Tattoo Designs for Bob
Stag and All-Seeing-Eye
POSITION: Right Forearm
DESCRIPTION: We decided to go with a stag theme in reference to the stag as a spirit animal for Bob's Tattoo. The stag is used in this tattoo to symbolize the character-trades of vigilance, spirituality, and groundedness, as the stag is an impressive and mystical animal of the forest. It is truly magical to face a stag eye to eye in the middle of the wilderness. The antlers helped me to create a perfect framing for the upper half of the composition, which holds a Mandala-Cutout, with the eye of the providence as a centerpiece.
The layering-effect of the mandala is used to create the feeling of different "Layers" Bob has. The layers reveal the eye behind, which has a metaphorical stand to see things as they really are. Being awakened means seeing the world as it is, no deception, no hallucination, and no assumptions. Both elements, the stag, and the eye, hold around the same "weight" in the tattoo-design to create the balance between the groundedness of earth/nature (the stag), as well as the metaphysical, symbolized by the eye. Thank you, Bob; it was a pleasure to create this design for you!
CLIENT TESTIMONIAL:
Daniel is extremely detail-oriented, and it shows in his superb tattoo work as well as our interactions. He's a wonderful human being and I would recommend him in a heartbeat as an artist and a person! Thanks so much! -Bob
Hummingbird and Universe
POSITION: Left Forearm
DESCRIPTION: Bob reached out in 2025 to add a new piece to his tattoo collection, this time on his left forearm, to complement the tattoo of a stag and eye we did on his right forearm in LA back in 2020.
The concept behind this new piece was centered around the stretched nature of time, space, and the mind — the idea that everything is in a state of constant motion and expansion. In many ways, this was an evolution of the theme we explored in his first tattoo: the stag, a grounded and earthy creature whose antlers stretch skyward. For this second piece, Bob wanted to explore similar ideas, but in a more abstract way and with a focus on geometry and psychedelic influences.
He also had a small, preexisting tattoo on his wrist (three simple arrows) which had been damaged in a surf accident in San Francisco, leaving behind a scar. As part of this new work, I touched up the arrows to give them new life and allow them to better blend in with the new design.
The design that emerged from Bob’s concept centers around a hummingbird as the focal element, and as a counterpart to the stag on the other arm. To stay within the abstract theme, I rendered the hummingbird in a geometric, origami-inspired style, contrasting the realistic stag from the earlier tattoo.
Where the stag is heavy, grounded, and rooted in the earth, the hummingbird is small, light, and constantly in motion. In many cultures, hummingbirds are seen as spiritual messengers, carrying messages from the spirit world and linking the earthly and spiritual realms, which seemed very fitting for the overall theme.
To mirror the upward-reaching antlers of the stag (but referencing opposing directions), I added two downward-pointing arrows, as a symbolic tether to the earth. These also served to better integrate his existing arrow tattoo.
In keeping with the theme of expansion of mind, time, and space, I incorporated cosmic and space imagery, as a reference to time and mind contiously expanding — just like the universe. The upper part of the tattoo features a sacred geometry “flower of life” pattern, a motif that appears across many cultures and is often associated with psychedelic or mind-expanding experiences. It also symbolizes the universe and the expansion of consciousness as such.
To tie the piece together, I created a geometric background pattern that evolves in shape: beginning with a triangle at the base (the simplest of forms), expanding into a hexagon, and ultimately turning into a circle, the most complete and complex of all shapes. This progression is a subtle nod to the evolution of the mind from the simple to the very complex.
I had an amazing time reconnecting with Bob. He’s the kind of person who brings a smile to every room. We had a great time talking about life, his DJ sets, and the weird, fun, funny beauty of human experience. And it was interesting to have an exchange between his extroverted perspectives and my introverted lens.
For Inquiries, please feel free to reach out via email: contact@danielmeyertattoo.com
I look forward to working with you on your next story.
