Interview with Tattoo Artist John LaFleur

John LaFleur is an awesome guy and talented artist who works at Platinum Ink, 8939 82 Ave, Edmonton, AB. It was really good of John to take the time out from his schedule and do this interview with me.

When did you become interested in tattooing? Do you remember what the first tattoo was that you inked?  Did you practice on yourself?

John:  I first started tattooing about two years ago 2014.  I ordered a kit online. They sell starter kits online and it comes with a machine, some ink, some needles, and some proper cleaning stuff. The kit cost around $74 bucks, but was really cheap stuff, (laughs), I wouldn’t recommend to get it. It’s pretty much for tattooing grapefruits and stuff. It’s just for practice.

I tattooed my ex-girlfriend. I did a little tribal panther on her that turned out really nice.  After that I decided, hey, I should get into this. I gave myself a tattoo on my leg, it was a rose and skull … it was very difficult because your natural instinct is to pull it out while you're trying to keep it in there to get a good straight line, but your body's saying “what are you trying to do to yourself?” (laughs). After that, I started tattooing from home, working on my friends and family.

How did you get started professionally?

John: A year ago this place opened up and I showed my boss Kris my work. He was really impressed with what I had done. He says “that’s some really good tattoos here, how long have you been tattooing?” He was surprised when I told him I was only a first year. He said my work looked more like a five year and he hired me. I guess I have a natural knack for it.

Do you have a formal art background or any special training?

John: I have always been drawing since as long as I can remember, replicating stuff, or making my own things. I have done a bit of sculpting, painting and a bit of airbrushing. I like trying all types of art out to see what I can do and see where my strengths are. Sculpting has helped me to get a good 3-D perspective of things and how to draw things properly.

What tattoo artist do you most admire?

John: There are so many talented artists out there, and they inspire me because I think if they can do it, why can I.  I really like the work by Guy Aitchison and Oliver Peck. Those guys are really cool. And of course my boss Kris. He’s shown me everything I know.

How do you describe your style now?

John:  I find myself to be really into black and grey realism, but I can do colour realism to. I like to try out all these different styles because I am a new tattoo artist, and don’t know what my preferred specialty is yet. But so far what I have been trying is old traditional, new school and Japanese; I’ve been doing really well with it, so, I am still trying to figure out where my strong foot is.  So I’m just learning everything that I can.

What are some of the favorite pieces that you have created?

John: I really like a lot of the work I’ve done. You can check out my stuff at lafleur.john on Instagram.

What is your favorite part of the job?

John: My favorite part of the job, is honestly, the reactions I get from the people I tattoo. The best one was when this lady cried happy tears, that was hands down the best. When they love it, it makes you feel good about yourself. It’s on them forever and that’s really great.

What are your future goals as a tattoo artist?

John: My actual life time goal is to have someone tattooed by me around the world. Like on each continent or something like that.

Since my main focus on Tattoo: The Pictures Story is about women, I would like to ask you some questions pertaining to women.

John: Sure go ahead.

I have come across many stories of women who have survived breast cancer are getting tattoos done to cover scarring.  Have you had any women coming in here for this same reason?

John: We have a display box for breast cancer research/contributions over on the desk. So we definitely support the cause. As far as having worked on women for this purpose, no, not yet, but we would definitely be willing to do so.   We are always open to that, cause we like helping out and stuff, help them feel confident again.   

What percentage of your customers are women?

John: Probably right around 50 / 50, it’s pretty even.

Who do you find easier to tattoo, men or women? Who are the braver ones? (laughs)

John: Women are braver. Lots of guys are like, “oh this hurts more than I thought”, while the women are like, “Oh this isn’t as bad as I thought it would be.” They seem to handle it better. (we make a joke about childbirth) Most chicks find it very therapeutic actually. It’s like a nice abrasive scratching, especially when you're doing the shading. I kinda like that too.

Creating More Content

Personal journey entry #6

I decided to add interviews with tattoo artists as a new feature to my blog. I am doing this for a couple of reasons. One, these interviews help to keep my work more interesting and I get to learn about the Ink industry at face value. 

The second reason is that it isn’t easy to find women who want to share their tattoo stories with the world. I know lots of ladies with tattoos, but it seems a wall comes up when the pen and camera come out. But that is ok. I respect people’s privacy and comfort levels. One thing I have learned and have faith in is that the right person will come at the right time. When I was creating my book Church Street … where hope grows, the ongoing joke was that the book was choosing the people. Many of the meetings we had with our participants just fell into place. Therefore, I am going to have faith that this project Tattoo: the pictures story will be no different. And so far it has been this way. My participants Chanel and Bailey were completely like this. I met Chanel on a bus coming home one day, and Bailey was working at a store I was shopping in. Fate just brought us together. 

Yesterday was another example of things just falling into place. In the early afternoon, I headed over to the Shambhala Tattoos on 104 St. The woman there was very friendly, but also a bit cautious, and that’s ok, she doesn’t know me. She was helpful and let me leave my information and hopefully they will get back to me. But after that, I just couldn’t head home empty handed, so I got off the bus a few stops before my own and headed into the neighborhood tattoo shop Platinum Ink on 82 Ave. To my surprise, three young men greeted me. They were all super nice and one of them agreed to do an interview with me. How awesome is that!

       (Platinum Ink, 8939 82Ave, Edmonton.)

These interviews with the tattoo artists are for my blog only, so therefore it doesn’t matter to me if they are male or female. I think men can add an interesting perspective pertaining to women in the Ink Culture / Community. I was sure in the end to include questions that were focused on women.

And the third reason, I just like to talk to people. Therefore, I hope my viewers will enjoy them as much as I do. 

Have a great day!

Patricia

#blog  #tattoos  #bodyart  #yeg  #inksociety  #artwork  #guyswithtattoos  #girlswithtattoos  #inkedup  #inked  #tattooshops  #interviews  

Survivor's Art

Women get their bodies inked for many different reasons. For some women it is self expression through art. For some women it is a tool to record a part of their lives or history. And for many other women, it is a way to try to repair and heal themselves after having survived breast cancer. 

For those who have had breast cancer, the battle to remove the cancer and live is the first battle. The second battle is to repair the breasts from the mastectomy and restore the woman's self confidence. To look daily upon the scars or to see the reconstructed breast not having an areola and nipple is a constant reminder of the cancers battle ground. But getting inked is changing that. 

Many women who have had a mastectomy are turning to tattooist to transform the scars and in some cases the newly flat chest into beauty and works of art. Some women chose to have their breasts adorned with flowers, beautiful patterns of fancy lines and swirls, birds in flight, or perhaps a lovely scene. When they look into the mirror they now see a work of art and not what they lost. 

While I was looking through the online photos, one thing I noticed in common with these women was the ability to stand in front of the camera with no modesty or shame. My first thought was they can because they have been through so much, and have dealt with many doctors and nurses examining them. But then I noticed a sparkle in some of their eyes and realized that these breast cancer survivors are incredibly strong women. They have been to hell and back and have a real sense of appreciation surrounding life. These beautiful tattoos are reflections of the beauty and strength within each woman. 

And there are some women who have not gone the picturesque route, but went for the realism version instead. This would consist with having nipples and areolas tattooed onto the new breast. It is quite incredible what can be done now through the art of tattooing. One man named Vinnie Myers began assisting doctors to make the breast implant have a more complete visual appeal. After a woman had her breast reconstructed, the doctor would send her to Vinnie Myers to have the final touches of a nipple and areola inked onto her new breast.  Because there is such a high demand, the Myers family are now specializing in this area of tattooing. 

Because I do not want to re-blog other people’s blogs, here are the links to more information and photos of women's breast / chest tattoos. 

10 Incredibly Powerful Photos of Women Who Turned Their Mastectomy Scars Into Art

22 Tattoos That Were Much More Than Just Beautiful Body Adornments

INSPIRING MASTECTOMY TATTOOS

#tattoos  #breastcancer  #breastcancerawareness  #breastcancersurvivor #bodyink  #bodyart  #strongwomen  #selflove

Beauty Within The Darkness

In 2016, I was going through a dark time and I was feeling really insecure. I developed an eating disorder and lost a lot of weight, like 20lbs in two weeks.  Because I love art and love to contemplate it, I decided to get a tattoo that I could just look down upon. I thought that maybe if I had something there in front of me, I would feel better looking at myself. It was kind of irrational, but the quote was very relevant to my situation. I just wanted to be like a galaxy, so I got a tattoo that reflected how I felt. There is a lot more to me than just this surface self. 

“Never apologize for burning too brightly or for collapsing into yourself every night for that is how galaxies are made.” 

I couldn’t get any sleep and I was loosing a lot of weight. I was trying to go to school, but it really felt like I had nobody there. I was living at my brothers house, but there was never anyone home. I felt like I was collapsing into myself every night.  I rarely got out of bed ... ever ... I just chained smoked in my bed ... I lived off of meal replacement drinks for months ... and I was just falling apart. I thought that by having this verse inked upon me it would help piece me back together ... like this is what I want to be ... so I am going to put it there so that I can live up to it ... and not to worry.

Because it is so personal to me, I decided to have it on my right thigh so that it was easy for me to view, but other people could only see it when I chose for that to be ok. I decided to use a font type of lettering that was not easy to decipher right away. It is a mix between a spray paint font and classical font and has some fancy configurations in the mix. It took five hours to complete it and it was only painful when the work was being done on the inner thigh. That wasn’t the nicest feeling. I was going to get a galaxy around the quote, but at the time I couldn’t afford it. But I am definitely going to get it done in the future, and it will be in colour.  Actually, my intentions are to have all the ink on the right side of my body done in colour, and all the ink on the left side of my body done in the black and grey. The overall effect will create a yin and yang outcome on my body.

My other tattoo is on my left arm. It was my first one. It is a skull with flowers. I decided to get this done on my eighteenth birthday. I told the guy what I wanted and he just drew it up. I wanted it in the black and grey tones because I wanted it to be dark. It is a reminder that no matter how dark things seem to be, there is always a hidden beauty in that darkness. The skull is a stark reminder of how fragile and raw life can be and the flowers represent the beauty we can find in life. 

Now when I look at my tattoos, especially the writing on my leg, I feel proud. I feel proud because I know I have made it a lot farther than what I was back then. I have gained 20lbs, and I am becoming that person, that galaxy, that I want to be. 

~ Bailey Sieben                                Edmonton, AB

#womenwithtattoos   #tattoo  #life  #stories  #bodyart  #inspiration  #strength  #HiddenBeauty  

International Women's Day

HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY

(taken from http://www.winningcovers.com/tat7.php#axzz4alOs5Z1r)

#sheinspiresme   #InternationalWomansDay #BeBoldForChange  #WomenPower  #naked  #BeYourself  #Women  #beautiful  #NoShame  #WomenWithTattoos  #CelebrateWomen  #WomensRights  #BodyArt  #DoWhatWeWant  

Honoring Stories

Journal Entry #5

As of today, I have talked with four participants; my daughter Symarah, Mikayla, Chanel, and this weeks participant Bailey. I have to tell you I am so happy to have chosen the direction of focusing on women. So far my participants have all been young women, which has been interesting for me. It is a great reminder of how much depth and soulfulness that can be expressed in today's youth. Especially with Chanel and Bailey, two young women I have just met. Their openness to share their intimate stories with me is very courageous and surely will touch the hearts of others. 

I realized that this is one of the beautiful things about women and their tattoos. Women are naturally passionate creatures in everything they do, so why would it be any different when it comes to their tattoos. Women share. And I think most want a space where they can be authentic and reflect upon where they have come from. For many, the Ink is symbol of their story. 

This  openness is actually essential to me as a writer as it gives heart to the content. On my first creative journalist project, Church Street ...Where Hope Grows, I had interviewed over fifty people that lived or worked in the inner city area called Church Street. After interviewing them, I would take their stories and turn it into poetry and prose. Some of the meetings became very intense emotionally. At first I thought that was because I am an empath, meaning it is easy for me to plug into the emotions of others, but as time went on, I realized it was the pockets of emotions being released by the participants. Many people really opened up and shared a beautiful part of themselves. I was humbled and honored throughout the process of creating the book. And from what I am experiencing so far in this new journey, it is the same. 

I had a woman tell me once, that people should never let their stories die within them. I truly hope that I am able to honor many women by creating a safe space where they can share their stories and the symbols they chose to reflect them.  And in turn, I will do the same. 

#stories  #women  #leanin  #womensharing  #womencaring  #reflections  #tattoos  #symbols  #bodyart

The Dove

At the age of eighteen I decided to get the dove tattoo. At that point it had been six years since my mother had died; she passed away when I was twelve years old. The dove is a symbol of my mother. I never really got to know her because she struggled with drugs and addictions. She was trapped in a life style that she could not leave. When she passed away she became free from the addictions, free from her life; now she’s able to fly away and to move on. Because I grew up in foster care, the idea of family is really important to me.  And now I have a beautiful daughter. The bond between mothers and daughters is strong. My mother wasn’t able to be with me, but now every time I look into the mirror, I am reminded of her, and my feelings for her. It is healing. It seems that the dove does bring peace. 
I have three other tattoos, but I think my favorite is the one written across my chest “One Life One Chance”.  It’s a reminder to live your best life. 

The tattooist is my friend Irvin Badarm. It took about two hours to have it done. It hurt just a little, but it really wasn’t bad. I decided to have the dove on my face because that was the place that felt right for me. I chose to have it in traditional black lines because I like to keep it clear and simple. The lines are bold and stand out. The other day a lady saw it and asked if it was a dove, and then told me how she really loved it. That was really nice. It feels good to have others compliment it. Tattoos are art on the body. A woman shouldn’t have to hide her tattoos. They are meant to be seen. 

~ Chanel Thom

To contact Chanel you can visit her at her Face Book page and send a friend request. 

Chanel would like her shout out to go to the Edmonton's Youth Empowerment & Support Services. By helping to empower our youth we are investing in everyone's future.  

Youth Empowerment & Support Services     

#dove  #tattoo  #bodyart  #women  #womenwithtattoos  #mothers  #daughters  #family

Healing The Scars

I remember years ago when I had met a young woman who had slash marks across her wrists and forearms, and I didn’t understand why a person would do such a thing to themselves. At that time, I thought it seemed very extreme and almost self absorbing. Well, I’ve grown up a lot since then, and life will throw at us what we need to understand. Having personally  gone through depression and complete hopelessness, I now understand how a person could inflict such pain and abuse upon themselves. I have never actually gone through with the act of cutting, but I have felt the internal pain that would provoke the cutting. When a person aches inside so strongly, there is a feeling that if you make the outside bleed then maybe just maybe the pain will have a place to leak from. Sounds crazy, but unless you have been in emotional hell, don’t judge. 

For the most part, those that go through emotional hell are experiencing a temporary reality. What I mean is that, if life outside of themselves was different, they would be different people. (yes, I know,  that clashes with the reality begins within ourselves theory; but every theory has exceptions) Here's the thing...self-harm is most likely to happen to those between the ages of 7 - 17.  Especially girls. These are kids who are experiencing the world through the influence of others. Although I agree that some may have a physical chemical imbalance, I would have to say my opinion is that most are living in emotionally imbalanced home environments. And looking at the state of our society, I think my opinion has a lot of validity. 

So here’s the thing, what happens to these people when they get older and have taken control of their own lives and are creating a happy existence for themselves? Sadly, they still have the scars of their past as a constant reminder of the history they left behind. Well, maybe it doesn’t have to be that way anymore.

Tattooist Whitney Develle is a young woman who is turning self-harm scars into works of art. In 2016 Whitney created The Scars Project. For the past year she has been giving one free tattoo per week to those who are self-conscious of their self-harm scars. That project served over fifty people. 

Taken from Whitney's Face Book page:

Bio: “In 2106 I devoted my time to 'The Scars Project'. I decided to tattoo 1 free tattoo a week until the end of the year for those who had scars from previously inflicted self-harm or had suffered at the hands of abuse. It was my aim to remove the stigma behind self-harm scarring and bring some light back into the lives of those that were ready for a new chapter in their lives. Given the overwhelming amount of beautiful people out there that inquired I could not offer a free sitting to everyone, so I decided to offer discounted rates to anyone who was seeking to move forward from their past and embark on a new beginning.  I learnt so much along the way and met so many incredible people who have changed my life in more ways than one, I will forever be grateful. “

I have never personally talked to Whitney and receive nothing for this endorsement...but I am thrilled to support her work. Not only does she have a kind heart, but is also an amazing artist. 

Whitney is a third year tattooist from Melbourne, Australia. She is currently working out of the Sacred Monkey Tattoo shop.  You can find her at Whitney Develle Face Book Page

You can also watch this interview...      BBC interview

I personally would love to see other artist join in on  The Scar Project and watch it go viral around the world. 

#self-harm  #WhitneyDevelle  #women  #teens  #girls  #healing  #tattoo  #InkArt  #selflove  #BodyArt  #rolemodles