Tony's Celtic Fish, Swimming Up His Calf

Last month, I spotted Tony on the R train after leaving the 14th Street/Union Square station.

About thirteen years ago, his girlfriend was getting a Celtic dog tattoo, and he decided to get inked as well:

These works of art on his left leg derive, he told me, were inspired by illustrations from the Book of Kells.

Book/Manuscript: Book of Kells
VII Century, Ireland / ScotlandPage (Folio): 188v
initial letter I with lion and fish
(from http://www.art-imagery.com/)

Tony explained that he is a SCUBA instructor, so these fish from the mackerel family are a nice link to that vocation.

Not only have these tattoos held up over the years, they are noteworthy because they were inked by Pat Fish in Santa Barbara, who is regarded as one of the premiere artists working with Celtic designs.

I also love the coincidental nature of Fish by Fish.

Thanks to Tony for sharing these amazing tattoos with us here on Tattoosday!

Tony's Celtic Fish, Swimming Up His Calf

Last month, I spotted Tony on the R train after leaving the 14th Street/Union Square station.

About thirteen years ago, his girlfriend was getting a Celtic dog tattoo, and he decided to get inked as well:

These works of art on his left leg derive, he told me, were inspired by illustrations from the Book of Kells.

Book/Manuscript: Book of Kells
VII Century, Ireland / ScotlandPage (Folio): 188v
initial letter I with lion and fish
(from http://www.art-imagery.com/)

Tony explained that he is a SCUBA instructor, so these fish from the mackerel family are a nice link to that vocation.

Not only have these tattoos held up over the years, they are noteworthy because they were inked by Pat Fish in Santa Barbara, who is regarded as one of the premiere artists working with Celtic designs.

I also love the coincidental nature of Fish by Fish.

Thanks to Tony for sharing these amazing tattoos with us here on Tattoosday!

Kristen's Trilogy of Knots

The 34th Street Platform for the A Train has been very kind to us here at Tattoosday, even more so this summer than in years' past.

Take Kristen, for example. She generously offered up this small portion of her corporeal canvas:

Estimating that she is at least a quarter covered by ink, this "trilogy of knots" was the artist's response to Kristen's request to attach the cobwebs on her elbow to the end of her wrist.

The artist, identified only as "Batman" near Canal and Broadway, was also asked to incorporate a Celtic pattern, as well.

The final result was to Kristen's liking and we here at Tattoosday thank her for sharing the tattoo with all of our readers!

Kristen's Trilogy of Knots

The 34th Street Platform for the A Train has been very kind to us here at Tattoosday, even more so this summer than in years' past.

Take Kristen, for example. She generously offered up this small portion of her corporeal canvas:

Estimating that she is at least a quarter covered by ink, this "trilogy of knots" was the artist's response to Kristen's request to attach the cobwebs on her elbow to the end of her wrist.

The artist, identified only as "Batman" near Canal and Broadway, was also asked to incorporate a Celtic pattern, as well.

The final result was to Kristen's liking and we here at Tattoosday thank her for sharing the tattoo with all of our readers!

Cross Tattoos Christian, Celtic, Tribal, and More Cross Tattoo Designs

Cross tattoo has been around for years and has never lost its appeal even up to the present day. The reason being is its universal meaning plus the powerful significance it can convey. It generally is a representation of one's spiritual beliefs and faith.

Aside from being a religious symbol, it is also use as in loving memory tattoo, also known as RIP tattoo. Sometimes, symbols like heart, banner and flowers are combined along with the name of the dead person and the death date. The cross is tattooed as a memory of a loved one who passed away as if serving as a gravestone on one's body.

This type of body art comes in many forms. It was a favorite among the old school type of tattoos patronized by bikers, seaman and merchants. It can be seen combined with other elements such as skull, star, flames, dagger, rose, heart and banner.

Celtic cross is another popular cross tat design which is a representation of Irish, Scottish or Welsh heritage. It is easily identifiable as it is interwoven with Celtic knot which is a symbol of the never ending cycle of life. Some tat enthusiasts also choose to incorporate tribal art into their tattoo design while some choose the Gothic style of cross tat.

The Christian cross tattoo is the most popular form that is meant to symbolize one's faith in God. It can be in the form of Latin cross (simple cross) or in the form of crucifix bearing Christ's image while he was being crucified. It can also be combined with other religious images such as the angel, the rosary, image of Mary and Jesus Christ.

The symbol of cross as a tat image is usually inked small, perhaps to retain the sincerity of their symbolism. It is usually seen on small parts of the body such as the ankle, foot, wrist, upper back and arm. Cross tattoo, with its wide appeal and holy implications will always remain as a tat image that will be around for more years to come.

The Tattooed Poets Project: Theresa Senato Edwards

We are launching this second volume of the Tattooed Poets Project with Theresa Senato Edwards.

Theresa seemed like the ideal candidate to kick off the month, as she is the devoted editor of Holly Rose Review, a poetry and tattoo literary arts journal.

Theresa has four tattoos, and picked two to share with us here on Tattoosday.

Her first tattoo was this Celtic symbol on the left part of her upper back:
A closer look:


Theresa tells us that this is the:

"Celtic symbol for motherhood, two dots representing my two sons. The goldish dot for Richard, his birthday in November (November birthstone); the red dot for Troy, his birthday in July (July birthstone). I had asked my younger son, Troy, if he thought it would be cool to have his artwork on my skin forever. He did, so he drew it for me, looking at a pic I got off the internet. Tattoo by Mike Calamita, Lasting Impression Tattooing in Hopewell Junction, NY."

My favorite of Theresa's four tattoos was the third one she received, this holly rose:

Theresa explains that this holly rose is

"a holly branch wrapped around a bloomed red/purplish rose with thorned stem.... [and] symbolizes my parents: my dad's birthday was in December; the holly is one of the plants that represents December. My mom's birthday was in June; the rose represents June. They have both been dead for more than 15 years. I had this done in their memory. That's also where the title of Holly Rose Review comes from, although I didn't know that at the time I got the tattoo. Also done by Mike Calamita."

Check out Theresa's poem "Holly Rose," about this tattoo, over at BillyBlog. You can read more of Theresa's work over on her blog here.

Thanks again to Theresa for helping kick off our second annual Tattooed Poets Project!

Summer's Celtic Cross Honors Her Father

I see a lot of crosses in my travels through the streets of New York City, so they don't generally grab my attention.

This one, however, did:



There's nothing necessarily magnificent about this tattoo, but it just goes to show that a crisp, simple tattoo can be as aesthetically pleasing, sometimes moreso, than an overly-wrought elaborate design.

Summer had this memorial piece done for her father, who passed away in 2005. His initials grace the center of the cross.

It was inked in Tattooville in Linden, New Jersey. This piece is on Summer's left bicep, she also has the comedy/tragedy masks on the right shoulder blade portion of her back.

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