*A NOTE TO MYSELF*
Dear Inner Buddha,
Family's fast asleep. Amazing time to relax and remind my self how good I have it. Food, clean clothes, a roof, and extras. Each day I fall close and closer into enlightenment, not realizing it. My mind is open like the sky is my canvas and I have a fresh "rattle can" that sprays clouds. Thank you for inspiration and lesson. Thank you for lessons learned. Thank you for watching over my family.
Each day speeds by like it never happened, days blur into weeks, into months, into years into my son needing his first car. I love that boy with every single fiber of my being, his mother too, but you already know this. He wont go through what I did, promise that.
I see my self aging, I'm no longer an over energetic big mouth little teen, but, I'm not a mean old man that's well over his peak either. I'm old enough to have a bad hairline, and have gained some of that weight everyone used to pick on me about. But, still young enough to get my shot one day. I look at the age of most amazing artists and see them in their 40's, so I think to myself "I should have it down perfect by then." , but then see another artist younger than me or around the same age and they have even better stuff and I'm like "Dayum why ain't I getting it like that!" and beat my self up about it for a little while. Truth be told, I wanted to be an art teacher because of the one i had in high school. I think that is the age when your really going to start seeing the real artists and the finger painters.
I do see growth in my artwork from just being in my own private studio. Being there gives me a chance to actually focus on the client and his/her tattoo. I used to feel myself click when I finally got something down right or discover something I hadn't seen before. I have been feeling it a lot lately. So, that's why I choose to travel and learn some new things from other artists and work with different people from different place's. That's what I refer to as "Put'n In Work". Leaving each Saturday and going to a different place with different artist's. It puts a strain on the family and I. But its business, and We all know what it takes to get the job done right. And that's why their my family.
Thank goodness for these nuts that let me tattoo them. They give me the opportunity to give them something that takes a part of me each time I do it. Tattooing is a lifestyle that i was born into. Its very much a part of me. So, every time I tattoo it is a representation of how I am growing as an artist. I have done a ton of tattoos and not all of them could shine the best. And I probably owe tattoos to a hand full of people, but I had to start somewhere. I haven't done a tattoo in a long time that I couldn't say I didn't try my best on. But its hard to do a tattoo on someone that really has no clue what their talking about. So Much love, to my clients and there tolerance for my solo adventure down an amazing road of experience. Thank you
Much Respect,
Outer Shell
____________________________
by tony trip.
*NEEDLE ART EXPO*
Well Lets start this blog of the day before the convention. We had everything packed up and ready to go, we had the hotel registration ready and the convention spot
locked as well. But Jarred Scott and I had no ride....
Thursday April 14th was the day we were supposed to be leaving for the show but had no ride. So, I get up early with my girl and Adrian and head to the action.
We had a little money set back from tax's and savings so we had a little money to spend lol. We looked through the lot and saw a few vans and suvs and I fell
in love with an all Black GMC Yukon. We walked around and as I got the hang of things (getting in the cars and inspecting them) I found out the Yukon sounded
like shit when I started it so I had no idea what to do. Basically I was going to find the cheapest ride, let baby mamma get what ever she wanted, and hope it worked.
So we walked into the building where they had the cars going through and planned on getting our feet wet and bidding. As soon as we walked in there was an
over powering sensation of urgency, Old men that control half the car lots in town had money clenched and were going there to win. We walked up and through all the
chattering of the mega mouths on the auction mic managed to get out of there with a huge van for cheap and then found my girl a sweet 04 Gran Prix Gt. So after the
calm down period and all the paperwork and insurance and hours of waiting I take it to the mechanic and he tells me this van wont make it. My heart drops and
my Leo pride gets a very unexpected let down. When I started the van the motor sounded good and it moved in forward and reverse but there was a sqeeking sound.
After about an hour of worrying he calls me up and tells me the van is good to go.
2 hours of packing and rechecking and rechecking we head out on the road. Despite my lack of faith in a $1000 van the ride was surprisingly smooth and
drove like a dream. 3 hours later we were in Murpheseboro pulling up. So we go to the hotel and check in then head over to the convention center.
As we pull up we only notice maybe 5 cars there. So we walk in and realize everyone else wasnt showing up till tomorrow and we beat the crowd! We got a
cart and started unloading the van and setting up our booth. Jonny Nobody and Brix Nobody were there and had the most stress full look on their faces, even
when they were smiling. I could tell this was going to be a good show.
After a good night of rest we woke up early got showered and headed out to the convention center. It was great, most of the other artist had put their stuff
up earlier that morning so the booths started looking really full. As i walked in I noticed Jonny talking to Paco Rollins. Out of pure excitement i said
"Hey Paco!!!" and fist bumped him. Now this is funny because Paco made the first machine I ever bought and he was an old skooler to me, so fist bumping is probly
not what he gets on a regular lol. Me and Jarred went over to our booth sat down and relaxed for a min. See, This is where i want to be in my career. This is
where the big dogs come to play and I was finally here. So half of me knew that this was the spot to get to meet a lot of really good people and enjoy a mini vacation
and the other half said "sit down and make some money, I have to re-up form all this money spent" So we walked around and got to know people. Well I went back to
the booth and Jonny handed me a piece of paper that said something like " Tony Trips license it revoked in his home town" it was an official complaint
