Crew Rolls Deep

well, moving again. after a crucial/surprise decision, savannah and i are moving up to johnston street, in the former cross meats building. i just could not let this place pass, its my homie cams old flat. and those who have been there would unequivocally agree, its a brilliant place. very tall cielings, big private deck, rooftop kinda cutty ass hangout spot, loft, big bedroom blah blah. had to jump ship, as much as we love our chinatown clubhouse. aaaand the big ole gorgeous pine divider/shelf/clothes rack that justin bones built for me less than a year ago( see previous blog post for picks) it actually breaks my heart to leave that piece, and at the least im fixin to sell it to the next tenant at a cut rate just to clear the supply cost. so! as any of my blog reading pals that have seen the place, and are interested in moving in for feb. 1st, please email me for details. this place has been so so great, and it will be greatly missed.
anyway, since i got a lovely iphone a coupla months ago, ive been lazily taking photos on it, and directly uploading them to flickr and facebook, thereby cutting the fun right out of my blog. enough of that, the thrill is gone, honeymoon over, and i miss actual camera ass, note-giving, infromative pictures and posting, so im back again. i have alot of catch up to report, for my friends.
christmas was great, spent mostly with savannahs warm family in black creek. little sisters and everything. very special, and i felt incredibly grateful to have been able to participate like i did. also, lucky enough to spend time with my cousins and aunts additionally, whom i love dearly.
my dude, Morgan Francis was wed, with the beautiful Amanda Rae Foxcroft, and their reception was inspiring and funny. its been incredible seeing morgan grow, and im proud of him and what he is, proud to be buds even. amanda is a flower, and they are destined for destiny no doubt.
the wedding was an excuse for our mutual close friend curt to come and hang, and it was fucking fantastic to see him as well.
tattoong has been great! funny season, slowed abit through december, but i stayed busy enough right. loving the Zoo more every day, and the people i work with there. im beaming to say i call them all close friends, as i look up to them all, and find them inspiring and fun. i feel like a tease with no real tattoo photos to post on here, so i will post a link to my flickr account as mentioned before, for proof that i am indeed a tattooer, not just a half-assed shelf selling blogger.
fuck am i excited/trepidatious for our upcoming move! although we packed in the good memories, its a shame we only had this spot as short as we did, but i am confident this is a real move up for the better for savvy and i. this new place is bananas, a quiet urban sanctuary. ill keep my homies updated! next time more pics/tattoos too. love!

ps- as a real visual treat, im putting up a good little batch of pictures taken by Big-Tiny Smalls, fucking rad guy


new tattoos..... http://www.flickr.com/photos/koadrock/

conventional

I'm back, pretty wiped, but rejuvenated and full of feverish fervor! and alliterative run-ons!
i get so inspired and jacked up on tattooing after something like this, and ive managed to build up a massive head of steam.
Calgary tattoo convention was awesome, gerry and i went with excitement and high hopes of tat-bro-downs, laughs, and super crazy tattoo marathons. we weren't disappointed. more than a great way to really connect and hustle with gerry, it was a full-on circus. clearly, I'm not a shy man, i love convention tattooing, and working in that environment is wildly crazy, fun, and mega tiring. i re-acquainted myself with tattooers i only really see once a year, while also having the pleasure of making rad new friends. many of whom Ive looked up to for a long long time, and i was all stoked and honored to hang. WHAT A FUCKING BLAST!!!!!!!
ok ok, besides the bro-down element, i got do do some fun tattoos on some great people.
holy shit though i have to say, i missed my girl. i mean lots. we're one of super faggy , "close" couples, so even a few days can drag without my partner. we skyped!. shits nuts, technology. I'm talking fully convention skype parties and everything. crazy right! ha!
i cant fucking wait to tattoo, more and more.
the more i tattoo, and am around tattoing, the luckier i feel to have the opportunity to do so. i have been tattooing for 3 and a half years. i have wasted so much time on arrogant bullshit, and biting off more than i can chew, and taking shit for granted, and sleeping in. the guys i look up to don't just happen upon their success, and talent isn't a magical pixie dust powder, these guys work hard, draw tons, then draw more.

alot of women want feet script in calgary

Bruk Out

fall is kicking in good and heavy now, and its bringing with it the motivation to paint and draw that ive been lacking during the sunny season. it feels so good to have some creativity back i guess, or at least be accessing it to a degree or whatever. for the last couple hours of the day, Gerry, Bryan, Colin and I all had our heads down straight drawing and painting on the extra-curricular tip, flash sets, rap sprays, nude dudes, whatev's. for me, im trying to get a page or two of flash going for the calgary convention, in fact Gerry and me are splitting a set. included is some super hot off the press type sneak previews our our split sheet, and some sketches ready to transfer.
tattooing has been fun! a hoot! tattood my favorite, hottest, toughest client named savannah, who im also having sex with, and got off a neat-folky-girly-kinda funky piece. tattooing her is always funny and casual, and almost every time i say "nope, never again Boo, uh-ugh no way"...buuuuut it ends up turming pretty rad.
its a strange thing, girlfriend tats, because you dont want to look at it every day for fucking 50 years at the best of times, especially when there is bits you may not love. i have to let go to a degree rather, its still fun that way.
rifflandia is going on here. not feeling it, im just as happy working and cuddling. reading and hanging.
as usual some visits from some homies, whom i love and have missed.
muh-fucking group home status in this bitch.
oh! tattood Turnbull, which was rad. a little quickie, but its always an honor for me tattooing tattooers. i look up to my co-workers greatly, and always jump at that kind of opportunity.


good song (fuck ive gone so soft, and thank christ)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7SSC3ex-bA

Cold-Flanks and Hi-Jinksss

as usual, alot seems to have happened since i last posted, and i havent photographed as many tattoos as i would have liked.
savvy and i , along with gerry and sarah kramer, went to see Cirque de Soleil. ive wanted so badly for so long to check it out live, and it was crazy rad. maybe i expected more even, but thats being pretty fucking harsh of me, frankly it was very hard to give a bad review of the whole thing. super fun.
the tattoo zoo crew,(excluding the Turnbulls) and our partners, attended beer fest en masse, posse'd right up with shirts and all that. was fun, ridiculously. also just plain ridiculous. everyone got pretty faded, and by 8:30 its straight up bed time.
Bryan said it best in regards tol beerfest shenanigans.. "giving douche bags carte blanche to act like assholes..", which was true to a point. alas, no wigs were split. close though
tattooing has changed in its flavor a little the past week, but for the better for sure. what i mean to say is that tourist walk-ins have slowed down dramatically, giving me space and time for custom, multi-session type stuff, as well as lots of fun small bangers.
at last!,our home-girl rudi-lee came for a short, hilarious, laugh filled visit. i had the pleasure of taking the gals, both looking so smashingly gorgeous i should add, out dancing.

kept my head on a swivel that night, i will say that much.



ohhhh shiiiiiit! i will be tattooin the calgary convention again this year, this time in oct. though. holler for details. tat-party!

THE VIRUS

goddamn ive been sick, diabolically. to where my balls ache, im bricked up, confused and sore. other than that, its been a fantastic week. had a great tat party with my new homeboy/guest artist roberto before his return to Switzerland, sang karaoke with the tattoo zoo squad, had a very special visitor, even got some tickets to cirque de solieil for next weeks show. (for which i am beside myself with excitement)
since ive begun working at the tattoo zoo, ive been hearing about johnny goodvibes, giggle factory, and all around tattoo juggernaught, Roberto Seifert-Fäustlin. he didnt dis-appoint, and my time hanging with him was fucking rad. one of those super comfortable, known-him-forever type of dudes. great tattoo artist as well, and i was lucky(painfully) to get a nice big one from him.
he also lived up to his other, more norious repution. THE BRUISER
his send off was a super hootenanny complete with bolty salad, fake shooters, and smashdown kareoke. gerry fucking killed it! it was rad to blow off some steam like that with the crew. bryan, colin, sarah, even roberto was stepping up and shredding mic's. next time nova cant shine.
i sang enrique!
and the stones!

day or two after that, savvy's sickness, THE COLD SWEAT MALAISE, set in strong and has had me hobbled up.
didt stop my wonderful, super funny and loving aunty Kath from coming in from ladner for a short but sweet visit. she is my late mother's sister, and i spent alot of time under her wing growing up, when my mother was unable to care for me in that regard. i feel so lucky and grateful to have her in my life, and she treats me and even refers to me as one of "the kids"
every time we hang out, she seems to pull out a new tale of my mothers-her childhood, or even my own infancy/toddler years. sometimes sad, sometimes poignant, usually funny. or distrubing. lets say both, as is custom in my family.
my family comes from very humble, poor, violent, dysfunctional, and even mentally ill beginnings. i am lucky to be where i am, happy. ive been close enough to the edge to never go back, and failure isnt an option for me.
i dont come from royalty and i cant forget that shit, when im feeling snobby, and pretentious. i dont deserve all the good things in life, no one really does. if your lucky enough to get them, you enjoy them fully until they arent around anymore.
i do want to have a healthy, financially secure, and emotionally/gastronomically well fed family... its all i want.
i can do it for sure, no need to stress yet, too young. i found a winner in savvy no doubt.
clearly feeling a little rambly here, ill chock it up to super strong sicky drugs. lots of em.
also! had a good visit with my dude curty pants, my ace. fucking guy cracks me up, in the best way. love him too.


ill be feeling better in the morning, i know it


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5SHOX6eomk

BACK, WITH SOME ULTRA FLAT BLACK

well! shits still riding, and its been a minute.
summer is winding down, i feel like i can setlle down abit here and get back to blogging, focusing...also, my facebook tattoo group is busted up without the ability to upload new pictures.
more than that, ive had a confusion as to what this blog is about. there by letting it die.
ive decided this is to be a straight up personal blog with a business chaser. not the other way around. im going to express things that are not the view of my shop, or even me as a professional. personal views. i may be a grump, an asshole, or just complete jokes.
of course though, i will mostly be talking about tattooing, uploading pictures, and generally smashing on tat-zap related shit, NOT just bitching about how jersey shore fell off, and how these fucking new cop cars look like a transormer is going to conjure itself up and lazer beam cuffs on me.

its been a busy, busy, fun, confusing, social, change filled summer. tattooin at the Zoo has been a real dream come true for me, and im fucking thrilled and grateful to be at home in a shop like it is, with the people that work/tattoo there. met some rad guest artists from portland/germany and been tattood lots. tons of walk in traffic which i love and have been happy to make tattoos for.
painted graffiti lots, too much at times.
chinatown is hemmed up.
so much dancing! savvy and i (among others, new and old homies) are happily rediscovering our love of killing it on the late night dance adventure kick. gets me hyphy every time. i love dancing, its ridiculous.
in fact at every turn savvy has been right there hanging. through some early summer stress, mid summer heat, and now late summer cuddles. fucking love that gal.
im feeling now my clientele at the shop steady building, and its the best, most rewading feeling ever after hustling for the past couple months.
friends of friends, return clients, courtenay visitors, homeless crack vagrants, i adore them all and am thankful for all the visits! im feeling settled now, and its comforting. this fall, im looking forward to really hunkering down, focusing more on drawing and painting again, big custom stuff. my heads been on a swivel all summer,, going bananas.
the Zoo puts up with me, and my chattering, redundant, repetitive jokes that tumble out of my ass like sod from a burlap sack. i love the Tattoo Zoo

ill try to keep on top of posting and getting more pictures again, got my head on straight. thanks for the occcasional "wheres the blog ya nut?!" , and " hey fuckface! havent seen that blog in abit old boy!"
appreciate that


ps, credit where its dude, that rad little skull in rose guy is 95% ron henry wells flash. google his shit, its rad