‘Past Time of Signs’, oil on panel, 30” x 24”, 2024
In this homage to lettering and signage from the history of tattooing from around the world, era’s gone by, overlapping and intertwined, tattoo is the destination.
- CHARLIE WAGNER, BOWERY, NYC, USA, 1920’S
- GEORGE BURCHETT, LONDON, ENGLAND, 1930
- MILDRED HULL, BOWERY, NYC, USA, 1935
- THE BOWERY, NYC, USA, 1942
- WILL SPIEGEL, HAMBURG, GERMANY, 1948
- LES SKUSE, BRISTOL, ENGLAND, 1950’S
- TUSCH-PETER, AARHUS, DENMARK, 1956
- MILTON ZEIS, USA
- BERT GRIMM, THE PIKE, LONG BEACH, USA
- LEEROY MINUGH, THE PIKE, LONG BEACH, USA
- BROOKLYN BLACKIE, CONEY ISLAND, 1961, USA
- LOS ANGELES TATTOO STUDIO, USA, 1970’S
- WEST COAST TATTOO STUDIO, USA, 1970’S
- LYLE TUTTLE TATTOO, SF, USA, 1976
- TATO JACK , COPENHAGEN, DENMARK, 1977
- SEATTLE TATTOO EMPORIUM, USA, 1981
- FELIX LEU, SWITZERLAND, 1980’S
- TIN-TIN TATOUAGES SHOP, PARIS, FR, 2000’S
'Felix Leu Tribute Still Life', oil on linen panel, 12" x 12", 2022, Collection of the Leu Family Irons
‘Vanitas III (Ode to Lyle), oil on panel, 14” x 11”, 2019, Collection of Mike Schott
This painting is a tribute to the ultimate tattoo collector who had preserved much of the world’s historical tattoo artifacts, my friend, Lyle Tuttle.
This still life painting displays some of my favorite pieces from my personal collection with a nod to Lyle; his iconic body shirt, an old Jones tattoo machine, a sheet of 1920’s flash, a brick from Tony Polito’s New York Tattoo shop, and a human skull I received from my friend, Rick Walters.
'Pharoah's Horses Study (after John Frederick Herring and Sailor Jerry), oil on panel, 24" x 36", 2020
As tattooists, part of our craft is recreating pre-existing classic themes and images within the tattoo language. This is my intepretation on the Pharoah’s Horses concept, utilizing Sailor Jerry’s flash mixed with the classical painted style of John Frederick Herring.
‘Traditional Still Life II’, oil on panel, 14” x 11”, 2012, Collection of Chuck Eldridge
Flash from the Bowery’s Moskowitz brothers, New York City’s Legendary Skid Row Tattoo shop in the 1940’s. An old Percy Waters machine sits in the foreground.
‘Lyle’s Gucci’s’, oil on canvas, 14” x 11”, 2020, Collection of Josue Thomas
Before Lyle Tuttle, passed away, he insisted on giving me his well worn Gucci shoes. This is a still life painting with his iconic body shirt, Lyle’s shoes, and his infamous red socks.
‘Vanitas (Homage to Greg Irons)’, oil on panel, 16” x 12”, 2015
A vanitas is a symbolic work of art showing the transience of life, the futility of pleasure, and the certainty of death, often contrasting symbols of wealth and symbols of ephemerality and death.
Inspired by the work of the late Greg Irons, I wanted to make a vanitas painting in tribute to this legendary artist and tattooist. I received the human skull in trade with Rick Walters, and an old Percy Waters tattoo machine from Tennessee Dave. The imagery in the background was painted from Irons’ sheets of flash.
'Lyle's Tattoo Chair Study 2', oil on wood panel, 30" x 24", 2022
‘Portrait Study of the Great Cindy Ray, Bev Nicholas’, oil on canvas, 20" x 16", 2019, Collection of Anthony Civarelli
‘The classic lassie with the tattooed chassis’. Australia’s first homegrown tattooed (and tattooist) pin-up girl. A series of old photographs painted in honor of one of tattooing’s most cherished individuals.
'Ralph Johnstone's Flash Study 1', oil on panel, 30” x 40”, 2020, Collection of Nick Colella
This piece was inspired by the hand painted flash of Chicago’s pioneering tattooist Ralph Johnstone.
‘Portrait of the Artist, Ralph Johnstone’, oil on linen, 30” x 24”, 2017, Collection of Nick Colella
'The Great Omi (Horace Ridler) Study, 4 views', oil on linen panel, 8" x 10", 2023, Collection of Nick Collella
'Vanitas (after Pieter Claesz)', oil on panel, 18” x 24”, 2012, Collection of John Brusger
Inspired by Pieter Claesz’ 1630 Vanitas still life painting.
‘Lyle Tuttle Tattoo Body Shirt’, oil on canvas, 24” x 30”, 2017, Collection of Jon Whitman
'Lyle's Tattoo Chair Study', oil on linen panel, 10" x 8", 2022
'Vanitas, with Lyle Tuttle's Tattoo Body Shirt', oil on linen panel, 9" x 12", 2022, Collection of Cheyenne Sawyer
A tribute to Lyle Tuttle with a classic Vanitas still life painting, a human skull wrapped in Lyle’s iconic tattoo body shirt, symbolic of the inevitability of death and the transience and vanity of earthly achievements and pleasures.
'No Mask, No Entry (featuring The Great Omi)', oil on panel, 16" x 12", 2020, Personal Collection
The world was affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. A sign for the times.
‘The Great Omi Head Study’, oil on canvas panel, 10” x 8”, 2020, Collection of Jimmy the Saint
Horace Ridler, AKA The Great Omi was a professional freak and sideshow performer from the 1930’s, his iconic ‘zebra’ inspired patterns tattooed by the legendary English tattooist, George Burchett.
‘Past Time of Signs, Study 1’, 11” X 14”, acrylic and oil on canvas panel, 2023
In this homage to lettering and signage from the history of tattooing from around the world, era’s gone by, overlapping and intertwined, tattoo is the destination.
Within this small study, we have a broad range of signs and text from
- CHARLIE WAGNER, BOWERY, NYC, USA, 1920’S
- THE BOWERY, NYC, USA 1942
- MILTON ZEIS, USA
- BERT GRIMMS, THE PIKE, LONG BEACH, USA
- LEEROY MINUGH, THE PIKE, LONG BEACH, USA
- BROOKLYN BLACKIE, CONEY ISLAND, 1961, USA
- LOS ANGELES TATTOO STUDIO, USA, 1970’S
- WEST COAST TATTOO STUDIO, USA, 1970’S
- TATO JACK , COPENHAGEN, DENMARK, 1977
- LYLE TUTTLE TATTOO, SF, USA
- SEATTLE TATTOO EMPORIUM, US 1980
- FELIX LEU, SWITZERLAND, 1980’S
- TIN-TIN TATOUAGES SHOP, PARIS, FR, 2000’S