Justina's Tattoos and Other Assorted Stuff

The first big trip (like on a plane and everything) Justina and I took together was when we got married in Las Vegas. As we traveled the city evaluating the numerous wedding chapels, we drove by a tattoo parlor located on Las Vegas Blvd. between The Strip and Downtown. This was sort of a novelty, since tattooing was illegal at the time in New York City. The day after we got married, she decided to do something else permanent and get her first tattoo. It's a pretty simple tribal flash piece.

Before we go any further I should caution you that in spite of the fact that Justina has had tattoos for several years now, I have not become in any way a decent photographer of tattoos. The images you can see here really don't do justice to the pieces themselves.

Anyway, apparently, it turns out that tattoos are similar to a certain brand of potato chips in that few are satisfied with just one. The following summer we were vacationing in Seattle and Justina made an appointment to get her second tattoo while we were there. She came up with the idea, and the artist she saw -- David Richmond, who was working at Vyvyn Lazonga's shop Dermagraphics -- did the drawing. Click on the thumbnail to see the full-size image (about 86k). While Justina was getting the tattoo, I took a tour of the Kingdome

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About eight months after our trip to Seattle, we took a short trip to New Orleans. Justina had seen a number of tattoos she liked by Henri Montagut of Electric Expressions in Kenner, Louisiana (just outside of New Orleans, near the airport). Justina liked tattoos that had a jewelled effect, and Henri came up with a few ideas. The final design incorporated the traditional Mardi Gras colors of purple, gold, and green. Click on the thumbnail to see the full-size image (about 98k). While Justina was getting the tattoo I was tempted to go on a tour of the Superdome just to be consistent, but it was closed so I just hung out at the tattoo parlor.

The most recent addition to her collection was obtained in July of '95 at Everlasting in San Francisco. The artist was Mike Davis. Justina wanted to do something using the 45-rpm adaptor as the centerpiece. I had to run out to a nearby supermarket to purchase a copy of Spin Magazine so Mike could have a clear picture of just what a 45 adaptor looked like in the first place. This was far and away the most painful tattoo that Justina's had so far -- it's on the inside of the upper part of her left arm. This part of the body is generally accustomed to resting against one's upper torso and does not take kindly to four hours of needlework. Still, the end result is quite nice and can be seen by clicking on the thumbnail at left (53k). There aren't any domed stadiums around San Francisco, so while Justina was getting the tattoo Mom and I went to Amoeba Music, a great record store in Berkeley.

Watch this page for further tattoos and other fun stuff.

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