Skin & Ink - June 2015

THE BEST INK COVERAGE FROM AROUND THE WORLD!

JUNE 2015 ISSUE 157

THE TATTOO MAGAZINE

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PUBLISHERChristopher Perretta

EDITOR IN CHIEFPaul Gambino

MANAGING EDITOREmmanuel Urena

ART DIRECTORStuart Koban

CONTRIBUTING WRITERSNate Beavers, Dana Brunson,

Jessica DeFeo, Mannie Pendexter,Sam Paul, Dr.Messina,

Travelin Mick, John Foscante,Mike Bednarsky, Frank DeBlase,Michael Nguyen, Amy Sciarretto,

Bill Waytowich

PHOTOGRAPHERSMary DAloisio, GiGi Elmes,

Dan Howell, Richard Edson, Travelin Mick,

Jenna Krazeck, Amber Mannon, Steve Prue, Evil Eye

COPY EDITORNancy McCaslin

DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTIONEvan Honig

Phone (201) 843-4004 x114Fax (201) 843-8775

PRODUCTION MANAGER Fulvio Brito

ADVERTISING Marty Puntus

(201) 843-4004 [email protected]

CIRCULATION [email protected]

CONTROLLERFred Zott

EDITORIAL OFFICES210 Rt 4 East, Paramus, NJ 07652

(201) 843-4004

DISTRIBUTORCurtis Circulation Co.

Skin&Ink (ISSN 1071-7684) Issue #157 June 2015.Published six times a year by Magna Publications Group, Inc., inFeb, April, June, Aug, Oct, Dec. Corp. Periodicals postage paid atParamus, NJ and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Sendaddress changes to: Magazine Services, Dept. Skin & Ink, P.O. Box9030, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33310. Subscriptions (one year) U.S.$26.99, all others $59.99, All orders must be in U.S. funds.Contents copyrighted 2015. All rights reserved. Contents maynot be reprinted in whole or art without prior written permissionfrom the Publisher. Return postage must accompany all manu-scripts, drawings, and photographs if they are to be returned, andno responsibility can be assumed for unsolicited material. All rightsto unsolicited materials, including, but not limited to, articles, pho-tographs, cartoons, illustrations and letters sent to Skin&Ink willbe treated as unconditionally assigned for publication and copy-right purposes and as subject to Skin&Ink's right to edit and com-ment editorially. The amount and time of payment, if any, for suchsubmissions will be at the sole discretion of the publisher. Any sim-ilarity between persons depicted in humor, fiction or satire articlesand real persons living or dead is purely coincidental. MagnaPublications Group, Inc.; does not endorse and assumes no liabil-ity for any of the products or claims of service advertised in themagazine. Address all advertising materials to: Marty Puntus, 210Rt 4 East, Paramus, NJ 07652 or [email protected]&Ink is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark office.Printed in the Canada.

This go around, I am keeping the editors page short and sweet. Too much to do andgetting the next issue ready for your greedy little eyes is more important then you sit-ting here while I give some long-winded pontification on what a great issue we haveput together. So, I will turn it over to a much shorter-winded pontification. Here you go...

This issue of Skin & Ink is one our most diversified. This time around we decided tointerject a few unconventional articles. Run them up the flagpole, so to speak, and see whatyou dig and what you dont. I am not even going to elaborate here on what weve slippedin, maybe youll just be entertained and educated and assume it was just another enjoyableSkin & Ink feature.

Hey, but dont worry. This issue is still packed with our tried-and-true (How many anti-quated expressions can an editor fit on one page?) favorites. Mick takes us around the plan-et, Dana brings us some history, Nate shows us the way to become better artists, we spot-light some of the worlds greatest tattoo talent, visit a tattoo convention or two, check outsome cool flash, spotlight some courageous people, see the evolution of ink meeting popculture, marvel at the ink of the S&I Dolls and tie things up in a nice little package with FranDe Blas giving us his opinion on Kustom Kulture. Not bad for a hard months work

Enjoy,The EditorPaul Gambino

eDiTor s CommenT

Cover Model: Lusy Logan

Photography:Joseph OBrien

www.iamjop.com

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6. Letters To The EditorMail from S&I readers.

10. Ink SceneThe latest tattoo products, eventsand community happenings.

28. Artist SpotlightSaraloni Troupe: Natural Born Ink Slinger.

84. Flash ContestA win/win situation.

86. S&IDollsBeauty in ink!

92. The Artist GallerySupreme ink.

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COLuMNS

CONTENTS

14. Letters From AbroadFlorence 2014: Dolce Vita inTuscany! Italys largest tattoo convention Article and Photos by Travelin Mick

24. Tattoo Treasures with Dana BrunsonFrank & Emma DeBurgh: The Tattooed Couple

26. Tattooers POV with Nate BeaversTime Pieces and Statues.

74. International InkEl Monga and Aloha TattoosBarcelona, SpainArticle by Marco Annunziata

98. Comments and Kulturewith Frank De BlaseSmokeem If You Haveem

DEPARTMENTS

June 2015

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FEATURES

36. Jim RussiLife, Lenses & LongboardsArticle by Frank De BlasePhotos by Jim Russi and Andrew Brusso

41. Flight 914Another Successful Take OffPhotos by Dan Howell and Dan Brown

52. Shop SpotlightJose MotaOrtegaMota TattoosArticle by Michael Ngyuen

64. Nathan GalmanFrom Tragedy to Triumph.Article by Mike Bednarsky

68. Ink FusionWhere Tattoo & Pop Culture Collide!Article by Marc Draven

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CENTERFOLD

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Letters

A

The Work of

Ted Meyer &

Anna Stump

More Than Skin DeepTed Meyers and Ana Stumps artwork incorporating tattoos intolarger pieces is something Ivenever seen before. Its so creativeand imaginative and is a reallyinteresting take on tattoo art. Thepieces were all so different. Iloved the Buddha themed art, anda tattoo as common as a butterflywas transformed into somethingreally unique. Im really interestedin seeing more of the work theydo.Charles E.Sioux Falls, SD

A Lasting FavoriteThanks for the Leah Jung poster and

interview. She has been my favorite S&Icover girl since her really beautiful coverin the snow, probably a few years ago.

She is stunning, and I hope to see more ofher and hear more about her music for

some time to come. Dan G.

Key West, FL

The Reluctant PoetJohn Foscante started his article on Jim saying

that he had never written about anyone, but his

piece was a poetic tribute to a hardworking man

who loves his horses. It was

unlike any piece Ive read in

the magazine before. It was

nice to read something so

different and heartfelt.

Carol H.

Philadelphia, PA

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Neechees NicheIt was nice to see Neechee featured as an S&I doll in the last issue. Sheis totally gorgeous, but definitely does not look like the typical pinup. Andshes super talented. Her hairpieces are so beautiful. Patty B.

Brattleboro, VT

One Of The Biggest On EarthI remember going to the first Inked Out some years ago, thinking thatthere was no way Mario Barth could pull of another giant convention soclose to the Biggest Tattoo Show on Earth, but he did. It was a great con-vention, and everyone has been better than the last. I couldnt make it thisyear, but it looks like it was no different. Steve Prues photos are great andits good to hear that all the familiar faces were out in full force.Corey C.

Verona, NJ

Tattooing

in the Garden State

The Best Is Yet To ComeI couldnt believe it when I

read that ChristosGaliropoulous has only beentattooing for five years. Hiswork is so precise, and

shows a lot of talent, skill,and hard work. I cant waitto see what hes doing in

another five years.Tim S.

Sparks, NV


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LETTERS

Send letters & photos toSkin&Ink Letters

210 Route 4 East, Suite 211Paramus, NJ 07652

Be sure digital images are at least 2 mg jpeg images (or larger, set to maximum quality) at 300 dpi or greater or high-quality tiffs.

Images from the web will not work.

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LONDONTATTOO

O

Another Stop For Travelin MickI always love Travelin Micks convention coverage. It neverfails to be funny, smart, and honest. The London Conventioncoverage was no different. The photos were great, and I lovedhearing about the trials and tribulations of getting a booththere. As always, I cant wait to see where he goes next.Pete A.

Fresno, CA

Cruelty-Free InkIIm not vegan, but I would still go get tattooed by Jorell.His work is really nice. The watercolor stuff he does issome of the best Ive seen of that variety of tattoo.

Sometimes, Im not so into the stuff without outlines, but hedoes a really good job with it. And I really respect his com-

mitment to his ethics in running a vegan shop.Eric S.

St. Paul, MN

Kickin It OldSchoolI love DanasColumn! its a per-fect mix of educa-tion and entertain-ment. Wherewould we be with-out our tattoo

history and each issue Dana quietly and succiently delivers thegoods. He never lets us forget where we came from. My hat goesoff to Dana. Oh, wait! Let me get that hat back on so Dana knows who I am. Merci, Dana!Anton P.

Paris, France


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THE INK SCENE

PUBLICATIONSBeverly Yuen ThompsonNYU Press, July, 2015Tattooed women are celebrated in the pages of Skin & Ink. The pinupswho grace our pages are beautiful women adorned and made morebeautiful by the artwork on their bodies. But what does it mean to be atattooed woman in the world on a daily basis?

Beverly Thompson seeks to answer just that. She looks at what itmeans to be a tattooed woman at home, at work, as a mother or adaughter, and on the street. She speaks to tattooed mothers, andlawyers, and illustrates what effects tattoos have had on their personaland professional relationships. She investigates the particular experiencesof female tattooers and shop owners.

Covered in Ink is part autobiography, part sociology. Beverly sharesher experiences and the experiences of other women in magazines, inshops, and at pageants. These women talk about what led them to becometattooed, how their families reacted, and how they are treated at work, andhow they are approached by strangers on the street.

Overall, Thompson finds women who are happy with their choices tobecome tattooed. They feel empowered. They feel beautiful. Her study pro-vides deep insight into what it means be a tattooed woman. She strikeschords that are relatable to any tattooed personmale or female, or anyperson who is interested in how we judge each other.

Covered in Ink is a detailed, and at times eye-opening, portrait of women with tattoos.

NYHC: New York Hardcore 19801990 by Tony Rettman (Author), Freddy Cricien (Foreword) Published by Bazillion PointsKnown for its glamorous 1970s punk rock scene, New York City matched thegrim urban reality of the 1980s with a rawer musical uprising: New York hard-core. As bands of misfits from across the region gravitated to the forgotten fron-tier of Manhattans Lower East Side, a backdrop of despair, bands like AgnosticFront, Cro-Mags, Murphys Law, and Youth of Today confronted their reality withrelentlessly energetic gigs at CBGB, A7, and the numerous squats in the area.

Tony Rettmans ambitious oral history captures ten years of struggling, includ-ing the scenes regional rivalries with D.C. and Boston, the birth of moshing, theclash and coming to terms of hardcore and heavy metal, the straightedge move-ment, and the unlikely influence of Krishna consciousness.

With a foreword by Freddy Cricien of Madball, who made his stage debut withAgnostic Front at age seven, NYHC slams the sidewalk with savage tales of larger-than-life characters and unlikely feats of willpower. The gripping and sometimeshilarious narrative is woven together like the fabric of New York itself with over 100original interviews with members of Absolution, Adrenalin O.D., Agnostic Front,Antidote, Bad Brains, Bloodclot, Bold, Born Against, Breakdown, Cause for Alarm,Citizen Arrest, Cro-Mags, Crumbsuckers, Death Before Dishonor, Even Worse, FalseProphets, Don Fury, Gorilla Biscuits, H20, Heart Attack, Inhuman, Into Another, Irate,Judge, Kraut, Leeway, Lifes Blood, Major Conflict, Maxs Kansas City, Murphys Law,Nausea, Nihilistics, Nuclear Assault, Numskulls, Outburst, Pro-Pain, Quicksand, RatCage Records, Raw Deal, Reagan Youth, Rorschach, S.O.D., Sacrilege, Savage Circle,Sheer Terror, Shelter, Shok, Sick of it All, Side by Side, Skinhead Youth, Straight Ahead,the Abused, the Cryptcrashers, the Mad, the Misfits, the Misguided, the Mob, thePsychos, the Ritz, the Stimulators, the Undead, Token Entry, Underdog, Urban Waste,Virus, Warzone, Youth of Today, and many, many more.

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CONVENTIONS & EVENTSInked Out NJSeptember 1115, 2015Meadowlands Expo CenterSecaucus, NJinkedoutnj.comMario Barth began throwing conventions in New Jerseyin 2001. For years, he focused on his Las Vegas show,leaving a hole in the states convention circuit. In 2011,the crew brought Inked Out home and it has been amajor event ever since. All of Barths events are ofunprecedented size and scope and this years Inked Outwill be a convention larger and with a more star-stud-ded group of artists than New Jersey has ever seen.

Barth, who holds court over a tattoo empire withhis Starlight Tattoo franchise and Intenze Ink products,knows how to throw a party. His conven

tions attract the industrys top tattooers and massiveamounts of attendees year after year.

There will be live tattooing by Horitoshi I. Boris,Baba, Barth himself, and Bob Tyrell, the grandfather ofblack and grey. They are just some of the greats youcan expect to see doing what they do best.

Were bringing all the best tattooers from aroundthe world to showcase their skills, says Billy Burke,Brand Officer. Its going to be a monumental experi-ence for New Jersey.

PHOTOS BY STEVE PRUE


THE INK SCENE

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Tattoo Arts Film FestivalApril 45, 2016The Roxy TheaterSaskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canadapicatic.com/tattooartsfilmfestivalThe Tattoo Arts Film Festival is Canadas first tattoo-genre film festival, and the worlds first dedicated tattoo cinema platform event. The work ofaward-winning directors and the words and likenesses of world-renowned tattooers will be in the spotlight.

Among the featured films will be: Tattoo Nation starring Danny Trejo, Ed Hardy and narrated by LA Inks Corey Miller; The Skin Im In, showing tat-too as a way of recovery and self-acceptance, by acclaimed film-maker and Associate Professor of Arts History & Visual Arts at LAs OccidentalCollege, Broderick Fox; the stunning Tatau - La Culture dun Art; and the thought-provoking Color Outside the Lines.

The Tattoo Arts Film Festival will be a major event for tattoo and film lovers alike.

CONVENTIONS & EVENTS

Kansas City Tattoo

Arts Convention

May 13, 2015

Crown Center

Kansas City, MO

villainarts.com

Troy Timple, aka Kingpin, bringshis show to Kansas City for thefirst time. As always, Timple andhis crew will bring the industrystop tattooers and entertainersthat are always crowd favorites,into the citys convention center.

Kingpins staple entertain-ment, including Enigma, thehuman jig saw puzzle, andbands such as Murphys Law,known for their concerts thatturn into rowdy parties, willmake for a fun time in additionto the serious tattoo competi-tions that will take place, andthere will be a large gallery toshowcase fine tattoo art. Thisconvention promises to besomething new and exciting forKansas City.


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Brooklyn GroomingOils, Pomades, and BalmsFacial hair and tattoos result in a staple look in our culture. Theres something about a guywith a nice, voluminous beard and stache and a body full of ink that makes the ladies gowild. If youre aiming to get this coveted look, Brooklyn Groomings got you covered withtheir line of hair and beard oils and pomades, shaving products, and even tattoo balms.

Made in their studio in Brooklyn, NY, every batch of every product is dosed, meas-ured, and prepared by hand. Their exclusive (and top secret) recipes include organic veg-etable butters, beeswax, herbs, and essential oils. The products come in vintage amber

tinctures and old-fashioned pomade tins in an apothecary aesthetic that recall classic ele-gance. Prices vary between $18 and $29 for individual items and $35 to $75 for special sets.

To get your tatted hands on some Brooklyn Grooming merch, visit: brooklyn-grooming.com.

Tattoos by the BayApril 35, 2015Emerald Beach HotelCorpus Christi, Texastattoosbythebay.comFor the seventh annual Tattoos by the Bay, organizers Ron and Susie Urbanec haveput together an impressive list of top tattoo artists, including Sarah Miller of InkMasters fame. Contests, spectacles, and parties, all alongside the waters of CorpusChristi Bay, will make the convention one of the most fun and interesting thisspring.

Enigma, the puzzle man, and Serana Rose, the electric girl, Americas A-listsubcultural sweethearts, will put on their wild and stunning show. Expect a jaw-dropping display with chainsaws, fire eating, knife throwing, and more. Tattoos bythe Bay promises to be a large-scale event with tons of entertainment for atten-dees, and a worthwhile experience for artists.

Australian Tattoo Convention MelbourneJune 26, 2015Melbourne ShowgroundsMelbourne, Australiahttp://www.tattooexpo.com.au/The Australian Tattoo and Body Art Expo is thelargest of its kind in the southern hemisphere.Each year over 10,000 visitors are in attendance,as well as an incredible range of both international and local artists, vendors, and exciting entertainment.

Expect a pin-up pageant, burlesque performances, tattoo contests, car and bikeshows, and live music. Each Australian Tattoo andBody Art expo brings together an exciting range ofcreative, unique, talented artists, giving visitors theopportunity to get tattooed by some of the best inthe business today. This year is sure to be anotherbig event.


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Very few tattoo conventions in Europe, or the world, canoffer as much as Florencea historic location in the heartof a beautiful city full of culture, a dedicated team of organiz-ers and a select choice of artists. Add in a truly ambitious enter-tainment program and a vast number of visitors who returnevery year like clockwork, and what you get is the world-classtattoo meeting that Florence has become!

Dolce Vita!in TuscanyItalian tattoo legend Marco Pisa with Travelin Mick

T E X T A N D P H O T O S B Y T R A V E L I N M I C K

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Back byVittorio

Mustacchio,Boss Hog

Tattoo,Eboli, IT


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F L O R E N C E 2 0 1 4

Atrip to autumnal Tuscany is always worth the journey, andwhy not add a few days before or after the FlorenceTattoo Convention to discovery this fantastic city and itsremarkably talented artists?

Does a mega-sized convention of almost 400 artists and vis-itors numbering in the five-figures that can also boast a com-fortable atmosphere, hospitable organizers and an original his-toric location actually exist?

Can masses of partying guests and such an excess supply oftattooers really be combined with a personal touch, a highlyambitious selection of artists, neat and widely spaced aisles,affordable prices and a general mood of fun?

Master Shige working.Tattoo by Paolo Gnocchi, Aeptic Tattoo,Trento, IT

Sleeve by Speranza Tattoo, Vicenza, IT

Tattoo by Che Crook,Lowrider Tattoo, London, UK

Tattoo by Ricardo, Lacrima Nera, Florence


Tuscanys capital can be reached via the nearby Peretola airport or, oftencheaper, through Pisa (about 50 miles away). Take a bus to Florencesmain station as taxis in Italy are often overpriced and unreliable. Fortezzada Basso, a 16th century fortress that serves as the location of the conven-tion, is just a few steps from the station and the famous Duomo and anarea full of hotels and restaurants. Make sure to do your homework firstbefore booking somewhere as in this touristic area value-for-money isnt tobe taken for granted.

At the convention itself, food is inexpensive and certainly edible, whilein the evening we can warmly recommend Lobs, an excellent seafoodrestaurant on Via Faenza.

Another piece of advice: Skip the beer and go for cheaper and betterItalian wine, instead! Salute!

FLORENZTRAVEL GUIDE

Tattoo by Hayner,InkorporationTattoo, BR

Tattoo by Mauro Amaral, Most AmazingTattoo Club, Portimao, P



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F L O R E N C E 2 0 1 4A dedicated group of artists and travel enthusiasts that have

been friends for years originally wanted to create a simple forum,where creativity and tradition could meet in Florence once a year. But slowly, year by year, this event has turned into something else,something much bigger. It has been a project that has taken overtheir lives and is now probably Italys largest tattoo convention.

Despite an annual surge in visitor numbers (who now clearlybreach the ten-thousand-mark over three days) and a remarkablylong waiting list of artists, commercialization has not taken overthe event.

Tattoo by Deborah Cherrys, Madrid, E

Tattoo by Simone Asunis

Tattoo byLorenzoAnzini,Loreprod,Nero diSeppia, IT



Best of Show: Tattoo by Paolo Gnocchi, Trento, IT


F L O R E N C E 2 0 1 4Strict criteria when choosing tattoo and merchandise booths are

upheld by the organizers who spend a lot of energy thinking abouthow to promote creativity in the tattoo scene. For example, a lot of pre-cious floor space is given to traditional hand tattooists, and honoringolder veterans of the Italian tattoo scene is a recurring theme here, too.Gallery spaces divide up the huge hall and provide distraction and foodfor thought. Additionally, lectures and seminars about a variety of top-ics are provided free of charge, offering edutainment for all tastes.

Also, the stage does not see the umpteenth reincarnation of someburlesque boredom, and no bloody freak show is out to shock unsus-pecting first-time visitors. Instead, some performances far off the main-stream take turns with the odd popular DJ and rock band that take overthe stage later in the evening. Variety is the main theme here, too!

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STEFFIEFFUTGARD TATTOO, BERLIN, GERMANY

SSteffi, who had her breakthrough as therunner-up in a tattoo talent contest twoyears ago, is one of the most popularchoices for realistic tattoos in a city thatcertainly does not have a dearth of greattattoo artists. At Utgard Tattoo, in the for-mer east part of Berlin, clients line up formonths to get an appointment with thetrained airbrush artist. Nowadays, she canbe regularly seen at conventions, often inquite exotic locations, an experience shewouldnt miss out on anymore.

TM: Steffi, we often meet at conventions now, sometimes in placesthat are quite far from Berlin... What motivates you to travel somuch? SE: Yes, I have traveled a lot recently, sometimes with Frank, my boss at Utgard, butsometimes aloneMoscow, Istanbul, Rome, now Florence and recently even China!In February we are going to New Zealand... I like to meet people, foreign cultures,see new scenes I am not familiar with...

TM: And what do you take home with you when you return toBerlin? SE: Plenty of impressions and the whole experience. Its so rewarding to watch allthose famous and talented artists that you have only seen in magazines or on thenet, look over their shoulders, and exchange knowledge. I learned that they are justthe same as all of us...

TM: Right. And the Florence convention? What is your impression ofit? SE: This event is, despite its vast size, truly beautiful, well organized and nicely laid-out. The atmosphere is great, like a big family; the organizers did a wonderful job!I worked a lot, too, mostly on American customers, though. Tomorrow I still havesome time to explore the city, something I always try to do when I travel.

Tattooby HomzTattoo,Zrich,CH

Tattoo by Lorenzo Anzini,Loreprod, Nero di Seppia, IT

Tattoo by Yomico Moreno, VEN


Sleeve byMicheleAgostini,TribalTattoo,Rome, IT

Tattoo by Enrico, Spunk Tattoo, Civitanova, IT

Tattoo by Roberto, Pleasure of Pain, Ostia, IT


F L O R E N C E 2 0 1 4Even the loudest shows on the stage do not bother the artists, since

the entertainment area is far enough removed from the tattooingbooths, in the same huge room, but still partitioned off by a galleryand several bars providing the necessary fuel for a late-night party.

Especially on Saturday and Sunday, those aisles between the standsthat looked absurdly wide and empty before, suddenly fill up withhappy and beautiful people, and this mood of excitement and novel-ty is preserved until late each night.

Superstars like Shige from Yellow Blaze in Japan and Alex de Pasefrom Italy enjoy the same privileges as all other artists, toothose ofa guest, being treated with courtesy, attention to detail, friendlinessand efficiency, qualities that nowadays cant be taken for granted attattoo conventions anymore.

Italian dolce vita, often used as an excuse for sloppiness or indif-ference, is brought back here to its original meaningthe fun of long-ing for the good life in our colorful world!

Tattoos byHomz Tattoo,

Zrich, CH

Sleeve byAndrea Lanzi,Antikorpo,Orzinuovi, IT


MIROSLAVTOMAS

MTOMAS TATTOO, ERLANGEN , GERMANYMiroslav, who runs Tomas Tattoo near Nuremberg, hasby now become one of the most respected figures in theGerman tattoo scene. The Bosnian-born artist has pio-neered black-and-grey tattooing and is held in highesteem by colleagues, not only for his skills but also forhis good nature and endless patience in bringing theGerman tattoo scene together. Miroslav attendedFlorence for the first time and obviously enjoyed his stayin the Tuscan art capital.

TM: Miro, you took part in a sketch contestwhere ten competitors had to finish a sketchwithin 25 minutes. This time you didnt win,but the result was impressive, nonetheless.Why are you interested in such a contest? MT: I like to draw fast. Speed lets you discover your own deficiencies. If you take your time sketching something, routine takes overand the result is boring, predictable. Originally, I thought we would be each given a theme, but it turned out everybody could dowhatever they wanted. Unfortunately, this resulted in some of the competitors just doing a drawing they had practiced before.Hopefully, this will be adjusted if they do the contest again.

TM: It would be more fair, certainly. But it was fun, and the winner, Mojo from Italy, did a lovely draw-ing, anyway. How did you like the Florence convention altogether? MT: Look, do you know this feeling on a convention Sunday, when you cant wait for it to be finished, so you can go home? Thisis the first time for me ever that I wouldnt mind coming back here every day, just to keep on going with the convention, and thefun never ends!

Tattoo byMichele Agostini,Tribal Tattoo,Rome, IT

Tattoo byDr. Pepper,GR

Miroslav being interviewd by Mekani Terror.


part of the 1800s. OReilly patented the first electric tattoo machine in

1891, so I assume a lot of the DeBurghs tattoos were doneby hand. Both husband and wife were covered in religiousmotifs. Emmas back depicted the Last Supper, while Franksback was a rendition of the crucifixion. They both also hadthe others name and the sentiments proclaiming their lovetattooed on their torsos.

They were first exhibited in Berlin, Germany, in 1891,and they toured throughout Europe, amazing crowds. Thislitho was advertising an appearance of the DeBurghs at theAlcazar DEte in Paris, a concert hall that was opened in1860 on the famous Champs Elysees and closed in 1914.

I love history. It is hard to believe that a lithographdepicting a couple tattooed by Samuel OReilly has survivedall these years and is now in my collection. Yeah.LUCK!

See ya in the funny papers. And remember to keep yourhat on so Ill know ya. Dana

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TATTOO TREASURES with DANA BRUNSON

www.danatattoo.com [email protected]

The day arrived and after many inquiries to the auctionhouse, I was assured I would be contacted by phone. Thephone rang and I patiently waited for the beginning of the tat-too lots to be sold.

The first lot was a Percy Waters tattooed lady poster thatinstantly soared to a price twice as high as I had expected.Next, luck was on my side as I scored some rare 1920s flash.Now it was time for the final lot, a rare turn-of-the-century tat-too litho. Fortunately, luck was again on my side with the lithoselling much lower than I expected. Lower than expected isalways a great feeling! Score, one of the earliest pieces Idseen was now added to my collection.

The lithograph is a late 1800s poster advertising the tat-tooed couple, Frank and Emma DeBurgh. The DeBurghs weretattooed by Samuel OReilly in New York City during the last

Collectors alway follows a strange path in their pur-suit of rare items. Research and correspondence areimportant, but most of all, just plain luck seems to

be the key factor in most acquisitions to a collection. Recently, while researching a Coleman statue that had

sold at auction, I accidentally came across an auction sitethat featured rare tattoo items soon to be auctioned off. Icontacted the auction house, applied and qualified to bid.Then I waited patiently for the date of the auction to arrive.

Now, as excited as I was, I was also sure that manyother of my fellow tattoo collectors out there were aware ofmy secret. I was indeed waiting and preparing for a bid-ding battle.

Frank & Emma DeBurghThe Tattooed Couple

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TATTOOERS POV with NATE BEAVERS

Time pieces and statues. Thesesubjects have become veryprevalent in the tattoo world

as of late. Sculpted figures work verywell using tattooing as the mediumand it is fairly easy to get some reallynice contrast. I love to use a combi-nation of gray wash and opaque graywhen doing a sculptural tattoo. Theadded white in the opaque gray seemsto catch the tonal quality of marble andporcelain presented in theoriginal image. These methodscan always be expanded uponby adding color variations tothe gray mix. I like to use alight purple or blue to mix withthe black and then some whitein the ink cap. It also can behelpful if adding a straightcolor background behind it.

If using a contrasting colorbehind, the colored gray tonewill start to pop off the skin. Ialways start by making a sten-cil that has all of the solid blackareas mapped out first. I usual-ly just mark those areas with afill of closely spaced lines. Thatmakes it easier to read andmore like a gradient map ofgradual tones. I do the samewhen making stencils forpocket watches, as well. I findthe light source and use solidblack on the undershadowside. The black should bedrawn out a little more thanwhat is viewed in the referenceimage so there is space toblend midtones into it.

I will then flip to do thelightest gray shade areas next.I make sure the gray is light,but not too light. You need theextra space between wherethe light gray stops and the litedge is located. I then fill in themidtones. It becomes very

easy because it is literally the middle leftthroughout the tattoo. The tattoo seems tobecome complete after this step. All that isleft at that stage is just to put in the solidwhite highlights. When working on clocks, watches, andpocket watches, never make the numer-als or the hands solid black. Those itemsare usually being viewed through glassand the glass knocks the darkness down a

notch or two. I also try to do a layer of evenlighter grays over the top of theentire clock face itself. This reallyhelps to add to the effect of it beingtransparent and made out of glass.Leave some blank areas for somesolid white ink to make the shinyhighlights pop. This will help makeit look more realistic and givethings great depth and dimension. My set-up for this type of tattooingis a rounded 15 magnum shader

needle, a 9 round shader needle,a tight 9 round liner and a

tight 5 liner. I almostalways start by fillingin the dark areasfirst with the 15magnum. A 15 magshader can knockout huge chunks ofsolid fill as well asblended fades. I

always use a circularmotion with my hand in

combination with a scrub-bing motion. I gradually

layer each tone, picking up next-to-the-last edge as I go. Sometimes Iwill end the circular motion with awip shade to leave it very loose.It allows for you not to overwork theskin when going back intothe areas already tattooed.

I am careful not to wipe off thestencil. Stencil Stuff and Dettolhave become my mainstays forkeeping the transfer on longer. Aslong as you dont use too much

Photo Mary DAloisio

26 SKIN&INK

TIME PIECES & STATUES

SI 26-27 NATE BEAVERS NEW 2!_26-27 2/25/15 7:03 PM Page 27

soap in you spray bot-tle, it wont wipe thestencil off too quickly. Ialways recommendusing just plain dis-tilled water for clean-ing during a tattoo.Actually, spray bottlesare not good to usedirectly on skin whiletattooing. You shouldspray or soak a papertowel first and thenclean the skin. This helps to prevent cross contamination. In thisday and age that is a very important factor to think about duringthe tattooing process.

The next stage is dropping in the lightest grays with the 9round shader. Then I decide if there needs to be any bold outlinesanywhere and get that done with the tight 9 round liner. The 9round can get in to tighter spots that are hard to get into with themagnum. It is good for cleaning up all the edges that are notsolid. I go back to the 15 magnum for the midtones. Finally, I usethe tight 5 round liner for tightening detailed areas. I will do thewhites first, and then the darks. That way, the whites are brighterbecause the tube and needle have been untouched until thispoint. The gray wash I use only for background shading. I createa smooth fade from dark to light in key points of the tattoo. I alsouse it on any images placed behind the focal image. It adds anice contrast between the grays.

It takes some time using the combination and creating awe-some replicas of famous sculptures and antique time pieces.Have fun working with these similar, yet different, shades of gray.

Contact Nate at [email protected]&INK 27

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ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

28 SKIN&INK

SaraloniTroupe

Saraloni Troupe will tell you right out that she cant quiteremember when ink caught her attention. However, grow-ing up with an artist as her mom and a dad who made

motorcycle seats and had tattooed biker clients constantly around,you can guess it was only a matter of time before Saraloniwhotoday says that she was born to tattoowould mesh her surround-ings together to create an amalgam of artwork.

Cutting her teeth at shops around her way in Arizona, shefinally ended up as part of the crew for powerhouse tattoo fran-chise, Club Tattoo. Since then, she has amassed an impressive port-folio displaying her skills in a variety of different tattoo styles. Skin& Ink caught up with the versatile ink slinger to chop it up abouther start in tattooing back in 2009, her traditional art backgroundand the changesboth good and badthat shes seen transpire intattooing throughout the years; and she even offered up somewords of wisdom to up-and-coming tattooers out there.

SKIN & INK: Talk to us a bit about when you first ven-tured into tattooing. Did you go through a formalapprenticeship or are you self-taught?Saraloni Troupe: As much as I wanted to do a formal apprentice-ship, I didnt have that luxury. I ended up being mostly self-taught.I had to learn a lot along the way and, thankfully, I learned andgrew quite fast. It wasnt very hard for me to transfer from draw-ing on paper to drawing on skin.

Interview by Emanuel Urena

Natural Born Ink

Slinger

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SKIN&INK 29


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ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

Did you take any art courses growing up? My mom was a big influence on my art when I was growing up. But, I never had totake any art classes out of my high school due to the fact I would have two-three artclasses a day just because I loved it so much. I would definitely love to take some oilclasses sometime. I have a love-hate relationship with oil paints, and I certainly want tolearn more.

What was the transition like when you went from creating art on canvasto tattooing on live skin? The hardest part was that people moveand paper doesnt. You never know whenyour client is going to twitch or jerk around. Sometimes they can warn you, but whenyou have a client that involuntarily twitches, you better hope to God you pull yourneedle off the skin at the perfect time.

Do you often use things that you know from painting and/or drawingand apply them to tattooing and vice versa? Oh, most definitely! Ive actually noticed that I use more of my tattooing and stencil-making skills towards my paintings and charcoal drawings. And, I want to do more oilpainting because I know Ill be able to use those skills and apply them to tattooing.Club Tattoo boasts a roster of talented artists.

Today, female tattoo artists are more common, but that may not havebeen the case back when you entered the field. Did the fact that youwere a female artist ever hinder your progress?


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ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

32 SKIN&INK

Thankfully, it didnt! The first and second shop Iworked in were all-female shops. So, from the get-go I was in a female positive environment. Andonce I moved on and came to Club Tattoo, I stillnever faced any issues with being a woman.

A large number of artists tend to choose astyle of tattooing to master and stick withit. Your portfolio, however, displays anarray of styles. Was this a conscious deci-sion on your part? My portfolio displays an array of styles because Ihave such a wide variety of clients. I do what myclients want. Just because my clients and I have dif-ferent tastes doesnt mean I shouldnt be able togive them what they want. Whether my clientwants a bright and colorful floral sleeve or a blackand grey demonic rib piece, Im going to do it andenjoy it because I love tattooing.

If you had to choose a style, which wouldyou like to focus on the most? I absolutely love doing color portraitsespeciallywell-known movie characters. I also love doingfancy filigree, dragons, realistic flowers, and videogame tattoos. I love doing anything nerdy [laughs].Bring all your Harry Potter and Lord of the Ringstattoos to me, please [laughs].

What is it like working for ClubTattoo? I really like it here at Club Tattoo. The front deskgirls that we have make my day so much less stress-ful, and the artists that I work alongside are likemy second family. I mean, I see them more thanmy own family! I feel like Club Tattoo hasdone a lot for me and helped me grow a lotsince Ive been with them.

Have you had the opportunity towork at any other Club Tattoolocation? Yes! I actually started out at theGlendale [AZ] location, then movedover to the Tempe [AZ] location. Ihelped out at the older Scottsdale[AZ] location for a few days at onepoint, and Ive found my home at theMesa [AZ] shop. Hopefully, Ill beguest-spotting at the new Las Vegas[NV] location over the summer.

Do you work the convention circuit? Ive actually never worked a conven-tion before. I hear its a really funexperienceI really should get in onthat.

Tattooing since 2009, Im sureyouve seen a lot of things tran-spire in the industry over theyears. What are some good thingsyouve seen happen in tattooing

since you started, and what aresome bad things youve witnessed?

Since Ive been in the industry I feel like Ive


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ARTIST SPOTLIGHT


SKIN&INK 35

noticed a lot more artists using rotary machines, which I think is the way to go. Somethingthat can be both good and bad I think is Pinterest. Yeah, you can find ideas off of Pinterest,but so does everybody else. So many of the popular tattoos are being cycled through there,and everyone wants them. I feel like tattoos should be unique. Granted there are so many tat-toos nowadays that someone out there is bound to have the same piece that you have, if notclose to it. Ive noticed that more and more people just want to get tattooed to have a lot oftattoos. They dont even care what they getthey just want to be cool and get inked up.

What are the good, bad and ugly aspects of the tattooing industry?There are ups and downs to every industry, but Id have to say that there is definitely an over-flow of shops in AZ. And, there are no health codes! So, anyone with a tattoo machine canjust start tattooing people out of their garage, or open up a shop and try to look professionalbut are in actuality filthy and inexperienced. But, on the good side, Ive run into a lot of expe-rienced and amazing artists who are willing to swap ideas and techniques, and just be allaround nice people.

What are some dos and donts that up-and-coming artists should keep in mindwhen navigating through the industry? Be nice! Dont be a cocky know-it-all just because youve done a few good pieces. Constantlywork on making yourself better. You can always learn more. Be humble and gracious, andyoull do just fine.

Club Tattoo1423 South Country Club, Mesa, AZ 85210 [email protected] clubtattoo.com instagram.com/saralonitattoo


36 SKIN&INK

Legendary surf photog-rapher Jim Russibreathes life into an art

he says is dying. But aftersoaking up the tactile beautyin the mans work, this israther hard to believe. Asurfer at heart, Russi is cap-tivated by what he captures.His photography has gracedthe pages of every majorsurf magazine on the stands.He has spent the last 30years or so circling theglobe, chasing the perfectwave and those that chaseit, as well. The dizzying dan-ger, the speed, the vertigo,and the salty allure of thequintessential, illusive rideare caught by his keen eyeas well as his own artisticview on life and those wholive the lifestyle. And, youcould say he does it all withhis faith on his tattooedsleeve. Hed like to accumu-late more ink if he could juststay out of the water longenough. The surfing, thephotography, the need forspeedit all started with avacation to Hawaii and henever came back.

S&I: Your website portfo-

JIM RUSSIJIM RUSSI

Article by Frank De Blase

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Life, lenses &

longboards

lio is divided between the titles Surf, Art, and Life. For you, whats the dif-ference between the three? Whats the same?J.R.: Great question They are all three ingredients that make up who I am.I started surfing at age 6, and although I have many other interests in my life such asracing Motocross, chopper MC life, skateboarding, and anything with speed as a fac-tor, surfing has been at my core for more than 50 years. Surfing is not just a sport. It isin every way a lifestyle and a culture of its own. I have always surfed, had beach girl-friends, driven surf-type cars, vans, and pick-ups. Ive traveled the planet in search ofun-ridden waves and even married my two passions, surfing and photography. To make aliving, I worked 30+ years for the surf magazines and surf-wear companies so I could con-tinue my quest un-interrupted and get paid for it. To break it down images-wise, Surf is myhard-core surf action imagery. Art is my more experimental look at the worldlots of water,

Portraits by Andrew BrussoSurf Photography

by Jim Russi


motion and feminine form. Life is capturing the lifestyleimages of the nomadic surf people as we circumnavigatethe globe.You moved to Hawaii for what was supposed to be ashort trip. Could you briefly tell that story?Ah, yeah. That was the late 70s and I had just graduatedfrom Brooks Institute of Photography with a BA in Fashionand Advertising. I took a week to go to Hawaii for surf andto celebrate before moving to LA or NY to work as a fashionphotographer Well, that became a very long week. Imstill here.Talk about surf photography when you first startedout; the techniques and the technology.Surf photography was still very specialized and was reallystill in the pioneering stages in the 70s. We, of course, shotslide film that was very slow and had to be exposed per-fectly to be able to be published in the magazines. We hadto manually focus our big heavy camera/ lens combinationbefore the auto focus came around in 1990. We loaded allthis into leaky old water housings we made in the garageout of fiberglass and Plexiglass and swam out into giantPipeline waves to get the shot, looking through the lens toframe, focus and expose the shot properly with only 36shots on a roll of film to get it right. Pre-1990 was toughand only a handful of us had what it took and the maga-zines were kind to us, as long as we were producing thegoods. Surf-guitar legend Dick Dale claims his thundering,reverb-drenched sound came from the ocean. Howhas surf photography influenced your work when notshooting at the beach or in the water?Even when Im shooting fashion and imagery unrelated tothe ocean, I still like to incorporate motion and flow in myimages, whatever the subject. Motion in a still image thatthe viewer can feel is my passion.What elements have to be present in order for a pic-ture to be ideal?Outside of motion, absolutely the most important element islightdirection of light, warmth of light, reflection of light.Then the subject matter or content of the image has to beinteresting to the viewer. It has to evoke an emotion. Thatsart vs. the recording of an event.Was there a defining moment that sealed your fate asa surf photographer?I think the first time I walked into Sunset Beach Surf Shopand saw my image of Mark Richards at Uluwatu in Bali onthe front cover of Surfer Magazine. Seeing that up on thenews rack in 1980 was probably the nail in the coffin.Whats your proudest achievement?Delivering my son. Outside of that, I guess being blessed tomake a great living doing exactly what I have wanted to do.Thirty-plus years for the surf mags and 15 years as theprincipal photographer on Quiksilvers Roxy (womensswim) ad campaign, creating images that changed the waypeople look at surf and fashion. Tell us about your tattoos. Who did them? When didyou have them done? What are they of? What is theirsignificance?NYC Tattoo artist Mike Ledger did my ink. I met him here inHawaii where he lived for several years after Coney Island. Imet him on a portrait assignment for a tattoo mag in,maybe, 2004? We hit it off and he asked me why a bikerlike me had no tats. I told him that as a surfer and a waterphotog, I had never been able to be out of the water for thetwo week post-tat period. Mike could not handle seeing allthat bare canvas going to waste, so he talked me into the


SKIN&INK 39


40 SKIN&INK

full sleeve I always wanted. I took asummer off of water work and fivesessions later I had the Gospel of Christon my arm with inspiration from 16th-century Biblical-artist pen and inkdrawings. Not only does it signify myfaith in a God that would forgive even aguy like me, but when people ask meabout my tat I can give the good newsof Jesus in sixty seconds or less. Hey,they askedAre you planning on getting moretattoos?I would love to if I could ever top what Igot and if I could take the time out ofthe water. But I should because my wifehas got a lot more ink than me. Shemet Mike while I was getting mine andasked him to cover up her old trampstamp and ended up with a full backpiece and a full sleeve!What is a perfect day for Jim Russi?Taking my boys Kaden (8) and Kona Boy(7) to the skate park or surfing afterchurch on a Sunday. Whats the best wave youve evercaught? Biggest?Best wave: Lances Left in theMentawise Islands, Indonesia. Double

over head glassy barrel on a 70 JC.Hawaii at sunrise, first guy off the boatby myself before an epic day of shoot-ing, August 1998. Biggest wave: paddle in wave, WaimeaBay, Oahu. Thirty-five foot wind-blownface 1980 on the Red Dick Brewer 96gun that hangs on the wall in my livingroom today. Biggest (Jet Ski assisted)tow-in wave was on a 66 Gerry Lopezstrapped tow board at an outer-reefhere on the Northshore of Oahu calledRevelations. Left hand monster barrelwith about a 40 ft. face and about asfast as my Jesse James Hardtail pinnedon the H1 Freeway, Winter 2013.Favorite place to shoot?Still Pipeline, just down the beach aquarter mile from my house.I have been shooting it from the land,water and air for over 30 years, and Iam still in awe of its power and beauty.Do you have any advice for up andcoming surf photographers?Go to school and get a real job to sup-port your hobby. With the invention ofthe Gopro Camera and all editorial andadvertising going for free on Instagram, Ihate to say it, but surf photography as aprofession is dead. Any other pastimes besides ridingmotorcycles?I still like to surf, mostly with my kids,but I still get a couple days here andthere thats way too big for them. What will they say about Jim Russi100 years from now?Who?n


A N O T H E R S U C C E S S F U L T A K E O F F

We hit a lot of conventions throughout the year and each one has its pros and cons and each venuebrings its own flavor. Sometimes the flavor is downright sour, but definitely not in the case ofUnited Ink Flight 914. This is truly one convention that has it all. Top notch artists, tons of entertain-

mentwhich is just outside the venue, so if you dont dig whats going down on stage you have your

choice to stay inside and continue to hang with the artistfree parking, great and affordable (as con-

ARTICLE BY SID CROFT PHOTOS BY STEVE PRU

United Ink

SKIN&INK 41

Laura Lynn with the winner of the Ms. VixenPin-Up Contest, Nicole,and the rest of the lovelycontestants.

SI 41-49 FLIGHT 914 CONVENTION_41-49 3/3/15 1:18 PM Page 41

42 SKIN&INK

ventions go) food and it is all situ-

ated in the Cradle of Aviation

Museum,an air and space muse-

um thats worth the convention

admission price on its own. And

dig this, the museum staff are

there while the convention is going

on. So if you (or if you come with

the kids) want to take a tour of

this fabulous museum, the guides

are way more than happy to

explain about and elaborate on the

fascinating details of the exhibits

while you relax to the hypnotic

buzz of tattoo machines humming

around you. Get an education and

some great ink at the same time.

Where else can you get tat-

tooed by Zhang Po while looking

over the Sea of Tranquility (the

landing spot of Apollo 11 located

on the Tranquillitatis Basin of the

moon)? Or have Mike Chambers

lay a classic old style piece on your

chest while situated beneath the

nose of a WWII fighter plane? I

cant think of many other than

United Ink Flight 914 on Long

Island, New York.

Every year in early Fall, Tattoo

Vinny Trinchillo

Mel, Jenny Sunshine, and Jesus

B-love and Discipline


SKIN&INK 43

Capo, Dominic, Joey and Bella

Jackie Rubino and The United Ink Angels

Pamir Sener

Myke Chamberstattooing

client.


44 SKIN&INK

Lou and his lovely wife Jackie

manage to coordinate the logis-

tics of setting up one of the pre-

miere NYC tattoo conventions,

and for three straight years it

has gotten better and better.

Sure, there were a few kinks in

its inaugural year with figuring

out where the artists were in the

labyrinth of the museum. But I

was not one of the complainers. I

certainly didnt mind getting

lost among the great exhibi-

tions, but granted, I was not get-

ting work done and I wasnt one

of the artists who did not like

Joann, Gigi and Joseph Glynn

Jenny Sunshine, Keri, Amber and Ashle Danger


SKIN&INK 45

Heather Moss, Shanee, Audrey Rose and Brix Nobody Kay Reynolds

Shawn OHareand KeighlaNight

Dr. Mardie and daughter


46 SKIN&INK

Jezebel Ruckus

Oleg Shepelenko

Sal Zambuto and friend

Kay Reynolds


Anna Colorado Brix Nobody, Johnny Nobody and Jsin

Heather &Bobby Mossand friends

Danny Vincent

Lou Rubino with Zhang Po


Oleg Shepelenko & Constantine Golouko


SKIN&INK 49

being out of the main celebrity row.

However, things were quickly

sorted out and the artists who like to

work in a more sedate environment

now find themselves nestled among

calming deep space exhibits, while

other artists who love the electrici-

ty of a bustling convention atmos-

phere find themselves right out there

in the forefront. Its a win-win for

everyone. Artists, convention goers,

the media, anyone who comes

through that door is sure to rank this

convention up there with any other

in the country!

Visit newyorktattooshow.com for

more info on United Flight 915 and

other Tattoo Lou

conventions.

Artist spray paints portrait on convention floor.

United Ink Angels Audrey Rose, Brix, and Leila

Jsin, Leah Jung & Saylor

Andrew,Devi &son

Artist spray paints design


SI 50-51 LUSY #157_Layout 1 3/4/15 3:44 PM Page 50

PHOTOGRAPHER: JOSEPH OBRIEN / www.iamjop.com HAIR & MAKEUP: LUSY LOGAN LINGERIE: VON FOLLIES BY DITA VON TEESE

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ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

52 SKIN&INK

Jose A. Ortega has come a long way from his Walkman motor, spoon,pen and guitar-strings-made tattoo machine. The Puerto Ricannativemore commonly known by his artist name, Motawas born

in a small town called Barranquitas and is old school in the sense that heknows the ways around how to create a machine, or which supplies bring outthe best in his artwork. At the same time, hes known for both his photoreal-istic tattoos along with his freehand-only, New School style of work.

Mota, who began tattooing at the young age of 16, took interest in allforms of art, such as photography and airbrushing, but decided those werehobbies that didnt spark enough interest. It was the tattoo machine that hemade from those old guitar strings that took over his life. Soon after hepicked up a machine, he was in it for the long run, tattooing his high schoolbuddies and slowly picking up knowledge along the way.

After years of patience and bouncing between shops, he is now both anaccomplished artist and businessman, opening up his own studio calledMotas Tattoo Shop, located in San Antonio, Texas. You can catch him at workusing some of the best ink and after-care products, taken care of by his spon-sors. I guess you could say thats quite a journey from those homemademachine days.

Aritcle by Michael Nguyen

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ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

54 SKIN&INK

SKIN & INK : Tell us a bit about yourself;what made you get into tattooing?Jose A. Ortega: I was born and raised inPuerto Rico. Im a proud dad and husband. Ihave a huge passion for any type and form ofart and learning. I dont imagine myself doinganything other than art. To share feelings andthoughts through art is the most amazingexperience and sensation. On what got meinto tattooing, I must say the adrenaline andthe challenge. A canvas such as paper or awall is something you can paint over where-as with a tattoo, you cant make a mistake.

You started tattooing quite early at theage of 16. And before that, you wereinvolved in photography, airbrushing and sign painting. How did that transitioninto you wanting to make tattooing yourcareer?

The challenge. Not looking down at othertypes of art, but for me, airbrush and signpainting was just a job, a responsibility thatafter a while, got boring. Tattooing was funand a new challenge every day. It was notmonotonous. I still do photography, mostlywith my family for fun.

At first, you did some tattoos using ahomemade machine, made with aWalkman motor, a spoon, a pen and gui-tar strings. Looking back, did that expe-rience on how to create something from

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ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

scratch help you understand the basicstarting points of doing tattoos?Definitively, you always have to start with thebasics. It takes patience, creativity, andknowledge of the importance and function ofevery gadget or tool. Its not impossible butimprobable to start with a portrait or a com-plicated piece without knowing your basics,such as lines, shadows, illuminations, etc.Creating from scratch is an amazing feelingbut most amazing is when you see the fin-ished piece.

Seeing that youre sponsored by certaincompanies (Radiant Colors and HustleButter), can you tell us a bit about thesignificance of using the proper types ofink and after-care products, and how thataffects the outcome of your tattoos? Itmakes a huge difference. The talent is impor-tant, as the tools are in order to achieve a bet-ter result. Artists take their time researchingfor the best in order to deliver an excellenttattoo and tattoo experience. When you go tothe emergency room, or a dentist, or havesurgery, for example, you expect them to havethe best state-of-the-art equipment to pro-vide the best result ever, right? The talentcounts but so does the equipment. It doesntmatter how good you are if the tools are notthe proper or best ones because the resultmost definitively wont be the greatest.

Whats one fundamental skill you believeall aspiring tattoo artists should learn? I would say patience. Everything will come intime and with practice.

Ive looked through your work andnoticed a lot of realism style tattoos, buttheres also a good mix of New School


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ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

style color pieces. Was that a philosphyyou focused on when you began yourcareer or was it something you picked upalong the way in order to be more versa-tile as an artist?At the beginning I was more focused in NewSchool. Because in Puerto Rico it wasnt apopular style, I had to adapt to what the pub-lic demanded, and in this case, realism. Alongthe way, I developed the love and passion forrealism because of the challenge. I respectthe hard work and dedication each stylesdemands from an artist. At this point of my lifeand career, I love to work all of them becauseI dont want to be in a comfort zone.

Many artists specialize in one style, i.e.color realism, Japanese, blackwork,etc., but you have the ability to expandyour range further than many otherartists. How do you feel about versatilityin the tattoo industry currently?Thank you. Its my belief that we always haveto push ourselves not only to be better onwhat we do and like, but also to expand ourboundaries. Its not even about the money. Itsabout the knowledge and the analysis whenmaking your composition in order to be trulyversatile.

As artists, we must learn the rules thatapply to each style to have it done the correctway, and how far we can go when breakingthem. However, I respect whoever has a spe-cialty or a preferred style because thanks tothem, we are encouraged to learn and take itto the next level.

You seem comfortable freehanding oncertain pieces. Before each tattoo,whats your thought process on decidingon whether to freehand or stencil? I love freehanding. It depends where the cus-tomer wants the piece, due to distortion cre-ated by the muscle or area, and on how com-plex the piece is. I use stencils for portraitsbecause it gives me the exact reference Ineed in order to have the piece done correct-ly. When playing with New School, freehand-ing is the way to go.

How do you work with your clients in thecreative process? Are you usually givenfull freedom, or is it more of a collabora-tive process? Collaborative process all along the way,unless they give me a free pass card. I havetwo types of clients: the ones who tell me thatI can do whatever I want and the ones who-have a symbolic tattoo. With those, I listento what they want, work with their ideas andtranslate it to the sketch. Oh, and last but notleast, the family type. They are the ones Iexperiment on. [Laughs.]

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ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

How has being the owner of your ownstudio changed your outlook on theindustry, from both an artistic standpoint(such as judging talent, for the ones whowant to work for you) and from a busi-ness standpoint of trying to sell yourproduct to the masses? Its hard because you want to offer art, uniquepieces and not commercialized tattoos andmost of the time the public wants what is inat that moment.

For the artists that work with me, I encour-age them to bring their signature to their tat-toos, educate the client about different thingsthey can have done and customize what theywant. I also teach these artists that when theydo any tattoo, have it done as if they are doingit to themselves. motastattoo.com

Motas Tattoo ShopSan Antonio, Texaswww.motastattoo.com


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64 SKIN&INK

Imagine being in a vehicular accident of somekind and being told you have a 1% chance ofever using your arms normally again. Then imaginebeating that statistic.

Nathan Galman had the wherewithal to fightpast his doctors diagnosis, partly in thanks to hisraw passion for tattooing.

Galman, who hails from Chicago, carved outhis ink-slinging base in San Diego before enduringa motorcycle accident last summer. The accidentwas so severe that two major surgeries wereneedgallmaned to reconstruct Nathans spine.

The injuries from the accident included acrushed vertebrae, a partially-torn spinal cord, abroken pelvis, a spiral fractured leg bone, losing theability to speak, losing sight in one eye and paraly-sis from the neck down.

Nathan Galman first expressed an interest forart in the form of graffiti, and while he was intriguedby tattoos he didnt think his drawing ability wouldcut it at the pro level. He wanted to be in the bodymodification industry somehow, so he pursued bodypiercing. Six years of professional body piercing

Article by Mike Bednarsky

NATHAN GALMANFROM TRAGEDYTO TRIUMPH

How this tattooartist fought a waragainst his body

and won.

INK STRONG

SI 64-67 INK STRONG! NEW 2_Layout 1 2/25/15 6:16 PM Page 64

SKIN&INK 65

I NK S TRONG


66 SKIN&INK

INK STRONG

alongside top notch artists in shops offering both services and he was ready togive tattooing a shot.

Galman was still in the Midwest when he starting chipping away at inking.He was navigating through a true-to-form Windy City winter and trying to earnhis stripes in his new profession when he found an ad looking for a tattoo artistin San Diego. Nathan, with nothing to lose, sent out his application. I was on aplane the next week, he stated. This was not unusual for Nathan, for thelongest time, he wasnt one to look back.

Officially on the grind in a new habitat, Nathan started to recognize hisstrengths as an artist and develop those skills further. He prefers to designabstract tattoos that are visually appealing. The colors of his pieces tend todance around the borders of the design at hand, testing the importance of linesand borders. For example, he nurtured a dream catcher tattoo by spreading outbold, mystic purples and reds around and inside the dream catcher itself.Abstract tattoos can be enhanced when the artist flirts with other styles.Everything from watercolor to Cubism can assist in the creation of an adequateabstract design, Nathan says.

Galman was in California for over three years when he was in the motorcy-cle accident that almost ended his life. The occurrence stemmed from his beingtired after a long day at the studio. When all was said and done he was trans-ferred to Sharp Memorial Hospital to receive therapy by way of an intensiveinpatient care program. In the program were three rigorous regimens: physicaltherapy, speech therapy, and occupational therapy. The processes were carriedout in daily sessions to consistently nurse a healing process.

Speech therapy was so I might learn how to swallow and be able to eatfoods without having a tube through my nose, he said. Occupational therapywas so I might be able to use my hands for everything from brushing my teeth


to being able to hold utensils to feed myself with. And physical therapy was trying to get me in and out of bed without having touse three people to lift me with the electric crane. This went on for about forty-five days of unrelenting horror with pain and con-stant supervision.

After finishing the inpatient program he flew to Hawaii to move in with his dad. Although in understandable disarray, Nathandidnt waste time trying to recollect how he got confined to a hospital bed. His emotional bouts were as a result of his having torelearn how to live a normal life.

I got into a very dark depression for a couple of days, he said. After lashing out at my father and the people helping me, Idecided to try a moment of meditation. At the end of a small session of meditation I had what I can only consider an epiphany. Irealized that everything that I needed to be able to get over my depression and help myself succeed was inside of me. Withoutany doubts of not being able to get back what I had, there wasnt anything that could stop me.

And with that determination Nathan graduated to getting out of bed by himself with a sliding wooden board so he could trans-fer his body into an electric wheelchair. His new outlook carried over into his work. He started drawing simple designs akin to thecreations he made in his graffiti days. To tattoo, he uses a rotary machine, cartridge needles and Formula 51 ink. Shamelessplug! he laughs when mentioning the last one. But with his physical therapy schedule, as well as the graphic design classesGalman is taking online, tattooing is not a priority at the moment. He is, however, accepting minimal appointments at VoodooTattoo in Kailua-Kona, HI.

The very premise of supporting oneself on the means of passion alone is something a lot of people never achieve. The idea ofreaching that plateau, only to have it crumble, is incomprehensible. But Nathan Galman followed his dream, fought to keep it, anddid just that.

For any handicapped readers or aspiring tattoo artists its the same message, he adds. Realize that you have everythingyou need inside of yourself to accomplish your goals and never give yourself any reason to believe otherwise.


68 SKIN&INK

Although m

ost people in the tatt

oo industry are not f

amiliar with Ink

Fusion Empire, it has

been growing for o

ver 10 years now.

IFE founder Marc Dra

ven says, I like to r

efer to it as a place w

here the

worlds of tattooing a

nd pop culture collid

e. We were the first

group of pro-

fessional tattoo artis

ts to break into the C

omic Con and entert

ainment

shows. I started out

with just tattooing a

t the events myself.

People would

walk by and just star

e, not understanding

how or why a tattoo

artist would

be tattooing at a com

ic con. However, afte

r other artists had se

en me doing

this, and realizing th

e success and popu

larity of what I was

doing, they

began to follow my l

ead. So, I decided I s

hould brand the idea

and pitch it

Article by Ma

rc Draven

Where Tattoo &

Pop

Culture Collide

!

SI 68-71 INK FUSION_Layout 1 2/25/15 6:53 PM Page 68

to the promoters as a

n event or program f

or their shows. This

insured that all the a

rtists would be

licensed, inspected,

and follow the prope

r guidelines for the s

tates regulations ins

uring the safety

of the fans who were

looking to get tattoo

ed. This also made f

or a proper set up an

d an organized

tattoo section as opp

osed to random boo

ths.

Fast forward three y

ears and I had my fi

rst event with 20 artis

ts tattooing along wi

th me. Fast

forward another three

or four years and Iv

e been very fortunate

to have some co-ho

st events with

some of the top nam

es in the industry, in

cluding Paul Booth, B

ob Tyrrell, Chris Jone

s, Matt Difa,

David Corden, Sean H

erman, Mike Bianco,

Needles, Shannon R

itchie, Scott Versago

and Kelly

Rogers.

The great thing abo

ut Ink Fusion is that

it doesnt just consi

st of tattoo artists. W

hen I started

this idea, the first me

mber wasnt even a

tattoo artistit was

pinup legend Dave

Nestler. He didnt

really understand wh

at I was trying to do

but he was up for se

eing how it played o

ut.

Weve had the plea

sure of several celeb

rity guests coming b

y the tattoo pavilions

. In fact, we

actually had George L

ucas himself say, YE

S to allowing us to t

attoo the images live

at the sanc-

tioned Star Wars cel

ebration event. He e

ven came over to ou

r pavilion to say tha

nks for coming.

Im pretty sure I had

a geekasm at that po

int. I also work closely

with the Godfather

of Comics

Mr. Stan Lee. Stan a

nd I have been able

to work on several sh

ows together. Some s

hows Stan will

sit down with us, dra

w up a Spiderman a

nd well do a raffle w

ith the fans. Whoeve

r wins gets a

tattoo of the drawing

!

Not only do we get

to tattoo some iconic

pop culture charact

ers, weve also been

able to

meet them. How coo

l do you think it woul

d be to be tattooing

a superman logo on

someone, only

to be visited by Dean

Cain in your booth?

Some of the best tatt

oo shows bring in ab

out 15,000 to

25,000 people while

the events we do av

erage about 25,000

to 90,000.

Next time were in t

own, come and check

us out. I guarantee

you will be very surp

rised.

inkfusion

70 SKIN&INK


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