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I think you should have taken @ian 's advice... I'm not trying to hurt your feelings or be a dick, but when you ask "what do you guys think?" on a tattoo forum I assume you want honest opinions be it positive or negative.

Thanks yeah that's my site. It's about 3-4 years old and needs to be updated.. But still thank you. Yeah I was at Think Ink in Norman for a day. I'm in Austin now at Triple Crown. Ill probably be back through Norman in the near future.

This is an eagle done by Rosie C. This looks like the eagle that is untying they hula girl that says "Don't worry, I help you" in the book. My dentist is his grandson. The guy who did the tile in my bathrooms had this tattoo. I will locate the NKC tattoos he had on his arms and post those too.

I don't do anything else other then work and get tattooed, oh I piss people off as well but that doesn't cost a thing :P

What catches your eye? Heres some of my favourites ; Willrise/Norm L.A. Tattoo Peter since 1955 Amsterdam The Family Business London Classic Ink Dublin China Sea (no longer) Hawaii

Hawk... Thanks for giving something to think about. I decided to hit the road for two weeks. Kinda clear my head and see other shops. I've been very inspired on this trip and have meet some great people.

Bob Shaw ,the Pike 1977

Life magazine

SELL SELL SELL.

it hurts a lot more but it's much quicker. It's a sharper, deeper pain but doesn't last as long. The itch for 2 weeks afterward is almost worse than the actual laser treatment!! I keep a spatula handy for my back :D

I keep getting to tattoo sailors that ride submarines these days. This guy always gets cool tattoos.

just saw this, when are you at think ink?

I have a real sneaky one on the inside of my arm.

There are a ton of fantastic artists and operators out there these days, overwhelming. 30 years ago the general public didn't want to know and for the most part shunned the cultures/lifestyles of tattoos, bike builders, dumpster divers, bug exterminators, hog hunters, truckers, pawn brokers, storage container buyers, bounty hunters,and most of what "reality TV" and their marketing expertize has generated into "good TV consumer ratings" that generates BIG BUCKS logically or they wouldn't have pursued such. These things all come from evolution and these things will evolve to a degree that overpopulates these areas, because now a person who searched storage containers can't show up without being outbid buy dozens whom figured they could do the same and profit, same goes for truckers, more people taking CDL tests now than ever before, the home grown bike builders are everywhere, much of these areas have grown to insane proportions like everybody and their step nephew being "professional tattoo artists". It is much more complicated now with todays technology, the "Tattoo Directory" went the way of the phone book and if ya can't find it on the net it doesn't exist attitude is overwhelming. As to the "niche shop" from yer designated area of your home? Why not? Coney Island Freddy Grossman did better after they banned NYC tattooing and going into his gated community tattooing underground, was it legitimate? not so, did he get away with it for many years? Yep, but Freddy really didn't have a choice in his location and we do. Also in some ways with the shops popping up everywhere you can expect that tattooing's rep may get burnt by the shortcomings of the "fly by night" shops and drag us back to 1975. But the parallel I want to draw to the question posed is this; The consuming public knows that McDonalds food is garbage but there are many more Mickey D's around than the Mom & Pop restaurants that buy select cut meat and farm fresh vegetables yet the public will continue to feed on the trash while the smart seek the better meal. Both business's come and go but the truly good eateries build a more lasting clientele and reputation for good cuisine. Now to think you can sit in the front yard and attract drive by patrons for a slab of ribs off the smoke from your grill or set up a more eloquent dinning area in a large home will not lend much for any lasting legitimate business reputation. The point being is this; We have come a very long way in becoming "recognized" as an art form, "legitimized" by all forms of media and to expect that going "underground" might lend to the area that has come to be considered part of that which will burn the rep., operating costs today in tattooing is greatly increased from 30 years ago and it's difficult to compete in the consumer market against all the people who settle for lesser for cheaper but I say hang in there, keep the lights on, give the public a place to drop into and keep your work to the best of your abilities and the highest standards and you will survive. When times are at their worst you can pick up work in other ways in the way of art or a second job, I know that sounds difficult but it's what it may take and others did it before us. Take Walter Cleveland for example, went to work at a lumber yard to keep his doors open and cut cost's by sharing the same location of a surplus shop and non the less he is today still revered as "Walter Cleveland, Master Tattoo Artist, innovator and Legend" and he's been dead since the 60's, check it; The Cleveland's Whatever direction ya choose, just keep a good rep and do the rep and public justice. If ya have to take it home and State and local regulations are met and that is what it takes for you to survive then do it and have no shame in it as it's been done before in the history of the tough times in tattooing. As for myself, I am on third generations of Families that are devout and maintain steady work enough to keep me evolving as a business of over 32+ years on paper and legit and I will be there till I drop out of my chair chucking up a tube and needle. Don't mean to sound so serious but when I started I knew that I NEEDED to get legit with a shop and a shingle to start changing up the rep of tattooing as it was then, now it has come so far that a chump with a 50 dollah tattoo kit has come between me and feeding my family and I don't want to give up on the image/rep that I helped build by allowing myself to be compared in my home to the guy scratching "live laugh love" on a chick in his back bedroom as the general public won't see or distinguish the difference between the ones that do it right and professionally. Customers are going to become a harder and harder sell when there are soo many out there but reputation, word of mouth and most importantly the quality and customer treatment will be what builds a lifelong customer base, Bert Grimm knew that and he had three shops runnin at one time but Bert Grimm was "The Name" and his main shop was the legacy that cranked out many more legendary tattooers.

i think an underground network would have lots of advantages. the ability for everyone in the network to be mobile to some degree and could make little circuits to the other private studios when things are typically slow in one area. i think with the power shop or even the network concept the biggest thing is everyones ego and their "right" to have an opinion. it used to be people gathered together because they had a like minded world view and now so many people feel the need to be self righteous that it causes a lack of unity. this isn't the case every time but i've seen peoples egos destroy something good. plus there is such an overwhelming fear and lack of trust amongst people that it is a huge obstacle towards making a cohesive movement towards something sustainable.

Chances are, at this stage in her life, she's not interviewing for a CEO position. If I were to see her in person I would probably be more fixated on the lack of eyebrows which creeps me out a little. I wouldn't be surprised if she gets featured on The Soup or Chelsea Lately and gets her 15 min of fame like that nut job that made herself look like a tiger. She was warned of the potential repercussions of the tattoo beforehand and made her decision. And if she regrets it in 10 years, there are great laser procedures these days and she'll have a very entertaining story and learning experience for her kids. Im not in the tattoo industry so maybe my aversion to it isnt as strong. For me, when I think of poor work ethic, the type of person I think of the plastic surgeon who performed 14 surgeries on Heidi Montag in 1 day and made her look like a crazy blow up doll or the piece of shit lawyer who represented Casey Anthony or the thousands of mortgage brokers who contributed to people losing their homes. Those people are life ruiners. I'm sure there are a lot of tattoo artists that would have passed on this work of art but at the end of the day, if she regrets it, she can wear a beanie until she saves up enough money for laser.

This you? Jason Fancher News You should put your site in your profile/ signature if it is- that's a nice site/portfolio

Johnny Eagles Dublin

if you don't already have someone to do it, hit up Dominic Vasquez @ Flying Panther Tattoo there in SD. Here's some of his work...

I suggest going to shop and finding an artist whose work you like. They know what looks good and will put things where they need to go.

I got my first two done here, I love the look of the shop

this place closed down a few years ago, but was open since the 70's (i think).. i always used to walk past it and think it looked pretty cool -

Mine, by Maxime Buechi