Two points of interest

As of today the recently launched Kepler Telescope has now discovered 132 possibly habitable planets! I’m aware that restricted to the confines of modern physics, quantum or otherwise, we will most likely never make the distant leap to sight see, but they are out there, and for someone who spends half his life staring up into space its a great time to be alive. Secondly, and of more immediate personal concern, I will be taking a trip that is allowable in the known physical realm, I will be spending a few days sitting in at Smith Street in Brooklyn May 31st to June 2nd. If you’re in the area and want to make some new works drop me a line at phillips.ftw@gmail.com. Looking forward to it, see you there!

And, some new works…

One of my all time favorite designs ever, Coleman.

In progress, One more sitting to go

No sleep till Brooklyn?

For starters, it is, as it always is, a busy spring. We have three new people at the shop Adrian Sanchez, Jay Watkins and Alex Matus. I would encourage every one to check them out, aside from the fact that they are all awesome folks they are as talented as they are nice. Everyones work is up on the ftwtattoo.com site. Come by and say hi sometime. Secondly, I have a trip coming up to sit in at Smith Street in Brooklyn, May 31st thru June 2nd, Im really looking forward to the opportunity to sit in there, you can email me for info about appointments at phillips.ftw@gmail.com. Third and last, heres some new work, I have been really looking forward to starting these two this last week

and a little more progress on these

hindsight….kneecap

this one is from the Picture Machine Flash, some of my all time favorites

March 2013

Just the facts…..

Flash 2013

From the above Flash

In progress, double cover up.

another in progress, a start for this one.

Reapers, a favorite for those obsessed with the end times.

The reaper of all things!

working on a matching one for this guy next month

from the Picture Machine flash, circa 77ish, some of my all time favorite tattoo flash ever.

Panther and Rose for Merisa

DC rock of ages

Year of the snake!

New shop shirts. Lemmy and puns. every size small girls through 3xl, seriously. 20 at the shop 25 shipped domestic, paypal phillips.ftw@gmail.com

Long distance callers,

…make long distance calls. A song lyric I wish I had written but being completely devoid of any such talent I remain at my day job. Modern techno consumer science however does allow me to make long distant blogs from an island in the South Pacific straight to the word press ether.

In progress

And some paints, one study and two Grimm repaints, trying always to crack the code.

Rasputin and Henry…

Two men I feel would have been yin to one anothers yang had the distance of years not kept them apart. Fate you are a fickle bitch indeed.

The mad monk, the lover of women, the cheater of death, a trouble maker till the end, Rasputin.

A man I have not had the good pleasure to meet, but a man I am certain knows how to hold down the party, Henry.

Madmen and partiers aside, I am making progress on this tibetan inspired elephant and chrysanthemum tattoo. I’ve had a really great time working on this.

I try to put as much time as I can into each tattoo before hand, sometimes Im afforded the time to be able to make color studies, such as this one I will be starting in February.

Another one I have had a great time working on these last couple of months. Soon to start color.

a study I worked on these last few weeks, but was a no show, nonetheless it has me thinking about some new ideas.

Detail of a Roky Erickson sheet for a book of music related tattoo flash out this spring, I think there are some 80+ artist working on it, I will post details as they become known to me.

The steady season of cold….

As another year comes to a close, I would like to thank all familiar and sundry for taking the time to make another great year at FTW, our neighborhood mainstay shop of stories and pictures since 2001. In the wake of winters somnambulistic preach we are afforded some of the greatest patrons, clientele, hibitue, and customers of all time.

a repaint of one of my favorite sheets of Owen Jensen flash

Steadily getting the black down on Joes back

One of my favorite images, a Koi

chrysanthemums with Lihn

I see skulls everywhere, everywhere. even in eagles.

Tengus and Reapers

November is proving to be as all Novembers have been since I started tattooing, a little calm in the storm, some time to prepare again for the next year ahead barring a world wide cataclysm this December. I once heard it said that were there to be any kind of fabled global shut down, Oakland, being in such steadied daily disarray would take about six months to even notice. So I suppose at the very least we are good through the Summer. I have already started positively booking for 2013. I’m looking forward to having this December come and go, just like it always does. I feel like 2012 is a hit thats been way too played. I think the high point of this winter is going to be whatever news NASA says they will be releasing about the recent Mars rover finding, it’s been kept under wraps and been described as being “one for the history books”. Ten dollars says you can guess what I’m hoping they have to report. Thats all the non tattoo opining I have for this blog post. I’m wishing everyone the best at closing out this year and thanks to all of the great folks who have once again made this a stellar year tattooing at FTW, and the folks who have made this years visits to New York so rich.

a start on a sleeve, next a little background and filling in a couple of spots before shading begins.

I had originally posted an idea like this I had drawn up for two Tibetan Elephants early this year. This is a revision of this, not at all strictly Tibetan but certainly heavily referenced.

This is a healed photo of Roberts Dragon back piece. He was in the shop recently so I thought to grab a photo, I can make no promises in life, but if I had to guess, this will most likely be the largest back I tattoo.