Creepy Tattoos by an Award Winning Artist

Marco Hyder is a talented, award winning tattoo artist. To have this guy as a guest artist in one's tattoo shop is a true honor! What's exciting is that he started out at a shop right here in Richmond, VA! He has done most of his work between Richmond and Virginia Beach; but now his work is desired in tattoo shops and conventions nation-wide! He is currently tattooing in Austin, Texas.

Being that Halloween is very close, I wanted to share some awesomely creepy tattoos that Marco has done. His intricate details make all of these pieces look so realistic, but then again all of his pieces look very realistic. He does amazing portraits, animals, and Asian inspired tattoos. If a person were to get only one tattoo in his or her lifetime, Marco Hyder would be the number one candidate to do it!

I heard about Marco Hyder through my uncle. My uncle was lucky enough to book appointments with Marco while he was in Virginia Beach. At that time, Marco was tattooing at Trinity tattoo in Virginia Beach. 

Here is a photo of my uncle's sleeves (obviously it took more than one session):

Now here are some of the tattoos that are creepy yet awesome!

Here are a few more beautiful tattoos that do not relate to Halloween, I just wanted to show you what he's capable of!

To have a tattoo done by Marco Hyder is well worth the pain, time, and money! I know my Uncle is extremely pleased with the final product of his sleeves.

If you are planning on getting a tattoo, make sure the artist loves what he or she does & is good at it; do not settle for a mediocre tattoo artist. Do your research and find the best!

Happy Halloween!

marcohyder.com

"Live Now, Die Later"

          Ryan Garza, a Marine from San Antonio, Texas, went through one of the most traumatic experiences that my ears have ever heard. One could say he experienced his worst nightmare.

            Ryan has been on four tours to Afghanistan. Little did he know that his fourth tour would be his last tour ever. Since he had spent many days in Afghanistan, he was no rookie to the environment around him. He became too familiar with the dangers that came along with being a marine. He had to witness the deaths of good and bad people. He had to spend months, even years away from his family. People get to a point in their life where they hit rock bottom and have no other choice but to go up. For Ryan, joining the marines was a turning point in his life. It was a way to move up.

          On October 3^rd, 2011, he and one other marine were sent out in a truck called a “7 Ton” to recover other hurt marines. They were headed towards Nowzad, Afghanistan. Suddenly, the truck drove over a 120lb. IED (improvised explosive devise), also known as a roadside bomb. One could only imagine the fatal outcomes from an explosion like that. For Ryan, a fatal outcome was not an option. However, he was instantly knocked out. The blast was so severe that it made him temporarily blind and caused a traumatic brain injury. As he was still in shock by the blast, he didn’t realize right away that one of his legs was crushed by the steel dashboard and door of the vehicle.

            Thankfully both of the men were okay. Ryan was in pretty bad shape but he was still alive -being that the explosion took place directly under his side of the vehicle. He said that the thought of his family is what kept him alive. The other marine in the vehicle suffered cuts, bruises, and a concussion. In my opinion Ryan’s story is very powerful. We hear about what it's like in Afghanistan on the news; we read about it on the Internet, but it is a blessing to actually hear it personally from a marine himself. Ryan was awarded a Purple Heart Award. This award is for those in the military that have been wounded or killed while doing courageous acts in war. Although his leg injury has caused him great pain, it is luckily healing day by day. I think the award was well deserved. I don’t that have that much knowledge about the Marine Corps, but I do know that they are the definition of a Patriot. In many eyes, they are heroes.

           Ryan got his tattoo in San Antonio, done by a friend of his.

I find the story behind his tattoo truly inspirational. The cemetery of skulls represents the death of his grandfather, uncle, and two of his best friends. One of Ryan’s best friends was shot twice in war. The other best friend was crushed in a similar vehicle explosion like the one Ryan experienced. He says the tattoo “is to up rise the death of his loved ones”. The whole piece symbolizes the prevalence of good over evil (hence the skulls are above the ground).  This is a real example of a meaningful tattoo.

“Live now, Die later” –Ryan Garza

The Beauty of Ink

Tattoos are forever.

Why would one ever endure the excruciating process of getting ink permanently embedded into one's skin? In my opinion, it is because tattoos are beautiful and worth every second of the pain. It is a form of art. But of course, we have those people that are totally against tattoos. We have those people that say "It’s going to get ugly when you're old and wrinkly" or "It’s going to get ruined after you get pregnant". My response to those negative comments is 'SO WHAT'. As much as I hate the popular acronym "YOLO" (you only live once), I am a firm believer of "the motto", as Drake would say. We have one life, one body. One should be able to do whatever they please to his or her body. Who cares if your tattoo gets wrinkly. By the time one gets to his or her elderly years, he or she should be happily married, or so old that no one will find him or her attractive anyway (the truth hurts)! Or, if a girl with a tattoo gets pregnant, as long as she takes care of her skin and body during the pregnancy, her tattoo should still be okay. If not, she could easily get it touched up. It's not a big deal. & Whoever made up the rumor that tattoos will hold you back from a professional career is a LIAR. In today's society, tattoos are becoming more acceptable in the business world. The clean-cut look is so twentieth century. Today, one could be edgy while still looking professional. A smart Executive will not turn down an impressive resume just because of some exposed tattoos.

 I just love the fact that something can be so meaningful to a person that they would paint it permanently on his or her body forever.

  However, I do see where people are coming from when it comes to the negative aspect of tattooing. Some people see it as an act of defacing the body.

"Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the LORD."Leviticus 19:28

I got this tattoo in Cocoa Beach, Florida at the Corner Tattoo & Piercing studio. 

Getting a tattoo is basically sinning. Being that I do have some religious undertones, I am not condoning sin. I am just showing my love for body art; the same way one loves piercings, sex or money. 

 I do not see tattoos as marks on the body; but I see it as art –if a real tattoo artist does it. There are some ratchet tattoos out there; maybe I will have an entry or two about some terrible tattoos. But for the most part, I am going to blog about the beautiful and unique tattoos that I come across. 
If you know me, you know that I am not “tatted up” like Kat Von D. I only have three small tattoos and a large fourth tattoo that is not yet finished. I really admire tattoo sleeves. However, in all honesty, I am not sure if I have the balls to get a sleeve... or it could be the fact that I am just unsure of what I would get done. So in a way, this blog is helping me to see tattoos through the eyes of different people. I want to know what inspired them to get such an awesome tattoo. Was it their favorite memory? Their childhood hero? Favorite philosopher? I want to write about inspirational and well-done tattoos. If you have a tattoo that is beautiful, unique, and/or inspirational then please contact me! 

Tell me your story!