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Hi Everyone, So, something I have been thinking a lot about lately is, what is with all this seemingly new and crazy tattoo art. Now, yes tattoo art has definitely transitioned in many ways with style and technique. But, I’m talkin about the stuff that is a little more outlandish and off the cuff. In the tattoo world, this is a sign that things are always evolving and improving, but there may be risk factors and even some rewards when branding some new innovation on your skin

One last flower in this garden of earthly delights. The Lotus flower is among one of the most famous in the kingdom of tattoo flowers. This very versatile bud has a number of meanings based on color, depiction, and religion. Though this style of tattoo has become a staple in most modern tattoo artist repertoire, it takes it roots in religion and is derived from Eastern culture. The lotus is worn by both men and women and is known to grow in muddy water, yet has the symbolic e

Part 3 Even more flowers that bloom on our arms, legs, backs, and many other places for seeds to pollinate. The peony, known as “the King of Flowers” in Japanese art, is yet another staple of the flower tattoo realm. This flower type signifies good fortune, wealth, and prosperity. It is also seen as a symbol of beauty and risk taking; accompanied with a mild sense of fragility. This is a way to comment on the fleeting nature of existence, and how only great rewards and knowle

Part 1 Flower tattoos seem to be a blossoming art style that brings meaning and specificity to every tattoo that they intend to enhance. They can be the centerpiece or just an accessory creating a beautiful timeless tattoo. Meaning behind flowers used in tattoo art is just as vast and wide as there are flowers in the world.  That being said, there are many meanings that differentiate from culture to culture; this can be very overwhelming. So, for those of you who don’t happen

Well, here I am designing a tattoo… not just any tattoo; MY tattoo. Sounds simple enough, right? Being a tattoo apprentice, six months deep…It should be as easy as drinkin scotch in the middle of the afternoon. Yeah, not so much. You would think everything would come easy, to create something for myself rather than designing for someone who I have only met once. Quite the contrary. There is a strange connect/disconnect that happens when designing a tattoo. A connection to a s

One of the coolest things I have found as a Tattoo Apprentice at Speakeasy Tattoo in Los Angeles is, how I am constantly learning in very different ways. You may read this and think, well yes…obviously. But there is a very interesting way that learning to Tattoo not only takes on the process of training in a new practice, but also learning a whole new idea. Now, aside from the daily expedition one goes on when trying to hone a new craft, there is also a really amazing psychol

So ya just got this really bad ass tattoo, now what? Well, at Speakeasy Tattoo in Los Angeles, Scott Glazier’s voice rings in my ears… “don’t go prancing around like a pixy and trying to infect it”.  So, that being said, cleanliness is of the utmost importance.  The last thing you want to do is let all the ugly bad germs floating through the air creep into freshly tattooed skin. You should keep it bandaged at first and remove the protective bandage after one hour, two hours m

Back to the basics… As I meander my way through my apprenticeship at Speakeasy Tattoo in Los Angeles, I find myself checking back in with the fundamentals of art on a consistent basis. Even more so than when I was in college working towards a degree in art, today, the foundation is more important than ever. As artists taking lessons in fine art, we are taught to explore, be free, get messy, and embrace imperfect mistakes. That is almost the exact opposite to the way I am atta

“To use fruit or fake skin? That is the question.” Well, I am finding that it’s important to use a little of both. As the weeks’ progress, I have learned more and more about my machine and become exceedingly more comfortable loading and unloading it. Now I am discovering the wonderful world of skins, and how immensely different each one is from the other. Just like human skin, each surface is a little bit different and requires attention and care when etching into it. Skin ca

Hello Everyone! As you know, I have been blogging the past two years for Speakeasy Tattoo, be it tattoo-related information, news about what Speakeasy has been up to, and basically anything that pops up into my head. There have been an immeasurable amount of changes in my life since I started working here. I learned new things I never thought possible, met amazing people and made many new friends including you guys, my readers! Thank you for your support, and thank you for al

Tattoos have become a very popular way of self-expression, a way for people to show and tell who they are and what they’ve experienced. Everyone who have tattoos also went through the process of getting tattooed, pain included. There are lots of stories of pain during the process, and how different areas hurt more than others, but there are also stories of people who don’t even feel it and even fall asleep! The truth is, getting a tattoo is different for everyone and not all

Hello Everyone, This week, we had our first official Paint Nite!! Of course, we decided that Friday the 13th was the most appropriate date to start! We will be painting every other week, first from still life as I’m just beginning, then move on to live models! If anyone is interested in sitting for us in the future, please let me know! You will be compensated generously in snacks and high-fives. Scott started teaching me the basics of oil painting, while Jesse was doing his o