This week has been less boxing and more taking care of other business, especially of the academic persuasion. I hope to get back on my game plan soon, because that’s two saturdays in a row I’ve missed out on sparring. I have been struggling to stay up past 1am on friday and saturday though, because that’s when TSN/ESPN showcases the bouts. I haven’t been able to successfully finish the main fights though, I guess my body’s just trying to tell me to slow down a bit.

My grad photos were taken on Thursday morning. I’m in awe that i’m getting closer to the finish line, and have started contemplating what my next major conquests will be.

Thursday night was LFL and dinner with the Ladies. It was a much needed and beneficial break in my routine and we all had a great time. We watched the first game, Chicago Bliss vs. Miami Caliente, and WOW these chicks are serious about the game! Nothing like beautiful women plowing into each other in lingerie to really make you get into the rules and game of football! If you haven’t checked out LFL yet, I highly suggest you do here. My fave girl so far is Elle Cartabianco. Girl’s got an arm, as well as some other note-worthy assets.

This is a blackboid I did for Emily. Tattooing the side of a head is interesting. I’d like to get a better picture of this once it’s healed.

Here’s a remix line drawing I’ve done up for my homegirl Kristina. She’s got an old frog she wants to revamp and add to, so I did up some lilies with some finger waves. It’s hard to conceptualize it right now as it stands because all thats depicted here are lines, but we’re going to do this up proper in colour, bringing different layers of the background and foreground out. Stay tuned for the actual-tattoo in it’s completed state.

Life always has a funny habit of gettin’ hectic, doesn’t it? It’s hard to find the time, and easier to hide behind that excuse. Every now and then I get asked to do some art on other mediums other than skin. This is the first project I’ve done for 2010.

My homegirl Mia hit me up with an email about her team, Skyjuice Inc.’s event that they’re holding to raise last minute funds for the Manulife Walk for Memories to help out the Alzheimer’s Society of Toronto. I can admit that I usually don’t respond to those events now that I’ve been on moderate lockdown. But homegirl is mad persistent! She needed someone to sketch something up that would allow them to represent their crew proper while trying to do a selfless act for good.

If you find yourself in the Dirty Dot with nothing to do this Friday night, swing by the Fox &The Fiddle in the entertainment district @John &Adelaide. They’ll be doing their best to make sure everyone has a fun-filled evening while keeping in mind those that need our help.

Here’s the lettering I did for Skyjuice Inc. so that they could wear their name proudly and let everybody know that they’re the crew that loves to get down and lend a helping hand while they’re at it. I had a lot of fun doing this and feel even better knowing that I found the time to do whatever I could to help out.

After all, part of why we are here is because we’re meant to give back.

I hope Mia saves me one of these bad boys so I can rock it too.

I believe love like this can only be related to by individuals who share the same intense feelings towards their own chosen beloved path of sincere application. Speaking of application, thats what I love about every square millimetre of these beautiful instruments – they’re deliberately crafted and harmoniously designed to do what they were meant to do, they do it well and look good while doing it. Each is as unique as an individual. It doesn’t get much sweeter than that, people. Like a chef knows their knives, a barber knows their scissors, a painter knows their brushes, a violinist knows it’s bow and and the tension in the strings.

So what if I fondle my machines and randomly want to hear the sweet noise of their buzzing after a few hours of its absence hanging thick in the air. So what if I often, more than I’m prepared to admit, can be found ogling respected machine builders websites at four in the morning when most are viewing pornography and gettin their rocks off. potatoe, potato, vodka.

some people utilize photoshop, illustrator, pencils with paper.
aside from three out of four of the aforementioned, these are what I use, as extensions of my hands, paired with ink. It’s not just a matter of simply jabbing a needle into the flesh as so many would like to believe, there are other miniscule, yet significant nuances that I have to be mindful of that require your sensitivity to them, to respect their essence and not fight their natural rhythm and flow.

In essence, all eloquent profundities aside, I just like to make shit happen.

And these are what I use to do so. Some more than others get to star in the starting line up. Other’s have been temporarily benched while we both devoutly tweak and finaggle out their true potential to uncover exactly what they are – like forging a diamond out of coal. So far I’m proud of my collection, I believe that they reflect the true nature of my evolution thus far. I’ve been fortunate enough to be shown that someone who is serious about their craft need only invest the most to get out the best of themselves as well as their hard work and talent. That’s just me. It may not be you. Some may see it as excessive, but I don’t mind. I’m at nine complete machines (with two frames that have yet to be furnished with innards) and I’m not stopping.

I’ve heard a lot of good things about rotary machines, but I’m not ready to indulge just yet. There’s so much mystery left to these lil guys that I feel so compelled to getting to the nitty-gritty bottom of. I can’t change my true nature. I’d also like to one day spend some time in the mountains of Luzon, where my pops is from, living amongst the tribal Ifugao head hunters who have been tattooing for thousands of years. I would only hope that one day they would bestow upon me the traditions of tribal tattooing in all its non-electric glory. One day, I intend on making this specific ambition a reality.

Oh, and just as a little side note, please do not refer to them as guns. Guns kill people. These machines make people beautiful.

“Passion has little to do with euphoria and everything to do with patience. It is not about feeling good. It is about endurance. Like patience, passion comes from the same Latin root: pati. It does not mean to flow with exuberance. It means to suffer.” — Mark Z. Danielewski

A rough draft for Mister Matthew B.