Twenty Years

First off, a little late but, happy new year and welcome to the new decade, blessings to all and I hope that we all continue to grow and fulfill our ability to be the best humans we can.

Today marks Twenty Years of tattooing for me, exactly to this day I tattooed myself for the first time at Good Karma tattooing in Eastbourne UK under the guidance of my mentor and friend Jim Macairt.

I have kept the original sketch, stencil and mildly blood soaked bandage in this frame since that year two decades ago.

I am eternally grateful for the opportunities that tattooing has affording me and will continue to commit myself to being the best tattooist and person I can be.

Thank you to everyone who has helped me on my journey.

Yesterday I coincidentally received this care package from Jim –

Some raw castings and components from Jim’s tattoo machines he builds and a Om Mani crew neck sweatshirt from Jim’s Merch he makes under Zen not Zen.

https://zennotzen.bigcartel.com

With gratitude, Thomas.

Healed Tattoos

Today I was thinking about how lucky I am to have the privilege to tattoo people, to use the skin as one of the mediums for my art.

It truly is an honour to have people trust me enough to do this, and when you get to see your work healed and settled into peoples skin, clean and solid, as its going to be for the rest of the individuals life, its such a pleasure and a sense of achievement to feel “I created this image inside living tissue on a human being”.

The top row is Native American Navajo and Iroquois inspired pattern work around a Native American Crucifix, and the last set is a piece inspired by the Medieval European Pelican in Her Piety image with a twist representing family.

Thankyou.