SULLY ST CLAIR

I am not familiar with this forum/blog and not sure of which 'horse's mouth' to which you are referring... I in no way intend to plea a case or play a game of he said/she said or even take part in a slander match... Sue is the NICEST and MOST APPROACHABLE person I know...if there was a concern over the matter at the convention, why not discuss it then and take care of any misunderstanding?...why wait to go home and start a massive internet slander spree based on assumed notions and etc? If the 'proverbial horse's mouth' posts on this board, I would appreciate a private message where we could exchange phone numbers and discuss the issue respectfully and clear up any lousy drama... I in no way speak on Sue's behalf, but do support her and hope the best for her...

on sunday (final day of the convention) she was giving sheets free to tattooed customers or selling pages from it for $5 each...saying 'selling her flash book' is a grand exaggeration and a fine example how internet rumors begin

I in no way speak on Sue's behalf, but I do wish to spread light on this whole situation... Sue has been in the game of tattooing for so many years..Long enough that she has tattoos from reputable legends such as Dan Higgs and Chuck Eldridge. She was a part of an association of tattooers who, in turn, won the legalization of the 38 year ban of tattooing in Massachusetts in 2000. She runs one of my favorite shops in Brooklyn and in the last few years has battled a very aggressive case of breast cancer...She is currently diagnosed as 'stage IV' (no chance of remission basically) and still manages to do art shows and teach taxidermy classes (she has been interviewed by both CNN and NPR for her taxidermy in the last year). After a major debilitating surgery last summer, she was bedridden for 5 months...She had to give up her beautiful apartment in Brooklyn because she was unable to climb stairs (not even 1) from the surgery... While bed ridden, she kept sketchbooks full of deep meaningful drawings and also exercises in drawing with the 'woodcut' style...she would use pictures of tattoos or old images she liked and turn them into woodcut versions... The sketchbooks are truly AMAZING, but like a diary, never meant to go public...She keeps the sketchbooks at the tattoo shop so when people come in for their CUSTOM tattoos, Sue can show them her book and explain she will take their idea or image and use wood cut shading instead of traditional whip shading or however the image they brought in looks... They were never meant to be seen at such a public level or used to be directly tattooed out of...Her shop, very proud of her and trying to help her, posted pictures of the sheets online and referred to them as her 'flash pages' since her page setup was that of traditional flash design...She never posted them herself and would have preferred them only seen at the shop..Sue does not keep a Facebook or EVER advertise her work online and keeps her success and work popularized only by word of mouth and not internet hype in the TRUE FASHION of REAL tattooing. A misunderstanding turned into a RUMOR and turned into internet drama (SO LAME)...Artists have used their favorite medium to talk shit and say some nasty things, but not one of these people have tried to contact Sue in a reasonable manor and call her or stop by to ask what the deal was...They just jumped on internet rumors and acted the way a immature school child would... Due to her ailments, Sue does not tattoo very often and usually only on friends or former customers...Anyone that ACTUALLY knows her, knows that her quiet lifestyle has more dignity than some young gun tattooer who would try to climb the social ladder of tattooing by talking with such OLD SCHOOL confidence on such a NEW SCHOOL medium... As for the 'hand-breakers' out there...get a life...the internet was invented (as we know it now) in 1991 and to this day not one threat made online has ever happened in real life...You live in a fantasy world to think that stuff happens in the tattoo world...Stories of Bowery Stan and his hammer or Crazy Eddie and malatov cocktails are everyone's favorites and I WISH were the way things were in the tattoo world. In reality, tattooing at is current state is far too accessible and houses many internet, 'flash in the pan' sensations who act like they know everything... How many clients did Joe Lieber or Sailor Jerry get from posting on Facebook? The BEST know they are the best and act accordingly, and the chumps try to imitate this, but usually end up talking too much shit from behind a computer screen than actually studying the art and history of the worlds BEST profession... The biggest shit talkers to come out of the woodwork on this matter were the significant others of tattooers...Respect to those who look out for their number 2, but seriously, stick to what you know! the craft and ethics of tattooing are certainly not that... Sue is a true asset to the tattoo world...I wish her well in all her endeavors and am very proud of her and what she has accomplished before and during her terrible ailments...It causes me a great sadness to think of her name in any way harmed, since she is a truly great individual... As for THIS 'credible tattoo blog' (oxymoron), find some REAL news instead of spreading internet gossip...No one ever gets outed for being unsterile or for overcharging for their scratch tattoos, but somehow this has made your 'recent news' list? POOR FORM GUYS! GET OFF THE INTERNET AND READ A DAMN BOOK! -Sully St. Clair