Megan's Empress Impresses

I spotted Megan at the end of September walking down West 23rd Street in Chelsea.<br /><br />She has an amazing sleeve-in-progress but, because it is still unfinished, she offered up this tattoo, on her upper right arm, instead:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtoyR6UDPKR6r903JGvFK88CgFmCCqQQtwjI0bDgBrSfXDbWhlSdwfh9OcEEBGJ0AQxeeEX2L0W3Ug2VM-dxfVWteGsbvKbO3BJp1eiazCntwGuhOfE2HuytWNCgKSE7t9Sg1NZ_HQG2E/s1600/Tarot+Card+wm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtoyR6UDPKR6r903JGvFK88CgFmCCqQQtwjI0bDgBrSfXDbWhlSdwfh9OcEEBGJ0AQxeeEX2L0W3Ug2VM-dxfVWteGsbvKbO3BJp1eiazCntwGuhOfE2HuytWNCgKSE7t9Sg1NZ_HQG2E/s640/Tarot+Card+wm.jpg" width="352" /></a></div><br />This <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarot_of_Marseilles">tarot card</a> is significant because her mother is from the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carribean">Caribbean</a> and she grew up with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santer%C3%ADa">Santerían</a> religion in her household.<br /><br />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".<br /><br />This card is known as L'Impératrice,or <a href="http://www.tarotpedia.com/wiki/Empress">The Empress</a>, and has a very positive meaning. As interpreted by one site (<a href="http://tarotcardsreading.blogspot.com/2007/10/limpratrice-impress-arcana-iii-3.html">here</a>):<br /><br /><blockquote><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Empress seems to be sure of herself, calm, intelligent, worthy.</span> <span style="font-family: verdana;">This major arcana represents the capacity, the Empress clothing is luxurious and invaluable.</span> <span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /><br />This arcana is extremely positive...</span> <span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span>...<span style="font-family: verdana;">In the right position the Empress represents the intelligence, dignity, the authority, the mother, the wife, the right decisions.</span></blockquote><br />The detail in this tattoo is amazing:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuBHyyVhBpeK3kFQrdoge9CdG-4jDoEiE8s_zB4az5zTuEozPVdRAD6hPhGqYKyVVU-37UrMSMtJ5XhfmdLAkx5shrl4XYiVzAzXTGPcKUWwSYJ-hjorMDP64J8l2wDPK12Vl-NpEcuPI/s1600/Tarot+Card+detail+2+wm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuBHyyVhBpeK3kFQrdoge9CdG-4jDoEiE8s_zB4az5zTuEozPVdRAD6hPhGqYKyVVU-37UrMSMtJ5XhfmdLAkx5shrl4XYiVzAzXTGPcKUWwSYJ-hjorMDP64J8l2wDPK12Vl-NpEcuPI/s400/Tarot+Card+detail+2+wm.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />The art was inked by <a href="http://www.threekingstattoo.com/site/artistpage.php?artistid=7&picid=420&page=1">Annie Lloyd</a> at <a href="http://www.threekingstattoo.com/site/index.php">Three Kings Tattoo</a> in Brooklyn. Work from Three Kings has appeared previously on Tatoosday <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/search/label/Three%20Kings%20Tattoo">here</a>.<br /><br />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 s...

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Garrett's Peacock Recalls the South

I met Garrett back in June in Penn Station when I was still reeling from the loss of <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2008/07/hello-polaroid-goodbye-kodak.html">my camera</a>.<br /><br />I had yet to replace my photographic equipment and I had yet to receive the loaner from my awesome friend Jill.<br /><br />So, I did the best I could with a flash-less BlackBerry camera to capture Garrett's awesome sleeve:<br /><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXeMW5YsmmjO8oI4RGbeYi1eu1w71gQe8yCjaFSrSPliqpRNQbidPF_FwcUxCdyGv_zWnDoxicwqru_Mpxzic117TjC4noB8TQ0MHcBmLvKJLjD4bCKyvl0FMfSHRjh0wBWgpNCIJW/s1600/garrett+peacock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXeMW5YsmmjO8oI4RGbeYi1eu1w71gQe8yCjaFSrSPliqpRNQbidPF_FwcUxCdyGv_zWnDoxicwqru_Mpxzic117TjC4noB8TQ0MHcBmLvKJLjD4bCKyvl0FMfSHRjh0wBWgpNCIJW/s640/garrett+peacock.jpg" width="216" /></a></div><br />Yes, folks, it's another peacock in our midst, in a summer during which we have been treated to a variety of peafowl.<br /><br />Garrett's choice to get this tattoo stems from his love of these birds, combined with an appreciation of fashion, and how the peacock speaks to that sensibility. He also likes how the males are the fairer of the two sexes.<br /><br />What's especially remarkable is that this is a black and gray tattoo, with no plans to take on any color ink.<br /><br />The inclusion of magnolias, azaleas and violets, all in homage to the South, make this potentially dizzyingly colorful tattoo more remarkable in its basic palette. Rather than explosions of color, we are rewarded with subtleties of shading.<br /><br />Credit goes to <a href="http://myleskarr.com/">Myles Karr</a> at <a href="http://www.threekingstattoo.com/site/index.php">Three Kings Tattoo</a> in Brooklyn. Work from Myles has previously appeared <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/search/label/Myles%20Karr">here</a> on Tattoosday.<br /><br />Thanks to Garrett for sharing his amazing tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

Garrett's Peacock Recalls the South

I met Garrett back in June in Penn Station when I was still reeling from the loss of my camera . I had yet to replace my photographic equipm...

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Recap of Matty No Times Fundraiser at Yes Gallery

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfrcZth-gARKnklS8KkM7ckgwJ2R2wnuhppjON-WacMNZ69vTCvUt_N47HFHkaaNyi8UF2t6awtMQVxUotNSak5d9bw9tYe463_GgLK4Ye2WVD26egaQdSwzwU1KfygMpV5PFyjs2a/s1600/scan0002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfrcZth-gARKnklS8KkM7ckgwJ2R2wnuhppjON-WacMNZ69vTCvUt_N47HFHkaaNyi8UF2t6awtMQVxUotNSak5d9bw9tYe463_GgLK4Ye2WVD26egaQdSwzwU1KfygMpV5PFyjs2a/s400/scan0002.jpg" width="275" /></a></div><br />My trip to the <a href="http://yesgalleryyes.com/">Yes Gallery</a> in Williamsburg on Saturday for the launch party of the Matty No Times benefit was complicated by the weekend suspension of the <a href="http://www.mta.info/nyct/service/gline.htm">G train</a>.<br /><br />Rather than a 1-transfer commute from South Brooklyn, the trip involved a lengthy trip on the <a href="http://www.mta.info/nyct/service/rline.htm">R train</a> which took me through Manhattan and into Queens, where a shuttle bus skirted me back to Brooklyn. Are you kidding me?<br /><br />But I didn't want to miss this event, not only because it was for a good cause as the NY tattoo community rallied to help one of their own, but because it would give me the chance to see some amazing art and possibly meet some of the artists behind the work. <br /><br />I shed my backpack and just brought my notebook, stuffed with fliers, although I didn't necessarily expect to do the Tattoosday thing at the event. But you never know, and it was a long (1 hour, 28 minutes, according to <a href="http://www.hopstop.com/">HopStop</a>) trek. Who knows who I might meet along the way?<br /><br />I arrived relatively early, just in time to catch <a href="http://meditationsinatrament.com/">Thomas Hooper</a> exiting the gallery. I have long admired Mr. Hooper's work (even <a href="http://meditationsinatrament.com/">his web site</a> is art) and was hoping to meet him.<br /><br />I introduced myself and he was soft-spoken and polite. I would have loved to chat with him further, but he was headed elsewhere and seemed to be in a hurry to go.<br /><br />Inside, the Yes gallery's air conditioning was a welcome relief, as I started looking at the hundred-plus works of art that had been donated by artists from all over to help <a href="http://www.threekingstattoo.com/site/">Three Kings'</a> artist <a href="http://www.threekingstattoo.com/site/artistpage.php?artistid=5&picid=449&page=1">Matty No Times</a> recover from staggering bills that resulted from an emergency liver transplant last Fall.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_KuX8wFuiTFoNs6KHa_JTA9yBGvUOoE9KzUh9TfeIhza0jaOYrrqsLOGNAtZHIdgTPjOWmyFKcEGvG2rK0GwW6mmlKNeSt9vu-tExZ4-siIEIMoqbubcclKnVY8ALDSX769PqmIdi/s1600/Yes+Gallery+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_KuX8wFuiTFoNs6KHa_JTA9yBGvUOoE9KzUh9TfeIhza0jaOYrrqsLOGNAtZHIdgTPjOWmyFKcEGvG2rK0GwW6mmlKNeSt9vu-tExZ4-siIEIMoqbubcclKnVY8ALDSX769PqmIdi/s400/Yes+Gallery+1.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />I introduced myself to Matty (Mr. No Times sounds weirdly formal) and chatted briefly as he ran the table where people paid for the art, left donations, and entered the raffle. He is a very nice guy and seemed genuinely appreciative of the turnout.<br /><br />The list of artists who contributed their work was staggering. Check it out:<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6PlHIiO5Lf7_OOYBvRROp5lxs3K-BWUY427sY7ssiAcUHwt0r27F-9E1t3NykvlbS7OagWb_o-kpDvnrJUKamnTMQoQzq_CEBrdicEV-ArS9VA7Jgh4ML-YdSZNDdmgd6aqayqeWH/s1600/scan0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="375" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6PlHIiO5Lf7_OOYBvRROp5lxs3K-BWUY427sY7ssiAcUHwt0r27F-9E1t3NykvlbS7OagWb_o-kpDvnrJUKamnTMQoQzq_CEBrdicEV-ArS9VA7Jgh4ML-YdSZNDdmgd6aqayqeWH/s400/scan0001.jpg" width="400" /></a><br /><br />One of the bonuses in going to the event, for me at least, was seeing the work donated by Peter Caruso, who is the artist who created  <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2009/06/my-third-tattoo-hand-steeped-in-faith.html">my third tattoo</a>. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnTxVgjlYWutk7ay8MJ97K4guKP9tNkQZ3k8sF-JldwqVXOhvBTw_EtmcmKX9V7O3jO4LIUvkgP2w7feo_8XK5A8fgREqkD3xtnVIN0VxTof1vFrX9h6O3wV0T0uuxZm_ordCkg4nd/s1600/Caruso+Painting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnTxVgjlYWutk7ay8MJ97K4guKP9tNkQZ3k8sF-JldwqVXOhvBTw_EtmcmKX9V7O3jO4LIUvkgP2w7feo_8XK5A8fgREqkD3xtnVIN0VxTof1vFrX9h6O3wV0T0uuxZm_ordCkg4nd/s640/Caruso+Painting.jpg" width="316" /></a></div><br />And whereas, I had discussed with Matty and several other guests the etiquette of taking close-up photos of the art hanging on the walls, I did have Pete's permission to post his painting, which we were all excited to see sold early on.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV8-9K5OdSlhpY8utQUxyXDTAMusBTT_ivX_9SF494z1UmadSqDMT76aEu51BJY9udzaLX9xDU7u9yYuJvL62GfS9UqHfoT8KZdmFEsIxUCekoRKyRnq9MAMLGcmYILUryQPHU_ZQ8/s1600/Yes+Gallery+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV8-9K5OdSlhpY8utQUxyXDTAMusBTT_ivX_9SF494z1UmadSqDMT76aEu51BJY9udzaLX9xDU7u9yYuJvL62GfS9UqHfoT8KZdmFEsIxUCekoRKyRnq9MAMLGcmYILUryQPHU_ZQ8/s400/Yes+Gallery+2.jpg" width="400" /></a><br /><br />I was pleasantly surprised to run into one former Tattoosday contributor, <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2009/09/elizabeths-alphabetical-ink.html">Elizabeth</a>, along with her husband. We chatted awhile as they made their way around the gallery.<br /><br />I also talked with <a href="http://www.boundforglorytattoo.com/magieserpica.html">Magie Serpica</a>, who I ran into last year at a <a href="http://www.needlesandsins.com/">Needles & Sins</a> event, and who made her own Tattoosday contribution <a href="http://tattoosday.blogspot.com/2009/10/magies-unique-sugar-skull-inked-by-big.html">here</a>. An artist at <a href="http://www.boundforglorytattoo.com/">Bound for Glory Tattoo</a> on Staten Island, she had contributed a painting, as well:<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9TaV_Bume4zMDzSivHHMIwBrfpcy3DPMpraVB3QbTdBmhP7pia5IMZgDKL61pnElZOwp1r91BlBkOuKY4sG1Yl7R43vZhUr876R-QbGdz8FgWYzxt9FYnaPA0I-DfdVyIiDVcLVhp/s1600/magie+painting.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9TaV_Bume4zMDzSivHHMIwBrfpcy3DPMpraVB3QbTdBmhP7pia5IMZgDKL61pnElZOwp1r91BlBkOuKY4sG1Yl7R43vZhUr876R-QbGdz8FgWYzxt9FYnaPA0I-DfdVyIiDVcLVhp/s400/magie+painting.jpg" width="297" /></a></div><br />As the crowd swelled, I began to become overstimulated. Do I look at the art on the walls? Or do I look at the amazing art on the bodies? Most folks would have assumed I would have gone hog-wild taking photos of peoples' tattoos, but remember, I tend to embrace the random encounter aspect of the Tattoosday mission, and just like one doesn't see a lot of photos from conventions and tattoo shops, I avoided interviewing people about their tattoos. It just didn't seem sporting to do so. I did however, take a couple of shots of Peter's tattoos, to be unveiled at a later date here on the site.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpaC3Vd2gfHsa71kUlJqA0jS8mxNZyliOSHqBXNMfWcGlxAa0InVycOKvA_CVcCM_RpXPQ24PygpAH4iRUurh5dnaL6sGHbeeJ5q_U-sJG-QAmAU-WJLLndFEEWTcz22H23xB3-vlV/s1600/Yes+Gallery+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpaC3Vd2gfHsa71kUlJqA0jS8mxNZyliOSHqBXNMfWcGlxAa0InVycOKvA_CVcCM_RpXPQ24PygpAH4iRUurh5dnaL6sGHbeeJ5q_U-sJG-QAmAU-WJLLndFEEWTcz22H23xB3-vlV/s400/Yes+Gallery+3.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br />I didn't receive a call from Matty on Sunday, so I will assume I didn't win the raffle. No worries. I wasn't in a position to invest in any art, so I did my part to help raise funds for this worthy cause.<br /><br />You can support Matty through Three Kings Tattoo, where he works, and you still have time to visit the Yes Gallery, at 147 India Street in Brooklyn, and check out the art through Friday, July 23.<br /><br />Thanks to all the artists who participated and made for such a wonderful  visual experience, and to all the extended friends of Tattoosday who made the event more enjoyable for me, especially Pete and his wife Maria, who let me tag along with them at the gallery and spared me the subway after the show with a much-quicker ride home!

Recap of Matty No Times Fundraiser at Yes Gallery

My trip to the Yes Gallery in Williamsburg on Saturday for the launch party of the Matty No Times benefit was complicated by the weekend su...

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