While in Nashville, Tennessee, I had the opportunity to speak to Jason Fancher who works at Victory Tattoo. Jason has been tattooing for over 15 years. He originally started his career in a shop in Sacramento, California. I asked Mr. Fancher if tattooing was his first career choice and he said, “Of course not! I wanted to be a lawyer, unfortunately that did not work out for me and school was very expensive.” While speaking to Mr. Fancher, I noticed that he had a way with words; his vocabulary was very complex. In my opinion, he would have been a great lawyer, however, after flipping through a few pages of his portfolio lying on the table at his station, I made up my mind - Jason was an amazing tattoo artist. Every tattoo in the portfolio showed how great he was at using bold lines and bright, vibrant colors. When I asked Jason what style he excelled in, he gave a brief chuckle and said, “I believe I excel in all of them. I work frequently with black/grey designs, traditional, cartoon, basically anything you can imagine.” I was and most important question was, “When do you recommend making an appointment with you? In other words, are you booked often enough for someone to make an appointment a few months in advance.” I was almost completely sure than he was going to say that he was booked quite frequently and I was right. “I would recommend making an appointment about 3 months in advance because we usually have people come in for consultations and quotes. Usually people also have to schedule multiple sessions in order to get their tattoos finished, especially when they’re larger.” All in all, my interview with Mr. Fancher was a great experience. He was such a down to earth guy and it was surprisingly easy to talk to him because conversation just flowed with him.
Although I have never had the opportunity to visit California, I had the pleasure to have a phone conversation with Erika Stanley, a tattoo artist who works at Art and Soul Tattoos in Los Angeles, California. To be honest, it was kind of nerve-wracking speaking on the phone with someone you have never met before, but even more nerve-wracking considering she was an amazing artist! I asked Erika the simple questions, “How long have you been tattooing? What style is your preference?” You know, all of the typical things you would ask someone who was going to inject permanent ink into your skin. “I’ve been tattooing since 1993. I know that sounds like it is a long time, but it hasn’t really felt like it. Time really flies when you’re having fun. And my preference? Hmm, I would say that I have a weird obsession with pin-up girls. They just intrigue me.” I wondered what her favorite part of tattooing was, so I asked, and she stated that her favorite part was that she was always learning something new. “You would think that you would know all there is to learn about tattooing after doing it for twenty years, but honestly I’m still learning new ways to do things. There is always a better, more efficient way to get the job done and it amazes me that I probably don't even know half of those ways. I also like that fact that I can spread my knowledge with other artists and tattoo enthusiasts alike. On that note, I am writing and publishing three different books on tattooing and I’m really excited.” I was really impressed with this woman considering that it is not particularly easy for women to make a name for themselves in the tattoo industry. “I also pick out all of the artists that will be tattooing in the shops, as well as guest stars. It’s pretty cool because I get to meet people who share one of my greatest interests.” I was in awe. “So approximately how many artists and stars have you met?”, I asked. She laughed and said, “Way too many to name!” I concluded our conversation and wished her luck in her career and she wished me luck in whatever I decide to do later in life. Erika was probably my favorite person to interview thus far, reason being that she defied all odds and made a name for herself when it seemed nearly impossible.
Lastly, I had a phone interview with a henna artist from Chicago. Her name was Huda Siddiqui. She has a shop named, “Hennaz Art”, but she currently only applies henna from her home while her other artists work in shop. I asked Huda how long she had been applying henna and underneath her thick Indian accent, I heard something along the lines of, “I have been doing henna since I was a little girl. Probably for about 25 years now.” Wow. I could not possibly imagine applying art as intricate as her for 25 years! “Do you enjoy it?”, I asked. She replied without hesitation, “Oh yes! It doesn’t even feel like work to me. I love it.” It seemed like every person I interviewed loved their job and that is so relieving because it seems like so many other people do not really care for their jobs. I asked Huda more about the henna, such as how long the henna has to stay on the skin, how long a session takes, and how long it lasts. Huda answered every single question. She said, “The henna has to stay on long enough for it to become completely dry. The time varies on how much henna was applied and how thick the paste is. The duration of the session depends on how large the piece is and also how intricate the design is.” Lastly, she said, “The henna lasts for about 2-3 weeks depending on skin care regimens, exposure to the sun, and what part of your body it is applied to.” The most interesting part of this interview was deciphering what Huda was saying considering she had a very heavy accent, another interesting part was learning that at ‘Hennaz Art’, they only apply henna to female clients.
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