Tattoo Expo Fever – 25 Days To Go

It’s less than four weeks until the Australian International Tattoo Show. As if this event could get any better, it was announced today that Ami James from Miami Ink and NY Ink will be attending. If you wish to get tattooed by Ami, it’s best to contact him directly.

UPDATE: Shortly after announcing that Ami would be attending the announcement was removed from their Facebook page. By the looks of it, it’s unlikely he will be there.

Tickets can now be purchased online for Crazy AITS. Why buy now? Because you’ll get your tickets at a discount rate and it means skipping the queues at the expo.

The Crazy AITS website has recently been updated. Click here to check out all the newly added tattoo artists and for a detailed itinerary for each day of the expo.

Like Crazy AITS on Facebook.

Follow Crazy AITS on Twitter.

Five days after Crazy AITS wraps up, we’re treated to the 2nd Annual Melbourne Tattoo And Body Art Expo.

The Corey Miller VIP Experience Tickets/Competition are on sale until October 30. For $60 you get a day pass for the Melbourne Tattoo Expo, a limited edition Corey Miller shirt and you go in the draw to get tattooed by the man himself. Click here for more details.

If you simply wish to purchase a 3-day or single day pass click here.

More tattoo artists have been added to the website, including several Japanese tebori artists, many Australians and quite a few international artists. To avoid disappointment I would suggest contacting them now if you wish to get inked by anyone on the day.

 

Like Melbourne Tattoo & Body Art Expo on Facebook.

Follow Melbourne Tattoo & Body Art Expo on Twitter.

 

If Crazy AITS or the Melbourne Tattoo Expo will be your first time attending a tattoo expo you may like to read through my Tattoo Expo Etiquette post to know what to expect.

Are you attending either of these expos? Who are you getting tattooed by?

Tattoo Expo Fever: Two Months To Go!

It’s only two months to go until Tattoo Expo fever hits Melbourne. With two huge tattoo expos over the first two weekends in November, the ink will be flying.

The Australian International Tattoo Show, also known as Crazy AITS, boasts 88 booths of tattoo artists from across Australia and the world. Running from Friday, November 2 to Sunday November 4 at the Hilton on the Park in Melbourne there is something for everyone; whether you want to get tattooed, attend a seminar or simply watch these masters at work.

I’m already booked in with Andrea Afferni from Italy to get my Phil Collins black and grey portrait tattoo. I hope to get tattooed by Dan Smith too, a flower on my knee to match my other done by Grant Cobb.

For all the LA Ink and NY Ink fans out there, Crazy AITS is your chance to meet Dan Smith and Billy DeCola

UPDATE – I’ve just been informed that Dan Smith will no longer be attending. However, Billy DeCola is still advertised to attend.

Will the likes of Nikko Hurtado, Paul Booth, Bob Tyrrell and Mick Squires, Crazy AITS is one tattoo expo you should not miss.

 

For all artist and ticketing info, click here.

Like Crazy AITS on Facebook.

Follow Crazy AITS on Twitter.

 

The following weekend (November 9-11) will see hundreds of tattoo artists, body piercers and performers once again invade the Melbourne Exhibition Center. Only in it’s second year, the Melbourne Tattoo & Body Art Expo is sure to grow in the coming years. With tattooing, live performances, tattoo competitions and exhibitors selling everything from books, paintings, prints and clothing; there’s something for everyone.

Several international artists such as Craigy Lee (who tattooed me at the first Melbourne Tattoo Expo) from London, several Japanese tattoo artists and many Australian artists will be there to tattoo you, and have plenty of sketch books and prints for sale.

The big draw card this year is the one and only Corey Miller. There has already been such a positive reaction to this news, that if you want to get tattooed by him, I’d get in quick. Click here for his contact details.

UPDATE – It was recently announced that you can win a 3-4 hour tattoo session with Corey. All you have to do is purchase your ticket and you’ll go in to the draw. As a bonus, you also receive an exclusive T-Shirt. Purchase your VIP Corey Miller Experience Ticket here. This competition is only available online.

The list of artists appearing  has yet to be finalised, however there is a good chance that many of the same artists from Crazy AITS will also be tattooing at the Melbourne Tattoo Expo.

 

For all artist and ticketing info, click here.

Like Melbourne Tattoo & Body Art Expo on Facebook.

Follow Melbourne Tattoo & Body Art Expo on Twitter.

 

Will you be attending either of these tattoo expos?

Start saving every penny!

Ink-spiration

Having gotten quite a few tattoos done in the last few months, they have come up in conversation quite frequently at work. It’s rare that I’ll go out of my way to discuss my tattoos (except for one here, of course) as I know the topic interests very few people. When my work mates see my new tattoo the first question they ask is “Why did you choose that?”

Television shows like LA Ink and NY Ink showcase the art of tattooing as a form of grieving the loss of a loved one. And for some it is. But for many people like me, tattooing is a representation of a myriad of emotions.

The inspiration behind a tattoo comes from various aspects of life, not limited to;

• A favourite actor, band or musician
• A person’s love of their occupation
• Lyrics or a poem
• Tattoo magazines
• Art, whether it be street artists or history’s most recognised artists
• Another person’s tattoo
• Images found on the Internet
• A dream or nightmare had
• A particular tattoo style (ie. Japanese, Americana, Tribal etc)
• Family heritage

Tattoos are not always to mask the painful memories or used as a reminder of the past. Don’t be fooled into thinking tattoo shows are a true representation of all tattooed people. Just like non-tattooed people, we’re all weird, wacky and complex creatures.

For me, personally, tattoos are an extension of my being. I’ve always been a visual and imaginative person, easily spending hours daydreaming, creating my own reality. I love how skin can be transformed from something so plain to a beautiful piece of art with nothing more than ink and needles (and some talented tattoo artists). I draw tattoo inspiration from most of what I have listed above. My tattoos aren’t meant to be understood by anyone but myself. I just hope people can appreciate them as art, no matter whether they understand my reasoning behind them or not.

Where do you find the inspiration for your tattoos? Comment below.

Inked Australia/New Zealand Issue 12 Review

Issue 12 of Inked Australia Magazine is the annual Artist issue. No musicians, no models, just tattoo artists doing what they do best; displaying their art to the world.

This issue also marks the two year anniversary or 2nd birthday for Inked Australia/NZ. As posted on Facebook, Issue 13 is to be a celebration of this feat. I’m curious to see what they have in store for us.

Some may remember Australian Ink magazine from a few years back. After several issues it was abruptly taken from the shelves. Mere months later Inked Australia/NZ magazine graced us with its presence.

With a 28,000 plus Facebook fan base and another 4000 followers on Twitter, this magazine has gone from issue 1 two years ago, to publishing 4 issues of Inked Girls, and 1 issue of Inked Artists, to now celebrating issue 12.

Megan Massacre, the token female from NY Ink is the cover girl for Issue 12. The accompanying article delves a little in to Massacre’s life as the female cast member of NY Ink, and balancing her love of tattooing and modelling.

The shock value of seeing a female tattoo artist is slowly waning. I think Megan put it best when she said: “I don’t want to be known as a great female artist – I want to be known as a great artist”

For the most part, tattoo artists from the east coast of Australia seem to get most of the attention, but not this issue. A tattoo parlour from each state and territory in Australia is featured. New Zealand fans, don’t fret, you haven’t been forgotten.

More than 50 tattoo artists are featured in this issue, each describing their positive and negative views on modern tattooing. Tattooing has changed dramatically over time, but even just in the past 10 years new styles are emerging.  Each individual interview gives some much-needed insight into the real tattoo industry.

Keen to get your first tattoo, but don’t know where to start? Page 82 is a must-read for people not familiar with the tattoo process.

It is followed by a piece about laser tattoo removal, and the information is not pretty. For many, I think, tattoo removal seems like the simple solution to getting rid of your unwanted ink. Be prepared to be shocked by the truths behind this practice, and remember think before you ink.

In addition to Australia’s talent, Canada’s Zombie Boy, Rick Genest makes a surprise appearance modelling clothing. I love how he is somewhat carrying on the tradition of circus/sideshow freaks.

Then with Chris Nunez, sitting on a toilet with his pants around his ankles with that token smirk on his face, it’s difficult for me not to melt inside. What can I say? I’m a sucker for a handsome man with tattoos. If that doesn’t float your boat, there is an article about his new television show, Ink Master which he hosts along with Oliver Peck and Dave Navarro.

For a magazine without the support or resources of a corporation like ACP Magazines, Inked Australia/NZ continues to deliver a quality magazine every time.  With so few people behind the scenes, creating this magazine is more than a job, it’s a time consuming passion that we’re lucky to have shared with us.

Always willing to offer knowledge and advice within the pages of the magazine, the Editor, Ness extends this to Facebook and Twitter. Steering people to decent tattoo artists, she’s single headedly saving the citizens of Australia and New Zealand from one more tattoo disaster. Super Ness – cue the theme music. (Clearly I’ve lost my marbles)

If you’ve yet to get a response to your email, Facebook post or Tweet, be patient. It’s a one-woman show across those social media platforms.

Inked Australia may very well be your tattoo bible, but if there is one issue to buy, this is it. Issue 12 is a detailed directory of the best of the best Australia has to offer, with interviews and photographs of each artist’s work.

Your newsagent doesn’t have Inked Australia/NZ in stock? Ask them to order it in for you. Better yet, subscribe to receive a free gift and have the magazine delivered straight to you every two months.

And ladies, don’t forget that entries for Miss Inked 2013 close on Friday 20 April.

Issue 9 – Inked Australia/New Zealand Magazine

With an ever growing fan base, Inked is now able to expand its horizons, reaching out to various members from the tattoo community. With that being said, they managed to get an exclusive interview with the Red Hot Chili Peppers, this issue cover guys.

If you’re female, and love hot, tattooed guys, then you are in for a treat. The ‘Xtreme’ piece showcases guys who put their bodies on the line in the name of their sport. While Inked Guys may not be a viable idea to put to print, the many shirtless guys in Issue 9 are sure to satisfy your needs. But guys, don’t fret, there is, as always, several gorgeous girls gracing the pages of the magazine.

You could say the theme of this issue would be determination to succeed, whether it is developing tattoo skills, becoming a better athlete, or turning a dream into reality. None of this happens overnight. It takes years to perfect an art. They have tattoos that mark a place in time, memories to carry with them for the rest of their lives. People are easy to dismiss the successful as being “lucky” to be in that position.  Positive thinking, drive, passion all contribute to making the people we see before us in this is

The Skate4Cancer piece is so inspiring.  Cancer touches everyone at some stage in their lives. Raising money for research is crucial in the fight to find a cure for this horrible disease. Hopefully Rob Dyer’s story will encourage other Inked readers to be more charitable.  I know I’ll be more active in raising money for causes that I strongly believe in.

If you want to get involved, check out Inked’s website for more details on Rob’s journey and donate to or help promote the cause. Perhaps stories like this will help dispel some of the stigma associated with tattooed people.

The NY Ink – Wooster Street Social Club piece strips back all the mirrors from the carefully edited TLC show, and goes back to basics. The people on the show are tattoo artists through and through.  These tattoo artists are not one dimensional, they can tackle just about any tattoo style there is. They have branched out into other artistic endeavours to showcase their talents across a variety of mediums. While the idea of “reality TV” may not appeal to you, nothing can take away from their talent; talent doesn’t lie.

Once again the team at Inked have outdone themselves. This issue is jam packed with people with amazing life stories to tell along with beautiful works of art adorning their skin. Those of us with a passion for tattoos are special bunch.

And on that note, go out and buy the current issue of Inked. If your local newsagents have no copies, be sure to ask them to order it in for you. Better yet, head to http://www.isubscribe.com.au/title_info.cfm?prodID=32196  to subscribe, or check out pages 40 and 41 on details how to subscribe and receive a copy of Eastbound & Down Season 2.

 Issue 10 will hit newsstands October 26. For now, enjoy and spread the word.

— Modern Medusa