The Tattooed Poets Project: Theresa Senato Edwards

We are launching this second volume of the Tattooed Poets Project with Theresa Senato Edwards.

Theresa seemed like the ideal candidate to kick off the month, as she is the devoted editor of Holly Rose Review, a poetry and tattoo literary arts journal.

Theresa has four tattoos, and picked two to share with us here on Tattoosday.

Her first tattoo was this Celtic symbol on the left part of her upper back:
A closer look:


Theresa tells us that this is the:

"Celtic symbol for motherhood, two dots representing my two sons. The goldish dot for Richard, his birthday in November (November birthstone); the red dot for Troy, his birthday in July (July birthstone). I had asked my younger son, Troy, if he thought it would be cool to have his artwork on my skin forever. He did, so he drew it for me, looking at a pic I got off the internet. Tattoo by Mike Calamita, Lasting Impression Tattooing in Hopewell Junction, NY."

My favorite of Theresa's four tattoos was the third one she received, this holly rose:

Theresa explains that this holly rose is

"a holly branch wrapped around a bloomed red/purplish rose with thorned stem.... [and] symbolizes my parents: my dad's birthday was in December; the holly is one of the plants that represents December. My mom's birthday was in June; the rose represents June. They have both been dead for more than 15 years. I had this done in their memory. That's also where the title of Holly Rose Review comes from, although I didn't know that at the time I got the tattoo. Also done by Mike Calamita."

Check out Theresa's poem "Holly Rose," about this tattoo, over at BillyBlog. You can read more of Theresa's work over on her blog here.

Thanks again to Theresa for helping kick off our second annual Tattooed Poets Project!

The Tattooed Poets Project, Volume II

April is National Poetry Month!

Last April, I launched, with the cooperation of poets across the country (and one across the Pond), the "Tattooed Poets Project".

In addition to the "regular" Tattoosday features, every day in April we featured the tattoos of poets. Each post featured poet-contributed photos, with a link back to BillyBlog, where one of their poems was posted on the corresponding day.

Not all the poems were tattoo-related, but many were.

This year, we are resuming the project again, featuring more poets, and a few returning ones.

I enjoyed this adventure last year and am looking forward to another successful April!

Tattoo Hati - Heart Tattoo (Album 2)

Tattoo Hati - Heart Tattoo (Album 1)

Tom's Sleeve is Based on Faith

I don't know what it was about March, but this final post of the month is the third featuring ink from a member of our Armed Forces.

Tom is eventually going to have a full sleeve that accentuates his faith. The top of the arm is done, with the main focus on the guardian angel on his bicep:


His grandfather passed before he was born and he has always thought of him as the guardian angel that watched over him.

This piece was inked at Aces & Eights Tattoo in Augusta, Georgia.

He also has a couple of tattoos featuring angels on the inside of his bicep and on the outer section of his upper arm as well:


These were done at Third Dimension Tattoos in Marshalls Creek, Pennsylvania

Tom is a member of HHC 1st Battalion, 109th Infantry Regiment, 28th Infantry Division.

Thanks to Tom for sharing his tattoos with us here on Tattoosday!

Two Tattoos from Taylor

I met Taylor where she works at Kaleidoscope, a toy store in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn.

I gave her a flier after admiring her really cool feather tattoo that was inked behind her right ear.


A week later, I was zipping by on my bike and saw her on a break outside the store. That was when I had a chance to speak to her about her tattoos and take the photos for this post.

This is one of her nine tattoos, and was done by an artist named Chris who works out of Puncture Tattoo in neighboring Dyker Heights, Brooklyn.


Taylor says the tattoo is inspired by the fact that she feels free-spirited, like a bird, and that her aunt, who died in a plane crash, used to call her a "little Indian girl". The dangling feathers behind her ear seem to capture both sentiments nicely.

Unlike the first time I met Taylor, on this occasion she was wearing a shirt that showed off this cool tattoo at the top of her back:


Taylor explained that she loves cats and her sister's gray cat Dusty passed away from breast cancer, which has also been a disease that has run in her family, as well. She had the tattoo artist, Peter Cavorsi, of Body Art Studios, model this piece based on Dusty's eyes.

As always, Peter did a superb job. He is no stranger to Tattoosday, having inked one of my tattoos (seen at the bottom of the page) and several of my wife, Melanie's. This link will show you all of Peter Cavorsi's work that has appeared on the site over the last two-and-a-half years.

Thanks again to Taylor for sharing her two beautiful tattoos on Tattoosday!

Mike's Incredible Aquatic Sleeve (and More!)

I had the good fortune of meeting Mike outside of Penn Station last week and, despite first noticing him because of his leg tattoos, he was extremely generous and unveiled an incredible sleeve that covered his right arm:


Mike is a fisherman and a loves the brightness, color and variety of oceanic life. Such things translate well to the body's canvas and make for some amazing tattoo work...


The giant octopus actually curls up over his shoulder and onto his chest, with one tentacle moving down his arm....


The deep sea diver punctuates the middle of his arm...


At the bottom of the arm are tropical motifs including a huge tiki god and a hibiscus....


On the inside of his inner bicep is this fish which is a cross between an anglerfish and a razorfish:


And we ended with this piece that was so fresh at the time, that Mike had to peel back the protective plastic covering this amazing blowfish:


The artist behind this amazing work is Steve Woison formerly of Electric Tiki Tattoo in Patchogue, and now at Studio 520 in Oakdale, on Long Island.

Thanks again to Mike for taking the time to share his amazing aquatic sleeve with us here on Tattoosday!

Earl's Tattoo Honors the Fallen

It was the ring of bullets that first grabbed my attention when I spotted him in Penn Station:


As a soldier in New York City's 69th Infantry Regiment in the New York Army National Guard, Earl has had the honor and privilege of serving in our armed forces overseas.

But, like any one of these brave men and women can tell you, they have seen their share of sorrow when they have lost fellow soldiers in the war in Iraq and Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.

Earl's way to honor them has been to inscribe on his flesh "For the Fallen," and the initials of those that have died for their country, each bullet representing someone he knew.


On his right arm, he has this tribal piece with a military inscription:



The phrase "Mess with the Best, Die like the Rest" is one of those military slogans that is designed to inspire the soldier and intimidate the enemy.

All work was by Mark Madden at Madd Grafix Tattoo Shop in Buffalo, New York.

Thanks to Earl for his duty to this country and for sharing his memorial ink with us here on Tattoosday!

Celtic Tattoo (Album 2)

Snake Tattoos

Snake tattoos are found in all forms of classic tattooing. That’s because since the dawn of man, the snake has had significant religious and symbolic meaning. So, it’s no wonder that the snake tattoo has always been a popular design choice. The concept of the snake as a symbol of wisdom and knowledge goes back a long way. Legends from the most ancient civilizations tell of the snake or serpent bringing about the creation of the planets. Indeed, the myth of Ouroboros which emerged in 1600 years BC in Egypt, features an enormous serpent devouring its own tail, surviving by devouring itself, symbolizing an unending, eternal cycle of renewal. This idea of a cycle without end is an echo of the concept of infinity. And in Greek mythology, the serpent was associated with the goddess of the moon. As a female symbol, it brings knowledge to mankind, while in other cultures it is portrayed as a goddess of mystery, birth and death. In the Americas, there are many myths that tell of snake people living underground, both as guardians of the next world, and of helpers of humans still living in on this earthly realm. Many of these myths are grounded in the observations that many snakes hibernate underground and seem to be renewed by shedding their skins on a regular basis. Thus, like the frog, a snake tattoo can be symbol of regeneration and rebirth. Of course, it can also be seen as a symbol of death and danger. It all depends on the bearer’s perspective of what the snake tattoo means to him or her.

In this picture we are looking at two versions of the same snake tattoo at two different times of it being put on this persons leg. It is impossible to tell what kind of snake it is meant to be but certainly the fangs tell us that it is meant to be a poisonous snake. Meaning deadly. It is no accident that snake tattoos are so popular. As one of the oldest symbols in existence, drawings of snakes have been found long before any form of the written word appeared. In many cultures snakes represented life and death and also many times represented the Underworld.

The snake tattoos as symbols of wisdom and knowledge go back a long way. Legends from the most ancient civilizations tell of the snake or serpent bringing about the creation of the planets. Indeed, a myth from ancient Egypt suggests that there was an enormous serpent devouring its own tail and literally surviving by devouring itself, symbolizing an eternal cycle of renewal. This idea of a cycle without end is the concept of eternal life and infinity which brings us right back to the old yin yang thing once again. Needless to say snake tattoos can say an awful lot if you need them to.

Foot Tattoos

If you like the foot tattoo in this picture then you might want to run out and get one done right away. But, there are a few things that you need to keep in mind first. Foot tattoos must be cared for in a certain way. Especially as they are healing. Foot tattoos are more likely to become infected then other locations on the body, which is another reason why some tattooist are reluctant to do them. Your new foot tattoo needs to be kept clean, dry and free from any dirt particles. You have to be especially careful to not let anything that will irritate it come into contact with it. This means that shoes or socks are not to be worn, or worn only occasionally if at all possible for at least a couple of weeks after the tattoo has been inked. This will allow your foot tattoo to lose any of the swelling it may have. Plus, you have to remember that if a tattoo is being constantly rubbed then the ink can come out of it until it heals. So, extra precautions and forethought has to be put into it before you even get the ink flowing.

It is usually women who are interested in foot tattoos, but personally, I think they look pretty cool on guys too. That is if they choose the right type of design. I would think the first thing you should do is choose a design that best reflects your own personality and style. But you do want to make sure to take your time so that you don’t make a mistake. One of the most typical mistakes is people getting something that is so trendy that in ten years it looks silly and it gives away your age. Some people may not care about that but I know that others certainly do.

The most common foot tattoos on the top of the foot but some people actually choose to get their foot tattoos put on the bottom of their feet. I am not really sure why as that seems it would be very painful and much harder to heal and of course, very few people are ever going to see it. Not to mention that a tattoo on the bottom of the foot will not have as much color nor near as much detail as one on the top of the foot.

Chest Tattoo

This chest tattoo brings a dark picture together with bright colors and flowers. The color’s used in this chest tattoo are green, blue, orange, pink, gold, white, tan, purple, and black, and all the colors are blended real well. The skulls in this chest tattoo are grey with hints of white around the edges and the teeth. One tooth on each skull is gold. The eye sockets on each skull start off a very light pink on the edges and fades to a black near the outer rim of the sockets. The same goes for the nose of each skull, pink near the back, black near the outer rim. Green vines flow through the nose and eye sockets of each skull. Different colored flowers, ranging from pink to green, and blue to orange, grow on the vines growing from out of the skulls. This chest tattoo is unique and original because it mixes a morbid image like a skull and the beautiful colors of flowers all in one tattoo. This is one chest tattoo that anyone would be interested in, because it mixes so many different styles of art into one piece of artwork. This is a really good tattoo.

This is a great representation of what an average person can do with a chest tattoo. Chest tattoos can be hidden or revealed at will, so you can put just about any design there. And because there is a lot of space to work with, chest tattoos can sport some pretty large designs with a lot of different elements in them. The chest tattoo in the picture is frequently referred to as a chest piece, because it covers from shoulder to shoulder like an armors chest piece. The wearer has combined several different things in his design. On one shoulder is written the word "love", on the other is written the word "hate". In the center of this chest piece is a hand holding cards, generally used to mean luck or chance. I would venture to say that the intended symbolism of this design is to infer that all things in this life are hanging on the whims of fate. And that includes love and hate or peace and war. The again, the bearer of this chest tattoo could have simply chosen the design because it looks really hot and is done in a more traditional type of style. What do you think?

Amy's Sugar Skull from New Orleans

Amy shared this sugar skull with me a week or so ago:


Clicking this link will display the vast range of sugar skulls that have appeared here on Tattoosday over the years.

They are one of my favorite types of tattoos to post, because they tend to vary from one to another and can be uniquely personalized.

Amy got this one on All Saints' Day, in honor of her grandfather.

She was at the New Orleans Voodoo Tattoo Convention and an artist named Joey just free-handed the drawing on her arm.

Thanks to Amy for sharing her sugar skull with us here on Tattoosday!

Tattoo Hati - Heart Tattoo (Album 1)

Tattoo Hati - Heart Tattoo (Album 2)

Renee's Papal Insignia Challenges Her Beliefs

I met Renee in the Clark Street subway station in Brooklyn Heights recently, and we had a fascinating conversation.

We talked for a good bit, and actually spent more time time talking about her plans for new tattoos, as opposed to what she already had on her body. She has five tattoos, two of which she did herself. We ended up talking most about this one, on the middle finger of her right hand:


This is one of her self-inked tattoos which, she says, she did using "the prison method". This generally involves using a needle or a sharpened guitar string and dipping it in ink. Sometimes with, sometimes without, a jerry-rigged motor.

The design is based on the insignia of the Pope.

At the time that she did this, she felt a connection to the Catholic Church that was very strong. Religion was a "huge part of her childhood"

However, as anyone paying attention to the news recently is well aware, the Catholic Church has been under fire for quite some time due to its handling of internal matters regarding abuse among the clergy.

Renee finds that who she is now is "irreconcilable with the Catholic Church" and, as a result, she plans on having this finger tattoo covered up "as a statement" about her feelings and her conviction that this symbol is, in her words, "something I can't have anymore".

So today's post features a tattoo whose time is running out, which is not all that common here on the site. I have always maintained that the tattoos seen here aren't always the "best" in art, but rather, interesting encounters in New York with interesting people.

Thanks to Renee for being so forthcoming about her personal connection to tattooing, and for sharing this small, seemingly harmless tattoo, that carries with it such a weight, laden with meaning.

Grim Reaper Tattoos

As far as grim reaper tattoos go this is a pretty damn good one. It is very imaginative and very creepy. Simple but very much to the point and it gets the point across, in my humble opinion, in a very big way. I do not know what this style of art is called but I like it very, very much. It takes but one look at this piece of art to get an impression from it and that is something I can appreciate a great deal. Should I ever decide to get one of these grim reaper tattoos, this one, or one very much like it, will be very high up on the list of what I choose from. I would not be surprised if I chose this one exactly as it is.

I’m glad I got to see this version of the grim reaper tattoos. The grim reaper here in this drawing makes me think he is just sitting there for a moment waiting for his next victim. And then he will swoop off to the left, the right, the up or the down and go and collect the next soul due to him. And of course, moments later he will be back for another. Because we all know that this is a process that never ends.

The grim reaper tattoo has been seen in the past as a moniker of evil. The grim reaper has often been associated with the dark forces of the devil, though this has historically not been the case. The grim reaper tattoo is simply a physical representation of death. It is neither good nor evil, it is what it is. The grim reaper is charged with taking the recently dead to the next life. Whether that is heaven, hell or purgatory depends on how the person has lived his life. So actually, the grim reaper is an agent of life as well as death. He has no control over who goes when and where they go when they die. He is merely an agent of the larger forces of the universe. Bearers of the grim reaper tattoo are usually making a statement with their design choice. The grim reaper tattoo states that the wearer is not afraid of death. The bearer of the tattoo in the picture has illustrated this symbolic representation even further by adding in the phrase, "Death Can Wait". He is making the statement that he is going to live life to the fullest and is not going to be bound by the fear of death.

Rose Tattoo

One of the most requested designs of all times, and one that continues to be popular both among men and women is the rose tattoo. And while most people favor the rose tattoo for it’s grace and beauty there is a significant symbolic meaning behind those pretty petals. It’s a symbol of passion, chastity, and purity. The gift of a single red rose expresses romantic love while a thornless rose declares "love at first sight". Yellow roses are for joy, white for reverence, and light pink for sympathy and admiration. In medieval times, the white rose was the symbol of virginity. Countless tales and legends name the rose as a source of love and delight. According to the ancient Persians, the nightingale loved the white rose so much that the bird embraced it, piercing its heart and turning the rose red. And the rose’s beauty, variety, and exquisite scent have inspired lovers, saints and artists since humans first encountered it. Poems have been written of it and it has appeared in numerous forms of art. So, it’s only natural that mankind would immortalize this most sacred of flowers by tattooing it. Whether it’s your first tattoo or one of many, the rose tattoo can compliment any array of tattoo work.

The rose tattoo has enjoyed a varied and interesting history, much as the rose itself has. Early Christians associated the rose with their Roman enemies, hence it became a mark of scorn, but eventually it came to symbolize the survival of persecution. Later yet, won over by its fabulous beauty, Christians adopted the rose as a symbol of the miraculous. At least a dozen saints have their names linked with roses, like Saint Therese of Lisieux, also known as Saint Therese of the Roses. The Virgin Mary herself is called "The Mystical Rose". The first rosary is said to have consisted of roses, then later rose carved beads. Other religions have also embraced this flower and the rose tattoo in general. Ancient Hindu writings speak of the goddess Lakshmi being born of 108 large rose petals, and 1,108 smaller ones. In 15th century England, during the bloody War of the Roses, the red rose stood for the House of Lancaster, while the white rose represented the House of York. For the Romans and the Greeks, roses represented beauty and love. The story goes that Cleopatra had her palace strewn with rose petals to receive her lover, Mark Anthony. So, if your thinking about getting a rose tattoo then you would be in great company among the historical figures who have also loved the rose both as a flower and as a symbol.

Tattoo Drawings

We all know that tattoo drawings can be of almost anything at all. This one however is a drawing of some sort of winged dragon or demon that come with a knife or short sword. Perhaps meaning that it is a dragon with a sting. In many cultures dragon are a power of strength and can represent a God like creature so maybe this drawing is meant to be of one of those creatures and that the sword is to show that it wields a great power with it. We know, from the holes in this creatures wings that it is not one that would be afraid of fighting, but rather one who would welcome it. And perhaps that is the message here. Like saying, if you mess with me, you’re going to know you’ve been in a wild fight, win or lose.

It’s hard to find tattoo drawings this good and I like tattoo drawings like this one. It shows both imagination and creativity and for me those are the most important elements in any form of artwork, most especially tattoos. With the right shading and coloring this could really be one hell of a nice tattoo that I believe would be appreciate by many for a very long time.

Here is one of those tattoo drawings that is way too early, in my opinion, to be chosen as a tattoo to get. I would want to see it developed more. Show me some more detail. Show me some color. I want a much better idea of what my tat is going to look like before I give it the okay. And for me, this is only a conceptual drawing that gives me no clear idea of how the tattoo is going to look. Unless, the tattoo is meant to look just like this. And if that’s the case, I wouldn’t want to anyway.

I like looking at the many tattoo drawings an artist may have around, when I am trying to figure out my next tattoo but sometimes they are confusing because they are not always a final view of exactly what the tattoo will be. And I am one of those people who needs to see a very close representation of what the final tattoo will look like before I get it. I’m just picky that way. Maybe everyone out there is probably not that way when looking at tattoo drawings. And I am not saying you need to be crazy about this, just be careful out there folks.