Tattoo Talk Home Page

MIKE

I have a colorful tattoo by Shahn Anderson of Electric Dragonland Tattoo Studio in Hopkins, Minnesota. It's an angel fighting a dragon, representing to me the struggle between good (the angel) and evil (the dragon). A few dragon fans have given me a tough time about conceptualizing evil with a dragon, but that's what I did...it works for me. Shahn's working on my arm in the picture below. It took seven and a half hours of needle work in one sitting to complete.

Shahn spent a long time listening to my concept, drawing versions of it, and talking to me about them. It's reassuring to connect with an artist who understands your idea and who gets into giving it to you really well. That was my experience with Shahn.

The finished struggle between good and evil is shown below.

This tattoo was my first public ink...something that showed below a t-shirt sleeve. I like the flames and angel wings in the lower part of the tattoo that draw the mind to wonder what's further up my arm under my shirt sleeve.

I also have a tattoo sleeve on my right shoulder and arm. The design and needle work were done by Joel Illch, who was then at Rick's Tattoo in Arlington, Virginia. Joel now owns Keepsake Tattoo Studio in Arlington. If you're in the area, check him out. That's Joel below after finishing my eagle.

The sleeve is a large eagle, representing to me the notion of my power animal the eagle and it's free-spiritedness. I originally had a small eagle done in black ink. Trevor Mulligan did it years ago when he was just beginning to play around with doing tattoos. Trevor also did a small Penn State logo on my leg.

After a while I wanted something larger and more colorful. Joel did a great job of designing the cover-up of Trevor's eagle. It took eight hours of needle time in one sitting. I've always appreciated the energy, patience, and good nature that Joel brought to doing my tattoo. Here are some pictures of my eagle.

I got my next ink from Bob Montagna of Fusion of Styles Tattoo Studio in Malaga, New Jersey. I'd seen a lot of Bob's work and really liked his style. And, because I was getting a Grateful Dead theme tattoo...skull, roses, and skeleton, I was glad to find out that Bob was a DeadHead from way back...I knew he'd get into my theme. Here's Bob working on the tattoo at the 1998 Richmond Tattoo Convention.

Here are some pictures of the finished product...

I'm not sure that this tattoo is done...I think I will extend the skeleton's body, put in a hand holding something...we'll see.

UPDATE

The 1999 Richmond Tattoo Convention rolled around, and I had an itchin' for ink. Below, you can see me with Bob Montagna in his booth, designed around a Grateful Dead theme...smile. With us in the picture is Bob's helper for the weekend, Fred. You can see more of Fred and his ink...a whole arm based on Grateful Dead songs...in the Guest Section.

Bob listened to my notions about the new ink I wanted...drawn from a recent cancer event...I'm a survivor of prostate cancer...and the empty noose that the skeleton's holding represents death "coming up empty."

Bob put a lot of detail in the skeleton...

Here's the final tattoo...can you find the doctor who got me through all the cancer stuff I've recently been through? Look closely...you'll see Dr. Katz with his moustached and stethoscope.

I've also filled in the upper part of my left arm...above the struggle between good and evil that Shahn Anderson did several years ago. John Joyes of State of the Art Tattoo Studio in Winchester, Virginia, is the artist for the new work on my arm. Below, John and I are discussing the design.

John doing the needle work...

Here's the finished shoulder...a colorful Magician. I really like the way John worked the piece into the existing work done by Shahn.

The full arm...

This whole piece began to fall together for me once the Magician was added to my arm. I now consider this arm a work in progress...I expect to go from shoulder all the way to the wrist. I added a Samurai Warrior to this arm...under the arm. Check it out....the picture below is after having the outline done by John Joyes. It amazed me what a sense of completion I had when the underarm was filled in, even with the outline.

Once the outline for the Samurai Warrior healed, I was back out in Winchester for John to begin the color work. Here are some pictures...

Do you think that hurt????

It sure did! Here's the final product...

Now I'm working on my armpit...with a tat depicting the rythmic energy of a drummer. This work is in progress....

John Joyes continues to work on new tats for me...here's the work he's doing on my back.

I've also begun the work on my lower left arm...eventually to connect with the work on my upper arm to become a full sleeve. This tiger is by John Joyes too.

After the tiger, John began a fantasy piece involving a young girl, a gargoyle, and myriad other things.

Here's my attempt at a montage showing the work around the arm.

While John Joyes continues to work on my lower left arm, Ron Shearer of Exposed Temptations Tattoo Studion in Manassas, VA is working on my chest....

I gotta tell you, the closer Ron got to my nipple with that needle, the more I was ready to give up tattoos forever. I have one more sitting in that area, the nipple itself.

Now I've finished this part of my chest. Yes, the needle on the nipple hurt.

Here's an update on my arm that John Joyes is working on. John recently did some work on the left arm fold...a tongue-wagging skeleton and a skeletonish face. See below...