Join Jason Loui and the rest of the crew at Iron Works Tattoo in Portsmouth, NH this Saturday at 7pm for the Oceanus gallery show.

Oceanus or Okeanos was the Titan god of the earth-encircling river in ancient Greek mythology. Later he became more commonly known as the god of the Indian and Atlantic Oceans.

The Ocean is a mysterious and largely unexplored territory, rivaled only in size by outer space. Yet it is located on our planet and we are surrounded by it on all coasts. As a source of artistic inspiration the ocean has played an important part in tattoo culture and history, whether it be through the introduction of ideas and traditions through travel, or iconic tales and legends incorporating maritime themes and imagery. It is no surprise therefore, that many tattooers have a love for these images and for the ocean itself.

“Oceanus” seeks to explore this love and respect through a diverse display of artwork from many well-known and respected artists in the tattoo community. Through this artwork, you will be able to see how the ocean speaks to each artist. 

Grim North Tattoo and Piercing just announced a new t-shirt contest for the month of June. Here’s the details:

This is easy. All you have to do is come up with a cool/funny/crazy/ugly/artistic/weird t-shirt and have it printed. It can be super fancy or it can be simple marker. You can decorate your shirt with anything, or use a third party to have your shirt made. It’s up to you.

After the shirt is made, take a photo of someone wearing the shirt (it has to be a photo of someone wearing a real shirt) and e-mail it to grimnorth@me.com with your name. We’ll post it up on our Facebook page, and you can share it with your friends and get them to like it.

The rules are simple. Anyone can enter and win, but you must be 18 to get tattooed. All entries must be in by June 28th 2012 (but the faster you get them in, the more time you have to get votes!) and voting can begin as soon as we post the photos. Winners will be judged and chosen on June 30th and posted by July 1st. We will be using these images on our website and Facebook, so entering the contest means that you’re giving your permission for us to use your images. There are two large prizes. One will be chosen by the crew here at Grim North, and the other will be chosen by all of you. Whoever gets the most likes will win and we strongly encourage sharing the link and getting your friends to like your photo.

Prizes are as follow:
Winner chosen by Grim North / Most likes on Facebook – Each winner will receive $250 for Grim North tattoos and piercings, $10 for the Friendly Toast, $10 for Jetpack Comics, $10 for River Run Books, and $5 for Breaking New Grounds. That’s a total value of $285

Honorable Mentions – The 2nd & 3rd most popular Facebook photos, and the 2nd & 3rd choices made by the Grim North crew will receive $50 for Grim North tattoo and piercing, $10 to Jetpack comics, and $5 to Breaking New Grounds.

Note: This tattoo doesn’t have anything to do with the contest. It’s just one of Stina’s newest pieces.

Tattoo by Stina Sardinha at Grim North Tattoo in Portsmouth, NH

Stina Sardinha Wulfe recently announced the opening of Grim North Tattoo. In addition to Stina, J.M. Wulfe (James) and Steph Stobbs will also be tattooing at the shop. This Saturday at 5pm, Grim North is having their grand opening party. The event will feature a live band, raffles, and a chance to see the brand new shop.

Tattoo by Stina Sardinha Wulfe at Grim North Tattoo in Portsmouth, NH

While everyone claims to be burned out on owls, I’m holding out. I think there’s still ways for them to be used in tattoos in ways that keep me from writing them off forever. (Like as lockets, for instance!)

Tattoo by Stina Sardinha Wulfe at Tattoo Junkies Studio in Portsmouth, NH

The more big pieces I see from Jason Loui, the more I want one. Or for one of my friends to get one–getting tattooed vicariously can be a “thing”, right?

Tattoos by Jason Loui at Good Faith Tattooing in Brookline, MA
& Iron Works in Portsmouth, NH