Sunday, January 27, 2013

10a to 3p

Artisanal Tattoo Nerd Flea Market and Tattoo Shop Book Sale!

tons of great stuff

lots of original art will also be sold!

On the last Sunday in January we are hosting our own little

flea market type sale at the shop. There's going to be multiple tables set up selling all manner of nerd culture: comics, collectibles, dvds,

gamer stuff, tattoo related stuff.

Along with all the good deals there will be quite a few artists there selling original art and prints!

Please contact Lou Morgue at Artisanal if your interested, we have very limited space and quite a few vendors.

This will also be right before our big move so we're looking to unload a bunch of tattoo and tattoo shop related items: 

reference books, magazines, surplus flash, and a bunch of other studio related items.

So come for the sales, stay for the conversations (or more than likely the debates!)

I'll post more info as it comes in, as well as a list of some of the vendors and what they're selling

-Lou Morgue 

Holy crap!  

Xmas is right around the corner, 

what do I get for that special person in my life?

A gift certificate from Artisanal Tattoo

of course!

I feel giving someone the gift of ink is one of the best things you can do.  Purchase a gift certificate today in any amount,

right up Sunday, December 23rd. (for those last minute shoppers)  

To sweeten the deal we're adding 10% for every $100.00

you spend. That means: $100.00 = $110.00

                                           $200 = $220.00

                                           $300.00 = $330.00 and so on.

We're also running a piercing special, get your belly button pierced and receive an additional piece of navel jewelry for FREE!

Take $10.00 off all other piercings for the month of DECEMBER! (excluding navel)

Buy one, get one half off sales on navel jewelry, all plugs, and barbells!
(you can also mix and match: buy a set of plugs, get a 
barbell half off, buy a barbell, half off a navel ring, ect)

So give the gift that will last a lifetime!

Happy Holiday from the gang at Artisanal Tattoo!!

  

           

The Superstorm  is over.

Artisanal Tattoo reopened our doors after getting power back almost a week after. I finally got my power back a full week later and it feels great to be back at work slinging ink!

Being an EMT, I'm included in all of the thanks showered on the first responders. We had to go out there in the danger, regardless of whatever conditions we had at home, putting ourselves last after the needs of others. All of the police, firefighters, emergency medical personnel, and all that lent a helping hand during and after disaster get our many thanks.

I want to take this time and thank the people no one ever seems to remember.  All of the clerks, sandwich makers, wait staff and servers, retail workers, gas station attendants, and ESPECIALLY the coffee shop employees. All of you that came to work despite whatever problems you left at home, the shitty pay, the exhausted customers, you all made it to your jobs and helped maintain a degree of normalcy amidst the chaos.

So on behalf of myself and the staff at Artisanal Tattoo, 

THANK YOU!!!!!!!

Lou Morgue


ps, Nart rules! 

 How I Work: Prelude

How do you transfer a drawing onto my skin?  What are the rubber bands for?  Why did my skin do this while healing?  These are just a sample of the dozens of questions I answer daily.  I decided to create a place for people eager to learn about some of the inner workings of this unique industry.  Whether you've never set foot in a shop before, or if you're covered head toe to toe in ink this series will hopefully be helpful and entertaining to you.  I'll be passing along knowledge I picked up in my over 16 years tattooing, all retained within the crevasses of my brain.  I think this blog can be helpful to those just starting out in their tattoo careers.  Even with my awesome, old school true apprenticeship there was quite a lot I still had to figure out on my own. To the veteran tattooist, you may find a nugget or two in this blog useful, as I myself absorb and integrate a lot ideas from my peers.  I'm always on the hunt, looking for tips and ideas that improve the way I do things.  Logistical stuff  that helps me balance my appointments and organize my drawings, new equipment to try out, and aftercare practices to give you a better healing experience.

I think I bring a unique perspective of things both inside and outside the bubble of tattooing.   Being part of the medical community as an EMT and as an autopsy technician helps me tackle any medical issues encountered as a tattoo artist.  During the latter part of my career I've turned my focus more on improving business practices and organization.  Working outside of tattooing gives me more options to solve problems I encounter in the day to day tattoo grind.

I've seen this industry change so much over the years, new and better equipment (and access to it), the clientele, tattoo ideas, aftercare, so much more.  I've also been piercing the same amount of time and seen many fads come and go, and still to this day, so much misinformation persists.

The objective is to educate.  Gone are the days of clandestine tattoo secrets.  Much of the mystique is gone, just about everything in our industry exists on the internet. Television shows about tattooing bring us into the shops and sit us in the chairs.  Undeniably, the culture of tattooing is everywhere. The side effect of all this is as tattoo artists we have a greater responsibility to the client and to ourselves.  Ignorant tattoo artists and their wildly incorrect answers  have been replaced  by the cleaner, more informed, and the better skilled modern tattooist.  We owe it to the person sitting in the chair to be knowledgeably about all aspects of our craft.

As either a potential client or heavily inked individual, you should never be afraid to ask questions, at any stage of the process.  

So read on, and enjoy!
Lou M.      
  

Lou Morgue's booth in the new shop will henceforth be known as....The Spiral Zone

The Baron Ryan's booth in the new location

 

GREEEEETTTINNNGGGGSSSS FROM 

THE NEGATIVE ZOOOOOOOOOONNNNEEEEEE!

AHHHHHHH big storm coming our wayyyyy this weekend.  Stay safeeeee!  EEEEEAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!

WE'RE MOVING!!!! 

But fret not friends... we are only moving a mere 2 1/2 blocks! We are moving to 15A Division Street right off of Main Street here in Somerville. Some of you know the new Division Street is now a walking street, not for cars anymore. It is now considered Somerville's "Arts District", which is why this move is perfect for us and the town. We are all so very excited about this and we can't wait to open our doors and show you all the new layout. We will be opening the new show on November 1st! So for now, still come on down to Davenport Street. It has been a long process and the design work is all done, so we will be busting our butts to get it all constructed to our liking. As the date gets closer we will plan out one heck of a grand opening celebration and will hope all of you can attend. When you see what we have to offer in a new location, we hope you will all be so psyched as we are.

Video Game Tattoos Are Awesome

So I guess I do try and find time between LOTS of gaming to tattoo people.  I love doing video game themed ink.  I get so many ideas playing, and I like to think their influence shows.  Big, bold, colorful, BAD ASSness!  I want to do as many video game tattoos as I can, and the gamers DO get the elusive hookup on cool stuff so BRING IT ON!  I'm currently working on a huge Starcraft piece now, so I'll post it up as soon as I finish.  In the mean time COME INTO TO THE SHOP AND BRING THOSE KILLER TATTOO TATTOO IDEAS.  Nerds, noobs, and sprites are always welcome.

Also, if you want to go toe to toe with me on Street Fighter or other fighting games, or help me out bashing mofo's on X Men arcade or Streets of Rage friend me on the XBOX- gamer tag Lou Morgue.

Beat me if you can. Survive if I let you.

Lou Morgue

Visionary Tattoo Arts Festival
by Lou Morgue

Another year down, back home and back in the shop.  This is the third year Artisanal Tattoo had a booth at the Visionary Tattoo Arts Festival in Asbury Park.  This is a really cool convention to do.  The boardwalk is completely redone, lined with cool shops and great places to eat.  The convention itself is packed with lots of great tattoo artists, vendors, artists, as well as live performances all weekend. You have the beautiful beach and ocean right there, and the convention center houses some neat stores and eats. Another meaningful facet is that it's a Jersey based gathering, many local shops attend and it's fun to work along side all of my tattoo comrades, to catch up all while supporting the NJ tattoo scene.
Despite the busted air conditioning, the festival rocked.  We tattooed pretty much all weekend, inking a steady flow of happily tattooed attendees. Friday was absolute insanity at the after party at Asbury Lanes. Due to bad weather Saturday it was super packed with people all looking to get work done.  Saturday night was filled with tattoo artist high jinx, tater tots and disco metal, followed up with late night ghetto chicken and pizza.  This is why I love doing conventions.  The adventure.  The travel. The crazy nights and the stories told the next morning over breakfast.  You get to meet and connect with people from all over, tattooing interesting new people while forging friendships with other artists and shops.

If you've never attended a tattoo convention yet and love tattoos and the tattoo scene I suggest checking one out.  It can be a little overwhelming at first, awesome art, awesome tattoo artists, the buzzing of dozens of tattoo machines, and maybe a burlesque dancer or someone hanging from hooks onstage.  Pick an artist and get INKED!

The Baron

Ryan came all the way from Latveria to tattoo

Kristin at work

lookin f f f fly

gleebs?

rockin' that Magfest shirt

yappin away as usual

poppin that colla

That's right m-fin' Morgue and Martone.  And yes, that is a Mankind tattoo I'm working on.
Know your role.

       

They have the ASSMARK!

Friday the 13th thank you from us to you!

It’s easy in today’s world to become jaded and cynical. Easy to stop believing in the inherent goodness of people in general, all we need do is watch the news or read the paper every day to have those beliefs reinforced. Easy to forget what it is like to see with the eyes of a child, when the world and the people in it were beautiful, amazing, and awe inspiring.

This past Friday the 13^th during our Tattoo-A-Thon fund raiser for Little Baby Ana, we were reminded over and over again, by each and every single person who walked through our door of the inherent goodness that we all possess and it was absolutely awe inspiring.

Over two hundred people graced us with their presence. The Mayor of Somerville, Brian G. Gallagher, accompanied by Rick St. Pierre, owner of Verve Restaurant & Bistro, even paid us a visit. The Mayor chatted with not just Tommy & Kate (the proud parents of Baby Ana) and Leah (owner of Artisanal Tattoo), but with those in the reception area and even those waiting so patiently outside. I would venture a guess that both men left there with a renewed belief in exactly what we can accomplish when we band together and exactly how much goodness there truly is in the world.

Even the Somerville Police Department paid us a visit, their sole purpose for being here to simply donate to the fund for Baby Ana.

I spoke with each and every person here on Friday the 13^th that was getting tattooed. Much to my amazement everyone I spoke to was here, not just to get tattooed but for the simple reason they wanted to contribute to the fund raiser for Little Baby Ana.

To all of you who waited so patiently. From the first three who were already waiting when I came in to start setting up at 9:30 am to the last five who made the cutoff at 7 pm and waited a good six hours to get tattooed. To the local Business owners and the residents of Somerville & those of you who stopped in to just donate, we thank you.

Thank you for being so patient and understanding. Thank you for being so generous and caring. Thank you for making this an incredibly successful fund raiser beyond what we envisioned.

Give yourselves a round of applause and a few pats on the back. It would be our honor and privilege to have you grace our doorstep again. Whether it would be to simply say hello or have a piece done by one of our incredible artists.

So…

Thank you from Leah, Kristin, Lou & Ryan (our four phenomenal tattoo artists – who now have a hand that might quite permanently be shaped to look like it’s holding a tattoo machine!).

Thank you from our meet and greeters, Rob (who might be a little hoarse from having to speak louder than normal) and Michele (ß-me - who if my feet were tires would have had to buy a new pair the next day because the treads were worn out).

Thank you from Tommy and Kate (two amazing people and proud parents).

And finally Thank You from Little Baby Ana who will grow up knowing that there is and always will be people in this world who are inherently good and can inspire even the most jaded and cynical among us to believe again.

The Staff of Artisanal Tattoo

Friday the 13th Sneek Peek

So...  really not supposed to be doing this, but so many of you have been calling and asking if we have a sheet ready, so I decided to take the initiative and post a few of the designs we have. (Don’t throw me under the bus with my boss!!!!)

These are just a few of the designs we are offering for this wonderful fund raiser for little baby Ana… These fall in the $50 donation range. For more info on the fund raiser, check out our prior blog or our Facebook site, hope to see you all on Friday!

Michele

Sometimes tattoos really make you smile...

Friday The 13th Tattoo-A-Thon Benefit!

This upcoming Friday The 13th will be a very special BENEFIT day. One of our old employees, friend, family member, Miss Kate Kohn, had a baby 3 months ago. Unfortunately little Baby Ana was born with some difficulties and complications (I will post the bio below.)

So we are going to make the next Friday The 13th tattoo-a-thon a special benefit, with ALL proceeds going to help Kate, Tommy, and baby Ana with the numerous medical expenses they are currently dealing with.

We will have a flash sheet of the normal "13" tattoos for $13(+ automatic $7 tip for the artist - but feel free to donate more!)... and we will also have a couple other sheets for a little more, with these designs suggested by Kate and Tommy. These will be tattoos that reflect Ana as well as Kate and Tommy... Snoopy designs, Hello Kitties, Hot Rod designs, punk rock/Metal logos and designs, and skateboard/BMX designs. All these designs will be a little bit bigger than the traditional Friday The 13th designs, and carry a $50 fee. Still very cheap for a quick tattoo.. and again, proceeding an AMAZING benefit.

Please spread the word for us. And if you don't want to get a tattoo, and you just want to help out a great friend of the shop... please stop by and donate however much you can spare. Kate has been a life long Somerville resident, and her family has deep roots in our community. This is a great opportunity to help someone special.

Here is the Facebook event page - https://www.facebook.com/events/253532101414274/
So we are going to make the next Friday The 13th tattoo-a-thon a special benefit, with ALL proceeds going to help Kate, Tommy, and baby Ana with the numerous medical expenses they are currently dealing with.
We will have a flash sheet of the normal "13" tattoos for $13(+ automatic $7 tip for the artist - but feel free to donate more!)... and we will also have a couple other sheets for a little more, with these designs suggested by Kate and Tommy. These will be tattoos that reflect Ana as well as Kate and Tommy... Snoopy designs, Hello Kitties, Hot Rod designs, punk rock/Metal logos and designs, and skateboard/BMX designs. All these designs will be a little bit bigger than the traditional Friday The 13th designs, and carry a $50 fee. Still very cheap for a quick tattoo.. and again, proceeding an AMAZING benefit.
Please spread the word for us. And if you don't want to get a tattoo, and you just want to help out a great friend of the shop... please stop by and donate however much you can spare. Kate has been a life long Somerville resident, and her family has deep roots in our community. This is a great opportunity to help someone special.
Here is the Facebook event page - https://www.facebook.com/events/253532101414274/
So we are going to make the next Friday The 13th tattoo-a-thon a special benefit, with ALL proceeds going to help Kate, Tommy, and baby Ana with the numerous medical expenses they are currently dealing with.
We will have a flash sheet of the normal "13" tattoos for $13(+ automatic $7 tip for the artist - but feel free to donate more!)... and we will also have a couple other sheets for a little more, with these designs suggested by Kate and Tommy. These will be tattoos that reflect Ana as well as Kate and Tommy... Snoopy designs, Hello Kitties, Hot Rod designs, punk rock/Metal logos and designs, and skateboard/BMX designs. All these designs will be a little bit bigger than the traditional Friday The 13th designs, and carry a $50 fee. Still very cheap for a quick tattoo.. and again, proceeding an AMAZING benefit.
Please spread the word for us. And if you don't want to get a tattoo, and you just want to help out a great friend of the shop... please stop by and donate however much you can spare. Kate has been a life long Somerville resident, and her family has deep roots in our community. This is a great opportunity to help someone special. 

Here is the Facebook event page - https://www.facebook.com/events/253532101414274/ 

We have a donation page here: http://www.active.com/donate/anacru

All donations can be made through H.A.R.K. here is their website: http://www.harkinc.org/

Thank you all so much in advance for helping out... 

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Here is a brief bio on her situation :
Ana Cru was born March 13, 2012 with not a breath of life in her lungs, and an ostensibly bleak outlook for her future in the eyes of countless medical professionals. Immediately following her birth, she was instantly intubated and after briefly meeting her mother for the first time, was hastily transported over to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital with her father and respiratory specialists in tow. Upon her arrival at the NICU, she was thrust into the gauntlet of diagnostic tests, while her family stood idly by, apprehensively entertaining random Doctor's sophisticated prognosis. After an interminable week of acute emotional distress; her parents finally received the diagnosis of “Dandy Walker Syndrome/ Variant” The reason for calling it a “variant” is because “Dandy Walker” comes in a multitude of forms ranging in acuteness. The most basic definition of Dandy Walker Syndrome is a malformation of the posterior part of the brain known as the cerebellum – Ana Cru's cerebellum is severely underdeveloped and has caused her to be in a hypotonic state since birth – Hypotonic is essentially having low muscle tone and little to no motor skills. The combination of the two has left her unable to eat orally, and as a result has needed G-Tube surgery so that she can eat during convalescence. The single most daunting aspect of her diagnosis is not knowing what the future holds for her because every case has varying outcomes; which in some ways gives us hope. However, a rebellious spirit lies deep inside Ana Cru which has defiantly battled and won against countless prognosis thus far, and continues her fight everyday in her hospital bed, where her mother is firmly implanted at her side as she receives the physical, occupational, and speech therapy she requires to live the rapturous, fulfilling life she so deserves. 

For those who would like to help Ana and her family, please like our Facebook page; there you will find information on donating, and other fundraisers that are upcoming. Ana's family is accepting donations of any amount, as well as baby supplies, breast feeding/pumping supplies, and vegetarian food of any kind. Food can be prepared or groceries all will be accepted. Ana's mother lives in the hospital with her baby, and they do not supply food to the parents, making it somewhat difficult to eat.

https://www.facebook.com/JoinAnaCru

Welcome!!

Welcome to Artisanal Tattoo’s blog site!

Your host(s) for our first entry will be the meet and greeters of the shop me, Michele and Rob. Artisanal Tattoo was opened on October 28, 2008 by Leah Freisen. Leah for those of you who are curious is classically trained in fine arts and a graduate of Rutgers, Mason Gross. Besides her stunning photo-realistic portraits, Leah also specializes in pin-ups, and traditional Japanese Tattoos.

Joining Leah from the first day the shop opened is Lou Morgue, who (and don’t tell him I told you this) is a gamer at heart and actually has his own ‘gaming’ website. He is also a certified EMT, and he brings that knowledge to the table with him when he is tattooing and piercing. Oh yes, he is also the shops piercer! Lou works in Black and Grey tattoos, and has won quite a few tattooing awards (some of which are proudly displayed on his wall). He is also known for his large dynamic color pieces, and for those of us that are gaming geeks, his 8-bit tattoos.

In May of 2009, Kristin Bonafide joined Leah and Lou. Kristin brings a massive amount of enthusiasm to her work. It’s not uncommon to see her running around excited over some of the pieces she is working on. Yes, she really is that bubbly, especially if you bring her a large (skim milk, 4 splenda) iced coffee from DD. She specializes in beautiful color pieces with an illustrative flair and art reproductions. Hello Kitty, Harry Potter, and Scotch are her most favorite things ever.

And since I’ve done all the ‘talking’ I’m going to let Rob take over and introduce our newest artist to the family.

Ryan Slegel, born on the mean streets of Reading, PA. Yeah, you read that right… gangsta central... Reading PA. Ryan has been tattooing for about 5 years now, first in Philly, then here in good ol NJ. He graciously joined our dysfunctional family in April of 2012, and has been a huge asset ever since. His style is a blend of old school, black and grey, and anything from the covers of the best albums ever... ie: Slayer and Maiden. He will be your bestest friend ever if you get a Dr. Doom tattoo. Yeah, he is a Marvel Comics snob… so I implore one of you to step up to the plate and get a Dr. Doom tattoo!! Ryan also had Go-Bots growing up, not Transformers… feel free to judge.

On a serious note (don’t worry if it doesn’t happen that often) We are open seven days a week, from 12-8 Monday through Saturdays and 12-6 on Sunday. Stop by and take a look see, and don’t forget to bring me (Michele) a medium Carmel Latte hot, and Rob the same only iced! Seriously... we'll love you forever if you do... or at least till we finish the drinks.

And don't forget to check out our website and Facebook page!

Artisanal Website

Facebook

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Here is some recent work by everyone.

 Leah:

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Lou:

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Kristin:

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Ryan: