2008 Wrap-Up, Looking Ahead to 2009

For those of you following Tattoosday, I am going to take a different approach to the blog in 2009.

The concept will be the same, but I am going to enhance it a little bit. All posts will be dated and time-stamped around the time that they happened. So, if I don't get around to posting the ink for a few days, it will be back-dated for chronological effect.

I also want to blog above and beyond the successes (i.e. the people who said "No") and expand to other tattoo-related topics, when they arise.

For example, if I stop in Borders and look at a tattoo book, I'd like to link it here. I am hoping to turn all the "no thank yous" into items of interest.

I also have a couple of new features in the works that I hope to unveil in the new year that will continue to make Tattoosday the interesting experience that I believe it is.

In an effort to start out with a clean slate, I am cleaning out my drafts and posting all the remaining drafts I have in house, including several pieces by Jessica, who I met back in June.

Once again I want to thank everyone who regularly reads Tattoosday, and those who visit once in a while. 2008 was a banner year, registering over 100,000 hits this year alone. I'm looking forward to seeing what 2009 will bring. Happy New Year!

New Years Firework Displays and Shows Worldwide

Cataloged here are some of the best New Years Fireworks display locations that were captured from the major cities and popular destinations across the world. It is a holiday that is celebrated by all cultures, and the Gregorian calender date of January 1st is synonymous with partying hard!




























2008 Taipei 101 New Year Fireworks Display


2008 New Year Fireworks, Sydney, Australia


New Year 2008 Bangkok Firework


Year 2008 Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

More of Jessica's Ink: Blue Stars and Random Art

Here are some more tattoos from Jessica, who inked much of this work herself. She has over 50 tattoos, and has work featured before here.

She has inked some blue stars....


And that is Italy as well, with the red, white and green colors of the country's flag. The blue stars accompany a tomato slice and what I assume to be a Madagascar hissing cockroach...


and a koala bear.....


Thanks to Jessica for sharing all her ink here at Tattoosday.

More of Jessica: A Death's-head Hawk Moth and Knee Flames

Here's more of Jessica's ink. "Flames on my kneecap and the death's head moth from The Silence of the Lambs....."





That is the Death's-head Hawkmoth:


which came to cultural significance when featured on the movie poster for the Jodie Foster movie mentioned above.


Thanks again to Jessica for sharing her ink with us here on Tattoosday!

More of Jessica: Moogoogaipan and Red Foo

Here are the last two pieces I have on Jessica (I'm sure in '09 she'll send me more...). They are her foo dogs, which she has dubbed Moogoogaipan (named after the Americanized Chinese food dish moo goo gai pan) and Red Foo.



Jessica has shared a lot of ink here. She actually has some other foo dogs in an arm sleeve (shown here) which are well worth seeing again. Thanks again Jessica!

Street and Prison Gang Tattoos

Today Tattoo Designs presents:Street and Prison Gang Tattoos


Prison tattoo gun

Street and prison gang members use tattoos for several reasons.Many members, particularly if the gang has a propensity for violence, will have the gang name tattooed in large bold letters so that other persons or gang members will know what gang the person represents.
Prison tattoos speak a language all their own – and it’s often a coded one.
Street and Prison Gang Tattoos often vary according to nationality, though a few symbols seem to be universal.

-Russian Prison Tattoos



– Show the prisoner’s rank and position within the prison system, something which was often a source of pride rather than shame.

-Mexican Prison Tattoos



-Mexican prison tattoos tell the story of the inmates life

Prisoners have some standard designs for tattoos. For example spider webs on the shoulders mean doing time while tombstones with numbers mean how many years the prisoner spent in a penitentiary.
As it is difficult to get ink inside the prison most of the prison tattoo design would be made in either black or blue. Ink is made in a crude fashion by melting rubber or candles. This is then mixed with water and used. In case a motor is not available the whole process becomes very slow as compared to a tattoo gun. But in the absence of a motor, the tattooing process is very quiet as it should be in a prison.


Prison Gang Tattoos


Prison Gang Tattoos

Fairytales in Dominoes: Snowwhite

Last week I spent hours and hours working on my first Fairytale.

This is the result, it includes over 12.000 dominoes and I didn't topple one domino too early.

Art on Guitars

Cool looking creative painting on guitars.