I got back into Tattooing.

 Before this month, I had not used a "Tattoo Machine" in over 17 years... on top of that, it was not even a "real" machine( ask most Pro's out there and what I am using now shouldn't be counted either). It was a "Home Made Gun" built from a walkman motor, bent spoon for the frame, mechanical pencil for the Tube and Tip and yep... a guitar string for my needle. All hooked up to a Radio Shack adjustable power unit and light switch... I was the "High School After School Tattoo Artist" workin' in his garage, from 2:30-5:30, until my Mom got home... You wanted "Black Flag Bars", "Anarchy Symbol", "A Yin-Yang", "Boots", "Dead Kennedys", "FEAR"... whatever, any punk rock or simple design you wanted, I'd put it in ya! HAHAHAHA!!! I gave it up shortly there after a drunkin' afternoon session when I gave myself a pretty deep scar where a Modern Tribalism Tattoo was supposed to be. It was also around the time I was getting into "Body Piercing".

 I started working for Jeri 'Shiva' Mezler @ Spear of Shiva (the only Body Piercing Shop in the Central Vally) in September of 1994, Down at 222 W. Olive Ave. just outside the Tower Dist. Very shortly after we moved down the street to the "Art House" location(in the Tower), where I would spend the majority of my Apprenticeship. He started me at the bottom. Cleaning, running errands, Driving him everywhere, reading tons of books(like my Gauntlet Guide, Mien Kampf, Psychology and Basic Anatomy books), watching Charles Gatewood Videos, making body jewelry and setting up for him and the other two Piercers in the shop who had completed their Apprenticeships ahead of me, first Julian 'Ganesha' Martinez in 95 and second Dana Dinius in early 96 (who was also my roommate, toward the end of my apprenticeship). I loved it! I really learned allot about Basic Body Piercing techniques and Jewelry making. Didn't get paid AT ALL for the first year, but... he did get me hired on over at Cafe Intermezzo. I worked there nights and some mornings, the rest of the time, I was at Spears. My second year is where things opened up for me. After being a "Pin Cushion" for every type of Piercing you can imagine, I was aloud to assist and finally perform "Basic" body piercings. I took to it like a fish to water! Ears, Nostrils and Navels, I did nothing but those for about four months, then I got to do my first Lip, then an eyebrow a month later. The waiting for something new was KILLING ME!!! So, I asked Jeri what he thought about me practicing on friends after hours back at my condo. He was good with it, so long as I made sure to tell everyone, I was not performing their work as a "Spear of Shiva" employee... So, "The Process" was born. (I got the name from the Skinny Puppy CD that was released around that time, I liked to listen to it as I worked. Still one of my all time favorite albums.)

 That was the name I took on for my shop, in my home. Jeri gave me my very own "Medical Exam Table" and helped me get some new tools, let me make jewelry for my jobs, so long as I made what he and the other guys needed first and gave me needles, most of the time free, but if I did pay for them it was with a very nice discount. Things were going great! I completed my second year under Jeri and decided to continue working from my place and for him part time, pretty much so I could continue to get my supplies and help him in a Jewelry venture we were hoping to get. I was averaging 12 to 15 piercings a week, not bad for a guy only open from 8pm to 12am Thursday through Saturday, Monday through Wednesday by appointment only. I did everything! Nipples, Nostrils, Navels and Tongues were my bread and butter! Flat piercings, Lip's, Eyebrow's, Lebret's, Septum's, Orbital's, Conche's, Treagus, Labia, Hoods, P.A.'s, Frenums, Lowrums and all other specialties were what I loved to do, what I lived for! Stretching were fun but once I showed people how to do it themselves, I really only ever had to do it on a special case basis. I made my own tapers and plugs, used Master locks and U Bolts as ear weights. Good times!

 I am realizing, I got completely side tracked talking about my "Piercing History" rather than why I gave up Tattooing, till now. During the time I worked for Jeri we had a tattoo artist named Nate Banuelos. His side of the shop was called "Acme Art". He was like a God to me! His color work was so impressive and his technique so down I figured I could never be as good as him. He did a custom freehand eyeball tattoo on my right shoulder, it's a dedication piece to Tim Armstrong, from when he saved me from getting my ass kicked by a bunch of skinheads looking to beat up punks in Berkeley, but that's another story for another time... Now, where was I? Shortly after we moved to the "Art House", a second Tattoo Artist came to the shop, Ron Earhart. This guy is INSANE!!! His work completely blew me out of the water! I had never really checked out "Bio Mech" before, it's pretty cool shit, come to find out it's what he specializes in now. After watching he and Nate work, it was over... my thoughts of ever becoming a Tattoo artist were toast. Until this year.

 A very good friend of mine Ruben Garcia has been honing his craft of Tattoo Artistry and performed a couple pieces on me as experiments to test his abilities. It blew me away to know that he has only been Tattooing less than two years! His work is Sick! One afternoon when on a mission to procure supplies for Ruben's Tattoo ventures I ran into a very good old friend of mine, who low and behold is a Tattoo artist as well. We all began talking about one thing or another and Ruben asked me, "Why don't you give it a try man?" Will, my old friend whom I used to know as Billy stated, "Yeah man give it a shot, the only thing you have to lose is the time spent learning and trying."

un-noticed, I can and will cause those around me to reconsider their predisposed judgements of who and what I'm all about. I had major support from Ruben and Will to do this, they were ready to pour knowledge and resources into my lap and were just waiting for the word, "Go!"

The Wybie and Coraline Photo Board I did for our Pumpkin Patch (Wybie's Pumpkin Patch) Cool name huh? Yea, my Wife is pretty Awesome!

A Kintaro I spent an evening drawing the line art and then coloring in pencil, to work up to tattooing.

 So... with the two of them donating gear to me, I pieced together a "Beginner/Apprentice Type Kit" and started working on stencils. I started watching videos, mimicking line strokes with my pens and color pencils, creating flash and stencil line art in my notebook, my Machine still un-touched. Ruben gave me a call one day, "Well, you try out that machine I gave you yet?" "Naw mang, I'm still warming up to it, been drawing allot and practicing shading and coloring techniques." "Don't be scared Rob, get in there and do it! You got all those pumpkins left over at you place, hit um up!" He was right, I have about 30 or so leftover pumpkins from a patch. But Will gave me a couple huge sheets of practice skin to mess with, so I went to work on that first... not knowing exactly what to expect.

My very First Outline, took 12min.

Changed up settings on my Machine and Did the color work, took 90min.

 This progress got me excited! So I started free handing, letters, shapes, all kind of stuff on the practice skin. Then I had this Geisha I had downloaded the Line Art for from the Internet, but had no color example. So I used my imagination and drew it up on my sketchbook.

The Geisha and another piece of Flash I borrowed and re-drew.

 But I had to Tattoo her! My machine seemed to be running a little sloppy and unpredictable, kept dropping out at particular angles and would often stick or jam up going into the practice skin. So, online research time! I watched video after video of how to tune my machine and set it up correctly for Outlining. I also paid a visit to Will and he hooked me up with a stainless 3 round tip, barrel and grip. Since I have a box of 3rl (Round Liner) needles, it just seemed right to use instead of the disposable one I had been... re-using. Fixed the shorting out issue by replacing the top washer on my rear spring with a "Dime", tightened everything up and checked it out. WHAT A DIFFERENCE!!! The balance, the weight, grip size and better control, running super smooth! I was ready to get down!

The Geisha Outline on Practice Skin.

 That was it, I was hooked! But I only had so much practice skin and what about those Pumpkins? 

First Pumpkin Tattoo.

And after that, the rest is history...

 Rotten Robbie (All Freehand)

 Traditional Anchor (from stencil of Flash)

 Freehand Dagger. (dried out quick without enough Bag Balm)

 Freehand Dragon Outline

 Freehand Fire and Blossoms, with rings for smoke later... (yet to do the smoke)

 More work on the Dragon.

 Freehand Lil' Dark Angel.

 Hello Kitty, Traditional. Blew my stencil, so done mostly freehand. (Bird is evident)

 Snake. There is much more to it, all freehand, but in the conservation of time and space, I'm only showing the front of it... (perhaps the rest another time)

Hello Jason! (It's not even Friday the 13th)

 Well there you have it, my work to date, well except for my other work making stencils and re-drawing line art. But it is good practice. Not sure how long it will be till I Tattoo someone, but I'll make sure to post pic's. I'm happy doing what I'm doing for now and that is enough for me. Thanks for looking! "Cheers!!!"