Re-Post: Paul's 9/11 Memorial

This post originally appeared in 2008 and again in 2009. It seems appropriate to re-run it again today:




Earlier this month, I mentioned meeting Paul here, on the bike path that runs along the southern tip of Brooklyn.

I saved the other tattoo photo I took of Paul's work for today, the seventh anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

What I didn't mention in the previous post is that Paul is a federal agent who grew up in Greenpoint, Brooklyn.

From his vantage point there, he watched the World Trade Center being built in the late 1960's. He was working in 6 World Trade seven years ago for the U.S. Customs Department when the towers came down, and he spent four months at Ground Zero and the Fresh Kills Landfill on Staten Island, searching for remains.

The tattoo is a poignant piece, with the sun shining between the towers. Below is Paul's badge from the Department of Homeland Security, which has evolved into U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Particulatly unusual is the depiction of 9/11 in Roman numerals:

IX XI.

I don't believe I had ever seen it represented that way before.

Like the tattoo in the earlier post, this piece was inked by Joe at Brooklyn Ink.

Thanks to Paul for sharing this WTC memorial piece with us here on best-tatto-design.

~ ~ ~

We here at best-tatto-design send our thoughts and prayers to all the families of  people who died on 9/11, and to the families of all of the men and women who have died since then, serving our country.

This entry is © 2008, 2011 best-tatto-design.

If you are reading this on another web site other than best-tatto-design, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://best-tatto-design.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.

Lola Loves Shoes. Here's One.

In late spring, I met a young lady down the block from me and, after noticing a tattoo of scissors on her foot, talked to her about her ink. She was walking her dog at the time, so she took a best-tatto-design card and said she might be interested in sharing some of her work at a later time.

Fast forward a couple of months to late June, and I ran into her again, down the block, and she shared this tattoo:

Lola loves shoes, and she had this done by Eddie Carrero at Inkstop Tattoo NYC. Work by Eddie has appeared previously on best-tatto-design here.

Thanks to Lola for sharing her passion for shoes with us here on best-tatto-design!

This entry is ©2011 best-tatto-design.

If you are reading this on another web site other than best-tatto-design, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://best-tatto-design.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.

Patti Shares a Stunning Floral Sleeve

Today we have some work submitted by a reader, who patiently waited a month and a half for me to post her sleeve work. Although I do post submissions, they generally take a back seat to tattoos I encounter in the streets.

Patti sent in these photos of her stunningly beautiful floral tattoos running down her arm:

Patti credits the talented Mike Shea at Redemption Tattoo in Cambridge, Massachusetts, for these gorgeous flowers.

She said she had started with a half sleeve, but "really loved it," so they turned it into a full sleeve. Can you blame her? She elaborated:

"The original idea came from a quote, 'Where does one find the flowers? You must learn to follow butterflies, she replied.' (author unknown).  I chose lilies because they have always caught my eye…vibrant, vivid, strong…and there are endless variations of them.  

To me, my tattoo symbolizes learning how to embrace life and live, surrounded by the love and friendship and support of others. It memorializes a sharp change in direction in my life’s path, and the end of a very dark and destructive time in my life.  It reminds me to keep on moving forward…to bloom, and to be myself.

I chose Mike to do the tattoo because of his classic tattoo style, and Japanese influence."

Work from Redemption appeared once before on best-tatto-design here.

Thanks to Patti for sending in these photos of her beautiful work!

This entry is ©2011 best-tatto-design.

If you are reading this on another web site other than best-tatto-design, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://best-tatto-design.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I can contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.

A Devilish Start for Anthony

When I ran into Anthony last month in Penn Station, he was happy to share the beginning stage of what he envisions to be a full leg piece, that will run all the way up his limb:

Anthony explained that this Japanese demon:

"is by my good friend, Nate Osborne, of True Tattoo (3) in Ballston Spa, New York. Basically we were chatting one day and I said how I've always wanted something really traditional ...Japanese style and he hadn't done one lately and he said 'come on down to the shop' and so I did and he fit me right in ... this is all his design."

Thanks to Anthony for sharing this cool start to what will undoubtedly be an amazing leg sleeve, here on best-tatto-design!


This entry is ©2011 best-tatto-design.

If you are reading this on another web site other than best-tatto-design, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://best-tatto-design.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I can contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.

Joe is Armed with Words of Strength

Last month on 86th Street in Brooklyn, I met Joe, who shared this cool tattoo on his right bicep:

Joe credited Matt Van Cura, formerly of Lark Tattoo. Matt now works out of Da Vinci Tattoo in Watagh, New York. 

Joe came in with an idea for this piece, armed only with the phrase "Increscunt animi virescit volnere virtus," and worked with Matt for a couple of hours as they pieced the art together. Be sure to click on the photo to get a larger view of the exceptional shading, line work and detail. 

When I asked what the Latin translated to, Joe told me it meant "the spirit grows, strength is restored through wounding." A little research on my end revealed that the exact translation,"the spirits increase, vigor grows through a wound," is a quote attributed to the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche from Die Götzen-Dämmerung (Twilight of the Idols).


Thanks to Joe for sharing this tattoo with us here on best-tatto-design!

This entry is ©2011 best-tatto-design.

If you are reading this on another web site other than best-tatto-design, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://best-tatto-design.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I can contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.

Leigh's Skull with a Mouthful of Blossoms

Last month, I ran into Leigh, getting off the C train at 34th Street in Manhattan. She estimates she has 40% of her corporeal canvas covered, and she offered me this tattoo on her left forearm:

We've had  a lot of sugar skulls here on best-tatto-design, but everyone is different and unique. This one, inked by Myles Karr at Three Kings Tattoo in Brooklyn, stands out from the bow at the top of the skull, and the open jaw full of cherry blossoms, both items not generally associated with the traditional sugar skull design.

"I'm always talking," Leigh told me, "and it's always positive, so I wanted something that would keep the mouth open." She collaborated with Myles on the piece, saying she wanted a skull, but didn't want a "cliche," and pointed out it's also "kind of a take on the Suicidal Tendencies skull."

Thanks to Leigh for sharing this great tatoo with us here on best-tatto-design!

This entry is ©2011 best-tatto-design.

If you are reading this on another web site other than best-tatto-design, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://best-tatto-design.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I can contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.

busy week!

The hurricane may have scared people away over the weekend, but they all seemed to come in this week... which is a good thing!

I got to see my friend Simon on Friday... got to work on the tiger I started about a month ago... the pics aren't the greatest but they're good for now until it's healed and I can get better pics. Took my time on this one... had alot of fun with the colors and shading and really stoked to get this one in my portfolio. Kudos to Simon!!!

After the Tiger this walked in! I hadn't done a hanya yet so what a perfect night to do one! got to play around more with these new red inks Bobby mixed... really pleased with them!

This came in earlier on in the day.... much easier tattooing this area second time around... the first time i tattooed this area was when I first got back from hawaii, and really struggled with it. after some time staying away from this area and working in other places, I felt more comfortable trying it again.

Cute lettering walk in earlier in the day.

This was another fun one! My roommate has been talking about strawberry/skullberries on her foot, so we decided to stay late one night and get it started! Can't wait to color this one in. Like I said before I really enjoy tattooing feet for some reason, and want to get better at them... not the greatest photos, but for now theyll do.

This koi walked into NJ earlier last week, he only wanted an outline for now since that was more in his budget for that day... He picked an awesome one from our Mosher reference file so I used that... I could have done the scales more perfect... the tail isn't the best.


This walked in the same day in NJ... he only wanted half of it colored which I thought was a little strange, however it's going on him so what he says goes.... I hope to see him again for the other half... got to work on my greywash and stone texture which was fun. I want to get more work like this....



Yesterday I worked at the portside shop and got two walkins... both tattoos went on the same guy! He came in earlier for the ambigram thing on his arm, then came back hours later for another one... score! Has some more fun with stone lettering on his leg and got to practice with the ambigram, never done one before.

 Until next time.....