Thursday, March 31, 2011
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
one more.
i like doing tattoos. i like to see people get nice tattoos. if you would like a tattoo, come see me or anyone at jinx proof and we will be happy to do one for you. washington dc's oldest and finest tattoo shop.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
nothing new, but i still have something to say.
i was watching the documentary "i like killing flies" a few weeks ago. the film is about kenny shopsin and his diner in new york. amongst all of the profanity laced wisdom, something he said has really stuck with me. in a rant about killing enemies, in his case flies, he discusses how once you get rid of all the outside evils, then you are left with your own. and then finishes his statement with, "anyways, i like killing flies."
how does this relate to my life, my career. well, for years tattooing struggled to make it out of the back alleys. struggled against ridiculous laws, zoning, and stereo types. now look at us, we are all over popular clothing, mainstream advertising, in the most upscale locations, and all over television. what is there to struggle with now? our own.
maybe one day, hopefully soon, the love will be gone from tattooing. in the meantime, all of the hard working craftsmen will keep at it. with no sales, specials, or bullshit. if your good, you don't settle, you know what your worth. we are not the cheapest or the most expensive shop in dc, but we are the finest.
it's not so bad that you rip off dan higgs. it's bad that you only rip off dan higgs and no one else. it's bad that you have taken a 15+ year career and reduced it to your 3 years of identity. with, to my knowledge, not even so much as a thank you.
it's not bad that you are a johnny come lately to dc. it's bad that in the 7-10 years of your existence, you've had multiple apprentices, multiple shops, hired all the people we have fired, and asked every guest artist we have had to come to your shop. all bad, all things proving your a johnny come lately that doesn't understand the business or what's good for it.
had sinus issues at work all week last week. i was a little grumpy and didn't feel like getting photos of any finished tattoos. so here are a couple old ones that i feel are a good representation of my work. clean, to the point and what the customer asked for.
how does this relate to my life, my career. well, for years tattooing struggled to make it out of the back alleys. struggled against ridiculous laws, zoning, and stereo types. now look at us, we are all over popular clothing, mainstream advertising, in the most upscale locations, and all over television. what is there to struggle with now? our own.
maybe one day, hopefully soon, the love will be gone from tattooing. in the meantime, all of the hard working craftsmen will keep at it. with no sales, specials, or bullshit. if your good, you don't settle, you know what your worth. we are not the cheapest or the most expensive shop in dc, but we are the finest.
it's not so bad that you rip off dan higgs. it's bad that you only rip off dan higgs and no one else. it's bad that you have taken a 15+ year career and reduced it to your 3 years of identity. with, to my knowledge, not even so much as a thank you.
it's not bad that you are a johnny come lately to dc. it's bad that in the 7-10 years of your existence, you've had multiple apprentices, multiple shops, hired all the people we have fired, and asked every guest artist we have had to come to your shop. all bad, all things proving your a johnny come lately that doesn't understand the business or what's good for it.
had sinus issues at work all week last week. i was a little grumpy and didn't feel like getting photos of any finished tattoos. so here are a couple old ones that i feel are a good representation of my work. clean, to the point and what the customer asked for.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
open letter to tattoo cool guys.
let me start by saying that people i work with may or may not share my opinions. i doubt anybody i'm referring to will read this since i'm not "part of your scene". but if by chance you do, and you get offended, don't go crying to any of the artists i work with and respect.
your tattoo social groups, clubs, gangs, whatever you call them are ridiculous. what are you accomplishing? are you separating yourselves from scratchers that don't charge enough? don't know how to draw? don't do "cool" tattoos? don't know how to whip shade properly? how many of you hook up your friends because they will let you do something that you can put on your facebook page just to impress other tattoo artists? by hooking up people that don't deserve it, you are just as bad as the scratcher who isn't charging enough. your "friend" may get a better tattoo, but it is just as harmful to the industry in the long run. how many of you think just because somebody your grandfathers age painted it, it's cool? how many of you even understand whip shading is supposed to look smooth? or that just because you can line something with a baggy 8 round doesn't mean you necessarily should?
if you are going to be part of a group, you should be part of a group that is trying to better the industry. you could start by not letting people in your club/gang/social group that apprentice people that don't deserve it. in fourteen years of owning a shop, we have apprenticed one person, that had been working for us for six years prior. the customer base is not growing at the same rate that you jackasses are teaching people how to tattoo. if your that busy, hire an existing artist that is starving somewhere else. trust me there are plenty of them. i've said it before and i'm sure i will say it again, but if you dummies would read the books of the people that you constantly rip off, this industry would be much better off. all the answers/rules were laid out for anybody that was willing to listen.
i could go on for days about how the "cool guys" are as bad for tattooing as the scratchers, but this is all for now. in the illustrious words of kenny powers, "kiss my ass and suck my dick everyone".
oh and a new tattoo i did this past weekend.
your tattoo social groups, clubs, gangs, whatever you call them are ridiculous. what are you accomplishing? are you separating yourselves from scratchers that don't charge enough? don't know how to draw? don't do "cool" tattoos? don't know how to whip shade properly? how many of you hook up your friends because they will let you do something that you can put on your facebook page just to impress other tattoo artists? by hooking up people that don't deserve it, you are just as bad as the scratcher who isn't charging enough. your "friend" may get a better tattoo, but it is just as harmful to the industry in the long run. how many of you think just because somebody your grandfathers age painted it, it's cool? how many of you even understand whip shading is supposed to look smooth? or that just because you can line something with a baggy 8 round doesn't mean you necessarily should?
if you are going to be part of a group, you should be part of a group that is trying to better the industry. you could start by not letting people in your club/gang/social group that apprentice people that don't deserve it. in fourteen years of owning a shop, we have apprenticed one person, that had been working for us for six years prior. the customer base is not growing at the same rate that you jackasses are teaching people how to tattoo. if your that busy, hire an existing artist that is starving somewhere else. trust me there are plenty of them. i've said it before and i'm sure i will say it again, but if you dummies would read the books of the people that you constantly rip off, this industry would be much better off. all the answers/rules were laid out for anybody that was willing to listen.
i could go on for days about how the "cool guys" are as bad for tattooing as the scratchers, but this is all for now. in the illustrious words of kenny powers, "kiss my ass and suck my dick everyone".
oh and a new tattoo i did this past weekend.
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