In the news... 01/24/2012
 
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If you didn't catch it, the opening of our St. Annes studio, Victory Tattoos, made the Blackpool Gazette last Friday.  We were the top news in the business section, which is pretty cool.  

The article mentions the opening on Saturday, which was very successful.  More on that in the next couple of days.  

Click here to view the article on the Gazette website, where you can comment, tweet it, and, of course, download the picture of our lovely faces.  
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Black and Grey 10/22/2011
 
I'm not sure why, but I've been doing a lot of black and grey pieces recently. Of course, there's been a few other things in there, especially the lettering and tribal work that seems to be our bread and butter in the world of street shops.  Mostly though, it's been grey shading that's been leaving the studio.

In the past, I haven't been that bothered about this sort of style, preferring the old school Americana with bold lines and bolder colours.  But with these pinups, and all sorts of flora and fauna, I've really started to come around to it. I love building up a piece slowly; watching the image gain depth. I'm even leaning towards getting something in this style for my other arm. Hmmm... Only time will tell.
Anyway, here's a little selection of the stuff I've been working on in the last little while. Let me know if it inspires you to get something!
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Something new... 09/17/2010
 
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Work by Volka, Buena Vista Tattoo Club
It seems everywhere I look at the moment, I'm being bombarded by images of work by the artists at Buena Vista Tattoo Club.  I've been aware of them for a little while, but recently it seems that their work is everywhere, certainly in the tattoo press.

And what fantastic images to be bombarded by.  The work of Volko Merschky and Simone Pfaff is refreshingly different.  It's not often that you find work that is really new and unique, but these guys seem to be breaking a lot of moulds.  They refer to this style of tattoo that they have created in their studio in Wurzburg, Germany, as 'Realistic Trash Polka'.

I actually don't think that it's the sort of thing that I'd want as a tattoo for myself - I'm far too rooted in the old school to use a whole arm or something for this style (although I might be persuaded otherwise in the future), but I am  blown away by their creativity, and by the way that their work is seeming to redefine what constitutes a tattoo.

One of the most famous tattoo artists of the last 100 years (certainly in the Western world) is Sailor Jerry.  From the 30s to the 60s, he worked in Hawaii.  He is often considered to be the first artist to create a fusion between traditional western designs, and the work that was usually associated with Japan.  He is still considered a master, and his revolutionary style would now be classed by many people as classic tattoo imagery.

In the last few years, studios like Buena Vista Tattoo Club, and Boucherie Moderne in Brussels, have been bringing something new to the scene.  As far as I can see, the primary driving force for this is the use of graphic design skills and elements being incorporated into tattoo design.  The result is stunning pieces of living design work, challenging concepts and ideas about what a tattoo is and can be.  Of course, all of this is helped along by the fact that Volka, Simone, Jeff, and the likes are producing technically excellent tattoos.

So far, this movement seems to be breaking out within Europe.  It would be interesting to see, with all of the current hype around it, how quickly it develops in North America.
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We have now officially opened the Deeper Than War studio.  This space is dedicated to the design and creation of excellent tattoos and artwork.

Deeper Than War is a registered with the government of Ontario.
The studio meets all health requirements: non-porous floor, all washable surfaces (for tuberculocidal cleansing).  We only use disposable, pre-sterilized single-use needles and tubes.
We also proudly follow all waste-management guidelines.

Welcome to the DEEPER THAN WAR STUDIO. It has a calm, friendly and relaxed atmosphere.

Consultations and tattoos are by appointment only.  Drop me a line to set up an appointment.

Thanks to everyone who has supported this venture, be it financially, spiritually, relationally, by getting their hands dirty, or cheering us on during the renovation.  We love you all a lot.  Glory to God!
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I hadn't heard that Beckham got a new tattoo.  It was seen for the first time in January, when he took off his shirt at a football match. 

It's a picture of Jesus, of all things.  Thoughts?

The upcoming World Cup in South Africa will probably be a great opportunity to see some really nice work from around the world.  Keep an eye out!
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Revolutionary 09/02/2009
 
I've been asked by a good friend of mine to write an article for a magazine in the UK.  It's aimed at youth and young adults, most of whom are not Christians.  The aim of the magazine is to show what it really means to be a follower of Jesus.   Here's what I came up with; let me know what you think...

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I've had quite a few jobs.
I've flipped burgers at McDonald's.  I've poured pints in a nightclub.  I've stacked shelves at the Co-Op.  I've even made the perfect espresso at Starbucks.  
But that's all behind me now.  I'm all grown up.  I have a wife and a daughter.  So I work in a steady, sensible job.  You know the sort of thing - get older, settle down.  Can you guess what I do?
 
I'm a tattoo artist.
 
So, how did I end up doing this, you ask.  Well, the funny thing is that I believe God gave me the idea.
See, I'm not only a husband and a father.  I'm not only an artist.  More than anything, I'm a follower of Jesus Christ.  A Christian.  Some years ago I made a decision to trust God with my life.  I asked him what He wanted me to do.  And the strange thing is, that I ended up as a tattoo artist.
 
For some people, that might sound like something God would never tell someone to do.  Isn't even getting a tattoo against the rules for a Christian?
 
The thing is, though, that Jesus isn't about rules.  In fact, he's totally against them.  
When Jesus walked on the Earth, he broke pretty much every rule that the religious leaders of his time held to be important.  He healed people on the Day of Rest.  He chose followers who weren't considered clever or holy enough to be Holy Men.  He even hung out with criminals, tax collectors and prostitutes.  The outcasts of the day.
You know why?  Because Jesus cares about relationship.  He wants to know us personally.  Even if that challenges what we might think about Him.
 
And that's why he led me to be a tattoo artist.  Not because he thinks that tattoos are right for everybody. And not only because He wants me to enjoy the creative gifts He gave me. But because as an artist, I get to talk to a lot of people, one on one.  I get to form relationship with them.  I get the opportunity to tell them about how Jesus has changed my life; about how he changes my life all the time.  Not only that, but the fact that I am a follower of Jesus and a tattoo artist challenges what people think of Him.  Which is what He wants.
 
And maybe, just maybe, because I love tattooing.  And God loves me.
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Well, I'm glad this one's resolved.
I know I seem a little late on this one, but I figured I'd like to write something about it anyway, and it's better late than never, right?

Most of you probably heard about this.  To sum up: a Belgian girl claimed she had gone to a tattoo parlour, asked for three stars on her face, and then fallen asleep.  When she woke up, she had FIFTY SIX stars.  Despite the fact that she thought that she looked "like a freak", for some reason she still paid for the tattoo.  And why would the artist do something like this?
Doesn't quite add up, does it? 

Well, that's because she was lying. 

Apparently, she loved the tattoo, until her dad saw it and flew off the handle.  She made up the sleeping story to appease his wrath.  Not very fair on the artist, though, eh?
She has now admitted that she asked for the tattoo, confirming most peoples' suspicions.  I feel a little sorry for her, but it does raise some interesting (and some obvious) points.

1. That was a stupid idea.  If you're going to get a tattoo, think about it carefully first.  It's not going to come off easily, you know?

2. I'm not sure that the artist should have agreed to the tattoo.  Let's look at the facts: She is eighteen.  Very young and at an age where she might make decisions that she regrets.
She doesn't seem to have any other tattoos at all.  Had I been the artist, I don't think I'd have agreed to do her first tattoo covering one half of her face.

When she was first interviewed by the press after her father had gone to the police, she said "I cannot go out on to the street, I am so embarrassed."
I suspect that she might be a little more embarrassed now.

Lessons to be learned by all, methinks.

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So, this week, I got on the bus to work, and picked up a copy of the Toronto Metro to read.  I found an interesting article about a tattoo studio in Mississauga (the city next to Toronto) that had recently been inspected by Peel Public Health.  The article I read is here.
There were two problems with the inspection.  The first is that the inspection itself was WAY over due.  It was the first one in four years - the law requires an inspection every year for tattoo and piercing businesses.
The second issue was even more of a problem.  The studio had been keeping few records of the maintenance of their sterilization equipment. 
The article in The Toronto Star (which is far more sensationalist than I would have expected of that paper) points out that these records should be updated monthly and only 11 tests had been carried out in the last four years.

Now, don't get me wrong.  I am ALL about keeping it clean.  I only use disposable tubes, because it removes any issues with sterilization.  All my needles come pre-sterilized on bars, and are disposed of in a proper sharps container after use.  I cover everything, and all coverings are disposed of after each tattoo.  If the law says do the tests, you gotta do the tests, you know?

Having said this, I was frustrated with the ignorance shown in the articles.  The Toronto Star article's headline was as follows:

3,000 WARNED OF HIV RISK AT TATTOO SHOP

Let's be clear - Nobody said that they found any problem with the equipment.  Peel Public Health has issued a warning to anyone tattooed between March 2005 and February 2009 to go and get tested for HIV, Hepatitis B and Hepatitis C.  Sure, go and get tested.  But it's a very low risk.  To be fair to them, Peel Public Health did say that it was a very low risk, and that the warning was just a precautionary measure.  And that's all fine.  But I'm saddened by the media response, reinforcing old, worn out stereotypes.

The tattoo industry is growing, and now more than ever, it has a responsibility to provide clean, sanitary conditions for its clients.  I'm not going to get tattooed anywhere where I'm not 100% sure it's clean, and I wouldn't expect anyone else to.
Moonshin Tattoo needs to clean up its act, and it is totally responsible for getting its equipment tested. 
But we could do without papers like the Toronto Star taking a story like this and turning it into something that spreads fear.
The facts are rather surprising.  The CDC (Center for Disease Control) in the United States reports "no cases of HIV transmission through tattooing" anywhere in the country since it began tracking such data in 1985! There have, however, been at least 7 cases of HIV infection transmitted through dentistry.  I'm not saying that to spread fear about dentists, just that it's interesting that tattoo studios get the bad rep for this even though there is little ground for that.

As for Hepatitis, there is some history of infections from tattoo studios.  www.tattooartist.com had this to say of their research into the CDC statistics:
"Of the 13,387 annual cases of hepatitis detailed in the most recent CDC report, 12 are associated with tattoo studios. By comparison, 43 cases...are associated with dental offices"

Nobody is ruling out the risk of infection.  If equipment is not sterilized, if pigments are not disposed of after each client, if surfaces are not protected and the covering disposed of, surfaces sterilized, hands gloved and washed and gloved and washed; all precautions taken, then it is possible that HIV and Hepatitis can be spread through the practice of tattooing.

I'll be honest.  I just wish that people wouldn't assume things.  All else aside, it makes them look stupid.
Moonshin Tattoo is considering legal action against Peel Public Health for defamation.  I'm not sure that this is a good idea, since it is their fault they didn't keep the records.  Let's just hope some people have learned some lessons from all of this.

Also, the next person that shows me a copy of that article (and a lot of people did last week) will get the entire CDC HIV/AIDS Surveillance Report: Estimated incidence of AIDS and deaths of persons with AIDS, adjusted for delays in reporting, by quarter-year of diagnosis/death, United States, January 1985 through June 2007 tattooed on their arm so they can read the actual statistics whenever the need arises.

I'm going to bed now.  Goodnight.

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