Wayno's World Pt. I

So Wayno contacts me one night out of the blue...if you don't FOLLOW HIM on Twitter: Your Mama don't love you. He has MySpace too, so check him out if you do the MySpace thing.

I deleted my MySpace months ago (how I miss our Kobe debates, NOT!), we text randomly, we still have Twitter (FOH) and every now & then this ninja gets down here to Philly from Harlem.

Thus, Pt. I of ? (we're not sure yet) sessions I'm gonna photo/blog w/ Wayno. We have a lot in common, but ink began our bond so here we are. I had been blogging about ink ideas I have for my next piece (which you can check out here), so he gets at me all hype & excited about his next piece...now I'm all hype & geeked.

We had some time before the needle started buzzing, Leena was making the stencil for the ideas we were throwing at her about the whole concept of the piece - remember this is only Pt. I of possibly III-V sessions. Here we are in front of the studio for a little intro and retrospect...



THIS is why I fucks w/ dude. This is how & why me and Wayno became cool years ago. He's the sharpest knife in the drawer, believe that. Don't let the tats and the pretty boy Harlem shit fool you (did you see this man's Kobe sneaks?! LMFWAO) This is what real art & real ink is about. You don't just walk into a studio and pick something off the wall and say, "This is cute or this is dope! I want this!" No. You're doing it for the wrong reasons. Even in these modern medical days, for the most part your ink is w/ you forever. It's a commitment - my sleeve, a piece like this that Wayno is working on...you need to put thought into the attention and detail that is going to be on your body.

In case you're curious as to the J Cole "Dollar and a Dream" YouTube jawn Wayno referred to, here it is:


Big City Tattoo Studio ~ this is where it's all going down. BCT is located at: 2635 W. Girard Ave. (West Philly). You can find the lovely and talented Leena Ink there, it's her studio. Make sure you tell her "TiTi" & Wayno sent you if you're a new customer or heard of them from here. She's talented, she's been in Urban Ink and she puts in work. Check Leena out on MySpace, friend her, take a look @ her pics & get @ her if you're looking for some official ink. Leena gets busy & books up quick, but Todd & Casey ink there too and you can walk-in anytime after 12 noon.

Here is a slideshow of the flics I took while @ the studio w/ Wayno*:

*Disclaimer: There are descriptions on each flic, but in the slideshow you can only see the titles. "I'm not the Captain of the yacht but I'm on the boat..." (c) Beans. I'm still learning, folks...and as I get better the blog will get better. In the meantime, deal w/ my flaws and all criticisms must be made in the form of a compliment. Comments are appreciated. Please & thanks.

05.30.09
I am honored to be a part of this - thank YOU, Wayno...xoxo "Snow Ninja"

I Corinthians 13:11 *ink ideas in progress*

cum essem parvulus loquebar ut parvulus sapiebam ut parvulus cogitabam ut parvulus quando factus sum vir evacuavi quae erant parvuli*When I was a child, I spoke like a child, thought like a child, and reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up my childish ways.*When I was a child, I spoke like a child, thought like a child, and reasoned like a child. When I became an adult, I no longer used childish ways.*When I was a babe, as a babe I was speaking, as a babe I was thinking, as a babe I was reasoning, and when I have become a man, I have made useless the things of the babe.*



My neighbors are blasting El DeBarge. Men Bums in the courtyard drinking 40's, laughing (already!). Dirt bikes are noisy and numerous. It's 80+ degrees in Philadelphia today. It's not always sunny in Philadelphia, but it is today. And I'm excited. I'm sad. I'm anxious. I'm grateful.

Thursday should have been closure for me. The process 'continued'...so does the emotional cypher I have been in for months. From these cyphers comes some of the best inspiration anyone could hope for...inspiration motivates me to write...to think...and right now I'm thinking about ink and l.o.v.e.

I gather up

each sound

you left behind

and stretch them

on our bed.

each nite

I breathe you

and become high.

poem #3 sonia sanchez

@Wayno119 (FOLLOW HIM!) and I were Twittin' one night about ink and ideas. I knew then what and I know now where...the question is when?! And why?! I have alot of ink. Other than my face and my neck, I have alot of skin too. I plan to sleeve my entire right arm as well and start on my torso. Gotta get that in great shape first, but I'm definitely going there too. It's my body, and my body is my temple. I'll paint the walls how I see fit.

People who are not into ink like that might not get this. Yes, it's painful. Yes, it's expen$ive. Yes, it's permanent and forever. We realize this going in! But for me it's so much more. It's therapeutic. It awakens all my senses like nothing else can. It proves dedication and loyalty. It's w/ you til the end...when the old you is dead and gone, the ink remains.

This verse, this song, this video...this 'continued' emotional rollercoaster, the 'continued' confusion...the only thing I am emotionally certain of and certainly not confused about is my next tat. My sleeve is private. My reasons and the symbolism of all of it. The art of it is public. You're welcome to look at it. Admire it. Ask who did it (Ben @ Transcending Flesh, xo). My reasons for choosing this are private as well, but if you read and understand the verse, no matter which version you identify w/, I think you'll "get" it.

I'm finding myself piece by piece, tat by tat. It helps me identify what is important - if you're putting something on your body 'forever' it damn sure better be 'important'! What's going on in my life - time to grow up. Be grateful for every day and treasure every moment - you never know when something will be dead and gone from your life, and probably w/ good reason. But the ability to identify what is wrong and what is missing - these are the most valuable lessons.

Cali/New Mexico blogs coming soon. I have them drafted just need to add photos. 215s & Heartbreaks as well. Very personal, not sure if I'm ready to share that one just yet. Thanks for the support and encouragement. I'm getting there...

p.s. The 1st translation of I Corinthians 13:11 is Latin. And just b/c...I think it looks and sounds beautiful.