Check out the store! Pick up a little something for Valentine's day, or just a random gift for a friend- or yourself! You'll be so glad you did- as long as, that is, you DO... If you don't, you will NEVER FORGIVE YOURSELF, and it will lead you into a potentially life threatening SHAME SPIRAL- AVOID THAT AT ALL COSTS!!! With prints starting at $15, how can you afford NOT to get something today?!?
I've added loads of new prints in my store, including the giganting Surf Gods painting I did for the Synergy First Friday show you read about in the post below this one. You can't believe how amazing those giant prints on canvas look!
Check out the store! Pick up a little something for Valentine's day, or just a random gift for a friend- or yourself! You'll be so glad you did- as long as, that is, you DO... If you don't, you will NEVER FORGIVE YOURSELF, and it will lead you into a potentially life threatening SHAME SPIRAL- AVOID THAT AT ALL COSTS!!! With prints starting at $15, how can you afford NOT to get something today?!?
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I, along with the other artists from Synergy Tattoo, have an exhibit of our artwork going up at Crush Boutique in Knoxville, and the opening reception is Friday, January 6th!
I am putting up a bunch of paintings, including my most recent one- the largest water color I have ever done. I know Jerry Bean has some impressive new pieces he's putting up, and I've seen the other folks hard at work on their new stuff- I can't wait to see the show! I hope you can make it, too! Most of the paintings will be for sale, and I'm going out to pick up some giclee prints of a few of my paintings, which we be available at the show AND here on my website! This is my first exhibit of any kind in Knoxville- I gotta admit, I'm pretty excited! The opening reception starts at 5:30, and the boutique is located at 121 W Jackson Ave, and their # is (865) 249-8281. I hope I'll see you there! I'm contemplating doing a trip up to the Philly / South Jersey area around the end of September and beginning of October. To make it possible, I'd like to do some tattoos on some of my Philly peeps whilst I'm up there. Let me know if you'd be interested in getting inked. If I can set up like 2 or 3 days of appointments, I will definitely do this trip...
Email me, or send me a message through the website! Rock on! Donno As of 5:30 on January 18, 2011, the world is a less interesting and colorful place.
After eating a bowl of chocolate ice cream, tattoo legend and legendary tattooed man, Jack Dracula, passed away. I consider myself lucky to have known him and called him my friend. This is not a traditional eulogy, just my memories of how we met and got to know each other. The first time I ever saw Jack, I was a relatively new tattoo artist. I was at a tattoo convention in Philadelphia, and came around a corner when I suddenly found myself face to face with him. He was sitting on a stool in a corner, just behind a doorway, with a stack of 8x10s he was autographing and selling. I, of course, immediately knew who he was, but I was so taken by surprise to be standing in front of him, and honestly a little intimidated to be a neophyte in the presence of a legend, that I didn’t say anything to him. I just gasped a little and walked away. Years later I discovered that not only was he living in a nursing home in my neighborhood, but that he lived literally 3 blocks away from me. I determined immediately that I would not repeat my past mistake and miss out on the opportunity to meet him. I felt it would just be outright disrespectful to NOT go by and introduce myself and say hi. A few days later, shortly before his birthday (which is Christmas day) I trudged through a couple feet of snow over top of sinisterly slick ice, and went to visit him- completely unannounced, and not at all sure if he was receptive to visits from strangers. My main obstacle to my first visit was that I had no idea what his real name was! Surely it wasn’t Mr. Dracula. He’s been known to go by many names- Barcelona Jack, Prince Dracula, “The Marked Man”, even Pollock Eddie… So I just asked the nurse at the reception desk if I could see Jack Dracula, the Tattooed Man. “Dracula? Is that Mr. Baker’s circus name or something?” she asked. Sure enough, his real name was Jack Baker, and when she called his room and told him I was there to visit him, he told her to send me back. He was a very nice old dude. Though he was not looking in the best of shape, he seemed in good spirits. Even confined to a bed with both legs amputated below the knees, and swollen to enormous proportions, he was vibrant and full of life. I couldn't stay real long that day- I was just happy to learn that both he and the nursing home were cool with having random strangers stop in to say hi. I felt lucky that I got hang out and shoot the shit with him for a while. He told me all about his great romance with Lillian, a married woman, and his time with Hubert's Side Show Museum, and of the peculiar fact that even though he had worked for Ringling Brother’s, he had never been to Florida. He asked me to stop by again, "when you can sit and stay a while", and to bring some of my flash and pictures of tattoos and stuff. Delighted by the prospect, I asked him if there was anything he needed that I could bring him. “Double cheeseburgers from McDonalds- the ones on the dollar menu. The food here is terrible.” Probably not the best thing for a man of his health to eat, but WTF, if that’s what will make him happy, who am I to deny him. I also noted that he had a big box of Cheese Nips propped near his bed, and decided to re-up him on those, too. He told me to bring a camera, too (I actually had one with me, but didn't want to appear too presumptuous...) A couple days later I stopped back. I brought my older son with me because he didn't believe that Jack Dracula was a real person. We had a nice chat, talked about Sailor Eddie, Philadelphia Eddie, Sunny Tufts and a bunch of other old Philly artists. Talked about dense customers and kids today with no respect for history... The double cheeseburgers were most appreciated, and he said he liked my flash- that I have a unique style. After the first 2 pages he said, "I like it, but I wouldn't get any of this stuff..." then the 3rd page was more old school pork chop stuff and he said, "AH- that's the kind of stuff I'd get!" It made me smile. This set the stage for a number of subsequent visits, always with a bag of McDonalds in my hand, in which we would talk about whatever was on his mind, from books he was reading, to opera, to tattooers around the country who have sent him cards and paintings out of the blue, to gourmet cooking and fine wines. Usually he did most of the talking, and I was always more than happy to just sit and listen. One of my favorite stories he told me was after I had taken my son on a tour of the USS Olympia- a gorgeous old Naval Cruiser that had fought in the Spanish-American war. Jack was a former Navy man himself, and told me about the time he toured that ship. He was fortunate enough to have a guided tour, given by the last surviving crew member who had seen active duty aboard the Olympia. Absolutely amazing. One day a neighbor of mine, who was a lawyer, stopped me on the street and said she wanted to thank me for what I was doing with Jack. I was very confused- first off by what she was even talking about, and more so by how the heck she would even know Jack. Apparently she was in a church group that spent time with folks in nursing homes, and had known him for years. She said the last few times she had seen him, he spent most of his time talking about me, and my son, and had shown her the photo of him and my boy together that we framed and gave him. According to her, we were a real bright spot in his life. This made me happy on a number of levels- one, because I really liked him a lot too, but also because I sort of felt guilty about hanging around- like I was just taking from him selfishly, and not giving anything in return except hamburgers. I was happy to learn that wasn’t the case. When I eventually moved away fro Philadelphia I still sent him letters occasionally, though he never wrote back. I deeply regret not going to see him one final time before he passed. You will always be remembered, Jack. Rest in peace. I didn't make it, but- aside from my utter lack of computer skills- I pretty much could have. The only thing I'd have done differently is mention that the client only has $60 to work with, too...
But if you've ever wondered what the average day in a tattoo shop is like, watch this video. It's dead on... http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/7509401/ This was originally published on my MySpace Blog, Sunday, April 13, 2008. It seemed like a post worth reposting... So You Want To Be A Tack-Too Artist, Huh? Category:Jobs, Work, Careers A lot of people have contacted me through MySpace to ask me about how they, too, can become a tattooer. Tonight I answered a letter to a guy who seems like a better candidate than anyone else who has asked me thus far, and even to him I gave what is probably a very discouraging reply. To save time and effort on my part in the future, I have taken most of that reply, added a bit to it, changed a few things that were specific to him, and am now posting it as a blog to which I can direct future inquires: About getting into tattooing... Ahhhhh, where do I start. I guess with: if you truly love it and it's what you need to do, you'll find a way to do it. If it's not, it's best to leave it alone. It doesn't just consume your life, it becomes your life. Right now, with 2 kids and all, I'm really contemplating hanging up my machines and getting a "square" job with benefits and a pension and stuff. Tattooing is a fabulous single man's life. Not so great for a family man- late nights, uncertain income, no health care, etc, etc, not to mention if you want to make a "name" for yourself you have to travel a lot (which I loved, back in the day) and socialize and self promote at all the "right" places and events (which I always hated). Furthermore, the money is being spread too damn thin these days, with every vo-tech drop out watching Miami Ink thinking they could be the next hot shit tattooer, buying a starter kit, and fucking up all their friends. They're taking $ out of professionals' pockets while creating ugly, unsanitary tattoos (and animosity towards tattooing.) Honestly, after almost 10 years in the business, I'm earning LESS THAN HALF of what I earned my first year tattooing. Partly cuz of all the new "ink slingers" out there, but also partly because with a family and all, I can't go hang out at clubs and bars and drum up business with "the cool kids" who are spending serious money for good tattoos. I'm not part of "the scene", as it were. NOW... With all that said... If you're serious and committed, like I said, you will find a way. Here is some advice for some dos and don'ts. First and foremost, DO get a real apprenticeship with a real tattooer. Not everyone who tattoos, or even everyone who owns a tattoo shop, or even several shops, is worthy of training an apprentice. There are a lot of unscrupulous people who will just take you on as free labor, teach you nothing, and kick you out the door in a year or so. There are also people who think they are a lot better than they really are, and who want the ego trip of having an apprentice, who will teach you CRAP- which is worse than teaching you nothing. There are also well inentioned people who just can't teach. A general guideline is that if someone offers you an apprenticeship right off the bat, or really easily, they're probably not qualified to take on an apprentice. It took me 13 years from the time I decided I wanted to tattoo to the time I found a mentor. Also, if they charge you a fee upfront (usually 5-10,000 bucks) stay away. They're crooks. don't go to a "tattoo school" either. They're just highly motivated crooks. Find a shop that has good artists working in it. Get a lot of tattoos from them. Hang around the shop. Pop in just to say hi and stuff. Maybe bring in a pizza. DON'T start asking about an apprenticeship on day 1. Wait until you know they are good, ethical, and above all else, CLEAN tattooers, and THEY know that you are serious about tattoos. Also be sure that they are people you could imagine spending all day, every day with. Cuz if you get an apprenticeship, you will be joined at the hip to someone for a good while. Most shops won't allow employees to have apprentices- only the shop owner. Others will. It depends on the owner. Keep in mind, by asking a tattooer to apprentice you, you are asking them to create competition for themselves. Don't get pissy if they don't want to do that. If you make it through an apprenticeship and become a tattooer, you'll be reluctant to do it, too... Put together a good portfolio. Nothing looks more half assed than just a notebook or sketchbook with a bunch of drawings in it, even if they're GOOD drawings! Put some effort into presentation. Have works in different media- tattooers love to see watercolors in particular- but as many different media as you can muster. If you have experimented with tattooing your friends with home-made machines and stuff, FOR GOD'S SAKE, DO NOT INCLUDE THE PICTURES IN YOUR PORTFOLIO!!! Trust me, they look like crap, no matter how bitchin' your friends told you they think they are. Seriously, have someone who doesn't care if they hurt your feelings evaluate your portfolio before you take it into a tattoo shop. Friends and family think you're great, regardless of whether you suck or not. Tattooers still have a bit of pirate left in them, and won't hesitate to tell you you suck. If you suck, please stop. Find something you ARE good at to do, that WON'T fuck people up forever. DO NOT buy a starter kit and try to teach yourself!!!!!! I can't emphasise this point enough. Most especially if the starter kit includes the book "Tattooing from A-Z" by Huck Spaulding. It contains a lot of outdated, bad, and deliberately false information. "Teaching" yourself how to tattoo will instill in you a LOT of bad habits that are very hard to overcome if you later receive proper training. More importantly, you really really really need proper training in blood borne pathogens control. Giving someone Hepatitis not only fucks their life forever, it fucks all tattooers and tattooing, too... I have yet to see a starter kit that includes an autoclave. An autoclave is THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT piece of equipment a tattooer can have. If you don't have access to one, don't fucking do tattoos. Period. End of discussion. I'm sure there is more info I should be telling you here, but it's not jumping to mind- my typing is so slow because of how tattooing has fucked my wrists and arms up, now my hands can't keep up with my thinking. Oh, so yeah, if you start tattooing, be sure to do a LOT of stretching- particularly in your wrists and fingers, and be very concientious of your posture. Get a massage therapist and a chiropractor. Do it BEFORE you're all fucked up and crippled. Tattooing has been very good to me. It has also been very hard on me. I accept the good with the bad. It ain't all sunshine and blowjobs, like you see Kat Von Douche doing it on TV. Don't believe the hype. You're not going to be famous. Turn your TV off, and draw. Draw a lot. Look at source material OTHER than tattoos. Throw out your tattoo magazines. Look at fine art books throughout the ages. Look at R. Crumb comix. Look at coloring books. Look at graphic design and advertising. Billboards in particular. Look at any and all visual forms of communication, and see if you can comprehend why they work, or why they fail. Anyway... if this is your calling, this info should help get you on the right path. If it's what you need to do, I wish you the best of luck. If you're not born to this, devoted to this, MEANT for this... it will chew you up and spit you out. It is a very hard life to start, to maintain, and to succeed at. You have been warned. If there's anything else you'd like to know, please feel free to ask. Oh, and one last thing- don't be a junkie. No one likes junkies, and there are too damn many of them fucking up the industry already. Partying occasionally is fine, but know your limits. Stick to beer and weed. Don't get wasted if you're supposed to tattoo the next day. Suddenly earning loads of cash on a daily basis, and being a "cool guy" that everyone wants to party with, has gone to more people's heads than I could ever possibly count. Don't become just another also-ran, cuz you confused "tattoo artist" with "rock star". Read more:http://www.myspace.com/mfdas/blog#ixzz11QReqYI1 So now I'm working on this little writing project...
One of the things I'm trying to do is put together as many stories about tattooing- and the crazy people I have tattooed over the years- as I can remember. Of course, I forget stuff now and then, so I'm wondering if y'all could help me out. Remind me of a funny story or two (or more) I've told ya. I'd be most appreciative!... |