Seattle: Under the Needle
Those who donned one of the special VIP passes (yes, that included us) got to chill in a private lounge with cushy couches, a private bar, and a prime view of the stage.
Contestants in the Best Back Tattoo contest had to bare it all for the judges as they deliberated.
The contestants vie for more than just the title of Best Back Tattoo; they want the trophy— a beer stein that comes with free refills of beer all weekend.
Despite getting some flack from the announcer for "showing too much crack," John Osiris scored third place in the Best Back Tattoo contest. His back piece was done by Colin Delgado from Hidden Hand Tattoo in Seattle.
Second place winner Kim Coerner keeps things PG-13 with a little help from some self-censoring electrical tape.
Friends Bree Siers and Sullivan Giles are no strangers to the tattoo world. Siers’s tattoo of a Tibetan skull breathing luna moths won her the title of Best Large Tattoo at the National Tattoo Convention—because "it’s bad ass," she says. Giles even has eyeliner tattooed on. " It’s great, if I don’t want to put on makeup in the morning, I don’t have to."
Bree offers a piece of advice to keep colored tattoos bright and vibrant: stay away from the sun and keep covered up. Of course at an event where showing off your tattoos is as important as hitting the beer garden, this rule is mostly ignored.
Sullivan Giles doesn’t hesitate to show off her favorite tattoo.
You wouldn’t expect a Tattoo Expo to be a place for kids, but several tattooed moms and dads had their little ones in tow. A face painting and airbrush tattoo on-site catered to this younger set.
Two My Little Ponies grace the feet of Amber Rothrock. Rothrock, who works at Slave to the Needle, says these two pedi-tattoos are her favorite, "because I like My Little Ponies, and because I’m a dork."
Amber Rothrock’s back piece is one of the few large tattoos she has covering her body.
Inside the Northwest Rooms at Seattle Center, hundreds of tattoo shops set up tables where prospective clients could view portfolios of the tattoo artist’s work, set up consultations, and even get a tattoo, right then, right there.
Suzanna Fisher of Supergenius Tattoo here in Seattle has been a professional tattoo artist for three years now, and says there is a lot of pressure for someone holding the needle, especially when you are just starting out. However, her board game skills are giving her an upper hand.
"I’m a Scrabble fanatic, so I’m kind of like the spell-checker for the shop".
What’s an underage kid to do at a tattoo expo? Damian Winter, 13, found an alternative to the real thing: "I’m not old enough to get tattooed, so I get Sharpied." Damnian’s dad, Mattias Winter, is a tattoo artist at Hardline Tattoo and Piercings in Monroe. Will he let his dad give him his first tattoo once he turns 18? "Probably."
Mattias Winters, tattoo artist for Hardline Tattoo and Piercing, works on a leg piece for David Cochrin, who chose to get a tattoo in honor of his son, Zach.
When not browsing potential body art, most of the tattooed attendees kicked back, relaxed, and enjoyed a beer. Nothing wrong with that.
