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When I stopped Delissa on Seventh Avenue, she was on her way to Red Rocket Tattoo, for another session with Adam, who was working with her on this amazing half-sleeve piece:


This is one of those tattoos that, although not finished, was a joy to capture because the majority of it was done, and seeing it after a few more sessions will be fascinating.


Delissa is a big fan of the Art Nouveau style and this is based on Alphonse Mucha's 1897 lithograph "Monaco, Monte-Carlo":


Regular readers may recall that a Mucha-based tattoo appeared earlier in the summer, here.

Work from Red Rocket has appeared on Tattoosday previously here. A piece by Adam has appeared before here.

Thanks to Delissa for sharing this magnificent tattoo with us. We're looking forward to seeing the finished product when the work is complete!

Tribal Swallow Tattoo - Tips on Getting Your New Tattoo!
Following these 4 simple tips to make sure your tribal swallow tattoo sets you apart!

1) Bypass the free design sites or you will get what everyone else has. A membership tribal design site highlights designs by artist that specialize in tribal body art. They know what types of tribal designs look good where and with what elements.

2) Use a tattoo artist that specializes in tribal body art. If you are going with tribal art you need a professional who knows what they are doing and has done it before. You can recognize instantly the difference between a tribal tattoo specialty artist and an average artist. You will find the real thing on a membership site.
3) Go to a tattoo parlor that adheres to the proper industry health and safety regulations. Things can get nasty quick if you go to a tattoo parlor that is more concerned about making a quick dollar than the proper business and health practices. Your membership site posts reviews of different tattoo studios and what health and safety practices you should look out for.

4) Know what you are putting on your body. You may think you know what your tribal design means, but do you really? You don't want to find out later that the message you are wearing isn't what you thought. A fee based membership design site has experts that explain what certain tribal tattoo designs mean.

Whether it is for show or just for yourself, taking the right steps before you get your tribal tattoo will ensure that it is everything you wanted it to be.

Good luck getting your new tribal swallow tattoo!

Tattoosday is no stranger to sugar skulls. They are popular tattoos and always welcome additions to the site. It certainly seems, like snowflakes, no two sugar skull tattoos are exactly alike. Clicking here will allow you to see all the sugar skulls in the Tattoosday family.

Well, it certainly has been a while since I posted one here and, running into Valarie on the subway platform at West 4th Street, afforded me the opportunity to capture another for Tattoosday readers to admire:


Valarie is working on a half-sleeve and has both feet inked. She is particularly sentimental about this sugar skull because it was the first tattoo she received.

Like many folks, she loves the color and symbolism of Mexican Catholic art and the way they translate so well into tattoos. This traditional piece is on her inner left forearm and she has a sacred heart on the outer side.

Alex Franklin at Brooklyn Ink is the artist of this lovely tattoo.

Thanks to Valarie for sharing her first tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

One of my favorite posts last year was my encounter with Victor, whose tattoos were numerous and wonderfully eclectic. The post was one of the first "tatalogs," as I call them, when a subject shares a multitude of their ink.

So, when I had just finished speaking with Austin about his sleeve, and saw a familiar face (and ink) hanging out in front of Fuse at the corner of 32nd and 7th, I ambled on over to say hi to Victor.

He had new tattoos, of course, and I soon had my camera out, adding to the tatalog.

I contacted him later to get the scoop on the work. Although he told me about it on the street, I didn't write any of it down, as I was too busy taking pictures. We've added five more pieces to the record here, and I'll let Victor narrate the rest:

The Divine Tattoo [just above his left wrist] was done by my cousin Ed Bonacore in the poconos. He is the only tattoo artist I really go to know. I trust him, he does good work. He works at this amazing shop in the Poconos called FUNHOUSE TATTOOING. The vibe there is cool from the colorful horror movie atmosphere, to all the artists and the friendly shop girl.

Anyway, I got the JOHN WATERS signature tattooed on [on my outer left forearm] last summer the day after I had met him with my best friend RUBY LAROCCA.


She got the same thing. She got him to sign his name to her arm as well! We make films and John Waters is one of our biggest influences so to have his mark on us for life is a reminder to keep making dangerous art.

I got the John Waters done at RED ROCKET TATTOO in NYC, I had to get it quick and fast so the autograph didn't fade. The artist's name slips my mind, but he was making a guest spot at that shop and he was originally from Texas. Red Rocket is one of the best shops in Manhattan.

So anyway, I got the autograph super big on my forearm, because in his movie Cecil B. Demented, all the characters get the favorite director tattooed on their arm. I though it would be pretty cool, to do that in real life, from the director that created that idea.

Back to Divine. Then I got the Divine tattoo because, how can't you love Divine. One of the greatest actors ever. I saw Pink Flamingos as a youngster, and I remember my parents talking about how this tranny was eating poop at the end of the film, and how they were all gagging watching the film! That got me really interested to say the least. And after Female Trouble, I know I would love anything these people collaborated on. I unfortunately cannot dig up Divine and get him to sign my arm, so [I] did a little portrait of him. He was a true artist, actor, performer, comedian, and I respect that.

Mink Stole, is also from the original DreamLand gang, and is in almost every John Waters film. She is amazing in Desperate Living, and when I met her, she was so sweet, so I figured with John Waters already inked into my arm, I would start the John Waters tribute arm. I met her at a horror convention in Baltimore, and one of the vendors was a tattoo artist, so I got the autograph, then got it tattooed and was able to show Mink by the next day. She was in shock.


The Taxi Driver tattoo [on my inner left wrist] was again done by my cousin Ed Bonacore...I have loved that movie forever, and think Travis Bickle [Robert De Niro's character] is the ultimate Anti-Hero. Its like an oil painting version of the shot at the end after he has killed all the pimps and scumbags in the brothel.

The quote on [the left side of] my ribs was also done by my cousin Eddie, but this is before he was in a shop.


It was done at this house after I had smoked a fat blunt and [was] high as a kite. It hurt a lot, my most painful tattoo. The side of the ribs hurts a lot because there no skin there, and every time the needle hits your skin, your ribs vibrate. It took 3 different sessions to do that tattoo. The quote is from a band called HUNCHBACK, that just split up. And it's from a song called "RED IS THE COLOR OF MY TRUE LOVES HAIR." When I saw the song live for the first time, I was convinced this would be my new favorite band. And I can honestly say, this is the best song ever performed live. It blew me away. And the lettering that was used is the font from THE WARRIORS. Another one of my favorite films!

So, there you have it, folks. Another block of Victor's tattoos! I can't wait to run into him again to see what's new!

Thanks once again to Victor for his generosity and sharing his ink with us here on Tattoosday!

I ran into A.J. earlier this month, walking aling Seventh Avenue near 34th Street.

She has seven tattoos, and shared this lovely black and gray floral piece on her upper right arm:

She had been debating on whether to add color or not, but is pretty happy with the way this tattoo looks.

This tattoo was created by Junior at Adrenaline Rush Tattoo in Newark, New Jersey.

Thanks to A.J. for sharing this lovely tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

Girls also buy tattoos to express their individuality. Typically this is to convey a message about who they are and what they believe in. An extension of this theme is choosing tattoos that represent an association with a group. Tribal tattoos amongst women in the South Pacific are a good example of this. Tattoos that represent organisations that girls associate with are relatively new but are growing. Associating with Greenpeace to promote an affinity with animals might be an example of this.