Celtic Tattoos

Celtic tattoos represent the heritage of historic and diverse groups of tribal societies in Europe dating back to ancient times. And more modernly Celtic tattoos pay tribute to Ireland and Irish heritage in general.

Celtic tattoos come in a variety of different designs, some of the most popular designs include the shamrock, the Claddagh Ring which is also known as the Irish wedding band, the triple spiral or triskelion and of course the sacred and mysteriously beautiful knots which come in many different patterns.



Celtic tattoos look great on almost any area of the body, such as the back and behind the ear.



Black, green and red are perhaps the most common colors used within a Celtic tattoo.



Other less common Celtic tattoos include the harp, leprechauns, the ancient book of kells and various animals.

Jen's Simpsons Homage

There's just something completely awesome about a tattoo aficionado who shows a devotion to popular culture with an uncompromising commitment to that which he or she adores.

When I find someone going all out to illustrate this, I cannot help but admire their passion.

Last month, I met Jen and she showed me the sleeve-in-progress that displayed five iconic scenes from one of the greatest shows in television history, The Simpsons. She credits the world of Springfield with "creating her sense of humor and the way [she] looks at the world through popular culture."

Jen equated "forever" with the fact that she has watched The Simpsons "since she was four," when it premiered. Her left arm shows quintessential Simpsons snapshots which, God bless her, Jen could explicate with episode titles to make my job as a documentarian that much easier.

Let's look, shall we?

It is regarded as one of the top five episodes of all time. Remember when Bart sells his soul to Milhouse for $5, much to Lisa's horror? Here is the slip of paper representing that transaction, on the inner part of Jenn's arm:

from "Bart Sells His Soul," Season 7, Episode 4

Some of the most memorable images from The Simpsons come from their annual Halloween specials, known as "The Tree House of Horror". Here's a phenomenal piece with a jack-in-the-box a la Homer Simpson:

from "Treehouse of Horror II" Season 3, Episode 7

One of the tattoos was still in progress, so I didn't get a clear shot. This is "Bobo," Mr. Burns' childhood teddy bear:

from "Rosebud," Season 5, Episode 4

The crowning segment of the tattoo is at the top of the arm, and features Marge Simpson in full Halloween mode, broomstick and all:

from "Easy Bake Coven," which is in Treehouse of Horror VIII, Season 9, Episode 4

And finally, we have the Simpsons' answer to the Barbie Doll, at the bottom of the half-sleeve, a lovely portrait of Malibu Stacy:

from "Lisa vs. Malibu Stacy," Season 5, Episode 14

And that wraps up the quintet of Simpsons tattoos that comprise Jen's half-sleeve. She used art from what she described as her favorite episodes.On a side note, Jen has fifteen additional tattoos (unrelated to the Simpsons' universe), not counting the ones shown here.

The work above was created by Craig Messina at Lone Wolf Tattoo in Bellmore, New York.Work from Lone Wolf has appeared previously on Tattoosday here.

Thanks so much to Jen for sharing this work in progress. We hope she will keep us posted on new Simpsons-inspired tattoos as time goes by.

Cat Tattoos

Lets face it people, cats are pretty freaking awesome and really who wouldn't want to have their favorite furry kitty tattooed on them, forever?!?

There are so many choices when selecting cat tattoos, some people choose the cartoon route and get an animated style design often accompanied by other small objects like stars, hearts and maybe even a bird, while other folks rather have a tattoo of their very own cat or cats, which requires a very skilled tattoo artist and a high quality photo of your precious kitty cat.

Have a look through this picture gallery of very nice cat tattoos.


Some people like to have their cats personality incorporated into the tattoo design.



Traditional cat portrait tattoos are very common, just make sure you get the right end of Mr or Mrs kitty.



Getting a tattoo of the family cat can be a great thing, but getting a tattoo portrait of all the family pets is an excellent way of truly showing your gratitude to the animals you love.

Sailor Jerry on the Rooftop

Saturday night found me on a rooftop in the Gowanus section of Brooklyn watching the film Hori Smoku Sailor Jerry, a documentary about the legendary tattoo artists Norman "Sailor Jerry" Collins.

It was part of the Rooftop Films free festival, yet another amazing benefit of living in New York City. That and hearing a guy with a cowboy hat playing "Silent Night" on his harmonica on the subway in August.

A bit about Rooftop Films, what a great program. I encourage everyone in New York to take advantage of (and support) this series, now winding up it's 14th year. The program champions underseen independent films in spectacular locations.

Saturday's show was atop the historic Old American Can Factory.

 Here was my view, initially:

and then when I moved up to the front row:

We were treated to some music from a band called Cheeseburger.

Prior to the film starting, we were introduced to the producer/director of the film, Erich Weiss. He explained that the film has been a three to four year process. It was initially shown at the 2008 South by Southwest Festival and, after a limited theater run, found its way to DVD in late 2009. "I've met a lot of interesting people," he told the audience, and he also asked us not to talk to him after the movie about our own tattoos and the story behind them. Clearly he's heard more than his fair share of tattoo stories.

The film itself was wonderful, and echoed what I consider one of the best tattoo books I've ever read, Sailor Jerry Collins: American Tattoo Master.Much of the book is the actual correspondence between Sailor Jerry and a young tattoo artist named Don Ed Hardy. The film intersperses snippets from the correspondence, typed out across the screen, with a voiceover representing the artist's voice, with interviews from Don Ed Hardy, along with a veritable Who's Who of Old School tattoo legends like Lyle Tuttle, Mike Malone, Zeke Owen, Bob Roberts, and the scene-stealing Philadelphia Eddie Funk.


Because Sailor Jerry was so suspicious of "outside forces" (i.e. the media), he never gave interviews, and the only exposure we get to him are still photographs and a rare recording of his voice from a radio program.


I found the film doubly interesting because Sailor Jerry was based in Hawai'i, my home state, and I really had an understanding of the Hotel Street area of downtown Honolulu where the tattoo shops were located, and I remember how seedy that part of town was, even as late as 1984. I also loved the one artist speaking pidgin, "Eh brah, wheah da five dollah poke stay?" This, of course, translates to, "Excuse me, where can I go for a five-dollar tattoo?"


The film illustrates the man for who he was, warts-and-all. He was a political conservative who thought Nixon was too liberal. He exhibited what today would be considered racism, but back in the Fifties, Sixties, and Seventies was considered a typical prejudice toward Asians that was molded by experiencing World War II in the Pacific. Yet, through this all shone his artistry and his commitment to the craft of tattooing. The fact that he has been dead for 37 years certainly allows one to focus more on his contributions as an artist, and less on what many would call his shortcomings.


After the film, Erich Weiss did a brief Q and A, with the audience. He seemed to channel a bit of Sailor Jerry, as he continued with his polite rant against people who want to talk about the stories behind their tattoos (sounds like he would not be a Tattoosday reader!). He railed against "tattoo snobbery"  and said he "loves the fact that my tattoos are so shitty". 


What Weiss was saying is that tattoos are art and the personal aspects should be just that, personal. He cut his teeth with this film dealing with old school tattoo artists, many who have seen their art form go from an exclusive club to a worldwide fad. About Sailor Jerry, Weiss said, "I think he would have hated what tattooing has become in our society," referring to the tattoo-reality shows and the trendiness of the art form.


The irony of the event being co-sponsored by Sailor Jerry Rum was not lost on me. I could almost see Norman Collins looking down from heaven (or up from hell) and shaking his head at the spectacle.

Speaking of rum, there were free drinks after the event and an after-party in the building courtyard. I had a cup of rum and ginger and looked at some of the beautiful flash that was being displayed in huge frames. My favorite was this one:

The whole experience was quite enjoyable, but the star of the show was Sailor Jerry. I recommend the movie to anyone interested in the art of American tattoo, and encourage people to check out Rooftop Films and support this amazing program.

Bryan's Memorial Rose

Bryan was around the corner from where I work with this rose on display:

Perched on his left elbow, the tattoo is identical to one that a friend of his had.

When his friend died, Bryan chose to commemorate his friend's memory by going to the artist that did the original tattoo on his friend, and asked for the same drawing be used to recreate the tattoo on himself.

The artist was Agent at Screamin' Ink Tattoo in New Jersey.

Thanks to Bryan for sharing this memorable tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

Car Tattoos

If you are a car enthusiast you have probably considered getting a tattoo of your favorite car, truck or other automobile. Or perhaps you just find the design of cars appealing, and with so many choices to choose from such as race cars, muscle cars and other exotic import vehicles, it can be quite difficult deciding on a single tattoo design.

Well have a quick look through these pictures of various cool car tattoos.



Car tattoos are commonly seen on the outer forearm, followed by the upper arm area.



Car tattoos are typically seen on men, however they look just as appealing on women as well.



If you can't decide on a single car tattoo, you can always mix and match to create a stunning compilation of automobiles, perhaps in the form of a sleeve or back piece design.

In a city of 8 Million...

Three days in a row I ran into previous Tattoosday contributors in different locales.

On Wednesday, I ran into Leyna at the Barnes & Noble in Union Square. I had first encountered her ink back in June fifteen blocks uptown coming out of Borders. I spotted her hot air balloon tattoo and had to say hi.

Yesterday, after a Trader Joe's run for salsa, I saw Kat getting on the F train, seven blocks from where I first spotted her.

I know, I know, it's all in pretty close proximity. However, today I approached Mike at the Penn Plaza Borders and knew, once the flicker of recognition crossed his face, that he was the same guy I had met in Brooklyn on 86th Street on April 4.

If you don't recall their ink, click their names which will magically transport you to their original posts.