Tattoosday Blog: NYC Urban Tattoo Convention

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Alfredo's Back Piece Honors Mexican History (from the 4th Annual NYC Urban Tattoo Convention)

✓ Aztec, Inked City, Mexican Heritage, NYC Urban Tattoo Convention

One of our lost posts of the summer was from the NYC Urban Tattoo Convention. I met a guy named Alfredo who shared this back piece:

Alfredo explained, “It’s all Mexican history … all about independence about Mexico … from Aztecs … to the independence from Spain.”

He credited Marco Rodriguez from Inked City Tattoo in Trenton, New Jersey with this amazing work.

Thanks to Alfredo for sharing this with us here on Tattoosday!

If you are seeing this on another website other than Tattoosday, without attribution, please note that it has been copied without the author's permission and is in violation of copyright laws. Please feel free to visit http://tattoosday.blogspot.com and read our original content. Please let me know if you saw this elsewhere so I contact the webmaster of the offending site and advise them of this violation in their Terms of Use Agreement.

Cecilia's Spiritual Dreamcatcher (at the NYC Urban Tattoo Convention)

✓ Chakras, dreamcatchers, feathers, hawks, NYC Urban Tattoo Convention, South Seas Tattoo

Even though the 4th annual NYC Urban Tattoo Convention was at the end of June, I'm still reliving the experience through posts of tattoos I saw there.

While speaking with one attendee named Cecilia, she pulled her shirt up to reveal this dreamcatcher tattoo on her ribs:

I recently followed up with Cecilia and asked her specifically about the tattoo.

First, she credited this lovely work to Kristin Lowery, owner/artist at South Seas Tattoo in Hilo, Hawaii, who used a feather Cecilia had found in New York as reference material. She said she was "pretty sure, after researching, [that] it's a hawk feather."

Cecilia was very detailed, explaining the spirituality behind this dreamcatcher:

"... I wanted to incorporate something like a dream catcher using the symbol of the 3rd chakra ... the hawk - in animal spirit medicine/as a totem in Native American tradition means

-messenger of the spirit world
-focused power
-power to see/clear vision
-connection to spirit, spiritual awareness

I got [the tattoo] on my left side which represents the feminine and I got it on my rib cage for it to land close to my heart and aligned with the 3rd chakra solar plexus and heart chakra.

Chakras are energy points in the human body.

3rd chakra is a energetic center for empowerment, where your ego lives, where your inner warrior develops and where you decide who you are and project it out unto the world. It is from this place that our principles are born and developed, and where our codes for living get created and maintained. It is from here that we assert our will and stand up for 'who we are.' Self-esteem is the result of the third chakra.

[This tattoo] represents for me a rite of passage to connect with my true nature, to gain spiritual awareness, to own my power and to become the person I was meant to and fulfill my purpose in this lifetime!"

Cecilia's spirituality should come as no surprise, as she is an New York-based artist, whose photography can be seen here. You can also visit her Etsy shop here.

Thanks to Cecilia for sharing this lovely tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

Jenny's Tattoo Speaks No Evil (at the Urban Tattoo Convention)

✓ NYC Urban Tattoo Convention, See No Evil, skeletons, Splinter

Last week I posted Erika's cheetah tattoo from the NYC Urban Tattoo Convention at the end of June. When I met her, I also met her friend Jenny, who had this cool piece on her inner arm:

This piece was also done by Splinter.

This is a take on the whole "See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Speak No Evil" motif, but Jenny said it has the extra meaning for her of "To each his own ... no judgment."

Thanks to Jenny for sharing this cool tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

Erika's Cheetah by Splinter (at the Urban Tattoo Convention)

✓ Cheetahs, NYC Urban Tattoo Convention, Splinter

This is another post about some cool work I spotted at the 4th Annual New York City Tattoo Convention.

Check out this cheetah:

This piece was done by an artist named Albert Martinez who tattoos under the name "Splinter."

When I asked why she got a cheetah, Erika indicated it really fit her personality. "I just got it 'cause I'm wild and ... I do what I want," she told me.

Thanks to Erika for sharing this wild and colorful tattoo with us here on Tattoosday!

Arielle's Lion of a Tattoo (at the Urban Tattoo Convention)

✓ Dee Whitcomb, Lions, NYC Urban Tattoo Convention, Wyld Chyld Tattoo Parlor

I posted last month about attending the 4th Annual New York City Tattoo Convention here.

I've been periodically posting some of the amazing tattoos I saw there, and wanted to share this one as well:

This incredible lion tattoo is on the left arm of Arielle, who credited the work to the artist Dee Whitcomb at Wyld Chyld Tattoo in Merrick, New York.

Arielle told me her name means "Lion of God," so she went with this design which Dee drew up and tattooed on her. It's really a beautiful tattoo that certainly captures the grace of this majestic animal.

Thanks to Arielle for sharing her lion with us here on Tattoosday!

Taylor's Colorful Thigh (Tattoosday at the NYC Urban Tattoo Convention)

✓ flowers, Hummingbird, Made Rich, NYC Urban Tattoo Convention, Think Before You Ink

I posted last month about attending the 4th Annual New York City Tattoo Convention here.

I wanted to share some of the amazing tattoos I saw there, starting with this one, on the left thigh of Taylor:

Here's another angle:

Taylor credited this colorful hummingbird to the artist Richard "Made Rich" Parker at Think Before You Ink in Long Island City. Made Rich is currently vying for the title of Ink Master on the show's third season.

Taylor said that Made Rich free-handed the drawing directly onto her skin, and that it took four sessions, because, as she put it, she was a "cry-baby."

This tattoo was one of the highlights of the convention for me, and I am happy Taylor allowed me to share it here on Tattoosday! Thanks, Taylor!

Born on the Third of July (Dispatch from the Urban Tattoo Convention, Part 2)

✓ Bald Eagle, flash, NYC Urban Tattoo Convention, Phil Phlash, Traditional, Tuff City Tattoos

When I went to the NYC Urban Tattoo Convention last weekend, I was expecting a lot, but I wasn't anticipating walking out with a fresh new tattoo. It was an early birthday surprise, to say the least.

My night changed for the better when, turning a corner, I ran into Phil Phlash aka Phil Sheridan aka inkone aka Flex Sinatra. Phil and I worked together years ago, before he left for bigger and better things. He left the office and picked up a tattoo machine, but before he did, we had many office conversations about tattoos, and he was an early fan of Tattoosday.

Fast forward to Saturday night at the UTC, Phil and I were catching up, and he asked me if I wanted to get tattooed. I knew he had recently started working at Tuff City Tattoos and was trying to figure out how to make it to the Bronx, when he clarified, "No, tonight."

I've been following Phil's work on the various social media and have seen his talents develop over the years. It had always crossed my mind that, one day, he might be adding to my collection, but it was not in my immediate plans. Until now.

Phil brought me back to his booth, and he showed me a flash book of some classic old-school traditional designs. If you check him out on Instagram (under Flex_Sinatra), you'll see that his traditional work is solid, and his tattoos are done with confidence and passion. My head was spinning as he suggested designs, I kept wanting to defer to his better judgment. This wasn't going to be a tattoo with great, complicated meaning. It was, however, going to be my first tattoo inked by a friend.

He turned a page and showed me an eagle. His face lit up. Mine did as well. It was decided. We figured out the particulars and the placement, and when I came back a bit later, the stencil seemed to have grown. This was no little Sailor Jerry shark; this was a big piece going on the side of my calf.

When all was said and done, this was the final result, a traditional American Bald Eagle:

What better way to celebrate my upcoming birthday, on the eve of Independence Day, than with a traditional piece of American flash?

I even captured a snippet of the convention chaos while getting tattooed:

And, after we were done, Phil and I went around showing our work off to fellow convention-goers. Despite his expression below, he was fairly pleased with the end result:

Self-Inflicted Photo with Phil Phlash

I still have lots more to report from the UTC, so stay tuned. This moment, however, was the high point of the show, for obvious reasons.

Thanks to Phil Phlash for this awesome new tattoo in my collection!

Dispatch from the 4th Annual NYC Urban Tattoo Convention (Part 1)

✓ Al Fliction, NYC Urban Tattoo Convention

This past weekend, the 4th Annual Urban Tattoo Convention (UTC) was held for the first time in Brooklyn, in a cool refurbished factory space that is part of the up-and-coming "Industry City" section of my fair borough.

After chatting with organizer, Al Fliction, don't be surprised if the UTC returns next year to the same venue. He was really happy how things had been going after the first two days of the show.

I didn't know what to expect, honestly. But I had a really great time on Saturday, when I spent the most time at the show.

Walking in, I was very impressed by the bright, open space that the venue afforded:

The booths were laid out nicely and there was little feeling of claustrophobia. Behind the main room was a huge courtyard that allowed people to congregate, eat, drink, and take a break from the visual overload in the main convention room:

You may have noticed in the top photo that there appeared to be a topless woman standing on the convention floor, with someone attentively staring at her chest. Actually, there were a handful of models being body-painted by several artists, culminating in a competition on Saturday evening.

The Model on the Left Was a Favorite for Many

The UTC is an event that really celebrates and showcases work from a lot of artists and tattoo enthusiasts who are from communities not always represented by the mainstream tattoo media.

Case in point, I had a great discussion with K.C. Washington, owner of Brooklyn-based Noir A-Go Go, a company dedicated to "selling Black pinup girl-themed compact mirrors, greeting cards, magnets, and more." Her business "puts the black in the magic that is 50's Americana." When I stopped to think about it, I realized that the standard idea of the pin-up model is predominantly White. I love how Noir A-Go Go is committed to breaking down this cultural stereotype and celebrating a look that has previously been associated mostly with one segment of the population. You can check out their products at http://www.noir-a-gogo.com/.

I also ran into my old friend, Ry, who was working the bar for the show. People may remember him as the human canvas who was a pivotal plot point in the "Botched Head Tattoo" episode of Inkmaster, on which we both appeared.

But, as you might expect, the high point of these shows are the tattoos. I will have a bunch of stand-alone posts later this month from people I met at the show. Plus, I'll have more comments from Al Fliction about the success of the show.

The high point of the evening for me, was running into my friend Phil, who I knew before he took up a tattoo machine, and started working as an artist. Let's just say, he and I spent several hours together at the show, and I will share what he worked on tomorrow.

Stay tuned!

This Weekend: The NYC Urban Tattoo Convention Hits Brooklyn!

✓ NYC Urban Tattoo Convention

This weekend, just down the street from Tattoosday's home in Brooklyn, the 4th Annual NYC Urban Tattoo Convention will be held in Industry City (233 37th Street).

Unlike previous years, when it seemed that this show ran the same weekend as the Roseland event, it's occurring separately, and I am attending tomorrow (Saturday), so feel free to find me and say hi.

The press release announces:

"Showcasing local and international urban artists, the UTC will feature numerous talented and renowned tattooists, including Shane O’Neil, Bili Vegas, Tripple X Jess, King Afa, Kay Kutta and Gino. The work of these artists, many of whom have appeared on the reality television series Best Ink and Ink Masters, will be on display. Select artists will also offer onsite tattooing."

One of the more colorful artists from Ink Master's first season was Al Fliction, who is headlining the convention and is president of the UTC. Fliction says “At the URBAN Tattoo Convention you will find the best of the best tattoo artists. It is through their participation we are able to create an event that recognizes the beauty of this art form, as well as further educates attendees about tattooing.”

I'm looking forward to attending, and will be posting in the days following the show, plus throwing out the occasional live tweet.

What's unique about this show is that it "aims to empower tattooists from diverse cultural heritages to showcase their art and tattooing skill sets."

Visit their website for full details about the show, which is under way today.

Check it out: http://www.nycurbantattooconvention.com/.