New ink: Raijin

Ok ink bug got me real bad....second big piece in a year and I hear myself saying even louder this time "Fuck it Live HARD for today" than at the start of the year...

Caught wind of another tattoo convention in Singapore earlier this month and it sure was packing some big names. Famous Japanese master Horiyoshi III was there and others like the Philip Leu family from Switzerland. Names and artwork already familiar with from my initial dabbles with tattoos in the early 90s...

From father to son.. the upcoming Horiyoshi IV? Father's handiwork on kiddo and kiddo exhibiting the same family styles on a client

Traditional tebori hand tattooing by Takayuki....

Cute. But doubt something like this will ever get on my skin....

Photoshoot after the competition

WTF! My new tattoo! A Japanese snowboy?

LoL.

Nope.... Revealed.

Raijin (the newer stylized version of the Japanese Thunder God) rumbling down.... exactly what I was having in mind... .big clumsy me going ass over heels on me bike. Hopefully this little mascot will "protect" me from that.


Ahhhh the power of belief.... placebos do work eh.

Kousho Horitoyo (Liberty Tattoo, Japan) full immersely in his handiwork.
I heard of living out of a suitcase, but working out of one? Well that's something new huh.

Horitoyo showing me the piece he got the night before from his friend, Dan Sinnes during a ciggy break..... no doubt an addition to Dan's pussy face series



4 hours down, 4 more to go..... back to the butcher chair.

"Looking the look"... actually more like biting down to silence the expletive string as the needle hit some nervy spot.

Horitoyo: "Bak-ga-round? Yes ? no?"
Me:         "Bakka- round???"
Me:         "Oh! Background!....ahhh Yes Yes"
Horitoyo: "eehhhh fuoor more ow-was.... U ok?
Me:         " Yea OK"

Screw me.... just committed another 4 hours.. but I really wanted to have the traditional Japanese tattoo spiral...

Too bad time was short...."Bakka-round" will have to wait till the next time we meet.

Not really into the "talk with someone to take mind off the sting" therapy. But this dude was just yakking  and yakking, no ink on arms and legs either..frankly twas getting bored till he pulled off the tee and showed off the back piece. One of the best details I've seen,

7th hour...Pleasant surprise. Looks a lot different than originally anticipated. Nice details

The "finished" piece