=HOLIDAYS ARE DONE!=

WELP... NOW THAT WE GOT THOSE PESKY HOLIDAZE OUTTA THE WAY, IT'S TIME TO GET BACK TO WORK! ALTHOUGH I TOOK A WEEK AND A HALF OFF TO TAKE CARE OF SOME JAILTIME AND THAT CHRISTMAS JUNK... I DID MANAGE TO GET SOME ARTWORK DONE. ABOVE IS A PAINTING THAT I DID AS A GIFT FOR MY BOO, CHRISTINA. TRYNA DO SOME WORK THAT'S A BIT DIFFERENT FROM WHAT I'VE BEEN DOING, I REALLY LIKE THIS ONE!

ABOVE IS ONE IN PROGRESS FOR MY FRIEND & ROOMIE POP... I'LL BE DOING PORTRAITS LIKE THESE FOR PEOPLE, STARTING AT $150. HOLLER  IF YOU WANT ONE!

I ALSO PAINTED A BOXCAR FOR A FRIENDS DAUGHTER AS A GIFT... HOPE TO DO MORE OF THESE SOON TO DECORATE THE SHOP... AND MY ROOM. LOOKING TO GET THE LIFE SIZE ONES TOO!

I ALSO HAVE BEEN WORKING ON SOME OLEV ARTWORK AND PROTOTYPES FOR MY NEW LINE... SHIRTS WILL BE THE FIRST RELEASE AS WELL AS BIKING CAPS. ONCE PROTOTYPES ARE ALL THROUGH WITH BEING TESTED, I'LL RELEASE THE BAGS. SUPER EXCITED WITH THIS NEW PROJECT... HOPEFULLY YOU WILL BE TOO AND WE WILL SEE OLEV STUFF ON THE STREETS IN A COUPLA MONTHS. OH WAIT... I SHOULD BE DOING BIZ CARDS AND STICKERS FOR THE SHOP SHOULDN'T I? HAHA...

GOT SOME TATTOO WORK LINED UP FOR JANUARY THO, SO LOOK FOR PICS OF SOME OF THAT UP SOON! HOPE EVERYONES HOLIDAY'S WERE FUN AND STRESS FREE... AND THAT YOU'VE SURVIVED TO MAKE IT IN FOR YOUR TATTOOS!
*OH YEAH... I'M ALSO DOING DRAWINGS FOR 'HELL YEAH', A CLOTHING COMPANY BY CHARGE BIKES - JULIET ELLIOT IN THE U.K. AND BIG CONGRATS TO MY BROTHER-IN-LAW TOD BAIN FOR THE SUCCESS OF GETTING HIS NEW SHOP '1ST REVELATION TATTOO' OPEN IN TEXAS. THEY MADE LOCAL HISTORY, AS IT IS THE FIRST TATTOO SHOP IN THEIR TOWN! WAY TO GO GUYS!! I'LL BE MAKING MY WAY OUT THERE TO DO SOME GUEST SPOTTING, AS WELL AS HITTING CHICAGO IN MARCH OF 2010 AND LONDON IN SEPTEMBER OF 2010. VIRTUE ON THE ROAD... GOTTA SPREAD THE GOOD TATTOO WORD.
HOLLER!

=BIKE NITE!=

COME OUT AND BE A PART OF THE FIRST VELOSHIP BIKE NITE! IF ALL GOES WELL, WE WILL BE ABLE TO HOLD THIS EVENT ONCE A MONTH AND EXPAND IT TO HOST INDOOR FOOT-DOWN, POLO & TRICK COMPS IN THAT NASTY NORTHWEST WINTER WEATHER... ALSO STAY TUNED AS WE ARE DEVELOPING THE FIRST FIXED-GEAR VIDEO MAGAZINE, 'VELOSHIP AHOY!' TO SCREEN AT FUTURE BIKE NITES.

*AT THIS EVENT: FREE ADMISSION (21+ SORRY KIDS), FREE VOODOO DONUTS, PRODUCT GIVEAWAYS, FREE PHOTO OPS (LATER TO BE PUBLISHED IN PRINT AND ONLINE), LIVE DEEJAY N DANCIN, DRINKS, FULL FOOD MENU, FILMS ON THE 20FT MOVIE SCREEN (MACA, MASH, RAD, BOOTLEG) AND THE CHANCE TO MAKE YOUR PRESENCE KNOWN AS A PLAYER IN THE LOCAL BIKE FAMILY.

HOPE TO SEE ALL OF OUR FRIENDS THERE AND MAKE IT ONE HECK OF A BLAST! PERFECT TIME TO BLOW OFF ALL OF THAT HOLIDAY STEAM AND UNWIND... CHEERS!!!

**OH YEAH... I WILL BE GIVING AWAY A FREE TATTOO TO A LUCKY ATTENDEE... BUT ITS GOTTA BE BIKE-RELATED... DUH!!!

=THIS WEEK=

WELL INTO OUR 3RD WEEK AND IT'S IN FULL SWING! OUR RENT PARTY WAS A HUGE SUCCESS AND WE'VE MANAGED TO KEEP THE DOORS OPEN... THANKS TO ALL WHO CAME OUT TO SUPPORT AND SHOW THEIR LOVE!! FULL STEAM AHEAD... 8 DAZE A WEEK THE VIRTUE TATTOO/ROCK-A-BETTIES TEAM IS HERE TO SERVE YOU (AND PROBABLY FRIGHTEN YOU A BIT TOO!)

 

HERE ARE A FEW SHOTS OF SOME OF THE WORK THAT'S COME THROUGH IN THE PAST WEEK... ABOVE IS JONATHAN'S DAVE QUIGGLE PIECE. NO TOUCH-UPS WERE NEEDED ON THIS NECK PIECE! BELIEVE ME, I'M JUST AS SURPRIZED AS YOU ARE!

TIF AND TIM CAME IN FOR THIS SET... LOCKET AND KEY. I LOVE THE LOVERS... AINT THAT CUTE!!!

 

MY BOY ROB AND I HAVE BEEN PUSSYFOOTIN' AROUND HIS FIRST TATTOO FOR PROBABLY ABOUT A YEAR BEFORE COMING UP WITH WHAT TO DO... HE WON 1ST IN AN ALLEYCAT LAST YEAR AND PART OF HIS PRIZE WAS A TATTOO FROM ME. HE OPTED TO PASS ON THE MODERATELY SIZED BIKE-RELATED TATTOO AND GO FOR A FULL SLEEVE INSTEAD. 'ATTA BOY ROB-O!

 

HIS IDEA IS A COMBINATION/COLLAGE OF ALL THE CITIES THAT HE'S LIVED IN THROUGHOUT HIS LIFE. ALL OF THEM ARE ON THE WEST COAST, U.S. AND HE PICKED ICONS TO REPRESENT EACH OF THEM.

 

 

ABOVE ARE SOME DETAILS OF THE PIECE... THERE'S A GAP IN THE ELBOW/TRENCH AREA THAT WE HADN'T FIGURED OUT YET, BUT ROB CAME THROUGH WITH THE IDEA OF ADDING EL SEGUNDO'S BLUE BUTTERFLY TO FINISH IT UP. THE OTHER CITIES ARE LOS ANGELES, GLENDORA, ARCADIA, CORONA AND PORTLAND.

 

SO THERE YOU HAVE IT... SECOND SESSION. THE OUTLINE WAS ABOUT 3 1/2 HOURS AND THE WASH & SHADING WAS AROUND 4. NEXT WE'RE ADDING COLOR WASHES TO THE SUBJECTS ALONE, LEAVING THE BACKGROUND BLACK & GREY TO HELP IT READ AND NOT APPEAR TOO BUSY.

BELOW IS AN OUTLINE I THREW WITH MY HOMIE EDGAR... (BATTLE!) COMING IN AT JUST UNDER 2 HOURS, I'M HYPED ON THIS ONE! IT'LL BE FINISHED LIKE AN ILLUSTRATION... SOLID BLACKS AND LINES... NO WASHES. VERY GRAPHIC, NOT SO TATTOOISH. STOKED AS FUCK.

 

I'LL TRY TO KEEP UP WITH THE HIGHLIGHTS OF EACH WEEK AS I BUILD UP VIRTUE'S REP... IT'S NOT ALWAYS TATTOOING THAT KEEPS THE PLACE ROCKIN' EITHER, SO TUNE IN FOR ALL THE ADVENTURES TO COME!!! HOLLERATYERBOY.

=ROCK-A-BETTIES ART=

I RECENTLY FINISHED HAND-PAINTING THE ROCK-A-BETTIES LOGO THAT I DESIGNED FOR THEM, ON A BIG 'OL SIGN FOR THE FRONT OF OUR SHARED SHOP. (THE ABOVE IMAGE IS IN PROGRESS... NOT QUITE DONE!) TOOK A FEW DAYS... BUT I'M SUPER STOKED WITH THE OUTCOME. SOON, I'LL BE PAINTING IT AGAIN, INSIDE THE SALON BEHIND THE RECEPTION DESK, ADDING TO THE SALONS FLAVOR.

I'M WORKING ON WHAT I'LL PAINT ON THE WALLS INSIDE THE TATTOO STUDIO CURRENTLY AND CAN'T WAIT TO GET THAT ONE STARTED... KEEP A SHARP EYE OUT FOR POSTS ON THAT ONE SOON!

=S.O.S! SAVE OUR SHOP!!!=

*PLEASE REPOST!!!*
TOMORROW (OR TECHNICALLY TODAY-WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 9TH) COME CHECK OUT OUR SHOP AND HELP RAISE MONEY FOR THE RENT!!! WE GOT $1000 TAKEN FROM US AND NOW WE ARE IN A BIND... $30 TATTOOS, $20 WOMENS & $10 MENS HAIRCUTS... MUSIC... BEER... SNACKS... PAINTING AUCTION (BY SANDYJONES) AND MORE!!! STARTS AT 10AM AND GOES ALL DAY... CAN YOU?

=THE STUDIO=

HERES A FIRST LOOK INTO THE VIRTUE STUDIO... NOT EVEN A WEEK INTO THE SPOT, SO THERE'S ALOT OF FILLING OUT TO DO! FIRST THING WILL BE MORE ART ON THE WALLS, NATURALLY. SOME NEW CHAIRS ARE ON THE WAY AS WELL AS TABLES AND RACKS FOR MAGAZINES AND TATTOO DESIGN DISPLAY. VIRTUE IS A CUSTOM SHOP BUT SANDY DRAWS SO MANY ORIGINAL PIECES THAT HAVE YET TO BE TATTOOED... THAT THEY WILL BE DISPLAYED LIKE FLASH FOR FANS OF HIS ART.

SHOTS: THE TATTOO STUDIO, ET AL.

JUST LARGE ENOUGH FOR ONE SESSION AT A TIME, THE INTIMATE SETTING IS TUNED TO A FOCUSED ATTENTION ON ORIGINAL, CUSTOM TATTOO WORK. THE STUDIO SHARES SPACE WITH 'ROCK-A-BETTIES CHOP SHOP' OWNED BY FABULOUS LOCAL HAIR STYLIST, KESHIA MORITZ. THE COOPERATIVE WORK OF HAIR STYLISTS AND TATTOO ARTIST OFFERS UP A LIVELY AND DIVERSE EXPERIENCE FOR THE PATRON.

SPEAKING OF KESHIA... THE FIRST TATTOO DONE IN THE SPOT BY SANDY WAS THIS LITTLE KNUCKLE-ROCKER ON KESHIAS FINGERS. MICRO-TATS ANYONE? THE SHOP HAD TO BE CHRISTENED PROPER, SO WHAT BETTER WAY THAN THE OWNERS OF THE TWO BUSINESSES SHARING A BIT OF INK AND A LAUGH. THE FAMILY THAT PLAYS TOGETHER... YOU KNOW THE REST.

CHECK THIS BLOG AS OFTEN AS YOU WISH TO KEEP UP ON THE EVENTS, WORKS AND SHENANIGANS OF VIRTUE TATTOO, SANDY JONES AND THE GALS AT ROCK-A-BETTIES. WITH A CREW LIKE THIS, IT'S SURE TO BE A SPIRITED RIDE!!!

=NOW OPEN=

VIRTUE HAUTE, CUSTOM TATTOO STUDIO IS NOW OPEN! DOORS SWUNG IN NOVEMBER OF 2009 OPENING THE TATTOO STUDIO OF ARTIST SANDY JONES. THE 10 YEAR VETERAN OF CUSTOM TATTOO CULTURE HAS SET INTO MOTION HIS OWN LOCATION TO DEVELOP AND SEE THE ACCOMPLISHMENT OF CREATIVE AND UNIQUE HIGH END TATTOO WORK IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST.
WHILE THERE ARE A TON OF EXCELLENT ARTISTS OUT HERE... SANDY HAS A BIT TO ADD INTO THE BLOSSOMING ART SCENE. BLA BLA BLA....