Sitting through large pieces from Jinxi Boo!

Today's Tattoo Corner topic is about sitting for long periods of time while getting tattooed. Dee asks:

Q) Hi Jinxi, I do not sit still for long hours well, but I'm gearing up to get some larger pieces done. If the sitting process is going to take many hours, what's the proper etiquette on asking the artist for a breaks during a session? How do you prepare for long sittings? - Dee



A) Hi Dee! Thank you for inquiring about this topic. The answer should probably be broken up into two types of people/situations.

1) Tattoo collectors who PHYSICALLY cannot sit for long periods of time (this can be common for people who suffer from back problems/lower back pain, neck injuries, knee problems, Fibromyalgia, Gastrointestinal problems, and many other reasons) and it would be detrimental to their health to push a session too far.

2) Tattoo collectors who do better with shorter sittings due to anxiety, pain tolerance issues, attention spans, etc.





There are many people who physically are not able to sit for long periods of time. If this is the case, be sure to discuss this well ahead of time with your artist. Any great artist cares about the entire experience of giving a tattoo, not just the final product. Which means that she/he should want you to be comfortable and happy, in order to end up with an excellent result.

If this means having to make a few extra appointments to get the piece finished, it will be worth both the collector and the artist's time in the end. Much better to be up front about any medical conditions or physical limits you have so that your tattooist can plan accordingly.

This is also essential so they can discuss what your piece will involve and the length of time it might require from start to finish, by taking into consideration: the location of the tattoo, the style, the intricacy involved, the size, etc.; as well as concerns that you might have about sitting constraints.

So long-story short:

COMMUNICATE

■early
■clearly
■and honestly.




If you are worried about enduring a long session due to pain tolerance issues or anxiety over the event, I'll run down a few tips that might help.

**It's important to note that each person is different, so my advice might not fit your situation at all...but in case it helps, below are things I have noticed and learned throughout my tattoo collecting years:





■If you are preparing for a large tattoo piece, chances are, you may have already received some smaller tattoos and therefore have somewhat of a gauge as to your pain tolerance level. Each location is different, so this might add some variation into the equation, but you probably have a pretty good idea of how far/long you can go in regards to handling the stings and twinges. Use this as a foundation for preparing mentally for the larger piece.
■Don't panic.
■Don't psyche yourself out beforehand.
■Breathe. Focus on your breathing and don't let yourself hyperventilate, overbreathe, or panic-breathe. Just stay calm and relaxed, breathing normally - taking nice, even inhales/exhales.
■Get comfortable. Now sometimes, the positioning is just going to be awkard and uncomfortable in order for your artist to get to the spot they are tattooing, but if you are working in an area where you can reposition yourself to feel more at ease, ask your artist for a moment to readjust.
■Stay hydrated. This is important for many reasons and will help you to keep your composure and prolong your physical strength.
■Eat small snacks when you stop for short breaks. Anything that will give you a little zip and energy back: fruit, nuts, dry cereal, crackers, juice, etc. Just as staying hydrated is essential, so is your maintaining your stamina with little punches of nutrition.
■Think positively and remind yourself of the great power that your mind has over handling tough situations.
■If you think it will help, mentally prepare days before your tattoo. I do this every time I am gearing up for a tattoo. I think about where it's going, visualize the sitting, and try to positively plan for it to be a great experience. I know it will hurt, but going through it in my mind somehow helps me once that machine starts to buzz.
■Learn to "get in the zone." For many of us, there comes a point during a tattoo where your mind has to adapt and find ways to push through to the end. This might include diverting your attention by talking (oh, I'm good at that), listening to music, or just letting your mind wander and not hone in on the distress your skin and body are going through.
■Believe that you are capable of great feats.
■Remember what a great reward (the beautiful new tattoo) is waiting for you at the end.


If these tips don't help, your best bet is to revert back to my earlier advice - be up front and honest with your tattooist - and if you need to stop and reschedule, just be open about it and speak up. She/he wants you to be happy and to have a great experience.

When you look at that piece of ink, you will remember so many things about not only the artwork, but the day you received it, the emotions that were involved, and all that you endured to "earn" it.

If it is physically not possible to complete the work, speak up and talk openly so that you can either reschedule a time to finish up, or push through after taking a breather.

Adding ink to your skin should be a positive experience and taking the time to prepare, communicate, and enjoy the ride (even the painful part) is key!

Happy inkin'!

This post can also be found in the Tattoo Corner for easy reference.

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Johnny Jackson tattoo book

Check out the new book on sale from Blurb Publishing.
92 pages of tattooing from Johnny Jackson in Houston Texas From Texas Body Art .
http://www.inkaholik.com
http://www.texasbodyart.com

The amazing wo...

By Inkaholik

Book Preview

Showdevils Live at Texas Body Art this week

TUESDAY MARCH 9,2010 at 7 pm
Come see the Showdevils perform LIVE at the studio. This will be a
free show and donations will be encouraged. See the thrills and
chills of the Enigma and Serana Rose exhibiting their amazing stunts.
As seen on Ripleys and the X files. Sure to make your jaws drop!

Kid friendly so bring the
little ones and oh dont forget your cameras as they will be having a
meet and greet after the show. Our way of showing Houston
appreciation for helping us be the Best Tattoo Studio in Houston 2
years and running by the USBA..

EVENT SCHEDULE FOR SHOWDEVILS
3-9-2010

It is against the law to tattoo Minors!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I guess some people have to learn the hard way...
Heres the story and links..

Tattoo artist arrested, accused of providing service to juveniles

by Jeff McShan / 11 News

Posted on March 1, 2010 at 11:42 PM

Updated yesterday at 11:43 PM

******

In Texas, it is illegal for an artist to give a juvenile a tattoo without parental consent, so when a Houston-area father heard his 16-year-old daughter allegedly got a butterfly tattoo from City Boyz tattoo parlor, he wasn't happy.

“This location is known by multiple juveniles in the area to be the place to go get a tattoo if you are underage because they wouldn’t ask for any identification,” Lt. Kenneth Key said.

Armed with a warrant, it took Precinct-4 deputy constables less than a minute to find Fernando Sanchez inside City Boyz tattoo parlor. Sanchez' nickname is "monster." In his police mug shot you can see that he has the word name tattooed right below his nose.

He also has tattoos all over his face, on one side you can see the word “murder” in bold letters with a picture of an assault rifle located right under it, near his cheek.

“And knowing his criminal background and his gang association; it was just horrible. My wife and I were just terrified,” the girl’s parent told 11 News.

Hoping to protect their daughter, the parents asked us not to reveal their identities.

11 News learned Sanchez is documented by law enforcement authorities as a member of the Houstones. It's a gang you can only join behind bars.

Searching court records, we discovered that he has a lengthy criminal history, serving time for burglary and felony assault.

Now Sanchez has been charged with giving a minor a tattoo at City Boyz, which at the moment is still open.

“The officer said they were going to shut the place down because there were several health code violations,” the father said.
And because of his daughter's new butterfly tattoo he says he is concerned.

“We're going to have to have her blood checked, which is a real concern for us right now to make sure she doesn't have any HIV or hepatitis,” said the parent.

11 News was unable to reach the owners of City Boyz to get a comment but, the juvenile told detectives that many of her high school classmates got their tattoos there.

That's why her father said he sent a letter to the school's principal hoping other parents will know what is going on.

“Students were putting themselves at risk each time they entered that store," he said.

He says parents should check their kids for hidden tattoos.

“You know we talk about drugs and alcohol with our children, but we forget to talk with them about tattoos,” the parent said.

http://www.khou.com/news/Tattoo-artist-arrested-accused-of-providing-service-to-juveniles-85928647.html

News and events Texas Body Art

This years Slinging Ink will be held in SanAntonio on Feb.19-21st. Johnny Jackson ,AJ,Russ Bagwell will be sharing booths there and are now accepting appointments for the weekend.
Feel free to see their work and schedule an appointment by visiting the website at http://www.texasbodyart.com/TATTOO.HTML
Mizuz Inkaholik will be there as well so come see her and get your photo taken with her.
They we also be at San Antonio Moto Expo as well....

COME CHECK OUT THE BIGGEST MOTORCYCLE, MUSIC, MODELS AND MAYHEIM EVENT OF THE YEAR. THE 6TH ANNUAL SOUTH TEXAS MOTORCYCLE BIKE SHOW @ JOE FREEMAN COLISEUM MARCH 20-22.

THERE WILL BE LIVE REMOTES FROOM 99.5 KISS, KZEP 104.5 CLASSIC ROCK, AND THE BEAT 98.5. SAN ANTONIO'S BEST ACTS SHARE THE STAGE IN 3 ACTION PACKED DAYS.
THERE WILL BE LIVE BANDS, EXTREME STREET SCENE, $10,000.00 STUNT COMPETITION, SWAP MEET, AND OVER 250 VENDORS, AND MUCH MUCH MORE.
DON'T MISS IT!!!!!!!!

BREAKING NEWS!!!!

WE WELCOME IN OUR NEWEST ARTIST TO THE TEAM WHO HAS HAD A REPUTATION IN HOUSTON FOR OVER 12 YEARS AS A GREAT TATTOO ARTIST. ONCE A MONTH ON THE 3rd WEEKEND OF EVERY MONTH SEAN OZZ WILL BE AT THE SHOP. HE WILL BE TATTOOING BY APPOINTMENT ONLY SO MAKE SURE TO SET UP SOMETHING NOW FOR HIM TO DO HIS BEAUTIFUL WORK ON YOU.

COMING TO TEXAS BODY ART IN MARCH WILL BE THE FAMOUS ENIGMA

Enigma is a good friend and we welcome him to the
shop and always try to show him a warm welcome when he is here.
You can meet him and/or get tattooed by him at the studio.
Book your appointment now as it is first come first serve...
If your not familiar with him check it out at these sites.
http://www.electricacidtheatre.com/home.html

http://www.showdevils.com/

ALSO FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY!!!!!!!
FREE TICKETS FREE TICKETS FREE TICKETS FREE TICKETS FREE TICKETS

BE SURE TO SWING BY TEXAS BODY ART TO REGISTER FOR FREE TICKETS TO SEE THE DROPKICK MURPHS COMING TO WAREHOUSE LIVE.
There is a box inside the studio and while your getting your new tattoo you can register to win. Winner gets 2 tickets to the show on March 2, 2010.

Upcoming events and dates
Feb.19-21st Slinging Ink in San Antonio
http://www.slinginginktattooexpo.com
Feb.19-21st Guest Artist Sean Oliver will be at Texas Body Art tattooing View his work at
http://www.worldofozz.com/
March 6-7 th The Enigma will be Guest Artist at Texas Body Art
http://www.enigmalive.com
March 19-20-21st Tattoo Moto Expo in San Antonio special guests will be Texas Body Art
http://www.txbikeshow.com

Thanks very much for all the support.
Make this the year to get your new INK!

Texas Body Art is now on twitter and Facebook so feel free to add them today and stay on top of the latest news.

Johnny Jackson Texas Body Art
http://www.inkaholik.com

World FamousTexas Tattoo studio in Houston

For the second consecutive year, I am pleased to announce that Texas Body Art has been selected for the 2009 Houston Award in the Tattoo Studios category by the U.S. Local Business Association (USLBA).

Nationwide, only 1 in 70 (1.4%) 2008 Award recipients qualified as 2009 Award Winners. I'm sure that your selection as a 2009 Award Winner is a reflection of the hard work of not only yourself, but of many people that have supported your business and contributed to the subsequent success of your organization. Congratulations on your selection to such an elite group of small businesses.

In recognition of your achievement, a special 2009 Houston Award has been designed for display at your place of business. You may arrange to have your award sent directly to Texas Body Art by following the simple steps on the 2008 Houston Award order form. Simply copy and paste this link into your browser to access the order form:
http://www.uslocalbusinessassociation.com/AQ9N2U4GJ

The USLBA "Best of Local Business" Award Program recognizes outstanding local businesses throughout the country. Each year, the USLBA identifies companies that we believe have achieved exceptional marketing success in their local community and business category. These are local companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community.

Also, a copy of the press release publicizing the two-time selection of Texas Body Art is posted on the USLBA website. USLBA hereby grants Texas Body Art a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to use, reproduce, distribute, and display this press release in any media formats and through any media channels.

In order to provide you with the best possible service, you have been assigned an award code that can be used on our website for quick access to your award information and press release. If you have any questions or comments, please include this code with your correspondence.

Your award code is: Q9N2U4GJ

Sincerely,

Ashley Carter
Selection Committee Chair
U.S. Local Business Association

p.s. If the links are not working in this email please copy and paste the following URLs into your browser:
Award Order Form: http://www.uslocalbusinessassociation.com/AQ9N2U4GJ
Press Release: http://www.uslocalbusinessassociation.com/PQ9N2U4GJ

The intended recipient of this notification is the Marketing Director for Texas Body Art . If you have received this email in error please forward it to the intended recipient. If you do not wish to receive further advertisements from USLBA, please mail a written request to: US Local Business Association, 2020 Pennsylvania Ave, NW, Suite #742, Washington, DC 20006 or simply click to opt-out.

HELP CATCH A KILLER........

HELP CATCH THESE LOW LIFES PLEASE !


Tattoo parlor owner shot and killed while protecting customers

10:35 AM CDT on Thursday, April 9, 2009

By Courtney Zubowski / 11 News

HOUSTON -- Police say armed robbers shot and killed the owner of the Black Widow Tattoo Parlor in northwest Houston Wednesday morning. Investigators believe the owner was protecting his customers from the suspects when he was killed.
Video
Tattoo parlor owner shot and killed while protecting customers
April 8, 2009
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Now friends and family are remembering the man who sacrificed his life to defend others.

“I'm wearing him on the insides of both arms," said victim’s friend Bart Stewart, while showing his tattoos. "His dream was to always open the shop and he was relentless in getting this shop open."

But early Wednesday morning, the shop turned into a crime scene.

Investigators say three men, dressed in dark clothes and wearing bandanas to cover their faces, tried to rob customers at the Black Widow Tattoo Parlor. Friends say Steve Robbins got in the middle of the robbery and paid for his actions with his life. He was shot several times.

"It didn't shock me at all that he put himself at risk to protect his customers. He did not have a fearful bone in his body," Stewart said.

Friends say that Robbins wasn’t only brave, but also generous.

"If they would have came to Steve and asked him for whatever, he would have gladly, and all of us agree, taken his shirt off his back," one friend said.

Friends say by no means was Robbins a perfect angel, but he didn't deserve to die like this.

Police are looking for three suspects who left in a white four door Cadillac with dark tinted windows and chrome wheels.

If you have any information on this incident, contact police.

Follow KHOU on Twitter: twitter.com/khou

Watch the news feed here...
http://www.khou.com/news/local/crime/stories/khou090408_mp_tattoo-parlor-owner-killed.b7ae8f49.html?ocp=10&so=TimeStampAscending&ocp=10#slcgm_comments_anchor