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At that time Rio had been tattooing for 38 years having grown up in and around his dads' and then Bert Grimms
shop on the Pike in Long Beach.He told so many stories
that I have a hard time recalling a single one but the
one thing that has really stuck with me is the people
he worked with,the likes of Bob Shaw,Zeke Owens,Col Todd,Don Nolan,Don Ed Hardy,Tom Yoemans,he always gave credit to those that had shown him things along the way.Without a doubt,I would not be where I am today if it wasn't for his patients and ability to teach the art of tattoo the "old school way".For those of you that don't know what that means I'm not sure I can explain it to you but for those that do,the first thing Rio taught me was how to cut "acetate stencils" and how to "spit shade"(now
there's a dying artform)My first year at Rios' was with
acetate stencils.If you've never used one and only know
paper and thermal fax or you're part of that "stencil
jockey" crowd that has opened up a shop on every corner
(y'all KNOW who you are!!!)well....anyways,I dare
wonder just how many of you would still be tattooing
if we took your paper and little machines away from
you or hell,if you had to draw your own flash or had
to build your own machines.THAT'S "old school"(and I'm
done ranting).If I've offended anyone by insinuating
that if you can't do those things above then you probably
shouldn't be tattoing well...fuck you!And if you ARE
tattooing and you haven't done an apprenticeship or
at least managed to get a around a true professional to
be shown some things,keep butchering those "one time"
customers of yours,(don't you wonder why they never
come back?)you keep me and my lot real busy.....I did say
I was done ranting,didn't I? Ok,where were we.................... |
