Minnesota (n)Ice

I slipped on ice outside my house this morning while talking to Albie on the phone.
I didn't break my face, but my elbow has been aching all day.
Serves me right, I got a letter in the mail a few days ago from the "Sidewalk Inspector" (no joke) saying someone ratted me out, and would I please use some sand on the hazardous conditions that threatened people on my property.
Minnesota winters are a hazard, buddy.


It did get into the above freezing temperatures today, and there was a great melting that happened.
But now it's back down to 15 degrees, and everything that previously melted is just thicker ice.

I think Chris is with me on wanting an immediate Spring in Minneapolis.
But he's real concerned about the ice melting too much in the Arctic.
This was his second tattoo, one sitting, maybe 3 hours?




The quick sketch I did for the tattoo:

Recharged and Ready

The last two weeks at Identity Tattoo have been pretty crazy.
Mostly I've been doing the paycheck pieces, back-to-back and all day long.
People are getting their taxes back, and handing them right over to me.
I overbooked, underestimated, and overdosed.
Too much Dr Pepper (what?! I know!) and Indian take-out.
I didn't take one picture last week.

But this weekend was a break from all of that.
Meryl and I did Seward Cafe Sunday and then some MANtiquing down in Northfield, MN
I woke up this morning and, get this, took a jog around Powderhorn park with Shamira.
And I didn't even die.
I only had two cans of soda today.

This week promises a way more appealing schedule, with some of those slightly disturbing, wonderfully absurd animal creatures I've really been getting into lately.
A polar bear, a cow, an owl.
There should be a flood of blog posts after that dry spell.
(even Todd has been typing up a storm.)




Casey, Kyle and I have been attending our Naked Mondays faithfully.
Last week was kind of a disaster.
Hopefully, we won't see that model again for a while.
Like ever.
But this week we had someone who was good at sitting still, and the two and a half hours flew by.
This pose was 30 minutes, pencil and white pencil on brown canson paper.

Also, if you're in the state of Minnesota, or plan on visiting soon, I would be at Identity Tattoo for this upcoming Friday the 13th.

Be Mine

I'm not too stuck in middle ground, ever.
Hyperbole and I are very well acquainted.
I love a lot of things, and pretty much hate the rest.
Valentine's Day?
I love AND hate it.

We kicked the day off at Identity Tattoo with some Heartless Bastards, because it was so fitting.
And because they rock.

I did 9 tattoos today. I easily drank at least that many Dr Peppers.
I also used two different stations.
I had Kyle helping a little with some of the tearing down and setting up, and Todd had the day off, so we played musical chairs for a group of lonely hearted girls in order to squeeze them in.
Turns out, only two of the three were single, the other's boyfriend was ice fishing instead of spending time with his ladyfriend.
He may be single by now.

The Current (an npr music station out here) did the top ever love songs till midnight, and then once the clock struck 12, it went into the best break up songs ever.

I ate too much Ethiopian food tonight, Meryl's been in Chicago all week, it's 2:38 am and only 10 degrees out.
I'm happily exhausted, I think.
My weekend just began.

The Devil's Dozen

Friday the 13th, two months in a row?

Todd Lambright showed up this morning to Identity Tattoo carrying a bag full of mirrors, a black umbrella, a ladder, and a few shakers of salt.
We're hoping the bad luck carries us all the way till next month.
Or at least through Valentine's Day.
And since it was also a Friday, "not casual" was in effect as well.



We've had a busy morning smashing mirrors and tattooing.
I'm in between appointments right now, but after all that testing of fate, I'd be amazed if this next one shows up.
But if she does, we'll hand her the hammer and a mirror, and let her thumb her nose at Fortuna.
*edit- she did show up, and with a posse!*

Matt had an almost completed sleeve that we fit this murderous penguin tattoo into the last empty space.
Which happened to be the underarm/armpit area.
I battled my way through some hidden stretchmarks and Matt delt with some serious limb numbness.
But we survived and have this insanely poor quality picture as proof.
After he heals it up, we'll do the background and fit it into the rest of the sleeve.



My sister-in-law Casey came in late in the evening for a session on her backpiece we finished 4 years ago.
Just a little reworking, as I've gotten slightly better since the Cromwell studio days.
She smashed the last mirror, then we closed up the shop and headed home.

A pretty great day, for sure.
There may be an event for next months Friday the 13th.
I'll keep you posted.

I have a busy day lined up for tomorrow, but if you're around, stop in and say hello.
We'll be playing the Mountain Goat's "No Children" on repeat till Ben sheds some tears.

Miss Victoria, aka the Roman Struggler, has some tiny arms but big ideas.
Here's a portrait of Mr Abraham Lincoln from the five dollar bill.
Which, when the artist was doing the original art for the bill, he left out all the ugly.
Have you seen a close up of Lincoln?
Frightening.



After Lincoln I did a couple more tattoos.

Then Chef Ryan came in and got this kinda anti-pin-up thing.
An east coast tattoo artist is putting together an art book of 100 pin ups, and I was asked to contribute one.
I'm sure it'll have plenty of the expected.
But a bi-species hottie?
Probably not what they were looking for.



I didn't really have time to do anything other than tattoo today.
I stayed pretty late to finish the antlered girl in one shot.
But that's fine.
A full day tattooing people that bring awesome stories and ideas is a great way to spend a Wednesday. Especially with Indian food take out.

Wrapping up the weekend.

Another Naked Monday.
Casey and I show up early to park ourselves in front of whoever is going to be fully undressed and pose in uncomfortable ways for two and a half hours.
This woman sat so unbelievably still.



Most of the day leading up to the drawing session was devoted to mail art.
And getting dope art in the mail.
Did you see these block prints Albie Rock did recently?
Well, I now have one of each begging to be framed and hung up in my new art room.
So hot.
Thanks dude!

Art Ruins Everything

Days have been flying by.
I think I'm still on Ohio time.

Thanks to Mandi for modeling the Antlered Birdhouse shirt.
There are still some left if you want one.
A Valentine's gift for your sweetheart?
Better hurry up and email me.
(And I'm meaning to have the guys shirts knocked out this week.)




We got lots of dope mail today.
Postcards from Brazil and NYC, and a package of stickers.
1000 stickers can't be wrong- Dead Birds Are Sexy!
As always, all stickers are free. Just email me with your address, or stop by Identity Tattoo, and I'll give you a bunch.

I also got to work on Chef Jeff again today for the first time in a while.
He's working on a water themed sleeve, but had a nasty case of tribal armband in the way.
Yeah.
So we worked on it for a few hours this afternoon, and although we didn't finish the eel, it's a pretty fun work-in-progress that I thought I would show. We still have a lot of texture to do, and the eye and mouth.
And don't worry-
Those few little bits of tribal outside the eel will be easily covered by water.



My weekend began a few hours ago.
Back to back plans will make for a chaotic two days "off".
Next week is a full moon, a well dressed Friday the 13th, and Valentine's Day.

And for all the Midwest appreciators of Albie Rock's blog, the man behind the barbarian babble and daily doses of dopeness is planning another trip to Minneapolis.
He didn't receive the heartiest of welcomes last time, so if you want in on whatever adventure will be happening this time, let either or both of us know.
Right now it's being billed as the opposite of a vacation, a brutal art sweatshop of self-ploitaion, during which an entirely new foundation of collaboration will be erected.
If you have a letterpress; embossing, bookbinding or embroidery skills; a bag of skulls; secret maps or vegan spells: Get at us.
There might be some tattooing involved.
More info on all of that soon.

1700 miles and 4 days later.

Damn.
I left Thursday for Ohio and arrived home Sunday night.
That's a 29 hour round trip road-trip.

Not much sleeping happened, but I did do some tattooing.
Thanks to JR, Mandi, Dustin, FX Tattoos and the entire Ashtabula posse for the warm welcome, the never ending supply of Dr Pepper, the paintings, flash, the ball busting and the fun.



Tanner said he was up for anything.
Jeremy answered the call for an animal with "Buffalo!", so that's what we did.



Dustin had wanted this 'Ode to Being 15' covered up with a big crow.
I sketched on his arm for a little while, ran through a few ideas, and we settled on this.
He said it was his longest tattoo sit ever.
It was certainly the most amount of ink caps he's ever seen used.
I even made him come in early to get it done.
Cockcrow in Ohio.





Here's Mr. JR Tubbs under his trophy from the once finished, now in limbo dreaded Antler Crutch War of 2008ish.
He's building an army out there, smoking cigarettes and armed with watercolors and dremel tools.
Right on.
(except for the smoking)



It's good to change up the scenery every so often.
Go to a different state, time zone and climate.
A different way of doing things, talking with clients, drawing, and doing art.
29 hours on the road is a lot of time to think.


It'll be a busy week.
The dudes shirts are being made.
More stickers.
Tattoos, mail art, painting, sending out the orders for the girls shirts and more.
And very little driving.