Tattoos

[gordonzola]

Hey Bay Area folks, I'm going to get a new tattoo. My old tattoo artist has retired so I'm looking for a new one.

If you've got tattoos, who is your favorite local artist and why?

Comments

[epilady.livejournal.com]

http://www.shannonarchuleta.com/

She has done most of my favorite work.

[gordonzola.livejournal.com]

and walking distance from my apartment. awesome!

[anarqueso.livejournal.com]

She did one of Formaldehyde's. Great, delicate line quality. Nice woman.

[elusis.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty awesomely into Cedre at Diving Swallow.

[gordonzola.livejournal.com]

cool. I couldn't remember which Diving Swallow artist you went to. I've known Leslie for years.

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

I don't have tats but want one, and based on what I want, and what I've seen of the artists' galleries and statements, I will absolutely go with Marie Wadman at Diving Swallow, if she thinks we can work together. Other shops with good reputations are Black and Blue Tattoo, and Body Modifications.

[gordonzola.livejournal.com]

yeah the last two (if you mean Body Manipulations) are walking distance for me. One of the BM artists was the foreperson of the jury I was on and she was great.

But for tattooing, I like a personal recommendation, ya know?

[nihilistic-kid.livejournal.com]

No idea about local artists, but I did find a great design for you:

[gordonzola.livejournal.com]

OMG, that'll make an awesome full back piece. Thanks!

[crabbypattie.livejournal.com]

Iggy Vans at Idle Hands has been working on friends of mine for years, and has done two of the most beautiful pieces I've ever seen. If I ever get more tat work done, I'm going to him.Check him out:
http://www.niteowlsf.com/

[claudimp.livejournal.com]

Jason at Cyclops (Val nr. 16th). Really good to work with, and I love the results -- he's the one who did my faux-Minoan edge pieces (plus this gorgeous leg piece with an anarcho-salamander who's just torched my femur, that no one ever sees 'cos it's never warm enough for shorts, o well...)

[fluxions.livejournal.com]

I have a tattoo appointment with Jason at Cyclops in mid-September. I picked him based on a friend's recommendation.

[rhiannonstone.livejournal.com]

I got mine from Jean Chen at Sacred Rose. She understood my vision of what I wanted perfectly, and took some reference pics and my ideas and transformed them into something I'm proud to wear for the rest of my life.

[rhiannonstone.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah, out of curiosity: is your old artist Chris Conn? When I was still researching mine, I'd ask people whose work I liked who did it. Over half the time the answer was, "Chris Conn, but he's not here anymore." I was delighted to find out that Jean studied under him.

[artnoose.livejournal.com]

I got both my arm-pieces done by Jason at FTW in Berkeley. He's a very cool, down-to-earth guy and does great work.

[albatrossity.livejournal.com]

I love Mikal who used to work at Black & Blue. She's in Portland now, but if you get on her mailing list, she sends out announcements for when she's in town and you can book her. She did the robin on my back.

[uberconfused.livejournal.com]

I want a new tattoo as well. But I'm not sure Poland is the place to get one...

[knowyermonkey.livejournal.com]

I'd agree with a few of the above comments...I've seen Shannon's work and she's good...I used to work with the gals at Black and Blue and Diving Swallow and would reccommend them too...Leslie, Cedre, Marie, Fish (who is out of town but is my fave and did my chest, elbow and leg).
What exactly is it you're getting done? image? style?...that would help determine who the right artist would be for you

[gordonzola.livejournal.com]

more cheese. making my one cheese into an arm piece. cartoony but realistic.

[gordonzola.livejournal.com]

a tattooing Gordon? sounds awesome. Did he do that one you posted?

"chubby belly", uh huh, ok.

[walktheplank.livejournal.com]

If you're willing to drive a couple of hours, I highly recommend Infinity Tattoo in Portland, OR.

Paul Zenk did two of my Celtic tattoos, and it was some of the fastest work I've ever seen (yet they haven't faded or blurred). His wife is the owner of the shop -- Amanda Myers -- and she specializes in organic/floral tattoos.

[gordonzola.livejournal.com]

a "couple of hours"? You've never been to the West Coast, have you?

[rockville.livejournal.com]

i don't have tattoos myself, but my friend jean works at the all-women Sacred Rose Tattoo place in the mission, and she's pretty kick-ass as a person and her work is pretty kick-ass too. (http://www.flika.com/) she left a career in youth media advocacy to pursue her dream of being a tattoo artist, she did an awesome zine, and she's smart and talented and sweet to boot.

http://www.sacredrosetattoo.com/artists/jean/

[fightingwords.livejournal.com]

Leslie Mah at Diving Swallow:

http://rockerbabetattoo.com/

[gordonzola.livejournal.com]

has she done work on you? Did she do that back piece?

[postmaudlin.livejournal.com]

scott silvia at black heart. he did the leaf skull on my bicep.

word has it jesse tuesday's opening a shop in the city...

[the-living-end.livejournal.com]

my husband and i both have work by scott sylvia.
so i second him.

[brownstargirl.livejournal.com]

Marie Wadman is totally worth it, but you need to book six months to a year in advance if you don't get really lucky and get a cancellation. She did my right arm piece (and, incidentally, knocked around a third of the price off. No idea why.)

[hematopoetic.livejournal.com]

God, even before I moved to the bay area I was crazy about her work, then I lost track of her and then felicks told me about her place in oakland and I hope she doesn't retire before I get my shit together! Because damn. Damn. I have never seen work so good in her area of specialty.

[goodbadgirl.livejournal.com]

Dude! Go see Buffy who did my most recent tat....you know her and she's fantastic!

Won't be home til tomorrow....am in Sunnyvale for the night. xoxo

[zanyassmask.livejournal.com]

i actually think a lot of it depends on the style and size of the work you want done....

but here are my guys--

jason tyler grace (idle hand)
http://www.idlehandsf.com/jtg.html
he tattoos like he paints on canvas.

and paul taylor who was at sacred rose but may have moved on since it was sold? but maybe not. his specialty is black work and big pieces, some surreal stuff--he did my biomech arm.
http://www.imat.com/~paul/

[tuliphead.livejournal.com]

i love Natalie who used to be at Black & Blue. she now works out of her home in Oakland; i can put you in touch with her if you want. she did the coverup on my left arm - the big crane.

i haven't had any work done on me by Idexa at B&B but many friends speak highly of her, and i do intend to get some work done by her in the near future.

i also love Colin Stevens who works out of his shop next to Body Manipulations on 16th between Guerrero and Dolores... he did the maple leaves on my arm and i have a larger piece in mind to have done by him..

[akki.livejournal.com]

holy crap, I can't believe I missed this post...

Karen at Sacred Rose has tattooed me as well as Alycia at Mod Bod in Sacramento.

Are you getting the cheese tools sleeve you talked about a while ago? :D