And you’re happy with your artist? Huh

I have one full sleeve, one half sleeve, most of one lower leg, one side of my ribs, and a small tattoo in the center of my back. My family is pretty into them with the exception of my grandparents. My city has probably too many tattoo shops and a decent percentage of the population is tattooed. I’ve never had negative comments directed towards me (to my face at least). I am currently working as a home remodeler while I complete my apprenticeship to become a tattoo artist so my tattoos are almost a uniform now. I’m 32 years old and I got my first tattoo at 20 years old.

Full sleeve- Japanese snake, hannya, and peonies. The snake is for the old life that I shed and for new beginnings like a snake shedding it’s skin. The snake also represents intelligence, charm, and creativity.

Half sleeve- salt water fish and corals. I am a salt water fish enthusiast.

Gerber daisies in both ditches- the first flowers I ever gave my girlfriend

Lower leg- tribal dragon (I know… It’s done poorly as well). Bio-organic gooey dripping eyeball, anvil with the words black metal above and below (a tattoo I share with my closest friends.

Blue star in center of my back- my mom has a crescent moon and star for mother and child, I got the star as I am her child.

Ribs- graffiti drawing of Buffalo city hall. My city, I love this place.

I have just one tat right now, between my shoulder blades on my back.

My wife was iffy because she just doesn’t think they are for her, but my grown kids and their spouses thought, yeah dad go for it.

Our city is very accepting of tattoo’s.

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Hawaiian/Polynesian Makau (fish hook) means “Strength and Prosperity”

My ink is now one week old, and I’m now looking to add to it. My wife admitted that she loves what I had done, but would rather I not add more. I told her today that I was not done completing this one yet, and that will be the next phase of this one, and any new ones after that will still be a completion of the first one etc.

I have 4 : Right rib cage, collar bone, a line on both biceps, and then one right between my shoulder blades. Plain on getting plenty more but I want them to: A) look good or B) mean something to me.

My home town is a pretty big area, so you find plenty of both accepting people and people that look at you like you’re the scum of the Earth.
However the town I live in for college bleeds conservative. So nobody likes them, but meh doesn’t bother me any, just gives me incentive to show them off more.

My mum jokes with me cause when I got my ribs done I was constantly saying “I’m only getting one…” Obviously didn’t work out like that. However I’m getting home from college in 2 weeks and taking her to get her first, so I’m guessing she’s cool with it. (:

I’m 19 now, got my first the day after I turned 18.

My rib cage is a memorial piece to my pops who died in a car accident, I was young but my god-father who was military with him says I’m just like him

My chest- “This is loyalty, this is Family” had a lot of issues going through highschool and family is family and just wanted something to commemorate that for me.

My biceps- ” Seize the day, tomorrow is never promised”
My back- “I am the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.” These 2 go together for me just as a reminder that this is a life quickly passing by and I strongly believe in living in the moment and making the most of everything I do.

I have 7 currently. I am no where near covered, but I would love to be.
My parents are incredibly conservative and probably had nightmares when I got my first one. The town I’m in is incredibly open to tattoos. I live nearby to a large military community so it is nothing new to the people here.
I got my first one at 18. I’m 23 now.

All of mine have meaning, at least to me the meanings are very strong and totally help me remember some big times in my life.
*Left shoulder blade (first one): Says “Semper Fidelis” and has two plumeria flowers on either side of it. The flowers are colored to match my husband and my astrological signs (yellow – earth, pink – fire). My husband was in Iraq for his first tour of duty when I got it.
*Right inner ankle: Three Hawaiian style turtles with a hibiscus flower in the middle. It’s all grey and black shaded. I got it to represent myself and my parents who moved to the island together, in a very simple explanation.
*Left outter ankle/shin: Blue lotus flower, two dragonflies(one pink and one purple) and my brother’s name. Fairly obvious why I got that, I wanted him with me always. [Sadly this tattoo needs a lot of work. The artist who did it really did not get the idea I was going for and so now I am left with a less than perfect tattoo]
*Right wrist: Very simple, very powerful. It says “Hope” with some line designs underneath it. I got it when I was dealing with my own personal battle with two gnarly diseases.
*Left wrist: Hawaiian turtle with a hibiscus on its back. Hawaii means the world to me (can ya tell?) The turtle is solid black and the flower is red. Red for passion, love. My friend and I got them together when we were both on the island.
*Left hand ring finger: A Celtic trinity knot. My husband and I have matching tattoos here. We got them in our third year of being married, before his third deployment. They represent our never ending promise to each other. Plus it looks pretty rad underneath our rings.
*Left hip: A penguin and an M-16 rifle. Literally it’s just that. A very realistic penguin with a rifle resting on its wing. It’s black and grey and definitely my most unique one. My husband and I jokingly call each other our “penguin” and the first gun I ever shot was an M-16 which is what he uses at work. This one was a homecoming surprise for him one year.

I have plans for several more and once I get more settled in this area I am definitely going to start some serious consults and check out local artists!