Do you want to see (me) swallow

Five hours in the chair today as usual the time passes quickly the conversation swings from techincal bike building, man sheds and through into Bens mind of which is DEEP.

Coffee

Madam A some how managed to con me into buying two Christmas trees, not sure how that happen, on the way we stopped by Ben's to set the scene for next weeks sessions, just when I thought we had a plan Ben throws the curve ball and says why don't we do the other side, this just blows me, I'm not a bad sketcher but I'm no tattooist, and the two are worlds apart, as we talk about the left hand arm and shoulder the conversation gets quicker as we bounce ideas around, as we start to cool down and stand chattering he hands me "closer to the edge" and we finish the conversation as always about bikes....we're passionate people not just about bikes, but work, play, food.....and for me more recently tattoo's, remember its just life....roll on next Friday

Its just art

It takes me about twenty four hours to return to a normal world after a session in the chair, the hours spin past, sat there chatting to Ben sometimes deep sometimes silence. The silence is an important part of any meaningful chat, time to reflect, or more often than not a time of pain. I said to Ben if I go quite talk to me, when my silence came he never said a word and waited for me the spark up again. I respect him for that. We both look forward to these sessions. Me not just for the ink but as much for the conversation. We talk bikes and drink tea, reflecting on the trust we have, I can build bikes but not tattoo, Ben can tattoo and not build bikes, the two are similar in a way that we know what we need and put it into the hands of others. Its on me forever...in Ben I have faith.

Thank you Ben Jones

Death of a peony

I took the peony picture this year the flower was about to drop, deep within the centre I could just make out a skull, you could see it if you looked deep. I showed it to the Ben Jones the Grand Designer. I asked Ben if could put it on my skin, he said "no its shit" he spent a night trying to get a subtle skull deep in the peony, which to be fair he did a great job on, when we looked at it neither of use like it, so Ben put this design together using a copy of my peony and a more classic skull, trust me he said, 3 hours later its there forever

I'm not too sure about tattoo's

or rather tattoo events, I dont regret going for one minute but you can sort of get blown away by the whole scene, to me its seems very fashionable to get Sailor Jerry or "cartoon style" tattoos(I dont have a right of passage to say ink yet). Now there is nothing wrong with that for some people, and Im not knocking any tattooists, may be Im just finding may way. I didnt know any of the tattooists names, they are not known to me. May be Im looking for that something special that "Iron Horse- Tim Blog" that AWOL. Well I've started I've got the frame, the engine the wheels will follow - thanks Ben

missed the rain just

Riding between the rain clouds today, couldn't stay in when the sun was out it was hot, so took the shovel over notts side on the B roads, stopped for a coke at the garage and found ........

not for me

Donny Tattoojam

Weather put the stop on any planned riding so took the car for the quick hour to Doncaster's Tattoo Jam, all a bit new to me, but blown away with the quality of the work from most of the tattooist's. Not so sure about some of the styles but thats what makes the world go round, oh yeah got some stickers, even some left for you Tim!

Scarred for life the time is right

Scarred for life the time is right. I meet up with Ben at the loveless HQ four months ago and showed him some ideas that I had, some pictures of tattoos to give the idea but mainly drawing and paintings that I had done. Some rough some detailed. I wanted him in on this, I wasnt just going turn up and say I been thinking about this and give him a blank white canvas, it had to be a joint effort, an experience to enjoy over the next years. A few weeks before the appointment I drop of the detailed work so he would have time to drawn them up. Well when I arrived he had been up most of the night sketching my dream into reality, he actually said he thought at one point he had taken on to much, but it was spot on, I didnt make any changes, the next four hours went like a click of your fingers, a laugh a joke tea colour and little pain. Two days later its was a different matter, after the first 20 seconds my battered skin could feel every drag of the nine, most of the next session was still a laugh a joke and tea, but I had to have an outer body experience to endure, I put my eyes in the corner of the room behind Ben so that I could see it develop..... the rest is just pain..the hosue of pain. Still I had my fun when Tim_dog turned up I ran over ( cheers mate) and stayed to watch the needle in the "other arm". back in October cant wait!