Legendary Artists Around the World While we still cannot hop on a plane and go, or even drop down to our local tattoo studio, we will keep traveling in our imagination and anticipation. Today we take a look at two utter legends within traditional tattooing who are still practicing their art to this day. [...]
Sailor Jerry's Legacy Part II Sailor Jerry evolved the traditions of American body art to a whole new level. He took the classic American flash style ready-made designs and incorporated inspiration from his times sailing across the Pacific. He corresponded with Japanese traditional tattoo masters and put his own spin and experience on what they would [...]
Sailor Jerry's Legacy Part I The man responsible for popularising the Old School Sailor Style tattoo is a man known by his nickname Sailor Jerry. His real name was Norman Keith Collins, and he was born on the 14th of January, 1911, in Reno. Nevada. He spent most of his childhood in a small town [...]
Old School Sailor Tattoos II Follow along as we keep diving into the rich and fascinating traditions of the tattoos of seafarers far and wide. The more they sailed, the more they earned. Gunpowder for ink and the original knuckle phrase tattoo that could make the difference between life and death… as if sailing the [...]
Old School Sailor Tattoos I Crossing the imaginary seas It looks as if travel is off the cards again, at lest for the near future. In place of being able to hop around the world, or even across the continent or the country, we thought we’d honour the nomadic tradition of modern tattooing. This post [...]
Halloween Special - the Supernatural History of Tattooing Today we see tattoos mostly as a form of self-expression and individuality. A way to tell our unique story to the world, and to honour our one-of-a-kind embodied experience on this planet. While some have returned to the ancient mystical essence of tattooing by exploring the realms [...]
Tattoo Glossary - A to C Ever felt like you need to Urban Dictionary some of the things you hear around a tattoo studio? Or on blogs like this for that matter? We decided to do a thorough run-through of all the jargon and terminology you may come across while hanging around a tattoo shop, be that [...]
Pioneering Women in Tattooing - Jacci Gresham The first African American female tattoo artist, Jacci Gresham, is the stuff of legends. A true pioneer and an icon, Gresham is now 72-years old and has been tattooing for over four decades. Her shop, Aart Accent Tattoos & Body Piercing in New Orleans, is Louisiana’s oldest tattoo [...]
Japanese tattooing Japanese tattooing occupies its own revered place in ink legend. And from the stunning full-body suits to the minimalistic studios and the elegant hand-poking Tebori tools, what’s not to be in awe of. One of the true classics of the global tattoo trade, let’s take a closer look at the legacy of ink [...]
The Tattooed Ladies Tattooed ladies were working-class women who had gotten plenty of ink at a time when it was unthinkable for any proper ‘lady’ to do so. They performed in circuses and sideshows, along sword swallowers, fire eaters and bearded women throughout the late 19th and early 20th century. The ladies would wear clothing [...]
