez, Bailey Hunter Robinson and Gene Coffey."

Let's hope we can feature more of this work in the future!

A hearty thanks to Pat for sharing a couple of his tattoos with us here on Tattoosday.

If you haven't yet done so, be sure to check out Needles & Sins. And this link transports you to all that Pat has contributed to their most awesome site.

Tessa's Tattoo Illustrates the Battle of Head Versus Heart

Yesterday, I wrote about two of Lindsay's tattoos. After talking to her, I spoke to her friend Tessa, who had this amazing piece on her left shin:


First, I need to commend Tessa on the quality of this tattoo, which looks crisp and fresh, as if it had just been inked a few weeks ago. She actually had this done in 2005 by Adam Barton at Samuel O'Reilly's Tattoo Parlour in Santa Cruz, California. The quality of the tattoo is judged not just on how well it is done, but how it sustains its vibrancy over time. Tessa won the lottery with this piece.

The theme behind this tattoo is head versus heart. The struggle between logical thinking and emotional feeling are universal, and Tessa acknowleges that this tattoo reminds her of the ongoing battle between the two sides telling her what to do.

Thanks to Tessa for sharing this, one of her nine tattoos, here on Tattoosday!