I started tattooing in 1996. I’m self taught with no formal apprenticeship (not  recommended!) I also opened my first studio in 96′. After a long, slow learning curve I feel I’ve finally reached some sort of acceptable level of professional tattooing.

At this point in my career I try to focus on larger custom pieces. I work by appointment only. My style tends to lean towards realism, though I don’t restrict myself to that genre. I always try to put a little something in my work to identify it as my own. I don’t try to emulate one artist, instead just trying to do my best on every piece and let the tattoo take on a life of it’s own.

Along with myself, my fiancee’ runs the studio and my other artist, Chris Chubbuck, handles just as many clients as I do, also focusing on custom design. We will be looking for another artist soon and I’m hoping to open a second studio in the future. Please check out our website and look us up on Facebook.

I want to thank Steve for the opportunity of this brief write up and the chance to show all of you a little bit of my work. Thanks to all my customers who give me the opportunity to create artwork on their flesh. It’s the ultimate compliment.

Chad Chase

Venom Ink Tattoo

www.venomink.com

Dan has been drawing, painting, and writing novels since he was a little kid. In high school he focused on art and creative writing and was accepted to the art school of his choice. He was all set to start his art career when he was kicked out of his house. After about 8 months of being homeless, he ended up in a food service job. One bad job led to another but art remained constant. A year and a half were spent doing political cartoons for Madcap Magazine, not to mention various art for local clubs, bands, and a cover illustration for Maximum Rock and Roll.

At 23, he decided to take it a step further and attend art school. He was in 3 galleries, received a lot of support from teachers and students, learned plenty, and decided to leave school early for a career in NYC.

Album covers, band art, even published paintings in books brought plenty of compliments, but not regular work. Then a friend of Dan’s brother, a tattoo artist at Ink Addiction in Carlisle, PA named Chad Divel, offered to teach him how to tattoo. He turned down his first apprenticeship offer at 19, when his perception of what could be done with a tattoo was much more limited. People like Guy Aitchison, Aaron Caine and Tom Renshaw had really opened his eyes. Dan accepted the offer.

The friend got Dan his first machines (Time Machines), and a full set of Starbrite Ink. He then proceeded to practice on his girlfriend and friends. Almost ten years and way too many shops later, it’s all worked out into a happy medium between commercial and private work.

He’s still pursuing fine art, in fact he’s been in 20 something gallery shows and has plenty more coming up. At any given time, at least one gallery is usually exhibiting his work. Dan also just completed writing a novel, By Demons Driven, and a few publishers are already interested. The front and back cover, and possibly some of the interior will feature his art. More to come, time is the only constraint!

dan@danhenk.com

Erin, who wants to be a crazy cat lady when she grows up, is a self professed geek, into gaming, comics and cheesy horror movies. Expanding her talents from painting and drawing, Erin got into tattooing in 2006. She travels most of the time doing expos and conventions, from Australia to Canada refining her skills. Her execution of eerie zombie realism, portraiture of all kinds, Asian influenced work, and her old and new school pieces are making her a major contender in the industry. When not traveling and doing her thing, she works full time out of Sacred Tattoo, Auckland, New Zealand. She will be working the Sydney Tattoo & Body Art Expo, March 6th-8th in Australia, so if you’re in the area stop by her booth, check out her work and tell her Steve said what’s up.

I had the pleasure of meeting tattooer Ryan Thomas at the 2010 Am-Jam Tattoo Expo and was blown away by his great personality and exceptional artistic talent, read up on this guy and expect more great stuff from him in the future.

Ryan Thomas was born and raised in southern New Hampshire. Born with an interest in art, Ryan has been pursuing a career as an artist as long as he can remember. Starting out in grade school by drawing his classmates sports cards all the way up to working in a local mall drawing portraits in a kiosk during High School, Ryan has been a professional artist practically forever.

In the days following September 11th 2001 Ryan joined the Army giving up college scholarship opportunities to many highly regarded fine art colleges. After graduating as an infantryman Ryan was injured and received an honorable discharge from the military. Following his return home he soon discovered the scholarships were no longer valid and soon became a structural truss engineer. Although making a comfortable living Ryan was not satisfied with the lack of creating art in his life, enough so that he quit his job and began pursuing a career as a tattoo artist.

With portfolio in hand Ryan began the task of finding a suitable shop where he could start apprenticing, and as luck would have it he found the opportunity at a tattoo shop in NH.

Ryan began an apprenticeship and after two years he made the move to Body Creations Tattoo in Rochester NH. At Body Creations Ryan learned and developed even more as an artist under the direction of another talented artist, Nick Filth.

While at Body Creations Ryan traveled doing Tattoo Conventions and Guest spots at other shops scattered throughout the country. Becoming friends with other artists in and out of the industry, Ryan’s artistic abilities began to evolve and mature and although thrilled and humbled to be treated as well as he was at Body Creations, he decided to make the move to New Hampshire’s largest City, Manchester, to explore new artistic endeavors and challenges.

Ryan now tattoos full time at Tattoo Angus in Manchester NH with an amazing group of artist who push him further along every day, and he also works on an appointment only schedule at Venom Ink, an award winning custom tattoo studio, in Sanford Maine.

Always accepting new clients with new challenges and ideas Ryan is available for your next piece of body art. Leave an email or stop in to the shop anytime. Tattoo Angus in Located at 1279 South Willow Street, Manchester NH.

Jamie Henderson’s style of black and grey has taken on a life of its own in the short 5 years that he has been professionally tattooing. Intense horror imagery and tattoo portraitures ranging from peoples kids to the ultra demonic have become a specialty of the self made shop owner.

After a rocky 2 year apprenticeship, and some issues going on in the shop he was working out of that were beyond his control, Jamie decided it was time to open a shop of his own and set a higher standard for the area he was in. In his new shop for nine months, the landlord saw that Jamie and his crew were doing extremely well and decided that he could afford a hefty rent increase and some more bills. With that, he said it was time to go again, opening another new shop bigger and better than the last, where he has been flourishing for the past 3 years.

While tattooing is his main focus, when he’s not in the shop or traveling around the U.S. and Canada working conventions, his passion for art overflows into his house/studio. Using charcoals, pencils and pastels as his preferred media, he has covered almost every part of his home with his work, which has many in progress drawings and paintings still waiting to go. If you’re not lucky enough to catch up with Jamie at a convention, give him a call or stop by his shop and make an appointment.

Forsaken Ink, 5 North St, Bloomingburg NY 12721   phone 845-733-1119

A fan of realistic style tattoos, Don will put a portrait on ya that will make a digital camera jealous. Combined with his talent with old school black and grey work, and new school color pieces, Don is a force to be reckoned with at any tattoo convention he attends, and has the trophies to prove it.

His shop Full Effect Tattoo has been in downtown Troy, NY for the past 5 years, but now with the shops ever growing following, he has felt the pressure to expand. Come Dec. 1st of this year, the shops new location (235 N. Greenbush Rd, Rt 4, Troy NY) will have five 10ft wide booths to accomodate their old and new clients. With a busy college down the road, and a major roadway coming into play, guest artists are more than welcome to join the ranks of Full Effect at any time. Walk ins’ are also welcome, but appointments are recommended.

Full Effect Tattoo

235 North Greenbush Rd, Rt 4, Troy NY, 12180

(518) 328-0077

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