Look who is back in Linden!
It is good to have Ryan "Busta" Boltoon and his tattoo shop back.
And within meters of where his old shop used to be
before he moved to Greenside.
As his brochure states...
"Arts and oddities", and his shop is certainly a mix of that.
Skulls seem to be the overriding theme.
If you have Tiki in the name of the shop,
then you have to have one IN the shop!
Many people take gnomes(or in my case hares) on their travels.
Ryan likes to take THIS with him.
Meet Waffles-the-cat, a well travelled skeleton.
Ryan is bats about Bats!
In the first quarter of 2016,Busta Boltoon, undertook a road trip to raise
awareness for South African Bat conservation.
The "Bat Outta Hell Tour" started in Johannesburg and ended in Cape Town
and encompassed 13 tattoo studios along the way.
The public played a part by getting a special "Battoo" done by Ryan.
A portion of the money raised from each "Battoo" was donated to
various Bat conservation organizations in the provinces visited.
awareness for South African Bat conservation.
The "Bat Outta Hell Tour" started in Johannesburg and ended in Cape Town
and encompassed 13 tattoo studios along the way.
The public played a part by getting a special "Battoo" done by Ryan.
A portion of the money raised from each "Battoo" was donated to
various Bat conservation organizations in the provinces visited.
Aside from being a great tattoo artist,
Ryan is also an awesome painter...
as the multitude of art works on the shop walls can attest to.
Setting up for a client...
"Just a small tattoo please and I would like it here".
Placing the stencil and making certain that the client is happy.
As we all know tattoos are permanent and therefore
the proper placing is important.
Also check (and re-check) that the spelling of any words
that you are going to have inked is correct.
Making certain that the skin where the tattoo will be done is clean .
Ryan pays a lot of attention the cleanliness and sterility of his needles
and any other equipment that he uses.
This is to make certain that the work heals cleanly and with no infection
All is ready for the work to begin
Start time...12:34
Ryan says the words that all good tattoo artists utter just before the needle hits skin...
"Are you ready"?
This was just a small line work piece, so it did not take very long.
Ryan's attention to detail is what makes his clients keep coming back
All done!
Finish time 12:41.
Total needle time 7 minutes.
All cleaned up and ready for the next client.
This was the most recent work that Ryan has done on me...21/01/2016
And why a Phoenix?
In Greek mythology, the Phoenix is a long lived bird that is cyclically reborn.
It arises from the ashes of its predecessor, after dying in a show of flames.
Sometimes some of my endeavours have done exactly that...
crashed and burned, but I am always able to bounce back.
My next tattoo...
There will be 3 entwined branches of a Buffalo Thorn
Why?
The branches will represent my wife, my daughter and myself.
Why this particular tree?
The thorns are in a zig-zag pattern,
indicating that life is not always straight forward.
One thorn faces backwards (where we have come from).
While the other faces forwards (where we are headed)
It is also said that in a storm, this tree will protect you from lightning.
Although Ryan can occasionally accommodate walk-ins,
he does like to book clients in advance.
Support local, support Linden.
Please note that all images, unless otherwise stated, are my IP.
They may not be copied from this Blog posting used individually
without permission and the relevant fees being paid.
"Travel & Things" relies on Pentax cameras
and SanDisk,
supplied by
When last did you actually print a photograph?
"Travel & Things" images are printed
at their store in Cresta.
Great service, friendly staff
and more importantly awesome prints.
To find their current specials
or to locate a store nearest to you:
This is how I get about when I am in Johannesburg.
Travel & Things is sponsored by:
Extreme Bike Stealth.
The new way to travel in the city.
Cool Ideals is my service provider of choice.
They enable me to ensure that my articles
and images are sent fast and effortlessly.
Not to mention all the other benefits that FTTH offers...
Like stability and affordability!
GammaTek is my powerbank supplier of choice.
One of my problems is often lack of battery power
if I have been using the camera on my phone.
I have tried many "powerbanks",
but the majority drain before they can fully recharge my device.
This is where this Powerbank has the edge...
it can recharge my phone up to 7 times,
before it needs to be recharged.
To find out more:
Follow me on Twitter: @davidbatzofin
Visit my Facebook page: www.facebook.com/david.batzofin
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