artists - West Coast Ink

TATTOO & CULTURE MAGAZINE
ON THE COVER
KYLE COSMAN
Kirt Silver
Billy DeCola
AND MORE STORIES
FROM WEST COAST
ARTISTS
Men of Venice Beach
Kyle Corbin
Noah Valinsky
Qwentell Paulings
PLUS:
Ink by SAGA
The History of American
Traditional Tattooing
ISSUE 3 | 2014
MODELS
ALICIA NICOLE
JOSH MARIO JOHN
16
INDEX.
06
12
29
20
18
05 - DARKHORSE TATTOO
West Shore’s brand new tattoo and
piercing shop.
12 - SEAN ANDERSON
Find out the story behind Sean’s
creativity and passion for art.
20 - THE MEN OF VENICE BEACH
West Coast Ink travels to Los Angeles
to explore the tattoo community.
06 - KIRT SILVER
World-recognized tattoo artist tells us
the inside story to his success.
16 - KYLE COSMAN
Maybe the most interesting style of
tattoos you’ve seen.
28 - DAVID GLUCK
How David’s background in oil
painting helped him with tattooing.
09 - GREG CLEAVER
Check out the amazing photography
from Greg Cleaver.
18 - BILLY DECOLA
We caught up with NY INK apprentice
Billy DeCola for a look into the
spotlight of tattooing.
29 - CRYSTAL WALTS
This island girl loves the camera; read
what her tattoos mean to her.
West Coast Ink is a tattoo and culture magazine established in Victoria, BC. Created
by owner Ryan Bishop, the magazine has been developed to showcase the incredibly
talented tattoo community on the west coast. From tattoo artists, to shops, to models
and more, West Coast Ink Magazine has your daily fix to everything tattoo...
2 | WESTCOASTINKMAG.COM
ISSUE 3 | 3
ARTISTS
DARK
HORSE
“For me, tattooing is extremely gratifying.” - Shawn Steinberg
I
started off by bringing in my own clientele, and as the
word got out we gradually became busier. You will find my
shop to have a very relaxed atmosphere, as well as friendly
and mature customer service. We have a great location and are
looking forward to tattooing Langford. Kelly Auclair is the piercer at our shop. If you ever need something pierced, he is your
guy! Kelly is awesome at what he does and he always informs
you about the proper techniques regarding aftercare. Expect my
team and I to always be pushing ourselves for a greater challenge
and taking our art to a new level. You could definitely say we are
beyond driven!
Can you give us a little background about Darkhorse?
I first started tattooing in 2006. Two years later, I started my own
shop which lead to many exciting new opportunities for myself,
including hosting Vancouver Islands very first tattoo convention.
The Capital City Tattoo Convention in 2010 and 2011 started
with a lot of hard work from myself and my two partners, Erik Van
Kobra and Scott Petterson. As fun as it was to host two tattoo
conventions, I don’t see myself doing it again anytime soon.
from my clients. I love going above and beyond for them and
converting the vision in their mind into a work of art for their body.
I try my best to bring their vision to life. It really means a lot to
me knowing that another person is willing to display my art on
their body for the rest of their life. For me, tattooing is extremely
gratifying.
Do you have any specific style you enjoy the most?
I wouldn’t say I specialize in one particular style of tattoos. I’m
always pushing myself to be well rounded. It’s great to be known
for specializing in a specific style, but personally I enjoy a different
challenge each time. It keeps things fresh and exciting.
What is it that you love most about tattooing?
What do I love most about what I do? Easy, I love a challenge
Model: Tessa Pimlott
Photo
by: Julia Loglsci
4 | WESTCOASTINKMAG.COM
ISSUE 3 | 5
ARTISTS
tubes and a power supply. I tattooed a lot of
grapefruits and oranges before I finally received
an apprenticeship at Iron Mikes Tattoos in Truro,
Nova Scotia; it was here that I met Mike Leblanc.
Until then I had never seen work like his anywhere
except for magazines. After a great deal of floor
sweeping and tube cleaning, Mike finally agreed
to teach me the art behind tattooing.
I will never forget my first client! It was some
sort of Ying and Yang, angel/devil kind of thing.
My hands were trembling and I was sweating
through the whole thing. I quickly found out
tattooing was a lot harder than it looked.
I later opened my own shop, Silver City Tattoos,
in Elmsdale. I became well rounded to different
styles of tattooing due to client requests. At
Born in Kingston, Nova Scotia; moved to Truro, Nova Scotia - Kirt Silver now calls
Elmsdale, Nova Scotia his home.
B
efore tattooing I had several different
jobs. I worked as a personal trainer, sport
supplement manager and believe it or not,
I was even a hair stylist before becoming a tattoo
arist. That is how I met my beautiful wife Amy. I
found myself unsatisfied with these jobs and
seeking new direction in life. Through reflection
and prayers I felt the desire to go back to my roots
as an artist. Doors were opening in front of me and
opportunities started to arise to pursure tattooing
as a career.
I had an interest in tattooing from a young age.
The first tattoo that I recall seeing was back when
I was ten years old, on my uncle’s arm. He had
a blurry, green cross and some writing. I recall
soon after this on family vacation sneaking off
to a tattoo shop next to a comic book store and
admiring all the flash art on the walls. I would
sneak in to shops any chance I could, but would
usually get kicked out for being under age. Tattoos
had caught my interest and I soon began drawing
art on myself and friends often getting us all into
trouble with our parents. My parents saw early
on that I had a natural desire to create art and
encouraged me to do so. They were always, and
still are, one hundred percent encouraging about
my artistic abilities and tattooing career. We did
not have a lot of money growing up, so my mom
would save Bristol board from boxes at her work
for me to draw on. My dad still has one of these
old cardboard drawings, framed and hung on his
wall. My mom often told me that I was going to
be successful, but I would have never guessed it
would be as a tattoo artist.
Start Into Tattooing
I started tattooing in 2002 after failure to get an
apprenticeship. I bought a friend’s machine, a few
6 | WESTCOASTINKMAG.COM
“
matter to gain a better understanding of the
tattoo and to begin designing the working piece.
Sometimes if my client is open to it I will just free
hand a sketch on to the body and create the
details as I go such as Biomech or Japanese
influenced art. With more realistic subject matter
I like to have the art well prepared and enhanced
with Photoshop.
Achievements and tools from Sponsors
I have had the opportunity to travel all over
Canada and the United States to teach my
seminar, Back 2 Reality, based on my approach
to color realism. I also have a color realism DVD
out and plan to release a second one very soon.
Within the last two years I have worked hard on
my art to make an impression on this industry.
My hands were trembling and I was
sweating through the whole thing. I
quickly found out tattooing was a lot
harder than it looked.
first people sought me out for my larger black
and grey Japanese inspired work, which I still
enjoy doing today. I found myself really wanting
to expand from there, so I started to focus on
portraits and color realism. I began studying and
following the tattoo art of Tom Renshaw, Bob
Tyrrell, Guy Aitchison, Joe Capobianco, and Mike
Devries. My current style tends to focus around
color realism. I feel that I am always seeking to
learn new and different styles to keep my art
fresh and am humbled by the challenge. I am
really interested in expanding my knowledge of
all styles but recently I have been focusing a lot
on animation or cartooning style. Tony Ciavarro
and Jime Litwalk are a huge influence. I want
to merge the painterly realism with some bold
outer lines and exaggerated features - sort of a
neo-realism if you will. I found something I can
do day in and day out and am just as excited
now as my first day on the job. I do not see
myself doing anything else. This is where I am
supposed to be!
”
I have landed features in publications and great
magazine, such as this one, all across the world.
I feel blessed to have become part of the team at
Neo Tat Machines where Ray Webb designs their
amazing linear rotaries. I started using rotaries
about 4 years ago and found they were so much
smoother for packing color and allowed for more
passes in the skin. This is great when doing a
color portrait with lots of detail. Also I have had
the great honor of teaming up with my ink line
of choice StarBrite, from the makers at Tommy’s
Supplies. I find these inks saturate extremely well
and heal with great vibrancy. I have also had the
opportunity to work with them to formulate my
own color set which is named the Kirt Silver series.
My needles of choice come from a company that
has shown me great support throughout my
career, World Wide Tattoo Supply.
I want to thank my wife Amy & son Disiah for
all their support and love. My parents who have
always encouraged my art. Mike LeBlanc for the
opportunity to learn the art of tattoo. My clients
Day to day
who inspire and support me and to God for all he
I make it a point to meet with all my clients has seen me through.
personally to consult about their tattoo. Most
clients have an idea of what they want their
tattoo to represent or of the elements they want
to be included. Most clients have been referred
by friends and trust me to use my creativity and
experience to shape their design. I always keep
in mind the client’s desire for the best tattoo,
so as I approach the design I will interview my
clients to make note of certain features wanted.
From there I will research the style and subject
ISSUE 3 | 7
THE HISTORY
TATTOOING
OF AMERICAN TRADITIONAL
O
ften pursued by those wishing to
express themselves as different, worn
as a badge of rebellion and proudly
marking men and women who identify with an
‘outsider’ label, ironically, getting a tattoo might
just be the most traditional and mainstream
thing someone might ever do.
After a dark period of disapproval and
condemning of the tattoo arts, including a
complete ban of any tattooing in Massachusetts
from 1962 to 2000, it seems like the incredible
history of the tattoo has been all but forgotten.
From criminals to English kings, from ancient
Egyptian, Celts, travelling circus performers to
military officers, its not uncommon to feel drawn
to tattoo culture. Like music, it spans the human
timeline entirely - as far back as a mummified
man named Otzi found frozen since 3,300 BCE
on the Italian/Austrian border, peppered with
57 ancient tattoos. As tattooing becomes more
obvious and accepted in mainstream culture, it
is more and more likely you might encounter a
police officer with a tiger neck jam, or a suburban
mother with full sleeves - and while every tattoo
can be extremely personal to the wearer (or just
be a super sweet dragon that looked rad as hell
on the wall of a shop) it is also becoming more
and more important to respect and remember
the incredible history of the tattoo.
Probably the most natural place to start is
with American traditional tattooing. This is the
American folk art style, often referred to as ‘old
school’ or ‘sailor traditional’. American traditional
tattooing is defined by thick black outlines,
minimal colour palettes, and deceptively
simple designs. Popular still with young men
of all backgrounds, in my opinion because
they can take any skinny, pale, lacklustre lad
and make him seem like a hard edged man
of adventure and vigour. The great Sailor Jerry
of Honolulu (also known as Norman Keith
Collins and ‘Old Ironsides’) has been called
the ‘grandfather of the traditional tattoo’, and
8 | WESTCOASTINKMAG.COM
BY DUNCAN POLSON
while there is no doubt of his great contributions
to the art form; including the mentor-ship of two
tattoo legends (Ed Hardy and Mike ‘Rollo Banks’
Malone) the alleged invention of purple ink,
and the popularisation of the hula girl pin-up unfortunately his fame has overshadowed some
other pioneers of modern tattooing. ‘Doc’ Forbes
of Vancouver, for example, who was (in)famous
for his studio filled with medical journals and
wearing a white coat while he tattooed. ‘Captain’
Don Leslie, who was not only a tattooer, but a
sideshow sword swallowing attraction. Samuel
O’Reilly, who invented the world’s first electric
machine, making tattoos faster and introducing
the incredible buzzing sound all tattoo enthusiasts
dread and long for simultaneously. Jack ‘Dracula’
Baker of Coney Island had his face tattooed with
an eagle. There was Cap Coleman, Lew the Jew,
‘Painless’ Jack Tryon, even some female tattooers
like Irene Woodward and Betty Broadbent. Most
of these tattooists made their living with the circus.
Tattooing sideshow ‘freaks’ or performing
themselves, the American public was enamoured
with those few who had their bodies completely
and permanently etched with imagery. Those
with the tattoos obliged, and added fuel to the
fascination with incredible and elaborate (totally
false) stories of being kidnapped by Native
tribes and being forced to undergo the needle.
In reality, most of the women were tattooed by
their husbands or fathers, working as tattooists
and hoping to make some cash. Female tattooed
performers earned much more than their male
counterparts, which was unfortunate for the men
who usually had to shell out incredible sums of
money to the few tattooers working in the back
corners of barbershops, for the hope of travelling
with a show and making the investment back.
Unfortunately for all those who performed as
tattooed freaks, the public lost interest in the
spectacle. More and more people outside the
travelling freakshow began getting tattooed,
specifically those in the military, who adorned
themselves
with
tributes
to
patriotism,
sweethearts, and the ever classic ‘mom’ heart.
Sailors were of course the largest group of
benefactors to tattooists, turning port towns on
both coasts into skin art Mecca. Samuel O’Reilly
was quoted once as saying “A sailor without a
tattoo is like a ship without rum: un-seaworthy.”
Sailors have always had a special connection
with tattooing ever since Captain Cook in 1769
discovered tattooed natives in his first voyage
to southern seas, many of his crew allowed
themselves to be tattooed before returning
home, which led to the tradition of spiritual and
meaningful tattoos found aboard almost every
ship. Some of the more notable tattoos were
a rooster and pig tattooed on the feet, since
many seamen were ironically unable to swim
in the 18th century, and as birds and other
livestock were kept in wooden crates, they
were more likely to float. The words ‘HOLD
FAST’ were regularly tattooed on knuckles
to remind men to form a firm grip on rigging
during storms, and on their weaponry during
combat. A dragon symbolized a voyage to
the east, a turtle for passing the equator, and
sometimes a full rigged ship for ‘rounding the
horn’ (sailing past the tip of South America).
All of these classic naval tattoos have been
popular in the service since men first realized
they could stick junk on their arms to make
themselves look tough, and they continue to
choose these designs today, with the notable
addition of the pin-up.
Just as the United States had begun to join
the conflict in World War 2, there were very
specific rules for the drafting of young men
into service; one of the more fun precedents
was that nothing pornographic or lewd could
be tattooed visibly on your person, as it was
un-becoming of a man in the United States
service. A quick loophole meant there was
a line of young eligible men outside tattoo
shops, dodging the draft, and getting a very
foxy young thing to take home to boot! (extra
points if you got her in a place you could flex
dance). Sailor Jerry, being ex navy himself,
famously refused to tattoo any nude women
on someone trying to irk their responsibility to
the war, but would also offer free ‘clothing’ if
patriotism took hold and you felt you must do
your part for the good ol’ US of A.
There it is, your shotgun-crash-course of
American traditional tattooing, the bare
minimum I can give you to possibly start
grasping the incredible history of that iconic
style. But, shit, all you really need to know isthat anchor would look so seriously badass
on your forearm, make your grandad proud!
Model: Veronica Kitten
Styling by: Amanda Rendulic
Photos by: Greg Cleaver
T
attoos to me are an expression of your inside personality reflected on the
outside, for everyone to see. I started getting inked very young, just four days
after my eighteenth birthday. I got a lot of tattoos within a few years and noticed
that people were starting to look at me differently; elderly people were shocked when
I held doors open for them. Now, tattoos are more mainstream and accepted by the
general public; still, heavily inked people seem to be in a social category all on their
own, which I am more than happy to be a part of!
I
n the future I hope to have my entire right arm done
from armpit to knuckles, and my whole left leg done
from butt cheeks to toe nails! I promised my mother
I would stop after that...
Left Sleeve
Sea turtles are an animal I respect and love. They have
to overcome great adversity before they get to live, and
even then their lives aren’t easy. They are gentle and
majestic - all around fantastic creatures. This piece was
done by Jason Nowland from Bolder Syde Custom
Tattooing in Kamloops, B.C.
Right Leg Piece
I‘ve always enjoyed star gazing since I was very young,
so naturally I wanted to get a space themed tattoo. I
got the sun and the moon because we cannot exist
without them and Saturn because I’m a Capricorn. This
piece was done by Jason O’Sullivan when he worked
at Bolder Syde Custom Tattooing in Kamloops, B.C.
Left Leg Piece
This gorgeous collage of flowers and skulls was
poured out of the painfully talented mind of Roadkill
Riley, owner of Pirate Palace Tattoo shop in Kamloops,
B.C. This piece is the beginning of my overall plan to
cover my entire leg. The flowers were an attempt to
showcase my feminine side.
Neck piece
This was an addition to 3 music notes I had behind my
ear. I wanted a simple, yet delicate neck piece; so my
ink slinging friend Matt Goodman and I sat down and
dreamed up this purple spray paint swirl. He works in a
home studio in Kelowna, B.C.
ISSUE 3 | 9
MODELS
Amanda Gunnarsen & Derek Lintaman
10 | WESTCOASTINKMAG.COM
Photo by: Randy Allen at Powder Puff Vixen Pinup
Photography
ISSUE 3 | 11
ARTISTS
SEAN
people, the pace of life, nature, the ocean, the
rainforests... my heart belongs to the island.
ANDERSON
It wasn’t until I met an amazing girl back in
Calgary that I felt the need to travel back and
forth from BC to Alberta. I decided to create
“Ink by Saga” and start tattooing again, as
full-time as I could make it. For a year, I would
drive to Calgary to visit and tattoo, then I would
come back to Victoria to live the party life for a
couple of weeks.
INK BY
SAGA
“Lots of people ask me where SAGA comes from. It is the initials to
my full given name. Sean Alexander Garfield Anderson... SAGA”
After a couple years on the island with limited
success in art and tattoos, I decided to apply
at shops in Calgary. Ten shops later and a trip
up north to work the oil rigs, Brandi Lee, the
owner of Human Kanvas Tattoos and Piercing
in Calgary, realized I had some potential and
gave me a shot. While it took getting rejected
at forty-five shops in total, I couldn’t be happier
with where I ended up. Nothing in life worth
anything comes easy.
M
y tattoos have a unique
blend of realistic and abstract
elements in them, and I enjoy
creating works of art on skin that are
unique and original. My work is known
for vivid color use and photorealism.
Much of my work is created right on my
clients the day of the tattoo; I find taking
a drawing directly from paper to skin
does not always adequately create the
best harmony between tattoo and body
flow. I use bold slices of color across
large sections of body, adding abstract
geometrical elements in motion to
counter the stillness of a portrait subject.
All my work is based on my theory
of opposition: movement with static
elements; black and grey mixed with
color; real with abstract; muted colors
countered with ultra bright; nature with
mathematics. People can spot my work
when they see it, and it makes me happy
to know that I am leaving them with
a unique piece they aren’t likely to find
anywhere else.
I was born in Verdun, a little part of
Montreal, Quebec. After a few years my
family decided to take us to Calgary,
where there were more job opportunities.
I’m told that I started drawing daily
from the time I could hold a pencil. By
elementary school I was making litttle
pulp action comics starring all of my
friends. My mom enrolled me in a few
Alberta College of Art & Design courses
around age ten, which would prove
to be my only formal education in art
throughout my life.
In high school I drew for the school
paper but opted not to take any art
classes, as basketball was my focus
at the time. I fantasized about being a
tattoo artist, something I wanted to be as
far back as I can remember, and would
spend classes drawing flash sheets with
the hope of selling my drawings one
12 | WESTCOASTINKMAG.COM
“
day. After winning the coveted city
championship in Calgaery in my senior
year, I was offered scholarships to play
ball at several local colleges. I had
opted out of the art career idea for the
time and instead decided to pursue an
education in architecture. Feeling like I
had chosen incorrectly, I dropped out
and floated for a couple years, finally
getting an undergraduate degree in
psychology from the University of
Calgary.
Fast forward five years, and I was
pursuing a master’s degree in psych,
and married to a trained graphic artist
and aspiring tattoo artist. Working
at the office during the day, I hung
out at the shop she worked in on
weekends for a year, and eventually
picked up a machine in our apartment
and began tattooing brave friends
and my own leg. Finally I had found
a way into the career I had always
wanted. I never did get the benefit of
a proper apprenticeship, instead I had
to scratch my way into the industry. In
hindsight, I don’t regret this but feel
I could have shortened a five year
journey down to one or two.
My career was going places, I landed
a highly coveted government job
as a counsellor. But it wasn’t until I
simultaneously went through a divorce
and the death of my father that I
decided to live for myself for once. I
quit my job, and moved to Victoria,
B.C. on a whim. It was the best
choice I ever made. I was hell bent on
working only as a club DJ [my other
passion, something I did successfully
in Calgary] and a tattoo artist. I went to
every single shop in Victoria and asked
for a job, but didn’t land anything.
My drawings were weak at the time;
I didn’t understand then how much
time I should have been putting into
my craft. I had to make it my entire life
if I wanted to succeed.
So I went back to the social work field,
and fell in love with Victoria. Victoria is
the most amazing city I have ever had
the chance to live in, and the Island
is my favourite place on earth. The
I realized early
on that in order
to stand out I
would have to
devote my life
completely to
drawing, art,
and the study of
tattooing.
”
Starting as a junior artist, Brandi was able to fill
the gaps in my learning and help me take my
skills to the next level, something I’ll be forever
grateful for. Human Kanvas is a custom tattoo
shop hidden away in north east Calgary. Super
friendly, clean, and diverse; We pride ourselves
on having artists for every style.
I realized early on that in order to stand out in
Calgary, a city with amazingly talented artists,
80+ shops and 400+ artists, that I would have
to devote my life completely to drawing, art,
and the study of tattooing. I have always loved
markers; I used to tag the walls of this city with
magnum markers, and never lost my passion
for them. I started creating art pieces with
markers, and got myself into a few art shows,
where my work was well received. After picking
up a set of prismacolor markers, I have spent
the last couple years teaching myself the art
of realism, first on paper, then on skin, as any
tattoo art should be learned. Going from the
graffiti, illustrative style to realism and portraits
was a lofty transition; I spend an average of 30
hours a week now practicing portraiture with
copic and prismacolor markers.
While people say artists have an innate talent
for it, I say we just have the drive to put in the
hours to practice. My drawings sucked for
years but after thousands of hours of practicing
anything, we will all be good at something. This
applies to not just art, but anything you love.
My marker portraits have taken on a life of their
own now, in the last couple years I have had 3
solo exhibitions, 8 group shows, and a show
in the Museum of Contemporary Art Calgary.
My work also hangs in the Motion Gallery of
Calgary.
ISSUE 3 | 13
JOSH MARIO JOHN
M
y first tattoo was what
eventually became a sleeve. It
is a collection predominantly of
flowers. My grandmother passed away
last year at the age of 96; throughout
her life she worked continuously on her
artwork. She loved to work with water
colour, and was an avid gardener.
Photo by: Oz John Tekson
Birthmark Tattoos
194 East King Edward Ave.
Vancouver, B.C.
604-727-5399
Ancient | Traditional | Custom Tattoos
- Clean, health approved & fully licensed tattoo studio
with award winning artist - Mayo Landicho.
“She loved to sit and paint
wonderful landscapes and
natural settings.”
Later in her life she suffered a stroke,
which significantly impacted her ability
to paint; yet it didn’t stop her. It was
around that time that I decided to
put together a concept for my arm.
What I did was take a bunch of
her old sketches from before her
stroke, and had the artist capture
some of the flowers and other
elements and mold them into
one flowing piece.
www.birthmarktattoos.com
facebook.com/MayoLandicho
@BirthmarkTattoos
facebook.com/BirthmarkTattoos
Instagram: Birthmark Tattoos
Call now for a free consultation...
Be born again....
Most of my other pieces
have been traditional, and
are more or less pieces that
had caught my eye, or artist
choice; so lots of them
don't have a particular
"meaning". At this point it
means more to me who
tattoos me as opposed
to the actual imagery
attached to the piece.
14 | WESTCOASTINKMAG.COM
ISSUE 3 | 15
KYLE
COSMAN
ON THE COVER
B
yron Bay, Australia was where
Kyle first began working on his
full sleeve tattoo. He lived there
working as a manager at a hostel for
ten months. Kyle says he became
very spiritual at that time in his life and
found a special relationship with god;
his sleeve tattoo resembles that time.
After he moved back home to Victoria,
Kyle met with Colin at Government
Street Tattoo where he had some of
his other work done. The large tattoo
on his neck is a dagger going through
a heart. “It cuts through the bad part
of my life and separates the good from
the evil, Kyle says. The right side of my
heart is on fire which resembles pain
and all the bad in my life, but the left
side is the opposite, it resembles the
good.”
The dragon which is on Kyle’s side,
was tattooed on him because he
was born in the year of the dragon
according to the Chinese Zodiac
Calendar. From straight on, Kyle’s
body looks half tattooed and half not,
which he says is exactly the look he
was going for.
16 | WESTCOASTINKMAG.COM
Photos by: Julia Loglisci
ISSUE 3 | 17
ARTISTS
B I L LY
DECOLA
Model: Alicia Nicole
How did you begin tattooing?
I started out hanging around the Miami Ink
tattoo shop which is where all of my friends
worked. I was friends with those guys long
before the TV show was developed and I
always enjoyed the tattoo environment. I was
going through some financial hardship when
I was offered an opportunity to work the
floor - you know, selling tattoos, setting up &
breaking down the artists, cleaning the shop.
It was hard work but it was a crash course
in the tattoo business. After what seemed
like forever, I received the opportunity of a
lifetime, Ami James encouraged me to tattoo
his friend. It was a small, simple tattoo but it
was an eye opener. From that time on I knew I
wanted to be a tattooer.
How has TV publicity impacted your tattoo
career? How is it received by other tattooists
and shops that you have worked in?
TV has boosted my career right from the
beginning and I’m grateful for that. If it weren’t for
the TV show I wouldn’t have had the opportunity
to travel the world and attend the industry’s best
conventions so early in my career. Some tattooers
in other shops are haters, but most guys accept
the fact that I had an opportunity of a lifetime. It
really comes down to my attitude towards them
and the industry. As long as I respect the game,
which I think I’m doing, and keep my side of the
road clean, I expect to be treated as a regular
tattooer working hard to become a better artist.
What direction will you take with your tattoo
career?
10-15 years from now I probably won’t be
recognized as the apprentice on NY Ink but I
do hope to be recognized as a great tattooer.
Once again it’s up to me and the way I use the
popularity that I’ve been blessed with.
What is your favorite style?
I really love traditional Japanese tattooing.
Flat, simple, easily readable and bold. I
spent a long time in Japan, 10 years to be
exact, and while I was there I got to know the
Horitoshi family very well. I had the honour of
getting tattooed by them and during my time
spent there we became friends. Their style is
my favorite and I constantly study Horitoshi’s
work. He’s taught me some invaluable lessons
about composition and I’m truly grateful to
have had the opportunity to speak about
tattoos with such a legend.
How did NY Ink affect your career?
I appeared on the TLC reality show, “NY Ink,”
which was shot at Wooster Street Social
Club in NYC. Not every tattooer goes through
their apprenticeship in front of a worldwide
audience. It was a difficult experience but I
consider myself lucky to have been brought
into the public eye so early in my career.
18 | WESTCOASTINKMAG.COM
Photos by: Sterling Legacy Art
What is your take on all of these reality TV
shows around the tattoo industry?
Tattoo Reality TV Shows have gone from being
popular to simply played out. I think it would be
an insult to the intelligence of the viewer to tell you
that ALL tv shows aren’t spiced up for your viewing
pleasure. But real things do happen and that’s
what makes these unscripted shows interesting.
Where have you travelled to in your career?
I’ve had the opportunity to travel all over Canada
and the United States tattooing at conventions
and doing guest spots - NYC, Philly, Miami, Saint
Petersburg, Houston, Chicago, LA, San Fran,
Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver - to
name a few, I’ve also been to Australia 5 times
in the past year! I’ve tattooed in Japan and I’m
finally heading to the UK in Feb for the Brighton
show which is going to be amazing!
Lastly, where are you tattooing now?
I’m currently tattooing in Vancouver, BC in a
private studio. I only take appointments - no walk
ins. While I do miss working in a busy shop, I
feel working by appointment only allows me to
be prepared for the job. That’s important when
doing large scale Japanese work.
ISSUE 3 | 19
THE MEN
VE NIC E
BEACH
OF
FEATURE
West Coast Ink had an
inside look at the tattoo
culture along the famous
Venice Beach Boardwalk.
BY JULIA LOGLISCI
20 | WESTCOASTINKMAG.COM
ISSUE 3 | 21
THE
CITY OF ANGELS
Being offered the opportunity
to travel down to California
to represent West Coast Ink
Magazine was truly an incredible
experience.
I
n the three months that I was there, I
immersed myself in the hugely recognized
tattoo community that is known in the city of
Los Angeles. The diverse culture in LA was so
cool to see. There are so many different types
of people and a heck of a lot of different types
of tattoos. Oh and did I mention that almost
everybody is drop dead gorgeous?! It really is
a city filled with Angeles…
Within just three months, I fell head over heals
in love with the city of Los Angeles... I can’t
wait to go back in the new year.
Models: Kyle Corbin (left) &
Noah Valinksy (right)
While in LA, Venice Beach was one
of my favourite spots to hang out; it’s
like a giant freak show. In fact, I think
there actually is a TV show called Venice
Beach Freak Show. I was fortunate
enough to meet some very cool tattoo
covered individuals who were ecstatic
about the idea of being featured in West
Coast Ink Magazine. It was easy to see
that the tattoo culture in LA is HUGE.
Everywhere you look you’ll find tattoos,
especially along the Venice Beach
Boardwalk.
Noah
Kyle
Qwentell
Sean
Rick
The Men of Venice Beach.
Model: Qwentell Paulings
FEATURE
22 | WESTCOASTINKMAG.COM
“Everywhere you look you’ll
find tattoos, especially along
the Venice Beach Boardwalk.”
Model: Kyle Corbin
Photos by: Julia Loglisci
ISSUE 3 | 23
RICK
ARTISTS
MEYER
of
OCEANFRONT
TATTOO SHOP
SEAN
W
alking along the Venice Beach boardwalk, we met thirty two year old tattoo
artist Rick Meyer at Ocean Front Tattoo
Shop. He kindly took the time to show us his work
and tell me a little bit about where he came from as
a tattoo artist.
Originally from Philadelphia, Rick has tattooed
professionally around the United States spending
time in California, Hawaii, and Vermont.
24 | WESTCOASTINKMAG.COM
HEIRIGS
“You have to have the willingness to learn
and be professional with what you do.
Where I am today hasn’t been an easy
journey by any means, but it has been
extremely rewarding. Knowing that my
artwork is being enjoyed by my clients
around the globe makes it all worth it.”
says Rick.
Rick tries to be as versatile as he can as
an artist. He says it’s nice to not be limited when working with people in different
genres of tattoo art, such as polynesian,
black and grey, color, and realism. Now
Rick is moving on to new opportunities
which will take him to the East Coast. He
says that Ocean Front Tattoo taught him
a lot about West Coast black and grey
tattoos and he is now looking forward to
taking his visions to the east.
Venice Boardwalk, perhaps one of
the most well known beach side
boardwalks along the West Coast.
People from all walks of life are seen
along Venice Beach, and if you have
been there, you know exactly what we
mean.
I
n the midst of all the street artists, curious
tourists, and eccentric locals sits a very
unique tattoo shop. The bright red cement
walls stand out with paintings that resemble
the old school "Sailor Jerrys" laying over top of
them. Along the side of the building sits a big
red leather couch - perfect for a photo shoot
back drop. A big garage style door welcomes
you into the shop. The huge sign "House of
Ink Tattoos and Piercing" plastered on the wall
outside is impossible to miss.
Inside, the tattoo shop is decorated just like
any other. Artists portfolios are displayed in
books, glass cases filled with body piercings,
hundreds of tattoo examples on posters, black
leather reclining chairs, and not to mention
a glass case in the lobby with a giant cobra
snake hissing inside of it! But nothing out of the
ordinary for Venice Beach.
of
HOUSE OF INK
Twenty years ago, House of Ink was built from
the ground up. Sean Heirigs, proud owner and
tattoo artist came to Los Angeles to continue his
passion for tattooing. He figured Venice Beach
was the perfect location to open up a shop, and
he knew there would be huge potential here.
Sean did his formal apprenticeship in Honolulu,
Hawaii. It's been a little over twenty years since
he first started tattooing, so experience is
definitely something Sean does not lack!
Ever since its grand opening, House Of Ink has
made quite a reputation for itself. In fact, Sean
has a very impressive list of celebrity clients
that have been tattooed in his shop. Shaquille
O'Neal, Robert Downey Jr., Katt Williams,
players from the LA Kings, LA Lakers and even
a gold medal Olympic swimmer - to mention
a few. The shop has also been featured in
many different television shows, such as MTV,
Lifetime, and VH1.
"There's never a dull moment!” says Sean. “You
never know what's going to come through the
door. Every walk of life comes down to Venice
Beach and I love it!"
ARTISTS
Photo by: Julia Loglisci
Summer is the busiest time of year for all shop
owners along Venice Beach. Around 200,000
people walk along the Venice Beach boardwalk
every day between the months of June through
August!
"Every day is different,” Sean says.
“I've been here for over 14 years and
there's never a day that's the same."
There are 11 tattoo shops along the 8km Venice
Beach boardwalk. House of Ink is the only
Artist-owned tattoo shop. Sean's perspective
on business is very hands on and he feels that
its important as an owner to be 100% involved
in all aspects of the business.
Not only does Sean own this shop, but he owns
two more as well. One also along the boardwalk
just minutes away from House of Ink, and the
other closer to town called Ink Monkey.
Watch Sean at the House of Ink in Tattoos
After Dark, premiering in January on Oxygen
Network.
ISSUE 3 | 25
Photo by: Julia Loglisci
26 | WESTCOASTINKMAG.COM
ISSUE 3 | 27
ARTISTS
DAVID GLUCK
We talked with David Gluck about how his
artistic beginnings in oil painting helped him to
become a more successful tattoo artist. Here’s
what he had to say.
How did you get into tattooing?
I was a gallery oil painter for a number of years, and it was a
bit of a struggle. The funny thing about fine art is, even if you're
a success, you're still not making decent money. I'd always
toyed with the idea of tattooing, but never really pursued it.
Years later, I met Joshua Carlton online thanks to Facebook.
We struck up a friendship based on my admiration for his
tattoo work, which completely reframed my expectations of
the medium, and his desire to learn more about oil painting.
One day he offered me an apprenticeship, so I jumped at it.
I learned a lot from him and have benefited tremendously
from his help. I subsequently continued my learning with my
current employer (Mike Gariepy) in Canada, who has been an
unstintingly helpful mentor. I currently divide my time between
tattooing and oil painting.
How did you find the switch from one medium to
another?
The fundamental principles of art are the same regardless
of medium. Whether I'm painting or tattooing, shape, value,
edge, line, or color are all things I have to think about. And
no matter whether you're a fine artist or a tattoo artist, it's
important to have drawing skills. Having a strong foundation
in drawing gives you the ability to represent things objectively,
while still being able to express things creatively.
Where might we have seen some of Mikes or your work?
Mike has won many awards and has appeared in many
magazines for his airbrush work. In addition, his work was
most recently featured on an episode of “Highway to Hell.”
Most of my oil paintings are in galleries in the US and in private
collections. I have also had a piece hanging in the Beijing
International Museum in China and Shanghai.
Do you have any advice for tattoo artists that might
want to start oil painting?
Don’t be afraid to contact other fine artists or explore learning
opportunities such as workshops and classes. There is so
much information and so many resources available, there
is no reason one shouldn’t fast track the learning process
instead of trying to figure it out on their own. I have seen great
artists like Joshua Cartlon, Nikko Hurtado, John Lally, Carlos
Torres, and Ian Robert McKown take to oil painting extremely
quickly because of their mastery of basic art principles in their
tattooing. That being said, I think that fine artists shouldn’t be
scared to explore tattooing as an art form as well under proper
guidance. It is so similar in many ways to painting and drawing
and is a new and exciting art form that is still in its early stages
in history. Getting more fine artists into tattooing will hopefully
bring new imagery and ideas to the medium.
28 | WESTCOASTINKMAG.COM
What are the main differences between your
fine art and tattooing?
Compared to the medium of oil paint, I have to
say that tattooing sometimes feels a bit more
narrow in scope. Unless you're a huge name
in the industry, with people walking in the door
saying "do whatever you want!" you're going
to be limited by what the client wants. It is
one of the few visual art forms that rely on a
collaboration between two people; the artist and
the client. Add to that the fact that most human
canvases are limited by time, money, and even
pain tolerance. Oil painting, on the other hand,
doesn't have to be limited by those factors.
However, tattooing as a medium has a far greater
mass appeal. Far more people get excited about
tattoo work than paintings, and far more people
(everyday people with normal paychecks) are
more likely to shell out for tattoo work than a
painting. Between these two mediums, I find
a balance between creating work for myself,
which is harder to market, and making work for
other people, which is met with a lot of gratifying
enthusiasm.
How did having a painting background and
education help you to become a better
tattoo artist?
As Mike says “professionalism is professionalism.”
If you can achieve success in one field, you can
achieve success in another. You know what it
takes to work hard to appropriate your talents
to something new. To gain a mastery of anything
it takes ten thousand hours, and having the
patience to do this has to be intrinsic. The only
person that can make you work hard is you.
C R YS TA L
WALTS
When Crystal decided to get her first tattoo, she definitely had the
thought in mind, go big or go home. When Crystal was nineteen
she went to Sacred Heart Tattoo in Vancouver to get a three-quarter
sleeve; her largest tattoo yet. She doesn’t regret a thing.
“My three-quarter sleeve tattoo is of the four seasons; winter,
spring, summer and fall. What inspired me to have a fetus in the
center of the sun was my soon to be little sister Keira. My mother,
Deanna, became pregnant in the summer which was the same time
I was planning this tattoo. I wanted it to represent Keira as the light
of my life”.
The tops of Crystals feet are also tattooed. One, as an evil jack-olantern because she is born in October and she believes Halloween
is the best time of year. The second, a beautifully done sea turtle.
Crystal says, “the Pennywise Full Circle and Misfits Crimson Ghost
are with me forever, along with a Frankencake, my own weird idea
of having the Frankenstein monster’s face as an evil cupcake.”
Several other works are sprawled on her skin ranging from nautical
stars, Friday the 13th creations, skulls and crossbones, roses and
one of her all time favourites, a Lego Ninja Turtle. “Of course it’s of
Michelangelo because he’s the best ninja turtle!” says Crystal.
Photos by: Randy Allen at Powder
Puff Vixen Pinup Photography
ISSUE 3 | 29
@WestCoastInkMag
WWW.WESTCOASTINKMAG.COM
Bringing
colour to
new
heights.
Editorial Director
Ryan Bishop
Editorial Assistant
Julia Loglisci
Editorial Design
Stephen Richter
Photography
Julia Loglisci
Sterling Legacy Art
Powder Puff Vixen Pinup Photography
Greg Cleaver
Oz John Tekson
Printing
Rhino Print Solutions
Special thanks to...
www.rhinoprintsolutions.com
VANCOUVER • CALGARY • TORONTO
30 | WESTCOASTINKMAG.COM
Alexandra Forman
Dave Van
Cloud City Merchandising
Duncan Polson
Incediary Tattoos (West Rock Tattoo Convention)
Sebastian Brodowski
Black Label Tattoos
1-250-715-6039
www.inkfiend.com
Powder Puff Vixen Pinup Photography
1-250-619-9756
www.powderpuffvixen.com
Philip Bisset-Covaneiro
Investors Group
1-250-727-9191
Make Up by Alexandra Forman
1-250-661-9819
www.alexandraformanartisry.com
Darkhorse Custom Tattoo & Body
Piercing
711 Goldstream Ave
1-250-478-2221
Mike’s Tattoo and Airbrushing
5982 Trans Canada Hwy, Duncan BC
1-250-701-9114
www.mikestattooandairbrushing.com
Worldwide Tattoo
1-888-255-1189
www.worldwidetattoo.ca
Ink By Saga
1-403-880-8992
[email protected]
Steve Drane Harley-Davidson
2940 Ed Nixon Terr, Victoria BC
1-250-475-1345
www.stevedraneharley.com
Shizen Sushi
1706 Government St, Victoria BC
1-250-381-8228
www.shizensushi.ca
Rhino Print Solutions
13880 Mayfield Pl, Richmond BC
1-604-232-5600
www.rhinoprintsolutions.com
Tommy’s Supplies
34 Egypt Rd, Unit A, Somers CT
1-866-209-7361
www.tommyssupplies.com
Birthmark Tattoos
194 East King Edward Ave
1-604-727-5399
www.birthmarktattoos.com
ISSUE 3 | 31
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13-12-04 3:26 PM
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