Jennifer Stell

Deb, I would really like to take this blog you have, and take some of the points, and add a few more of my own... Along with what I have note wise, and recorded from artist discussions I have been recently recording... Not like a round table report, more like a 2%'r view on ethical, moral, and self preservation in this subject... I would like to pick your brain a few times... Great read, your heart is really big, it shows a lot in your writings, and your posts... Thanks for being an actual real female tattooer I can look up to. I'll add you to my list... Jackie Gresham, NOLA Annette Larue, Tampa, and NOLA and Deb Yarian... the Great White Alaskan Frontier... That's 3... I feel your pain, as Oklahoma has only been legal 6 years, too many asshats and thats including the law makers.

that's who's gorilla's we find ourselves repeating...

Damn I miss you Shawn!! You have no idea, and yes, I will definitely plan a tattoo field trip around where ever you are and figure it out. Maybe I should start stalking you again, that will make it easier to keep track of your shenanigans.

Richard and I said around the same thing... finally someone listened.... No need to travel when Colemans in your backyard. GODDAMN!

We'll be heading to Fayetteville, Arkansas... Dallas, and Austin Texas in the next few weeks, time open in all three places, just shoot me a message if you're looking to set something up......

Couple more Richard said was cool to post...

After finally being able to digest the bullshit I so easily got and ate myself, I'll say: I'm sorry, I was an uber bitch, I see what you say now, without the red all over now. I still don't like highway pirates disguised as good guys... Or as anything else, other then "Pirate", I define pirate as.... A person who has no problem with being on the road, dealing with whatever, getting into serious business, or getting into really Non-Serious shit... no matter what type of life one leads, be honest... It's a saying Richard says, he heard it... No idea where it comes from... But: "when living outside the law, one must always be honest." I like to try to live my life like an open book. Hence the reply... I was shitty. I'm sorry. PMS is a bitch.

more paintings then tattoos, but fun to look at either way...

Photo by stelltattooart • Instagram This was on a dear friend, who wanted to take what was on her back, and get rid of a few things... but mainly she wanted a ship.... She sits so good... Covered three stars on her shoulders with the eagle, and making the butterfly into a jollyroger... It's a work in progress but coming along nicely.

new ones...

A couple new flicks... By Richard Stell

This is none of our business... Unless you donated something to the museum, then maybe yeah... But from what I deduce from the press, by using two different translators, and one good fluent friend... They being, the "grant money lender(s)" have done the usual last resort, and taken possession of any and all property in an effort to freeze the assets until money or other collateral has been levied, in order to make up for someone taking a large sum of grant money, and not doing what they said they were... If they were supposed to be doing unemployment outreach (where a contract is usually signed), and instead blew the funds on something else, they are up a shit creek without a paddle. It doesn't matter who was wrong or right, the goverment is straight pissed, they never give money away, and when it comes back to bite them in the ass, you better be sure they are gonna come after whatever the hell else they can. God I hope they release a statement that's not social media fluff... this could be bad... I wish I could say more, but... Seriously none of our business to know what exactly is going on, just be supportive... that's all.

That's terrible, and... Yes, the only reason I took the fall, is richard has to take his medications, EVERYDAY... And I knew I was way cuter then him in Orange.. I'm trying to laugh, we have a show this weekend. Not too keen on the nickname Richard and Oliver have for me: Jailhouse Jenny. I am so sore from being cuffed, and sleeping on a steel board. Fuck. - - - Updated - - - I'll not bash you, I will say this: You have no idea what you are talking about until you yourself are violated by someone you are supposed to be able to rely on. I hope you always have a pro=police viewpoint and you never see my side. - - - Updated - - - Oh, and... this is my thread, I didn't post a blog for this main reason. I like being able to post freely and vent, and not be MOMMIED. thanks. And I was in a great mood, until this. Jeezuz. I'll add another one to the list.

ditto... i want to call em out!

The client came to Richard with the concept of the entire three guys of ZZTop to be riding an alligator gar, Richard was into it, but he didn't like the idea of three dudes riding a Gar making it look like a banana boat... He then magically showed me how to make three heads flow on one body... It's fucking insane.

Ha, yeah... we totally can... Photo by stelltattooart • Instagram What's up?

Yup... it's always assholes and elbows at the show... busy speak.

I was in bed before 1am last night... it's amazing how well the filth rolls off the fingertips sometimes... - - - Updated - - - FUCK NO. When I opened up my laptop and setup a facebook account for him, OMG, it was like TV being invented all over again. Just amazing. Before we hooked up, he had contacted me about wanting me to build him a website, which I immediately went and got him domain... But that was just an excuse to talk to me on the phone, he said.... He now knows how to work a MAC, and check his daily cheat sheets when he's needing a break from looking at something else. Oh and reference... BUT NO... he has no real want to actually geek out online. He does like to shop though. For shop stuff... Back ontopic... Yeah, the only time I don't respond at all is if I know who it is and deliberately don't respond... which there are only two people in the world that would be. And I doubt they have the balls to get tattooed by Richard.

We have emailed each other once already he was following up...regardless, it's taken me more then a week to respond, which is slow for me... I try to have at least a 1-2 day response time at slowest. But have been known to immediately respond given that I'm not driving or otherwise engaged... He said "Artist(s)", right, like plural...? I'm willing to bet it wasn't solely directed at us...

Palmer.... Did you finally name your pet iguana Schlurp? How's B-vegas? Give Arment a hug for the old man and me.

Hey Mitch.... I returned your email... Sorry, I'm so overwhelmed with more work then I can deal with at the moment... I may be late but I always show up... ha. like a slutty girl and her period.

I'm SOOO GLAD I DIDN'T HAVE TO TYPE THE ABOVE. Wanted to... I mean it's caused a couple of marital spats to put it lightly... Yeah we're a passionate couple, we throw down about tattooing, and taste... Thank you, it was really hard to deal with, the last day, kinda like watching someone get raped (for lack of a better), I didn't go to the set the final day... it was a rough weekend, and that convention was one of the hardest I think I ever worked, and I have even had a miscarriage at a convention before during a pageant I was throwing... We are both going to actively try to do more good to help offset the bad, tattooing takes care of us, we need to take better care of it... More now then ever. AS FAR AS THE TATTOO COPY RIGHT THING..... Don't take this the wrong way, but fucking get over it. SERIOUSLY it's all copying. EVERYONE STEALS: It's a matter of who you're stealing from if you have taste and you're stealing from Hardy, Roberts, Jerry, Malone, ETC... You're following tradition. I haven't even seen the episode, don't care, I'm so sick of all the under twenties, and tens and five year old tattooers acting like they were the first person to come up with a design, it's all been done before. I have seen close friends and artist straight rip off Richards original paintings tattoos I have posted up online, here, instagram, twitter, tumbler, and then no reference credit, or original design cred was given... then seeing all the killer remarks, etc... And each time I get all pissy about it Richard says... Can't get mad, if you put it out there someone is going to use it. , seen people rip off blackhearts shit, seen em rip off Major TM Logos, I have even ripped on Stella Artois Logo. Mike Roper is the only artist I know that is like a mystery. You know his work is amazing. Don't see a lot of it... Because he doesn't make that stuff easily available. ShawnPorter, I haven't been able to check the video out you posted, I will when I get a good inet connection. BTW, you coming to Richmond? New School is bullshit. I'm sorry, it is. until I start seeing new school water color flash sheets rolling around all over, not oils or acrylics, then I will acknowledge it as a "dance" until then, all I see is some idiot that doesn't want to learn the footwork to even two step...Lazy.

Amazing!!!! What did that take him 15 minutes? @Avery Taylor

Yes, and No... It's weird. One of those double edged things... I don't think Inkmasters is actually going to affect anyone that really loves this profession, and is good at it. I guess earlier in the thread I was super pollyanna and trying to do nothing but see the upside of things and rationalize it all, not sure why, I just support my friends. But I guess out of school habits, I like to look at the same things over and try to argue a case against it... It's a writing tool... We didn't just take part in it... this whole thing was filmed back in July, (that episode, and NO, Richard had no idea) He thought the kids would at least know how to put a tattoo on.... But when they were three hours into something and some of them didn't even have the outlines complete. It was heartbreaking, Richard doesn't have anxiety attacks, I do... but he had two, and freaked out wanting to fix each tattoo that he saw, because he felt morally compelled to give those vets good work in exchange for theirs. No he didn't have a real idea of what was actually up, even the casting agents were a bit dishonest, I mean it's their job to get people on the set that would make for an interesting dynamic... And they were looking to get a rise, but it only raised vomit. I completely threw a fit the last day they shot... I stayed at the 700.00 a nite hotel they put us up in. And smoked in the non smoking room. I was pissed off thinking if we have to stay and fix shit tattoos, and put off the clients in San Antonio that were at the convention already (tattooers who love and cherish this), and waiting... I was going to have a little breakdown and probably leave NYC for TX... To get everything for the show in SA ready. We had to fly into Austin pick our truck up, grab the rest of our booth setup from Tony's house drive down to SA setup all over again, on 5 hours sleep, and yeah, I can totally criticize it, I want to know the parts I like and didn't in an effort to change them maybe for the better later on, or at least have an objective standpoint on it... And I am not a big user of Facebook, or Twitter too much anymore, I felt like if any place was good to kinda let loose, and be open regarding our opinions, experiences around this, or any tattoo type of topic, I would rather post up here, I thought. Safe zone. The entire show isn't 100% fucked up, and just a portion. I have been involved in some fucked up stuff before, far worse on a couple moral standpoints. It's early on in the Tattoo TV thing, I guess I just would like to maybe contribute constructive criticism somewhere, cause I know a few people look at these threads, and maybe just maybe they would take a few of the hints dropped here. Not snide, just honest... The way it should be. - - - Updated - - - Sorry about the novel....

Richard was on the phone with CLMN tonight... And he asked the golden question that Richard, and me have... Why do they choose these people? What is the criteria, and why do they not pick actual skilled tattooers? That's the burning question. Thinking about how pissed I am at our GC right now, I can't help but hate on MF'rs that sell shit, like it's tv I know, but if you are into cars you watch shows that are about cars, like theres a story to it, or it's about cars, or it's actually tattoo sited, as in you look at tattoos, not so much the people that get them, or the people that make them, but the actual tattoo... Design, detail, etc... Not Barbershop, or BUllshit non tattoo related. But I guess my whole deal was thinking with a name like Ink Master, you would think... Just a little that they would be skilled, and trained, and knowledgable about tattoos, cause that's the premise... But on second thought, it's easier to make fun and exploit the dumb bastard that has no idea they suck. And by getting picked for the show, that loads their ego even more... Only for the "real" tattooers to sick back in shock and awe, at what shit this is that they are representing as us on tv, and online. Horrific. WOW. I just threw up in my mouth a little. Some poor bastard is about to get a shitstorm of an email next, cause this thought just pissed me off. Richard just told me to stop typing so hard.