Laman

BACK PIECES R US!

CHECK OUT THIS BACKPIECE IN PROGRESS! DUDE HAS GOT A BIG BACK SO ITS NOT AN EASY TASK, THE GOOD THING AS THAT HOMIE DOESN'T FLINCH AND SITS THROUGH IT LIKE A SOLDIER. I'M GOING TO TATTOO HIM SOME MORE NEXT WEEK SO CHECK BACK FOR THE UPDATES.




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STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN

THIS IS THE LATEST FROM MY CLUB BROTHER BOBBY FLOWERS. HE WANTED TO GET A PORTRAIT IN MEMORY OF HIS SON IN LAW WHO JUST RECENTLY PASSED.



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TURNING A NEW LEAF!

FORMER TUFF GUY TURNED FAMILY MAN, O.G. LEPKE! "OLD HABITS ARE HARD TO SHAKE" MY MOTHER WAS VISITING THE SHOP AND CAUGHT LEP DOG WRITING GRAFFITI ON THE CURB. AFTER A TWO MINUTE GUILT TRIP LEP DID THE RIGHT THING AND DECIDED TO BEAUTIFY THE COMMUNITY..
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Nina's Ink, Part Deux

I'm following up from this post here.

Nina had offered up so many tattoos I had to split up the post, and then, well, she sort of got lost in the inkshuffle. Best to reacquaint yourself with her through the post above and then resume here.

Nina told me she was the product of Quaker and Jewish parents, and was raised in the Quaker tradition. The core values instilled in her upbringing were virtue and the importance of leading a simple life, known as the Testimony of Simplicity. She recalls the silence that is so prevalent in Quaker meetings. These values translated to the tattoo on her right forearm:


She says this is a reminder, based on her upbringing, that she can "find simplicity through silence".

The saying is punctuated by the recognizable symbol of the fleur de lis, which has been recognized as a royal French symbol for purity.

The fleur de lis is also a significant element in this tattoo, which is on the back of Nina's neck:


A closer look:


This piece has roots in her family. Along with the decorative aspects of the design, the letters N and T represent her name and the name of her brother Tom. The name Rita belongs to her mother. The crown represents her mother being the queen of her family.

The final piece Nina showed me was only partially visible the day I met her, only because modesty and a public setting prevented her from letting me photograph the whole tattoo:


The general design and the phrase "this will linger" is from a skateboard deck. Nina is avid longboarder and the design appealed to her. Not to mention that "this will linger" can be interpreted in so many ways, and can even speak to the idea of tattoos themselves. This could also be a reference to the final line in the song "Beside You Now" by the band, The Fold:

I've no regrets of yesterday, though these tears are falling
I will look to you, I will still remember (God help me now)
This will linger on, your memory deeper than the oceans

Note the fleur de lis just below the navel.

Added to this design, on either side, are two calla lilies, a la Georgia O'Keefe. They, to her, represent "the realm of possibility". Nina told me that she and the tattooer discussed adding white ink to the flowers to make them more "realistic". They decided against that, however, as the tattoo may have suffered due to what likely would have been an aesthetic issue with the ink and Nina's much darker skin tone. I would tend to agree that they made the right choice.

Nina credits most of her work to Dan at Amazing Grace Tattoo in Geneva, New York. She did however indicate that the lower abdominal piece was done by Noah at Extreme Graphix in Geneva, NY.

I would like to thank Nina for spending so much time talking to me about her ink. She showed me her whole catalog of tattoos, and I feel bad for neglecting "part two" of her post for these past couple of months.

Considering that she had all this work done in her eighteenth year, I can only wonder how much more has been added to her canvas since.

Thanks, Nina, for sharing your body art here with us on Tattoosday!
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DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES ARTWALK

THIS THURSDAY NOV 13TH IS THE DOWNTOWN L.A. ART WALK. IF YOU HAVEN'T BEEN DOWNTOWN DURING THE ART WALK THEN YOU DONT KNOW WHAT YOU BEEN MISSING. WATCH AS HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE WALK THE STREETS OF DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES PAYING HOMAGE TO THE L.A. ART COMMUNITY. I WILL BE AT THE LAST LAUGH WITH MY TEAM AS I TATTOO. ALL THE GALLERY'S AND RESTAURANTS WILL BE OPEN LATE FOR THIS EVENT...
THE LAST LAUGH
129 E 6TH ST
L.A. CA 90014
CLICK ON THE MAP BELOW FOR MORE INFO.

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H.I.N./ SPEED CHANNEL

HERE IS AN INTERVIEW I DID FOR THE SPEED CHANNEL AT HOT IMPORT NIGHTS..

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KEEP THE FAITH!

RELIGIOUS PIECES ARE AN ALL TIME FAVORITE AND ALWAYS CLASSIC. I HAVE ALSO DONE JEWISH AND BUDDHIST ICONS ON A FEW OCCASIONS.
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BIRDS EYE!!

WHATS UP? I WANT TO THANK EVERYONE WHO CAME OUT TO SUPPORT THE CARSHOW WE HAD OVER AT THE 24 HOUR POP UP STORE THIS PAST WEEKEND... HERE IS A FLIK ONE OF THE HOMIES TOOK FORM A ROOF TOP. STAY POSTED I HAVE SOME MORE COMING SOON.
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Down with the Sickness

Hi all....

Its been awhile since I have updated this blog. I have been busy with new projects at the moment and I was down with a viral infection to my throat
(Damn Pizzas !! ) and I was not in the right condition to tattoo for the past 1 week or so. I am still recovering from it and I would be back tattooing in couple of days...Hopefully !!

Sorry to keep you guys waiting !!

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TATTOO TOUR!

THIS IS GOING TO BE THE FIRST CITY ON MY TATTOO TOUR. FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT HAVENT BEEN ABLE TO MAKE IT TO L.A. THEN NOW IS YOUR CHANCE. IF YOU HAVE EVER BEEN TO MY STUDIO THEN YOU KNOW HOW WE VALUE OUR CUSTOMERS AND PRIDE OUR SELVES IN MAKING YOU FEEL AT HOME AND TREATING YOU LIKE FAMILY. THE SAME STANDS WHEN YOU GET INKED ON TOUR. I GOT ALOT OF GOOD PEOPLE OUT IN NEW YORK AND IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN ONE OF MY FAVORITE CITYS. A FEW OTHER CITYS ARE ON THE LIST SO BE ON THE LOOK OUT... IF YOU ARE SERIOUS AND INTERESTED CLICK ON THE FLYER AND CONTACT MY BOOKING ASSISTANT.

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