Orion

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This tattoo interpretation of the constellation Orion comes from the Flickrstream of Xtrarant and is licensed under Creative Commons.

This gorgeous tattoo was inked by Conan Lea of Voluta Tattoo out of Indianapolos, Indiana.

The photo of the actual Orion constellation comes from here; my Google search tells me it's free to use.

Orion is a popular figure from Greek mythology slain either by the goddess Artemis or the Scorpion that would become the constellation Scorpio. History doesn't provide us much source material concerning Orion but we do know that he was a giant man who served as a hunter and was honored as a hero.

The Dragonfly

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This nifty dragonfly tattoo comes from the Flickrstream of Fabi Dorighello and is licensed under Creative Commons.

This tattoo was created by the fine folks at Dark Side Tattoo out of Sao Paulo. (At least I think that's where they're located; I don't understand Spanish so I could be wrong. UPDATE: In the comments section Clare has informed me that the language in question is Portuguese, not Spanish, and the shop is indeed in Sao Paulo. You'll have to forgive me folks, I'm a moron when it comes to geography and languages. Thanks Clare!)

The dragonfly has, in recent years, become a very popular critter to be found on everything from wind chimes, flower pots, clothing and yes, even skin. The dragonfly is a creature of the air as well as the water as they're larvae, called nymphs, are aquatic critters usually found around wetlands, streams and lakes. The dragonfly has plenty of rich folklore surrounding it, mostly expressed through its many names. A fascinating sampling of these names can be found at Crystalinks:

Some of these are Teufelsnadel ("Devil's needle"), Wasserhexe ("Water witch"), Hollenross ("Goddess' horse"), Teufelspferd ("Devil's horse") and Schlangentöter ("Snake killer"). Also the name Snake Doctor has been used in Germany. In England the name Devil's darning needle and Horse stinger have been used. In Denmark the dragonfly have got such different names as Fandens ridehest ("Devil's riding horse") and Guldsmed ("Goldsmith"). Different names of dragonflies referring to them as the devils tools have also occurred in many other European cultures, some examples are the Spanish Caballito del Diablo ("Devil's horse") and the French l'aiguille du diable ("Devil's needle").

As far as specific mythic figures are concerned the dragonfly is historically identified with Daldal, a hero of the Takelma who were American Indians of Oregon, mostly living along the Rogue River. Daldal does great deeds and slays monsters that would threaten his people.

Aside from all of that, the dragonfly can represent change and adaptability. Similar to the butterfly they transform from one flightless state of being to magnificent creatures of the air. And dragonflies, moving forward, backward and side to side in quick succession are masters of the air and a source of inspiration for those of us seeking to roll with the changes of our lives.

The Punisher

Another artist submission by Geri of Pandora's Ink. She did this tattoo on herself folks, yep, her own hand. She's such a badass. She had this to say about it:

I just did this on myself today. I'm still all super giddy from it haha. I love love LOVE the Punisher, so I figured I'd add a girlie touch. I love it!

Very cool. Thanks Geri for sharing your new ink!

Hunter S. Thompson Ink

This very cool Hunter S. Thompson tattoo, after an image by Ralph Steadman, was created by Geri of Pandora's Ink.

This is my very first artist submission. Yay!! Geri inked this on her husband and had this to say about it:

It's Ralph Steadman's work, a portrait of Hunter S. Thompson that is the cover of his book "The Joke's Over". Hunter is my biggest hero, my husband and I love him dearly. Ralph's an incredible artist. His work just oozes .... well, too many words come to mind, lol. So, yes, it just oozes. :)

Thanks so much to Geri for sharing her awesome work!