the living canvas

Have you ever noticed????????That there seem to be two major types of tattooed people????? First you have the "bumper sticker" people, these are the folks who know they love tattoos,really want tattoos but have no major scheme to things.....We pretty much all start out this way and pretty much all end up regretting it.We treat our bodies like a cool new car.We run into No Fear and grab the coolest So. Cal sticker stick it wherever it looks good.Which is great......FOR A FUCKIN BUMPER!!!!!!! You can peel that shit off and replace it with brass knuckles or metal mulisha or whatever else is cooler next week...Not so for our bodies,which leads me to ........drumroll please.......................TYPE TWO TATTOOED PERSON...HOORAY. THE LIVING CANVAS..... These are the people who understand the potential that they have...A blank canvas ready to be adorned with a masterpiece...WHO THE FUCK ARE THESE PEOPLE?????????We see em at the tattoo conventions and in the magazines but really how did they get so smart....and why didn't I think of that.. This guy has a flowing,cohesive tattoo that seems to be one big piece of beauty and I'm stuck with three different skulls,some sort of flower(that I never really wanted) and a crooked iron cross..Gee maybe I can tie it all together with some spider webs or more stupid flowers that I don't really want....... Do you see what I'm gettin at folks?????? Chances are,even THE LIVING CANVAS guy started out walking into some shop wanting whatever....and lucked out by meeting a real tattoo artist,that instead of taking his $100 and blasting some crap on him,sat him down and made him think......which is kinda what I'm doin now. How do you want to fill this canvas.Not to say there is anything wrong with a juxtopose of art covering your body,if thats what you want..but before you go running to a tattoo shop with a couple hundred bucks burning a hole in your pocket and the need for some pain because your asshole boyfriend accepted some cute girl you don't know as a friend on Facebook,that son of a bitch!!!!!!! Think about your potential as a canvas.Is there a story you want your body to tell??Some profound message you want to share with the world?Or even a style of Art that touches you,makes you smile,makes you feel complete..... YOU HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE THAT WITH THE WORLD.how amazing is that????? LOOK INWARD,CONSULT AN ARTIST.CREATE YOUR LIVING CANVAS.there is a huge spiritual side to this tattoo thing,if you respect yourself and respect the art,the tattoo GODS will smile on you... If not I'll charge you $400 for a bad ass nautical star with a girl dancin on a pole in the center of it. bah ha ha ha jackass!!!!!!!!! and remember folks YES!!!! IT FREAKIN HURTS!!!!

a fine time for ink

As winter is quickly aproaching a strange trend seems to come about.Tattoo shops everywhere sloooooooow way the hell down.I get that christmas is coming and money is tight but honestly this time of year is ideal for getting tattooed."Why,you ask". well sit down,shut up and I'll tell you why. Reason number one......In the cooler weather,people tend to cover up more which gives tattoos a better chance to heal,away from that summer sun that is not a friend to tattoos... number two.......Chances are,your tattoo artist has blown all his or her summer money and is wondering how the hell they are gonna buy gifts for all their illegitimate children.An amazing time to get great work at a great price.Tattoo artists treat people who save their asses really well. number three........I fuckin said so....ha ha ha seriously though.Tis the season to beautify your skin,so next summer when you're all but naked.You, my friend,will have a head start on everyone else.NICE,BRIGHT ,BEAUTIFUL TATTOOS not sunburnt ,faded,scabby ink.So do yourself a favor a get a tattoo,because DAMN IT you deserve it.And don't forget to ask your favorite tattoo shop about gift certificates for christmas.SANTA LOVES TATTOOS!!!!!!!! Jesus doesn't but who cares,with you're new ink you'll be way cooler than Jesus...thanx again

artistic responsibility

Being a tattoo artist is an amazing experience but with our talents also comes alot of responsibility,or atleast there should be.I as an artist have never shied away from helping people express themselves,regardless of how severe that expression may be.If I truly feel the customer is of sound mind and adamant about their decision.If a militant muslim walks in and wants "kill whitey" across his face......COOL lets do it!!! Same goes for brown pride,white power or fuck god. truly I think it's great if you really want it.At the same time I had a really sweet bus driver woman who was going through some pretty rough medical treatment,

that was really messin with her head,come in asking me to tattoo swastikas all over her. no fuckin way.....she was obviously not doin well mentally.I didn't take her money and ruin her life...instead i sat her down and talked her out of making a really bad choice.Same goes for the 18 year old from T.O. who just met the nicest skinhead who just got out of prison,so now she wants to get a pink swastika so he'll love her even more.God forbid her jewish parents see it, she'll be cut out of the family law firm money.....ha ha ha but seriously,some people just don't seem to grasp how permanent tattoos and piercings and implants really are.I honestly feel that it is my place to advise against poor decisions.I do this for love of my art,thank god it also pays the bills but ultimately I want to affect peoples lives in a positive manner.Not be a part of something that will cause pain or grief for years to come.Ultimately it is always in our power to say NO.please think before you ink...and if you don't, hopefully your artist will.and by the way.....YES, IT FUCKIN HURTS.......

TIPPING YOUR TATTOO ARTIST

have you ever wondered how much you should tip your tattoo artist??? you're not alone,I hear this alot.Whats an apropriate tip??? really depends on how happy you are.Just like anywhere else in life ,if the service was great,tip away.If it sucked.......fuck em.As an artist i have gotten $20 tips for $200 tattoos and $500 tips for $500 tattoos.If you can afford it 20% is great and if not,just show your appreciation however you can.A simple thank you will suffice but I'm tellin you,tattoo artists love to be fed..Speaking for myself,I work 60 to 90 hours a week which doesn't leave alot of time for healthy eating.I've had cute little old ladies bring me back homemade cookies or a plate of chicken that made me feel more loved than cash ever could.It doesn't always have to be about money but don't quote me on that.Artists rely heavily on tips just like waitresses.Our overhead is huge. So basically if you want a happy artist,do your part to make him or her happy BUT make em earn it.

remembering loved ones

Well folks,this one is hittin close to home today.I'm sittin here with tears in my eyes because I just found out my grandma died.Ofcourse bein the kind of person I am I instantly started workin on a tattoo to remember her by.You see,my grams was scottish so what better to symbolize her passing than the funeral bagpipes being played.I find when i get tattooed or do tattoos in remembrance,it truly takes this art form to a new level.Something about the pain soothes my mind and something about the blood ties me to the tattoo and its meaning.Nothing else on earth can do that for me.When I tattoo people who want to remember someone,I feel their pain,i feel tied to them and honored to be a part of something so personal and so important.I actually feel like i'm having a positive affect on someones life.God,I love that!!!! Tattoos go so much deaper than some people out there will ever fathom.As for me and mine,We understand the magick of this thing called TATTOO.

one too many

So lets take a look at drinking and tattoos.First off while drinking does thin your blood out it really doesn't make enough of a difference that you can't get tattooed.The whole thin blood thing is really just a nice way for tattoo artists to ask you to leave.It has always been my opinion that some people just enjoy being tattooed more when they have had a few"key words" a few. Drinking can take the edge off the stress and pain of getting a tattoo.At the same time,you must be able to control yourself and not so impaired that you make bad decisions, that you'll regret later and for gods sake show some consideration to your artist.I DONT WANT TO SMELL YOUR FUCKIN BREATH, SO DON'T BREATHE IN MY FACE!!!!.I and many other artists live a drug free lifestyle so be sure you're not jeopardizing your artists comfort or sobriety.high or drunk artists are worthless so keep it to yourselves folks.Besides that if havin a beer or two gets you in the mood go ahead.HAVE FUN,ENJOY YOURSELF, MAKE GETTING TATTOOED A SOCIAL THING.HELL BRING ALL YOUR DRUNK STUPID FRIENDS WITH YOU. ESPECIALLY THE ONES WITH ALOT OF MONEY.......HA HA HA be safe and enjoy your weekend folks

think before you tattoo

This is gonna be short and simple.TATTOOS ARE FOREVER!!!!!We really all need to get this before we knock a couple back and head to our favorite shop to get mom tattooed on our ass or a mustache on our finger,cause god damn its funny.Fads and fashions change so much over time but we only have one body.make sure you can live with your ink for a long time to come.There are alot of guys from the eighties that really thought a tribal or barbed wire band would make em look oh so cool.NOW I MAKE GOOD MONEY COVERING THEM UP.Do your reasearch,make sure its you, then wait a month,still want it ?Great!!!!! ask yourself if this new tattoo can affect your employability,your relationships,your life in general and if so can you live that.please please please care about yourself enough to consider these things.Do you really want to have to explain to your grandson in 30 years what your"SLIPPERY WHEN WET" tattoo means. You have been givin a brain people,take advantage of that,use the fricken thing.. By the way,our shop is having a special on NAUTICAL STARS so all you dumbshits come on down and get a bunch of em $200 a pop ha ha ha "sorry to all those poor poor people who actually have nautical stars in abundance"

intimate relationships

finding and choosing a tattoo artist is a huge decision.The dynamics between a client and artist is such a huge part of the tattoo experience.There are some amazing artists out there that are capable of masterpieces but when you leave thier shop you feel bullied,belittled and all in all, shitty.Thats not cool at all.And on the other hand thier are mediocre artists that have such personality and truly care so much that even if the work isn't perfect you leave with a huge smile on your face.the relationship between you and your artist is wholly up to you.Figure out what you want in an artist,look at portfolios but take it a step further.Talk to your artist,how do they make you feel?confident?excited?happy????I'de say thats your man.they should be as passionate as you are.And a note to the ladies.There are alot of sleazy bastards out there,make sure your artist isn't one of them.I hear horror stories all the time about douche bag artists tryin to remove clothing or cop a cheap feel and honestly it enrages me and gives my artform a bad name.Get to know your artist because you might be spending alot of time together.If you love thier art,respect thier morals and ethics,appreciate thier cleanliness, its hard to see how you can go wrong.

know pain

alright folks,question?????? what is it about tattoos that takes us where we need to be mentally.I'm not talking to the lames with paint jobs but the true tattooed people. have you ever noticed how a tattoo is the perfect medicine for all our mental stress???? how come when we break up,we need ink??or a friend dies,we need ink.is the need for physical pain to lessen our mental pain a defect or a tool for dealing with life.i dont know and i don't really care i just know it works....so when life gets a little hard run to your nearest tattoo shop (no scratchers) and see how you feel after .i'm tellin you it works....or give me a call and i'll fix you up REEEEAAAAL PRETTY LIKE....bye for now XXX

DEADLINE TATTOO'S first BLOG Post!

Thanks to my amazingly talented cousin Sean we have a blog. I don't want to speak for him but I know that I am really fucking excited to get things moving. This is going to be a place where I can give you a direct feed into what is going on with DEADLINE. We are going to be posting up videos of tattooing, piercing and body modification. We are going to be posting up video of the crazy shit that happens to us on a daily basis that is too strange not to be true. Thanks to all of you who have been supporting of myself and Tony since day one and a long time before that. Give us some feedback and let us know what you think. We want your input and ideas along the way..... This is an open blog so please make sure to comment on the posts that we make. Thank you so much.