There is so much we are trying to get done to our building to get it ready for business. That being said, I will be tattooing part time (Fridays and Saturdays so far) at Altered Egos in Champaign until things are ready to go in Tuscola.
Call me at 570-994-6671 or email me at vintagekarma@gmail.com to set something up!
For four years now, I have run Vintage Karma in Stroudsburg, PA. It has been one of the greatest experiences of my life and I am very proud of the art that my clients and I have created together. I have built up a good reputation and have had the fortune of being solidly booked for a month at a time. Up until recent months I had every intention of continuing on my path in Stroudsburg for years to come but sometimes an opportunity arises that is far too good to pass up.
As of November 24th (this Thanksgiving), I will be closing my studio at 10 N. 7th St to move to Tuscola, Illinois. Currently, I will be no longer taking on any new work and will only be focusing on completing unfinished projects.
My partner Laura and I have been dreaming of expanding the Vintage Karma name to include an artist/craftperson co-op where we would sell handmade and DIY goods along with offering classes to give everyone a chance to get in touch with their creative side. Now we can make that dream into a reality.
We were given an amazing opportunity to purchase a large building in Tuscola, Illinois (where my whole family lives) that includes an apartment and ballroom. It needs a lot of work but we have acquired a TIF grant from the town to help us with getting the repairs made.
You can watch our progress as we transform this former antiques store to a vintage general store feel over at http://shopvintagekarma.com
Vintage Karma's new home!
Full description of the building here!
Originally, I had planned on staying in Stroudsburg until the end of 2011 but Mother Nature decided that I needed to go sooner than later. My house, which has been in my family for 105 years, was among the many that sufferred major flooding from the two storms several weeks ago. We have not been able to stay there since August 28th and the NJ Dept of Environmental Protection and FEMA are involved with the massive cleanup. It’s kind of like my family homestead knew we were planning on leaving so it got upset and kicked us out early.
It will be hard to leave all of the great friends and clients I have made but I do plan on traveling back to the area to do guest spots so that I can continue to tattoo as many of you as possible. Anyone who doesn’t want to wait for me to travel back and forth and needs help finding a new artist, I will be more than happy to refer you to one that would be a good match. Or anyone feeling adventurous is more than welcome to travel to Illinois and get tattooed! Heck you can even stay with us!
Thank you all for your support through the years and I hope that I can continue to serve you as best as I can as Laura and I start this new journey in a new place.
I will be selling my studio contents in Stroudsburg. If anyone knows someone looking to open up a tattoo studio, send them my way. The rent is very reasonable and the location is ready to go with two artist stations, enclosed sterilization room, and much more. Contact me at vintagekarma@gmail.com for specifics.
Followers of me on Facebook have surely noticed the tattoos bearing the same symbol over the past several months. People keep asking me what is up with those tattoos and what does that symbol mean?
It is a stylized design of an angel with wings and halo. But, it is also letters that spell out MADY.
Mady (Madyson Brendyl Law) was the daughter of a very good friend and client of mine. She had just turned 13 before her life was cut short by a tragic accident this past December. She touched everyone who met her with her kind soul and generosity. I could go on and on about her story and how she has individually impacted so many but that would make this long posting into a book! You can learn more about this amazing girl here.
Back in the spring Jim, a friend of the Law family, commisioned me to design a decal for his Les Paul guitar in memory of Mady. He came to the shop with MJ and Laura (Mady’s parents) He wanted her name with some sort of “stylized wings kind of like the Van Halen logo, but not really too much like the Van Halen logo, because I don’t really like Van Halen.” After about a half hour of coming up with nothing very exciting I was growing frustrated. My policy is that if I am struggling with a design it is because I am on the wrong path and that I need to back up and come at it from another angle. Then, as all of my best ideas do, the image appeared clearly in my mind. Plain as day. I started sketching again and a few minutes later I had the rough idea down.
The first sketches, including tracing of the guitar body (middle) it was designed for.
Being that this was for a specific guitar I made sure that the curve of the “wings” matched the curve of the body of the guitar so it would fit and flow correctly.
Jim's guitar
After I was done sketching, he paid me for my time and we all sat and chatted about how happy we were with the concept. There was talk of using this logo on tshirts and car decals to sell as part of a spagetti dinner fundraiser that the Law family was planning. So the next day I refined the image and cleaned it up on Photoshop so it would be all perfect and ready to go. Then what happened next surprised me. Jim wanted to get it tattooed on him! So did another family friend, Robin. I am thinking wow, these people aren’t even related to Mady, and they want this tattooed on them? So I tattooed them on the same day as the first shipment of car decals.
Then word started spreading. More people came forward about getting tattoos. At this point I decided that I would donate 25% of all of the MADY logo tattoos to the charity Mady’s Angels being founded in her honor. As the weeks went by shirts and decals were showing up everywhere.
Car Decal
As I worked on MJs memorial backpiece he kept me filled in on the details of a charity music festival they were planning called “Mady’s Snow Day” (one of her favorite things in the whole world was snow). The outpouring of support from the community was tremendous. Many people and local businesses donated their time, energy, and space to make the event come together. I continued tattooing MADYs on even more friends and family leading up to this event.
The day of Mady’s Snow Day was full of bone soaking rain, but that didn’t keep anyone away. As I drove up Sarah Street to park at the tattoo studio the street was lined with cars bearing the decal. People with umbrellas were walking towards the event all wearing the shirts. When I finally made it, I was in a visual sea of this symbol. People were wearing temporary tattoos with it. There was a booth filled with Mady merch. Stickers, decals, wall plaques, guitar pick jewelry, and more. Over 1000 people attended the event.
Never in my life have I seen one person touch so many people that they would permanantly alter their bodies in her memory. I am sure I will never see anything like this again. It has been an honor to be able to help the Law family in my own little way by giving them this image. I know that this simple image will be one of my proudest artistic achievements due to the impact it helped to make. I hope it helps to carry on Mady’s legacy for years to come.
I didn’t have the chance to get to know Mady very well in life, but through this whole experiece I have gotten to know not only her, but a lot of really good people better than I ever could have. If a 13 year old could touch this many people this deeply, how much good could we possibly do with a whole lifetime?
In all, I did TWELVE MADYs. Each person had their tattoo done in a different way to reflect their relationship with Mady. They all shared their stories about her with me while I tattooed them.
Due to these individuals’ permanant display of love I was able to donate $500 to Mady’s Angels. Thank you all so much!
Visit Mady’s Angels to make a donation
Join her Facebook page
The Twelve
It’s that time of year when the temperature is rising and the coats are coming off. Soon it will be summer with all of the outdoor activities that come with it. If you have gotten tattooed by me, chances are you have been given the sunscreen speech. But if I failed to give you that speech for what ever reason at the time of the session (or if you haven’t been tattooed by me)…..here it is in full glory. Like a mother waving her finger “you better do what I say…or else!” But really, it’s for your own good! Really! Protect your investment and your artwork!
Everybody has seen the old guy with the forearm tattoo that is faded and blurred beyond recognition. ”See this part here? It used to be yellow! And the red is all but gone!” A lot has changed in tattooing since then. We have a far better quality of pigment available to us now along with advancements in techniques to apply the tattoo. But the tattoo will always age as your body ages. That is an undeniable truth. But one if the biggest contributors to the aging of the tattoo is the damaging effects on your skin from the sun (or tanning booth). UV rays are just like the lasers that remove tattoos, except they work over a period of time to break down the pigment.
After the skin has finished peeling (2-3 weeks) then you can start using sunscreen. Prior use will irritate the healing tattoo. It is an open wound and it will sting!
If you are going out into the sun for any period of time, including just driving/riding in the car, please, please put on at least SPF 30 as a daily maintenance. Use SPF 50 or higher for longer days. And if you go tanning or please put on as high a SPF as possible EVERY time.
If you have a new tattoo, you must wait around 6 weeks for it to be fully healed before you should even expose the tattoo directly to the sun. Prior to that the skin is still healing and will burn faster than the rest of your skin. I know it is not a perfect world and often the tattoo is in an exposed area, like the lower arm. If that is the case, do your best to keep it from getting the full blast of the sun. ex: Don’t hang your arm out the window while sitting in traffic on the Garden State Parkway…. you get the idea.
Neutrogena makes a whole line of sunscreens that are great for daily use (SPF 30) as well as longer lasting ones (SPF 100) for your outdoor adventure days.
As an example to the amazing powers of sunscreen, the photo below courtesy of Guy Aitchison, shows the same guy who spent a week in Puerto Rico. He used SPF 40 on his right arm and nothing on his left arm.
A couple years ago, Ryan (a buddy of mine) and I went down to check out the abandoned Bethlehem Steel site in Bethlehem, PA (now the proud possession of Sands Casino). While driving amongst the acres of buildings in varying states of decay, I spotted something that would change our lives forever. It was a ladder that was attached to the tin roof of an old stone arched building. There were other similar ladders evenly spaced out to allow the workers access to different points of the rooftop, but this one was different.
The top portion of the ladder was in perfect condition, but as you follow it down, the rungs began to be broken off until it eventually just fell apart. The below photo (which I found on Flickr) must have been taken several years prior because it is seen in the early stages of coming apart. I wish I had a camera with me that day.
We loved the allegory of the visual. It was such a simple yet strong image to us. If life were that ladder, you have no choice but to keep climbing because the rungs behind you all fall away. You can’t stay on one rung for too long either because you risk loosing your foothold as well. A constant climb, regardless of getting tired, or scared, or nostalgic.
We can’t stay still. We can’t go back.
This strong reminder inspired me to created an artwork based on the image burned into my brain.
Shortly after, my friend Ryan, asked me to tattoo the ladder on his back.
Eventually, the love affair with the grounds of the Bethlehem Steelworks grew to a facination with the old blast furnace. A hulking metal beast that looms over the Lehigh River. An expansion project for the tattoo was brewing. Ryan loved all of the small staircases that weave throughout the structure, and would imagine what it was like to climb the ones that curve around the big stacks.
After much discussion and design consideration, we began work on the beast. (I may get into the visual symbolism someday, but don’t feel like dragging this post into yet another direction.)
But now there is a sense of urgency with this project, because there is a possibility the Ryan might be moving away soon. And like the rungs of the ladder, the days fall away never to be retrieved again. We have no choice but to keep working on this piece, and complete as much as we can before he departs.
We can’t stay still. We can’t go back.
While helping out as a booth buddy at the Rock & Ink Expo at the Sherman Theater this past weekend, my buddy Ryan entered his graffiti face tattoo into the competition. We ended up winning two awards for the tattoo! One for Best Male Color and another for Most Unusual Tattoo (which I am particularly proud of). All in all it was a great day!
The 1st Annual ROCK & INK EXPO
presented by Funhouse Tattooing, Inkwitch Tattoo, and Vintage Karma
The Sherman Theater presents the first ever Tattoo and Music convention in Stroudsburg! Various regional shops with be showcasing their work along with some of the most rockin’ bands around playing right on stage.
FIRST ANNUAL ROCK & INK TATTOO CONTEST
If you have a tattoo this is the contest for you! Enter in one or all of the categories below for a chance to win a trophy for yourself and a plaque for the person who did your work. It is $2.00 to enter one category, and $10.00 to enter as many categories as you please. The contest will take place on January 29, 2011 at the Sherman Theater’s Rock & Ink Festival. Registration begins at 2pm and will last until 6pm. After registration is over, judges will give out awards throughout the festival. We are looking for a variety of participants at any age. Tattoo artists are encouraged to enter their portfolios in this contest as well. Come and show off your tattoos and give your tattoo artist recognition!
If you got tattooed at the First Annual Rock & Ink festival this category is for you. It will be judged near the end of the night to ensure fairness throughout the competetion. It is $2.00 to enter and to show off your new bodyart. The prize will be two large plaques, one for yourself and one for your tattoo artist.
The last part of the contest pertains only to the tattoo shops who tattooed throughout the festival. This award will go to the shop who brings the most people to the festival. When your patrons enter the festival and pay the admission price they must let the ticketer know which shop they represent. At the end of the night all the numbers will be tallied up, and the shop with the most patrons will get two large plaques, one to display at the shop, and one for the owner of the shop. Tattoo artists, this award is for you! Try to get as many people to come and support you as possible! Get recognition for all your hard work!
We are now accepting vendor applications for the expo! Please contact members@shermantheater.com for more info.
Date: Saturday, January 29th
Show Time: 2:00pm
Seating: General Admission
Ticket Price: $10
Holiday shopping season is here again. If you are searching for a special gift that will last a lifetime then try a Tattoo Gift Certificate. Perfect for anyone who has been putting off getting that tattoo they have been dreaming about. They can be made out for any amount you want and are good for one year (which is good for those who aren’t totally sure of what they want tattooed on them). 
Recently, I have been fortunate enough to be able to do some really awesome pieces. I always appreciate each and every client that I get to tattoo, but some pieces will definitely stand out in my memory over time. This is one of those pieces. I was asked to do a black and grey reproduction of the famous painting of St. Michael by Guido Reni. This piece was to fit underneath and incorporate an existing piece (the “Relentless” which I tattooed a few years back) as well as show what the original painting does not, a full set of wings.
This piece has 20 hours of tattoo time invested in it so far, with one final session to go. The final session will address any nitpicks that I have (which I will not go into here because if Ray is reading this he will probably cringe in anticipation of the upcoming pain!). It is exciting to be nearing the end of a large project but also sad because there is a bond I make with a piece and the client over the time it takes to complete. A finished piece, especially one with a lot of time invested in it is like having a close friend move away.
I will take my pictures for posterity and post them in my portfolio, and if I am lucky I will get to see the tattoo every once in a while after it has healed. I will look it up and down with a critical eye and think of all the things I would like to adjust. Tighten up this spot here, darken that shadow there….but I need to let it go. It is no longer mine to tinker with. That is the hardest part, knowing when to put the machine down and say “when” and let it walk out the door that final time.
But that isn’t until the next session.
Lately, I have been fortunate enough to be commissioned to create non-tattoo related artworks for some folks. I really enjoyed being able to do some artistic leg stretching on these pieces because it is really easy for me to get totally focused on just tattoo art and forget about making other types of art.
The first one being a custom paint job on a guitar. I was given free reign to do whatever I wanted to do and I knew that the client was a big David Bowie fan and that his favorite song was “Modern Love“. I decided to do a visual representation of the song….hence the mechanical heart. It was very intimidating to paint on a brand new Les Paul which is ironic since I permanantly apply art to peoples’ bodies on a daily basis. I used paint markers to draw out the heart and boxes then did a bunch of different layers of spray paint masking off the different areas.
The second piece I was commissioned to do was a poster sized image of a gargoyle perched on the very edge of a building, looking down at the city below. The gargoyle was done using Prismacolor markers and then cut out and layered on to another sheet that I spray painted the cityscape on. The buildings were created by laying down pieces of scrap wood and misting the gray over the top. It was hard to get a decent photo because of the glossy sealer I used.
Both pieces were very well received and I am super proud and honored that they sought me out to create artworks for them.
