Yup! I got a job as Apprentice at Visual Expressions in East Hartford on Silver Lane.

I got the job from cold calling based on info from a 2 day old Craig’s list add. The add said they were looking for experienced tattoo artists – I’ve done about 10 in my life. So it was a long shot, but if they said no I was no worse off, so what did I have to lose? I’ve wanted to learn to tattoo and blow glass since about the first time I saw it done and the way people react to them as objects of art and beauty.

I asked to come to the shop and show them my work, if they were interested in me maybe I could be an apprentice, if it wasn’t something they were interested I didn’t want to waste their time. I came in and brought a few of my charcoal pieces and my early tattoo work. I talked with Steve, the owner, and we figured that I could maybe handle it. There hasn’t been a thing yet that I havn’t been able to do so Im pretty confident that this will work out. The only thing that would hold me back is that it is an apprencticeship and therefore unpaid. I’ve got a few plans so far on ways I can boost income. The best one I’ve come up with so far are layaway tattoos in the form of tattoo bonds. Details to come.

Of course, I’ll still be working with my retainers during this time. They are still #1 and the only thing bringing in money right now so I can’t lose them. This is just going to be a less intensive full time than I was doing, and its non-paid. Ouch.

But I get to tattoo… rock on!