harvest moon

In a misty afternoon drizzle I left for NYC Monday, hoping that the harvest moon would bring some extra magic to the completion of two sleeves that I started earlier this year. I got in on the train about 1130 that evening and was very exhausted .
As I arrived at the shop the following morning I wasn’t quite sure what I had in store for my appts. The internet calendar hasn’t been sinking with mine in a few months, so of course I had a general idea of who and what I was tattooing but on which particular days and times was a complete mystery, and although that can be fun at times, it also makes it hard to prepare for what type of day you are going to have . My first client Brian had to cancel reschedule for the following month so although disappointed I couldn’t work on his snake sleeve, I had time to check the iCal and prepare for the half sleeve I would finish at 4 on Vinnie. I also got to catch up with regular North Star Tattoo artist and friend Daniel Cotte , along with new North Star addition from Brazil, Jimmy, and visiting guest artist from Spain, Diego Diem.

I was happy with the patterns and colors that i chose and I look forward to adding a tiger on the bottom half of his arm in November .

The samurai depicted is from the epic Kuniyoshi 49 ronin woodblock prints. I hope to finish this one next month.
The following day I was excited to finish a sleeve of a snake and Hannya and blossoms that I really like , but unfortunately my client didn’t show up or call for his last appt. That’s how it goes as a tattooer, you never know if your going to finish something you put so much into or not, all you can do is keep on working . Two missed appts in one trip isn’t the norm but it happens. The rest of my time in manhattan was great as always, getting to catch up with good friends, a beautiful harvest moon, and some helpful tips on my upcoming trip to Nepal.

Portals

You never know quite where you’re going to arrive when you leave the mundane world and enter into the tattooing world. A shaman of composition arranging ideas and values from the mind onto the flesh, while baptizing the offerings in blood, as if contained in a portal with a secret opening and long passageways in many directions.
The music keeps the time for thoughts and these projections go onward and sometimes backward but nevertheless reaching some destination further along the journey. We learn as we go and fumble and make mistakes and also triumph in great victories, only to do it over and over . These are some of this weeks baptisms.