Showing posts with label Words. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Words. Show all posts

Camila's Inspirational Quote from Gandhi

I spotted an amazing tattoo-in-progress last month in Penn Station and I just had to stop and ask the young lady what it was about.

Camila has a piece that, among other things, represents the cityscape of Rio de Janeiro, circling her lower left calf. Alas, you won't see it here (yet), as it is not finished. [Update, November 16, 2009: Camila sent me photos of the tattoo which was subsequently finished. See it here.]

Some people are reluctant to have me photograph their works-in-progress, as they would rather the tattoo be complete before being displayed for all on the blogosphere to see. Others are indifferent and tell me to snap away.

There's pros and cons to both approaches, but one of the pros is that we see a tattoo in its pre-completion stage and then get to see it after it's done. The two versions are often quite interesting to compare and contrast.

But that's neither here nor there. Fortunately for me, Camila has ten tattoos, and she offered up this quote attributed to Mahatma Gandhi on her inner left forearm:


The quote, "Be the change you wish to see in the world," speaks to Camila, as she is a social worker and, she says, "it represents what I stand for in life".

I thank Camila for taking the time to chat with us on Tattoosday, and look forward to featuring her other tattoo(s) in the future!

Kevin's Angel Tattoo Inspires

I spotted Kevin at the corner of 33rd Street and 7th Avenue and asked him about his incredible tattoo covering the majority of his left arm:


His upper arm has a cross on it, so Kevin worked downward on the arm. The angel is based on the sculpture of "The Angel of the Waters" in Central Park's Bethesda Fountain.



He subsequently added the banner that reads "Veni Vidi Vici" on the back side of the forearm:


This famous Latin phrase, attributed to Julius Caesar, means "I came. I saw. I conquered." In his mind, this sums up Kevin's life, having moved from a town of 70,000 people to a megopolis of over 7 million, attaining a senior position with a fashion corporation.

Kevin is particularly happy with the detail in the wings and the angel herself.


Ray Jerez at Inborn NYC on the Lower East Side of Manhattan is the artist behind this tattoo.

Thanks much to Kevin for sharing his amazing tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!