Athena Funk will be guest spotting at Studio 21 Tattoo Gallery February 16-20th. If anyone is interested in getting tattooed by Athena during those dates please call the shop for more information. Athena, tattoo artist/ illustrator/ fine artist keeps a busy schedule in addition to playing roller derby so take advantage of the opportunity and check out her work.

http://www.whiskey7art.com/

The word amortize is a transitive verb meaning ” to gradually reduce or write off the cost or value of (as an asset)”. This is a word that comes to mind frequently when an individual is considering the cost of their tattoo. As a tattoo artists, we are sometimes put into the situation of trying to explain to clients that though it sounds expensive at first consideration, a tattoo is really not expensive at all.

If you think about it, a tattoo that costs five hundred dollars and is applied when you are twenty-five years old really only costs you about nineteen cents a week if you live to be seventy-five. How cool is that? Your Starbucks bill exceeds that by a huge amount my friends!

So, next time you head down to your local tattoo establishment to get a copy of Angelina Jolie’s tattoo put on your back, think about amortizing the price of that piece of artwork over the span of your lifetime. This might help you feel more comfortable about how much you are willing to spend on something you will enjoy for the rest of your life. Just joking about copying Anglina’s tattoos!

An important piece of information to consider when it comes to picking a tattoo that you will enjoy forever is to try to be creative. Don’t just run down and pick something off the wall, there are plenty of custom tattoo shops out there that will take your idea and design a tattoo just for you.  Be careful though! Always make sure the place is clean with a courteous staff and a good reputation.

Good luck with making that decision that lasts a lifetime! Enjoy your tattoos!

Charlie Spencer, Owner
Studio 21 Tattoo Gallery, Inc.
Las Vegas, Nevada

The east display window of Studio 21 Tattoo Gallery in Las Vegas has been decked out with a bit of nostalgia for a couple of months now. “Phil Luck”, our resident tattoo artist/ historian, has set up the long narrow space to resemble a mid 20th century tattoo parlor, it has all the necessary equipment to paint flash, cut stencils, and solder needles. The vignette is complete with antique medical furniture, vintage tattoo machines, power supply, mid century tattoo flash and a bucket and sponge to make it all official. Phil Luck has a plethora of tattoo stories of his own to take you down memory lane in the early years of tattooing in New York. If you are in the area take a moment to cruise by and take in a moment of tattoo history. For more information on Phil Luck see our previous post “Cultural Dynamic of Tattooing…New York City Roots”.

Tattooing in Las Vegas introduces our staff to a myriad of interesting characters. This was the case one Saturday afternoon.

Charlie’s skills were requested by Zac Nilson to do a memorial tattoo on his forearm. The memorial was to his father, Harry Nilsson.

For those who don’t know, the elder Nilsson was a prolific singer/song writer with a career that spanned three decades, from the 60′s through the 80′s. Nilsson was friends with the Beatles’ John Lennon. After the death of Lennon, Nilsson devoted much of his time to campaining for stronger gun regulations in the U.S.

The song, “The Coconut”, was the inspiration for the tattoo. This song is best remembered for it’s chorus lyric, “put de lime in de coconut, and drink ‘em bot’ up”.

Charlie Spencer had a nice little chat with Zac and his friends while performing the procedure. Zac left the shop with a smile on his face and a great tattoo that he can enjoy for many years to come!

The following artists from Studio 21 Tattoo Gallery will be on the road attending tattoo conventions. Charlie Spencer, Austin Spencer, Jason Paxman and Justin Wilson. Only Charlie and Austin will be attending Vancouver, WA.

Schedule: Tattoo LaPaLooza: Miami, FL. Jan. 6 – 8th, 2012http://www.tattoolapalooza.com/

Star of Texas Tattoo Revival: Austin, TX. Jan. 13 – 15th, 2012, http://www.golivefast.com/

Ink Travelers: Vancouver, WA., Feb. 16th – 22nd,http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ink-Travelers/175539385796177

Studio 21 Tattoo and Sailor Jerry Spiced Rum present the 2nd Annual Sailor Jerry Tribute at our studio. Phil Luck, our resident tattoo historian will set up a vintage window display, showcase his traditional style tattoo artwork and hold a mustache contest for the event. This event is sure to be an outstanding good time and the proceeds from the event raffle will benefit Las Vegas local Animal Foundation.

Charlie and Austin Spencer attended the Alberta Bound Tattoo & Arts Festival in Calgary October 19-21. Turned out the event was extremely busy, not enough time to tattoo everyone on the agenda, they kept busy until their eyes crossed and backs gave out. Studio 21 Tattoo loves our Canadian clientele, some of the friendliest folks on earth! Our good friend Collin Schultz, helped run the booth, and rounded up all the equipment we forgot to bring, along with Deano Robinson (Deadly Tattoo in Calgary) who was kind enough to loan us a massage table among other items. Thanks for coming to the rescue! Collin introduced the guys to a number of locals up there that they had not met before and was an excellent tour guide after hours. So much good food and good times. Collin’s wife Betsy, provided the entertainment on Saturday night with some great stories that can’t be told! Once the convention was over, Austin and Charlie rented a car, heading to the Rockies to visit some friends in Jasper, Alberta. Great little town in a national park. Our friend Ray Bartley has a tattoo shop/piercing shop in Jasper called Black Diamond Tattoo. Charlie tattooed Ray’s wife, Jill before heading out on a hike to a spot called “edge of the world” which overlooks the town from a much higher elevation. There are many photo opportunities in the Canadian Rockies. the scenery never ends!

Industry Supporting Industry Tattoo Art Night is held every third Thursday of the month in the hip downtown “Beauty Bar” Las Vegas. Cornerstone Gallery hosts the event with artwork from over 10 local tattoo shops on display along with an open Sailor Jerry bar 9-10 pm, live music and art demos. The I.S.I. Group is a number of individuals who work and support tattoo artists, musicians and liquor companies for a better tomorrow. This is a FREE event.