It's a hap- hap- happy day!
Aug. 26th, 2008 07:28 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mad_andyNone of you will be surprised to hear that I delayed leaving the house today - anxiety FTW, not - until I really really had to leave - or bottle going to the studio. I went, you will be glad to hear, and I had the most awesome fucking day.
The studio is called Abingdon Ink (heh), and spookily enough is located in the building that used to be Abingdon's reptile shop, which closed about the same time Chris opened Pythons Lair.
Coincidence, huh?
(*Gibbs voice* I don't believe in coincidences...)
The boss is called Sam and she's dynamite. A little older than me (not by much), she takes no shit from anyone and keeps rigid control over the conditions in her studio. It's rigorously, delightfully clean, and she double checks each tattoo before it leaves the studio. I'll give her her due, she's damn good at spotting tiny flaws that may not be noticeable immediately but would give trouble in the future. (A new tatt swells, which can hide lines not quite finished, shading imbalances, that sort of thing. Unless, of course, you know what you're looking for.)
Lee is the younger artist, and he and I get along very well. Chatterbox, incredibly tall, damn fine artist (although not my style, and he'll improve with time); but the best thing, the very best?
He likes nu-metal (no, wait, the good bit is yet to come)... and has been to several Downloads. Had he seen or heard of Zico Chain...?
Yes, he had, and not only does he think they're pretty good but "they're quite a big band, aren't they?"
*Grin*
Damn straight, buddy. And when I told him that I'd tattooed their drummer's elbow he was well impressed. Hee! Life 0, Andy 1.
Mike is the other artist, a much older guy from Hull. Which, of course, meant we spent a while happily chatting about the city my mum came from, and where I would happily reside myself if I could. Basic, good workmanship, all his clients go away happy.
It amazed me how naturally it all came back to me; I was setting up, breaking down, discussing tips and needles and styles with Lee, even doing some extra sketches on the fly for people. Lee is so keen to get me working on him that that's to be my first mission next Monday - using his machines and grips to do a medium-ish sized piece on his leg. Talk about confidence, wow!
He's a young guy, and told me he feels a bit of a fraud trying to teach me; to be honest, what I need more than teaching is tips, reassurance, a bit of hand holding from someone whose working style I can respect. And for that, he's a dream.
Sam is so goddamn confident that next Tuesday, Mike has the day off...and guess who's on that side of the studio doing walk-ins?
EEEEEEE!
Yup. Anyone walking in wanting a quick bit of tribal/flower/small crappy shit gets Yours Truly's hand on the damn trigger. And you know what?
I'm not nervous. I'm so fucking keen to get back to it that I didn't have the slightest quiver when I agreed to that as soon as it was offered to me.
I daresay next Tuesday morning will be different, but for now I'm bloody flying!
So anyone who wants a cheap tattoo turn up at Abingdon Ink between 11am and 7pm next Tuesday, and 'll gleefully hurt you!
Of course, the downside is that I now dance for two masters - but unlike before, both are very flexible, and I'm still getting at least one day off each week. I'll only work Mondays after a weekend off from the shop, so at worst it'll be one day off then back into it - and when I do have my weekend, I get both days. And that's the way it's going to fucking stay for the moment, because as awesome as Sam is, and as inclined as I am to trust her (can't seem to shake the blind faith mindset - you know me...) I'm going to sit on the damn fence for as long as I can.
I trusted the last tattoo boss I worked for, and look where that got me.
So! Damn fine day, and right now I'm feeling pretty bloody good about life. Doesn't that just kick all kinds of ass?!
The studio is called Abingdon Ink (heh), and spookily enough is located in the building that used to be Abingdon's reptile shop, which closed about the same time Chris opened Pythons Lair.
Coincidence, huh?
(*Gibbs voice* I don't believe in coincidences...)
The boss is called Sam and she's dynamite. A little older than me (not by much), she takes no shit from anyone and keeps rigid control over the conditions in her studio. It's rigorously, delightfully clean, and she double checks each tattoo before it leaves the studio. I'll give her her due, she's damn good at spotting tiny flaws that may not be noticeable immediately but would give trouble in the future. (A new tatt swells, which can hide lines not quite finished, shading imbalances, that sort of thing. Unless, of course, you know what you're looking for.)
Lee is the younger artist, and he and I get along very well. Chatterbox, incredibly tall, damn fine artist (although not my style, and he'll improve with time); but the best thing, the very best?
He likes nu-metal (no, wait, the good bit is yet to come)... and has been to several Downloads. Had he seen or heard of Zico Chain...?
Yes, he had, and not only does he think they're pretty good but "they're quite a big band, aren't they?"
*Grin*
Damn straight, buddy. And when I told him that I'd tattooed their drummer's elbow he was well impressed. Hee! Life 0, Andy 1.
Mike is the other artist, a much older guy from Hull. Which, of course, meant we spent a while happily chatting about the city my mum came from, and where I would happily reside myself if I could. Basic, good workmanship, all his clients go away happy.
It amazed me how naturally it all came back to me; I was setting up, breaking down, discussing tips and needles and styles with Lee, even doing some extra sketches on the fly for people. Lee is so keen to get me working on him that that's to be my first mission next Monday - using his machines and grips to do a medium-ish sized piece on his leg. Talk about confidence, wow!
He's a young guy, and told me he feels a bit of a fraud trying to teach me; to be honest, what I need more than teaching is tips, reassurance, a bit of hand holding from someone whose working style I can respect. And for that, he's a dream.
Sam is so goddamn confident that next Tuesday, Mike has the day off...and guess who's on that side of the studio doing walk-ins?
EEEEEEE!
Yup. Anyone walking in wanting a quick bit of tribal/flower/small crappy shit gets Yours Truly's hand on the damn trigger. And you know what?
I'm not nervous. I'm so fucking keen to get back to it that I didn't have the slightest quiver when I agreed to that as soon as it was offered to me.
I daresay next Tuesday morning will be different, but for now I'm bloody flying!
So anyone who wants a cheap tattoo turn up at Abingdon Ink between 11am and 7pm next Tuesday, and 'll gleefully hurt you!
Of course, the downside is that I now dance for two masters - but unlike before, both are very flexible, and I'm still getting at least one day off each week. I'll only work Mondays after a weekend off from the shop, so at worst it'll be one day off then back into it - and when I do have my weekend, I get both days. And that's the way it's going to fucking stay for the moment, because as awesome as Sam is, and as inclined as I am to trust her (can't seem to shake the blind faith mindset - you know me...) I'm going to sit on the damn fence for as long as I can.
I trusted the last tattoo boss I worked for, and look where that got me.
So! Damn fine day, and right now I'm feeling pretty bloody good about life. Doesn't that just kick all kinds of ass?!
