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!

[elusis.livejournal.com]

I'm pretty awesomely into Cedre at Diving Swallow.

[epilady.livejournal.com]

Seriously, she is SO awesome. Also a complete sweetie.

[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]

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

[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?

[elusis.livejournal.com]

Cedre is really great. I need to get back with her about setting up an appointment for next month. We'll be starting on color!

[elusis.livejournal.com]

My experiences with Natalie and Rocio at B&B were both good, though I think Natalie has moved elsewhere now.

[elusis.livejournal.com]

FWIW, good luck getting in with Marie - she was too booked to take on my current project when I asked a few months back. But some of it is level of personal interest too, so perhaps you'll make it!

[mactavish.livejournal.com]

I figure I'll book months and months ahead of time. She specifically goes for folks who are sort of sympatico with her love of California native stuff, though, geography, and that's precisely what I'm after (sending her to my blog might help), so I think we'd be a good match.

[nihilistic-kid.livejournal.com]

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

[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/

[gordonzola.livejournal.com]

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

[anarqueso.livejournal.com]

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

[gordonzola.livejournal.com]

god, I miss you. are we ever gonna see each other again?

ps the real cheeseblog will be up very soon.

[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...)

[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.

[fluxions.livejournal.com]

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

[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.

[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.

[gordonzola.livejournal.com]

are you asking me?

Mine was Laura Vida.(Picture Machine and Pacific Tattoo)

[rhiannonstone.livejournal.com]

Yep, was asking you; wouldn't make much sense for me to be asking myself. ;)

I've heard great things about Picture Machine, and I love the work of theirs I see in the magazines.

[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...