fuckyeahtattoos:

by Scoot Mason of Forever Young Ink, Toronto.

fuckyeahtattoos:

My first tattoo, about 15 hours of work with Jeremy Justice at Apocalypse Tattoo in Seattle, WA. Nicest guy and a great artist. I can’t explain why this image resonated with me, but it’s what I always imagined when I visualized my tattoo. Already planning on the next one. 

swellshark:

curate:

i’ve had my shirt off at work recently and people are all like, “WHAT’S THAT THING ON YOUR BACK?”

i just tell them that it’s the major river systems of the United States— and they’re all like, “WELL THAT DOESN’T LOOK LIKE THE UNITED STATES…”

and i just smile. because that’s the point. i hardly ever tell people why i got the tattoo because they are turned off by my explanation.

but when i explain, i say: “it’s a critique of nationalism, of borders, of conceptions of space. it’s a promotion of fluidity in cultures and in the self.” i state that my tattoo is inspired by the writings of Gloria Anzaldua on border cultures and border peoples (both actually and conceptually), but most folks are unfortunately unfamiliar with her writing. 

but there’s also my geographer side to it. i think it’s cool that John Wesley Powell once stated that the places we live would be better off demarcated by the watershed we live in (even though i dislike the concept of demarcation). few took his thoughts seriously on the matter, so now we have many national and state borders found in rivers (like the Rio Grande or the Ohio). this really doesn’t make sense because rivers are the centers of their watersheds and greater ecosystems, not the harsh edge. to have a river on the fringe in this way highlights the disregard humans have concerning viewing themselves as part of the environment in which they live and the disregard colonialism often has for the surroundings in which it usurps.

— harrison-nosirrah  via hickies-n-hotpants:jcfitzner

I will forever reblog and drool all over this.

shercock-watsoon:

fuckyeahtattoos:

I have always been fascinated by northern lights!

Done by Pierre-Luc Fillion, at Tattoo Shack

“I guess I’m just used to being in my own skin.”
- Rick Genest for Dermablend Pro.

fuckyeahtattoos:

This is my tattoo literally five minutes after getting it done. It’s from the original cover art of The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien. It’s my favorite book as well as both my parents’. Aragorn is my favorite character and he finds this tree right before his coronation. The tree is a symbol of hope and now that I’m in college far away from home I got it as a symbol of hope as well as reminder of home. It was done by Tom at Fusion Ink in Norfolk. He was so nice and awesome. I will definitely be going back again sometime in the future. 

fuckyeahtattoos:

As a lover of all things Miyazaki, I felt my first tattoo MUST incorporate a character from one of his films. Spirited Away has always held a special place in my heart. It was my second Miyazaki film after Kiki’s Delivery Service, and by far the most beautiful of the Studio Ghibli collection. I knew I also wanted something one of a kind and as original as possible. I decided on the River Spirit. It’s not only one of my favorite scenes in the movie, but it also subtlety holds the message of “don’t judge a book by its cover.” This piece was done by Raven at Star Tattoo in Albuquerque, NM. She did a brilliant job, and I couldn’t happier with my first tattoo :))

fuckyeahtattoos:

When I was younger, my sister and I used to watch various Studio Ghibli films over and over again. Our favourite grew to be ‘My Neighbour Totoro’ a story about 2 sisters who move house and make forest spirit friends whilst their mother is in hospital. It’s a beautiful film, and it seemed fitting a tattoo to honour my sister would be a Chu Totoro, which she drew herself for me. When She turns 18, my present to her is a Chibi Totoro tattoo, to represent me. It’s my second tattoo, and Paul from K2 in Peterlee, Durham, England, couldn’t have done a better job of the tattoo itself, and making getting it so much fun. I’m in love with it. This picture was taken an hour after it was finished. 

Oooh, a Totoro tattoo would also be awesome - perhaps of the linework from the Studio Ghibli logo? I was thinking of getting something Japanese (like 楽, which is the character in words like ‘music,’ ‘fun,’ and ‘comfort’), but it just seems kinda cliched. But I need something to represent how much I love Japan and Japanese culture & language.