One of Timothy's Leg Tattoos

I spotted Timothy one afternoon near the intersection of 31st Street and 7th Avenue.

He has thirteen or fourteen tattoos and shared one from his right leg:

One can see some of the work on both legs. In the background, you can get a fairly good idea how nice the dragon is on his left, Japanese-themed leg.

His right leg is devoted more to "Black Magic," hence the baby voodoo doll on the front of his shin.

The tattoo was done by Ox at Jinx Proof Tattoo & Body Piercing in Montclair, New Jersey.

Thanks to Timothy for sharing his ink with us here on Tattoosday!

One of Timothy's Leg Tattoos

I spotted Timothy one afternoon near the intersection of 31st Street and 7th Avenue.

He has thirteen or fourteen tattoos and shared one from his right leg:

One can see some of the work on both legs. In the background, you can get a fairly good idea how nice the dragon is on his left, Japanese-themed leg.

His right leg is devoted more to "Black Magic," hence the baby voodoo doll on the front of his shin.

The tattoo was done by Ox at Jinx Proof Tattoo & Body Piercing in Montclair, New Jersey.

Thanks to Timothy for sharing his ink with us here on Tattoosday!

Gavan's Hands, Folded in Prayer

This past Sunday, tens of thousands of runners gathered for the ING New York City Marathon. As luck would have it, yesterday I had the good fortune to run into Gavan, an Australian runner who had completed the marathon (his 24th!).
And where the rest of New York seemed bundled for a chilly, drizzly Autumn Day (with our first reported sleet of the season), Gavan was wearing shorts. This was great for me, as it allowed a view of this very nice tattoo on the back of his right calf:

Gavan explained that this was based on a work of art by Albrecht Dürer called Betende Hände, or "Praying Hands." One story behind the work details the sacrifice between two brothers.

He elaborated that it has a greater meaning that, although he has never been very religious, he found himself
praying during the birth of his second son, beseeching a higher power, "Please let him be okay".

He believes that the prayer travels with him, as he is separated and not always with his sons. His journey as a marathoner carries him to faraway places, as well, and these absences are tinged with worry over the well-being of his kids. Please let them be okay.

As life progresses and he grows older, these hands become more and more significant.

Gavan's tattoo is also striking in that the tattoo is on the back of his leg, and he is a runner. To complete a marathon, I believe, takes more than stamina and training. One must also have faith, whether it be in a higher power or the ability to push one's body to complete an astounding task of strength and endurance.

I also wonder how many runners this past Sunday saw Gavan's tattoo ahead of them, and drew strength from the image before them.

Gavan credits this wonderful tattoo to Jane Laver at Chapel Tattoo in Prahran, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia. There's a nice profile of Jane here.

Thanks again to Gavan for sharing his hands of prayer with us here on Tattoosday! Congratulations on a race well-run and thank you for visiting our metropolis. We hope you have an enjoyable stay and pray that your return home safely to your two boys back in Australia!

Gavan's Hands, Folded in Prayer

This past Sunday, tens of thousands of runners gathered for the ING New York City Marathon. As luck would have it, yesterday I had the good fortune to run into Gavan, an Australian runner who had completed the marathon (his 24th!).
And where the rest of New York seemed bundled for a chilly, drizzly Autumn Day (with our first reported sleet of the season), Gavan was wearing shorts. This was great for me, as it allowed a view of this very nice tattoo on the back of his right calf:

Gavan explained that this was based on a work of art by Albrecht Dürer called Betende Hände, or "Praying Hands." One story behind the work details the sacrifice between two brothers.

He elaborated that it has a greater meaning that, although he has never been very religious, he found himself
praying during the birth of his second son, beseeching a higher power, "Please let him be okay".

He believes that the prayer travels with him, as he is separated and not always with his sons. His journey as a marathoner carries him to faraway places, as well, and these absences are tinged with worry over the well-being of his kids. Please let them be okay.

As life progresses and he grows older, these hands become more and more significant.

Gavan's tattoo is also striking in that the tattoo is on the back of his leg, and he is a runner. To complete a marathon, I believe, takes more than stamina and training. One must also have faith, whether it be in a higher power or the ability to push one's body to complete an astounding task of strength and endurance.

I also wonder how many runners this past Sunday saw Gavan's tattoo ahead of them, and drew strength from the image before them.

Gavan credits this wonderful tattoo to Jane Laver at Chapel Tattoo in Prahran, a suburb of Melbourne, Australia. There's a nice profile of Jane here.

Thanks again to Gavan for sharing his hands of prayer with us here on Tattoosday! Congratulations on a race well-run and thank you for visiting our metropolis. We hope you have an enjoyable stay and pray that your return home safely to your two boys back in Australia!

Megan's Empress Impresses

I spotted Megan at the end of September walking down West 23rd Street in Chelsea.

She has an amazing sleeve-in-progress but, because it is still unfinished, she offered up this tattoo, on her upper right arm, instead:

This tarot card is significant because her mother is from the Caribbean and she grew up with Santerían religion in her household.

She has a profound respect for tarot cards and based on the time and date of her birth, has what she refers to as a "weird numerology".

This card is known as L'Impératrice,or The Empress, and has a very positive meaning. As interpreted by one site (here):

The Empress seems to be sure of herself, calm, intelligent, worthy. This major arcana represents the capacity, the Empress clothing is luxurious and invaluable.

This arcana is extremely positive...
...In the right position the Empress represents the intelligence, dignity, the authority, the mother, the wife, the right decisions.

The detail in this tattoo is amazing:

The art was inked by Annie Lloyd at Three Kings Tattoo in Brooklyn. Work from Three Kings has appeared previously on Tatoosday here.

Thanks to Megan for sharing this lovely tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

Megan's Empress Impresses

I spotted Megan at the end of September walking down West 23rd Street in Chelsea.

She has an amazing sleeve-in-progress but, because it is still unfinished, she offered up this tattoo, on her upper right arm, instead:

This tarot card is significant because her mother is from the Caribbean and she grew up with Santerían religion in her household.

She has a profound respect for tarot cards and based on the time and date of her birth, has what she refers to as a "weird numerology".

This card is known as L'Impératrice,or The Empress, and has a very positive meaning. As interpreted by one site (here):

The Empress seems to be sure of herself, calm, intelligent, worthy. This major arcana represents the capacity, the Empress clothing is luxurious and invaluable.

This arcana is extremely positive...
...In the right position the Empress represents the intelligence, dignity, the authority, the mother, the wife, the right decisions.

The detail in this tattoo is amazing:

The art was inked by Annie Lloyd at Three Kings Tattoo in Brooklyn. Work from Three Kings has appeared previously on Tatoosday here.

Thanks to Megan for sharing this lovely tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

Brandice's Family Ink

I met Brandice in Penn Station back in August, as she sat on the stairs by the New Jersey transit terminal. She shared her half-sleeve-in-progress on her right arm.

This is the inside of the arm:

Brandice explained that her work is a tribute to her family. The Confederate Flag is a nod to her family from the South, most of whom come from Virginia.

I had to ask if she had any reservations about inking the flag on her arm, since some people see such a symbol in a negative light. She acknowledged that she took this into consideration, but decided that it is part of her family history, and that when she explains this to people, they understand. She does not wear it to make a statement but, rather, to honor where her family is from.

The "Daddy" is a memorial nod to her father who passed away and the phrase "Family Tradition" reinforces the central theme of the tattoo, and further acknowledges her Southern heritage.This is an allusion to Hank Williams, Jr. and his song (and album) "Family Tradition".

On the second part of the tattoo, the design is filled with additional meaning, with her cousin represented by the skull,

and the skull with the bow represents herself. The banner bearing the initials MLC is a nod to her grandmother. She has used symbols to represent the living and names for those who have passed.

The dogwood flowers in the tattoo have religious meaning as well, in addition to being the state flower and state tree of Virgina. The magnolias are also shout-outs to her southern family heritage.

Brandice has about eight hours of this tattoo done so far, all by Dan Paone at White Lotus Tattoo and Art Gallery in Tom's River in New Jersey.

Thanks to Brandice for sharing her tattoo steeped in family traditions with us here at Tattoosday!