Some new ink
The past few days Christy and I have been out in LA for a little vacation and a little live music. While we weren’t out there for very long, I had some downtime so I decided to fill it by getting a little ink done. I’ve been thinking about getting some more tattoo’s for several years and got real serious about 6 months ago so this wasn’t just a whim. My previous tattoo’s are all in areas that can be covered up with a t-shirt and being that I don’t go around bare-chested that much, I’d say that most people don’t even know that I have had some of them for over 10 years. I really felt the urge to change that this time around… I wanted to make a statement about who I am so I landed on the forearms as the right place.
I’ve been asked a million times what I was getting and why.. so I figure I’ll answer a little of that here. I had thrown around the idea of going with a full sleeve but something just didn’t feel right about it so I dove into the history of tattooing to figure out the best way to express my thoughts and ideas through art. I wanted something that expressed foundation, that expressed holding strong through the storm (much like what this blog is about), something that reminded me of my family and something that would reflect my Faith. Sailors were some of the first people to really take tattooing to a symbolic level and when you dig into what some of the things they mean, it’s mind blowing. You could tell where a sailor had been and what kind of life he led just by looking at his tattoos. After reading all of that history, I felt drawn to a nautical style of tattoo and one day I landed on reading on what an anchor meant to a Sailor and knew that was exactly what I wanted. An anchor symbolizes a safe return home to port because that is where they dropped anchor when they returned. Because the anchor holds the ship in place, it was the perfect symbol I wanted for a strong foundation in my life. And if you look through history, you will find that early Christians used the anchor with a long crossbar as a way to display their faith without facing persecution or to recognize one another.
I had been searching Houston and Austin for a good place to get the work done and had a few leads lined up to visit when we got back from LA. On a whim I emailed my cousin that does tattoos out in Phoenix and asked if he knew of any good shops out in LA… you know.. besides LA Ink. He suggested Spotlight Tattoo run by Bob Roberts because, in his words, they are the best of the best and where a lot of tattoo artists go to get work done. I called them, not holding out much hope that they would have an opening, and as luck would have it Steve Serazio had an opening on Wed. I’m in! The whole experience of going to LA, having fun in the culture, and getting some ink done out there was incredible. After watching those guys work there is no doubt they are the best around.
When I think back on my other tattoos there is a story with each one from coming up with the idea, to going to get it, to where I got it, who was with me, what it stands for… everything. And I’m convinced this story tells the best out of all of them. It’s more than just marking up your body.. it’s about expression. Permanent expression. I hope you guys dig them.. I sure do!
I love them, Tanker! So cool…and as Christy said, so sexy. =] What awesome symbolism!
Tight. Those are badass man.
Definitely diggin’ the story/meaning behind the tattoos, and the shirt in the first picture ain’t half bad either.
Dude! You shoulda gotten a loaf of bread on one side and a drop of water on the other! LOL! Those look great, glad you enjoyed your time in LA!!! Now you can tell the story that you got them the day of the Bread and Water video shoot.
By the way, what shop in Phoenix does you cousin work at? We will be there the end of this month. More importantly…would you trust him to tattoo you???
LOVE THEM!
SWEET! Love the decision and meaning behind it all…very cool.
Look great! Reminds me of Popeye!
I love the meanings Ryan. Good thoughts…..
And Happy B Day!
So glad to hear the story behind the ink; you’ve expressed yourself here so well that I can feel your passion! I love you and am looking forward to seeing you & Christy in AZ soon!!!
Man those are sharp! Looks good..
One of my best friends, Steve rules as a tattooer. U lucked out!!
yeah man.. 3 years later and people still compliment on the detail and quality. But I think that as I look back it’s more about destiny that luck.