Esther's Tattoo of Patience

I met Esther last month at the Coney Island Mermaid Parade.

I found her tattoo intriguing and asked her about it.

Esther explained:

"I designed it myself. I got it right when I turned 18. I got it in Hawai'i ... I was going through a tough time, so I was kinda like, you know, strength and wisdom and patience. The kanji itself means patience."

She credited it to an artist named Lee.

Thanks to Esther for sharing her awesome tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

This entry is ©2014 Tattoosday.

If you are seeing this on another website other than Tattoosday, 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://tattoosday.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.

Gonzo & Camilla on Denise (at the NYC Tattoo Convention)

Still recapping individual pieces I spotted at the NYC Tattoo Convention last weekend, I was fortunate enough to stumble upon Denise Bock, a licensed massage therapist from Philadelphia, who possesses these truly amazing tattoos:

Yes that's Gonzo the Great and Camilla the chicken, from the Muppets, gazing lovingly at one another from Denise's calves.

Earlier this week, Denise and I corresponded via e-mail, so I could get the full story behind these amazing tattoos.

Denise explains:

"The Muppets were a HUGE part of my upbringing. My father could do many of the voices and would sometimes break into the Swedish Chef at dinner time. This was back in the late 70's when the Muppets were truly bad ass.

You may not have noticed but my legs are kinda chickeny & skinny....doesn't help that my last name is Bock. I pick my food apart, inspecting it and I have been known to get myself in a tizzy with feathers all a flyin'. Therefore, Camilla represents me. My fiancee, John, he's Gonzo, the Big Nosed Weirdo. (If you didn't know, Gonzo and Camilla are married).

Long story short, I was going to marry John (not planned) in Hawaii but I chickened out. I was also supposed to get tattooed but the artist and I did not resonate well. So I left the island not married [and] not tattooed. Ain't no thing.

Tattoos are personal for me. All of my tattoos represent love. John and I love each other and Hawaii. Hawaii feels like home to me; one day I will permanently reside on the Big Island. That's why Camilla is wearing coconut boobies and a lei, and Gonzo has on a Hawaiian shirt. (I love how Gonzo is gazing at Camilla) The sunset heart. It's all there. 

If something ever happens between John and me, I wouldn't feel awkward for having a Gonzo and Camilla tatted on me. It's not like it's his name. Besides, there are so many other bad ass qualities, I didn't care. I'm a lady that does what she wants."

This incredible work was created by Pete Zebley at Body Graphics Portside Parlor in Philadelphia.

Thanks to Denise for sharing her amazing tattoos with us here on Tattoosday!

This entry is ©2014 Tattoosday.

If you are seeing this on another website other than Tattoosday, 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://tattoosday.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.

Tattoosday Goes to L.A.: Alisonna Shares a Little Hawai'i at LAX

Despite the fact that my flight was boarding, I was at the next gate over, talking to Alisonna.

My trip to Los Angeles was pretty much over, but I spotted Alisonna's foot and couldn't resist one last interview. Having been raised in Honolulu, this tattoo was an added bonus:

Despite my initial guess that this was a gecko, Alisonna clarified:

"Have you ever heard of ʻaumākua? It's a family guardian. Hawaiians believe in family guardians ... there's multiples, like geckos, sharks, turtles ... Gecko is mine, and so I decided to put it on my foot, on me left side, actually because in Hawaiian culture, your left side is your man side and your right side is your woman side ... the two orchids are for my ... parents, and this right here, the lauhala [the curved fragment above the two orchids] is for the family."

She credited the work to an artist called "Nae" who had worked at 808 Tattoo Studio in Kāneʻohe, Hawai'i.

A warm mahalo to Alisonna for sharing her guardian tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

This entry is ©2013 Tattoosday.

If you are seeing this on another website other than Tattoosday, 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://tattoosday.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.