Going Under
THE NEEDLE
"ALL tattoos REMEMBER a chapter in TIME"
- Jason Ownby of Joker's Wild Tattoos
As someone that has multiple tattoos, Ashley Hawkins explained in a phone interview that having tattoos, “certainty doesn’t make things easier.” Being a business owner means Hawkins has multiple responsibilities not only within her own business, but in the outreach to possible clients and donors. “I get stranger looks but I don’t think it is associated with being a criminal,” said Hawkins. She feels that her tattoos give her an advantage by, “Looking a bit unusual can be an asset and is a marker of the field you are in.” In Hawkin’s case, she is the owner of an art community studio called Studio Two Three in Richmond, Virginia. “I think I was more sensitive about [them] when I was younger,” she said, and continued “I don’t really think about them now, they become a sweater you wear every day.”
In a recent article, NPR explained that “21 percent” of people have “at least one tattoo” somewhere on their body. Part of the supposed courage that comes from having a tattoo is the experience and pain that an individual goes through when on the receiving end of the needles. Each of these tattooed individuals had an experience with a tattoo artist, perhaps a good one or even a bad one.
Jason Ownby feels that “all tattoos remember a chapter in time.” Ownby believes that each tattoo artist should “always give one hundred percent” to a client’s tattoo even if it is a design or art style that isn’t the artist’s preference. “We’re just artists in here,” said Ownby. Being a tattoo artist means not only putting on a piece of art that lasts forever onto that client’s body but also being in a everlasting place in the client’s memories. “You will always remember me,” Ownby said.
As part of the tattooing experience it also means having a serious conversation between the tattoo artist and the client. Discussing the artistic style, the price of the tattoo, but also the meaning of the tattoo can leave a lasting impression on the client. Travelling tattoo artist Elizabeth Duggan from Charlotte Tattoo Company in North Carolina urges people to “think about your body and how you’re going to wear it and what life you want to lead” when selecting their tattoo. Although Duggan feels that “fad tattoos” are “like grocery money” for her as a tattoo artist, she also feels that those designs come with a “negative” connotation. “Even with the parts that are annoying you’re supposed to struggle through them,” Duggan said. She encourages people to think about the permanence of the tattoo and to “try to make sure it suits you older as well as now.”
50%
goes to the artist
50%
goes to the tattoo shop
The cost of a tattoo is...
*Excludes tip