Melissa's Feather of Memory

Back in October, I reviewed Kat Von D's The Tattoo Chronicles (here).

I also went to a book-signing and met Ms. Von D.

As you would expect, there was a long line to see the author, who is indisputably the most famous tattoo artist in the world.

Despite the long line, I did have a chance to chat at length with several other people at the event. We talked tattoo as we queued along 46th Street, around the corner onto 5th Avenue, up an escalator, and through a maze of book stacks.

One such fan was Melissa, a student, who was accompanied by several friends. Talking with Melissa and her friends made the two-hour wait much more bearable, indeed.

Melissa offered to share this tattoo with us here on Tattoosday:

This white feather on the inside of her right wrist is tied to the memory of her mother who passed away a couple of years ago.

Melissa's aunt often said that a floating white feather represents the soul of someone who's died. That said, whenever Melissa sees one, she thinks of her mother. By tattooing it on her wrist, she is assured that the memory of her mom will always be close at hand.

The tattoo was inked by Kerry O'Neill at Shotsie's Tattoo in Wayne, New Jersey. Work from Shotsie's has appeared previously here on the site.

Thanks to Melissa (and her friends) for keeping me company on that long day in October, and a special thanks to Melissa for sharing this poignant tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

A Quartet of Art-Inspired Tattoos

When I asked Brian how many tattoos he had, back in October when I met him at Borders in Penn Plaza, he kind of shrugged and said "I don't even know". A great answer, in my opinion.

Brian is an interior designer and many of his tattoos are inspired by the art he admires.

Three of the tattoos I photographed are on his right arm. First is this red tattoo:

This, Brian explained, is a piece that pays homage to Dada, or Dadaism, a cultural movement from the early 20th Century that included one segment of the arts. Brian is inspired by this movement from an artistic perspective.

On his upper arm, Brian has this Buddha image, which he says has an Andy Warhol-inspired perspective:

That is on the outer part of the upper arm, on the inner side is this item:

This is a take on the "Egg Chair," a piece of furniture whose style became popular in the forward-looking 1960's. The form above is more like the Scandinavian Ovalia style of egg chair.

And finally, Brian showed me one of his favorite tattoos, just above his waistline:

As mentioned above, Brian is inspired by Dadaism, and one of the figures that became most associated with the movement was the artist Marcel Duchamp. This tattoo is based on his work Fountain, which caused quite a stir in 1917.

These tattoos were inked by Texxx at Flying Monkey Tattoo in Pittsburgh.

Thanks to Brian for sharing these cool tattoos with us here on Tattoosday!

Giveaway #1- CLOSED

How about we giveaway a Can-Can skirt?Pink, size 2/3(Also available here!)To enter the giveaway, leave a comment telling me what one of your favorite patterns/pdf patterns is.Open until Dec 17th at noon MST.Open to international.

Giveaway #2 - CLOSED

A HUGE box full of scraps from vintage/upcycled sheets.  This is LOTS of fabric!  To be entered for this giveaway, leave a comment telling me what you would use vintage sheets for.Giveaway ends Dec 17th at 12:00 noon MST.

Beats a hotel mint on your pillow

Cuban born hottie Vida Guerra has literally made a career based on her rump. Okay, maybe there’s a little more to it, but after a photo spread in FHM magazine rapper Nelly plucked her for his “Shake Ya Tailfeather” video. From that point on Vida’s kept busy appearing in Playboy and making cameos in music videos and TV shows.Dark and stormy Check your oil, ma’am?That drift wood or are you happy to

Operation: Pay It Forward

Behind. . . I am behind.  By at least 11 days.  But here we are. . .My stocking for charity-- St. PJs Childrens Home to be specific. Now, what is the chance I will be able to get this month's challenge done?  This month we are making things for orphan children in China.  We can make bibs, quilts, pillowcases, or taggies.  I haven't even had a chance to figure out which I want to make yet. . .

The Retro Mix Playlist For 12/10/10

Show Theme- "Real Oldies" and holiday tunes from the 50s and 60s6 pm hourNowhere To Run- Martha & the VandellasHere Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane)- Elvis PresleySpeedo- The Cadillacs(Your Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher- Jackie WilsonLet It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow- Dean MartinDo I Love You- The RonettesSplish Splash- Bobby DarinMerry Christmas- Otis ReddingI Can’t