Early August - Tattoos, Spiders, Thoughts on Large-scale tattoos, And some nature photography

Normally, for the last year or two, I break the blog up in sections, tattoos, home, nature, streets... But this time I'm going to publish everything in chronological order, with the tattoos and nature and home stuff all mixed up.  Let me know if you feel any type of way about that... 

And as always, email me at bram_adey@hotmail.com for any tattoo bookings or inquiries.

I've been photographing all the different spiders in my yard the last month or so.  I recon this one is a grass spider, the type that spins the funnel shaped web.  After spying and photographing a crab spider in my garden, I decided I really wanted to get a good one of this species, I always love spying on the funnel weavers...

I've been working on a little painting just for fun lately.  Very much tattoo inspired, but not flash so to speak.  I've been at a funny inflection point with my work and need a bit of space to consider what exactly I'm doing with all this visual art.  I've always viewed the flash as not too precious, but maybe I've turned a corner and need to be creating something more precious after all...

Cow Skull Tattoo from my book of available flash. 

I lost track of the censored versions of this pair of serpents backpiece, so heres just a detail for now.  Such a fun strong start to an awesome piece.  I was tickled to hear the story behind the piece, the client's grandmother loved to take them out snake hunting, and I love the snake as a symbol of cosmic feminine wisdom, as is so often the case.  

Orchid Wrist Tattoo.  I made three of these this day, of a parent and their children, a real honour.

The wildfire smoke, an ever-present reminder of the peril of our times.

We finished this blackbirds and Apple Blossoms sleeve tattoo recently.  I think a lot about the cultural context in which I work, and the various other tattoo cultures that I and my clients are inspired by and the way that they interact.  No question, the Japanese full sleeve tattoo is one of the most sought-after "looks" in tattooing, however, I don't think that the culture of tattooing that I work in lends itself to the specific dark background, full-coverage style of the Japanese tattoo.  My clients are more culturally suited to coming in once or twice a year for a one-shot tattoo, so when it comes to achieving the "sleeve" look, i'm usually shooting for somewhere between five to eight one-shot tattoos that pretty well fill out the arm to a density that suits the wearer.  This sleeve was done in four sessions, the original script, then a session to line the three main sections, a session to fill the whole inner arm, and a session to fill the whole outer arm.  I'm very happy with the result.

A couple of my favourite little details...

A crab-spider in the Calendula.

Honey-Bee

This is one of my favourite little insect tattoos i've shot in a while...

My younger son and I took a little day-trip down the 44 to the Whiteshell Provincial Park looking for loons, we didn't end up seeing loons, but there were some great things to see along the way none-the-less...

Seven-Sisters Falls

Hopefully you can see the little prairie chickens in this photo, sooooo cute!

I stopped in at a little secret-spot where I was young and was blessed with this Great-Blue Heron sighting, I'm sorry to not be a better wildlife photographer, I certainly disturbed this bird and it flew straight away from me, I guess there's not a lot to be done about that... 

An Epic spot.  I remember scrambling through here as a young child.

Meanwhile at Garbage Hill... 

After a good year and a half of shooting only digital, I've been shooting film again and got my first batch developed... good fun, and maybe the project will be something some-day.  I'm trying to challenge myself a bit, get out of my comfort zone, it's hard not to give up, but i'm gonna keep pushing for now... 

Lady's Slipper Tattoo.

Cozy Jackrabbit Tattoo.

Oof, my partner found this little Cat's Face Spider for me, and I was glad to wait until sunset to photograph it with the sun shining through.  These are such cool spiders to see and watch.  Always busy.

You can see the spider up in the top left third of this photo in it's little hiding spot.

I've been waxing poetic on my 2004 trip to the Amazon Rain Forest, and I finally have a pretty complete set of prints of the trip I took down the Rio Napo.  Maybe a zine forthcoming?

Epic Times.

Just about my favourite tattoo ever... Raven inspired by Kyosai.

Snake and Peony Tattoo.

Rosemary Tattoo - to celebrate the child.

This one is a little different both stylistically and thematically from my usual, but I'm so proud of it, and it's no less than twelve years old I recon.  Don't be shy to ask for something like this for yourself... 

Thanks for stopping in and checking out the blog.  Like I mentioned earlier, drop me a line at bram_adey@hotmail.com for tattoo bookings.   

All the best,

Bram

 

July 2025 - Tattoos, Insects, around the house and neighbourhood.

 

Hi, welcome to the blog.  I'll start off with some new tattoos, then some photos around the house, neighborhood, out in nature, then back to the neighbourhood.  Enjoy!

I was so happy to get to do this big axe and spruce bough tattoo last week.  To me this is totally the sort of image that makes a great tattoo.  It has a really specific meaning to the wearer, but probably a lot of people who see it will be reminded of similar experiences in their own lives.  This shared nostalgia and gratitude is something i think is really endearing in a tattoo, the tattoo ends up being a way that we are bound to one another, and show how we have shared experiences.

The classic crawling panther, chosen from the wall of flash at Ritual Winnipeg where you can find me.

I was grateful that this client requested specifically a garter snake tattoo.  I was able to go through my photos of the Snake Dens at narcisse and make the custom tattoo from my own photographic reference.

At Ritual... we love Goose!

Spider plant around an existing tattoo, on a great old client!

And finally a really special one for an old client and coworker, thanks Alyssa!

A little rooster tattoo for an old client, I love this kind of design.

If you'd like to discuss your tattoo ideas or book an appointment, email me at bram_adey@hotmail.com for bookings.  I'm always taking new clients, am happy to do custom work or flash, big or small!

I'm working on a new painting right now, a little different from my usual flash paintings... could be a tattoo, but more of a meditative, house-decoration kind of piece.  I recon i'll endeavor to make prints of this one.  

You can find me at Ritual Winnipeg ( www.ritualwinnipeg.com ) Tuesday-Friday, 10-6.  I opened the studio just about two years ago and I'm so proud of it, thanks to al the great artists who some work with me, and all the wonderful clients that make up the fabric of the place.

I finally found a used copy of this one, I've literally wanted to read it for probably 15 years...

Been shooting film lately...

It's raspberry week down at my place, the patch has been so productive, I bet we got ten full bowls this year so far.

This is one of my favourite photos i've shot in a while, my neighbours probably had a field day watching me roll around in the garden to get it.

For the non--skateboarders, this is a photograph of the Back handrail at the Woodsworth building in downtown Winnipeg.  This rail has been heavily skated for over thirty years and is a real bucket-list, rite of passage, proving ground spot for skateboarders of a certain type.  

I appears that the whole upper landing of the building is slated to be renovated, and so maybe the rails will end up being replaced, this is a big deal to us!  I'm exceedingly proud to have gotten a particular trick on this rail before anyone else one time, and also to have grinded the rail shown below.  

Will this be the end of an era?  I recon we'll never see rails as good as these again.  It seems that modern building code must include kinks at the bottoms of the rails, because almost all new rails have them.  And also, most new rails end up made of Stainless steel, which is junk for skateboarding compared to old painted steel. 

Some hectic action on the block maybe?!?

Thank you so much for checking out my blog.  I hope it finds you well, like I mentioned earlier, drop me a line any time with your tattoo inquiries, bram_adey@hotmail.com is always the way.  

Sincerely,

Bram