Wow!

Ya' know, I've talked a lot in my previous posts about how I'm really sorry for not turning in my blogs on a regular enough basis. Well, guess what? Here I go again.

It's been a really long stretch since my last blog. Been busy with the studio, sideline business deals, family stuff, writing for the magazine... Seems like there's not enough time in the day to do what I do. I'm also worried that these blogs aren't being accessed. I get a few comments but there aren't that many hits rolling through these pages. I get blown up when I post these blogs (usually a week after they're posted here, at the ITA site) on Myspace so I know people read the blogs, they're just not reading them here, or if they are, they're not commenting like they do over at the myspace page.

So blow up the comments here and let me know you're out there. Let me know what you want to read.

In other news International Tattoo Art is celebrating it's 15th year this year! If I were a cursing man, I would say, "Holy Fucking Shit!" to that. Time flies when you're having fun I guess. I have been a loyal reader of this esteemed mag since it's inception and am daily stoked to b e a part of the creative team still churning out a beautiful and interesting read on a regular basis. My tattoo career started the same year that ITA hit the shelves and it's no coincidence that I was pushed to be the artist I am because of ITA. Sure, I read (and still do) those "other" magazines but NOBODY was doing it like ITA did it back in the day. Super high quality photos, covers and writing about super high caliber artists. The other mags turned out some good stuff too but were never as consistent or as dedicated to QUALITY as International Tattoo Art and at a time when all the other books had pictures of leather fringe clad biker mamas on their covers exclusively, ITA happily put beautiful girls with amazing work on their bodies on the cover even if they were rocking a mohawk or a shaved head and facial piercings which was exactly what my youthful punk rock eye wanted to see. Nothing wrong with biker mamas, I grew up around that, but to see a girl my own age with interests outside of of the typical "V-twin straight to Sturgis" mentality represented by the other mags sent a huge message to me that it was okay to be myself in this industry and that it was okay to explore artistic avenues beyond the pale of tradition. Of course, it wasn't just the covers that drew me in to ITA it was the content. Many of my all time favorite artists got their first respectable spread in the pages of ITA and EVERY spread blew my mind.

So, again, I'm gonna shoot to keep this thing up on a weekly basis. Don't hate me if I don't because I'll probably drop the ball at least a few more times but leave me some comments here and let the world know what you think about my stuff, ITA and the current state of affairs in the world of tattooing. If tattooing or getting tattooed is your passion, let the world know it and show some support so we can keep this snowball rolling.