QUICK TAMPA TRIP

On my way out East to visit my dad in Massachusetts, I took a quick trip to Tampa Fl to get some more work done on a rib tattoo. My buddy Phil Holt started it over a year ago and we're finally getting back into it. I'll spare you on how bad tattoos feel on ribs. Before the pain, Jeff Srcic and I (another fantastic artist -- check him out here) went down to the Ringling museum in Sarasota. I'd heard of the Ringling Academy but was totally unaware of the museum (which is apparently totally unaffiliated with the school). The Ringling Museum houses the private collection of John Ringling (of the Ringling Bros. Circus dudes) and is huge. With the exception of Rubens, I don't think I'd heard of any of the artists (which is no huge surprise) but noticed a ton of paintings based on other more famous paintings, or in the style of whatever master was popular at the time.  Not uncommon, but also not something you see so much of in one place. There was some really fantastic work there -- here's a few I especially like: